Week 6 Picks and Discussion

Week 6 is always a pivotal week in the NFL season and this week will be no different. The contenders begin separating themselves from the pretenders, the No. 1 draft pick teams begin separating themselves from the merely cruddy teams, and the MVP hopefuls separate themselves from the average players.

Unfortunately, among the pretenders are my picks. I went 6-8 against the spread last week, but I feel confident in my picks this week. Here they are.

Tennessee (+3) over TAMPA BAY

I don't see the Buccaneers getting the job done, even in the bad NFC South, with Earnest Graham taking the brunt of their carries.

CHICAGO (-5) over Minnesota

Oh boy. The Bears. What to make of the Monsters of the Midway? I'll give them the edge at home over the Vikes, but what the heck are they going to do the rest of the year? That, my friends, is anyone's guess.

JACKSONVILLE (-6.5) over Houston

Welcome back to Earth, Houston Texans. We missed you.

CLEVELAND (-4.5) over Miami

Do I want to live in a world where the Cleveland Browns are actually semicontenders?

BALTIMORE (-9.5) over St. Louis

The eternal badness of the Rams is not to be messed with.

Washington (+3) over GREEN BAY

Upset pick of the week.

Cincinnati (-3) over KANSAS CITY

In this the weirdest of all NFL seasons, you don't back a road favorite unless you've got a good reason. LJ falling off the face of the earth is a good reason.

NY JETS (+3) over Philadelphia

On the other hand, no good reason not to pick the Jets here.

Carolina (+4) over ARIZONA

Watch Vinny Testaverde turn the Panthers season around now.

Oakland (+9.5) over SAN DIEGO

One week the Chargers play well and all of a sudden they're giving 9.5 points? No, thanks.

New England (-5.5) over DALLAS

Yeah, you can officially say the Cowboys aren't good. They had no right to win last week. You could've asked me to bet my life that, given Buffalo scoring 3 non-offensive TDs and Tony Romo turning the ball over 6 times, that Buffalo would win and I'd be a dead man today.

SEATTLE (-6.5) over New Orleans

No one is talking about the Seahawks, and you know what that means: the contender-from-nowhere scenario.

NY Giants (-3.5) over ATLANTA

ELI!!!! HARRINGTON!!! IT'S MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL ON ESPN!!!!