Gridiron Blitz: Week Five NFL Predictions

Time to preview week five of the NFL season.

Music to listen to: Metatron by The Mars Volta

I had a pretty darn good week in predictions last week. I was 10-4 with my picks, which is strange considering that this has been one of the most unpredictable years in picking I can ever remember. I’ll get to some of the confusing teams during my breakdowns but the age of parity has truly reached the NFL.

Here are my picks (home team in CAPS):

ST. LOUIS (+8) San Diego: What have the Chargers done to garner being an over touchdown favorite over anybody, especially on the road heading into another time zone? I know that the Rams got beaten up last week at Detroit but the Chargers just lost to the Raiders. Give me the home team.

HOUSTON (-4.5) Kansas City: The luster is definitely off of the Texans but I still think that Houston is the better team than Kansas City. Houston have now gotten beaten up twice at home by Dallas and the New York Giants, so that does have to be considered when picking this game. The Chiefs did look feisty on the road at Indy but missed too many scoring opportunities and I see the same thing happening in Houston. Also, stop smiling after dropping touchdown passes, Dwayne Bowe!

Baltimore (+2.5) NEW ENGLAND: Deion Branch isn’t Randy Moss.

TAMPA (+4) New Orleans: I still think that the Saints are the better team and will probably win but its going to be a close contest.

PHILADELPHIA (-2.5) Atlanta: I think that Kevin Kolb will be fine and I’m not ready to take the Falcons on the road for the second week in a row.

Detroit (+10) NY GIANTS: I have no idea how to rate this game because you don’t know which Giants team will show up. Will it be the team that looked well at Houston last week or the squad that looked terrible at Indy and home against the Titans? I’m taking a chance on the Lions making the game closer than the experts think.

CHICAGO (-6.5) Seattle: Taking the home team against a west coast team traveling to another time zone.

GREEN BAY (-4) Miami: I picked the Dolphins to win the AFC East and that hasn’t turned out well. I expected more from Chad Henne and that was a mistake. The Dolphins home game against the Patriots will make it hard for me to ever pick Miami in another contest this season.

CLEVELAND (+13.5) Pittsburgh: I still like the Steelers but with Roethlisberger coming back this week, I think its too much to ask him to beat another squad by two touchdowns, even if they are starting a rookie quarterback.

New York Jets (-3) DENVER: I’ve been VERY skeptical about the Jets in the past but I have to admit that they are a good squad. This has all of the makings of a 14-10 win for the Jets on the road.

SAN FRANCISCO (-6.5) Oakland: The 49er are desperate for a win and getting your rival at home makes things even more dire. I think San Fran realizes that jobs are literally on the line and this is a must win.

MINNESOTA (-1.5) Dallas: Another game where it can go either way. I have to think that the home team will pull this one out as well, but if the Cowboys win this one, I wouldn’t be shocked.

Also, I love how Brett Farve is planting the seeds for him eventually leaving the Vikings during the season. This is the same man who has played through every physical and emotional obstacle possible in his career and now that his elbow is sore, he is saying that he is may sit out a game or two. Please. There is no way that he misses a game now but if the Vikings do lose two or three more games in a row, Farve will feign injury and walk away from the team. You heard it here first.

Indianapolis (-3) WASHINGTON: Never bet against Peyton Manning on national TV in a night game, even if its on the road.

Tennessee (-3) JACKSONVILLE: This may be the breakout game this season for Chris Johnson, meaning 200 yards rushing and two touchdowns. I just have that feeling about this game.

Those are my thoughts, what about yours?

Last week: 10-4-0

Season: 35-39-2