Time to be thinking about the NFL Draft; Week 6 Picks
Better luck next year, San Francisco, Cleveland, and the New York football Giants.
No one is eliminated after just five weeks, but a 0-5 hole is just about impossible to climb out of in the NFL. In all honestly, all three of these teams need help, so why not tank and wait for the draft next spring?
San Francisco and Cleveland, yes, the Browns -- more on Deshone Kizer later -- need a QB and maybe even the Giants too. Eli Manning, who turns 37 in January, isn't getting any younger.
Next year's draft could have Sam Darnold (USC), Josh Rosen (UCLA), Josh Allen (Wyoming), Mason Rudolph (Oklahoma State) and Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma) available at quarterback. Or if you're the Giants and you need a running back, how about Saquon Barkley (Penn State)?
I know quarterback is the most important position in the NFL, and the 49ers and Browns need a QB, but Barkley looks like he's going to be a heck of an NFL player next season.
A lot can happen between now and April, including Barkley taking home the Heisman Trophy, but some NFL teams could lose a lot more games and I'm not just talking about the 49ers, Browns and Giants.
Who'll lose this week? My picks are next.
Week 6 Picks (Home team in CAPS)
CAROLINA over Philadelphia (Thursday, 8:25 p.m. ET, CBS, NFL Network, Amazon Prime): I have to say I'm surprised both the Panthers and Eagles are 4-1 after five weeks. Both teams have played well and both look like playoff teams thus far. This should be an entertaining game Thursday night and I think the Panthers will play well at home to get the win.
ATLANTA over Miami (Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS): I'd appreciate it if someone explained to me how the Dolphins beat the Titans last week. QB Jay Cutler threw for a grand total of 92-yards and had an interception as Miami put up just 178-yards of offense. I guess it helps when your defense records six sacks and returns a fumble for a touchdown. Anyway, a performance like that from the Miami offense this week in Atlanta won't result in a win. The Falcons are well rested off their bye and I think they'll score a lot of points to improve to 4-1.
Green Bay over MINNESOTA (Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, Fox): Minnesota may be 3-2, but without Dalvin Cook and Sam Bradford looking like he's still hurt, the Vikings are a shell of what they once were. Now, they still have a solid defense that'll keep them in games, but they'll have their hands full with Aaron Rodgers this week. How great was the Packers final drive in Dallas last week? Another masterpiece by one of the game's greatest quarterbacks. Rodgers will lead the Packers to another victory in Minnesota this week.
NEW ORLEANS over Detroit (Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, Fox): I feel like whoever I take in this game will lose. It's just one of those games. I think the Lions have the better team, but it wouldn't surprise me at all if the Saints get the win at home coming off their bye. The deciding factor for me is the Lions pass defense. Its ranked 27th in the league and they got shredded last week by Cam Newton, who threw for 355-yards and 3 TD. I think Drew Brees will have a lot of success throwing the football and the Saints will get the win.
New England over N.Y. JETS (Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS): With the Bills on a bye, the Jets and Patriots will be playing for first place on Sunday. Who could've predicted that at the beginning of the season? No one would be my guess. The Jets have put together three straight wins and may not be as bad as everyone thought going into the season. Now, I'd be stunned if they beat Tom Brady and the Patriots on Sunday, but the Patriots defense hasn't played well so I think New York has a chance.
WASHINGTON over San Francisco (Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, Fox): San Francisco may be 0-5, but they've lost their last four games by 3, 2, 3, and 3 points. I give them credit for at least making it competitive, but I don't see them beating the Redskins in D.C. on Sunday. It will be a close game though.
BALTIMORE over Chicago (Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, Fox): 12 of 25 for 128-yards, TD, INT, and a lost fumble. That was the stat line for rookie QB Mitchell Trubisky in his first NFL game on Monday night, a 20-17 loss to the Vikings. It's not great, but Trubisky looked good at times and going up against that Vikings defense in your first game is no easy task. The Bears just aren't a good team and although I do think Trubisky will get better, it's just going to take some time.
HOUSTON over Cleveland (Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS): The injury bug bit the Texans hard on Sunday night. Not only did the Texans lose former Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt for the season with a leg injury, they lost their other great pass rusher, Whitney Mercilus, for the year as well with a torn pectoral. Watt and Mercilus are one of the best pass rushing duos in the league and the Texans defense is going to miss them. With that being said, the offense has looked great with rookie Deshaun Watson and having the woeful Browns at home should help get them back to .500. Another poor season in Cleveland. Rookie QB Deshone Kizer was benched in last week's game and Kevin Hogan will get the start at quarterback. Never a good sign when you bench your QB after Week 5.
Tampa Bay over ARIZONA (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET, Fox): It's going to take more than a week for the Cardinals to rebound from a 34-7 loss to the Eagles in which they allowed three first quarter touchdown passes. With the defense playing inconsistently and Arizona posting the leagues worst rushing attack at a pathetic 51.8 yards/game, I don't see them winning many more football games. Arizona did trade for Adrian Peterson on Tuesday, so maybe he'll turn their running game around. I don't think he'll do enough though to help the Cardinals beat the Buccaneers.
JACKSONVILLE over L.A. Rams (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET, Fox): QB Blake Bortles has not been good this season. In his last two games he's 23 of 49, for 235-yards, a TD, and 2 INT. A 46.9 completion percentage won't cut it in the NFL. Good thing for Bortles though is rookie RB Leonard Fournette is second in the league in rushing and the Jaguars have the number one rushing attack in football. Fournette rushed for 181-yards and 2 TD last week and even waved a Steelers defender to come hit him. Take a look. Bortles has to play better though, but if Jacksonville can keep running the ball like that, they can stay in first place in the AFC South. The Rams will give them a game, but it'll be too much Fournette for L.A. on Sunday.
KANSAS CITY over Pittsburgh (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS): The Chiefs are the best team in the NFL until proven otherwise. They're 5-0 and have the most explosive offense in the league scoring a league best 32.8 points/game. The Steelers on the other hand look old, especially QB Ben Roethlisberger, who threw 5 INT last week in a 30-9 lost to the Jaguars. He's completing just 61.5% of his passes and his 7 INT are the second most in the league. Pittsburgh struggled to beat Cleveland, lost at Chicago, and got embarrassed by Jacksonville last week. Not your typical Steelers team and I think they'll fall to 3-3 Sunday evening in Kansas City.
OAKLAND over L.A. Chargers (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS): QB Derek Carr could be back this week and that's good news for the 2-3 Raiders. It's not the start the Super Bowl contending Raiders wanted to begin the season, but if Carr is back he should help them climb back to 3-3 by beating the woeful 1-4 Chargers. They'll have a quick turnaround too as they host the Chiefs in a pivotal AFC West game on Thursday night.
DENVER over N.Y. Giants (Sunday, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC): Odell Beckham Jr, out for the season with an ankle injury. Brandon Marshall, out for the season with an ankle injury. Dwayne Harris, out for the season with a broken foot. Sterling Shepherd, left last Sunday's game with an ankle injury and is unlikely to play Sunday. If the Giants season was already in shambles, it's now a chaotic mess with all four of those guys getting hurt in last week's loss to the Chargers. With three receivers on injured reserve and another one hurt, Eli Manning officially has no one to throw the ball too. And the Giants face the number one defense in the league in the Denver Broncos on Sunday night. Good luck, Eli.
TENNESSEE over Indianapolis (Monday, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN): Titans punter Brett Kern had 10 punts last Sunday for a 54.9-yard average, with four landing inside the 20, and his long of 71-yards was also the longest of this season according to ESPN Stats & Info. He was the lone bright spot in the Titans game last week against the Dolphins that was borderline unwatchable. Good news this week is that QB Marcus Mariota should be back under center and if he is, the Titans will beat the Colts on Monday night, who will still be without Andrew Luck.
Bye: Buffalo, Cincinnati, Dallas, Seattle
Last Week: 7-7
Overall: 50-27 (.643)
No one is eliminated after just five weeks, but a 0-5 hole is just about impossible to climb out of in the NFL. In all honestly, all three of these teams need help, so why not tank and wait for the draft next spring?
San Francisco and Cleveland, yes, the Browns -- more on Deshone Kizer later -- need a QB and maybe even the Giants too. Eli Manning, who turns 37 in January, isn't getting any younger.
 |
| Penn State RB Saquon Barkley could find himself in San Francisco, Cleveland or New York in April. (Photo Courtesy of SI.com) |
I know quarterback is the most important position in the NFL, and the 49ers and Browns need a QB, but Barkley looks like he's going to be a heck of an NFL player next season.
A lot can happen between now and April, including Barkley taking home the Heisman Trophy, but some NFL teams could lose a lot more games and I'm not just talking about the 49ers, Browns and Giants.
Who'll lose this week? My picks are next.
Week 6 Picks (Home team in CAPS)
CAROLINA over Philadelphia (Thursday, 8:25 p.m. ET, CBS, NFL Network, Amazon Prime): I have to say I'm surprised both the Panthers and Eagles are 4-1 after five weeks. Both teams have played well and both look like playoff teams thus far. This should be an entertaining game Thursday night and I think the Panthers will play well at home to get the win.
ATLANTA over Miami (Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS): I'd appreciate it if someone explained to me how the Dolphins beat the Titans last week. QB Jay Cutler threw for a grand total of 92-yards and had an interception as Miami put up just 178-yards of offense. I guess it helps when your defense records six sacks and returns a fumble for a touchdown. Anyway, a performance like that from the Miami offense this week in Atlanta won't result in a win. The Falcons are well rested off their bye and I think they'll score a lot of points to improve to 4-1.
Green Bay over MINNESOTA (Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, Fox): Minnesota may be 3-2, but without Dalvin Cook and Sam Bradford looking like he's still hurt, the Vikings are a shell of what they once were. Now, they still have a solid defense that'll keep them in games, but they'll have their hands full with Aaron Rodgers this week. How great was the Packers final drive in Dallas last week? Another masterpiece by one of the game's greatest quarterbacks. Rodgers will lead the Packers to another victory in Minnesota this week.
NEW ORLEANS over Detroit (Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, Fox): I feel like whoever I take in this game will lose. It's just one of those games. I think the Lions have the better team, but it wouldn't surprise me at all if the Saints get the win at home coming off their bye. The deciding factor for me is the Lions pass defense. Its ranked 27th in the league and they got shredded last week by Cam Newton, who threw for 355-yards and 3 TD. I think Drew Brees will have a lot of success throwing the football and the Saints will get the win.
New England over N.Y. JETS (Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS): With the Bills on a bye, the Jets and Patriots will be playing for first place on Sunday. Who could've predicted that at the beginning of the season? No one would be my guess. The Jets have put together three straight wins and may not be as bad as everyone thought going into the season. Now, I'd be stunned if they beat Tom Brady and the Patriots on Sunday, but the Patriots defense hasn't played well so I think New York has a chance.
WASHINGTON over San Francisco (Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, Fox): San Francisco may be 0-5, but they've lost their last four games by 3, 2, 3, and 3 points. I give them credit for at least making it competitive, but I don't see them beating the Redskins in D.C. on Sunday. It will be a close game though.
BALTIMORE over Chicago (Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, Fox): 12 of 25 for 128-yards, TD, INT, and a lost fumble. That was the stat line for rookie QB Mitchell Trubisky in his first NFL game on Monday night, a 20-17 loss to the Vikings. It's not great, but Trubisky looked good at times and going up against that Vikings defense in your first game is no easy task. The Bears just aren't a good team and although I do think Trubisky will get better, it's just going to take some time.
HOUSTON over Cleveland (Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS): The injury bug bit the Texans hard on Sunday night. Not only did the Texans lose former Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt for the season with a leg injury, they lost their other great pass rusher, Whitney Mercilus, for the year as well with a torn pectoral. Watt and Mercilus are one of the best pass rushing duos in the league and the Texans defense is going to miss them. With that being said, the offense has looked great with rookie Deshaun Watson and having the woeful Browns at home should help get them back to .500. Another poor season in Cleveland. Rookie QB Deshone Kizer was benched in last week's game and Kevin Hogan will get the start at quarterback. Never a good sign when you bench your QB after Week 5.
Tampa Bay over ARIZONA (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET, Fox): It's going to take more than a week for the Cardinals to rebound from a 34-7 loss to the Eagles in which they allowed three first quarter touchdown passes. With the defense playing inconsistently and Arizona posting the leagues worst rushing attack at a pathetic 51.8 yards/game, I don't see them winning many more football games. Arizona did trade for Adrian Peterson on Tuesday, so maybe he'll turn their running game around. I don't think he'll do enough though to help the Cardinals beat the Buccaneers.
 |
| Rookie Leonard Fournette ran through the Steelers last week. (Photo Courtesy of USA TODAY Sports) |
KANSAS CITY over Pittsburgh (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS): The Chiefs are the best team in the NFL until proven otherwise. They're 5-0 and have the most explosive offense in the league scoring a league best 32.8 points/game. The Steelers on the other hand look old, especially QB Ben Roethlisberger, who threw 5 INT last week in a 30-9 lost to the Jaguars. He's completing just 61.5% of his passes and his 7 INT are the second most in the league. Pittsburgh struggled to beat Cleveland, lost at Chicago, and got embarrassed by Jacksonville last week. Not your typical Steelers team and I think they'll fall to 3-3 Sunday evening in Kansas City.
OAKLAND over L.A. Chargers (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS): QB Derek Carr could be back this week and that's good news for the 2-3 Raiders. It's not the start the Super Bowl contending Raiders wanted to begin the season, but if Carr is back he should help them climb back to 3-3 by beating the woeful 1-4 Chargers. They'll have a quick turnaround too as they host the Chiefs in a pivotal AFC West game on Thursday night.
DENVER over N.Y. Giants (Sunday, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC): Odell Beckham Jr, out for the season with an ankle injury. Brandon Marshall, out for the season with an ankle injury. Dwayne Harris, out for the season with a broken foot. Sterling Shepherd, left last Sunday's game with an ankle injury and is unlikely to play Sunday. If the Giants season was already in shambles, it's now a chaotic mess with all four of those guys getting hurt in last week's loss to the Chargers. With three receivers on injured reserve and another one hurt, Eli Manning officially has no one to throw the ball too. And the Giants face the number one defense in the league in the Denver Broncos on Sunday night. Good luck, Eli.
TENNESSEE over Indianapolis (Monday, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN): Titans punter Brett Kern had 10 punts last Sunday for a 54.9-yard average, with four landing inside the 20, and his long of 71-yards was also the longest of this season according to ESPN Stats & Info. He was the lone bright spot in the Titans game last week against the Dolphins that was borderline unwatchable. Good news this week is that QB Marcus Mariota should be back under center and if he is, the Titans will beat the Colts on Monday night, who will still be without Andrew Luck.
Bye: Buffalo, Cincinnati, Dallas, Seattle
Last Week: 7-7
Overall: 50-27 (.643)
Comments
Post a Comment