Dan Burgess’s Predictions

Pittsburgh at Tennessee – Thursday, 8:20 – The Steelers (2-2) are coming off of an important win against Philadelphia. Though they didn’t exactly look sharp on offense, the matchup with the Titans (1-4) should be a favorable one for Big Ben and his array of weapons. The Titans give up the highest completion percentage to opposing quarterbacks in the NFL. They should be in for a long night on Thursday. The Titans’ main offensive storyline has been the ineffectiveness of Chris Johnson, who appears to have completely fizzled after a couple monster seasons. His luck likely won’t change against a stout Steeler defense, and Pittsburgh should win easily Thursday night.

Dallas at Baltimore – Sunday, 1:00 – The Dallas Cowboys (2-2) are one of the most polarizing organizations in professional sports, and the same is true for their quarterback, Antonio Ramiro Romo. Ever erratic, occasionally brilliant and oftentimes maddening, Romo threw five – count ’em – five interceptions against the Bears in Week 4. For Dallas to go anywhere this year, Tony Romo needs to avoid disastrous outings like that. Rest assured that anything less than a stellar performance this week against the Ravens (4-1) defense will guarantee a loss. Baltimore played ugly last Sunday but scraped by with a 9-6 win over an awful Chiefs team. Look for the Ravens to turn in a better executed game offensively, and take advantage of their home field advantage (statistically the strongest in the NFL). I like Baltimore to take down Jerry Jones and Co.

Oakland at Atlanta – Sunday, 1:00 – This game features one of the biggest mismatches of the week: Oakland’s (1-3) weak secondary going up against the likes of Matty Ice, Roddy White, and the rest of Atlanta’s fearsome passing attack, at home on the turf of the Georgia Dome. The Falcons (5-0) are one of just two undefeated teams remaining. Obviously, the Falcons’ success is most contingent on the offensive performance, but the defense has come through with timely takeaways that have set that explosive offensive unit up for success. I see Atlanta’s secondary coaxing multiple turnovers from shaky Oakland quarterback Carson Palmer. It’s hard to imagine the Raider O putting up enough points to keep pace with Atlanta, who should take care of business at home.

Cincinnati at Cleveland – Sunday, 1:00 – The Browns (0-5) played an outstanding five minutes of football on the road against the Giants on Sunday, going up 14-0 and sending waves of panic across the Tri-State area. Luckily for Giants fans like myself, Cleveland remembered who they actually were, and were promptly outscored 41-13 the rest of the way. It was a promising performance, and running back Trent Richardson was particularly impressive. However, that promise does not translate to on-field success, at least not this year. The Bengals (3-2) struggled mightily against the Dolphins offensively last week, and have a good opportunity to get things right this week against a Cleveland D without its best player, middle linebacker D’Qwell Jackson. The Bengals put up 34 points against the Browns in Week 2, and I expect a similar offensive outburst to lead Cincinnati to victory.

St. Louis at Miami – Sunday, 1:00 – The Dolphins (2-3) are feeling good about themselves after earning a hard fought win on the road in Cincinnati. Rookie QB Ryan Tannehill returns to action after playing an excellent game, and his continued improvement will be key to Miami’s success this year. On defense, the Dolphins are the best in the NFL against the run, meaning Rams quarterback Sam Bradford will need a strong game. That’s certainly achievable against an iffy Dolphins pass defense, but the Rams (3-2) are devoid of weapons in the passing game. The St. Louis pass rush will be key here, and I think they’ll rattle Tannehill and get some key takeaways. I like St. Louis to scratch out a win in an ugly one down in South Florida.

Indianapolis at New York Jets – Sunday, 1:00 – The saga of the 2012 New York Jets continues. After putting up a spirited defensive performance against the mighty Texans, the Jets’ (2-3) headlines this week have been dominated by questions over who the starting quarterback is. Rex Ryan says that Sanchez is his quarterback “this week,” but after that? Anyone’s guess. In any respect, this is a discombobulated team that I expect Indy to handle easily this week. The Colts (2-2) are playing passionate football on behalf of their leukemia-stricken coach, Chuck Pagano. Andrew Luck had a strong performance against a weak Green Bay defensive backs corp, and should find similar success against the Jets. Indianapolis will take down the Jets.

Detroit at Philadelphia – Sunday, 1:00 – The Lions (1-3) have been perhaps the league’s biggest disappointment thus far. An outstanding passing attack has been rendered useless by a defense that, quite frankly, can’t stop a nosebleed. Detroit will always be a tough game because of their offense, but this is Philly’s game to give away. The Michael Vick Turnover Tour made a stop at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh last week, and Vick was – gasp – actually efficient, compiling a QB rating over 100 and throwing no interceptions. Balance is the key for the Eagles (3-2) – without it, they are eminently beatable by almost anyone. The Lions’ defense is porous, Philly’s is not, and Lincoln Financial Field is a tough place to play. Philadelphia should win a tough game against Megatron and the rest of the Lions.

Kansas City at Tampa Bay – Sunday, 1:00 – Greg Schiano has the Bucs (1-3) playing hard nosed football, but that hasn’t meant wins so far this year. Tampa is extremely limited offensively, and leans heavily on their defense to come up with plenty of stops. Unfortunately for Bucs fans, their awful run defense is going up against one of the league’s best in Kansas City’s Jamaal Charles. The Chiefs (1-4) endured some controversy this week after the home crowd erupted in cheers after starting quarterback Matt Cassel was knocked out against the Ravens. Brady Quinn figures to start in place of Cassel, and has to be nothing more than a game manager for the Chiefs. It will be difficult for KC to stick to their ground attack if they’re playing from behind, so a strong start is essential. In the end, look for Charles to run wild in Tampa, and Kansas City to pick up the road W.

New England at Seattle – Sunday, 4:05 – This is gonna be a good one. The mighty New England offense, after picking apart the Denver D last week, must travel cross country to one of the league’s most difficult stadiums for opponents, Century Link Field. The Pats (3-2) are at their best in the frenetic no-huddle offense, which at times looks unstoppable. Their defense is inconsistent, but isn’t facing a particularly strong offensive unit in Seattle (3-2). Marshawn Lynch grinds out the tough yards for the Seahawks, and is adept at breaking tackles. However, the Patriots are the best in the league at minimizing yards after first contact, a stat that spells trouble for the Seahawks. Seattle’s outstanding defensive line will get to Brady occasionally, but the Patriots’ offense simply looks too good to be stopped right now. Russell Wilson will need to take a huge leap forward to lead the Seahawks to victory here, and I don’t see it happening. New England will earn a win in what is sure to be a physical game.

Buffalo at Arizona – Sunday, 4:05 – Who are the real Cardinals? Are they the group that took down New England in Foxboro, or the team that was held to a mere field goal by the Rams last week? In reality, they’re probably somewhere between those two performances, but this already weak offense is without its first and second string running backs. Oh yeah, and their quarterback is Kevin Kolb. Not exactly a recipe for lighting up the scoreboard. Luckily for Arizona, the defense is good, and they’ll have to be strong to stop the Bills. Buffalo was embarrassed against San Francisco last week, and the offense needs to improve. The key question is can Ryan Fitzpatrick hold on to the football? If he does, the Bills defense should keep Kolb and Co. in check, and the Bills can win. It’s never easy to travel across three time zones and come out with a win, but I think Buffalo gets it done in the desert.

Minnesota at Washington – Sunday, 4:25 – The Vikings (4-1) continue to exceed expectations, trouncing Tennessee 30-7 in Week 5 at the Metrodome. This week they go against RG3 and the Skins. RG3 suffered a concussion last week, and is listed as questionable for the game on Sunday. He will probably play, but his effectiveness will likely be limited. Considering that he is the critical factor for the Redskins’ (2-3) success, his injury does not bode well for them. The Vikings feature a balanced attack, with Adrian Peterson as the centerpiece. Second year QB Christian Ponder appears to be vastly improved, and their defense is also strong. RG3 will decide the winner of this game, and if he can’t play, the Redskins have no shot. Even if he does go, I like Minnesota in this one.

Giants at 49ers – Sunday, 4:25 – The 49ers (4-1) are one of the best teams in the league, but face stiff competition in the form of the Giants. Their offensive attack is diverse, utilizing play action, grinding runs, and even a Wildcat package featuring second string quarterback Colin Kaepernick. The G-Men put up 41 on the Browns after failing to show up for the start of the game. The Giants (3-2) are a hard team to figure out. Eli Manning is outstanding, but where is the vaunted pass rush? Injuries in the secondary have hurt the Giants, and the defensive backs must improve for the Giants to win. The key is this: can the Giants run game duplicate their 200 yard performance from last week, or even put up 100 yards? If the Niners force the Giants to be one dimensional, San Francisco could roll. I think Eli will keep the Giants in it, but San Francisco defense and balanced attack will let the Niners win a close one.

Green Bay at Houston – Sunday, 8:20 – This is the best matchup of the week. Green Bay was stunned on the road against an Indianapolis team that was playing inspired football on behalf of hospitalized coach Chuck Pagano. The Packers (2-3) blew a sizable lead in the second half, and the offense was held to 6 second-half points. However, this was an atypical offensive outing for the Pack, and Aaron Rodgers should get his crew back on track. Houston (5-0) is undefeated, and turned in an underwhelming performance against the Jets on Monday night. Green Bay will be keying in on the Texan rushing attack, creating an opportunity for Matt Schaub to spread the ball around to main weapons Andre Johnson and Owen Daniels. The Houston defense took a big hit with the loss of middle linebacker Brian Cushing for the year with a torn ACL, but the unit remains a strength. I don’t think the Texans offense will be able to keep pace with the Packer attack, and Green Bay will put up enough points to take down the Texans.

Denver at San Diego – Monday, 8:30 – The Broncos (2-3) have already been written off by many after a shaky start. The defense is without its most important piece, linebacker DJ Williams. Peyton Manning looked sharp in the second half against the Patriots, but a costly fumble and subsequent drop by Willis McGahee killed any chance of a Broncos’ rally. The Chargers (3-2) appeared headed to an uncharacteristically hot start, but cooled off quickly against the Saints. Peyton Manning has a history of being vanquished by Philip Rivers and the Chargers (1-5 all time), but I think the Broncos are the better squad here. I don’t see the Chargers secondary doing much to stop Peyton, and I like Denver to win.

Andrew Liang’s Predictions

Pittsburgh Steelers at Tennessee Titans

The Titans certainty have trouble in their hands. Starting quarterback Jake Locker is likely to be on the bench due to a shoulder injury suffered in a game against the Houston Texans, not to mention the inconsistentcy of Chris Johnson, who is by the far this year’s most disappointing player. The Titans don’t have many receivers on offense as wide receiver Kenny Britt is dealing with an injury. The Steelers high-powered offense should put on a show with Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown leading the way.

Steelers: 24   Titans:13

Kansas City Chiefs at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

You most likely won’t be watching this game unless you have Jamaal Charles, Dwayne Bowe, or Doug Martin on your fantasy team. The elusiveness of Jamaal Charles and the size of Dwayne Bowe gives the Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel some options to throw to. Jamaal Charles should continue his spectacular performance. The Buccaneers have yet to allowed a 100-yard rusher so it should be interesting to see how well Jamaal Charles will do.

Chiefs:14   Buccaneers:10

Indianapolis Colts at New York Jets

The New York Jets have just been having an incredible amount of bad luck. Having lost Darrelle Revis and number one receiver Santonio Holmes, the Jets are looking to miss the playoffs once again. Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez has been incredibly inconsistent this year, first lighting the scoreboard against Buffalo in Week , and then scoring 0 offensive points in a disappointing shutout against the Niners. Meanwhile, Andrew Luck has given some light to the Colts and with receiver Reggie Wayne and running back Donald Brown leading the pack, the Colts should have no problem dismantling the Jets.

Colts:24   Jets:3

Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns

As you can probably tell from the teams, it’s pretty obvious who’s going to win. The Bengals have arguably the most underrated quarterback and one of the best wide receivers in the NFL in A.J Green. The Browns, on the hand, don’t have many reasons to be happy. They are at the bottom of the pack in their division, with Quarterback Brandon Weeden being inconsistent and unreliable. The only bright side on the Browns offense is running back Trent Richardson, who carries much of the load for the Browns. The Bengals should win this one with ease.

Bengals: 34   Browns:17

Detroit Lions at Philadelphia Eagles

Both teams are off to surprising starts, but for opposite reasons. The Detroit Lions have so far struggled this year. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Eagles are currently maintaining a hot streak, beating powerhouse teams like the New York Giants and the Baltimore Ravens.  This should be a close game as long as Matthew Stafford can hook up with Calvin Johnson. LeSean McCoy should be able to rush for at least 100 yards on the day.

Detroit Lions:34   Eagles:31

Oakland Raiders at Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons have plenty of reasons to be thankful. One is that starting quarterback Matt Ryan is playing like an MVP and has the best wide receiver duo in Julio Jones and Roddy White. Meanwhile, the Raiders have shown some life in their comeback win against the Steelers. But it won’t be enough against the high-powered offense of the Falcons. The Falcons have arguably the most well balanced offense.

Falcons:28    Raiders:14

St.Louis Rams at Miami Dolphins

This game is probably not going to be watched by many people. Basically, it’s a showdown of two very inconsistent offenses. This game will be won by the quarterback who can outperform the other. I believe that the combination of Ryan Tannehill and Reggie Bush will outlast Sam Bradford and the banged up Steven Jackson. But the Rams won’t go down without a fight.

Dolphins:24   Rams:21

Dallas Cowboys at Baltimore Ravens

The Cowboys are embarrassing themselves. A devastating lost to the Bears revealed the problems the Cowboys have. Meanwhile, the Ravens are on a roll, beating the Patriots for a big win. Ray Rice and Joe Flacco should continue their dominating performances to cruise against the Cowboys.

Ravens: 24   Cowboys:3

Other Picks for the Week

Packers: 31  Texans:28

The Texans should suffer their first defeat of the year

Giants: 28   49ers: 21

Bills: 10   Cardinals: 24

Patriots: 42   Seahawks: 14

Vikings: 21   Redskins: 17

Chargers: 27   Broncos: 24