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The Minnesota Vikings are just one win away from clinching the NFC North. Brett Favre has had a season to remember but there is still a ways to go before this fairytale ends. A step towards the final goal comes tonight as the Vikings go on the road to face the defending NFC Champion Cardinals.

Brett Favre v/s Kurt Warner is the underlying story in this one. The two veteran leaders in the game. Warner sat out the loss last week as he was recovering from a concussion but the Cardinals have won 6 of their last 8 games. Their offense is still among the most dangerous in the league and they can load up the points in a hurry. Boldin has stepped up in recent weeks racking up 261 yards over the last 3 games to form a 1-2 punch with Larry Fitzgerald (75 catches, 826 yards, 9 TDs). If both these guys can get going tonight then it will be a long night for the Vikings.

The Arizona offense should be okay and the end result will unfold based on how their defense holds up. It is no easy task to stop one of the NFL’s most balanced offenses. A heavy dose of Adrian Peterson added on to the task of defending Farve connecting with Sidney Rice. Thus far, no team has had an answer for the Vikings when they are rolling with all their weapons. Rice has been phenomenal over the last 6 games and ranks 3rd in the NFL with 964 receiving yards to go along with 4 TD’s. Farve is statistically having one of the best season of his entire career. (crazy eh??) He has completed 70% of his passes for 2,874 yards with 23 touchdowns and just 3 picks with a QB rating of 112.1. I haven’t even touched on what Adrian Peterson does for this team but basically it becomes a pick your poison situation for opposing teams.

Arizona has played down to weaker opponents this year and stepped up for this big games. Tonight is one of those big games and the Cardinals should come out fired up. Though they have home field and a nice streak in their favor, Minnesota may just be too much for them to handle on this night.

My Prediction: Minnesota Vikings 34 – Arizona Cardinals 31

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We are gearing up for what might be one of the most watched MNF games of all time as the NFL’s top offenses go head to head at the Louisiana Superdome tonight. The New Orleans Saints put their potent scoring and unbeaten record (10-0) on the line against the New England Patriots (7-3) who have become a measuring stick for success in the NFL. This may well be a possible Super Bowl preview to boot. Speaking of Super Bowls… this is the first time the Patriots are playing at the Superdome since they won it all in 2002 against the Rams on a last second Vinateri FG.

The Saints drive for a perfect season is about to face its toughest test… that is the only other team to accomplish that feat. They enter this game with the NFL’s #1 attack (420.5 YPG). Drew Brees, leads the league in TD passes (22) and 12 different players for the Saints have scored TD’s for the team coming in at a league-best 36.9 ppg. The Saints are on pace to score 590 points with would better the mark set just two years ago by tonight’s opponent (589 points).

The Patriots offense is nothing to scoff at. If there is one blemish it is the red zone offense (rank 24th in TD %). Settling for FG’s is not going to cut it against the potent Saints offense. To add fuel to this, the Saints rank 5th when it comes to red zone defense. If the Patriots find a way to crack this they should be able to put a stain on what has been a perfect season thus far.

No team has more takeaways than the Saints (29). Darren Sharper, playing out of his mind, leads the team with 7 picks. On the flip side, only one team has coughed the ball up less than the Patriots. After all is said and done tonight, that may just be the difference.

My Prediction: Patriots 31 – Saints 24

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We are just past the half way mark of the season and the legit teams start separating themselves from the pack. The Steelers stumbled out of the gates and dealt with early injuries while the Bronco’s remained the cinderella story of the first half. It may seem early but this could very well be the matchup for the AFC championship game a few months down the road.

The Steelers are coming off their bye week and have been on a roll since they got back their defensive captain, safety Troy Polamalu. QB Ben Roethlisberger has his work cut out for himself going up against the #1 ranked defense in the NFL. He is going to need to spread the ball around and this game may well turn out to be an aerial attack from both sides. A major plus would be if Rashard Mendenhall can give the Steelers a boost by helping to balance the attack. With the pressure coming from Broncos star defensive end and AFC sack leader Elvis Dumervil, Ben will have to make quick decisions and trust his teammates to do their job.

The Broncos (6-1), are hoping to rebound from their first loss of the season. What better stage to do it on than in front of a national audience, under the lights on their home field. The offense has done just enough to win this year. They play it safe but get the job done. Kyle Orton has already won the hearts and respect of the Broncos fans. He is not the guy who will make the big plays but he has found success with his style of play throwing to some great receivers. The running game has been consistent and provides a good balance for this team. Knowshon Moreno has put together a nice rookie campaign and ex-Eagle Correll Buckhalter is proving to be a pleasant surprise. The Broncos O Line clashed with a rough defense last week at Baltimore. Like the Ravens, the Steelers play a tough, physical game. How this Denver team responds should paint a clearer picture of what kind of team they will be in the post season.

The Steelers have not won a regular season game in Denver since 1990 and that streak may not be ending tonight.
Prediction: Steelers 17 – Broncos 20

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Its only week 8 but its safe to say that with a win tonight the Saints can effectively cement their position atop the NFC South. The Saints (6-0 ) hold a two game lead over the Falcons (4-2 ), the only other threat in this division. If the Falcons do pull off the win, it leaves the Colts as the only undefeated team in the league, and would make the race in the NFC South a little more interesting down the road.

The Falcons have their hands full tonight. The Saints are not just lethal with the Brees led aerial attack, but can do equal damage with the run game. The already exposed secondary of the Falcons will need their “A” game to keep a team that has scored 45-plus points in four of their first six games. On offense the Falcons still are not getting the production they need from their ground game. Michael Turner has run for only 80 yards on 31 carries in his last two games, and when he’s not doing well, Matt Ryan just gets overloaded with pressure he is not ready for. The last 2 games spell out the issue – Ryan is completing only 55.8% of his passes (38 of 68) for 383 yards, 4 TD’s, and 4 INT’s.

The Saints’ rush D is only allowing 92.3 yards per game, and their pass D has a league leading 13 interceptions – 6 by Darren Sharper, who has been playing out of his mind. The Saints offense is a thing of beauty. They have lit up the scoreboard in their last 2 games, Drew Brees is playing like an MVP candidate, and their rushing offense is averaging 154.5 yards per game. Opponents cannot just contain Brees, as both RB’s Mike Bell and Pierre Thomas give the Saints a 1-2 punch out of the backfield that is hard to stop. Both of Brees’ main targets are averaging over 15 yards per reception and the line is doing a great job giving Brees time to hit them with the passes.

The Saints will likely lose at some point, but it shouldn’t be tonight. The Falcons may give the Saints a tough time especially if the defense can pick up the big plays. In the end though, there are just too many options to see the Saints cough one up at home under the lights on Monday Night Football.

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I guess you could call this one aerial attack v/s the wildcat. The 2-3 Dolphins will have their hands full against, what is considered by most, the best team in the NFL so far this season. The Dolphins running game has been nearly unstoppable this year, but it hasn’t translated into wins for the most part. They have been successful when they get a chance to play a slow, grind it out game. The Saints ground game is hardly one to scoff at. The trio of Mike Bell, Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush keep the defense honest, with each bringing a different aspect to the game.

Chad Henne has been solid in his two starts, but the Dolphins passing game can’t hold a candle to what Brees is doing with the Saints. Henne needs to play it smart, protect the ball and let the Wildcat do its thing. Brees on the other side has all the options in the world open to him. Last week he managed to get all the players involved on offense and the more he does that the more lethal they become as a team. The Saints are good because they have the luxury to go with whatever is working. Their ground game can get the job done, but if the Dolphins leave any receiver wide open like Colston was last week, the score will be out of reach in a hurry.

Both defenses give up similar numbers but the Saints aerial attack may just be too much for the Dolphins to handle even with the home field advantage. Prediction: Saints 31 – Dolphins 20