NFL Week 6 Preview
As Week 6 the 2010-11 NFL season encroaches, the teams that haven’t had a bye will begin feel the effects of fatigue. There are a lot of intriguing matchups on tap. Philadelphia and Atlanta collide in the City of Brotherly Love, two Super Bowl candidates clash in Foxborough as the Patriots host the Ravens, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers battle the defending New Orleans Saints.
Here I look at the matchups, giving you some early insight that will help make your 2010 NFL wagers winners.
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SUN, OCT 17 TIME (ET)
Seattle at Chicago 1:00 PM FOX – Chicago’s defense matches up well against a Seahawks’ offense that is still trying to find its wings. The Bear’s DE Julius Peppers will test Seattle’s o-line while the secondary tries to contain John Carlson. If this game were in Seattle, I’d go with the Sea Buzzards, but it’s not, so Da Bears is my pick in this one.
Baltimore at New England 1:00 PM CBS – Before the season I would have questioned Ravens’ QB Joe Flacco’s ability to will outduel Tom Brady, but that has changed. The Pats are coming off their bye week and Baltimore knows a rested New England Patriots team is a dangerous one. The Patriots are 8-2 under coach Bill Belichick after regular-season byes and haven’t lost such a game since 2002. New England will remember the 33-14 shellacking they got from the Baltimore last year that ended their playoff run early, and have this game circled on their calendar. This one is too close to call.
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Detroit at NY Giants 1:00 PM FOX – Both the Lions and the Giants are coming off big wins last week but Detroit will be in for a eye opener as rookie quarterback so Shaun Hill will face the No. 1 ranked pass defense in the league. The G-Men can really get after the QB so he will need to make quick decisions, and that could spell disaster for the Lions in this match up.
Atlanta at Philadelphia 1:00 PM FOX – The Eagles will host Michael Vick’s previous team in this NFC showdown. However, Vick himself doesn’t seem like he’ll be recovered from his rib/chest injury in time to face his former employer. The Eagles are coming off a 27-24 victory over the 49ers, while the Falcons are on a four game winning streak and are coming off a 20-10 victory over the Cleveland Browns. Atlanta’s 2nd ranked rushing gets it done.
Cleveland at Pittsburgh 1:00 PM CBS – Ben Roethlisberger will see his first action of the 2010 season after his 4-game suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy as the Steelers host the Browns. It will be interesting to see what happens as Pittsburgh went 3-1 in his absence. The Steel Curtain put up enough here for a commanding home win at Heinz Field to start the Pittsburgh divisional schedule.
Miami at Green Bay 1:00 PM CBS – The Fins should be rested after their bye week and ready to take on a Packers team that just hasn’t been able to hit its stride. However, the Miami secondary will need to remain sharp as QB Aaron Rodgers’ deep passing attack could spring to life at any time. If Miami plays like the team we saw at the start of the season, not the ones that didn’t show up against New England, they could pull of the road win.
San Diego at St. Louis 1:00 PM CBS – The Rams should have been coming off an easy win in Detroit, but instead will return to the “Ed” fresh off a 44-6 mauling by the Lions. The Chargers beat themselves in Oakland, and have been up and down all season. Could this be the upset of the week? St. Louis will need to prime their secondary for a colossal Phillip Rivers air assault that will edge out a narrow margin victory.
New Orleans at Tampa Bay 1:00 PM FOX – This NFC South battle would have appeared to be a cake walk for the Saints at the beginning of the season, but the Bucs have emerged from a 3-13 2009 season and are 3-1 to start 2010. Getting pounded by the Saints 38-7 at the Dome last year will be fresh in young Josh Freeman’s mind. New Orleans will bounce back from it loss to Arizona last week. Tampa Bay has had some early Christmas gifts including three interceptions last week vs. Bengals, which they turned into 17 pts. Don’t expect that to happen this week. 
Kansas City at Houston 1:00 PM CBS – Kansas City won their first three games and then suffered its first loss to the Colts this past weekend. Indy didn’t have an easy time beating the Chiefs as the KC D proved it was for real. The Texans started 3-1 but then were pounded by the Giants last Sunday. They will want to head into their bye week with a win, but I’m afraid the Chiefs may be too much for them to handle.
Oakland at San Francisco 4:05 PM CBS – Beating the Chargers is a step in the right direction, and the Raiders can take another huge step this weekend against the winless Niners. The Battle of the Bay hasn’t been the same since the Gannon versus Young/Garcia era, but it’s still one that both players and fans get up for. Can San Francisco stop the bleeding? They will get a chance, as Raiders quarterback Bruce Gradkowski, who injured his throwing shoulder during the win over San Diego last Sunday, will be replaced by the inconsistent Jason Campbell who was yanked as the starter in Week 2. Still the Oakland defense will dominate an anemic SF offense.
NY Jets at Denver 4:05 PM CBS – The Broncos doubled their rushing yards, as they put up 40 yards this past Sunday against the Ravens. That’s better than the 19 yards they had in Week 4. They are now averaging a 51 rushing yards per game. QB Kyle Orton is the only reason Denver is winning games. He’s throwing for an amazing 333 yards per game. He’s tossed eight touchdowns with a completion percentage of 66. The Jets are coming off their big victory over the Vikings. Sanchez is maturing and playing much better. The defense is solid. Rex Ryan will try to get pressure on Orton and if his players are able to just stand in the way, they will shut down Denver’s running game.
Dallas at Minnesota 4:15 PM FOX – This will be a battle of two teams looking to turn their respective seasons around before it’s too late. Dallas will be looking to reverse a 34-3 playoff rout at the hands of the Vikings last season. Things could not be going any worse for Brett Favre with the recent inappropriate behavior allegations being highlighted by a tough loss on Monday night to the Jets. Favre currently has thrown seven interceptions this season alone, which is the total amount he had all of last season. The Cowboys must play better defense than they did against the Titans, because one would expect Brett Favre and Randy Moss to begin to build chemistry as the weeks progresses. Minny gets one back here.
Indianapolis at Washington 8:20 PM NBC – Although the Colts have lost two games early in the season, Manning will get it together, and this team will be there in the end. The Skins’ offense has gotten remarkably better just by the simple fact that QB Donovan McNabb is now at the helm. However, it’s pretty hard to bet against Peyton Manning and company even on the road. Unless the Colts D is caught napping, Indy should come away with a win.
MON, OCT 18 TIME (ET)
Tennessee at Jacksonville 8:30 PM – The Jags are built to run and stop the run, but they are struggling at both. This should clear the way for RB Chris Johnson (524 yards, 6 TDs) to pick up some prime Florida real estate. Jacksonville has all but totally abandoned its passing game despite QB David Garrard’s 90.1 passer rating. The 5th ranked Titans’ defense should be able to contain a banged up Maurice Jones-Drew (464 yard, 2 TDs) who has yet to shift into high gear.
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Matt Martz is a freelance writer located in Central California. Blessed is the gambler who expects nothing, for ye shall not be disappointed.
