2020 NFL Week Five Recap: Dak, Four Up, Four Down, Top Game Week 5

2020 NFL Week Five Recap: Dak, Four Up Four Down, Top Game Week 6

Week 5 of the 2020 NFL Season had some surprising twists and turns. Some teams are starting to feel great about themselves, while others are searching for answers after head coach firings, losing, and injuries. I present the weekly NFL Power Rankings, Four Up, Four Down. If we are honest, we really only care about the best and worst NFL teams each week… right?

Big Storyline of 2020 NFL Week 5: Dak Prescott’s Injury

Dak Prescott was putting up a great statistical season through the first four weeks of the NFL season. Then, the unthinkable happened. Dak Prescott suffered a compound fracture in his ankle, and will miss the rest of the season.

Prescott’s contract situation has become the main storyline about his injury. He was playing this season on the franchise tag. Apparently Jerry Jones only likes commitments from his quarterback if they are five years or longer in length. Prescott was only willing sign a four-year contract. Jones decided he only wanted to be tied to him for one more year. Prescott is in the upper half of quarterbacks in the league, but it is so difficult to properly judge him as a quarterback due to who he plays for. The Dallas Cowboys at least have the media’s support, as they bring in the ratings. Thus, Prescott, one of the most down to earth humans in the NFL, has been made into this polarizing figure due to his owner and the team he plays for.

Four Up: Teams after 2020 NFL Week 5: Tennessee Titans Lead the Way

1. Tennessee Titans

Pivoting away from the most covered NFL team, small market teams tend to not get respect, even when they are arguably the best team in the league. The best team after Week 5 of the 2020 NFL Season is the Tennessee Titans. Do not expect to see this statement in many other places, but the Titans put together a complete performance in their 42-16 demolition of the Buffalo Bills. They did this with very limited practice reps due to the COVID-19 outbreak within the team. The Titans won their first three games by a combined six points. However, after Tuesday’s win, they proved they can show up in any circumstance.

2. Green Bay Packers

The Packers got a much-needed bye week in Week 5 of the 2020 NFL Season. It gave star wide receiver Davante Adams a chance to recover from a hamstring injury. Green Bay has a tough game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 6, but expect them to come off the bye and make yet another statement against a Buccaneers team that has not been able to put together a full 60 minutes yet.

3. Seattle Seahawks

For the purpose of this article, Russell Wilson could be regarded to as a top three team in the league. He carried the Seahawks to yet another victory, even though the Seahawks’ offense looked flat for the majority of the night. Minnesota kept Wilson off the field most of the night, but he engineered another comeback drive to lead Seattle to the 27-26 victory. The Seahawks still have major holes on defense, but Wilson is the early frontrunner for MVP.

4. Kansas City Chiefs

I know the Chiefs lost to the Las Vegas Raiders this past Sunday 40-32. However, they are still the defending Super Bowl Champions. Their defense had a bad game against Las Vegas, and will have to improve against the Buffalo Bills in Week 6. Patrick Mahomes tends to have minor struggles against divisional opponents, but he had an off day by his standards. Look for him and the Chiefs to bounce back against the Bills.

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Four Down: Worst Teams In the League After 2020 NFL Week 5

29. Washington Football Team

The Washington Football Team has not put up a true fight against any team since their comeback victory in Week 1 against the Eagles. Dwayne Haskins was benched, and Kyle Allen only has so much of a ceiling. Alex Smith saw his first game action in almost two years since his gruesome leg injury, a welcome sight for Washington fans. With that being said, Smith is the best option for this team moving forward. It is head-scratching why they would go with Kyle Allen instead. Sure, Ron Rivera is more familiar with you, but Smith can get this team back in serious contention for the weak NFC East.

30. New York Giants

The New York Giants had 47 points through their first four games. They scored 34 points against the porous Dallas Cowboys defense in 2020 NFL Week 5. Daniel Jones did not do anything special, but bad teams find ways to lose games. If Cameron Fleming gets set on the Giants’ fake field goal touchdown that got called back, Joe Judge would have had his first win in the NFL as a head coach. However, this team plays hard for Judge, as they have had competitive games with the 4-1 Los Angeles Rams and the Cowboys this past week.

31. Atlanta Falcons

The 28-3 debacle in Super Bowl 51 ultimately set the stage for what would happen four seasons later, as Dan Quinn could not coach his team out of bad habits. It ultimately cost him his job. His defenses were awful, and the offense never looked quite the same once Kyle Shanahan left for San Francisco. Matt Ryan’s future with the team is in question now also, with Arthur Blank being noncommittal to saying Ryan is the team’s quarterback of the future. This Falcons team has talent. It will be up to the next head coach to break this team out of all of the bad habits they have learned the past few seasons.

32. New York Jets

The Jets are awful, a laughingstock, and Adam Gase is somehow still the coach of this team. It is hard to see what the Jets were thinking by hiring him. He produced mediocre-at-best results during his tenure as the Miami Dolphins’ head coach. Sam Darnold, who did not play in the team’s loss to the Arizona Cardinals in 2020 NFL Week 5, looks like a lost cause as far as being the Jets’ long-term starter. This is a result of bad coaching. Some quarterbacks, such as Patrick Mahomes, luck out with the type of coach they get to start off their career. It is looking more like Darnold got the short end of the stick in this respect.

Best Game of 2020 NFL Week 5: Los Angeles Chargers @ New Orleans Saints

Justin Herbert is the real deal. He was the main reason the Chargers even had a chance to win against the Saints on Monday night. Herbert put his team in a position to win the game, but Mike Badgley missed a field goal as time expired. The Saints would win in overtime, 30-27. Drew Brees was able to lead his team back as questions still linger about the long-term prospects of his career. With all the twists and turns of this game, it was probably the best the 2020 NFL Season has had to offer thus far.  

Do you agree with our ratings? Tweet us @unafraidshow with your thoughts.

Five Up Five Down: The 5 Best and 5 Worst NFL Teams Week Nine

5 Worst NFL teams Week nine

Five Up Five Down: The 5 Best and 5 Worst NFL Teams Week nine is where we rank the five best and five worst teams in the NFL. Anybody can list the best teams. It takes real skill to sort through the mess that is the bottom of the league.   Week nine is hours away from kicking off in Santa Clara. What did we learn from Week 8? The Rams can win the close games. Saints are better than we all think, Jameis Winston is not long for the NFL, and the Seahawks are better than we thought they would be. Does your team sadly qualify for worst teams for Week 9? Give us your take who should be on the list and who shouldn’t.

5 UP: The 5 Best NFL Teams Week Nine

1. LOS ANGELES RAMS (8-0) Last Week:  1st

The Rams proved that they even need luck once in awhile beating a very game, Green Bay Packers team at home. A Field Goal followed by a late fumble kept the perfect season alive. Jared Goff threw for 3 TD’s, and Todd Gurley ran for 114 yards and 81 yards. (800 yards 11 TD’s 4.7 Avg.) The Rams will need to tighten up the defense on the road against the New Orleans Saints (6-1). The Saints are the biggest threat and best opponent that LA has faced this year. The Saints are currently favored by one point, but the Rams lead the all-time series, 41-33.

2. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (7-1) Last Week: 2nd

Kansas City keeps rolling along, and Patrick Mahomes II keeps making big plays. Mahomes II threw for 4 TDs and 300 yards (2,526 Yards 26 TD’s 6 INT 115.3 Rating) in another big division win over the Denver Broncos. The defense is never going to be top 10 worthy, but they make key stops on 3rd down.  Kansas City should have more success this Sunday when they challenge the Cleveland Browns (2-5-1). The Chiefs are 8.5 favorites and hold a slight lead in the head to head matchups 12-11-2.

3. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (6-1) Last Week: 4th

Call it revenge but the Saints exorcized the Minnesota Vikings Miracle with a big 30-20 win on the road. The score could have been higher if a few players caught passes instead of bad drops. This team is rolling through its toughest stretch. I still have concerns with that defense, but like the Chiefs, that high octane offense covers a lot of pimples. No rest for Drew Brees and crew the next challenge will be the unbeaten Los Angeles Rams (8-0) at home. Sean Payton talks about this matchup and a chance for the Saints to claim the top spot in the NFC.

4. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (6-2) Last Week: 5th

Who’s the hottest team right now? Might be the Patriots. As the leaves fully turn and the winter weather rolls in the Patriots are getting closer to taking their spot as the best team in the NFL. With the Red Sox winning the World Series it’s now up to the Patriots to add to the City of Champions. Sony Michel will be back, and the defense only allowed 6 points last week. Tom Brady does what he does best, beating Buffalo. Now we get the showdown that we have all been waiting for, Aaron Rodgers vs. Tom Brady. It’s an opportunity for Tom to let everyone know, who is still the best QB in the NFL. Aaron already has said who he thinks the best Quarterback in the NFL is.  Patriots are 6 point favorites over Green Bay (3-3-1) at home. Packers lead the all-time series 6-5.

5. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (5-2) Last Week: Unranked

The Chargers enjoyed a Bye Week after a dramatic win in London. They will have a huge test coming up this Sunday against Seattle. Philip Rivers is playing at a high level (2,008 Yards, 17 TDs 3 INT 117.8 RTG). Head Coach Anthony Lynn thinks better days are ahead, “We definitely have a lot of improvement and things we can focus on and get better at,” Lynn said. “Seven games, we’re not there yet. But I do feel like the guys are moving in the right direction.” That’s a very dangerous thought since this team has Super Bowl talent at every position.

Joey Bosa and Melvin Gordon, the team’s two best players might be back.  This is my team to watch as the 2nd half of the NFL season takes place. The LA Chargers will travel to the Emerald City to battle the red-hot Seahawks (4-3) and will be 1.5 point underdogs. Seattle leads the all-time series 26-24.

Closing in on the top 5 this week:

Washington Redskins (5-2), Carolina Panthers (5-2), Seattle Seahawks (4-3)

5 DOWN: The 5 Worst NFL Teams Week Nine

28. ARIZONA CARDINALS (2-6) Last Week: 32nd

The Cardinals got a reprieve and doubled up against the 49ers. They have two wins both against San Francisco who unfortunately can’t play every week. 2018 has so been a complete failure. One must feel for the future HOFer Larry Fitzgerald. You were hoping for a better year, but the Cardinals are falling apart at the seems. Do you miss Bruce Arians yet? Cardinals rank 32nd in offense, and the defense is not far behind in being woeful. Josh Rosen continues to learn (1,072 yards 10 TDs 12 INTS). as well as be more accurate. The Cardinals can’t lose this week they are on a Bye week so they might be safe from sinking in the rankings for now.

29. BUFFALO BILLS (2-6) Last Week:  28th

It was nice to see Thurman Thomas get his due at halftime during the Pats vs. Bills game on Monday Night. What was utterly unpleasing to the eyes was watching Derek Anderson trying to play QB with an Offensive Line that is the worst in football. First of all, Derek should be golfing somewhere enjoying retired time and now Bills fans you will get Nathan Peterman. Peterman! What does that guarantee? A chance to finish the season as the worst team in the NFL.

Enjoy the Buffalo wings and the commissioner in April saying, “With the first pick the NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills select! Great move Buffalo getting rid of Tyrod Taylor. Buffalo will most likely lose to the Chicago Bears (4-3) at home this Sunday. Chicago will be 10 points road favorites and have won 7 of the 12 contests between these two teams.

30. OAKLAND RAIDERS (1-6) Last Week: 29th

The Raiders should be in full tank mode sorry Jon Gruden your commitment to excellence is in question. On a positive note, the team realized it needed to tear it down. Derek Carr played better on Sunday (244 yards 3 TD’s), but it was not enough to combat what is a horrible defense that yielded 461 yards in a brutal 42-28 loss to the Colts at home. Let’s face it Khalil Mack will not walk back through those doors but all picks acquired from getting him better be used on defense. Oakland will have a chance to win tonight as they battle the 49ers in Santa Clara. The Raiders are 2.5 underdogs, but they do lead the all-time series 7-6.

31. NEW YORK GIANTS (1-7) Last Week: 30th

They might not be ranked 32nd in our rankings yet, but they are #1 in dysfunction. It’s such a messed up situation I don’t know where to start. I thought with all the moves this team made in the offseason they were going to compete in the NFC East and be a playoff team. Lord was I wrong. Pat Shurmur looks lost, Eli looks like he should be in a retirement home, OBJ should be frustrated, and that Offensive Line with the high priced addition of Nate Soldier is a pile of dog crap. The Raiders at least realized it needed to tear it down, what the Giants did was sit pat.

The off-season for this franchise is going to be critical and the teams most important. When watching a Giants game other than Barkley, you wonder why a total rebuild has not already begun. The Giants are mercifully off this week.

32. SAN FRANCISCO 49ers (1-7) Last Week: 31st

As much as I wanted to put the Giants here and those in New York wanted me to do so, the 49ers on paper and in results are the worse team in Football. It wouldn’t have been the case, but when you lose so many players to injuries, it was bound to happen. They should tank and get the top pick in the draft. With Kyle Shanahan, John Lynch, and a healthy Jimmy G this organization will be on the verge of big things soon. 49ers get a chance to climb out of the 32nd ranking tonight by beating the Raiders at home. They will be hoping to move out of the label of being the worst team in the NFL for week nine.

Teams that are knocking on futilities door:

Indianapolis Colts (3-5), Cleveland Browns (2-5), N.Y. Jets (3-5)

Come back next Thursday for Five Up Five Down: The five best NFL Teams and the five worst NFL Teams for Week 10.

Five Up Five Down: The 5 Best and 5 Worst NFL Teams Week Six

5 Worst NFL Teams Week Six

Five Up Five Down: The 5 Best and 5 Worst NFL Teams Week Six is where we rank the five best and five worst teams in the NFL. Anybody can rank the best teams. It takes real skill to sort through the mess that is the bottom of the league.

Is it week six already? What did we learn from Week 5? The Titans aren’t as good as their record said they were. The Rams were a bit lucky. Don’t ever fully trust a kicker, even if he’s been great for a decade. Patrick Mahomes II is human. The roughing the passer rule is as confusing as ever, ask Eagles’ fans this week.

5 UP:  The 5 Best 5 Worst NFL Teams Week Six

1. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (5-0) Last Week: 2nd

We found out that Patrick Mahomes II is human after he threw two interceptions. He still threw for over 300 yards and ran for a TD against arguably the best defense in the world. The Chiefs dominated the Jaguars 30-14, and due to a superior performance are the number one team in 5 Up. Patrick Mahomes II (1,513 Yards, 14 Touchdowns, 2 INT 112.7 QBR) is the most exciting player to watch in the NFL.

The Chiefs defense which has struggled a lot this year (ranked 32nd coming into the Jags game) played well vs. Jacksonville. They created turnovers including four interceptions. The challenges keep coming for KC. They travel to Foxboro to battle Tom Brady and the (3-2) Patriots on Sunday Night. Mahomes vs. Brady match-up is by far the best story heading into week six. Chiefs lead the all-time series 18-14-3 but are three and a half point underdogs against New England.

2. LOS ANGELES RAMS (5-0) Last Week: 1st

The Rams were lucky to win in Seattle, and the defense is now a significant concern. The Seahawks were running up, down, and all around the Rams defense. It’s quite apparent that if Donald and Suh are not getting the pressure, the Rams defense is quite average at best, hence why they are number 2 this week. Wade Phillips is very capable of fixing the defense. He knows that to win the Super Bowl, his defense must play better. Todd Gurley saved the Rams’ bacon with three touchdowns to negate Goff’s two interceptions.
The Rams will continue to be the Traveling Wilburys in the midst of a three-game road trip. Next, they head to Denver to take on the (2-3) Broncos. Rams are a touchdown favorite and have an 8-5 series lead against Denver. I get why you Rams fans may not like LA being knocked off the top spot, but it might only last a week so calm down!

3. CINCINNATI BENGALS (4-1) Last Week: Unranked

You don’t want to believe in the Bungles but you must! Does anything make you think of Halloween more than those helmets? We know when the playoffs come around they will turn into David Price and lose, but for now, they are playing some excellent football. They spotted Miami a 17-point lead and then crushed them by scoring the next 27 straight points.  The Bengals got Joe Mixon back, and he had a big game along with A.J. Green who was a dominant force once again (6 catches for 112 yards).

The defense made it happen, scoring twice and making life very uncomfortable for Ryan Tannehill. The Bengals will welcome the (2-2-1) Pittsburgh Steelers to town in an AFC North showdown. Unfortunately for the Bengals, the Steelers have a .632 winning percentage in the series (60-35) including a six-game winning streak vs. Cincy.

4.NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (4-1) Last Week: 5th

Congrats to Drew Brees in becoming the all-time passing leader.  New Orleans put on an offensive show against the Redskins. Mark Ingram II enjoyed a big return which now makes the Saints backfield lethal.  The Saints will enjoy the Bye Week and get ready for a tough road game against the (3-2) Baltimore Ravens. New Orleans schedule is brutal coming up with three of the next four crucial games are on the road against (@Ravens, @Vikings, Rams, @Bengals). We will learn a lot about the Saints Super Bowl chances in the next month. Drew Brees when its all said and done would like to be on the top 10 quarterbacks list. Can the Saints remain in the five best NFL teams when they get back from enjoying a week off?

5. CHICAGO BEARS (3-1) Last Week: 4th

Bears enjoyed the Bye Week but moved down our 5 Up and 5 Down weekly rankings. Is this 3-1 record a fluke or is this sustainable?  Mitch Trubisky had a career day throwing for six touchdowns and the Bears receiving core (Robinson, White (amazing at blocking), Gabriel, and Miller) is improving right before our eyes. The Bears need to improve their run blocking and running back play. Neither Howard or Cohen have been consistent. A good running game is a needed for a young QB that is still developing and needs to improve. I like how Matt Nagy’s team plays very aggressive offensively, similar to Sean McVay.

The biggest monster of the midway is Khalil Mack. He is the first player since Robert Mathis (2005) to record a sack and force a fumble in four straight games. It’s incredible to watch the rest of the defense pick up its energy level and try to emulate the play of the defensive MVP of the league right now. The Bears will travel to South Beach to take on the (3-2) Dolphins. Miami leads the series (8-4) with the most famous win being in 1985 when the Dolphins broke up the Bears perfect season.

Closing in the top 5 this week:

Carolina Panthers (3-1), Baltimore Ravens (3-2), LA Chargers (3-2), New England Patriots (3-2), Miami Dolphins (3-2)

5 DOWN:   The 5 Best 5 Worst NFL Teams Week Six

28. ATLANTA FALCONS (1-4) Last Week: Unranked

We have had some surprises this year, but nothing is as shocking as the Atlanta Falcons 1-4 record. Many people believed they could be the first team to play for the Super Bowl at their home stadium. The Falcons are skidding out of control! You could blame injuries for Atlanta’s struggles, but it’s the defense that is letting this team down. They have allowed an NFL worst 163 points (32.6 points per game). Offensively, they are getting minimal production from the running game (89.2 yards a game 26th in NFL). Matt Ryan is Matt Ryan (1,601 Yards 11 TD’s 2 INTS 110.9 QBR). He is a stat stuffer but often falters in late game situations. This team can turn around the season about, but the offense can’t be expected to score 34 points every week.

It should be a shootout this Sunday at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium against the (2-2-1) Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If you have fantasy players on these teams, you are thrilled. Atlanta is 3 and a half points favorites in this NFC South showdown. They lead the all-time series (25-24). If Atlanta loses this weekend, the vultures will be circling the carcass of the Falcons.

29. N.Y. GIANTS (1-4) Last Week: Unranked

The Giants had a win against the Panthers in Carolina in their grasp until a 63 yard Graham Gano field goal plunged them into the five down category. New York is a talented team that made solid offseason moves, but it’s not paying off right now. Pat Shurmur’s team has major locker room disruptions going on. Odell Beckham Jr. and other players have been critical of Eli Manning and the offense. In a strange twist of fate, maybe OBJ’s interview will pull the team together.

The offense with Barkley, Beckham Jr., Manning, and Shepard should put up more points, but if the defense doesn’t stop anyone, they will continue to lose. Getting their defense to play up to their talent level will be the biggest challenge moving forward for Big Blue. The Giants will host the Eagles (2-3), who are having all kinds of problems on the offensive line on a short week. The Giants lead the all-time series 86-84-2, but Philly has won the last three games and will be 3 point favorites on the road.

30. ARIZONA CARDINALS (1-4) Last Week: 32nd

Well, finally a win! It was on the road as well. Josh Rosen has given the Cardinals a boost at the quarterback position. He didn’t play great against the 49ers (40% completion ratio), but he didn’t turn the ball over. Running back David Johnson finally made fantasy owners happy with two TD’s against the Niners, but he ran for just 55 yards. He will have to be more productive against Minnesota this Sunday if Arizona wants to pull off the upset. Their defense played strong again, but they were aided by facing C.J. Beatherd and not Jimmy G. Congrats Cards fans, you are no longer in the dreaded #32 spot. The team you beat last week now occupies that spot.

The Cardinals travel to Minnesota to face the (2-2-1) Vikings who are 10.5 point favorites. Hey, Buffalo went up to Minny with a rookie quarterback and blew out Minnesota so who knows. The Vikings lead the series between the two clubs winning 16 – 11.

31. OAKLAND RAIDERS (1-4) Last Week: 30th

The Raiders are working their way to being the worst team in the NFL. Lousy defense and turnovers in the red zone are a recipe to failure and the bottom of the Five Up Five Down rankings. Carr, Cooper, Lynch, and Gruden are named brands and should have the Silver and Black in a much better position. In addition to poor play offensively, the defense is playing terrible as well. Derek Carr continues to throw the worst interceptions in the NFL which should alarm the Raiders front office. Jon Gruden is a quarterback guy, so the ugly play out of #4 is puzzling.

The Raiders will welcome former division rivals Seattle Seahawks (2-3) in town. Oakland leads the all-time series 29-25 and is currently a 1 point favorite at home.

32. SAN FRANCISCO 49ers (1-4) Last Week: Unranked

The 49ers are a team ravaged by injury. They are number 32 more because of injuries than anything else. It would take over 300 words to add all the players who are out for this team. But Kyle Shanahan and company must find a way to tape it together because excuses don’t win games. When C.J. Beathard is your starting QB (career 2,000 Yards, 8 TD’s 10 INTs, 78 QBR), you are not expected to do much of anything. Paging Tony Romo, Mr. Romo or how about Mr. Kaepernick?

Next up for the 49ers is the (2-2-1) Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. The 49ers defense will have to figure out a way to stop Aaron Rodgers and that multi-faceted offense. Green Bay leads the all-time series (35-30-1) and are massive nine and a half point favorites over the injury-riddled Niners. I pray for you 49er fans. The football gods have been too cruel to a team that was expected to be much improved. Five Up Five Down: The 5 Best 5 Worst NFL Teams Week Six will have me rooting for the 49ers to get out of the five worst as the Bills did.

Teams that are Knocking on futilities door:

Buffalo Bills (2-3), Denver Broncos (2-3), Detroit Lions (2-3), N.Y. Jets (2-3), Indianapolis Colts (1-4).

Come back next Thursday for Five Up Five Down, The five best NFL Teams and the five worst NFL Teams for Week 7.

NFL Week 9: Facts are Facts Again

Week 8 gave us some good games and allowed us to learn more about the teams that might make a run at the Super Bowl. This week features key divisional games in the AFC East, North, and West. The NFC also has big games, just not within their divisions. The cream will rise to the top in some divisions, while others like the NFC South and AFC West, the waters will stay murky for another few weeks. Fans of two AFC teams be prepared to grab your tissues because the Super Bowl season you hoped for is on it’s way down the tubes. As usual the Facts are the Facts. Leave your comments, I want to read them.

New York Jets vs Buffalo– This game is a big for the over overachieving Bills. I said they have 9-7 written all over them. The division lead is at stake, and a chance to create a gap between themselves and the Jets. The Patriots will continue to win, so it will be a dogfight to win the AFC East. If Buffalo wants any chance of making the playoffs, these are games they have to win. The Jets are coming off a win and a bye, so expect this defense to play better. Rex Ryan is a defensive mastermind, but the defense has been terrible against the run this season. Did they make some changes and find a solution during the bye? We will find out Sunday. The Jets run defense will be tested by one of the league’s most complete running backs, Fred Jackson. Bills QB Fitzpatrick will have a heck of a battle against Revis and Cromartie. The Jets corner backs are better than the Bills receivers. Any pass that is not in the perfect spot will be incomplete or will be intercepted. Expect a shocker. BILLS



Baltimore vs Pittsburgh– Terrell Suggs has not stopped talking all week. He may have a good game against the Steelers but the outcome will be different. The greatest growth of an NFL team is between week 1 and 2. The Steelers were embarrassed by a Ravens offense that has since been sporadic. Ben Roethlisberger has changed the face of what Pittsburgh is on offense. Traditionally, the Steelers have been a run first, smash mouth offense. No más, those days are over. Big Ben is throwing the ball 30-50 times per game. The Ravens on the other hand must run to win. Even without outside linebacker Lamar Woodley out, the Steelers should give the Ravens offense trouble. This will be an intense AFC North match-up, but the Steelers will be dominant. I picked against them vsthe Patriots last week, I wont make that mistake again. STEELERS

Green Bay vs San Diego– After struggling on offense and finding ways to lose the last two games, the Chargers will have to find ways to beat the Packers. Will the Phillip Rivers we used to know show up, or will the 2011 campaign struggles continue? The Chargers will break out on offense with the pass game, but that won’t be enough to top the Packers. The ’72 Dolphins need to keep that Champagne in the chiller, it could be a long time before the Packers lose, if they lose. PACKERS


Denver vs Oakland– This is one of the games I want to see most this week. This game comes down to one thing, quarterback play. If Tebow plays like last week, and the Raiders QBs play like their last game, the defenses could score more points than the offenses. I refuse to pick a winner, so you know what that means, you get a present.

Seattle vs Dallas– While Indianapolis and Miami are leading the Andrew Luck sweepstakes, Pete Carroll and the Seahawks have their eye on a different prize. Matt Barkley. I knew Tavaris Jackson was not the answer, but i did drink a couple sips of the Charles Whitehurst kool-aid. He played well at the end of last season, so I did think he could possibly, maybe, be the answer. Uh…yeah… I was wrong. Seattle is a quarterback away from the playoffs. This week the Seahawks visit the most entertaining and volatile team in the NFL, the Cowboys. Watching the Cowboys is like watching an episode of Jersey Shore. You want to look away, but you just can’t because you might miss something. You literally never know what you will get. Tony Romo may win the Super Bowl. Jerry Jones might fire Jason Garrett at half time and coach the team himself. It’s really weird because the Cowboys are good enough to beat any team in the league, but bad enough to lose to anyone. After getting jumped by the Individuals (Eagles) on Sunday Night Football, I imagine they will come out swinging against the Seahawks. I still expect Dallas to miss the playoffs, but they should handle Seattle. If by chance the Cowboys lose, the wheels will come off of their season. COWBOYS


San Francisco vs Washington– Washington looks like they are free falling without a parachute. They started off the season looking like they would contend for the NFC East crown, but now, not so much. After an embarrassing shutout loss to Buffalo, the Redskins look to regain some footing against the 49ers. The biggest question for the Redskins is, who is the QB of this team? Rex Grossman had a nice start to the season, but was promptly benched after a 4 int game. Washington is not a bad team. Some players are having a good season (i.e. Brian Orakpo, Fred Davis, London Fletcher), but their play is not turning into wins. San Francisco on the other hand is 6-1. After the meltdown that occurred in the Bay Area last season, no one could have predicted this start. The NFC West is nothing near a powerhouse conference, but only Nostradamus could have predicted the 49ers to finish above second. 49ers

Chicago vs Philadelphia– This Monday Night game is huge for both the Bears and the Individuals (Eagles). It’s beginning to look like all the Individuals who took their talents to Philadelphia are becoming a team. With all that Asante Samuel noise coming from the locker room last week, I was unsure if the Eagles would let the season slip away. They rallied together and took the Cowboys behind the woodshed with the whole football world watching. Andy Reid is still undefeated coming off a bye week. Now the question is, can the perform like that on offense for consecutive weeks. The Bears have arguably the best front 7 in the NFL, but can they contain Vick? The Bears defense has a tough task with the Phily offense, but the Individuals defense has a bigger task in front of them…Matt Forte. He is the league’s best dual threat running back (rushing/receiving). If Phily can’t slow down Forte, this could be a Monday Night massacre. The “Dream Team” will get back to .500 this week and will be one step closer to catching the Giants in the race for the NFC East. EAGLES


Miami vs Kansas City– I predicted the Chiefs would lose to the Chargers last week. They were 3-3 with victories over the Vikings, Colts, and crippled Raiders. I still do not believe in the Chiefs because they have too many injuries to make the playoffs. The Monday Night game was more about the Chargers losing than the Chiefs winning. Well, the Chiefs sit at 4-3 and host the Dolphins this week. With 4 straight victories, and another game vs a struggling team, all signs point to a Chiefs victory. Miami, on the other hand, dodged a bullet last week vs the Giants. They almost won and lost a tie for the lead in the Andrew Luck sweepstakes. I know teams don’t really “throw” games, but somebody in the Dolphins organization is secretly hoping they go defeated (0-16). With Reggie Bush having his 2nd career 100 yard game it seems the Phins are picking up some steam. Miami has been close in a few games this season and they will end up winning a game or two. CHIEFS

Atlanta vs Indianapolis– I know there are upsets in the NFL every week, but guess what, this ain’t it. Do not expect a repeat of the Saints/Rams game from last week. The Falcons will score a lot of points and win going away. Even though Curtis Painter is the quarterback, Pierre Garcon is 9th in league in receiving yards and Reggie Wayne is 18th. The Colts literally have no chance in this game, but may get a leg up on drafting Luck this week with a Dolphins win. FALCONS

Cleveland vs Houston– Well… make another mark in the win column for the Texans. The Browns have been outscored by 33 points this season. This may be due to the lack of a running game because the Madden cover boy Peyton Hillis is out. The Texans have one of the top offenses in the league and feature the NFL’s reigning rushing champ Arian Foster. In addition to one of the league’s top offenses, Houston has the 3rd ranked defense. What a difference a year makes. This defense was much maligned last season. Experts called them the “worst pass defense ever” last season. The Houston coaching staff did a great job in free agency, and with the transition to the 3-4. Jonathan Joseph headlines the secondary that is not only no longer laughed at, but are now respected. Colt McCoy and the Browns will show up and give a good effort, but will fall short in Houston. TEXANS



Good News Tennessee Titans, you are firmly in the middle of a race for the AFC South, and a playoff spot. Matt Hasselbeck has been a great free agent pick-up and the pass game is nice. Last game, Tennessee finally got some production out of the running back position. Bad News, the guy who you just gave $30 million guaranteed (Chris Johnson) is not the one producing. After three seasons of great production, his lack of production is inexplicable.

Cincinnati vs Tennessee– One would think losing Carson Palmer, T.O., and Ocho Cinco would be a sign of many tough rebuilding years for the Bengals. Welp, good thing one doesn’t get paid to think, lol. Cinci sits at 5-2 and has a chance to win the division over the Steelers and Ravens. Andy Dalton and Aj Green are playing like seasoned veterans. We could be looking at the premier QB/WR combos of the future. This week they take their talents to Tennessee. This should be a good match-up even though the Titans don’t have two of their best offensive weapons (Kenny Britt, Chris Johnson). Chris Johnson will be considered “out” until he shows up for a game. BENGALS


The good news for the New York Giants is Eli Manning is playing his best football and is an MVP candidate. The bad news is they have lost their leading rusher, Ahmad Bradshaw to a broken foot. Eli will have to step up his game.

New York Giants vs New England– New England is playing great offensively, their pass defense is just abysmal at times. If Eli can shoulder more of the offensive load until Bradshaw come back, the Giants will have a chance to maintain their lead in the NFC East. The Patriots should make the playoffs, but the chances of them winning the Super Bowl is low due because their pass defense is terrible. GIANTS



Tampa Bay vs New Orleans– When you add in the Atlanta Falcons, there is only one word to describe the NFC South, GRIDLOCK. With a loss to St. Louis last week, New Orleans proved they do not want to run away with the division. Tampa Bay has stated the season slower than they had hoped but lack luster play from the Saints and Falcons has them right in the thick of things. This game is crucial to both teams because tie breakers will likely decide the winner of this division. If Drew Brees plays well, Saints win. SAINTS


St. Louis vs Arizona– Both teams look to get their season back on track and build for the future. The Rams had an impressive win over the Saints last week. Expect them to keep that momentum going. RAMS