Thursday, October 9, 2008

Week 6 NFL Picks

* Winners are in italics


Chicago (3-2) @ Atlanta (3-2)

Chicago and Atlanta come into this game with 3-2 records after winning games last week on the road against Detroit and Green Bay respectively. Both teams have been a pretty big surprise in the first five weeks as most of us had these two penciled in to struggle this season. But then we realize that this is the NFL and anything can happen. The Falcons have yet to lose at home this year, but those wins came against two of the league’s punching bags (Detroit Lions in Week 1; Kansas City Chiefs in Week 3). Last week’s win at Green Bay was impressive, but they have yet to face a decent team at home this year, and the Bears – with the effective running of Matt Forte and solid play of quarter back Kyle Orton – are eerily looking similar to the Bears of 2006.

Miami (2-2) @ Houston (0-4)

The Texans find themselves still without a win this week after quarter back Sage Rosenfels pretty much cost them the game last week home to Indianapolis after doing his best helicopter blade impression trying to pick up a first down which would have put the game away. Miami has been playing very well as of late with wins at New England and home to San Diego, but the last time the Dolphins won a non-division road game dates back to November or 2006. The Texans have to get a win eventually, right?

Baltimore (2-2) @ Indianapolis (2-2)

I really don’t have much on this game other than my feelings that Indianapolis could very well be 0-4 at this point if Brad Childress had some balls and Sage Rosenfels didn’t throw the game away last week in Houston. The Colts can thank him, because it probably saved their season, and although this Colts team is not the same as it was last year, they should find their first win at home this season hosting a Ravens team that is probably still feeling it from a physical game last week against Tennessee.

Detroit (0-4) @ Minnesota (2-3)

If you’re just tuning in, Minnesota is now healthy and coming off a huge win on the road in New Orleans on Monday Night Football. Oh yeah, and the Lions suck.

Oakland (1-3) @ New Orleans(2-3)

New Orleans ought to be pretty ticked off about losing to the Vikings on Monday Night Football last week, but even on a short week should beat up on the Raiders. Oakland is coming off a bye week, but when your sweat-suit-wearing senile owner axes the head coach after four weeks, bye weeks tend to usually mean nothing.

Cincinnati (0-5) @ NY Jets (2-2)

I’m thinking that we’re finally going to see the Bengals get a win this week. I really don’t have much reason for making this pick other than gut feeling, and sometimes in the NFL that’s better reasoning than doing actual research. Oh yeah, and I probably think that there ought to be some kind of bad karma on the Jets for that fiasco two weeks ago that indirectly ended up hospitalizing Arizona wide receiver Anquan Boldin when they should have ran the clock out instead of running up the score. Once again, gut feeling.

Carolina (4-1) @ Tampa Bay (3-2)

Carolina has looked very good this year with a healthy Jake Delhomme and should continue their success at Tampa Bay this week. Heading out to the pirate’s ship is never an easy thing to do, but I think the quarterback circus going on in Tampa Bay right now is going to hamper preparation and the Panthers are going to sneak one out here and take a firm grip on the lead in the NFC South.

St. Louis (0-4) @ Washington (4-1)

Let down game? I don’t think so. The Redskins have been rolling ever since a Week One game at New York. I remember everyone tossing them under the bus after a weak preseason and that loss at the Meadowlands, but I was one of the few that gave them the benefit of the doubt. All of a sudden after two huge division wins on the road they are 4-1 and if you take a look at their schedule could be 8-1 when they head into their bye week. Oh yeah, and they’ve already played their three road division games too. St. Louis will head into battle two weeks after appointing Jim Haslett to coach the team after Scott Linehan got fired, and have had two weeks to prepare for this game. Unfortunately, there are some kinds of ‘suck’ that not even two weeks can cure.

Jacksonville (2-3) @ Denver (4-1)

This is one of the toughest games to call this week. I’m not too sure what to expect out of either of these teams this week, but considering how well the Jags run the football, I’m going to guess that the Broncos defence plays like it’s supposed to – with its legs spread wide open waiting for Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew. It’ll be close, and like all Denver games this season it will be entertaining, but the Jags desperately need this game to keep pace in the AFC South and will find a way to win this one.

Dallas (4-1) @ Arizona (3-2)

Shoot-out!!! The Cowboys will be without defensive backs Terrence Newman (sports hernia) and Adam ‘Pacman’ Jones for this game in an already weak Dallas secondary. What does Arizona do really, really well? Right. Sling it. The Cards always get a better effort from their defence at home it seems, and I have a funny feeling that with all the nonsense surrounding Pacman’s latest fiasco is enough to distract the Cowboys on the road. I mean seriously, who punches the guy that gets paid to protect you…in a bathroom…while his junk is out taking a leak nonetheless? There are now three things in this life that are certain. Death, taxes, and Pacman Jones stupidity.

Philadelphia (2-3) @ San Francisco (2-3)

It’s gut check time for the Eagles, now. They can’t keep losing games in the division they play in. For anyone who hasn’t followed football, the only team in the NFC East to lose a game to a team not in the division, was the Eagles losing at Chicago in Week 4. It doesn’t look like those teams are going to lose many games outside of the division this year, and unless the Eagles pick it up, they are going to be the odd team out in that powerhouse division. To make matters worse, they may be without Brian Westbrook nursing a rib injury. But I still think that the Eagles will man up, bring pressure all game to try and kill J.T. O’Sullivan and pull this one out. If they don’t, they are in big trouble.

Green Bay (2-3) @ Seattle (1-3)

Seriously, this Seattle team sucks and it’s leaving the door wide open for Arizona to win the division, but for some stupid reason I have them winning this week. The Packers are not going to go away easy, and despite the beating they took at home in Week One to the Bills, Seattle becomes a different team when they play at home. I guess this is another one of those hunch games.

New England (3-1) @ San Diego (2-3)

What is wrong with the Chargers? Losing to the Dolphins? I know this team likes to start slow but holy Toledo! I have no idea who to take in this game, because there are reasons to take both and reasons not to take both, and in cases like this I usually take the home team or flip a coin. I’ll save the coin for another day.

NY Giants (4-0) @ Cleveland (1-3)

Monday Night Football in the Dawg Pound!! Who the heck schedules this stuff? Who wants to watch an undefeated team roll all over an off season over-hyped team who won their only game this year against the Bengals? Are you kidding me? Thank God I will be in Chicago for the season home opener for the Blackhawks instead of watching this game. Bye week, home, still crap. Oh yeah, and they might be without Kellen Winslow too this week. Ummm, can you hear that sound? I think that’s the sound of the Brady Quinn bell ringing.


--Mr. Monday Night

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