Critic Al’s Football Week 6 Pick ‘Em
Game of the week: Giants at Saints (-3.5)
Eli Manning is heading to NOLA, so let’s get ready to hear the homecoming angle.
Giants vs. Saints
We all know about Eli and the Big Easy. He grew up there, high school football in the Big Easy and still holds it close to his heart. But who cares. This is football! None of that stuff matters once after the kickoff.
I like the Saints here for a couple of reasons. First of all, the Saints’ offensive line doesn’t let Drew Brees get touched very often. And unless the Giants can create some serious pressure, I feel like Brees will pick apart New York’s banged-up secondary. Also, the Saints’ defense isn’t terrible like last year, and I still have some concerns over whether Manning will be 100 percent with his heel injury.
Saints win this one. But we could very well see a rematch of the game in the playoffs this year.
Texans at Bengals (-4.5)
“The Texans are still kind of schizophrenic, but the Bengals are on a roll. I think that roll continues this week. Cincinnati wins.”
Lions at Packers (-13.5)
“I keep saying it, and eventually the Lions will win one in their division. Just not this week, and especially not at Lambeau Field, where I believe the Lions haven’t won since Barry Sanders was a young pup.”
Rams at Jaguars (-9.5)
“The Rams showed some fight last week, while the Jaguars ran into a buzzsaw against Seattle. So who to like here? Seeing how the Jags have won more than two games in the past calendar year (and the Rams haven’t), I’ll go with Jacksonville. But do understand that I still think both of these teams are terrible.”
Ravens at Vikings (-3.5)
“This looks like a great matchup on paper. But then again, the Ravens have dropped two in a row, and they’re 26th in the league in defending the pass. Unless Ed Reed gets three picks on Brett Favre, the Vikings can pull this one off.”
Browns at Steelers (-14.5)
“Steelers. But I’d pick most high school squads to beat the Browns in a football game. Next!”
Panthers (-3.5) at Buccaneers
“Both of these teams stink to high heaven. But I’ll take the Panthers for the sole reason that Jake Delhomme hasn’t thrown four INTs in a game for almost a month.”
Chiefs at Redskins (-6.5)
“The Redskins are pretty terrible, and they just might be on the verge of firing their coach. Kansas City isn’t much better, but they have a puncher’s chance in this one. In fact, I’ll take Kansas City to win, thus helping Jim Zorn find new employment.”
Eagles (-14.5) at Raiders
“This one isn’t too hard. I’ll take the Eagles even if Michael Vick takes every snap at quarterback.”
Cardinals at Seahawks (-3.5)
“It could be a shootout. Then again, that applies to nearly every game that the Cardinals play. The Seahawks can put up points too, but I see the Cardinals as a better team. Arizona takes it, but they might combine with Seattle for about 85 points.”
Titans at Patriots (-9.5)
“Every week, I wonder if this will be the week that the Titans get a win. I also wonder if it’ll be the week that Tom Brady gets back into his old form. And after five weeks, it seems like Brady is closer to his goal than the Titans are to theirs. Pats win, especially if Tennessee hits the panic button and inserts Vince Young.”
Bills at Jets (-9.5)
“Who to choose here …t he promising team coming off a loss or the exploding disaster in the making? That’s easy, Jets all day. Next!”
Bears at Falcons (-3.5)
“You might not realize it, but Chicago has won three games in a row. And while Atlanta looks strong, the Falcons’ defense has been a little suspect. Not that the Bears’ D has been much better, but Chicago has enough firepower to take this one. This could also be a first-round playoff game, but I’m not ready to guarantee that just yet. But I will tell you that the Bears will win.”
Broncos at Chargers (-3.5)
“It’s another chance for some team to knock the Broncos off their high horse. But San Diego has been pretty up and down this season, so I don’t think they can muster the juice to run with Denver. The Broncos will stay undefeated after this one, assuming old Ed Hochuli doesn’t swoop in and blow a call like he did for the Chargers in one of last year’s match ups.”
Week 5 Results: 9-5
2009 Season Prediction Results: 46-30 (.605)
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Past Predictions: Week 2 / Week 3 / Week 4 / Week 5
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