NFL Pick’ems: Week 6

Last Week’s Picks: 6-9

Overall Pick Record: 43-35

Brutal! Back-to-back weeks in the negative won’t do well for one’s confidence. No matter – it’s time to dust off, get back up and turn the tides!

Heeeeeere… we go!

New England Patriots (5-0) @ New York Giants (2-3)

Winner: New England Patriots

For about five whole minutes, it looked like New England might have been in for one “those days”, as the Redskins had an early seven-point lead and were getting pressure on Tom Brady on nearly every down. Could the Pats really overlook and fall asleep on… the Redskins? No. Absolutely not. They woke up and eventually won by 26 points. However, some concerning holes were exposed on the offense line, as the Redskins were consistently getting home on a 3-man rush while dropping eight guys into coverage. It’s a strategy that could be replicated by other teams – the problem was the Redskins stuck with it too long, and Brady will figure out any defense he gets a second look at.

Daniel Jones has looked much more like a rookie QB over the past two weeks, throwing three interceptions to just two touchdowns. He’s about to get the lesson of his life going on the road to face a historically great Patriots defense that has racked up 24 sacks in five games. Defensively, the Giants continue to give up big plays, allowing 409 yards per game (30th). The balance isn’t where it needs to be to pull out a victory against an elite opponent.

Carolina Panthers (3-2) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-3)

Winner: Carolina Panthers

Last week against the Jaguars, Christian McCaffrey rushed for 179 yards and two TD’s, and added another 61 yards and a score through the air. Through five games, McCaffrey is on pace to break the single-season record for total yards from scrimmage at over 2,700 (the record is 2,509 by Chris Johnson). McCaffrey has put himself in the conversation not only for best back in the league right now, but for being one of the more complete backs in NFL history with the way he has started his career. The Panthers O-line deserves some credit as the Panthers backup RB Reggie Bonnafon had 80 yards and a touchdown as well. The line has looked better with Kyle Allen under center, as he’s been getting the ball out quickly to his playmakers. With this running game, protecting the ball is the top priority for the young QB and he’s done a good job of that. Allen has five touchdowns and zero INT’s through three games.

After dicing up the Rams for 55 points the week before, the Buccaneers looked out of sync for three-quarters of this game. The line struggled to protect Jameis Winston, who was sacked six times. The offense gained just 252 yards total, much of which came in garbage time when the game was all but over. Defensively, the Buccs have given up the 2nd-least rushing yards in the league. Pretty good, right? The catch is, they’re also last in passing yards allowed at over 323 yards per game. Are they really that good against the rush, or are teams just finding it too easy to pass against them? Against the Saints, receivers were running wide open throughout the game, leading to four passing touchdowns for Teddy Bridgewater. The Buccs offense has to be firing on all cylinders for them to win games, and this will be a tough defense to gain traction against.

Washington Redskins (0-5) @ Miami Dolphins (0-4)

Winner: Washington Redskins

The Tank Bowl! This game is going to come down to a matter of inches… To whoever really, really wants it… Whoever fights the hardest… for the loss! Who will suck more? Tune in – or don’t.

This could be the only game the Redskins win all year, and the only game Miami might have a chance of winning. With a new head coach, you can expect some extra effort from the Washington sideline. Besides, does anyone really believe Miami is trying to win games this year? Winning doesn’t get you Tua, and the Dolphins can’t afford to miss out on the next in line of mobile-QB prodigies.

New Orleans Saints (4-1) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (2-3)

Winner: New Orleans Saints

Gardner Minshew played his heart out trying to fight back against the Panthers last week, which is partially what has endeared him to Jaguars fans. The enigmatic rookie threw for 374 yards and two touchdowns, both to the promising young receiver D.J. Chark, who had a career day (8 rec, 164 yards). It wasn’t enough, however, as the Jags struggled to stop the Panthers rushing attack, surrendering 285 yards on the ground. Apparently Jaguars owner Shahid Khan had a heart-to-heart with Jalen Ramsey, and theirs a possibility the elite corner could be on the field this Sunday. They will surely need him this week against the Saints and Teddy Bridgewater coming off his best game of the season.

Bridgewater finished with 314 yards and four touchdowns, as the Saints receivers routinely shooled the Buccaneers defensive backs. While there were some wide-open throws, Bridgewater still had to be on the money on several intermediate-to-long throws, and he was nearly perfect on those. Receiver Michael Thomas is having a wail of season, as he is on pace to break Marvin Harrison’s single-season record of 144 receptions. The Saints are playing some great ball right now on both sides, and should pull out a close victory here against a resilient Jags squad.

Cincinnati Bengals (0-5) @ Baltimore Ravens (3-2)

Winner: Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens got back on track with an overtime win against the Steelers. However, Lamar Jackson and the offense have not looked great over the past three weeks. The QB has thrown five interceptions and the offense has been turning the ball over far too often if the Ravens are expecting to contend this season. The defense has been struggling against the pass – understandable, as their top corner Jimmy Smith continues to miss time with a knee injury.

CB Marlon Humphrey has more than filled Smith’s shoes stepping into the top spot – making quite a name for himself in the process with several game-changing plays already this season. In overtime, Humphrey punched the ball loose from the Steelers’ JuJu Smith-Schuster, setting up the game-winning field goal by Justin Tucker. This should be a remedy game for both units, as the Bengals are wounded and pose no real threat on either side of the ball at the moment.

Seattle Seahawks (4-1) @ Cleveland Browns (2-3)

Winner: Seattle Seahawks

Brady is the G.O.A.T., Mahomes is a one-man show, and Watson is the Truth.. but Russell Wilson is the savvy veteran in the prime of his career, putting it all together for a once-in-a-lifetime type of season. Wilson is in the zone like Whitney Houston at the Super Bowl, belting out an all-time rendition of the song we all love; one that many have tried, but none have ever been able to replicate. Like Whitney, Wilson’s style is unique and completely his own – a silky-smooth, intelligent, almost magical style of quarterbacking. There’s a feeling with the Seahawks offense (much due to Wilson’s optimistic personality in the huddle) that they are never quite out of a game until the final whistle blows.

Cleveland cannot say they’re feeling the same kind of vibes at the moment, after being surgically dismembered by the 49ers on Monday Night Football. The connection between Baker Mayfield and Odell Beckham Jr. has been rather futile through five games. Head Coach Freddy Kitchens resorted to desperate measures last week to get Beckham Jr. the ball any way he could, including drawing up a passing play, which “OBJ” completed to his BFF Jarvis Landry. The Browns need to protect the Dawg Pound and start winning at home if they’re going to right the ship this season

Philadelphia Eagles (3-2) @ Minnesota Vikings (3-2)

Winner: Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings responded to a week of panic with a dominant yet unconvincing victory. Dominant in that they were in control from start to finish; unconvincing in that it took playing against the league’s 31st ranked defense for Kirk Cousins to get the ball rolling with two top-flight receivers. Thielen and Diggs were satisfied, for a game at least. They’ll be facing a depleted secondary this week, as the Eagles will be without corners Ronald Darby and Aviante Maddox. The Eagles can’t afford to stack the box with backup corners while trying to cover the explosive Thielen-Diggs duo. That should open up just enough room for Dalvin Cook to carry the Vikings offense to victory, assuming Cousins can make the necessary throws against soft coverage when the time comes.

The Eagles are winning despite the debilitating injuries on both sides of the ball – a testament to Doug Pederson’s coaching abilities. Yet, until they get back to a modicum of healthiness, it’s hard to trust them on the road against a balanced Vikings team. If the Eagles can get pressure with a four-man rush, and force Cousins into a couple of turnovers, they have a chance to steal one in Minnesota.

Houston Texans (3-2) @ Kansas City Chiefs (4-1)

Winner: Kansas City Chiefs

This is an epic matchup of the two best young quarterbacks the game has to offer. The Chiefs 19-13 loss to the Colts exacted a physical toll on some of their best players. More concerning is the possibility that the Colts took a piece of them mentally, as well. The defense was… well, they got owned. Physically. In all aspects. Surely, their pride took a small hit after being so thoroughly outmanned by the Colts offensive line. Kansas City needs to hope it isn’t a fatal flaw in their defense, one that could be exploited in the postseason by, say… the Patriots. Pat Mahomes has a tweaked ankle, but may be getting his top reciever, Tyreek “the Cheetah” Hill, back after five weeks of being shelved with an injury. With or without Hill, in Mahomes we trust.

Like the Colts tested their defensive line, the Texans aerial attack will be a huge test for the Chiefs secondary – likely, one they are not ready for. Deshaun Watson went off for 473 total yards and five touchdowns in Week 5 against the Falcons. Three of those touchdowns went to the speed demon Will Fuller, who makes up one-half of the league’s best receiving duo (when healthy). The Falcons were focused on trying to stop the beastly DeAndre Hopkins, opening the door for Fuller’s career-high 217-yard day. The Texans need to bring every bit of ammo they can find for this shootout, and hope Mahomes misses on a few shots.

Atlanta Falcons (1-4) Arizona Cardinals (1-3-1)

Winner: Atlanta Falcons

Kyler n’ Kliff got their first official big league victories, defeating the Bengals 26-23 last week. Murray’s day through the air was nothing special, finishing with 253 yards and no touchdowns. However, he did do serious damage with his legs, rushing for 93 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. Murray also set up the Cards’ game-winning field goal on a 24-yard scramble with under a minute left in regulation. Yes, his first victory was against the 0-5 Bengals, but as a rookie, you’ll take any win you can get.

The Falcons have been the league’s most disappointing team this season, with just one win through five weeks. There’s too much talent and experience on this team for them to not be winning not just tough games, but very winnable games as well. Statistically, Matt Ryan and the offense are doing well – so why aren’t they winning? The Falcons aren’t making the crucial plays at the end of the game on either side of the ball. Last week, they were obliterated through the air by the passing attack of the Houston Texans for 400+ yards and five touchdowns. Hope isn’t completely lost yet, but if the Falcons can’t beat a struggling Cardinals team, their season will all but over.

San Francisco 49ers (4-0) @ Los Angeles Rams (3-2)

Winner: San Francisco 49ers

Like the Mahomes-Watson matchup this week, this is a clash of the two best young, offensive-minded head coaches in the game. Sean McVay’s out-of-the-box, aggressive scheme against Kyle Shanahan’s lethal zone-running “21” personnel formation. This game is going to be decided in the trenches, and right now, San Francisco looks to have a slight edge in that regard. The Niners lead the league in rushing at exactly 200.0 yards per game on the ground. They have arguably the fastest stable of running backs in the league led by Matt Breida, who dazzled last week after hitting 22+ MPH on an 83-yard touchdown run. Jimmy Garoppolo is hitting the crucial throws and taking care of the ball. Most impressive, though, has been the play of their defensive line, ranked 5th against the run. They’ll be tested this week against Todd Gurley and the Rams.

Back-to-back crushing defeats, and all of a sudden the Rams could be in trouble if they don’t win this game. They can’t afford to drop to 0-2 in a division where margins are slim. Any slip up could be the difference between a birth in the playoffs, or early work on the ole putting game. Jared Goff has to get rid of the turnover bug and get back to the accurate, elite form we saw in him last year. Yes, the run game isn’t as strong, but the throws are there and Goff hasn’t been hitting them. Is it possible the embarrassing 3-point performance in the Super Bowl is sticking with the young QB? Or the horrid interception that virtually ended the game? Either way, the offense does not seem to have the same lethal mentality.

Tennessee Titans (2-3) @ Denver Broncos (1-4)

Winner: Denver Broncos

The Titans offense has been pretty good for two games, and abhorrent for the other three. Marcus Mariota continues the up-and-down inconsistent play that has been the theme of his career. The same goes for Derrick Henry considering the RB is seeing upwards of 20 touches per game. Expectations have never quite been met outside of a few flashes from Henry. Where’s the guy that could not be tackled on a 99-yard run from a just a couple seasons ago? Or that had 191 total yards and two scores in a playoff game at Arrowhead? It’s difficult to know what to expect from the Titans, but at this point, it’s safer to assume the worst from this team that has had numerous chances to build some semblance of lasting chemistry. It may be time to start looking elsewhere at quarterback for the Titans, as Mariota will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

Joe Flacco, on the other hand, has been fairly consistent this year. The problem is he’s been consistently mediocre, as his offense has struggled mightily to put up points week-to-week. The good news is Von Miller and the defense seem to be heating up, as they held the Chargers to 246 total yards, with three forced turnovers last week. At home, with their season on the line, the Broncos should pull out a victory here against a Titans team lacking any identity.

Dallas Cowboys (3-2) @ New York Jets (1-4)

Winner: Dallas Cowboys

The Jets are delighted to get Sam Darnold back this week after a bout with mono. It’s safe to say they weren’t huge fans of the Luke Falk era, nor were football fans in general – as the Jets offense scored a total of 23 points while averaging just 179 total yards in three games. Darnold didn’t look great in the one game he did start and will need time to get back into the swing of things.

The Cowboys are hungry to shut everyone up after taking back-to-back losses to quality teams. The knock on Dallas is that they’ve been feasting on bottom feeders for their wins, while getting outplayed by more credible clubs. This matchup won’t do much to change that perception, but it could help Dallas get their mojo back heading into the long-haul of season.

Pittsburgh Steelers (1-4) @ Los Angeles Chargers (2-3)

Winner: Los Angeles Chargers

The Steelers are down to their third QB after Mason Rudolph was knocked unconscious by Earl Thomas last week. The duties now fall to Devlin Hodges, an undrafted free agent who will get his first NFL start against a desperate Chargers team. Only one win separates these two teams, but the Chargers expected to be in a much better position than needing a win to keep pace with Chiefs and Raiders in the AFC West. Short of a complete meltdown, the Chargers should thoroughly outplay a Steelers team that would be hard-pressed to win even with their starter in at QB. This is a great chance for the Chargers to get back on track, as well as an opportunity to get Melvin Gordon in rhythm for the rest of the season.

Detroit Lions (2-1-1) @ Green Bay Packers (4-1)

Winner: Detroit Lions

The defense for both of these teams have seen significant improvements from last season. The big story for this game is the possible return of elite corner Darius Slay for Detroit, who completes the Lions’ defense like Dorothy completes Jerry Maguire. Detroit is fresh off their Bye week, and coming off a respectable performance against the Chiefs which they ultimately lost in the last minute. With Slay ready to return, the Lions are primed for a big-time upset in Lambeau.

The Packers’ defense has been superb through five games, aside from a letdown against the Eagles. What is concerning is the mounting injuries on both sides of the ball. Safety Darnell Savage, who had been providing excellent deep field coverage as well as run support for the defense, will be out. For the offense, Davante Adams is a huge loss, as Aaron Rodgers will need to look elsewhere without his best red-zone target. The addition of Slay for Detroit and the loss of Adams for Green Bay is enough to tip the scales in the Lions’ favor.

Note: This page is updated throughout the week to account for the latest injury updates and news around the league.