Dear Readers,
Due to the magnitude of this week’s games and high volume of questions for the Original All Hip-Hop NFL Picks about the Others’ Picks. I will be taking all questions immediately following Sunday’s game.
Sincerely,
The Rowdy One
p.s. Getcha Popcorn Ready
1pm games:
Minnesota Vikings (1-3) vs. Chicago Bears (2-3)
Location: Soldier Field, Chicago, IL
This is an evenly matched game. Both teams have QB issues. Both teams have solid RBs. When you look at their stats, both teams are even across the board. The Bears offense is a little better against the pass. Not so much against the run. The Bear defense has averaged 98.8 yards against the run. Not a good week to have Vikes’ RB Adrian Peterson coming into Soldier Field. Look for the Vikes to run the ball since they presently have issues at QB. Peterson has 76 carries for 383 yards for the season. Surprisingly, he has only 1 touchdown.
The Bears will have to have a good mix of run and pass if they want to win. They have the better WRs and the RB combo of Cedric Benson and the other Adrian Peterson, the Original A.P., will give the Vikes D-line some issues. It really comes down to which Brian Griese comes to play. Will it be the Griese from Week 4 who threw 2 TDs and 3 INTs in their loss? Or will it be Week 5 Griese who threw 2 TDs and 1 interception in their win? We’ll have to wait and see.
My Pick: Bears
Miami Dolphins (0-5) vs. Cleveland Browns (2-3)
Location: Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, OH
Trent Green is out this week with another concussion. If you tell me this shocks you, I will find you and beat you with my shoe. The Phins will start their back-up QB, Cleo Lemon this week. It’s still not too late to try a trade with the Browns’ QB Brady Quinn. I would rather have Jack Lemon, his son Chris Lemmon, or a box of Lemonheads candy starting at QB than Cleo Lemon. The only highlight for the Phins this year is RB Ronnie Brown. Brown has 83 carries for 425 yards and 4 TDs so far this season
The Browns defense is improving and QB Derek Anderson has been a big surprise for the Browns and against the Phins weak passing defense, he has a great opportunity to put up some big numbers in this Sunday’s game. Jamal Lewis suffered an ankle injury in last weeks’ games against the Pats, so his status is “questionable”. Look for Anderson to go on an air-strike and hit WR Braylon Edwards and TE Kellen Winslow, Jr. for some big plays.
My Pick: Browns
Washington Redskins (3-1) vs. Green Bay Packers (4-1)
Location: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI
The Packers do not have a running game. The Packers average 67.6 yards a game when running the ball so far this season. The only thing the Packers can do is let Brett Farve throw the ball all over the place. That won’t work this weekend. Look for the ‘Skins D-backs to shut down the Packer’s WRs. Also, look for RB Clinton Portis to have a big game against a weak Packers’ run defense.
If the Packers are going to win, they need to have a mistake free game. If Farve can avoid any major interceptions for big yardage and also control the clock, the Packers can win the game. Also, if the Packers defense can put pressure on QB Jason Campbell and have him make costly mistakes, they have this game won. Right now, the ‘Skins have the edge.
My Pick: Redskins
Cincinnati Bengals (1-3) vs. Kansas City Chiefs (2-3)
Location: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO
Neither team has the greatest of defenses. The Bengals are a mere shell of themselves from a year ago, and I can’t remember the last time the Chiefs defense was anything worth talking about. The Bengals have the edge in QB and WR. Look for Carson Palmer to hit up T.J. “Who’s Your Momma” Houshmandzadeh and Ocho-Cinco to put points on the board since the Bengals don’t have a running game.
The Chiefs are going to get the most out of RB Larry Johnson. Look for the Chiefs to run the ball for the majority of the game. With an injured Damon Huard starting, the Chiefs won’t take any chances with Huard throwing the ball and leaving himself open for any big hits.
My Pick: Bengals
Philadelphia Eagles (1-3) vs. NY Jets (1-4)
Location: Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
The Eagles are coming off their bye; the Jets are coming off a loss. The Eagles should be well rested; the Jets should have gone back to the film room and figure out what they should do to stop their losing ways. The Eagles defense is allowing 74.5 yards in rushing this year. The Jets haven’t been able to run the ball at all. The acquisition on RB Thomas Jones was to help fill the hole left by Jets fan favorite, Curtis Martin. Jones is averaging 3.4 yards a carry. That stat combined with the poor play of QB Chad Pennington does not make a healthy combination for a win.
The Jets best chance to win is to throw the ball. It will be a hard task to achieve with against the well rested Eagle D-backs. Hopefully Laveranues Coles and Jericho Cotchery will make some of those great acrobatic catches they’ve been known for and use their speed to out run, out catch and out play the Eagles’ secondary.
My Pick: Eagles
Tennessee Titans (3-1) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2)
Location: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
Cadillac Williams is out for the year and Michael Pittman is out for 8 weeks with a high ankle sprain. That leaves the Bucs with a very thin rushing game, so they signed 13 year veteran FB Zack Crockett to help fellow FB B.J. Askew and RB Earnest Graham. That won’t happen. The Titans defense is allowing 72.3 yards per game on the ground. In order for the Bucs to win, Jeff Garcia will have to throw like he has never thrown before. He has to make big plays with his feet and use all of his options on the field and not lock into 1 or 2 players.
The Titans just have to do what they’ve been doing up to this point and avoid the turnovers. 5 turnovers in one game are just unacceptable. Imagine if they had 6 turnovers in a game. Wait, that happened already this season. Vince Young has to make big plays both his arms and his feet against the defense driven Bucs.
My Pick: Titans
Jacksonville Jaguars (3-1) vs. Houston Texans (3-2)
Location: Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX
The Jags have really found their stride. After their Week 1 loss to the Titans, Jags have won three straight games and are hoping to get their 4th straight this weekend against the Texans. The Jags have the better numbers and their defense will give Texans’ QB Matt Schuab a headache. Although the Texans defense has been solid, the Jags have the better running game and will look to pound it out against the Texans D-line.
The one thing that will help the Jags to a victory is the same thing that will hand the Texans a loss. The Texans can’t run the ball, averaging an anemic 85.8 yards a game rushing. Texans RB Ron Dayne and Ahmed Green have a combined total of 97 carries for 328 yards and 2 TDs. Not good at all.
My Pick: Jaguars
St. Louis Rams (0-5) vs. Baltimore Ravens (3-2)
Location: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, MD
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This is the “Held Together with Duct Tape and Chicken Wire” Bowl. Both the Ravens and Rams have big injuries to key players and there are a number of 2nd and 3rd stringers seeing plenty of playing time. Ravens’ QB, Steve McNair, played in last week’s game, so I expect to see him in the huddle this week. Look for the Ravens to run the heck out of Willis McGahee against a weak and beat up Rams defense.
The Rams defense has to put pressure on McNair and their offense has to protect Gus Frerotte. If the Rams’ O-line can buy Frerotte some time, he’ll be able to hit the Rams big play WRs for some big points. The Rams’ O-line will have to work extremely hard to open some holes for rookie RB Brian Leonard if they plan to matriculate the ball down the field.
My Pick: Ravens
4pm games:
Carolina Panthers (3-2) vs. Arizona Cardinals (3-2)
Location: Cardinals Stadium, Glendale, AZ
The Cards won’t have to worry about their “two quarterback” system anymore. Matt Leinart is out for the remainder of the year with a broken collar bone. That means Kurt Warner is the starter. With the way he and the team has been playing lately, the Cards are on track to make some noise in the weak NFC West and have a strong chance of winning the division.
With Jake Delhomme out for the year with a dislocated elbow, and David Carr missing practice Thursday due to a bad back, the Panthers didn’t want to take any chances. So they went out and signed 43-yar old QB Vinny Testaverde. No, I’m serious. Look it up. Honest to Pete. Carr will most likely be a game day decision. If he doesn’t play, he’ll hand over the ball and his white glove to Testaverde for the start. This has disaster written all over it. Take a guess which team I’m going with in this game. I’ll give you a hint; it won’t be the team in white and teal.
My Pick: Cardinals
Game of the Week: New England Patriots (5-0) vs. Dallas Cowboys (5-0)
Location: Texas Stadium, Irving, TX
I don’t normally make my “Game of the Week” prediction until after all of the games are played and the post is typed up, but this is it. This is first big showdown for the season. It’s a shame this game is happening in Week 6 instead of it happening later in the year. There would probably a lot more hype to it than it already has. At least it’s the national televised game on CBS. That way we can all see what madness will take place. There’s really not a whole lot to say in terms of stats. New England has a slight edge over the ‘Boys but, both teams are playing at a high volume and are making a ton of noise on their way to the play-offs. This is really a “make or break” game for both teams in a play-off type atmosphere game.
One thing for sure, Tony Romo cannot make the same mistakes he made in last Sunday’s game against the Bill in this game. There is too much at stake in terms of seeing how these two teams will perform. We know what the Pats can do in big game situations, but the ‘Boys have to show us something after last year’s loss in the play-offs. Romo cracked under pressure last year in the loss against the Seahawks. This is his chance to atone for that sin. The Pats are a complete team. They fill holes on offense and defense better than any sports franchise. Love them or hate them, the Pats coaching staff are always ready for the worst case scenario and will exploit your weakness like a pervert on NBC’s To Catch a Predator.
My Pick: Patriots
Oakland Raiders (2-2) vs. San Diego Chargers (2-3)
Location: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, CA
On paper, the Chargers are the better team. They have one weakness that stands out. That weakness is head coach Norv Turner. The Chargers got it right last week when they started to run the ball. The offense opened up and it allowed guys to get open for big plays and big yardage. With the AFC West starting to look like the NFC West, the field is open for any team to take that division.
The Raiders looked very good in their Week 4 win against the Dolphins. Then again, it was the Dolphins. My 3-year old nephew’s kindergarten class is a better team than the Dolphins. Both teams are even on defense, but despite that, the Chargers still have Philip Rivers and LaDainian Tomlinson. If coach Turner can stick to the same game plan he used last week, then the Chargers will win this game.
My Pick: Chargers
Sunday Night Game:
New Orleans Saints (0-4) vs. Seattle Seahawks (3-2)
Location: Qwest Field, Seattle, WA
Let’s be honest, are we really interested in this game? If I didn’t have to write about the game, I’d probably go out to the movies Sunday night. Any way, the Saints are looking like the “Ain’ts” again and the Seahawks are doing what birds do best. Crap all over the place. Both teams have made too many mistakes in their play making and things aren’t looking up. Drew Brees’ stats are just sickening. Brees is 112 for 177 with 929 passing yards, 1 touchdown, 9 INTs and he’s been sacked 4 times. You lost, Brees.
If the Saints decide to show up and win this game, they’re going to have to throw off the Seahawks offense they to attack the line of scrimmage with numerous blitzes. With Seahawks FB Mack Strong out for the year due to retiring immediately for a herniated disk which is pinching his spinal cord in his neck, and Shaun Alexander’s broken left hand, the Seahawks are really hurting in the rushing department. The Seahawks are still the better team because the “Aint’s” haven’t found their offense yet and with 2 weeks to go until the halfway mark, time is running out.
My Pick: Seahawks
Monday Night Game:
NY Giants (3-2) vs. Atlanta Falcons (1-4)
Location: Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA
The Giants defense is too much for a Falcon’s team that can’t run the ball. The Falcons are averaging 91.6 yards of rushing a game. The Giants defense is allowing 95.2 yards of rushing this season. Who do you think will win this game of chicken? Last Sunday’ Falcons’ head coach, Bobby Petrino, had the back-up QB, Byron Leftwich, sub in the game in the 4th quarter because Joey Harrington couldn’t get the job done and he wanted a spark for the offense. That spark was a loss. Good job coach.
Eli Manning had started the season with a few bumps, but with Brandon Jacobs back and his WRs catching the easy as well as the hard passes, look for the Giant s to get the ball in the hands of a number of potential play makers. Having the Giants defense match-up against the Falcons’ weak offensive line is like giving a crack head free crack. They’re going to have a field day on the Falcons.
My Pick: Giants
Teams with Bye weeks: Buffalo Bills (1-4), Denver Broncos (2-3), Detroit Lions (3-2), Indianapolis Colts (5-0), Pittsburgh Steelers (4-1), San Francisco 49ers (2-3)