NFL Week 6 Preview and Picks

by Jack Coolahan

Andrew Luck and the Colts already defeated J.J Watt and the Texans 33-28 on Thursday Night, but here are the rest of the picks for Week 6 in the NFL.

New England Patriots (3-2) at Buffalo Bills (3-2)
Tom Brady and the Pats come in to Buffalo off of a 43-17 shellacking of the previously undefeated Bengals. The Patriots' offense hopes to prove themselves after struggling through the first four games before lighting up Cincinnati. The Bills swapped out former first-round pick E.J. Manuel for veteran Kyle Orton in the hope of capitalizing on a weak AFC East and making the playoffs. This game decides AFC East supremacy.
Pick: Patriots 27-13

Steelers (3-2) at Browns (2-2)
The Steelers did not look sharp last week against Jacksonville, but still came away with a win. The Browns overcame a 25-point deficit to beat the Titans. The Cleveland defense, which has struggled thus far, will be charged with stopping two of the most talented skill players in the NFL: Pittsburgh's LeVeon Bell and Antonio Brown. I don't think they can.
Pick: Steelers 30-17

Broncos (3-1) at Jets (1-4)
Peyton Manning is a far better quarterback than Geno Smith. That is all that matters in this matchup.
Pick: Broncos 38-10

Packers (3-2) at Dolphins (2-2):
Aaron Rodgers, Eddie Lacy, Jordy Nelson and the Packers are rolling right now, having won two in a row. Rodgers and Nelson have great chemistry and it shows on the field. The Dolphins played well last week in a blowout of the Raiders, but they were beaten handily by the Chiefs and Bills in their two games before that. Also, Ryan Tannehill does not look like a quarterback that could lead the Dolphins to the playoffs. He is very mediocre, and Aaron Rodgers is very good.
Pick: Packers 31-17

Chargers (4-1) at Raiders (0-4)
The Chargers have one of the top offenses in the NFL, and Philip Rivers is a legitimate MVP candidate. However, San Diego receiver Keenan Allen, who had a breakout season last year, has yet to produce similar numbers. The Raiders are predictably awful once again, and already fired coach Dennis Allen, so do not expect a close game.
Chargers 41-13

Cowboys (4-1) at Seahawks (3-1)
Dallas is surprisingly 4-1; many people expected their defense to be the worst in the NFL, and the offense to be not good enough to make up for it. However, the defense has held up, and Demarco Murray is on pace for a historic rushing season. The Cowboys will have to prove their worth in the next two weeks against the Giants and Seahawks. Dallas has a tough task ahead of them, considering Russell Wilson and the 'Hawks have won 12 out of their last 13 games at home dating back to the beginning of last season.
Pick: Seahawks 28-17

Ravens (3-2) at Buccaneers (1-4)
After suffering through a total annihilation by the Falcons in Week 3, the Bucs ditched Josh McCown for second-year signal-caller Mike Glennon, and Glennon has kept Tampa competitive. He led the Bucs to an upset of the Steelers and almost knocked off the Saints, but fell short in overtime. I expect the Ravens to win in a close, competitive game.
Pick: Ravens 30-24

Panthers (3-2) at Bengals (3-1)
The Panthers, a team predicted by many to regress this year after they went 12-4 last season, have been up and down so far. Cam Newton does not seem to be fully recovered from the rib injury he suffered in the preseason, and he has not ran the ball nearly as much as he had in the past. The Bengals are looking to rebound from their loss to the Patriots last Sunday night, but they will have do it without A.J. Green. The star wideout reaggravated a toe injury that has been bothering him all season long. The game will hinge on whether the Panthers can get pressure on Cincy QB Andy Dalton. Grantland's Bill Barnwell made the point in a preseason article that Dalton is much less productive when facing an effective pass rush. Without defensive end Greg Hardy, I do not think the Panthers will hit Dalton often.
Pick: Bengals 26-14

Lions (3-2) at Vikings (2-3)
Both teams are nothing special but with Calvin Johnson and Reggie Bush likely out or at least limited by injuries, the Vikings will get a win at home because of those injuries and the return of QB Teddy Bridgewater.
Pick: Vikings 27-23

Jaguars (0-5) at Titans (1-4)
Two of the AFC's worst teams face off in Nashville. The Jaguars have been a laughingstock so far, but if they are going to win a game this season, it might be against the Titans. Tennessee coach Ken Whisenhunt hinted that he might start 6th-round-pick Zach Mettenberger this week, and if that happens, I think Jacksonville has a decent chance to win. Either way, the Jags fought hard aginst the Steelers last week, so I think they have a good chance of victory against the incompetent Titans.
Pick: Jaguars 23-14

Bears (2-3) at Falcons (2-3)
Both teams need a win in this game to stay in the playoff picture, and Matt Ryan and the Falcons have the edge playing at home. Also, Jay Cutler does not seem to have a killer instinct, and he comes up short of making the playoffs year after year.
Pick: Falcons 34-27

Redskins (1-4) at Cardinals (3-1)
This game is a question mark because Arizona quarterbacks Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton are both listed as questionable. If both do not play, rookie Logan Thomas would forced into action, and he was extremely inaccurate in his brief stint last week versus the Broncos. For the purpose of picking this game, I will assume that either Stanton or Palmer will play for the Cards. If Thomas starts, however, I predict that the Redskins will win.
Pick: Cardinals 23-13

Giants (3-2) at Eagles (4-1) *Sunday Night*
The Eagles offense has been mediocre at best this season, but luckily for them, their defense and special teams have been forcing turnovers and scoring touchdowns. If the offense stutters again and the Giants leave Philadelphia with a victory, Eagles fans will be very uneasy, and the Birds will not have another chance to prove themselves until after their bye week. Eli Manning and the Giants looked atrocious during their first two games, but they rebounded and have won three straight, and Eli and the offense look in sync. Watch for rookie receiver Odell Beckham to use his speed and have a big game against the Eagles' suspect secondary.
Pick: Eagles 24-21

49ers (3-2) at Rams (1-3)
Austin Davis is likeable and a good quarterback, but his skills are not enough to propel the Rams to victory against the top teams in the NFL. The Niners will go to St. Louis and walk away with an easy victory.
Pick: 49ers 33-20