Week 8 Preview: Division Time!

Week 8 is a very important week for the contenders. As all games are being played within the division this week, this might be the game that decides a future tiebreaker for the division title and a first-round playoff bye.

AFC SOUTH

#1 Anglia (7-3) vs #3 Greenville (4-6)

With a two-game lead in the division and a 2-0 record in intra-division play, the Dark Knights are the odds-on favorite to win the AFC South. The Storm is also 2-0 in the division, and a win here would put them right in the hunt for the division crown. Anglia QB Jon Kitna and Greenville QB Brian Griese will be facing each other this week. Griese has been excellent as the Bears starter and should thrive against a weak Detroit secondary. Kitna is usually good for solid numbers regardless of the opponent, though the Bears have a lot of talent at DB. Anglia will be without leading receiver Derrick Mason this week. Greenville has to overcome the loss of four LBs to the bye, including top scorers Julian Peterson and Ray Lewis.

#2 Cincinnati (5-5) vs #4 Bertrand (3-7)

Both teams enter the game on losing streaks after being swept in last week's doubleheader and both teams are also winless in division play. Bertrand in particular has sunk to new lows; once the class of the AFC South and perpetual division champion, the Ground Force have lost five straight and sit in the division cellar. This week will also be difficult for the Ground Force, as their top rusher and top receiver are off in Week 8. Bertrand QB Carson Palmer will need a monster week against Pittsburgh to compensate for the loss of those two key players. Cincinnati will be without top LB Lofa Tatupu but will be able to overcome the loss thanks to their new-found RB depth and solid WR corps. Cincinnati WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh is as solidly consistent as they come and WR Kevin Curtis should have a great day against a bad Minnesota pass defense.

AFC WEST

#1 New Mexico (6-4) vs #3 California (2-8)

The AFC West is looking like a two-dog race, and if California is to have any shot at coming back and winning the division they'll need to beat the division-leading Raiders in Week 8. California QB Drew Brees has stepped up his game after being a weekly Dud of the Week contender early in the season. Facing the 49ers this week, Brees should rack up a great number of points and continue his hot streak. The Xtreme will be missing top DB Roy Williams and #3 LB DeMorrio Williams this week. Xtreme leading rusher Derrick Ward is injured and will miss the game against Miami, so Reuben Droughns might be called upon to start for California. New Mexico will be missing one guy at each defensive spot but has the depth to overcome the bye. New Mexico QB Brett Favre plays a tough Denver secondary.

#2 Austin (5-5) vs #4 Carson City (1-9)

In the midst of a nine-game losing streak, the Bandits will have a tough time turning it around against a Predators team that's currently undefeated in the AFC South. Carson City's best QB is off this week, meaning the team will have to start Cleo Lemon again. Bandits RB Travis Henry is a gametime decision. As the only good option at RB for Carson City, Henry needs to play this game. The Predators lost QB David Garrard to injury for a few weeks and suffered another poor performance from Marc Bulger. Lucky for Austin, they secured Derek Anderson in a trade after Week 6. He looks like the starter from here on out and faces a bad St. Louis defense this week. Austin also lost RB Ronnie Brown to a year-ending injury and backup RB Jesse Chatman will have to fill his shoes. Austin LBs Leroy Hill (bye) and Zach Thomas (injury) are out, leaving the Predators very thin at LB. Newly-signed DB Cortland Finnegan will start.

NFC EAST

#1 Washington (9-1) vs #3 Lower Saxony (5-5)

Washington has been steamrolling through the NFFL but faces a big challenge this week against defending NFC-champion Lower Saxony. The Braves only have one active QB this week, and Tarvaris Jackson is expected to miss that game due to injury. Washington will also be without starting RB Marion Barber and #3 WR Bobby Engram, leaving the usually potent offense weakened. A bulk of the responsibility will fall on Braves RB LaDanian Tomlinson's shoulders. Washington DB Ed Reed, the team's leading DB, is also off this weekend. The Lower Saxony offense is filled with players with good matchups. Patriots QB Ben Roethlisberger faces a horrible Cincinnati defense and Patriots RB Brandon Jacobs should run wild against the Dolphins. Lower Saxony WR Anquan Boldin is off, but the team has great depth at the position.

#2 Fairfax (6-4) vs #4 Utica (5-5)

Seven of the eight NFC teams are either 6-4 or 5-5, so this week will be an important part of sorting out the playoff picture. In the NFC East, Fairfax is looking like a solid bet for a playoff spot, but another loss for Utica would put them in danger of missing the playoffs. The Devils have been resurgent after a poor start to the season. Utica QB Tony Romo has been the biggest part of putting the Devils back in the playoff race, but he will miss the game and the team has no other QB that is guaranteed playing time. Starting LB Michael Boley and DB DeAngelo Hall are also off for the Devils. Fairfax RB Maurice Jones-Drew was injured in the Monday night game and will be a gametime decision, meaning the Foxes might have to turn to a backup WR like Andre Davis on Sunday. The bye has caused Fairfax to be thin at LB, so the team will start four DBs this week.

NFC NORTH

#1 Halifax (6-4) vs #4 Glasgow (5-5)

Despite being the first- and last-place teams in the division, only one game separates the Armada and the Warriors. The division standings are more indicative of team strength; despite the 6-4 record, Halifax is tied for the league lead in points scored with the 9-1 Braves. Halifax QB Tom Brady has been unstoppable, averaging over eight points more per game than the number two scorer in the league. Armada RB Adrian Peterson looks like the starting RB for Minnesota moving forward, which only increases his already sky-high value. Halifax suffers only one key loss this week, with WR Larry Fitzgerald on a bye. Glasgow will be without RBs Larry Johnson and Edgerrin James and leading DL Darnell Dockett. The Glasgow players have good matchups by and large but will have a tough time keeping up with Halifax.

#2 Boston (6-4) vs #3 Chicago (5-5)

This Boston lineup will have a lot of holes this weekend. Leading rusher Willis McGahee, RB Jerious Norwood, leading WR Terrell Owens, K Matt Stover, top DL Jared Allen, #2 LB Donnie Edwards and #2 Ken Hamlin are all off this week for the Inferno. Any team led by Boston QB Peyton Manning will always have a chance on Sunday, and Boston has great depth at WR, with Lee Evans entering the lineup this week with Antonio Gates, Roy Williams, and Calvin Johnson. But the team has no alternatives for Stover or Allen and only a struggling Nick Collins at DB opposite Ronde Barber. Chicago has a great opportunity to gain ground in the division in this game with all the Boston byes. Goodfellas QB Vince Young should be back and WR Plaxico Burress should have a field day against Miami. Chicago will be missing two DLs but still should have the upper hand in this game.

Good luck to all of you!