The Patriots have won six games in a row and they are currently 2 games ahead of the Jets in the AFC East.  They also have the best record in the AFC, also by two games.  The Bills have won two games in a row and 4 of their last six games.  Not only that, but the Bills only lost 38-30 in the first meeting of these two teams in Foxboro!  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Patriots have the ball:  The Patriots are going to likely come out running the ball and throwing short passes to attempt to control the clock.  The Bills are giving up 158.6 yards rushing per game and 4.6 yards per carry so look for BenJarvus Green-Ellis & Danny Woodhead to have a heavy workload.  With the Bills lacking much of a pass rush, Tom Brady will likely have a lot of time to pick apart their secondary by moving the ball around to a lot of different receivers.

When the Bills have the ball:  I look for the Bills to also be balanced on offense with Fred Jackson & C.J. Spiller running the ball and Ryan Fitzpatrick taking shots down the field.  The key to winning this game for the Patriots is stopping Ryan Fitzpatrick who is a gunslinger type.  He also takes off running out of the pocket a lot and he’s good at it.  If the Patriots can slow the Bills’ passing game they should be o.k. on Sunday.

PREDICTION:  PATRIOTS 34, BILLS 27

The Patriots have won five games in a row since the beatdown the Browns gave them.  They have really been completely dominant in their last two games as they have outscored the Jets & Bears by a combined score of 81-10!  The Patriots have the best record in the AFC and they are also 2 games ahead of the Jets in the AFC East.  The Packers lost a stunner 7-3 at Detroit last week and they lost Aaron Rodgers in that game due to his second concussion of the season.  He won’t be playing tomorrow night.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Patriots have the ball:  Tom Brady lives for games like this.  Tom Brady has won his last 26 games at home during the regular season and he is 31-5 (86.1%) in his career in December.  Brady will likely spread the ball around as usual so that the Packers won’t be able to double anyone.  The Patriots will also likely give BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead a lot of work in the running game as the Packers give up 117.3 yards rushing per game and 4.3 yards per carry so far this year.

When the Packers have the ball:  The Packers are likely to run the ball more than usual due to Matt Flynn starting at QB.  James Starks, Brandon Jackson & John Kuhn will be the backs the Patriots have to deal with and none of them strikes fear in the hearts of defenses.  The Patriots will likely try to confuse Flynn with coverages instead of blitzing him a lot.

PREDICTION:  PATRIOTS 38, PACKERS 17

This is a matchup of two of the hottest teams in the NFL.  The Bears have won five games in a row and they have taken a 1-game lead over the Packers in the NFC North.  The Patriots have won 4 games in a row, including a 45-3 beatdown of the Jets last Monday Night in Foxboro.  The weather is likely going to be a huge factor in this game and with that in mind here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Patriots have the ball:  The Patriots have been running the ball and throwing short passes so I don’t think they are going to be hurt too much by the weather.  The bigger problem for the Patriots’ offense is going to be the physical Bears’ D.  BenJarvus-Green Ellis and Danny Woodhead are going to find running the ball hard to do against the Bears who are only allowing 84.9 yards rushing per game and 3.7 yards per carry.  Tom Brady is likely going to have time to throw the ball and he likes to spread the field and look for mis-matches.  They might be harder to find against a Bears’ D that has 16 interceptions already this year.

When the Bears have the ball:  Jay Cutler has been hot throwing the ball lately too.  But with the weather conditions likely poor, I look for the Bears to turn to the running game with Matt Forte and Chester Taylor against a Patriots’ D that is allowing 114.1 yards rushing per game and 4.3 yards per carry so far this year.  The Patriots have 18 INTs already this year so look for Cutler to keep the passing game short this Sunday.

PREDICTION:  BEARS 23, PATRIOTS 20

The Patriots have won 3 games in a row and they are 5-0 at home where they have outscored the competition 158-120.  The Jets are 5-0 on the road this year outscoring their opponents 142-97 and they beat the Patriots 28-14 in New Jersey back in Week #2.  These two teams are tied atop both the AFC East and the AFC overall so games don’t get much bigger than this one.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Patriots have the ball:  The Patriots are likely going to try to run the ball and throw short passes in this game in an effort to control the clock and the football.  BenJarvus Green-Ellis is likely going to get most of the carries for the Patriots while Danny Woodhead gets a few carries and some passes out of the backfield.  The Patriots are likely going to spread the field when passing the ball and have Tom Brady pick on the safeties and backup corners of the Jets who are giving up 210.6 yards passing per game.

When the Jets have the ball:  The Jets are likely going to come out running the ball with LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene against a Patriots’ D that is allowing 110.6 yards rushing per game and 4.2 yards per carry.  Mark Sanchez will likely then throw the ball a lot off of play action targeting Braylon Edwards, Santonio Holmes and Dustin Keller against a Patriots’ D that is allowing 288.5 yards passing per game.

PREDICTION:  JETS 27, PATRIOTS 23

This is a trap game for the Patriots with the Jets on deck in Foxboro.  It doesn’t help the Patriots that the Lions are a solid team at home.  The Lions are 2-2 at Ford Field where they have outscored their opponents 133-89.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Patriots have the ball:  The Patriots would be smart to mix things up on offense once again.  They need to control the clock to protect the defense so look for them to run the ball and throw short passes.  BenJarvus-Green Ellis and Danny Woodhead are likely going to get a lot of work against a Lions’ D that is allowing 130.6 yards rushing and 4.6 yards per carry.  With Tom Brady’s foot barking, I think the Patriots are going to keep the passing game short.  Plus, the Lions already have 27 sacks on the year.  I expect Deion Branch, Wes Welker, the rookie TEs and Danny Woodhead to get the bulk of the looks in the passing game today.

When the Lions have the ball:  The Lions are starting Maurice Morris at RB so look for the Lions to air it out.  If the Patriots could put some pressure on Shaun Hill it will help the secondary.  If Hill has time to throw the ball, the Patriots could be in some trouble as they are giving up 289.6 yards passing per game.  WRs Calvin Johnson, Nate Burleson and TE Brandon Pettigrew are going to matchup nightmares for the Patriots today.

PREDICTION:  PATRIOTS 34, LIONS 31

This is a big game for both teams as they are both sitting atop their respective divisions.  The Patriots have been outstanding at Gillette Stadium this year where they are 4-0 (they have scored 127 points while giving up 92 points).  The Colts are only 2-3 on the road where they have been allowing 25.6 points per game.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Patriots have the ball:  The Patriots are going to try to control the clock in this game to keep the defense off the field.  That means more short passes and running plays.  The Colts are giving up 133.2 yards rushing per game and 5.0 yards per carry so far this year.  That means that BenJarvus Green-Ellis is likely to have a nice workload.  Tom Brady is at his most dangerous with a team like this one because the Colts can’t really double cover anyone. 

When the Colts have the ball:  The Patriots are giving up 277.8 yards passing per game so it’s going to be the Peyton Manning Air Show this Sunday.  His receivers are banged up but like Brady, Manning makes the most of what he does have.  The Colts will likely run more if they get a lead in this game.

PREDICTION:  PATRIOTS 38, COLTS 27

Could the Patriots be the latest team to get a wakeup call from the Browns and then beat the Steelers.  The Saints had that exact same scenario play out a couple of weeks ago.  The Patriots are 2-2 on the road this year while the Steelers are 2-1 at home so anything seems possible in this game.  Here is a look at the matchups in this contest:

When the Patriots have the ball:  This is the kind of game where the Patriots have to take the shackles off of Tom Brady and let him wing it.  The Patriots have been trying to run the ball more this year in an attempt to protect their defense but the Steelers are only allowing 58.3 yards rushing and 2.6 yards per carry so why even try to run the ball.  The good news is that the Steelers are giving up 240.0 yards passing per game as the secondary is pretty porous even with Troy Polamalu in action.  The key is going to be pass protection as the Steelers have 24 sacks already this year.  If Brady has time to throw the ball he’s going to torch the Steelers’ secondary all day long.

When the Steelers have the ball:  The Steelers are going to have new starters at LG and LT so it would be smart to run the ball more than usual.  Rashard Mendenhall could have a big workload day against a Patriots’ D that is allowing 117.6 yards rushing per game and 4.1 yards per carry.  If Ben Roethlisberger has time to throw the ball this Sunday, the Patriots are going to be in a world of hurt as they are allowing 268.9 yards passing per game.

PREDICTION:  STEELERS 27, PATRIOTS 24

The Patriots have won five games in a row while the Browns are coming off a stunning beatdown of the Saints in New Orleans.  Bill Belichick is returning to Cleveland where he was the head coach of the Browns for five years compiling a 37-45 record (45.1%).  Browns’ head coach Eric Mangini worked for the Browns when Belichick was the head coach in Cleveland and he was the guy that blew the whistle about the Patriots’ cheating scandal.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Patriots have the ball:  The Patriots are likely going to run the ball and throw short passes tomorrow in an attempt to control the clock.  BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead will take aim at a Browns’ D that is allowing 111.3 yards rushing per game but only 3.9 yards per carry.  Tom Brady will likely be targeting Brandon Tate when he wants to challenge the Browns deep but that likely won’t be too often.  Welker, Woodhead, Hernandez and Branch will likely be doing the tough stuff in the short passing game for the Patriots tomorrow.

When the Browns have the ball:  The Browns are going to likely come out running the ball against the Patriots with Peyton Hillis.  I also expect Josh Cribbs to run some out of the Wildcat Formation.  This might be the game that the Browns take the shackles off of QB Colt McCoy due to the inept Patriots’ secondary which is giving up 282.4 yards passing per game.  TE Ben Watson would probably love to stick it to his old team so look for McCoy to target him a lot in this game.

PREDICTION:  PATRIOTS 27, BROWNS 24

The Patriots are really hot right now as they have won 4 games in a row.  The Vikings have not been good at all this year as they have not been able to put 2 goods weeks together.  It’s up in the air as to whether Brett Favre (stress fracture in left ankle) or Tarvaris Jackson will start under center for the Vikings in this game.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Patriots have the football:  The Vikings only have six sacks this season so it’s likely that Tom Brady is going to have a lot of time to throw the ball.  He will probably spread the ball around with no one getting more than 100 yards receiving tomorrow.  The Patriots will also likely give the ball to BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead a lot to keep the Vikings’ offense off the field.

When the Vikings have the ball:  No matter who is playing QB the Vikings are going to try to get the ball to Randy Moss who likely wants to stick it to the Patriots.  The Patriots also have to worry about Percy Harvin who is a big time weapon any time he’s on the field.  The linebackers and D-Line better tighten up the chinstraps because Adrian Peterson is going to be taking aim at them.

PREDICTION:  PATRIOTS 30, VIKINGS 20

The Patriots are 1-1 on the road this season as they beat the Dolphins but lost to the Jets.  The Chargers are 2-0 at home this year outscoring the Jaguars & Cardinals by a combined score of 79-23!  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Patriots have the ball:  The Patriots will likely come out throwing the ball against the Chargers.  But they will keep the passes short to try to nullify the Chargers’ pass rush as they already have 21 sacks so far this year.  The Chargers also have been tough against the run allowing only 91.5 yards rushing per game and 3.7 yards per carry.  But the Patriots will still try to get BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead going against them in an attempt to control the clock and keep the Chargers’ offense off the field.

When the Chargers have the ball:  The Chargers are definitely going to come out throwing the ball against the Patriots in this game.  The Patriots are allowing 273.4 yards passing per game this year and opposing QBs have a 96.5 Rating against them.  The only thing that could derail Philip Rivers from having a good game is if he doesn’t have time to throw the football.  He has been sacked 18 times already this year.

PREDICTION:  CHARGERS 30, PATRIOTS 27