New York Giants at Chicago – Thursday, 8:25 – The nightmare season of the New York Giants (0-5) continued last week, as they dropped a 36-21 decision to hated division rival Philadelphia. The Giants are discombobulated in every aspect of the game, and they haven’t shown anything that suggests they are going to turn things around. Chicago (3-2) was dispatched by New Orleans last week, but they should be able to handle the hapless Giants. The Bears will send the Giants spiraling further downward.
Cincinnati at Buffalo – Sunday, 1:00 – It’s too bad for fans of the Bills (2-3) that EJ Manuel is out for four to six weeks with a knee injury, because Buffalo had a chance to make some noise in a crowded AFC playoff picture. Without him, however, things aren’t so rosy for the Bills, especially with the fierce Cincinnati defense coming into town. The Bengals (3-2) managed to limit Tom Brady and the Pats to just six points in Week 5, and they should cause absolute havoc against a punchless Buffalo offense. Andy Dalton and the Cincinnati offense isn’t impressive by any stretch, but the Bengals will keep the Bills in check and come away with a road victory.
Detroit at Cleveland – Sunday, 1:00 – It figures that as soon as I got on the Brian Hoyer bandwagon, the Cleveland quarterback was knocked out for the year with a torn ACL. It’s a tough break for the Browns (3-2), who were playing very solid football with Hoyer under center, but the strong performance of Brandon Weeden coming off of the bench to finish the game against Buffalo should encourage Cleveland fans. Detroit has looked occasionally brilliant this season, but they are far too inconsistent to be trusted to perform on a weekly basis. Cleveland’s defense is excellent, and Calvin Johnson, as a likely game-time decision, figures to be limited. The Browns are hot, and I’m not quitting on them just yet. I’ll go with Cleveland at home to keep their winning streak going.
Oakland at Kansas City – Sunday, 1:00 – Things just keep on rolling for the Chiefs (5-0). Yes, their flawless record can be attributed, at least partially, to a very soft schedule, but they have stuck to their brand of ball-control, defensively sound football and it has paid dividends. Oakland (2-3) was expected to be one of the league’s doormats this year, but has been surprisingly scrappy and hasn’t rolled over for anyone. They’re a nice story, but Kansas City is the better team. The Chiefs will continue their remarkable turnaround as they move to 6-0.
Carolina at Minnesota – Sunday, 1:00 – The Panthers (1-3) and Vikings (1-3) both have the look of teams that aren’t going anywhere this year. A full-on quarterback controversy has erupted in Minnesota, with an injured Christian Ponder, Matt Cassel, and newly acquired Josh Freeman vying to be the starter. You have to feel for Adrian Peterson, because that team has no chance with a quarterbacking trio like that. Carolina looked bad against Arizona in Week 5, and there’s no reason to be confident in Ron Rivera’s squad. I’ll take Minnesota at home to put up more of a fight than Carolina and get the win.
Pittsburgh at New York Jets – Sunday, 1:00 – It pains me to say this, but the Jets (3-2) have been absolutely respectable so far this season. Beating the Falcons in Atlanta is no easy task, but the Jets offense responded with its back against the wall to drive the length of the field and set up Nick Folk’s game-winning field goal. Pittsburgh (0-4) has been awful at running the ball (31st league-wide), and the New York defensive backs are coming off of an excellent game against Atlanta, so the Steelers should struggle offensively. The Jets seem to be on the rise, and the Steelers have the feel of a sinking ship. I like the Jets to keep silencing doubters against Pittsburgh.
Philadelphia at Tampa Bay – Sunday, 1:00 – Any fans who enjoy quarterbacking atrocities should definitely tune in to this game on Sunday. The Josh Freeman era is over in Tampa, and the Bucs (0-4) have handed the reigns to rookie Mike Glennon. Glennon does have a cannon for an arm, but is just not ready to excel at the NFL level yet. Things for the Eagles (2-3) have gone south quickly, and Philly will likely trot out Nick Foles at signal-caller on Sunday. That’s not a recipe for success, but from top to bottom, the Eagles are far more talented than Tampa and they have a decisive coaching edge. I like Philadelphia to win what should be a sloppy football game.
St. Louis at Houston – Sunday, 1:00 – In case you didn’t know, Matt Schaub is slumping, in a major way. In the past two weeks, he has thrown as many pick-sixes (two) as he has touchdowns. Patience is probably running short for the Texans (2-3), and the team is surely starting to feel desperate as they find themselves on the outside looking in on the AFC playoff race. The Rams (2-3) managed to win over Jacksonville in Week 5, but they are badly outmatched in regards to skill position players in this game. It’s hard to pick a team playing as poorly as the Texans right now, but I’ll take Houston to get back on track at home.
Jacksonville at Denver – Sunday, 4:05 – The opening line on this game had Denver (5-0) favored by 28. Need I say more? This will be a blowout of epic proportions, and fans of the Jags (0-5) should just avert their eyes. The Broncos will cruise at Mile High.
Tennessee at Seattle – Sunday, 4:05 – It may seem foolish to place much stock in where a football game is played, but the Seahawks (4-1), as currently constructed, are pretty much unbeatable at home. They suffered their first defeat of the year last week in Indianapolis, but the defense should bounce back after a sub-par performance against the Colts, and Russell Wilson should continue to excel. Tennessee is a team without its first team quarterback, and in Seattle, they won’t be able to get it done. The Seahawks will defend their turf with a win.
Arizona at San Francisco – Sunday, 4:25 – This game is huge for each of these 3-2 NFC West teams. San Francisco has been uncharacteristically inconsistent this year, but managed to hammer Houston last week. Their running game is excellent, but Colin Kaepernick needs to step up this week and begin producing again as he did last year. Arizona’s defense is solid and boasts excellent playmakers, but the Cardinals should struggle offensively against the stout defense of the 49ers. Look for a key Cardinal turnover or two to swing the game in the direction of the Niners. San Francisco will pick up a big win at Candlestick.
New Orleans at New England – Sunday, 4:25 – An offensive explosion is set to take place in Foxboro come Sunday. The Saints (5-0) are playing better football than anyone else in the NFC, and stopping their offense seems impossible at this point. Defensively, New Orleans has been solid enough thus far, but the Patriots (4-1) will be looking to light up the scoreboard after mustering a meager six points in their last outing. It would be a huge boost for New England if Rob Gronkowski returned to the lineup, but even with him in the lineup, I think the Patriots are outmatched here. New Orleans is blistering, and the Patriots are coming off one of the more lackluster performances of the recent Belichick era. The Saints will manage to outgun the Pats and come away with a big win.
Washington at Dallas – Sunday, 8:30 – Tony Romo’s performance last week against Denver was really representative of his entire career, marked by very good play, but coupled with a crippling mistake. He threw for over 500 yards for Dallas (3-2), but, as usual, threw a pick to the Broncos that allowed them to set up the field goal that cost the Cowboys the game. The Redskins (1-3) have a defense that is among the league’s worst, and Dallas should pile up the points in this game. The Cowboys will bounce back from their heartbreaking Week 5 loss with a good divisional win.
Indianapolis at San Diego – Monday, 8:30 – The Indianapolis Colts (4-1) are hitting their stide, and they can thank Andrew Luck for that. The second-year man continued to skillfully avoid the fabled “sophomore slump” with an excellent performance against an outstanding Seattle defense last week, and his maturation will continue to propel the Colts forward. San Diego (2-3) has shown flashes of excellence (see their Week 4 win against Dallas), but, in typical Charger fashion, has been remarkably inconsistent (as evidenced by last week’s loss to Oakland). At this juncture, Indy is simply playing much better football than the Chargers, and Andrew Luck shouldn’t need to pull off one of his signature fourth quarter comebacks to secure victory for the Colts. Indianapolis should continue to roll in San Diego on Monday night.