Week 5 of the 2015 NFL season did not disappoint at all with the exciting highlights and thrilling moments which enthralled fans to the fullest. That week is now in books, however. Fortunately, there’s still plenty of more intense football action coming your way in Week 6. And as always we’ve got you covered with our complete picks of all the scheduled matchups. Just read on below and enjoy.
Meanwhile, if you’re already looking to get yourself ready for the upcoming week, why don’t you click here to see our preview for the Thursday Night Football battle between the undefeated Atlanta Falcons vs. New Orleans Saints.
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2015 NFL Week 6 Picks
Thursday, October 15
Atlanta Falcons (-3.5) at New Orleans Saints (+3.5)
[sc:NFL240banner ]The Atlanta Falcons continue to soar high above the NFC South with a perfect 5-0 record on the season. But there previous win opposite Washington on Sunday wasn’t a pretty one at all, as they only managed to slip by during the overtime period with the final score of 25-19.
Quarterback Matt Ryan wasn’t his usual self, completing just 24 of his 42 passes for 254 yards with zero touchdowns and two picks to his name. Then their star wide receiver in Julio Jones was kept in check for the second consecutive game, finishing with just 67 yards on five catches.
However, the Falcons’ formidable air game (7.9 yards per reception) is bound to relocate its rhythm this coming Thursday night against a New Orleans Saints team that has evidently struggled in locking up outside receivers. The Saints are allowing opponents 9.1 yards per catch thus far this season, the tenth-highest in the league.
You can read a comprehensive preview of the game here.
Writer’s Prediction: Atlanta (-3.5) remains unbeaten and manages to cover the spread.
Sunday, October 18
Washington Redskins (+5) at New York Jets (-5)
A heartbreaking 25-19 overtime loss to the Falcons on Sunday may just be exactly what the Washington Redskins need to motivate themselves in bouncing back against the New York Jets this coming Sunday.
The Redskins, who are now 2-3 through five games this year, would be smart to increase on their rushing plays since they’ll be going up against a Jets’ team that his second-best in the league in defending against the air attack (185.5 passing yards allowed per contest).
That said, the pressure is certainly on Alfred Morris to spark up the ground attack for the Burgundy and Gold. Morris was limited to just 15 yards on eight carries last Sunday but remains to be his team’s No. 1 option at the running back position. The Redskins will definitely be hoping that he could find the groove he had during their season-opening game versus Miami, wherein Morris exploded for 121 yards on 25 catches.
Click here for a detailed analysis of this NFL clash.
Writer’s Prediction: The Jets (-5) manage to hold off a resilient effort from Washington but fail to cover the spread.
Arizona Cardinals at Pittsburgh Steelers
Carson Palmer is at it again. Palmer successfully directed his team towards a dominant 42-17 triumph over the winless Lions on Sunday. He was poised and lethally accurate all throughout, completing 11 of his 14 passes for 161 yards and connected with Darren Fells, John Brown and Larry Fitzgerald for his three touchdowns.
Now, the Cardinals will be looking to sustain this momentum when they lock horns with the Ben Roethlisberger-less Pittsburgh Steelers for their Week 6 showdown at Heinz Field. But even without Big Ben, the Steelers are still an imposing team with the likes of Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell leading the charge in the air and ground attack.
Fortunately though, the Cardinals have been pretty solid in holding their own at the defensive side. They are currently yielding just 332.6 yards total yards per game—97.4 rushing yards and 235.2 passing yards—thus far this season, which is among the lowest in the league.
For a closer look at this matchup, just click here.
Writer’s Prediction: Arizona wins and manages to cover the spread thanks to another big outing form the always-reliable Carson Palmer.
Kansas City Chiefs (+3.5) at Minnesota Vikings (-3.5)
The Kansas City Chiefs are hurting. They are hurting because of their current four-game slide and are hurting even more due to the loss of their star running back in Jamaal Charles, who suffered a torn ACL during their 18-7 loss to the Bears on Sunday. And unsurprisingly, he’s already deemed out for the season.
All eyes are now going to be on the pair of running backs in Knile Davis (27 rushing yards thus far this year) and Charcandrick West (48 rushing yards) to lead the charge on Kansas City’s ground game from now on. The two will have a chance to start doing so this coming Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings—a team that ranks 27th overall in defending against the rush with 125.5 yards surrendered per contest this season.
But the biggest problem that the Chiefs’ will need to solve is neutralizing Adrian Peterson, who’s rumbled for 341 yards with three touchdowns in his last three games. Peterson is a huge reason why Minnesota’s ground game, which average 4.9 yards per carry, currently ranks second in the league.
Click here for an in-depth analysis of this contest.
Writer’s Prediction: The Vikings (-3.5) win and successfully cover the spread.
Cincinnati Bengals (-1.5) at Buffalo Bills (+1.5)
The Cincinnati Bengals are the real deal. They proved just that after a thrilling c0me-from-behind overtime victory over the reigning NFC West kings, Seattle Seahawks, and have now improved to a 5-0 win-loss record on the season.
Andy Dalton was simply marvelous on Sunday, throwing for 331 yards along with three touchdowns to lead the Bengals. He did have four sacks, though, and an interception opposite a formidable Seahawks’ defense. Nonetheless, Dalton still managed to take care of business despite being under tremendous amount of pressure.
Dalton and the rest of his Bengals squad will now look to stay perfect this season when they take on a depleted Buffalo Bills squad at Ralph Wilson Stadium this weekend. The Bengals have to feel good about this matchup as they’ll be looking take advantage of the absences of the Bills’ running backs’ LeSean McCoy and (maybe) Karlos Williams.
Also, expect Cincinnati’s offense to focus on its air attack, as the Bills’ secondary continues to struggle in guarding wide receivers with 274.0 passing yards allowed per contest, the ninth-most in the league this year. WR A.J. Green and TE Tyler Eifert could be in for another big-time performance in Week 6.
You can click here for a complete preview of this contest.
Writer’s Prediction: Cincinnati (-1.5) stays perfect and covers the spread with a resounding 27-0 win.
Chicago Bears (+3) at Detroit Lions (-3)
For as long as Jay Cutler continues to play the way he’s playing right now, good things are bound to happen for the Chicago Bears, who earned their second-straight victory on Sunday at the expense of the Kansas City Chiefs, 18-17.
This game was a nail-biter, as the Bears, who were missing the services of Eddie Royal (ankle) and Alshon Jeffery (hamstring), had to come from behind to win this one. Cutler, who finished with 252 yards on 26-of-45 passing, answered the call in fourth quarter by guiding his team to a pair of crucial TDs, the second being a seven-yard game-winning pass to Matt Forte with only 18 second remaining in regulation.
Cutler will now strive to prolong their winning run to three games in a row against the Detroit Lions for Week 6. Expect the 32-year-old quarterback to continue relying on Forte in initiating their rush game, that averages 116.2 yards per contest this season, and on his receiving corps to penetrate the Lions’ secondary which gives up 248.8 passing yards per game.
You can check out a complete breakdown of this NFL game here.
Writer’s Prediction: Chicago (+3) beat the Lions thanks to another stellar outing from Cutler.
Denver Broncos (-5) at Cleveland Browns (+5)
So far, so good for Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos. They stayed unbeaten this season after a tough 16-10 triumph over the Oakland Raiders on Sunday. The Broncos improved to a 5-0 record, which also marks the seventh-consecutive time that Manning began the season with five-straight wins.
The five-time MVP, who completed 22-of-35 passes for 266 yards, was lucky enough to be backed up by the Broncos’ formidable defense—that ranks first in the NFL with 278.0 total yards allowed per contest—compensate for his two interceptions. Their defense held the Raiders to 288 total yards.
Denver will now aim to continue delivering that kind of defensive pressure against the Cleveland Browns this coming Sunday. The Browns finally halted their two-game slide and barged back into the win column with a 33-30 upset win over the favored Ravens. The Browns heavily relied on the heroics of Josh McCown, who completed 36 of his 51 passes for a franchise-record of 457 yards and a pair of TDs. He also became the first ever Browns quarterback to notch three-straight 300-yard games.
Cleveland shall definitely look to McCown to continue his stellar outings and lead them to another upset, while also being hopeful that Manning continues having difficulty in taking care of the ball.
Browse through our detailed preview of this game here.
Writer’s Prediction: Denver (-5) escapes with a win but fails to cover the spread.
Houston Texans (-1) at Jacksonville Jaguars (+1)
The starting quarterback position remains in question for the Houston Texans. Ryan Mallet, who started the game versus the Colts Sunday, was forced to sit out after being hit in the midsection during the second quarter. He completed just 7-of-10 passes for 50 yards.
Replacing him was Brian Hoyer, who finished the game 24-of-31 for 312 yards with two touchdowns and a pick despite losing the game 27-20. His solid efforts, though, were noticed and rewarded, as he has now been assigned to get the starting role for their Week 6 matchup opposite the Jacksonville Jaguars this weekend.
That said, expect the Texans to continue leaning on DeAndre Hopkins, who led his team with 169 yards on 11 catches against the Colts, to take advantage of Jacksonville’s defense that’s allowing about 260.0 passing yards per game this season, the 12th-most in the NFL.
Meanwhile, the Jags will hope that their starting quarterback in Blake Bortles could build on his promising performance during Sunday’s loss to the Buccaneers. Bortles finished the game 23-of-33 for 303 yards along with four touchdowns and a single interception.
Writer’s Prediction: Houston (-1) wins by double digits.
Miami Dolphins (+2.5) at Tennessee Titans (-2.5)
The losing woes continued for the Miami Dolphins, as the Jets handed them their third-straight defeat, 27-14, during Week 4. The Dolphins allowed their opponents to score 425 yards of total offense and was completely overwhelmed by Chris Ivory’s career-best of 166 rushing yards.
Miami will need to tighten up their defense and start picking up their offense when they get another chance to put an end to their losing slide against Marcus Mariota and the rest of the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. The Titans will hope that Mariota continues showcasing his dual-threat capabilities. He completed 21 of his 32 passes for 187 yards and rushed five times for 47 yards in a losing effort to the Bills Sunday.
Get a better look about this showdown in our game preview here.
Writer’s Prediction: Tennessee (-2.5) prevails, but does not cover the spread.
Carolina Panthers at Seattle Seahawks
Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers have been breezing through the season thus far, winning all their first four games (Jacksonville, Houston, New Orleans and Tampa Bay) with an aggregate score of 108-71 and are one of the six remaining undefeated teams. But coming off their bye week, they’ll be in for their toughest challenge yet—the Seattle Seahawks—this weekend at CenturyLink Field.
The Seahawks, on the other hand, will be trying to move on from a gut-wrenching overtime defeat against the Andy Dalton-led Bengals, 27-23. Seattle defense, which is fifth-best in the league with 306.8 yards given up per game, evidently struggled in stopping the passing game as it allowed Cincinnati to compile 310 passing yards. But they won’t have to worry too much about this against the Panthers, who heavily pride themselves on ground attacks.
You can read a complete breakdown of the game here.
Writer’s Prediction: Seattle (-2.5) wins a thriller, however, they don’t cover the spread.
San Diego Chargers at Green Bay Packers
The San Diego Chargers were just five seconds away from capturing their third win of the season. But unfortunately, they couldn’t hold off Le’Veon Bell’s one-yard, game-winning touchdown run which gave the win to the Steelers, 24-20. That loss was their first one at Qualcomm Stadium this year.
Quarterback Philip Rivers, who completed 35 of his 48 passes for 365 yards and two touchdowns, will look to bounce back from that meltdown in their next matchup for Week 6 opposite a much more formidable team in the form of the Green Bay Packers.
Expect the Chargers to continue capitalizing on their solid passing game that ranks second in the NFL this year with 8.6 yards per catch. A testament to this has been their No. 1 wide receiver in Keenan Allen, who leads the team with 387 receiving yards on 33 receptions under his name.
But that’ll definitely be easier said than done against a Packers’ defense that only gives up 186.2 passing yards per contest on the year, the fourth-lowest in the league. And of course, Aaron Rodgers, the reigning NFL MVP, won’t be easily taken down as he’s been outstanding thus far this season, completing 70.6 percent of his passes for 1,236 yards and a league-best 13 touchdowns.
Click here for a thorough preview of this contest.
Writer’s Prediction: Green Bay wins this one and is able to cover the spread.
Baltimore Ravens (-2) at San Francisco 49ers (+2)
Solid games from both their quarterback, Joe Flacco, and running back, Justin Forsett, weren’t enough to give the Baltimore Ravens a much-needed victory on Sunday against the Browns. Flacco registered a decent output, going 19-of-35 for 210 yards and a touchdown, while Forsett rushed for 121 yards with a score on 21 carries.
The Ravens are now 1-4 for the first time in franchise history and will be looking to stop the bleeding as soon as possible. They’ll be fancying their chances this coming Sunday against a San Francisco 49ers team that gave up 441 passing yards and three touchdowns during their loss to the Giants in Week 5.
But of course, Baltimore’s ground game, which is accumulating 118.0 yards per contest, will remain to be a key factor to their success. Forsett can most certainly attest to this as he currently leads his team with 395 rushing yards and touchdown across five games thus far this year.
Writer’s Prediction: Baltimore (-2) wins and covers the spread.
New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts
The Patriots continued dazzling fans and extended their flawless start to the season after garnering their fourth-consecutive victory on Sunday against the Tony Rom0-less and Dez Bryant-less Cowboys, 30-6. The Patriots now hold a 4-0 record and are atop of their division standings.
Tom Brady, who was 20-of-27 for 275 yards with two touchdowns and no picks against Dallas, has joined Peyton Manning and Fran Tarkenton as the only NFL quarterbacks with 4-0 starts for at least four times in their careers. Furthermore, the 38-year-old has been nothing short of spectacular through four games, completing 72 percent of his throws with 11 touchdowns and zero picks. As a result of this, the Pats are averaging 37 points per contest which is among highest in the league.
New England will look to impose this dominance when they take on the Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium for their Week 6 matchup. The Colts, though, might not have Andrew Luck available for this game, as he continues nurse a shoulder injury. If that remains to be the case, the Colts will have no choice but to continue relying on Matt Hasselbeck for signal-calling duties. Across two starts this year, Hasselbeck has led his team to two-straight wins and has completed 63.2 percent of his passes for a total of 495 yards with three touchdowns.
Writer’s Prediction: New England remains unbeaten and improves to 5-0 this season with a double-digit victory over the Colts.
Monday, October 19
New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles
After a thrilling 30-27 victory over the Niners Sunday night, the New York Giants extended their winning streak to three games while their quarterback, Eli Manning, became the winningest quarterback in franchise history with 102.
Making the night extra special was the fact that Manning delivered the game-winning 12-yard touchdown pass to tight end Larry Donnell. The 34-year-old finished the game 41-of-54 for 441 yards and three touchdowns under his name.
Having all that said, Manning looks to be on track for another big performance in Week 6 against the Philadelphia Eagles—a team that’s one of the worst in league in defending against the air with 279.6 allowed per contest. Expect him to keep a closer eye on Odell Beckham Jr. downfield. The second-year wide receiver finished with 121 yards on seven receptions and a touchdown versus San Francisco.
The Eagles, meanwhile, are coming off a resounding 39-17 victory opposite the Saints in Week 5. Their QB Sam Bradford was quite efficient in this one, completing 32 of his 45 passes for 333 yards and two scores despite two red-zone interceptions to lead his team to its second win of the season.
Click here for an in-depth breakdown of this Monday Night Football action.
Writer’s Prediction: Eli Manning leads the Giants (-3) to a 17-10 triumph.
