NFL Picks Week 5: New England Patriots and 3 Teams on Upset Alert

With Week 5 of the 2011 NFL season already rapping at our collective door, it’s time to get the picks for this week’s games figured out.

While there are many teams that will be in for some real battles, the spread in the following games is making these teams out to be on high alert for a surprise upset.

There is nothing worse than a team coming in too confident or looking too far ahead on the schedule, and this week will feature a mixture of both and a little underestimation as well.

New England Patriots

While it’s obvious that the New England Patriots are fantastic on offense this season, the one defense that has shown many times that it can stop the Pats’ offensive onslaught is the New York Jets.

With the game in Foxborough, MA and the Patriots favored by 7.5 points (courtesy Covers), this game is setting up to be a divisional battle that could have New England on the wrong side of a loss.

Houston Texans

The Houston Texans have proven to be one of the best teams in the NFL on offense and defense this season, but they will have to go to war against the Oakland Raiders without star receiver Andre Johnson.

While this will not be easy for either team, the injuries to the Texans will be too much for them to overcome and the Raiders will not only cover the 5.5 spread they’re facing (courtesy Covers), but win the game outright.

Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers look like one of the toughest teams in the NFL right now, but the fallen Atlanta Falcons are as dangerous of an opponent as the Packers could see.

The Falcons have all the same talent they had last season when they cleared house and went 13-3, and have even added more, but they haven’t been playing on the same page. If Atlanta figures it out, the Packers are in trouble Sunday.

Check back for more on the NFL world as it comes, and check out Bleacher Report’s Football Page to get your fill of the NFL.

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