Week 8 NFL Game Previews: The One Where We Have Two Games of the Week

Game of the Week I: Cincinnati at Pittsburgh, CBS 1 ET

Barring any last-minute complications, Ben Roethlisberger makes his return in a game that the Steelers absolutely need to have for their fledgling AFC North title hopes. This means that the entirety of the Pittsburgh Skill Position Voltron will be on display for the first time all season.

I'm curious to see how it responds against the Cincinnati defense. On paper, the Voltron Steelers should be too much to handle. But with Pittsburgh missing left tackle Kelvin Beachum and center Maurkice Pouncey, the Bengals could give them some problems at the line of scrimmage. Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins was left for dead a year ago by his own defensive coordinator; now, he has four sacks in six games. Not exactly the guy you want to send Cody Wallace up against.

I'm expecting a high-scoring game. The Steelers are too explosive to stay bottled up forever, and the Pittsburgh defense does not have the horses to cover every mismatch the Bengals can create. But I think this is exactly the sort of contest in which Pittsburgh will miss that offensive line depth.

Pick: Bengals 31, Steelers 28

Game of the Week II: Green Bay at Denver, NBC 8:30 ET

Waiting all day for Sunday night

"Manning is done" coming left and right

Best defense in football against the best QB

Both hamstrung by unfortunate injuries

No DeMarcus Ware, No Jordy Nelson. Both Packers backs are banged up. This is our first real test for Denver's phenomenal defense, which has yet to fac a quarterback better than Joe Flacco.

I've got a feeling this game could be a blowout. For one thing, Wade Phillips' defenses did not traditionally fare well against spread attacks in Houston. For another, Gary Kubiak is not exactly the guy I trust to make quick adjustments on the fly.

I'm gonna give this a close, low-scoring game script. But just keep in mind: I would not be surprised if Green Bay dominates this game.

Pick: Packers 21, Broncos 10

Fantasy Football Addict Game of the Week: San Diego at Baltimore, CBS 1 ET

This can double as our "game between preseason disappointments" this week. San Diego and Baltimore have combined to launch Derek Carr's career, allow Josh McCown to pass for 813 yards in two games and otherwise embarrass themselves as pass defenses.

So this game has the highest point total in Vegas for the week, but I don't think it'll actually play out that way. I expect both of these teams to play Mike McCoy's favorite game: winning the time of possession. (That McCoy does it despite having a franchise quarterback is another conversation altogether.) That means they'll both run a lot, which should keep the score from getting outrageous.

I give the edge to the Chargers on the basis that, even with wideout Keenan Allen and tight end Antonio Gates out/playing hurt, they're still better than the mess Baltimore has at receiver right now. The Ravens are one 150-yard Flacco game away from getting form "please sign me" letters from Terrell Owens.

Pick: Baltimore 20, San Diego 30

Football Nerd Game of the Week: New York Jets at Oakland, 4 ET CBS

Buried underneath another irrelevant primetime game we'll get to later is this matchup between two of the five non-undefeated AFC teams who can legitimately crack the postseason.

My supposition is that the Jets defense will be able to swarm Derek Carr and turn him into the same sort of checkdown machine that the Broncos did. But the Jets don't exactly have a pass rush as menacing as Denver's; in fact, they're 25th in Adjusted Sack Rate. I'm totally sold on this game as an important mandate on Carr's status as a potential franchise quarterback. If he can win against this defense, he's going places. And as long as the Jets aren't able to really put fear into him, it should be a fascinating watch.

Meanwhile, the Raiders stuff the run well enough to put this game on the shoulders of Ryan Fitzpatrick. This is never the sentence you want to hear when your team starts Ryan Fitzpatrick. You'd prefer they just stick to "Ryan Fitzpatrick is smart because he went to Harvard." Or something along the lines of "outgoing quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick."

Pick: Oakland 17, Jets 16

Game You'll Only See Torturing the English Red Zone Or In Local Markets: Detroit "at" Kansas City, London, 9:30 AM ET

You only get given an additional hour once a year, so I'm glad the NFL decided to let you spend it watching Matthew Stafford take sacks.

In-season firings are pretty rare for NFL teams, so it says a lot that offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi's system was rejected. Based on what I was able to watch of the Lions in primetime, that system seemed to consist of three things: 1) running into the line on first down, 2) screen pass, 3) ignoring Calvin Johnson at all possible times.

The Chiefs are that most uninspiring and uninteresting brand of teams: they're disappointing, but not a tire fire. And other than a few lukewarm takes about Alex Smith needing to be benched, there's not much reason to talk about them at this point. When I stupidly spent my money on an attempted creative writing degree, I learned that every story needs a plot arc, and that characters must show development. Alex Smith refuses to fit that arc. The Chiefs insist against throwing to Travis Kelce. Jamaal Charles' injury would get torn apart in workshop, because Kansas City certainly isn't learning much from it.

And still, they may be sitting back in the AFC playoff picture after tomorrow - because the Lions have been that bad.

Pick: Kansas City 23, Detroit 20

Primetime Game That Should Not Be: Seattle at Dallas, FOX 4:25 ET

Welcome to more primetime post-Romo Cowboys. You know how, every year around the time they slap around some Sun Belt team, we talk about how Alabama could beat the worst team in the NFL? It's a stupid topic, because college teams are much less skilled, but this seems to happen every year.

The Cowboys are the team that optimistic people wish Alabama could be when they draw up these scenarios. A bunch of bullies on the offensive line, a lot of well-coached athletes on defense, a few good receivers, and a quarterback who can "manage the game." The only difference is that these Cowboys are much more talented than Alabama actually is.

I don't think I'm ready to write Seattle back into the NFC playoff picture yet. Beating a hapless 49ers team into the ground defensively was always an expectation for this team. Yet if they win this game, the Seahawks are back at .500.

And it will be an empty and hollow .500 unless they convincingly ash out the Cowboys, too, because the offensive line is still a disaster and the defense still has not acquitted itself against an NFL team that's actually good.

So basically, what I'm saying is that this game is going to be dull and lifeless. And that if the 49ers had three more players quit on them during the game, maybe Alabama could hang with them.

Pick: Seattle 17, Dallas 9