NFL Week 5 Picks: Your 3 Upset Specials

Some of my contributing colleagues here at Bleacher Report do a nice job in their NFL picks, either picking with the spread or picking favorites without regard to the spread.

But with apologies to Robert Frost, I choose the road less-traveled-by. I pick underdogs without regard to the spread. This is very difficult, as my 1-5 record over the past two weeks proves. Undaunted by this, let's look at Week 5.

Again, I pick three underdogs to win the game without regard to any spread points.

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Arizona Cardinals over Minnesota Vikings

It is always tough to watch a successful veteran player struggle as skills decline with age. Such is the current situation with Donovan McNabb. This week, he will go up against Kevin Kolb, who was the reason the Philadelphia Eagles traded McNabb away. The student will get the best of the mentor this week.

The Arizona Cardinals are still steaming from the bogus non-fumble call late in the fourth quarter against the New York Giants last week. The only way they can forget that is to win this week, and I believe they will. The Minnesota Vikings' leaky pass defense will result in a big game for Larry Fitzgerald.

This might also be the week that the Vikings finally realize that the future is now and start to give Christian Ponder some playing time at quarterback. As the Vikings are already four games behind both the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions, the fans already realize this, since tickets are available for the game for under $10.

My only question here is: Who made the Vikings the favorite?

Cardinals over Vikings.

Cincinnati Bengals over Jacksonville Jaguars

My logic for this selection is simple. If the Cincinnati Bengals were able to defeat the Buffalo Bills, then they should be able to defeat the Jacksonville Jaguars.

With Blaine Gabbert now entrenched as quarterback, the Jaguars will continue to have growing pains. With Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Houston the next three opponents, things should get ugly pretty quickly.

Put a rookie quarterback against the Bengals' No. 1 rated defense  (yes, that is correct), and you end up with a Bengals' victory. By the way, if the Bengals' defense is available in your fantasy league, you might want to pick them up. I was surprised that they were in one of my leagues, so I was quick to do so.

Bengals over Jaguars.

Atlanta Falcons over Green Bay Packers

Finding a third underdog this week is not easy, but I need to pick one, so it will be the Atlanta Falcons.

With Aaron Rodgers' performance last week, how can anyone pick against the Green Bay Packers? Well, I believe in the reversion to the mean. In other words, it's time for Rodgers to come back to earth. I still think the Packers will return to the Super Bowl, but they aren't going to run the table and go 16-0.

The Atlanta Falcons rookie wide receiver Julio Jones continues to excel, and I see him being the MVP of this game.

Falcons over Packers.