Thursday
Game: Atlanta at New Orleans
Prediction: Atlanta - After getting trounced 39-17 by the then 1-3 Philadelphia Eagles, I have next to no faith in the 1-4 New Orleans Saints. Going up against the always explosive and 5-0 Atlanta Falcons, expect for the 32nd ranked (s)Aints defense to not improve much from Week 5 to Week 6. I'm going with Atlanta on the road by 10.
Result: New Orleans 31 Atlanta 21
Record: 0-1
Sunday
Game: Washington at NY Jets
Prediction: NY Jets - If you like defense, this is a game you'll want to tune in to. Washington has played better so far this season than I expected, led mostly by a solid ground game and defense. I still don't have much faith in their passing game, however, and going up against the well-rested New York Jets on the road, I have a hunch the Jets defense will get the best of Kirk Cousins and the Redskins offense. I'm going with the Jets by a touchdown.
Result: NY Jets 34 Washington 20
Record: 1-1
Game: Arizona at Pittsburgh
Prediction: Arizona - I get nervous picking West Coast teams in 1 pm games on the East Coast, however, I'm a big believer in Bruce Arians and the Arizona Cardinals. If not for some major hiccups in their 2-point loss to the St. Louis Rams a week ago, the Cardinals would be sitting at 5-0 and likely hailed by many as the best team in all of football. I look for the Steelers to keep things relatively close, but for the Cardinals to triumph at the end. I'm taking Arizona by a touchdown.
Result: Pittsburgh 25 Arizona 13
Record: 1-2
Game: Kansas City at Minnesota
Prediction: Minnesota - If we could erase this past weekend's games from memory, these two teams would appear rather even on paper. However, with Chiefs standout tailback Jamal Charles now out for the season and with the game being on the road against a well-rested Vikings team, I'm going to have to give the edge to Minnesota. Vikings by a touchdown.
Result: Minnesota 16 Kansas City 10
Record: 2-2
Game: Cincinnati at Buffalo
Prediction: Cincinnati - Coming off the near miraculous comeback against Seattle on Sunday and with the game in Buffalo, I could definitely see a let-down for the 5-0 Cincinnati Bengals. However, Buffalo's offense makes me nervous. Following a decent start to the season, the Bills have scored just 24 points the past two weeks against the likes of the New York Giants and the Tennessee Titans, not exactly the cream of the crop when it comes to defenses. Given that, I'm going to have to give the advantage to the Bengals. Cincinnati by a touchdown.
Result: Cincinnati 34 Buffalo 21
Record: 3-2
Game: Chicago at Detroit
Prediction: Detroit - I personally don't have much faith in either team. Chicago is 2-3, having won their past two games by the combined score of 40-37 against the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs (at the last second in both games). Detroit, meanwhile, is the lone winless team left in the NFL, and is coming off their worst loss of the season to this point - a 42-17 thrashing at the hands of Arizona, turning the ball over 6 times, pulling quarterback Matthew Stafford after throwing 3 interceptions. I do think Detroit is better than their 0-5 record would suggest and for whatever reason, think they're going to bounce back at home this week against an undermanned Chicago Bears team. The benching should wake Stafford up enough to play a much improved game against a mediocre Bears defense, and the stingy Lions defense should provide Jay Cutler with some headaches. I'm going with the Lions by 4.
Result: Detroit 37 Chicago 34 OT
Record: 4-2
Game: Denver at Cleveland
Prediction: Cleveland - I had initially picked Denver in this game, but with DeMarcus Ware out of the lineup, I'm going to take Cleveland in my upset of the week. I like how they've been playing on the offensive side of the ball in the past couple weeks, and for as crazy as it sounds, I currently trust Josh McCown leading the Browns offense against the DeMarcus Ware-less Broncos defense more than I trust Peyton Manning leading the Broncos offense against the Browns defense. I'm taking Cleveland at home by a field goal.
Result: Denver 26 Cleveland 23 OT
Record: 4-3
Game: Houston at Jacksonville
Prediction: Jacksonville - With J.J. Watt being listed as questionable due to an illness, chances are, whether he plays or not, he won't be 100%, so I reverse my pick and am going with Jacksonville at home by a field goal.
Result: Houston 31 Jacksonville 20
Record: 4-4
Game: Miami at Tennessee
Prediction: Tennessee - Speaking of teams lacking an identity, there's the Miami Dolphins. At a very disappointing 1-3, their coach is gone, and until they prove it to me on the field, I'm going to have a hard time believing they have their problems sorted. Given that, I'll go with the home team Tennessee Titans by a field goal.
Result: Miami 38 Tennessee 10
Record: 4-5
Game: Carolina at Seattle
Prediction: Seattle - I hate to use the term "desperation time" this early in the season, but if the Seattle Seahawks lose to Carolina on Sunday, they'll fall to 2-4, with NFC West leader Arizona sitting at either 5-1 or 4-2. With that in the back of their minds, I look for them to get things on track in this game and pull even at 3-3, just like last season, with a 6 point win against the Panthers.
Result: Carolina 27 Seattle 23
Record: 4-6
Game: San Diego at Green Bay
Prediction: Green Bay - Just like I have trouble picking against the Seahawks at home, the same is true of the Green Bay Packers. Aaron Rodgers may have had an off-game this past Sunday, but don't believe for a second that's going to be the start of a trend. After all, the St. Louis Rams have one of the better defenses in the league, while the San Diego Chargers' defense is in the bottom half of the league. Look for a big bounce-back game for Rodgers, as the Packers win by a couple touchdowns.
Result: Green Bay 27 San Diego 20
Record: 5-6
Game: Baltimore at San Francisco
Prediction: San Francisco - Here's my second switch of the week. I had initially taken Baltimore, but without Justin Forsett at tailback, in conjunction with a banged up receiving corps, I'm going to take the Niners at home in an upset. San Francisco, while awful on the road this year, is 1-1 at home, beating 2-2 Minnesota and losing a heart-breaker to the 3-2 New York Giants last week. Colin Kaepernick appeared to get back on track in his team's loss to the Giants, and I look for that to continue against the suddenly hapless Ravens. I'll go with San Francisco by a field goal.
Result: San Francisco 25 Baltimore 20
Record: 6-6
Game: New England at Indianapolis
Prediction: New England - Whether or not Andrew Luck plays in this game, I don't believe the Colts stand much of a chance. Under Chuck Pagano, his Colts have averaged to lose to the Patriots by almost 30 points per game. While I have a hard time seeing the Patriots winning by that margin, I still think they should win rather comfortably. I'll take New England on the road by a couple scores.
Result: New England 34 Indianapolis 27
Record: 7-6
Monday
Game: NY Giants at Philadelphia
Prediction: Philadelphia - The NFC East continues to be the least predictable division in football. Washington, at 2-3, has played better than expected. Dallas, at 2-3, has been beaten up by the injury bug. The New York Giants, at 3-2, could very well be either 5-0 or 2-3. Lastly, Philadelphia, at 2-3, has been a disappointment to this point in the season, but showed some signs of promise in their 39-17 victory over New Orleans on Sunday. While I have more faith in the Giants offense than I do in the Eagles offense at the moment, I have more faith in the Eagles defense than the Giants defense, and with key Giants receivers battling hamstring problems, I'm going to give the slight edge to Philly at home. I'm going with the Eagles by 4.
Result: Philadelphia 27 NY Giants 7
Record: 8-6
Week 6 Record: 8-6 (.571)
Overall Record: 55-36 (.604)
Game: Atlanta at New Orleans
Prediction: Atlanta - After getting trounced 39-17 by the then 1-3 Philadelphia Eagles, I have next to no faith in the 1-4 New Orleans Saints. Going up against the always explosive and 5-0 Atlanta Falcons, expect for the 32nd ranked (s)Aints defense to not improve much from Week 5 to Week 6. I'm going with Atlanta on the road by 10.
Result: New Orleans 31 Atlanta 21
Record: 0-1
Sunday
Game: Washington at NY Jets
Prediction: NY Jets - If you like defense, this is a game you'll want to tune in to. Washington has played better so far this season than I expected, led mostly by a solid ground game and defense. I still don't have much faith in their passing game, however, and going up against the well-rested New York Jets on the road, I have a hunch the Jets defense will get the best of Kirk Cousins and the Redskins offense. I'm going with the Jets by a touchdown.
Result: NY Jets 34 Washington 20
Record: 1-1
Game: Arizona at Pittsburgh
Prediction: Arizona - I get nervous picking West Coast teams in 1 pm games on the East Coast, however, I'm a big believer in Bruce Arians and the Arizona Cardinals. If not for some major hiccups in their 2-point loss to the St. Louis Rams a week ago, the Cardinals would be sitting at 5-0 and likely hailed by many as the best team in all of football. I look for the Steelers to keep things relatively close, but for the Cardinals to triumph at the end. I'm taking Arizona by a touchdown.
Result: Pittsburgh 25 Arizona 13
Record: 1-2
Game: Kansas City at Minnesota
Prediction: Minnesota - If we could erase this past weekend's games from memory, these two teams would appear rather even on paper. However, with Chiefs standout tailback Jamal Charles now out for the season and with the game being on the road against a well-rested Vikings team, I'm going to have to give the edge to Minnesota. Vikings by a touchdown.
Result: Minnesota 16 Kansas City 10
Record: 2-2
Game: Cincinnati at Buffalo
Prediction: Cincinnati - Coming off the near miraculous comeback against Seattle on Sunday and with the game in Buffalo, I could definitely see a let-down for the 5-0 Cincinnati Bengals. However, Buffalo's offense makes me nervous. Following a decent start to the season, the Bills have scored just 24 points the past two weeks against the likes of the New York Giants and the Tennessee Titans, not exactly the cream of the crop when it comes to defenses. Given that, I'm going to have to give the advantage to the Bengals. Cincinnati by a touchdown.
Result: Cincinnati 34 Buffalo 21
Record: 3-2
Game: Chicago at Detroit
Prediction: Detroit - I personally don't have much faith in either team. Chicago is 2-3, having won their past two games by the combined score of 40-37 against the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs (at the last second in both games). Detroit, meanwhile, is the lone winless team left in the NFL, and is coming off their worst loss of the season to this point - a 42-17 thrashing at the hands of Arizona, turning the ball over 6 times, pulling quarterback Matthew Stafford after throwing 3 interceptions. I do think Detroit is better than their 0-5 record would suggest and for whatever reason, think they're going to bounce back at home this week against an undermanned Chicago Bears team. The benching should wake Stafford up enough to play a much improved game against a mediocre Bears defense, and the stingy Lions defense should provide Jay Cutler with some headaches. I'm going with the Lions by 4.
Result: Detroit 37 Chicago 34 OT
Record: 4-2
Game: Denver at Cleveland
Prediction: Cleveland - I had initially picked Denver in this game, but with DeMarcus Ware out of the lineup, I'm going to take Cleveland in my upset of the week. I like how they've been playing on the offensive side of the ball in the past couple weeks, and for as crazy as it sounds, I currently trust Josh McCown leading the Browns offense against the DeMarcus Ware-less Broncos defense more than I trust Peyton Manning leading the Broncos offense against the Browns defense. I'm taking Cleveland at home by a field goal.
Result: Denver 26 Cleveland 23 OT
Record: 4-3
Game: Houston at Jacksonville
Prediction: Jacksonville - With J.J. Watt being listed as questionable due to an illness, chances are, whether he plays or not, he won't be 100%, so I reverse my pick and am going with Jacksonville at home by a field goal.
Result: Houston 31 Jacksonville 20
Record: 4-4
Game: Miami at Tennessee
Prediction: Tennessee - Speaking of teams lacking an identity, there's the Miami Dolphins. At a very disappointing 1-3, their coach is gone, and until they prove it to me on the field, I'm going to have a hard time believing they have their problems sorted. Given that, I'll go with the home team Tennessee Titans by a field goal.
Result: Miami 38 Tennessee 10
Record: 4-5
Game: Carolina at Seattle
Prediction: Seattle - I hate to use the term "desperation time" this early in the season, but if the Seattle Seahawks lose to Carolina on Sunday, they'll fall to 2-4, with NFC West leader Arizona sitting at either 5-1 or 4-2. With that in the back of their minds, I look for them to get things on track in this game and pull even at 3-3, just like last season, with a 6 point win against the Panthers.
Result: Carolina 27 Seattle 23
Record: 4-6
Game: San Diego at Green Bay
Prediction: Green Bay - Just like I have trouble picking against the Seahawks at home, the same is true of the Green Bay Packers. Aaron Rodgers may have had an off-game this past Sunday, but don't believe for a second that's going to be the start of a trend. After all, the St. Louis Rams have one of the better defenses in the league, while the San Diego Chargers' defense is in the bottom half of the league. Look for a big bounce-back game for Rodgers, as the Packers win by a couple touchdowns.
Result: Green Bay 27 San Diego 20
Record: 5-6
Game: Baltimore at San Francisco
Prediction: San Francisco - Here's my second switch of the week. I had initially taken Baltimore, but without Justin Forsett at tailback, in conjunction with a banged up receiving corps, I'm going to take the Niners at home in an upset. San Francisco, while awful on the road this year, is 1-1 at home, beating 2-2 Minnesota and losing a heart-breaker to the 3-2 New York Giants last week. Colin Kaepernick appeared to get back on track in his team's loss to the Giants, and I look for that to continue against the suddenly hapless Ravens. I'll go with San Francisco by a field goal.
Result: San Francisco 25 Baltimore 20
Record: 6-6
Game: New England at Indianapolis
Prediction: New England - Whether or not Andrew Luck plays in this game, I don't believe the Colts stand much of a chance. Under Chuck Pagano, his Colts have averaged to lose to the Patriots by almost 30 points per game. While I have a hard time seeing the Patriots winning by that margin, I still think they should win rather comfortably. I'll take New England on the road by a couple scores.
Result: New England 34 Indianapolis 27
Record: 7-6
Monday
Game: NY Giants at Philadelphia
Prediction: Philadelphia - The NFC East continues to be the least predictable division in football. Washington, at 2-3, has played better than expected. Dallas, at 2-3, has been beaten up by the injury bug. The New York Giants, at 3-2, could very well be either 5-0 or 2-3. Lastly, Philadelphia, at 2-3, has been a disappointment to this point in the season, but showed some signs of promise in their 39-17 victory over New Orleans on Sunday. While I have more faith in the Giants offense than I do in the Eagles offense at the moment, I have more faith in the Eagles defense than the Giants defense, and with key Giants receivers battling hamstring problems, I'm going to give the slight edge to Philly at home. I'm going with the Eagles by 4.
Result: Philadelphia 27 NY Giants 7
Record: 8-6
Week 6 Record: 8-6 (.571)
Overall Record: 55-36 (.604)
Comments
Post a Comment