Brian's NFL Week 6 Predictions and Picks

We're already past the quarter mark of the 2009 NFL season. To say there have been quite a few surprises would be an understatement. Who had Denver undefeated after week 5? Put your hand down. You know you're lying. Did Kyle Orton really just outplay Tom Brady last Sunday in Denver? The Bengals are first place in the AFC North-ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Nobody and I mean nobody saw that one coming. The Raiders have more wins than the Titans. Wow. That's just plain sad. I believe we are getting a better idea of the contenders and pretenders. I think we can all agree the Jaguars are probably the most inconsistent team. One week they look good, thrashing the Titans, then last week in Seattle, they looked like the Oakland Raiders getting shutout 41-0. Something has to give with this team. Any who, let's preview this week matchup and predictions.

Houston Texans (2-3) @ Cincinnati Bengals (4-1)- The Texans have to feel a little deflated after last week's disappointment in Arizona where they just an Arizona fourth-down goal-line stand from forcing overtime. Houston has struggled in tight games with turnovers in critical moments. The Bengals are starting to become a well-rounded team and may the best team in the league at winning the close games whether it is at home or on the road. Look for Cedric Benson to have a huge day against Houston's porous run defense.

The Winner: I like the Bengals at home.

Detroit Lions (1-4) @ Green Bay Packers (2-2)- The Lions have actually been a pretty competitive team this season, but you know Green Bay is going to be upset after Favre and the Vikings beat them on Monday Night Football almost two weeks. Aaron Rodgers should have time in the pocket to hit his talented wide receivers in stride. This would also be the game to get Ryan Grant going as well.

The Winner: I like the Pack to rebound at home.

New York Giants (5-0) @ New Orleans Saints (5-0) - This could the matchup of the week featuring two NFC heavyweights trying to stay undefeated. I honestly believe this game can go either way. The Giants are a very good road team with a timely knack for the winning close games they had no business winning, while the Saints are extremely tough at home due to their passionate fan base. Both teams are balanced offensively and both can pressure the quarterback. The Saints are coming off a bye week and should be well rested for this matchup. The team that can win the battle at the line of scrimmage and the team that wins the turnover battle will win this game. This game will give us a great indicator of whether or not the Saints are a legitimate NFC title contender. One could make the argument that the winning quarterback of this game could be the early frontrunner of the MVP award.

The Winner: I like the Saints in a real tight game.

Baltimore Ravens (3-2) @ Minnesota Vikings (5-0) - Two close losses to the Patriots and the Bengals respectively after a 3-0 start have ended the premature Super Bowl talk for the Ravens. Baltimore is finding out that maybe they don't have the weapons to compete for a Super Bowl and maybe one reason why they signed Super Bowl 41 hero David Tyree to a contract this week. The Ravens finally gave up a one-hundred yard rushing game to Cedric Benson and the Bengals last week. This doesn't bode well for a team going into Minnesota against the league's best running back Adrian Peterson.

The Winner: I like the Vikings in this one.

St. Louis Rams (0-5) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (2-3) - David Garrard and the Jaguars should win this game pretty handily if they decide to show up. They have the talent advantage over the winless Rams, but you know the saying, "That's why they play the game."

The Winner: I like the Jags in a laugher.

Cleveland Browns (1-4) @ Pittsburgh Steelers- You can throw out the records in this matchup. Cleveland usually plays the Steelers pretty tight when they play each other. With that said, Pittsburgh should have no problem bringing the heat against quarterback Derek Anderson who was just 2-17 in Buffalo last week. The Steelers are one of the best team at forcing turnovers. The Browns are limited offensively.

The Winner: I like Steelers in this one.

Kansas City Chiefs (0-5) @ Washington Redskins (2-3) - The Chiefs have battled hard from week to week. You almost get the sense that they are going to get a win soon. The Redskins are desperately trying to get a win to rid itself of the negativity that has followed the past few weeks. The Deadskins lack serious firepower and Clinton Portis' days as an elite back are dwindling down.

The Winner: I like the Chiefs in an upset 23-16.

Carolina Panthers (1-3) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-5) - The Panthers have done a complete 180 this year. They used to be a team that ran the ball very well, didn't turn the ball over and stop the run; however this year they are not running the ball well and they are giving up a lot of yards on the ground. Tampa Bay should be able to run the ball on Carolina with Cadillac Williams and Derrick Ward behind a decent offensive line. Tampa Bay defense is not very good anymore after all the off-season changes, including losing defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin to the Tennessee Volunteers I expect this to be a very close ball game until the end.

The Winner: I like the Panthers in a close one.

Philadelphia Eagles (3-1) @ Oakland Raiders (1-4) - This game is going to be very one sided. The Raiders are so bad that Michael Vick, who hasn't taken a snap in two years under center as a starting quarterback could win this game for Philly. No analysis needed here.

The Winner: I like the Eagles in a rout.

Arizona Cardinals (2-2) @ Seattle Seahawks (2-3) - The Arizona Cardinals have been very inconsistent this year. When Kurt Warner gets time in the pocket to throw, he's still a top ten quarterback in my opinion. When he hasn't had the time, Arizona has been very average on offense. On defense, they have a tendency to give up huge plays in the passing game, which isn't good because they're next opponent the Seahawks just got a huge boost it's passing game with the return of Matt Hasselbeck. I think the defense that can limit the big play in the passing game and the team that can give their quarterback enough time to throw downfield wins this game.

The Winner: I like Seattle at home in this one.

Tennessee Titans (0-5) @ New England Patriots (3-2) - I'm still shocked the Titans are winless because they have been competitive in most of their games. Their biggest weakness is the fact they can't rush the passer. The Pats are coming off a tough loss in Denver in which they blew a ten point lead. Brady and the Patriots offense are overdue for a breakout game, but don't discount the Titans. They will play hard for Jeff Fisher at the least. If the Titans lose this one, it's definitely Vince Young time.

The Winner: Too much Brady here. I like the Patriots at home in a rout.

Buffalo Bills (1-4) @ New York Jets- I really believe the Bills losing to the Patriots in week one was a season changing loss. I don't see this team recovering. Trent Edwards has regressed as a quarterback. I think Dick Jauron knows it's over. Meanwhile the Jets have hit a bit of a skit after opening up the season 3-0. Mark Sanchez to Braylon Edwards should be fun to watch for years to come. Let's just hope the Bills compete in this game, I think they will. That violent Jets defense, which was humiliated in Miami on Monday Night Football against the Miami Wildcat offense should have a field day against an inept Buffalo offense that struggled to score a merger three points against the Browns at home last week.

The Winner: Jets, Jets, Jets, Jets in this one.

Chicago Bears (3-1) @ Atlanta Falcons (3-1) - This should be a pretty interesting match up of two teams we may see in the playoffs. Jay Cutler is finding his groove despite having inexperienced wide receivers. Matt Forte is overdue to break loose against a smallish Atlanta defense that has been a bit susceptible to the run. Can the Bears get pressure on Matt Ryan with their front four to protect their weak secondary? I just don't trust Jay Cutler in big games like this.

The Winner: I like the Falcons at home in a close one.

Denver Broncos (5-0) @ San Diego Chargers (2-2) - The Denver Broncos have been this season's surprise team. Kyle Orton has play solid football and his leadership has helped the Denver offense improve from week to week. The defense deserves a lot of love as well because they were terrible last year and now they are only giving up less than ten points a game. With that said San Diego is going to be fired up especially after their general manager A.J. Smith called his team "soft" and embarrassing after losing to the Steelers a few weeks ago. San Diego is also coming off a bye week and should be ready to go despite having a banged up offensive line.

The Winner: I like San Diego in a close game only because of the A.J. Smith comments.

That's all for this week, we'll pick this back up next week for week 7.

Oh yeah, just a side note-GO ANGELS!!!