Weekly NFL Preview/Review: Doctor Ew

We're at the halfway point of the NFL season. I apologize for the British-related pun in the title, but that's what I'm going to talk about today: The league's cellar-dwellers going to London. The NFL always seems to send bad teams to London to showcase the NFL. Multiple coaches have been fired after losing in London, including this season, after Miami lost to the Jets in Week 4. Last week in London, 3-4 Buffalo lost to 2-5 Jacksonville, and this week, 1-6 Detroit faces 2-5 Kansas City. Poor Londoners have seen so much of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Week 7 Review

Top Games
1. Bills 31, Jaguars 34
This game made history by being the first NFL game live-streamed online (it was on Yahoo), and it turned out to be a good game. Jacksonville took an 11-point lead into the fourth quarter, but Buffalo scored a touchdown with six-and-a-half minutes left (and got the two-point conversion), then got a pick-six from Corey Graham to take a 31-27 lead. However, the Jags struck back, as Blake Bortles made up for his interception with a 31-yard touchdown pass just before the two-minute warning.

2. Buccaneers 30, Redskins 31
Tampa Bay took a 24-7 lead into the third quarter, but then the Washington comeback began. After they got within three, the Bucs kicked a field goal to stretch the lead to 30-24, but then Kirk Cousins marched the Redskins down the field and threw a six-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jordan Reed with 24 seconds remaining. Cousins was kind of pumped about it afterward:

3. Cowboys 20, Giants 27
In a game that shockingly was not on Sunday Night Football, the two NFC East foes battled back-and-forth. The Giants were helped by two interceptions off Matt Cassel, including a 58-yard pick-six from Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. They were also helped by former Cowboy Dwayne Harris, who scored what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown on a 100-yard kickoff return.


Play of the Week
Chris Johnson continued his comeback/late-career renaissance Monday night against Baltimore. He ran for 122 yards (his third 100-yard rushing game this season) and a touchdown. He also made the highlight reel with this big run that looked like it would be stopped for a short gain. But Johnson, aware that he was not down and no whistle had been blown, kept running and busted a 62-yard run.

Play of the Weak
Cole Beasley may have lost his job as the Cowboy's primary punt returner Sunday. Down seven with a minute-and-a-half to play and no timeouts left, the Cowboys forced a punt from the Giants. Brad Wing punted from his own 22 yard line to Dallas' 15 yard line, where Beasley had to back up to try to catch it, and never got hold of it. It bounced right into Myles White's hands and the Giants secured the victory.


Top Performances
Dolphins RB Lamar Miller vs. Houston (W 44-26): 14 carries, 175 yards, TD
Miller busted out a big game for the second straight week (he had 113 yards and a touchdown against Tennessee), this time against the lowly Texans. He has found much more success (in two weeks) under new head coach Dan Campbell.

Redskins QB Kirk Cousins vs. Tampa Bay (W 31-30): 33-40, 317 yards, 3 TD
Just go back up and watch that video at least three or four more times.

Raiders WR Amari Cooper @ San Diego (W 37-29): 5 catches, 133 yards, TD
The rookie got back to tearing it up on Sunday in San Diego after two sub-par weeks, helping the Raiders beat the Chargers with his third 100-yard receiving game this season.


Week 8 Preview

Quick Picks (home team listed last)
Last Week: 9-5
Overall: 60-34

Byes: Bills, Eagles, Redskins, Jaguars
Dolphins 28, Patriots 35 (Thursday, 8:25 PM, CBS/NFL)
Lions 30, Chiefs 31 (Sunday, 9:30 AM, FOX, at Wembley Stadium)
Cardinals 32, Browns 21 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, FOX)
Buccaneers 24, Falcons 38 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, FOX)
49ers 20, Rams 24 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, FOX)
Giants 27, Saints 34 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, FOX)
Vikings 28, Bears 23 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, FOX)
Chargers 31, Ravens 22 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, CBS)
Bengals 35, Steelers 24 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, CBS)
Titans 28, Texans 24 (Sunday, 1:00 PM, CBS)
Jets 21, Raiders 24 (Sunday, 4:05 PM, CBS)
Seahawks 27, Cowboys 21 (Sunday, 4: 25 PM, FOX)
Game to Watch: Packers 32, Broncos 27 (Sunday, 8:30 PM, NBC)
This week's Sunday Night Football matchup is between two unbeaten teams. Green Bay is winning with their offense, led by All-World quarterback Aaron Rodgers, while Denver is winning with their defense, which is making up for a struggling Peyton Manning.
Colts 24, Panthers 31 (Monday, 8:30 PM, ESPN)


Fantasy Sleepers
Cardinals RB Chris Johnson @ Cleveland 
Ravens RB Justin Forsett vs. San Diego
In this week's edition of "Who Plays the Two Worst Rushing Defenses in the NFL", we have Chris Johnson and Justin Forsett. Johnson has been on fire, and there is no reason he won't continue that against the Browns' screen door (or no door) rush defense. Forsett only ran for 32 yards last week, but he did score a touchdown, and he has gone off for 150 (vs. the Browns) and 121 this season.

Saints QB Drew Brees vs. N.Y. Giants
Jets QB Ryan Fitzpatrick @ Oakland
In this week's edition of "Who Plays Two of the Worst Defenses in the NFL", we have Drew Brees and Ryan Fitzpatrick. Brees faces a defense that is near the bottom in every category, and he's thrown for at least 255 yards in every game this season. Fitzpatrick has thrown two touchdown passes in all but one game, and he plays the worst pass defense (in terms of yards per game) in the league.

Vikings WR Stefon Diggs @ Chicago
Titans TE Delanie Walker @ Houston
Keep riding the Diggs bandwagon. He's quickly become Teddy Bridgewater's top option. Plus, the Bears are tied for the second-most receiving touchdowns allowed this season (15). The only team with more receiving touchdowns allowed are the Texans (16), who play Walker and the Titans Sunday. Walker is Tennessee's top target, and he'll get a boost if Marcus Mariota is able to suit up.

Fantasy Busts
Cowboys WR Dez Bryant vs. Seattle
Packers WR Randall Cobb @ Denver
I don't care if Dez plays this weekend. Hold off on inserting him back into your starting lineup. He won't be completely healthy, he'll have Matt Cassel at quarterback, and he'll be up against Richard Sherman and the Legion of Boom. Cobb will be up against Aqib Talib and the vicious Denver secondary, and Aaron Rodgers has other options anyway.

Colts QB Andrew Luck @ Carolina
Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger vs. Cincinnati 
Luck has not looked sharp thus far, and the Panthers defense is scary. As with Dez Bryant, hold off on Big Ben. He won't be 100% and the Bengals defense is strong.

Raiders RB Latavius Murray vs. N.Y. Jets
Jets RB Chris Ivory @ Oakland
Latavius is coming off a solid game in San Diego, but this week he faces a tougher defense then the Chargers. The Jets have the stingiest rush defense in the NFL. On the other sideline, Chris Ivory goes up against the third-best rush defense in the NFL in Oakland.