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The NFL season heads into week five of what has been an
exciting and unpredictable ride. While
it’s early, a few trends seem to be emerging.
The Bears really have a shot at a playoff slot if Mitch Trubisky can stay
within shouting distance of the team’s defense.
The pickup of Khalil Mack seems to have affected the balance of the NFC
North.
Patrick Mahomes looks to be the most exciting QB to enter
the league in years. He makes plays like
a young Aaron Rodgers. The Bengals look
to be improved, as do the Browns. Now, on
to this week’s games.
Colts
at Patriots: By
the time this is posted, this game will probably be over. I really did pick the Patriots, however. Andrew Luck is coming off a huge game against
the Texans, but I’ll take Tom Brady and the Patriots until I’m convinced they’re
really in decline. Pick: Patriots
Jaguars
at Chiefs: I
know the Jags have a great defense, but I’ll still take Patrick Mahomes and the
Chiefs. Mahomes showed his mettle in a
come from behind win over the Broncos in Denver. He seems to have not only the physical skills
but also the temperament to get the job done.
Pick: Chiefs
Titans
at Bills: I’ve
been slow to the think the Titans are a good team. Losing to the Dolphins will do that to a
person. I still think they’re better
than the Bills. Pick: Titans
Falcons
at Steelers: The
Falcons might be the best 1-3 team in the NFL.
The Steelers have been spotty at best and are coming off an uninspired
loss against the Ravens. I look for the
Falcons to prevail. It seems the Le’Veon
Bell may return to the Steelers in week seven of the season. That’s the Steelers bye week. Look for the Steelers to give Bell a bye-bye
week before too long. Pick:
Falcons
Packers
at Lions: Aaron
Rodgers is still somewhat hobbled, but the Lions don’t seem to have their act
together under new head coach, Matt Patricia.
The bottom line, when things are close, Aaron Rodgers seems to find a
way to win and the Lions seem to find a way to lose. Pick: Packers
Broncos
at Jets: After
a promising win over the Lions, the Jets and rookie QB, Sam Darnold seem to
have regressed since an opening week win over the Lions. The Broncos are coming off a tough loss to
the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes. Look for
the Broncos to take out their frustration on the Jets. Pick: Broncos
Giants
at Panthers: While
the Giants have some weapons for a passing game, I doubt their offensive line
will give Eli Manning enough time to take advantage of them. I also think Saquon Barkley will have a tough
go against the Panthers defense. I’m not
a huge fan of Cam Newton, but the Panthers offensive should be able to put up
enough points to get by the Giants. Pick: Panthers
Dolphins
at Bengals: Bengals
QB, Andy Dalton has looked like regular season Andy and not playoff Andy so far
this season. That’s a good thing. The Bengals are coming off a thrilling last second
win over the Falcons while the Dolphins got stomped by the Patriots last
week. The Dolphins running game also has
apparently gone into the witness protection program. Both teams are 3-1, but the Dolphins strike
me as the worse 3-1 team in the NFL. Pick: Bengals
Ravens
at Browns: The
Browns sit a 1-2-1 but their record could be so much better. The best thing the Browns have done is give
the QB reins to Baker Mayfield. Mayfield
makes the Browns look like a legitimate NFL offense. He has good young cast around him and they
should get better together. Ravens QB,
Joe Flacco, is coming off a solid performance in the Ravens win over the
Steelers. I think the Browns will do a
better job of putting things together Sunday. Pick: Browns
Raiders
at Chargers: The
Raiders and Jon Gruden picked up their first win over the Browns last
week. The Chargers sit at 2-2. I think the Raiders will feel less of a sense
of urgency with their first win under their belt, but mostly, I think the
Chargers are the better team. Pick: Chargers
Rams
at Seahawks: The
Rams look to be the class of the NFL. I’d
pick them to win regardless of who they’re playing this week. This week they happen to be playing the
Seahawks. I don’t think Russell Wilson’s
improvisational skills will be enough to pull an upset. Pick: Rams
Cardinals
at 49ers: With
Niners QB, Jimmy Garoppolo, out with a season ending injury, any playoff hopes
pretty well went down the drain.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals didn’t have much in the way of playoff hopes to
begin with. Cardinals rookie QB, Josh
Rosen, has done fairly well. Look for him to do well enough to pull off the
mild upset with the help of the Cardinals defense. Pick: Cardinals
Vikings
at Eagles: The
Eagles are off to a sluggish 2-2 start. The allegedly strong Vikings defense hasn’t
been particularly impressive thus far.
One of these teams will start to right the ship this week and the other
will have an uphill climb. I think the
nod goes to the Eagles. Pick: Eagles
Cowboys at Texans : In
the battle of Texas, the Texans bring in a poor pass defense to do battle with
a team with a below average passing offense. I don’t think the Cowboys can
exploit the weaknesses in the Texans secondary.
Look for the Texans pass rush and run defense to be the key. Pick: Texans
Redskins
at Saints: Beating
the Saints at home is a tough proposition.
Drew Brees still looks to be at the top of his game as his passer rating
of 115.3 would indicate. Alex Smith has
done a good job as the Redskins new QB while Adrian Petersen has been a real
boost for the ground game. This should
be a real shootout. Pick: Saints
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