NFL Schedule Week 6: Breaking Down Sunday's Best Action

It's football Sunday, and one of the better ones in recent memory to boot.

Sunday is a holiday during the NFL season, but Week 6 here in particular is a special one with so many quality matchups set to occur.

While it may not tout as much drama as the last few weeks of the season, which the NFL has ensured will be filled to the brim with divisional matchups, there are still some exciting games Sunday set to give fans some of the 2013 season's most memorable moments.

Here are the games most worth watching Sunday.

Washington Redskins vs. Dallas Cowboys

One of the only divisional matchups of the weekend, the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys both need major victories on Sunday to turn things around.

Dallas lost last week to Denver despite 48 points and over 500 passing yards and five touchdowns from quarterback Tony Romo. Washington sat out with a much-needed bye after starting the season at 1-3.

Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III has been nothing short of a disappointment this season after a rookie campaign that saw him win the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

Griffin is averaging just 18 yards on the ground per game—down from his 54.3 average from last year. He has thrown for over 320 yards in three games, but it's been a Carson Palmer-esque performance, accumulating most of those stats while trailing because Washington has the league's worse defense.

Therein lays the deciding factor of the game—Dallas has issues of its own on defense, but Romo is once again playing at an elite level with over 1,500 yards, 13 touchdowns and two interceptions.

Expect Romo to have no issues against a woeful Washington defense as Dallas cruises to victory on Sunday Night Football.

Prediction: Cowboys 36, Redskins 30

 

Green Bay Packers vs. Baltimore Ravens

The defending Super Bowl champions have not played as such thus far as Baltimore has managed just a 3-2 record and struggled in wins over Cleveland and Miami.

Much of the issue has been a lack of a running game, with star back Ray Rice averaging just 2.9 yards per carry for only 163 yards and three scores, two of which came a week ago in a three-point victory over Miami.

Green Bay and quarterback Aaron Rodgers have not been much better, rolling to a 2-2 record and losing to playoff-caliber squads in San Francisco and Cincinnati. The issue for Green Bay is a pass defense that allows almost 289 yards per game.

Luckily for Green Bay, the defense is not exactly encountering an elite passing team on Sunday. Quarterback Joe Flacco has been miserable this year as he has thrown for just 1,360 yards to go with five touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Flacco misses his big tight end Dennis Pitta (injury) and former receiver Anquan Boldin (San Francisco) desperately, and that combined with no support from his running game is a major reason he is completing just 57.7 percent of his passes.

Rodgers will have little issue picking apart the Ravens while the defense does just enough against a depleted Ravens offense for the win.

Prediction: Packers 28, Ravens 23

New Orleans Saints vs. New England Patriots

It is not Tom Brady and the New England Patriots who lead the NFL's No. 2 passing attack at 327.2 yards per game. That title belongs to Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints.

Brees' favorite weapon is tight end Jimmy Graham. This contest is worth watching just to see Graham play, as ESPN's Numbers Never Lie shows.

Speaking of elite tight ends, it sounds as if Brady will be without Rob Gronkowski on Sunday per ESPN's Ed Werder:

That's a huge blow for Brady, who is tasked with overcoming a Rob Ryan-led defense that has forced 11 turnovers in five games, with seven of those interceptions by seven different players. The unit has also sacked opposing quarterbacks 15 times.

Fans have seen Brady stifled in recent weeks, including being held without a touchdown for the first time in 52 games last week against Cincinnati.

With Ryan leading a competent defense and the offense looking as potent as ever, this is a game fans will not want to miss as the Saints come out on top.

Prediction: Saints 35, Patriots 20

  

Follow B/R's Chris Roling on Twitter for more news and analysis @Chris_Roling