NFL Predictions: Week Six

We are already in the middle of October in the sixth week of the 2009 NFL season, so after much anticipation to get the season going, 2009 is going very quickly.

Five teams (Giants, Colts, Vikings, Saints, Broncos) remain undefeated and will look to stay undefeated in their sixth week.

Four teams (Rams, Chiefs, Titans, Buccaneers) remain win-less and will look to get their first victories like the Lions, Browns and Panthers have in the season.

With the season starting to unfold some, we are starting to find out which teams are for real in potential postseason hopes and which teams are just in the middle of the pack and might be looking at another early end to their season.

So far, the biggest surprises in the season are the Broncos at 5-0 and the Bengals at 4-1. They have been dubbed as the "feel-good stories" of the 2009 season and have their respective cities buzzing with excitement because they have the potential to be contenders if they continue their winning trends.

Last week, I went 10-4 with the Patriots, Jets, Ravens and Bills losing their games I picked in favor of them. In 2009, so far, I am 57-19, so I will look to have another good week of predictions.

Lets take a look at the matchups for Week Six.

New York Giants @ New Orleans Saints

This is a showdown of undefeated teams and two of the best teams in the NFL right now. The Giants are 5-0 while the Saints are 4-0. Most eyes at 1 p.m. will be watching this game.

The Giants easily defeated the Raiders last week with passing, rushing, defense, and just by showing up. They used their balanced attack all game, and by putting up 44 points, the Giants showed they have the potential to put up big points.

The defense also picked up six sacks, two from Justin Tuck, which is what they need to do if they want to keep winning.

The Saints had a bye week to rest up and prepare extra for the Giants and so far, have played very well on offense and much improved on defense.

Jeremy Shockey will be playing against his former team for the first time ever, so all eyes will be on him to see if he can produce.

The Giants are underdogs on the road, which is nothing new to them. The Saints have yet to see a team like the Giants with a balance and vicious pass rush. I'm picking the Giants in an upset this week, because I don't think Drew Brees knows what is coming.

Final Score: Giants 31, Saints 27

Kansas City Chiefs @ Washington Redskins

The Chiefs went toe-to-toe with the Cowboys last week and forced their game into overtime, but also allowed Miles Austin to emerge with over 200 yards of receiving yards and remain win-less.

It's been a rough year for Todd Haley and Matt Cassel as they go from winning teams in 2008 to trying to just win one game in 2009. This team is still a major work in progress.

The Redskins are a bad team. They're even worse on the road. They gave the Panthers and Lions, both win-less at the time, their first victories, so they better be careful to not have that happen to the Chiefs.

Jim Zorn needs a big game from his team to show he isn't completely brain-dead as an NFL head coach. Rumors have been swirling that the Redskins are looking to bring in Mike Shanahan as head coach, so win or loss, Zorn's days are numbered. But at home, I'll take Washington.

Final Score: Redskins 20, Chiefs 14

Cleveland Browns @ Pittsburgh Steelers

The Browns finally got off the win-less hump and got their first win against the Bills. But they did so in the ugliest fashion as they won 6-3 and kicked two field goals.

Derek Anderson completed just two passes in the game of 17 throws, yet, he won the game. That is not a recipe for success.

The Steelers are starting to get back to winning games as they have won two in a row. Ben Roethlisberger has been playing very well for Pittsburgh.

Troy Polamalu practiced for the first time and is expected to play for the first time since Week One, where he injured his knee against the Titans. Polamalu's return is excellent news for the Steelers and should improve the defense greatly.

On the road against the defending champions, Cleveland is no match. The Steelers are surging back up in the rankings. The Steelers should roll easily.

Final Score: Steelers 27, Browns 9

St. Louis Rams @ Jacksonville Jaguars

The Rams are perhaps the worst team in the NFL in 2009. They have scored only 34 points on offense, while their defense has given up 146 points.

By the end of the year, Steve Spagnuolo may be pulling out all his hair and could be looking at an 0-16 season, because the Rams are awful. The sad thing is, it doesn't matter if Marc Bulger or Kyle Boller start the games, because they both can't win with this team.

The Jaguars have been up and down this season. Some weeks they look very good, some weeks, they look awful. Against St. Louis at home, this will be one of their weeks where they look good.

Maurice Jones-Drew has been playing very well for the Jaguars and should have a monster game on offense against the pitiful Rams defense.

The Rams aren't competitive and the Jaguars should get to 3-3 with a win.

Final Score: Jaguars 28, Rams 6

Detroit Lions @ Green Bay Packers

The Lions saw last week why Daunte Culpepper is now a backup quarterback in the NFL, and they really need Matthew Stafford back and healthy.

Aside from Stafford, the Lions are completely banged up and injured. Calvin Johnson was also injured last week and his status for Sunday is listed as questionable.

The Packers were off with a bye week and will be looking to rebound from their defeat two weeks ago against the Vikings on Monday Night Football.

The Packers must protect Aaron Rodgers better and to assure that, Green Bay re-signed Mark Tauscher to the offensive line.

Against the Lions, the Packers should get back to over .500 at home with a win.

Final Score: Packers 27, Lions 17

Baltimore Ravens @ Minnesota Vikings

This is another good contest on the schedule of Week Six.

The Ravens started out hot, but have been cold lately with two straight losses. They lost last week with less than 30 seconds to go against the Bengals because of two costly penalties that kept Cincinnati's drive going.

The Ravens don't want to lose three in a row and fall back even further in the AFC North, so expect Ray Lewis and Ed Reed to have that team fired up before the game.

The Vikings have been playing good football. Brett Favre has played about 10 years younger than his age and the Vikings' success will continue on his shoulders.

The Minnesota defense has been playing well and teams are going to have to start figuring out a way to block Jared Allen, who continues to terrorize teams.

This game will probably come down to the final minutes, but until someone can beat them, I'll take the Vikings.

Final Score: Vikings 27, Ravens 24

Houston Texans @ Cincinnati Bengals

The Texans are quickly becoming a disappointment team in 2009 after they were given playoff expectations in the preseason.

Their offense plays well and puts up points, but their defense can't stop anybody and gives up even more points, which is why they are 2-3.

The Bengals played an aggressive game and dug down deep last week to find a way to beat the Ravens on the road in one of the league's biggest upsets.

The Bengals' success rides on the health of Carson Palmer, who has stayed healthy and is playing extremely well.

It looks like now that Marvin Lewis will save his job in 2009 if they keep winning. Expect the Bengals to come in on Sunday to a pumped up crowd and continue to play aggressively against the Texans in another victory.

Final Score: Bengals 28, Texans 17

Carolina Panthers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

In 2008, every time these two teams met, the games were filled with playoff possibilities. In 2009, these two teams are just fighting to stay out of last place and more than likely will not be playing in January.

The Panthers finally got their first win with a victory against the Redskins, which will make John Fox breathe a little easier. Fox's job is on the line in 2009 with the rumors swirling about the Panthers wanting to bring in Bill Cowher to be the next head coach.

The Buccaneers are horrible, and some might wonder if rookie head coach Raheem Morris really knows what he is doing.

Byron Leftwich was benched, and if Josh Johnson continues to play poorly, it might be time for Josh Freeman to get a chance to start.

I also wonder if Derrick Ward is regretting leaving the Giants for the Bucs. Last year, Ward rushed for 182 attempts and 1025 yards. This year, Ward has only 32 carries for 133 yards. Ward misses the Giants offensive line.

Tampa has shown no signs of winning in 2009, and expect Carolina to get another much needed win.

Final Score: Panthers 20, Buccaneers 7

Buffalo Bills @ New York Jets

The Bills have sunk to a new low. They scored three points against the Browns and gave them their first win of 2009. Nobody expected the Browns to win a single game, and because Buffalo played awful, they allowed it to happen.

Dick Jauron can officially start coaching on the NFL hot seat the rest of the way, because he's probably on it.

What's more surprising is Terrell Owens has hardly been a factor in the offense in 2009, and he's been very quiet. How long does this last?

The Jets lost a tough game on Monday night to the Dolphins. Their defense allowed the Wildcat formation to run wild on them and Chad Henne looked like Dan Marino.

So, look for the Jets to get fired up this week under Rex Ryan. He's going to want to win this one to get back on track.

Also, look for Mark Sanchez to continue throwing to his new favorite target in Braylon Edwards, who had a nice first game against Miami. The combination should continue their success against Buffalo.

Final Score: Jets 33, Bills 13

Philadelphia Eagles @ Oakland Raiders

Donovan McNabb is back, looks healthy, and won his first game since Week One.

That's good news because in the limited time he's played, Michael Vick looks lost on the field and some have questioned why the Eagles even signed Vick to begin with.

LeSean McCoy is starting to become the Eagles' featured back as Brian Westbrook has barely been a factor. Jeremy Maclin also is becoming reliable in the offense.

What else is there to say about the Raiders offense that doesn't start out with horrible? Tom Cable is a horrible head coach and is facing possible criminal charges. JaMarcus Russell is a horrible starting quarterback and should be benched. Darrius Heyward-Bey so far has been a horrible draft selection.

The Eagles are a 14-point favorite in the game on the road. The Eagles may score 14 points in the first two minutes with the way Oakland plays. This one should, and probably will, be over early on.

Final Score: Eagles 37, Raiders 7

Tennessee Titans @ New England Patriots

Were the Titans a fluke in 2008 going 13-3? Because they are 0-5, and look as far as anything from that playoff team a year ago.

The Titans can't stop anyone on defense, especially in the passing game. Peyton Manning lit them up for 300 yards and three touchdown passes easily, which is going to be the formula for any team coming in to beat Tennessee now.

The Patriots suffered a tough loss on the road to the Broncos last week, so they will be looking to rebound this week. Tom Brady did not have a good second half against Denver, so Brady must improve this week if they want to go to 4-2.

Because the Titans can't cover anyone, expect Randy Moss and Wes Welker to have big games this week and the Patriots will send the Titans to 0-6.

At 0-5 or 0-6, does Kerry Collins deserve to continue to keep starting?

Final Score: Patriots 28, Titans 10

Arizona Cardinals @ Seattle Seahawks

The Cardinals have been a big disappointment in 2009 after making the Super Bowl one year ago, so they could be suffering from the "Super Bowl hangover."

They did get a much-needed win over the Texans last week to get back to .500, but they have some competition in the NFC West now, and their opponents on Sunday are one of them.

The Seahawks got Matt Hasselbeck last week healthy and showed why he is so critical to their team as they put up 41 points and shut out the Jaguars.

With Hasselbeck back and healthy, the Seahawks should continue to play improved football. Arizona has had a tough time covering receivers, so T.J. Houshmenzadeh and Nate Burleson could have big games against the Cardinals secondary.

It'll be close, but Seattle looks much improved and I'll take them in a win.

Final Score: Seahawks 24, Cardinals 20

Sunday Night Football: Chicago Bears @ Atlanta Falcons

Sunday Night Football on NBC will have a good matchup and a better contest than they did last week between two good NFC teams.

The Bears are off a bye week and will look to win four in a row under Jay Cutler, who is playing much better football and is making Rex Grossman a distant memory in Chicago.

The Bears must find a way to get Matt Forte more involved in the offense, because is a major key to their success. Devin Hester must also step up.

The Falcons are playing well and have yet to lose at home.

Roddy White had a big game with 200 yards receiving against the 49ers, so Matt Ryan has two dependable targets in White and Tony Gonzalez.

Michael Turner started out slow, but is getting warmed up for the Atlanta offense with five touchdowns so far. Without Brian Urlacher, Turner might be able to run on the Bears.

The Bears are a good team, but the Falcons are even better at home, so expect Atlanta to win a close one on national TV.

Final Score: Falcons 27, Bears 23

Monday Night Football: Denver Broncos @ San Diego Chargers

This matchup was the final game in 2008 that decided the AFC West. This year, it is a must-win for the Chargers, who are looking to keep up with the Broncos.

Denver is off to a 5-0 start and won an impressive overtime thriller against the Patriots. Josh McDaniels is the early candidate for Coach of the Year and Mike Nolan is looking like a genius as defensive coordinator. The Broncos defense has only allowed 43 total points.

Brandon Marshall is playing much better of late, catching important touchdown passes from Kyle Orton.

The Chargers have been a big disappointment in 2009 and are coming off a bye week. They were slaughtered on defense the week before against the Steelers.

Norv Turner is on the hot seat and probably needs to win to keep confidence for the season. LaDanian Tomlinson has been a major disappointment in 2009, as he's only carried the ball for 20 attempts and 70 yards, so some might wonder if the LT era in San Diego is ending?

The Chargers need this game more than the Broncos do. If Denver wins, San Diego can forget trying to catch the Broncos in the AFC West. But in a must-win situation at home on national TV, I'll take the Chargers to step up and win.

Final Score: Chargers 27, Broncos 21

Bye Week: Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers

That covers the picks for Week Six. There are some decent matchups headlined by the Giants-Saints, but there are some really bad matchups between lousy teams, which people might not be interested in. In the NFL though, it happens.

But the two nationally televised games are good matchups and should draw decent ratings between the two AFC teams and the two NFC teams.

Hope everyone has a good rest of their week as we get closer to the weekend of more NFL games.