Chase for Perfection/Imperfection: Week 8 (The Sensational Six)

Last week, the Minnesota Vikings ended their quest for perfection with a close loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers -- which was a shame, since the only thing that could’ve made the Vikings-Packers game tomorrow more compelling was if the Vikings were still undefeated. Nonetheless, there are still six teams remaining with either a win-less record or a loss-less record.

What are the odds that these six teams will all maintain an (im)perfect record? Well, let’s take a look...

St. Louis (0-7) @ Detroit (1-5):

If ever there was a time when a snuff film would be an acceptable alternative to an NFL game, this would be the scenario. Okay, Rams-Lions isn’t that bad... but it’s close. Both teams have lost 17 of their last 18 games and 25 of their last 27. That means that in their last combined 54 games, the Rams and Lions have combined for a 4-50 record. Will the Rams win? Who knows; if they can’t get it done here, against a team this lousy... it doesn’t look good for them to EVER win.

San Francisco (3-3) @ Indianapolis (6-0):

Since getting off to a 2-0 start, the Niners have looked utterly dysfunctional -- and throwing out Alex Smith after two years of hibernation can’t possibly be a good thing. Peyton Manning is playing as great as he has ever played in his career, and it’s hard to imagine that the Niners will be able to stop him when they couldn’t stop Brett Favre, Matt Shaub, or Matt Ryan. In fact, all three of San Francisco’s wins have come against NFC West opponents -- proving without a doubt what is the worst division in the NFL.

Jacksonville (3-3) @ Tennessee (0-6):

As bad as the Jags looked in the first two weeks, and as little fans as they manage to draw, Jacksonville is right in the mix of things in the AFC wildcard race. However, if they’re going to make a serious push for the postseason, a loss against the 0-6 Titans would be completely unacceptable. Tennessee will be throwing out Vince Young for the first time this season, and the Titans offense will have to adjust to him on the fly. But because the Titans are at home against a mediocre opponent -- one that they play all the time -- it certainly wouldn’t surprise me if the Titans got their first win of the year.

Denver (6-0) @ Baltimore (3-3):

Since getting off to a great start, the Ravens have taken a slide -- and for once it’s not because of their offense. Joe Flacco is banged up and will have to deal with one of the three remaining undefeated teams in the league. It’s going to be a close game and the outcome could swing either way, though there’s no doubt in my mind that the Ravens will want it more. At 6-0, in a crappy division, the Broncos can live with a loss that the Ravens just can’t. That being said, this will be the ultimate test game for Kyle Orton. If he can succeed against a lauded Ravens defense, then he’ll deserve all the credit in the world.

Atlanta (4-2) @ New Orleans (6-0):

Reggie Bush made headlines this week when he said that the Saints could go undefeated. Honestly, the league is so immensely weak this year that it’s not out of the question -- just unlikely. However, the Saints need to prove themselves against a terrific Atlanta team on Monday Night Football. The Saints’ 46-34 comeback against the Dolphins in Week 7 was their lowest margin of victory this year. Should we expect another 40-point outburst?

Byes:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-7)

Enjoy the bye Tampa -- it may be the only week this season that you don’t actually lose.