NFL Week 6 Picks: Why the Jets Will Extend NFL's Longest Win Streak to Five
NFL Week 6 will be clouded by a number of injuries that will have a major impact on the outcome of several games.
It starts in Green Bay, where Aaron Rodgers could be held out against the Dolphins with his concussion. Meanwhile, the NFC North leading Bears expect to have the concussed Jay Cutler on the field when they host the Seahawks.
Staying in the North, Brett Favre said Wednesday his elbow tendinitis is so severe he might even consider ending his consecutive games played streak. Don't expect that to happen this week when the Cowboys come to town.
It's not only injuries that are creating questions in Week 6.
The Patriots host the streaking Ravens as life after Randy Moss begins, and the upstart Buccaneers host the Saints in an interesting NFC South meeting.
Here's a look at the projected winners of all 14 games in NFL Week 6.
No. 14: Detroit at New York Giants
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Both teams are riding high coming off huge wins in Week 5.
The Lions are saying Matthew Stafford won't be back until Week 8 following the bye week, giving Shaun Hill one more chance to start.
Hill has been impressive this season but winning in the New Meadowlands isn't likely.
Suddenly, Tom Coughlin's inconsistent Giants have found an identity.
The defense has been phenomenal in the last two games, sacking the Bears 10 times in Week 4 and shutting down the potent Texans' attack in Week 5.
Why the Giants Will Win: New York should be able to contain the Lions' offense without too much trouble. Eli Manning has never had a better group of receivers, and he will have another big day throwing the ball in Week 6.
Prediction: New York Giants 27, Detroit 13
No. 13: Oakland at San Francisco
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Jason Campbell showed something last week, coming on in relief and actually leading a Raiders' team playing without Darren McFadden to two long scoring drives in the second half. All signs point to Campbell starting this week with Bruce Gradkowski's shoulder still hurting.
On the other side of the Bay, Alex Smith showed an astounding ability to ignore a blustery Mike Singletary and finally pull things together for the 49ers offense.
Why the 49ers Will Win: The Niners have made just enough mistakes to lose every game this season. The margin for error is bigger than usual in Week 6, and that should be enough to help Singletary's team finally notch a win.
Prediction: San Francisco 20, Oakland 16
No. 12: San Diego at St. Louis
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San Diego's special teams have been an epic failure this season. The Chargers had two punts blocked in the loss to Oakland in Week 5, putting themselves in an early hole.
Meanwhile, the Rams suffered a disappointing loss to the Lions last week and will be playing without leading receiver Mark Clayton for the remainder of the season.
Why the Chargers Will Win: If San Diego loses another road game to another inferior opponent, Norv Turner's seat will really be getting hot. Philip Rivers has piled up ridiculous yardage totals this season through the air, and should have another huge game in Week 6.
Prediction: San Diego 31, St. Louis 17
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No. 11: Cleveland at Pittsburgh
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The Colt McCoy era wasn't supposed to begin until next season at the earliest, but ankle injuries to both Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace makes it likely the rookie will be thrown to the wolves Sunday against the Steelers.
Pittsburgh welcomes back Ben Roethlisberger, who can afford to be rusty Sunday against the wounded Browns.
Why the Steelers Will Win: Pittsburgh's defense is likely to absolutely dominate McCoy and the Browns. Peyton Hills has been sensational this season for Cleveland, but the Steelers will concentrate on shutting him down and making McCoy and a weak receiving corps beat them. It's just not gonna happen.
Prediction: Pittsburgh 26, Cleveland 9
No. 10: Seattle at Chicago
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The Seahawks are coming off a bye and welcome newly-acquired running back Marshawn Lynch into the mix.
Meanwhile, Chicago couldn't be happier to have Jay Cutler back after Todd Collins looked worse than anyone ever would have imagined in Week 5 against the Panthers.
Why the Bears Will Win: The Seahawks are one of the NFL's worst teams against the pass, which bodes well for Cutler and Mike Martz, who is likely to forget about Matt Forte again and take to the air.
Prediction: Chicago 30, Seattle 13
No. 9: Miami at Green Bay
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The Dolphins really needed a bye after dropping two games in a row to AFC East foes at home. Now, the Dolphins seek a third road win of the season against the wounded Packers.
There are conflicting reports about Aaron Rodgers' progress as he looks to recover from a concussion. For the moment, Green Bay is moving forward with Matt Flynn get all the reps in practice and preparing to start his first NFL game.
Why the Packers Will Win: Green Bay let one get away last week in Landover, missing field goals and committing a number of ill-timed penalties. Assuming Rodgers doesn't play, the Packers will struggle to move the ball in what could be a very ugly game. Mason Crosby atones for last week's misses by hitting a late field goal to beat the Dolphins.
Prediction: Green Bay 16, Miami 13
No. 8: Kansas City at Houston
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Todd Haley played the role of riverboat gambler last week against the Colts, starting the game off with a failed onside kick attempt and going for a touchdown on fourth down early instead of settling for the field goal.
The aggressive coaching was apparently an attempt to show his young team that the Chiefs have a new outlook this season but in the end it didn't pay off.
Meanwhile, the Texans looked passive against the Giants. Matt Schaub tried to force-feed the ball to Andre Johnson without much success, and Arian Foster was absolutely shut down.
Why the Texans Will Win: Every good NFL team has bad games, and the Texans find a way to rebound with a nice win over the Chiefs. If the Texans' secondary gets gashed again, this time by the below-average Matt Cassel, there really will be a problem in Houston.
Prediction: Houston 31, Kansas City 17
No. 7: Tennessee at Jacksonville
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The Titans feasted on the Cowboys mistakes from start to finish last Sunday, getting a much-needed win after losing to the Broncos at home. Chris Johnson and Vince Young both played well and Kenny Britt showed he is completely out of Jeff Fisher's doghouse.
Don't look now but Jacksonville has reeled off two straight wins and suddenly has a winning record on the season. David Garrard has hooked up with big tight end Marcedes Lewis four five touchdowns already this year.
Why the Titans Will Win: The Jaguars no longer appear to be a completely one-dimensional team, but the defense is still a work in progress. Chris Johnson will run wild on Monday night, leading the Jekyll and Hyde Titans to a big road win.
Predictions: Tennessee 27, Jacksonville 16
No. 6: Atlanta at Philadelphia
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The Falcons are flying high and haven't lost since dropping the opener at Pittsburgh in overtime.
Michael Turner looked great against the Browns in Week 5 to help Atlanta's offense continue to show improvement.
Kevin Kolb is likely to get another chance to show what he can do this week.
The Eagles responded to Kolb's leadership in Sunday night's win in San Francisco and should be able to move the ball again in Week 6.
Why the Falcons Will Win: The Falcons are still an afterthought of sorts this season in the NFL, but that could all change if Atlanta wins its third road game of the season. Atlanta's defense bends but doesn't break against the Eagles.
Prediction: Atlanta 24, Philadelphia 20
No. 5: New Orleans at Tampa Bay
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The Saints committed four turnovers and looked lost at times against a Cardinals defense that has been nothing short of awful this season. After two losses in three games, New Orleans looks to avoid taking another step back early in the NFC South race.
Meanwhile, the Bucs moved to 3-1 on the season with a shocking win over Cincinnati. Josh Freeman has shown drastic improvement and has a budding star in rookie receiver Mike Williams at his disposal.
Why the Saints Will Win: At some point, the Saints will stop underachieving and the Bucs will stop overachieving. New Orleans starts slow before pulling away late.
Prediction: New Orleans 30, Tampa Bay 13
No. 4: Indianapolis at Washington
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The Colts have been ravaged by injuries, and could be faced with the prospect of relying on Mike Hart to run the ball extensively against the 'Skins Sunday night.
Meanwhile, the Redskins are on top of the NFC East after two straight impressive wins. Ryan Torain looks to become the latest rusher to gash the Colts' defense this week.
Why the Colts Will Win: The Colts have plenty of problems, but Peyton Manning should be able to navigate through the Redskins secondary and pull out a close win.
Prediction: Indianapolis 20, Washington 17
No. 3: Dallas at Minnesota
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The panic bowl figures to be very entertaining Sunday.
The Cowboys committed turnovers and stupid penalties to drop another game at home, this time to the Titans. Jason Garrett is likely to rely heavily on Tony Romo again this week, continuing to make the Cowboys' attack one-dimensional.
Meanwhile, as the Brett Favre saga continues, Minnesota might try to establish the run this week. Adrian Peterson wasn't much of a factor against the Jets and should get around 25 touches in Week 6 with Favre's elbow aching.
Why the Vikings Will Win: Minnesota's defense and running game will carry the load for the Vikings, who will get a touchdown from Randy Moss to help end the pain and suffering of this season.
Prediction: Minnesota 27, Dallas 17
No. 2: New York Jets at Denver
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The Jets have won four straight games and looked good doing it. With the running game rolling along, Mark Sanchez has played turnover-free football to help the Jets blueprint for success become a reality.
New York's secondary could be without Darrelle Revis in Week 6 and will be by Kyle Orton and the pass-happy Broncos.
Why the Jets Will Win: The Jets have leaned on LaDainian Tomlinson heavily this season, and might be wise to limit him a bit this work and turn to Shonn Greene. The second-year back has shined in the last two games and could rack up over 100 yards to help New York suffocate the Broncos.
Prediction: New York Jets 24, Denver 13
No. 1: Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots
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Even without Ed Reed, the Ravens have looked like a complete team this season. Now that Ray Rice has gotten going in the running game, that should continue Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Patriots have questions on both side of the ball but always seem to find a way to win. Unless BenJarvus Green-Ellis can find a way to wrong against Baltimore's front seven, Tom Brady could have some issues adjusting to life after Randy Moss.
Why the Ravens Will Win: In the long run, moving Randy Moss will be a good move for the Patriots. In the short term, it could be a major issue. Without having to worry about Moss, the Ravens will roll coverages to Wes Welker in the slot and pay more attention to talented rookie Aaron Hernandez. Baltimore does just enough on offense to get another big road win.
Prediction: Baltimore 23, New England 17
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