Week 6 NFL Predix

By Jacob Sanders

Week 6 is in the bag and it really doesn’t feel like many teams have separated themselves. Overall, the NFL is feeling like a mixed bag with a couple really good teams, a couple bad ones, and a whole lotta middle of the pack teams. Yes, even the 4-1 teams feel more middle of the pack than really good. I would say that this is due to it only being Week 5, but even then, the Patriots are 6-0 and don’t FEEL extremely dominant. It could be that their wins aren’t flashy. But the Pats still look beatable at times and the 6-0 may come from the fact they are a good team and beat up on some bad teams. I’m getting ahead of myself. This isn’t a Patriots blog….

Sanders went 10-5 last week putting him to 49-29-1 on the season. He also picked the Patriots to win Thursday Night’s game (who didn’t pick the Pats?) and they won putting him to 1-0 on the week.

CAR Panthers vs TB Buccaneers

In all honesty, this Panthers defense is looking far better than I could have imagined. They are stopping opposing offenses just enough for Run CMC to run over opponents and Kyle Allen isn’t giving the ball away. It’s a classic way for teams to win. Solid defense with a stellar running game. On the other side, are the Bucs who have clawed their way to 2-3. Yes, I say clawed because none of their wins have looked all that impressive although one was against the same Carolina team just 4 weeks ago. This one will be different. This time, the Panthers actually have a quarterback.

Panthers 23 Bucs 14

PHI Eagles vs MIN Vikings

You know, whether last week’s performance would have been good or bad, I would have penned this game as an Eagles W. If I’m being honest with how I view these teams, I thought both would go 10-6 and make the playoffs. Both teams have good defenses and both teams have stellar WR corps than can run over teams in multiple ways. The difference here, is I like Carson Wentz much more than I like Kirk Cousins. No, I’m no Cousins hater. Just a Carson Wentz lover. The dude is far more clutch and this is a big game that I believe will come down to the wire

Eagles 24 Vikings 23

WAS Redskins vs MIA Dolphins

Dear lord. People actually have to put some thought into this game? A game where neither team has won a game and both have looked awful in the process. This game is a coin-flip but I’m going to make an actual pick instead of flipping a coin and it starts with one question. Have you, my dear reader, watched any Dolphins games or highlights? If so, you’ll see that Josh Rosen has been performing well for what’s been given to him. The same can’t be said about these Redskins QBs. So. Dolphins….win?

Redskins 10 Dolphins 14

HOU Texans vs KC Chiefs

This one looks like a banger and even a possible preview of the AFC side of the playoffs. This also looks like the most difficult game of the week to pick. It’s hard to know if you should pick the Texans offense (which we now know can drop 50 points on a team) or pick the Chiefs offense (whom we DEFINITELY know can drop 50 points). In other words, all signs lead to a shoot-out and ya gotta ask yourself this one question: Do you pick Reid-Mahomes or O’Brien-Watson to win a shoot-out. Super tough call where either pick can be defended. I’ll take last year’s MVP though to win the shoot-out.

Texans 28 Chiefs 31

NO Saints vs JAX Jaguars

A lot of people would love to entertain the fact that the Jaguars can pull an upset here. This is true in some sense but if you’ve watched the Saints play the last few weeks, this is a Saints team that can win in multiple ways. And frankly, I’m gonna say this to a few people who might say I’m crazy. The Saint’s starting QB does not matter. Teddy B has led them to be 3-0 without Drew Brees through the good, the bad, and the ugly. But W’s are W’s. Meanwhile, the other backup QB in this game has made Minschew Mania go nationwide. At this point, it’s time the Jaguars start asking themselves if their starting QB for the 2019 season is their 6th round draft pick from this year.

Saints 24 Jaguars 17

SEA Seahawks vs CLE Browns

I felt vindicated on Monday Night when I watched the Browns get dismantled by the 49ers. Not just that I think this 49ers team is fun, but that I hold the belief these Browns finish 8-8 this season. At a 2-3 record, this is looking pretty plausible at the moment. Next up for the Brownies? A Seahawks team who’s quarterback is playing like the best QB in the League right now and it’s not even close. Seriously, it’s not even close. Russell Wilson has been the best QB in the League this year. He’ll have another phenomenal game here as well. To me, he’s the early candidate for MVP along with Run CMC.

Seahawks 27 Browns 17

CIN Bengals vs BAL Ravens

It’s fair to wonder why the Bengals haven’t done more offensively with a new HC who was supposed to be an expert on offense. It doesn’t help when your top two WRs aren’t playing games though which means this is a perfect game for the Ravens to continue on figuring out their defense. The Ravens are clearly a defense in transition and have no yet figured out who they are quite yet. The Bengals may never figure out who they are defensively considering they are one of the worst defenses in the League. The one fact that puts this as a Ravens win for me. The Bengals are in the bottom 10 against the run. The Ravens offense is No. 2 when running the ball. Sounds like Ingram and Jackson have a huge day on the ground.

Bengals 13 Ravens 23

SF 49ers vs LA Rams

The NFC West is a tight division at the moment where losses will be brutal no matter what time of the season you take them. That’s just the reality of this season for the 49ers, Rams, Seahawks, and Cardinals. In this case though, the Rams season may very well be riding on this game here. Win? You’re 4-2 and riding smoothly for now. Lose? You’re at 3-3 looking up to a 5-0 49ers team. What I’m getting at is that this is a must-win game for the Rams. Do they pull it off? Look, I’m no believer that the 49ers are a top 2 team like some (*cough* Cowherd *cough*) but I do think the 49ers are a top 10 team. They’ll enter my top 5 if they beat the Rams here. And I think they do. That defense is nasty and the offense has been smooth as molasses so far.

49ers 24 Rams 19

ATL Falcons vs ARI Cardinals

I’m so excited about what I’m gonna say, I’m gonna skip some of the analysis and just give this to you in bullet points.

• The Falcons defense is horrendous
• The Cardinals offense has been humming along
• Matt Ryan looks inconsistent so far this season
• Kyler Murray and David Johnson are a blast to watch

Yes! I’m a believer. Cardinals start a 2 game winstreak here!

Falcons 14 Cardinals 24

DAL Cowboys vs NY Jets

Recently, the Cowboys have been eating some humble pie. To be fair to them, they’ve played the Saints and the Packers which are certainly no gimmes. What’s concerning though has been the amount of turnovers by the Cowboys in those games. Too many mistakes in the redzone have cost them. I’ll get on this more next week. In the meantime, for this game, Sam Darnold is back from his sickness for the Jets but CJ Mosley is not back from injury. Yeah, it doesn’t matter that Darnold is back. Cowboys win this one by a large margin.

Cowboys 31 Jets 17

TEN Titans vs DEN Broncos

Am I just insane enough to believe that the Broncos can win this game here? Yes. Yes I am. The Titans are a mystery to me. Will Mariota pop off? Will he look like a 3rd string QB? No one knows. But frankly, you gotta make a pick here. I’ll take Mariota looking like a 3rd string QB. By the end of the season, I don’t think he’ll be starting. At least I hope not. The Titans really need to wake up and grab a new QB. Oh! And Philip Lindsey pops off for 100+ yards here.

Titans 14 Broncos 20

PIT Steelers vs LA Chargers

This could have been a great matchup but it was robbed by injuries to both teams. It also doesn’t help that the Steelers look downright awful this season. However, it’s not like the Chargers are having a much better season either, especially after losing to the Broncos last week in a rather weird fashion. To me, the Steelers have already hit rock bottom. If the Chargers lose here, they’ll join the Steelers in that Rock Bottom club. Buckle up, people. This could be intensely close or really boring. Not certain on which way it goes but I’ll take really boring. Either way I have the Chargers pulling it off.

Steelers 14 Chargers 28

DET Lions vs GB Packers

This. Now this is a fun matchup. MNF may have a game worth watching here. The Lions are setting out to prove that they are, in fact, a good team while the Packers need to continue showing the NFL that they are the NFC team that everyone needs to worry about. If the Lions want this game to go in their favor, they’ll certainly need Matt Patricia’s defense to come alive and Matt Stafford will have to keep pace with the Packers offense. Does this happen? Quite possibly so, yes. Do I personally think it will? Well…..maybe…..maybe not….

Lions 23 Packers 27