Lions and Rams and Falcons, Oh My! Week 6
Get the betting money out, because Austin Osborne has the ’Tute’s best predictions
Kansas City Chiefs @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sunday, Oct. 14, 1 p.m.
Kansas City comes off a tough loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Their offense couldn’t get anything going last week, and Jamaal Charles was shut down for the entire game. However, they did play outstanding defense, holding the very dangerous Ravens offense to just nine points. Tampa Bay comes off a bye week, and they should be well rested for this game. Their running game will be effective and they should win comfortably.
Prediction: 24-13 Buccaneers
Indianapolis Colts @ New York Jets
Sunday, Oct. 14, 1 p.m.
The Colts shocked the Packers last week in an emotional game after their Head Coach Chuck Pagano was diagnosed with leukemia. They had an outstanding defense in the second half after allowing three touchdowns to Aaron Rodgers in the first half. Andrew Luck set a Colts record for passing yards in a game by a rookie with 362 yards. He has a really good connection with longtime Colts great Reggie Wayne, and they are becoming a fearsome duo. The Jets nearly beat the AFC’s best team, the Houston Texans, but they let it slip away as Mark Sanchez threw an interception with 1:51 remaining. The Jets still have no running game, and they become too one-dimensional on offense to win consistently.
Prediction: 20-16 Colts
Cincinnati Bengals @ Cleveland Browns
Sunday, Oct. 14, 1 p.m.
The Bengals looked flat against Miami, with QB Andy Dalton throwing two interceptions and not being able to move the offense effectively. Their defense played well however, holding Reggie Bush to under 50 yards rushing. Cleveland started off well against the Giants, jumping out to a quick 14-0 lead before promptly allowing New York to score 41 points and losing in a rout. Brandon Weeden must cut down on the interceptions if Cleveland wants a chance to win Sunday. Fun fact: the Browns have not won a division game since 2010.
Prediction: 27-10 Bengals
Detroit Lions @ Philadelphia Eagles
Sunday, Oct. 14, 1 p.m.
Detroit has been unimpressive this season. After limping out of the gate to a 1-3 start, they travel to Philadelphia for a tough game against the Eagles. Matthew Stafford still leads the second best passing attack in the NFL, but Detroit hasn’t been able to convert those huge numbers into wins. They will have difficulty doing so this week as well. The Eagles come off another close game, this time a loss, to the Pittsburgh Steelers, so they will be looking to right the ship. Once again, the story of the game was Michael Vick’s inability to hold onto the ball, fumbling three times and losing two of them. When Vick plays cautiously and intelligently, the Eagles are one of the most complete teams in the NFL.
Prediction: 34-24 Eagles
Oakland Raiders @ Atlanta Falcons
Sunday, Oct. 14, 1 p.m.
Atlanta won again last week, improving their record to 5-0 for the first time in franchise history. They took the lead with 2:46 remaining and the Robert Griffin III-less Redskins couldn’t muster enough offensive firepower to make up the difference. For the second straight week Atlanta has looked off, but they have been able to make up for it in the end. They are able to win ugly games, which is a good indicator of a championship-caliber team. Coming off a bye week, Oakland does not look impressive. They are dead last in rushing yards and their defense has been porous. Expect Matt Ryan to pick apart the Oakland secondary en route to their sixth straight win.
Prediction: 38-17 Falcons
St. Louis Rams @ Miami Dolphins
Sunday, Oct. 14, 1 p.m.
St. Louis is definitely a good sleeper pick this year. They have quietly picked up three wins this season, adding another against a tough Arizona team last Thursday night despite a lackluster effort from Sam Bradford. Their pass rush is suffocating as they sacked Kevin Kolb nine times throughout the game. This marks the first week since 2006 that the Rams have had a winning record. This is definitely a team on the rise. Miami also comes off a surprising win over the Bengals. Ryan Tannehill was outstanding, and he is improving every week while their rush defense continues to dominate. Miami has not allowed a 100-yard rusher for 19 straight games now, an incredible feat considering some of the great running backs they’ve faced.
Prediction: 24-17 Rams
Dallas Cowboys @ Baltimore Ravens
Sunday, Oct. 14, 1 p.m.
Dallas heads to Baltimore coming off an embarrassing loss to the Chicago Bears. Tony Romo looked lost as he threw five interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns. It won’t get any easier this week as they play the Ravens, a team known for their defense. Even though Baltimore was stagnant last week against Kansas City, they managed to pull out a win with a superb defensive effort. Ray Rice was also effective on the ground, racking up over 100 yards.
Prediction: 20-14 Ravens
Buffalo Bills @ Arizona Cardinals
Sunday, Oct. 14, 4:05 p.m.
Buffalo’s defense was nonexistent against San Francisco, allowing 45 points and over 300 yards rushing. Since their first half lead last week against the Patriots, the Bills have been outscored 90-10 — not the sign of a playoff team. In consecutive weeks, the Bills have allowed almost 1200 yards of total offense, which is practically unheard of in the NFL. Arizona is no longer on a winning streak after losing last week to the Rams. Their offensive line play must improve if they want to keep Kevin Kolb healthy, but their defense continues to be strong.
Prediction: 27-14 Cardinals
New England Patriots @ Seattle Seahawks
Sunday, Oct. 14, 4:05 p.m.
New England started off their game last week against Denver looking terrific on offense. They jumped out to a quick 31-7 lead, but their defense slowly allowed Peyton and the Broncos to creep back into the game. Luckily Denver ran out of time, but their defensive effort has to be concerning for Patriots fans. The Seahawks continue to be a completely unpredictable team. This week, they were the good Seahawks. They held Carolina to 190 total yards and snatched a close 16-12 victory. Russell Wilson looked good, going 19/25 and throwing for over 220 yards. If Seattle continues their trend, this week will be the bad Seahawks, and the Patriots should win comfortably.
Prediction: 31-21 Patriots
New York Giants @ San Francisco 49ers
Sunday, Oct. 14, 4:25 p.m.
The 49ers were nearly perfect last week. They are the first team in NFL history to rush and pass for over 300 yards, and they also set a new team record for yardage amassed with 621 total yards. They held Buffalo to three points and controlled the game from the outset. Ever since their loss to the Vikings, San Francisco has looked outstanding. The Giants started slow last week, but quickly returned to form as they went on to blow out the Browns. This will be a great game, and it is definitely the must-watch of the week.
Prediction: 17-13 49ers
Minnesota Vikings @ Washington Redskins
Sunday, Oct. 14, 4:25 p.m.
Minnesota won again this week, and the Vikings are quickly cementing themselves among the NFC’s best. Percy Harvin and Adrian Peterson have been huge for the Vikings this season as they cruised to an early 4-1 record. Christian Ponder has also done a good job managing the game, and he hasn’t made too many costly turnovers this season. Washington had a scare last week as Robert Griffin III was knocked out of the game late in the fourth quarter with a concussion. It remains to be seen whether or not he will play against Minnesota this week. Rookie Alfred Morris has been incredibly impressive this season, and he was again this week, rushing for over 100 yards. The Redskins will need to rely on him to have a chance, especially if Griffin is out.
Prediction: 24-13 Vikings
Green Bay Packers @ Houston Texans
Sunday, Oct. 14, 8:20 p.m.
The Packers have not looked like themselves this season, losing to teams they would have dominated last season. Aaron Rodgers has been critical of his play this season, although it may not be only his fault. He is still having a good season taking care of the ball, but his defense is letting him down. The loss of Cedric Benson and B. J. Raji will hurt an already shaky Packers team, and things won’t get easier against the Texans. Houston didn’t look as outstanding as they usually do, but they still got the job done against the Jets. They have lost Brian Cushing for the season, which hurts their linebacker core. If any team can figure it out though, it’s Houston. Expect a barnburner in this game.
Prediction: 38-28 Texans
Denver Broncos @ San Diego Chargers
Sunday, Oct. 14, 8:35 p.m.
Peyton Manning had another outstanding game last week, this time carving up the Patriots’ defense for almost 350 yards. He needs a consistent running game behind him however, if the Broncos want to be successful. They almost completed a great comeback, falling just short as the Patriots managed to hold on. San Diego allowed New Orleans to get their first win of the season, but it’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Drew Brees looked like the Brees of old, throwing for 370 yards and four touchdowns in his NFL record-setting game. He has thrown a touchdown in his 48th consecutive game, and he led the Saints to a desperately needed win. Philip Rivers threw for more than 200 yards in the first half and completed all of his passes of 15 yards or more. In the second half, however, the Chargers’ offensive line began to show its weakness, and Rivers was sacked a total of five times.
Prediction: 27-21 Broncos