NFL Picks Week 6: Will Dallas or Minnesota Drop to 1-4, Have Coach Fired?
It's been a rough start to the season for a handful of teams.
For the Packers, injuries have been the nightmare.
For the Panthers, Bills and 49ers, a miserable, winless start has their fans frustrated.
And for the Cowboys and Vikings, falling well short of their preseason hopes puts their coaches on the hot seat.
But not every team is down in the dumps. The season, and especially Week 6, is very bright for a handful of franchises. Check out who.
Cleveland (1-3) at Pittsburgh (3-1)
1 of 14
Sunday, 1 p.m., Heinz Field
The Browns could not get the Steelers at a worse time.
The game is in Pittsburgh. Ben Roethlisberger is returning. The Steelers are hungry after blowing a chance to go 4-0 two weeks ago against Baltimore. And they have had two weeks to prepare for the game.
And to top it all off, it looks like Colt McCoy will be starting for Cleveland this week. The rookie has yet to take a snap and the front office essentially deemed him not ready for the NFL even before the season started.
All those factors scream a Steelers 50-0 win. But that type of easy pick almost never materializes in the NFL.
Prediction: The Steelers win, convincingly, but don't walk all over the Browns, who will be able to keep McCoy fairly upright all day. Pittsburgh 31, Cleveland 13
Miami (2-2) at Green Bay (3-2)
2 of 14
Sunday, 1 p.m., Lambeau Field
The complete opposite of Cleveland, the Dolphins couldn't get the Packers at a better time.
Clay Matthews is banged up, Aaron Rodgers could miss the game and we know Jermichael Finley and Donald Lee won't play.
If the Dolphins can avoid the type of special teams gaffes that were so costly two weeks ago against the Patriots, Chad Henne will have a chance to make plays to his talented corps of receivers.
Prediction: The Packers offense will struggle mightily because of their injuries and the Dolphins score late to win a close game. Miami 20, Green Bay 16
Seattle (2-2) at Chicago (4-1)
3 of 14
Sunday, 1 p.m., Soldier Field
The Seahawks are not solid enough up front to slow down Matt Forte. And with the news that Jay Cutler should play, the Bears offense is nearing full strength. Better production out of their wide receivers (not just tight end Greg Olsen) would help the Bears even more.
Seattle's passing attack has been fairly good, but only because their ground game is so bad. If Marshawn Lynch plays like he did as a rookie in Buffalo, they might have something to balance out their offense.
Prediction: Both teams are going to be patient and try to run the ball. That will lead to a low scoring effort. Since the Bears are a better team, top to bottom, they pull one out. Chicago 17, Seattle 13.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
New York Giants (3-2) at Detroit (1-4)
4 of 14
Sunday, 1 p.m., Ford Field
The Lions broke through last week and did a number on St. Louis. But if Stephen Jackson can top 100 yards rushing in a 44-6 blowout, there are problems with the Detroit front seven. Not you, Ndamukong Suh, you're awesome.
It's almost crazy to say just a few weeks after all the problems that occurred during their two-game slide early in the season, but the Giants might be the conference's best team.
When Ahmad Bradshaw is at his best, New York does not have a weakness on the entire team. They proved that by going to Houston and crushing the Texans.
Prediction: Calvin Johnson won't be able to breathe and the Lions cannot move the ball on New York. New York Giants 33, Detroit 14
Atlanta (4-1) at Philadelphia (3-2)
5 of 14
Sunday, 1 p.m., Lincoln Financial Field
Atlanta has the best streak going in the NFC, having won four in a row. But Matt Ryan took far more hits last week against the mediocre Browns defense than he should have.
Still, when they fell behind, on the road, the offense came up with a huge play—the touchdown to Roddy White—that put them ahead. That's the sign of a quality team.
The Eagles will get offense, whether it's Michael Vick, Kevin Kolb, Randall Cunningham or Norm Van Brocklin under center. It's the defense that has been worrisome. They've allowed a handful of big plays this season.
If Tony Gonzalez is allowed to run as free down the middle of the field as Vernon Davis was last week, the Eagles won't hold Atlanta under 30.
Prediction: A wild second half filled with big plays leads to a thriller. Philadelphia 38, Atlanta 34
New Orleans (3-2) at Tampa Bay (3-1)
6 of 14
Sunday, 1 p.m., Raymond James Stadium
Don't fall for the trap here.
Yes, the Saints look nothing like a Super Bowl champion right now. And the Bucs are a stunning 3-1, coming off a fairly big road upset against Cincinnati.
But, assuming Drew Brees avoids making more mistakes, there is no way that the Bucs secondary can keep up with those receivers. They couldn't slow down Mike Wallace against Pittsburgh (with Charlie Batch at QB). They couldn't slow down Terrell Owens last week—a few bonehead throws by Carson Palmer cost Cincy the win.
Prediction: Brees returns to Super Bowl MVP form, thanks to some surprise production from running back Chris Ivory. New Orleans 29, Tampa Bay 10
Baltimore (4-1) at New England (3-1)
7 of 14
Sunday, 1 p.m., M & T Bank Stadium
The Patriots are a fairly good matchup for Baltimore's voracious defense. Brady is cool enough in the pocket to both sidestep pressure and not force bad throws. They can't afford to become too enamored with their new star, Danny Woodhead, however. Whether it's Randy Moss or Deion Branch, the Patriots are at their best when Brady is in the shotgun scanning the field.
Baltimore must get the same type of performance from Ray Rice that they got last week against Denver. Long, time-consuming drives are the best counter to New England's potent offense. Bill Belichick will scheme ways to limit the number of balls Anquan Boldin sees.
Prediction: The Patriots really garble up the AFC power rankings by handing the Ravens a home loss. New England 24, Baltimore 19
Kansas City (3-1) at Houston (3-2)
8 of 14
Sunday, 1 p.m., Reliant Stadium
The Chiefs defense turned in an impressive effort last week at Indianapolis. But they'll face a much more balanced attack this week when they travel south to Houston. If the Chiefs and Romeo Crennel's defense—especially the defensive line—are that aggressive against the Texans, draws and screens will gash them.
Houston's defense has taken the last few weeks off. They are fortunate to be facing the Chiefs, who have not been able to push the ball down field with Matt Cassel and a mediocre receiving group. The Chiefs have just one pass play greater than 30 yards this year.
Prediction: The Chiefs' great special teams and a few turnovers from Houston keep this one close until the fourth quarter. Houston 28, Kansas City 17
San Diego (2-3) at St. Louis (2-3)
9 of 14
Sunday, 1 p.m., Edward Jones Dome
When Sam Bradford lost his go-to receiver in Mark Clayton, what happened? The Rams were housed by the Lions, 44-6. There are a few capable replacements on the St. Louis roster, but it will be Stephen Jackson's job to pick up most of the slack.
Even without Darren McFadden, the Raiders were able to run the ball against San Diego last week. The Rams need to run the ball 35 times to keep Phillip Rivers on the sidelines. Last week, Oakland wasn't able to do that and Rivers topped 400 yards passing again.
Prediction: The Rams just aren't patient enough to keep Rivers on the sidelines and with a turnover or two from the rookie QB, the Chargers pull away late. San Diego 31, St. Louis 17
New York Jets (4-1) at Denver (2-3)
10 of 14
Sunday, 4:15 p.m., Invesco Field at Mile High
The Jets' late-game pass-defense problems will give Denver a foundation on which to game-plan. Kyle Orton may be the second leading passer in the NFL, but he cannot make the type of throws that Brett Favre did last week to bring Minnesota back from oblivion.
But, the offense Josh McDaniels has created for Orton works. Without a running game, however, points will be harder to come by for the home team.
The Jets seem to be playing without a flaw as of right now. But, Denver's defense will match up fairly well with New York. Champ Bailey should be able to shut down one of the Jets' big play receivers and the Broncos pass rush will break out of their funk sooner or later.
Prediction: Denver comes back late in the second half for a stunning upset. Denver 30, New York Jets 24
Oakland (2-3) at San Francisco (0-5)
11 of 14
Sunday, 4:15 p.m., Candlestick Park
Are the 49ers as bad as their record? Probably not. Are they bad? Definitely. But they have the talent on both sides of the ball to play well, as we saw in the fourth quarter against Philadelphia.
Another big special teams play, like they made early against Atlanta, could let Frank Gore carry the ball and take pressure off of Alex Smith before the home crowd gets on him.
The Raiders are playing pretty good football right now and since Darren McFadden should be back this week, the offense will continue to play well. They are fortunate to have the woeful 49ers on the slate a week after Phillip Rivers torched them for 432 yards.
Prediction: At 0-6, does John York still think the team will win the NFC West? Oakland 24, San Francisco 7.
Dallas (1-3) at Minnesota (1-3)
12 of 14
Sunday, 4:15 p.m., Metrodome
Neither team was lacking offense in Week 5. The Cowboys passing game is very sharp right now, despite all the problems elsewhere. Obviously, if Tony Romo avoids the bad throws they will put up a better fight against Minnesota's defense than any other team has yet this year.
Although Brett Favre, Randy Moss and Percy Harvin looked great together on Monday night, they need to get Adrian Peterson on track earlier than they did against the Jets. That offensive line is too good across the board to keep Peterson from breaking out of the gate fast.
Prediction: Lots of points for these two desperate teams. Minny's defense comes up with one key stop in overtime to set up a classic Favre drive that does NOT end in an interception. Minnesota 34, Dallas 31 (OT)
Indianapolis (3-2) at Washington (3-2)
13 of 14
Sunday, 8:30 p.m., Fedex Field
The Redskins will try to get what they can out of young Ryan Torain, but they'll have to rely on Donovan McNabb to score points, especially in the red zone. Quietly, the Washington group of pass catchers (Chris Cooley, Santana Moss, Anthony Armstrong) have given McNabb more firepower than expected.
It's a simple formula for the Colts this week. If they are able to run the ball at all with Donald Brown or Michael Hart (10+ carries, 50+ yards), Peyton Manning will be Peyton Manning again. He can mask the problems of the Colts defense, which is 29th in the league in defending the run.
Prediction: Paltry running games on both sides put the ball in the hands of their great quarterbacks and McNabb edges out Manning. Washington 33, Indianapolis 28
Tennesse (3-2) at Jacksonville (3-2)
14 of 14
Monday, 8:30 p.m., EverBank Field
The stats didn't bear this out, but Vince Young played very well last week at Dallas. Another day of throwing the ball down field with that level of accuracy will cause major problems for a Jaguars defense that will already have its hands full with Chris Johnson.
Even against the Titans' subpar receiving corp, Jacksonville does not have a good enough secondary to continuously get off the field on third down. David Garrard is going to be asked to bail the team out with more of his very accurate passing.
Prediction: While two of the AFC's top fantasy backs break past 100 yards, whichever team's quarterback is more efficient will win the game. Jacksonville 23, Tennessee 20
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Post-June 1 Trade Candidates ☎️")
.JPG?w=600 "TO Talks Cowboys Relationship")
.jpg?w=600 "Taylor Heinicke Retiring")
.jpg?w=600 "49ers OC Hypes Mike Evans 🤩")