NFL Picks Week 6: Shocking Upsets You'll Never See Coming

There were a few shocking upsets in Week 5 of the NFL season, as the Cincinnati Bengals defeated the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts beat the Seattle Seahawks. In Week 6, watch out for these upsets that you'd otherwise never see coming.

It's difficult to predict upsets—I mean, they're "upsets" for a reason. The team expected to win is generally riding a longer hot streak or is simply the more talented club.

Matchup-wise, there are a few games this week that could result in upsets. Not many will pick the underdog in these games given their track records and the opponents being played, but a closer look at some of the matchups would suggest that the games will be closer than meets the eye.

Pittsburgh Steelers (0-4) at New York Jets (3-2)

Six weeks ago, many would have thought they made safe predictions in saying that the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Jets would have opposite records at this point in the season. Things have certainly changed since then.

The Steelers aren't a good football team, while the Jets are surprisingly good. Strange, isn't it?

Look for the Steelers, coming off a bye in Week 5, to put up a tough fight against the Jets, though—and don't be surprised if the Steelers actually win the game.

The Jets are allowing 222.8 yards per game through the air, ranking them towards the middle of the pack in the NFL. They allow just 76.2 yards rushing per contest, which is second-best in the NFL. This will make it exceptionally difficult for the Steelers to move the ball up the field.

Pittsburgh will have to rely on its defense to win the game. The veteran defense will look to force Geno Smith and Co. into mistakes that young teams tend to make—errant throws, fumbles, mis-reading defenses, etc.

Smith will have a tough time dealing with Pittsburgh's fifth-ranked passing defense, and cornerback Ike Taylor will likely be shutting down one of Santonio Holmes or Stephen Hill. This worsens Smith's chances even more.

The Steelers will win this one on the strength of their veteran know-how and strong passing defense.

Tennessee Titans (3-2) at Seattle Seahawks (4-1)

I get it. It's almost impossible to beat the Seattle Seahawks at home, and Seattle will be out for blood after losing in Week 5 to the Indianapolis Colts.

The Tennessee Titans haven't been an easy win for anybody this season, though. Just ask the Kansas City Chiefs. Kansas City was struggling to beat the Titans until replacement quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick decided to throw two interceptions in the fourth quarter.

Prior to that, Fitzpatrick had run for a touchdown and managed the game well against a tough Kansas City defense.

If Fitzpatrick can minimize mistakes and manage the game for all four quarters, the Titans have a decent chance of winning.

The Titans defense is ninth in the NFL in fewest yards allowed, so it won't be easy for Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch to work the ball down the field. They're also tied for 10th in interceptions with six, so Wilson will have to be careful about where he throws the ball.

Offensively, the Titans will rely on Chris Johnson to make things happen on the ground. Seattle has allowed a surprising 109.0 yards per game on the ground.

If Johnson can get it going and reach the century mark on the ground, Tennessee will be given the field position necessary to constantly be putting points on the board.

That's the key to beating Seattle. We saw Indianapolis do it. By putting points on the board and chipping away as the game progresses, all it will take is a quick strike at the end to seal the deal.

Indianapolis Colts (4-1) at San Diego Chargers (2-3)

The Colts are fresh off a statement game against the Seahawks, and they'll be riding the momentum into Week 6 against the San Diego Chargers. Considering the Chargers are coming off a loss to the Oakland Raiders, Indianapolis would figure to have the advantage.

Not so fast.

The Colts allow 129.0 rushing yards per contest, and look for Ryan Mathews and Danny Woodhead to capitalize on that aspect of their defense.

Philip Rivers, coming off a three-interception game against Oakland, has actually been great this season at hitting the open receiver. He'll have a hard time doing so in this one, as the Colts' secondary is one of the best in the NFL. Antonio Gates and Keenan Allen will be tightly guarded.

With his downfield targets covered, Rivers should look to Woodhead a lot in this one. That's why I expect him to have a big game. Woodhead is like a poor man's Darren Sproles. He generally makes his impact in the passing game, and the Colts' strong secondary will give him a better chance of seeing targets out of the backfield.

Woodhead will be the key for San Diego in this game. Slowing down Andrew Luck, Trent Richardson and T.Y. Hilton is important as well, but you cannot win if you cannot score. If Woodhead can set up a few touchdowns (or score on his own), then the Chargers will win.