No time for preamble this week, but dont shy away from this weeks Power Rankings for more of my takes on all 32 teams. A look at the Week Eight matchups in the NFL: TAMPA BAY (+5) at MINNESOTAAs good as the Vikings have been, especially defensively, they could have their hands full with a Tampa Bay offence that has started to show more competence in the last three weeks, with QB Josh Freeman utilizing his big wide receiver targets, Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams. Even if Vikings CB Antoine Winfield can cut into some of that production, Tampa Bay has a chance to move the ball through the passing game or on the ground with rookie Doug Martin. Coming off a horrible game against Arizona, Vikings QB Christian Ponder could use a rebound game and going against Tampa Bays porous secondary isnt a bad matchup to achieve that result. If RB Adrian Peterson runs like he did last week, that could force the Bucs to put more in the box and leave opportunities for Ponder to capitalize. Bucs DT Gerald McCoy and MLB Mason Foster could play major roles in the effort to slow down Peterson, who is a tackle-breaking machine. CAROLINA (+7.5) at CHICAGOThe Bears are the newly-minted top team in the NFL Power Rankings and their defence will pose problems for a Panthers offence that has been a mess, apparently forgetting that they have invested a lot in running backs Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams -- too much for them to be after thoughts in the game plan. Running against the Bears wont be easy, but the Panthers will be best served by trying to shorten the game anyway and showing even the slightest bit of rushing attack will make it easier for QB Cam Newton to throw down the field. Chicago has been utilizing their two running backs (obviously playing with the lead more than Carolina), Matt Forte and Michael Bush, but also have WR Brandon Marshall to move the chains. With CB Chris Gamble out for the season with a shoulder injury, the Panthers secondary will be especially vulnerable now that nickelback Captain Munnerlyn and rookie Josh Norman will be starting on the corners, so there figure to be opportunities for Jay Cutler to throw, if necessary. SAN DIEGO (-2.5) at CLEVELANDComing off a bye, the Chargers need a dose of good news after back-to-back losses. San Diegos offence has under-performed this season, but with TE Antonio Gates getting healthy and RB Ryan Mathews coming on in the last couple games, there is reason for some optimism, particularly since Clevelands best defender, CB Joe Haden, wont play a major role in defending those positions. The Browns have been losers, but competitive losers. The one challenge facing them is that the Chargers run defence ranks second in the league, allowing 71.2 yards per game, so it could be difficult for banged-up RB Trent Richardson to get loose (he rushed for eight yards on eight carries last week), but that doesnt automatically shut down the Browns offence. WR Josh Gordon is becoming a great deep threat and WR Greg Little has been better the last couple weeks after going through a stretch in which he couldnt hold onto the ball. That should be enough for the Browns to at least keep it close. SEATTLE (+1) at DETROITThere isnt a lot of reason to think that the Seahawks will want to match the Detroit passing game, so look to RB Marshawn Lynch, who ran well against San Francisco last week, as the crucial part of the Seattle attack. Despite its inconsistency this season, Detroit has the more high-powered attack, ranking second in the league with 307.0 passing yards per game. Theyll get a good test against Seattles secondary, with Brandon Browner and Richard Sherman having the size to get after Detroits receivers, including Calvin Johnson, who was kept under wraps by Bears CB Charles Tillman Monday night. Lions WR Nate Burleson will be out for the year with an ankle injury, so this will be a big opportunity for Titus Young and rookie Ryan Broyles to move into more prominent roles for Detroit. JACKSONVILLE (+16) at GREEN BAYWhen the line gets this high, theres little doubt which team is expected to win and the Packers, who have been hitting on all cylinders lately, should by all rights blow out the Jaguars, a struggling team that just lost their best player, RB Maurice Jones-Drew, to a foot injury. Rashad Jennings doesnt have the explosiveness of Jones-Drew, but hes a physical back who will need to have the game of his life to keep the ball away from Aaron Rodgers and company. The Packers have been missing WR Greg Jennings, but producing nonetheless, as Jordy Nelson, James Jones and Randall Cobb have all been frequent targets for Rodgers, who is a superstar quarterback at the peak of his powers right now. Contrasting Rodgers situation with Jaguars QB Blaine Gabbert, the still-learning second-year QB who suffered a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder last week, explains a lot about the expected gap between these two teams. MIAMI (+1) at N.Y. JETSComing off a bye week, the Dolphins get a rivalry game against the Jets. Miamis strong run defence could pose problems for Jets RB Shonn Greene, but the Dolphins pass defence has allowed 284.8 yards per game (28th in the league), so if the Jets can throw like they did against New England last week, that may be the best chance for success. Wide receivers Jeremy Kerley and Stephen Hill, along with TE Dustin Keller could all be poised for productive games. Miamis attack will likely focus on the ground, since the Jets have the 30th-ranked run defence and Reggie Bush is going to be in the spotlight for the Jets, who didnt like Bushs comments after CB Darrelle Revis suffered his season-ending knee injury. Bush had 61 yards on 10 carries in the first meeting between the teams before he was sidelined, so there is some evidence for the Dolphins that they can run on this New York defence. ATLANTA (+1) at PHILADELPHIAHard to imagine that the undefeated Falcons are considered underdogs, yet the Eagles have a secondary that might be able to keep the Falcons passing game in check, with Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie more than capable in coverage and the pass rush from defensive ends Jason Babin and Trent Cole could be factors in the Eagles favour too. For all the defensive possibilities the Eagles have, the most crucial factor for them will be the performance of QB Michael Vick, whose 77.7 QB Rating is his worst since 2006. At some point Vick has to protect the ball a little bit and give his team a chance to win. If he gets it done against the unbeaten Falcons, that will provide some reason for optimism in Philly. WASHINGTON (+4.5) at PITTSBURGHThe Redskins nearly upset the Giants on the road last week, so Robert Griffin III shouldnt be overwhelmed by the circumstances, even if going into Pittsburgh wont be easy. The Steelers have allowed 184.8 passing yards per game, second-fewest in the league, and RGIII has a fairly random cast of receivers -- Santana Moss, Leonard Hankerson, Logan Paulsen -- so maybe the Redskins best bet will be to let loose on the ground, with rookie RB Alfred Morris, who is one yard behind Arian Foster for the leagues rushing lead. Pittsburgh manufactured some kind of running game with Jonathan Dwyer last week and they should have Isaac Redman joining Dwyer in the backfield, but Pittsburghs offensive strength has been throwing it to receivers Mike Wallace (who had some bad drops last week), Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders. NEW ENGLAND (-7) at ST. LOUISThe Patriots have their weapons back, so they have have the double tight ends, with receivers Wes Welker and Brandon Lloyd out wide, so they have more than enough to put the Rams back on their heels, even though St. Louis pass defence has been pretty strong. Even if corners Cortland Finnegan and Janoris Jenkins can shut down the wideouts, who is going to lock down Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski? If the Patriots offence scores, that will pose a challenge for a Rams offence that is pedestrian, at best, but the holes in the New England secondary create opportunities for Brandon Gibson and Cris Givens to get deep. Counting on long passes to keep the game close may not be the safest strategy, but should be where the Patriots are most vulnerable. INDIANAPOLIS (+3.5) at TENNESSEEIf Titans RB Chris Johnson is getting his game together (286 rushing yards in the last two games), that will pose a whole new challenge for teams facing Tennessee. Indianapolis does rank 26th in the league with 141.7 rushing yards allowed per game, so thats an obvious area for the Titans to target. Tennessees defence has been porous all the way around (30th in the league with 416.1 yards per game allowed) and, while RB Vick Ballard gained 103 yards from scrimmage for the Colts last week, Indys passing game is the more dangerous threat, with Reggie Wayne, Donnie Avery and T.Y. Hilton all providing decent options for QB Andrew Luck, who will likely be more active this week than he was last week against Cleveland. OAKLAND (pick) at KANSAS CITYBrady Quinn gets another start at quarterback for the Chiefs, but if he doesnt perform against the Raiders, a team lacking playmakers in the secondary, well, that wouldnt be great for the Chiefs offensive hopes. Of course, they could focus their offence on RB Jamaal Charles, who is a game-breaker and may be the one player that the Chiefs have that would pose any kind of threat to the Raiders. Oaklands attack is more diverse, with RB Darren McFadden complemented by the deep passing game provided by wide receivers Denarius Moore and Darrius Heyward-Bey. TE Brandon Myers is the teams leading receiver, with 28 catches for 334 yards, so even if the Raiders dont get it done with the vertical passing game, Myers is there to provide an alternative and those options give the Raiders a leg up on the Chiefs, who are going to need homefield advantage to works its magic. N.Y. GIANTS (-2.5) at DALLASSeeking retribution for their opening night home loss to the Cowboys, the Giants have a passing game that keeps them in any game, particularly with Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz both healthy. The running game could be an area to exploit a Dallas defence that will be missing stud ILB Sean Lee, but the Giants backfield does have some question surrounding the health of RB Ahmad Bradshaw, who is dealing with a chronic foot problem. If Bradshaw cant go, Andre Brown will get the bulk of the touches. Dallas success in the opener was predicated on the pass coverage provided by cornerbacks Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne. If they can neutralize Cruz and Nicks, while DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer provide the pass rush, maybe the Cowboys will be able to take a second straight. That will also require some offence from Big D, which means RB Felix Jones has to handle the starting role and Dallas receivers -- Miles Austin, Dez Bryant and Kevin Ogletree -- need to take advantage against a Giants secondary that is vulnerable. Ogletree was the star in Week One, but Bryant and Austin are the ones most capable of putting up big numbers this time. NEW ORLEANS (+6) at DENVERLet loose, boys. Drew Brees and Peyton Manning, ranking first and second in passing yards per game this season, take the same field and will surely have no trouble finding targets. The difference, at least for purposes of setting that point spread, is that the Broncos have a decent defence, compared to the Saints virtually non-existent defence. The second-highest total of the week is 47.5 (Giants-Cowboys), but this one is at 54.5, a full touchdown more expected than every other game on the board. Should be fun, and if it isnt, that will be such a letdown. SAN FRANCISCO (-7) at ARIZONAThe Cardinals have lost three straight and though they didnt look terrible in Minnesota last week, its tough to expect a win against San Francisco. Even if QB John Skelton can survive aganist a 49ers team that ranks first in passing yards allowed (173.4), the Cardinals may not be able to exploit the 49ers run defence in the same way that some other teams have recently. Adrian Peterson and Ahmad Bradshaw were both effective on the ground in San Franciscos two losses, and Marshawn Lynch went over 100 yards last week too, but Cardinals RB LaRod Stephens-Howling is undersized, perhaps not suited to the smashmouth style that has proven to have some measure of effectiveness against the Niners. From the Niners perspective, they will need their ground game (ranked second in the league with 176.6 yards per game) to carry the day because QB Alex Smith has struggled over the last couple weeks (340 YDS, 1 TD, 4 INT) and Arizonas pass defence has been excellent. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. wholesale nfl jerseys . Kyle Palmieri added a goal in the second period, followed two minutes later by a power-play goal by Justin Faulk. In other action, Russia beat the Czech Republic 2-0, Slovakia shut out Switzerland 1-0 and Norway humbled Germany 12-4. cheap jerseys .com . Stephan El Shaarawys sixth league goal of the season on his 20th birthday handed Milan only its third win in nine matches. The young striker refused to celebrate and left the field at the end of the game with tears in his eyes. http://www.comcheapjerseys.com/ . Coach Chuck Pagano said Wednesday that doctors cleared Collie earlier this week. Collie has not played since being diagnosed with a concussion Aug. wholesale jerseys . With the possibility of an upset hanging in the air at Hartwall Arena, the Canadian captain came through in the clutch Wednesday by scoring the winning goal in a 3-2 victory over Switzerland. cheap jerseys from china .C. -- Kaillie Humphries extended her dominating win streak to six at a World Cup bobsled event Friday. LIVERPOOL, England -- Craig Bellamy scored twice for Liverpool and substitute Steven Gerrard netted another to cap a 3-1 comeback victory over Newcastle in the Premier League on Friday. Newcastle had taken the lead with a lucky goal in the 25th, as Ryan Taylors cross was headed toward goal by Yohan Cabaye and then deflected off Liverpool defender Daniel Agger to wrongfoot goalkeeper Pepe Reina. But Bellamy equalized five minutes later with a low shot into the bottom left corner after a poor clearance fell right at his feet, and added the second with a free kick in the 67th. "Its not the first time weve praised him and it certainly wont be the last," Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish said of Bellamy, who left the game late on to have four stitches in an eye wound after a clash with Fabricio Coloccini. "We are delighted for him. We just hope his cut eye isnt too bad. As he came off I just said congratulations to him." Gerrard came on as a substitute for his second appearance after a two-month injury layoff and scored the third after running onto a ball from Jordan Henderson and slotting it underneath goalkeeper Tim Krul from a tight angle. "Its good to be back. Ive had a terrible year with a lot of injuries but I just want to look forward," Gerrard said. "Im delighted to be back with the lads today, to get on the scoresheet and get three points was a perfect return." It was the first time Liverpool scored three goals in a match since an Aug. 27 win over Bolton, and the victory lifted the team temporarily above Arsenal into fifth place with 34 points ahead of the rest of the weekends games. Newcastle remained in seventh place, on 30 points. The talk before the game was mostly about striker Andy Carroll, who was bought by Liverpool from Newcastle for a club-record 35 million pounds in the last January transfer window. But while Carroll again struggled to find his scoring form, it was another former Newcastle player in Bellamy who helped spark the comeback after the Magpies went in front with a big dose of luck. The Newcastle goal came after Haris Vuckic was hit in the face by Glen Johnsons clearance, sending the ball out on the left flank and eventually ending up with Taylor. He swung in a cross from the left toward Cabaye, whose glancing header was heading for the far right corner of the net when Agger inadvertently diverted it past Reina under pressure from Demba Ba.dddddddddddd However, Liverpool was soon level again. Cheick Tiote made a poor attempt at clearing Charlie Adams cut-back from the right of the penalty area and Bellamy drove through a crowd of players from 16 yards. The home side picked up the tempo and Stewart Downings volley was blocked by Jonas Gutierrez while Martin Skrtel flashed a header just wide of the far post from Bellamys corner. Gerrard replaced Adam just before the hour and the captains first involvement was to whip in a near-post cross which almost picked out Carroll. When the England midfielder did find the unmarked striker in five yards of space in the penalty area, the record signing failed to control the ball with a poor first touch. Carroll played a decoy role in Liverpools second, although Liverpool was helped even more by Newcastles Danny Simpson. As Bellamy lined up for a free kick, the Newcastle defender decided to backtrack to the goalline, allowing Carroll to advance towards Krul. When the set-piece came in Simpson got in the way of his goalkeeper and the ball crept between the two of them. Newcastle manager Alan Pardew said that goal swung the momentum of the game. "We were having a good period there," Pardew said. "It was never a foul, I dont know why the refs given that, and then weve made an error on the free kick. The defender and the goalie got in each others way and weve let a sloppy one in, but we should never have been in that situation in the first place." Newcastle had a chance to equalize three minutes later when Ba clipped a narrow-angle shot over Reina -- only for Skrtel to clear just inches from the goalline. Carrolls best chance came shortly afterward, but his header rebounded off the crossbar. Instead, Gerrard scored just his second league goal of the season when he ran from deep to collect Hendersons pass into the area and sidefooted an angled shot between the legs of the onrushing Krul. "Hes getting back to fitness which is fantastic reward for him and everyone who has worked with him to get him back to the level hes at now," Dalglish said. ' ' '