NFL Week 6 Picks: Is Patriots-Ravens an AFC Championship Preview?
Week 6 of the NFL season gets underway Sunday, and there are some real gems in this week's slate of games.
One of the biggest clashes of the week pits the Baltimore Ravens against the New England Patriots in what many of the league's pundits are calling an AFC Championship Game preview. Are they right? It's a little early to say, but there is little doubt that both teams reside in the AFC's elite.
Let's get to the picks.
Seattle Seahawks @ Chicago Bears, 1:00 P.M. EST, FOX
1 of 14
The Lowdown: Chicago has looked like the class of the NFC North thus far in 2010, amassing a 4-1 record through five weeks. The Seahawks, on the other hand, have looked like world beaters at home, but have struggled on the road and seek their first win outside of Washington this week.
Why Seattle Will Win: The Seahawks defense has been solid, and Chicago has serious offensive line issues they showed against New York in Week 4. Seattle's offense has looked great at times in 2010, and Chicago's defense, while solid, has looked vulnerable on occasion.
Why Chicago Will Win: The Bears are clearly the better team in this one, particularly with Seattle's tendency to fold on the road. Quarterback Jay Cutler will be back, and Chicago's offense will be ready to fire on all cylinders.
Final Score: Chicago 28, Seattle 14
Detroit Lions @ New York Giants, 1:00 P.M. EST, FOX
2 of 14
The Lowdown: The Giants have looked like a contender the last two weeks, registering a pair of impressive wins over strong opponents. The Lions finally got their first win of the season last week, but they're not the team they should have been due to injuries.
Why Detroit Will Win: New York's defense is vulnerable to giving up big plays over the top and via the run, the two areas where Detroit's offense is still functional. If Jahvid Best gets going, this could be a close game.
Why New York Will Win: The Giants are the better team in this one. Detroit's defense is flat out awful, and New York's offense should have fun trying to score 50 on them.
Final Score: New York 35, Detroit 17.
San Diego Chargers @ St. Louis Rams, 1:00 P.M. EST, CBS
3 of 14
The Lowdown: The Chargers have been fantastic at home, but awful on the road. St. Louis has been great at home, and the game is at the Edward James Dome. Perhaps it'll be closer than people think?
Why San Diego Will Win: On paper, this game's not close. The Chargers are better than the Rams offensively and defensively, and should win this one easily.
Why St. Louis Will Win: Quarterback Sam Bradford and the Rams have been strong at home this season, while the Chargers have struggled mightily outside of sunny San Diego. They have just enough talent to make this one a lot more interesting than you might think.
Final Score: San Diego 24, St. Louis 21.
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Cleveland Browns @ Pittsburgh Steelers, 1:00 P.M. EST, CBS
4 of 14
The Lowdown: These two teams flat out hate one another, and both quarterbacks will be getting their first starts of the season in this one. Can Cleveland turn things around behind rookie Colt McCoy, or will the Steelers be too much for them with Ben Roethlisberger back?
Why Cleveland Will Win: Maybe Big Ben will be rusty, or Colt McCoy will turn out to be the second coming of Bernie Kosar.
Why Pittsburgh Will Win: The Steelers have a serious advantage in talent levels, and McCoy looked pretty bad in preseason. This one could get ugly real quick. Pittsburgh's defense should eat Cleveland for brunch.
Final Score: Pittsburgh 24, Cleveland 10. Welcome back, Ben.
Miami Dolphins @ Green Bay Packers, 1:00 P.M, EST, CBS
5 of 14
The Lowdown: Two teams whose playoff hopes have taken serious hits the last three weeks, the Packers and Dolphins both seek to get their seasons back on track with strong performances this week.
Why Miami Will Win: With the injuries ravaging the Packers' roster evening the talent levels out significantly, the Dolphins have an excellent change at pulling another minor upset of an NFC North powerhouse. They don't do anything excellently, but both their offense and defense are solid.
Why Green Bay Will Win: Even with the injuries, the Packers are still the more talented team. If Aaron Rodgers plays, this team should be the heavy favorite. If he doesn't, look for Green Bay's defense to carry them to the win.
Final Score: Green Bay 21, Miami 17.
New Orleans Saints @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1:00 P.M EST, FOX
6 of 14
The Lowdown: Both of these teams have their eyes on the NFC South crown. The Saints aren't as dominant as they were last year, and the Bucs look infinitely better than they did last season. This one could be close.
Why New Orleans Will Win: The Saints offense is a sleeping giant right now, waiting to get healthy enough to wake up. Their pass defense has been superb in 2010 and should harass Josh Freeman all day long.
Why Tampa Bay Will Win: The Bucs are young and hungry, and the Saints running backs have struggled all year. Without having to worry about the run, Tampa's defense can focus on stopping the pass.
Final Score: New Orleans 24, Tampa Bay 21.
Atlanta Falcons @ Philadelphia Eagles, 1:00 P.M. EST, FOX
7 of 14
The Lowdown: The Falcons have looked as good as anyone in the NFC in 2010. The Eagles have lost two games by a total of 12 point and could easily be atop the NFC East right now.
Why Atlanta Will Win: The Falcons are one of the NFL's most balanced offenses. They can run and throw the ball equally well, and Philly's defense can't stop either one, much less both.
Why Philadelphia Will Win: The Eagles' offense has been strong in 2010, behind running back LeSean McCoy and quarterbacks Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick. If Vick plays, expect to see Philly torment Atlanta's solid, yet unspectacular defense all game long.
Final Score: Atlanta 27, Philadelphia 24.
Kansas City Chiefs @ Houston Texans, 1:00 P.M. EST, CBS
8 of 14
The Lowdown: Two teams looking to recover from tough Week 5 losses square off in this one. Both have division title aspirations, and both need wins here to help them reach their goals.
Why Kansas City Will Win: The Texans' defense has been awful, and Kansas City has looked efficient with the ball in 2010. Defensively, the Chiefs were able to neutralize the Colts' mighty offense last week, so Houston ought to meet with similar results.
Why Houston Will Win: The Texans offense is potent when it's running right, and wideout Andre Johnson is the healthiest he's been since the start of the season. Kansas City may have contained Indianapolis last week, but the Colts don't have a wideout who's as physically gifted as Johnson.
Final Score: Houston 27, Kansas City 21.
Baltimore Ravens @ New England Patriots, 1:00 P.M. EST, CBS
9 of 14
The Lowdown: Easily the game of the week and a potential AFC title tilt showdown. The winner of this one takes over the driver's seat in the AFC, and with the offenses on display here, it should be a fantastic game.
Why Baltimore Will Win: The Ravens have a balanced offense, a strong defense, and should capitalize on the shortcoming's of New England in this one. Joe Flacco and Anquan Boldin will have a field day against the Pats' shoddy secondary.
Why New England Will Win: This team more closely resembles the three-time Super Bowl champs of years past, and should function as a more cohesive unit without having to feed departed wideout Randy Moss the football. The run defense is excellent, and the pass defense is slowly improving.
Final Score: Baltimore 24, New England 17.
Oakland Raiders @ San Francisco 49ers, 4:15 P.M. EST, FOX
10 of 14
The Lowdown: Before the season got underway, this one was pegged as a potential slugfest. Now? Not so much. Neither team has fulfilled preseason expectations, and both look headed towards another losing season.
Why San Francisco Will Win: This team isn't as bad as people think. There's talent oozing out of the offense, and Frank Gore will eviscerate the Raiders' shoddy run defense. Plus, the defense hasn't been awful and appears to be rounding into form after a rough start to 2010.
Why Oakland Will Win: Oakland's offense has looked decent at times and should be able to capitalize on the royal mess that is San Francisco's team in 2010. Michael Bush and Darren McFadden have both looked stellar this season, and with them both healthy, this team doesn't need to try an throw the football.
Final Score: San Francisco 28, Oakland 21. The Niners have to win a couple games, right?
Dallas Cowboys @ Minnesota Vikings, 4:15 P.M. EST, FOX
11 of 14
The Lowdown: This one's a playoff elimination game. A loss sends either team to 1-4 and makes them a virtual lock to miss the playoffs. Which team will turn it's moribund season around?
Why Dallas Will Win: The Cowboys have one of the more talented teams in the NFL, led by quarterback Tony Romo. The offense shouldn't have much trouble getting through the Vikings depleted secondary, while the Cowboys' pass rush figures to finally break Minnesota quarterback Brett Favre.
Why Minnesota Will Win: Minnesota's got a pretty good team of it's own. With a deep receiving corps, one of the NFL's best running backs in Adrian Peterson, and a defense that should blow through the Cowboys' paper-thin offensive line,
Final Score: Minnesota 28, Dallas 24.
New York Jets @ Denver Broncos, 4:15 P.M. EST, CBS
12 of 14
The Lowdown: The Broncos seek consistency for the first time all season. The Jets seek to continue their rise to the top of the AFC heap.
Why New York Will Win: The Jets' offense should blow through Denver's shaky defense with ease. The Broncos' defense showed how bad it really is with last week's awful showing against Baltimore. New York's defense is solid, and getting better every week, and without a run game to worry about, the Jets can focus on stopping the pass.
Why Denver Will Win: With as much as Kyle Orton spreads the ball around, the Broncos' pass attack is tough to stop. This team will try and turn the game into a shootout, and New York lacks the offensive punch to keep up.
Final Score: Denver 24, New York 20.
Indianapolis Colts @ Washington Redskins, 8:30 P.M. EST, NBC
13 of 14
The Lowdown: Washington's been solid enough through five weeks of the year, while Indianapolis has run hot and cold. Which 3-2 team will get over the hump?
Why Indianapolis Will Win: Washington's defense has no shot at keeping up with Peyton Manning and the high-flying Colts' offense. The defense might not be great, but surely they can stop the Redskins' mediocre weapons, right?
Why Washington Will Win: Donovan McNabb. Plain and simple. McNabb gives this team a chance every week, and as long as he's out there, Washington has a shot. The Colts' defense has looked mighty shaky, and McNabb has done more with less his entire career.
Final Score: Indianapolis 21, Washington 14.
Tennessee Titans @ Jacksonville Jaguars, Mon, 8:30 P.M. EST, ESPN
14 of 14
The Lowdown: These two teams are trying to win the AFC South and share identical 3-2 records through five games. This one will go a long way towards determining the outcome of the race.
Why Jacksonville Will Win: These offenses are nearly identical: excellent run games, shoddy passing games. Maurice Jones-Drew can go off at any time, and quarterback David Garrard is a more polished passer than Vince Young.
Why Tennessee Will Win: The Titans' defense is infinitely better than Jacksonville's, and Chris Johnson on his best day is better than MJD on his best day.
Final Score: Tennessee 28, Jacksonville 17.
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