Week Six NFL Picks

By Derek Lofland.

After an incredible Week Five where I went 11-2, my 2008 record now stands at 48-25.

If only San Diego would have beaten the Dolphins like they were supposed to, and I had not picked with my hearth when choosing the Packers to beat the Falcons at home...

I would have scored a perfect week!

Enough with the "IFs" game now and on to Week Six, which will bring some interesting matchups.

Baltimore (2-2) at Indianapolis (2-2): This is a big early-season game. Both teams have teams in front of them in their division that are off to good starts. The Titans are 5-0 and the Steelers are 4-1. Both teams have very difficult schedules and cannot afford to lose ground this early in the season.

I always love these great individual matchups. Ray Lewis calling out defensive signals vs. Peyton Manning screaming out signals at the line. The Colts have had the better of this matchup in recent years, including the 2006 Divisional-Round Game and 2007 regular-season game. I don’t look for a blowout, but I do look for Indianapolis to win this game.

Winner: Indianapolis

Carolina (4-1) at Tampa Bay (3-2): Division games are always big, and Carolina gets a chance to do two things: They can take a two-game lead over a tough division opponent and win a divisional game on the road. I like how Carolina has rebounded from a couple average seasons and they should be in the thick of this divisional race. Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams form a great running back duo, and Jake Delhomme looks to be holding up.

These teams seem to go back and forth, and you could go either way with this game. I’m going to go with Carolina, mainly because I think they can establish the run in Tampa Bay, and the Buccaneers have some injury issues with Brian Griese at quarterback. Jeff Garcia is a good player, but I think they have a lot of offensive issues at the moment to beat a team that is playing as well as Carolina.

Winner: Carolina  

Dallas (4-1) at Arizona (3-2): The Cardinals have been a difficult team to pick in recent weeks. They have 31-0 and 41-17 wins over Miami and Buffalo. However, they lost to the Jets 56-35. To me, this game is about the Dallas offense. Arizona will move the ball through the air, and I think Larry Fitzgerald has a big day.

The problem is that I don’t see Arizona having enough answers defensively for Tony Romo, Marion Barber, Terrell Owens, and Jason Witten. I like both teams to put up points, but I like Dallas to score a bunch of them, as they pull away in the second half.

Winner: Dallas 

Green Bay (2-3) at Seattle (1-3): These two teams are in desperate need of a win. The Seahawks only claim to fame this year is beating the Rams. They have looked awful in their losses to Buffalo and New York. Seattle plays much better at home than on the road. They are 0-2 on the road and been outscored by 62 points. At home they are 1-1, and their sole loss was in OT to the 49ers.

Neither team has been doing anything to warrant being picked to win a game. I like Seattle because Julius Jones is running well; the Packers can’t stop the run, and that should help Matt Hasselbeck get back on track. Rodgers and the offense will play well, but not well enough to pick up a road win.

Winner: Seattle 

New England (3-1) at San Diego (2-3): This was supposed to be an early-season matchup that determined home-field advantage in the AFC. Tom Brady injured his knee in Week One, San Diego is off to their typical Turner slow start, and instead it is just another game on the schedule. I don’t know why I’m picking them, but I like the Chargers.

I think the Miami game was a product of Miami rising to the moment and San Diego looking to the Patriots. While New England bounced back nicely to beat the 49ers, I think L.T. could have a big game if Turner would ever give him the ball enough and if the defense could stop anyone. It’s a toss-up to me, and that means I pick the home team.

Winner: San Diego

And the rest…