NFL 2022 Week 6 Prequel
Thursday, October 13, 2022, 8pm
Washington Commanders at Chicago Bears (Pick ‘em) — A pair of nondescript teams that inspire nobody face off in a game nobody cares about. Go with the home field, and give the slightest edge to Justin Fields at home over Carson Wentz. Bears win
Sunday, October 16, 1pm
San Francisco 49ers (-6 1/2) at Atlanta Falcons — The 49ers are the better team, but the Falcons did take Tampa to the limit last week. A controversial roughing the passer call prevented a possible upset. Jimmy Garoppolo is playing well, but Marcus Mariota is no scrub. The 49ers have the edge on defense and wide receiver. 49ers win but fail to cover
New England Patriots at Cleveland Browns (-3) Bill Belichick never passes up a chance to humiliate the team that fired him. Yet this time Belichick is starting a third string quarterback. Jacoby Brissett is a career backup, but a competent one. Nick Chubb can run the ball. If the Browns can establish the run, they should be able to get the win. Browns cover
New York Jets at Green Bay Packers (-7) — The Packers are out of sync offensively. They may be tired from their return trip from London. Yet they will be at home against a Jets team coming off one of their biggest wins in years. Expect a letdown, especially if the Jets start believing they are good. An angry Aaron Rodgers is a dangerous one. Packers cover
Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts (-2) — The Jaguars are improved, but not where they should be. The Colts lack consistency. Jonathan Taylor is not lighting it up like he did last year. Matt Ryan has not shown he is the answer. Nevertheless, Trevor Lawrence is still not where he should be. Go with the home field. Colts cover
Minnesota Vikings (-3) at Miami Dolphins — Tua Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater are still out. Skylar Thompson had three decent quarters last week as the third stringer but wilted in the fourth quarter. Kirk Cousins still has Justin Jefferson and Dalvin Cook. Vikings cover
Cincinnati Bengals (-1) at New Orleans Saints — The Bengals lost a heartbreaker on the final play against Baltimore. The Saints do not have great quarterback-lay right now, but they do have a tough defense. The Bengals have not fixed their offensive line. This could be a brutal beating for Joe Burrow. Plus, the Superdome is a tough place to play. Upset special, Saints win outright
Baltimore Ravens (-5.5) at New York Giants — The Giants are 4-1 and starting to believe.The Ravens nearly blew their third double digit lead at home but eked out a tough win over Cincinnati. Lamar Jackson is light years better than Daniel Jones. If Saquon Barkley runs well, this game could be close. Ravens win but fail to cover
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-8) at Pittsburgh Steelers — Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season with the Steelers, but this year they are 1-4. They lost last week by 38 points, the worst loss of his career. The Buccaneers offense has not been as high-powered since Bruce Arians retired. Now they grind out wins. Forget the nonsense about Brady’s personal life off of the field. His offense has suffered injuries on the field. They still win, but uglier. Buccaneers win but fail to cover
4pm
Carolina Panthers at Los Angeles Rams (-10) — The Panthers fired Matt rule after a 1-4 start and Steve Wilks became the interim head coach. The Rams have been a shell of the team that won it all last year. At some point their offense will explode. The Panthers are a bad team. This will be the week that the Rams take all their frustrations out. This is the last week to give the Rams the benefit of the doubt. Rams cover
Arizona Cardinals (-2 1/2) at Seattle Seahawks — Neither team is playing good football. Geno Smith, however, seems to have put his early career fumbleitis behind him. Smith has been competent if unspectacular. Kyler Murray has been spectacular at times but not always competent. The Seahawks still have their playmakers at the wide receiver positions. Pete Carroll is still a better coach than Kliff Kingsbury. Upset special, Seahawks win outright.
Buffalo Bills (-2) at Kansas City Chiefs — The Chiefs barely survived the Raiders on Monday night Football. The Bills are burning for revenge after being 13 seconds away from the AFC Title Game and losing. The Chiefs are at home, but the Bills defense is giving Josh Allen more help than Patrick Mahomes receives from his. Bills cover
8pm
Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles (-5) — Yes, Cooper Rush has won four straight in place of the injured Dak Prescott. No, this is not Rush’s team once Prescott returns. No, the unbeaten Eagles are not 1972 Miami or 1985 Chicago. Home field has often meant little in this series. This will be a statement win for whoever wins and a reality check for the losing team. The spread is too high for this bitter rivalry. Upset special, Cowboys win outright
Monday, October 17, 8pm
Denver Broncos at Los Angeles Chargers (-5.5) — The Broncos offense has yet to gel while the Chargers consistently underachieve. The Broncos have a good defense. The Broncos play ugly whether they win or lose, and home field does not mean much in this series. Chargers win but fail to cover