It's time for another round of bold predictions from the Around The NFL team. Remember, these predictions are not for the faint of heart.
Big Ben leads Steelers past Bengals
Buoyed by Ben Roethlisberger's return, the Steelers knock the Bengals from the ranks of the undefeated. With one of the NFL's best downfield passers back in the lineup, Pittsburgh takes full advantage of the dynamic playmaking trio of Le'Veon Bell, Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant. While those offensive stars steal the headlines, the talented young defense led by defensive ends Cameron Heyward and Stephon Tuitt continues to exceed expectations. Operating on all cylinders, the Steelers are now one of the NFL's most dangerous teams. -- Chris Wesseling
Todd Gurley drops 200 on the Niners
The Rams' offense is an unbalanced mess, but it almost doesn't matter. Not with rookie running back Todd Gurley operating as a massive star-in-the-making. An obvious candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year, Gurley single-handedly beat the Browns last week and will add to his mythology on Sunday with 200-plus yards against the 49ers. It's no fluke with Gurley. His acceleration and tackle-breaking talents have set him free for long gallops all season. I'm confident this will happen, but if Gurley doesn't top 200, Around The NFL editor Gregg Rosenthal will purchase a deeply expensive three-course dinner for the entire NFL Media family. -- Marc Sessler
Philip Rivers will throw for 500 yards
Rivers is averaging 350.3 yards per game, leading the NFL with 2,452 yards passing. Rivers needs to throw for 389-plus yards to set a new record for most passing yards in a three-game span since 1960 after going for 503 yards in Week 6 and 336 in Week 7. The Chargers quarterback faces a Ravens defense ranked 28th against the pass, giving up 283 yards per game through the air. Jimmy Smith hasn't been himself this season and will get picked on again Sunday. Rivers is averaging just 6.5 air yards per attempt, but in Week 8 he'll get plenty of YAC to get him over the 500-yard mark for the second time in three weeks.
Ameer Abdullah will amass 200 yards of total offense in London
While a portion of the city will be captivated when Fulham skipper Kit Symons takes his gang across town to face Bristol City, Abdullah will certainly make the highlights on Sky Sports. The versatile Lions back has been plagued by fumbling issues and, as a function of his haphazard offense, has not been used to the best of his ability. That all changes this weekend, when the Lions ride him to victory over the Chiefs. -- Conor Orr
