Fox's NFL Pick'ems: Week 6

Ryan L. Fox

They always say that the best time of the year is in October when the season’s change and the weather gets colder and more brisk. In other words, it’s perfect football weather. Week 6 is here so this is the time of the football season where some teams start to measure themselves on where they are and whether or not they will be ready for when the weather gets colder and the playoffs start to appear on the horizon.

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LAST WEEK’S RECORD: 2-2
 
All right, back to .500 with the weekly picks. Still could have been a little bit better but oh well. Can’t always be perfect, right Pats fans?
 
OVERALL RECORD: 7-9
 
So this is what it’s like to be mediocre. Might as well change my name to Jeff Fisher from now on.
 
Honorable Mention
 
San Francisco 49ers @ Buffalo Bills
Sunday @ 1:00 p.m.
 
Hey look everybody, Kaepernick is back under center. Applause! Wait, no applause? Okay…I see how it is. All jokes aside, the 49ers had to make a QB change to jump start an offense that’s ranked 31st in total yards (291.4 ypg) and 18th in scoring (22.2 ppg). Besides being the butt of jokes, Kaep still has the potential to overwhelm an undisciplined defense with his ability to not only pass but bring the ball down and scramble. But the downside is that his production has declined greatly since former HC Jim Harbaugh was let go by the team.
 
With the Bills, they’ve been riding a 3-game winning streak, which include an impressive blowout of the Cardinals, a shutout of the Patriots, and a stifling of the Rams. They currently are the third best team rushing the ball, racking up 137.2 yards per game as RB LeSean McCoy is 4th in the league with 447 yards on the ground. Seeing that the 49ers defense is giving up 148.6 ypg in rushing and how aggressive the Bills can be on defense, it’s going to be a long day for Kaep.
 
Pick: Bills
 
Da Picks
 
Cincinnati Bengals @ New England Patriots
Sunday @ 1:00 p.m. ET
 
You know Brady is going to light up the Bengals this weekend in his ‘first home game’ of the season. Historically, the Bengals have always struggled against the Patriots for whatever reason or another, including a 43-17 knockdown last time the two teams played each other (ironically enough, it was in Foxborough).
 
Yes, the Bengals’ AJ Green is having a phenomenal season with his 518 yards receiving (2nd overall in the NFL). Yes, the Bengals own the 11th best passing defense this year (224.6 ypg allowed). Yes, they can hand the ball off to Jeremy Hill and Giovanni Bernard.
 
But all that means crap when your head coach, who can’t coach himself out of a wet paper bag, goes against the 2nd greatest coach in NFL history and can scheme 5 different ways to stop your offense while he’s scheming 5 different ways to circumvent the rules.
 
Calling it now as Pats 40, Bengals 21.
 
Pick: Pats
 
Dallas Cowboys @ Green Bay Packers
Sunday @ 4:25 p.m. ET
 
*ahem* Maestro….cue the music please.
 
A classic showdown between two timeless teams on the Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field. After losing their home opener, the Dallas Cowboys have won 4 games in a row including the past 3 games where they held the opponent to under 20 points. They also boast the NFL’s top rushing attack, accumulating 155.2 yards per game. The team’s offensive success can be attributed to their two rookies: RB Ezekiel Elliot, who leads the league in rushing with 546 yards, and QB Dak Prescott, who has thrown 155 passes without an interception and has a chance to set the record in that category.
 
As impressive as the Cowboys are, the Packers are better. Led by the cool and calm Aaron Rodgers, the Packers are still finding ways to score (24.5 ppg) even though the numbers are not as flattering (321.8 ypg for 25th overall). But where the offense has struggled, the defense has flourished. Led by the likes of Clay Matthews and Nick Perry, the Packers defense has stifled offenses (317.8 ypg allowed for 9th overall and 20.8 ppg allowed for 12th overall). The most impressive display is the defense’s ability shut down opposing running backs. They have allowed a league low 42.8 ypg and have not let an opposing running back rush for over 50 yards this season.
 
The Dallas running attack would prove to be a tough task to go up against if they were to play in Dallas. But since this game is in Green Bay, you can beat the Packers fans will make it miserable for Prescott, Elliot, and the Cowboys.
 
And $5 says you read this entire prediction in John Facenda’s voice (If you don’t know who that is, look him up you uncultured swine.)
 
Pick: Packers
 
New York Jets @ Arizona Cardinals
Sunday @ 8:30 p.m. ET
 
It’s an obvious must win for both of these teams to at least salvage a semblance of a season, more so for the Jets (1-4) rather than the Cardinals (2-3). However with a passing defense that has given up the 2nd most yards in the entire NFL (303.0), the Jets are going to be in for a long night against team that has multiple passing threats (RB David Johnson, WRs Michael Floyd, John Brown, and Larry Fitzgerald).
 
Pick: Cardinals