My 2022 NFL Picks (Week 6)

Baseball is depressing.  It's a good thing hockey season started.  And it's a good thing that football season is really heating up, too.  We've gotten to the point in the season where we start having byes, although I'd still like to know how the NFL decides whose bye is when.  It's so completely random!  It feels like they just pull four teams out of a hat each week!  And coming back from London doesn't automatically get you one anymore, since the Saints and Vikings both played last week and the Packers and Giants are both playing this week.

Thursday Night: Chicago (Loss)

49ers (3-2) at Falcons (2-3): San Francisco-Last season, the NFC West put three teams in the playoffs, and there was every reason that would happen again this year.  Instead, they're all mired in mediocrity, with the 49ers in first place at 3-2.  Is San Francisco the best team in that division?  I don't think so.  But they'll get another chance to add to their win stockpile by beating another not good NFC South team on the road.

Patriots (2-3) at Browns (2-3): New England-Calling this a "must-win" game for the Patriots might be a little premature, but a loss certainly wouldn't be good.  New England, believe it or not, is currently in sole possession of last place in the AFC East!  They're still looking for an identity and playing a Cleveland team that has been competitive in every game.  Logic dictates the Browns should probably be the pick here.  But, as you know, I just have a problem picking the Cleveland Browns in any game, regardless of whether or not I probably should.

Jets (3-2) at Packers (3-2): Green Bay-Who would've figured that the Packers and Jets would both come into this game with the same record?  Or that the Jets would be sitting in a playoff position when they met?!  I certainly wouldn't have fallen into either category!  Last week was a wake-up call for the Packers, though.  They can't take any teams lightly, which I think they did with the Giants.  They won't make the same mistake against the other New York team.

Jaguars (2-3) at Colts (2-2-1): Jacksonville-Jacksonville always beats Indianapolis.  I don't know why.  It's just one of those things that happens in the NFL.  They've already played once this season, and the Jaguars shut out the Colts 24-0 in Week 2.  So, even though the Colts will probably at least score this time, there's no reason to think the Jaguars won't beat them again.

Vikings (4-1) at Dolphins (3-2): Minnesota-Tua's cleared but won't play.  Which he shouldn't.  Because he still probably has a concussion!  Anyway, we saw last week what the Dolphins look like without him and it wasn't pretty!  And that was against the Jets!  Is there any reason to think they'll fare any better against the Vikings?  Sure, the game is in Miami, but that's not enough of a factor to make a difference.

Bengals (2-3) at Saints (2-3): Cincinnati-It's Who Dat vs. Who Dey in N'awlins.  It's also a chance to see Andy Dalton against his former team, who obviously made the right call in going with Joe Burrow.  The AFC champs find themselves needing a win after last week's 19-17 loss in Baltimore.  This'll be another tough road game for them, but the result should be different.

Ravens (3-2) at Giants (4-1): Giants-Can all of the haters please acknowledge that the Giants just might be for real?  They hit a home run in Brian Daboll, who has to be the early favorite for Coach of the Year.  Beating the Packers in London sent a real message to take this team seriously.  And Saquon Barkley is an MVP candidate if he stays healthy.  I can't believe I'm actually excited about the Giants for the first time in years!

Buccaneers (3-2) at Steelers (1-4): Tampa Bay-OK, it's official.  The Steelers aren't good.  They've lost four straight and looked progressively worse in each game.  As if losing to the Jets wasn't bad enough, they go and manage just a field goal against the Bills.  Unfortunately, things probably won't go much better against Tom Brady and the Bucs.

Panthers (1-4) at Rams (2-3): Rams-The Rams are below .500 this late in the season for the first time under Sean McVay.  Which isn't really an indictment of them as much as a commentary on how difficult their early schedule has been.  Their losses are to Buffalo, San Francisco (who they always lose to for some reason) and Dallas, who have a combined four losses between them.  Against Carolina, they'll look like the Super Bowl champions again.

Cardinals (2-3) at Seahawks (2-3): Arizona-Had the Mariners won Game 3, this one would've been moved from a 1:00 Pacific start to the incredibly odd start time of 2:30 Pacific.  But, since the Astros won, it'll start at its regularly scheduled time.  Which prevents the awkwardness of the finish running into the start of the Sunday night game.

Bills (4-1) at Chiefs (4-1): Kansas City-We all know what happened the last time these two played.  It was an instant classic that pissed so many people off the NFL (unnecessarily) changed the rules because of it!  The NFL knew the rematch would be a must-see, which is why they made it a full national broadcast on CBS (I'm assuming this was a game CBS requested for a doubleheader instead of in prime time).  The Chiefs have beaten the Bills in the playoffs the last two years, with both games taking place in Kansas City.  This one's in Kansas City, too, thus, they're the pick.

Cowboys (4-1) at Eagles (5-0): Philadelphia-Suddenly, the NFC East is the NFC East again!  The Eagles, Cowboys and Giants are a combined 13-2, and the Giants' loss is to Dallas!  Whether it stays like this all season is a different question, but there's no denying that this is a huge one on Sunday night.  Either Philly will have a two-game lead or Dallas will have the tiebreaker.  It's been a good week for Philadelphia sports, so go with Option A.

Broncos (2-3) at Chargers (3-2): Chargers-Once again, Denver is playing a national game!  Why are the Broncos in prime time every week?!  Seriously, this is their sixth game and it's already the fourth time they've been on Thursday/Sunday/Monday night!  I know they have Russell Wilson now, but that's a little excessive for a team that hasn't made the playoffs in six years.  Especially since they'll be 1-3 in prime time after this one!

This Week: 0-1
Last Week: 9-7
Overall: 44-36-1