Fraser's Favorites Week 6

Oakland at Atlanta

Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons are no longer just a dome team. They have won three road games already this season, outdoors, on grass, and in bad weather. Bad weather is never a concern in the Georgia Dome where Mike Smith and Matt Ryan are almost unbeatable. This week they welcome the Oakland Raiders who are just coming out of their bye. This one won’t even be close. Ryan will light up the Oakland secondary, padding his MVP resume.

Oakland- 23

Atlanta- 42

Cincinnati at Cleveland

The city of Cleveland needs to find hope somewhere. The Cavaliers lost all hope when Lebron James left for Miami two years ago. The Indians were among the worst teams in the majors this season. And now the Browns are heading into their week six matchup against the Bengals 0-5. Cleveland sports fans will finally get a taste of victory this weekend when the Browns defeat the Bengals at home. Brandon Weedon will build off of his best game as a rookie and Trent Richardson will feast on a rush defense allowing close to 120 yards per game.

Cincinnati-20

Cleveland- 23

St. Louis at Miami

A battle of the most underrated teams in the league up until this point. These teams are definitely not among the most talented in terms of personnel, but have won games with defense, special teams, and a consistent rushing attack. First year coaches Jeff Fisher and Joe Philbin deserve credit for getting these players to play to their potential. It is imperative that Miami finds a way to protect its young quarterback this week against the Rams. In order to be able to protect him, the Dolphins will have to establish a ground game early to set up better protections and the play action passing attack. Expect Sam Bradford and the Rams offense to struggle on the road, while Ryan Tannehill will play his best game as a rookie.

St. Louis- 23

Miami- 27

Indianapolis at NY Jets

The Indianapolis Colts exhilarating win over the Packers last week wasn’t just about a win or a loss, it was more about the mental and spiritual victory they claimed. The ChuckStrong mentality, logo, and image that they entered the game with ultimately drove them to an incredible 18 point comeback win. This week the Colts will continue their mental battle and bring it to Met Life Stadium to take on the New York Jets. The New York Jets surprisingly played a close came with the unbeaten Houston Texans, mostly thanks to Joe McKnight and a special teams touchdown. It is essential to point out that Tony Sparano had to take two timeouts in efforts to get the “Tebow” package into the game. Those plays taken after the timeouts gained a combined three yards. The Jets have to decide if they are going to use Tebow and how often they will use him. With a 2-3 record going into this week six matchup, the Jets need a win. Led by their defense and another exceptional special teams effort, the Jets will knock off the Colts to improve to .500

Indianapolis- 21

NY Jets- 23

Detroit at Philadelphia

After five weeks, the Philadelphia Eagles have turned the ball over 11 times. Six of those turnovers have come in the redzone. To put that into perspective, the Jacksonville Jaguars have only gotten 9 redzone attempts this year. While it is among the most obvious flaws with this Eagles team, Michael Vick needs to learn how to hold onto the football. Now. The Eagles need to learn how to play turnover free ball, the Lions need to learn how to play special teams. Special teams have been absolutely disastrous for the Lions and that ultimately comes down to coaching. Jim Schwartz may have taken this Lions team from irrelevant to the playoffs, but if this team has any aspirations of making a run at the Superbowl they have to learn discipline. An undisciplined team against Michael Vick is a recipe for disaster. Eagles get a much-needed win.

Detroit- 30

Philadelphia- 33

Dallas at Baltimore

Football history could have been altered if Justin Tucker was just one year older. Had that been the case, the Baltimore Ravens would have represented the AFC in the Superbowl last year. Tucker, along with multiple horrendous redzone turnovers by the Chiefs, led the Ravens to their fourth win of the season. Joe Flacco certainly didn’t help his argument to be in the discussion of elite quarterbacks as he completed only 48% of his passes and finished with a quarterback rating in the mid-50’s. He will definitely be glad to be back playing on the turf at M and T Bank Stadium. Flacco’s opponent in week six, Tony Romo, will also be looking to redeem himself after his last performance ended in five interceptions. With both quarterbacks looking to restore their statuses, it will be the better defense that leads their team to victory. For the past decade, the Baltimore Ravens would win that discussion. Not in 2012, as Rob Ryan’s defense will outplay Ray Lewis and the Ravens D.

Dallas- 27

Baltimore- 21

Kansas City at Tampa Bay

How bad was Matt Cassel Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens? Just ask the fans that booed him off the field as he suffered a concussion. Starting Chiefs tackle Eric Winston said after the game that he has never felt more embarrassed to be on a football field and I don’t blame him. Those fan crossed the line. Not to mention, there couldn’t have been much excitement when they saw Brady Quinn trot onto the field. There were reasons why the Browns and Broncos let him go. Quinn will most likely get the start when the Chiefs travel to Tampa Bay in week six. The Buccaneers are having quarterback problems of their own as Josh Freeman looks dazed and confused. With quarterbacks incapable of leading their teams, the outcome of this game will be determined by the defense that prevents the opponent from developing a ground attack. Tampa Bay’s fourth ranked rush defense will be the first to stop Jamaal Charles.

Kansas City- 20

Tampa Bay- 24

Buffalo at Arizona

It is incredible how the Arizona Cardinals lost one game and now the media is all over them for having a variety of problems. That is also what happens when you play in the now vaunted NFC West. A division that last year most considered among the worst in the NFL now has the best record combined at this point in the season. This week the Arizona Cardinals welcome a Buffalo Bills team that has given up 176 total points in five games. The Bills thought that they revamped their defense this off-season, but apparently it just has not come together yet. The matchup to watch in this game though will be the Bills offense against the Cardinals defense. Expect Ryan Fitzpatrick and the big play abilities of the Bills runningbacks to be the difference in this game. Fitzpatrick will be turnover free and the Bills will hand the Cardinals their 2^nd consecutive loss.

Buffalo- 34

Arizona- 30

New England at Seattle

This will be Tom Brady’s first trip to play in Seattle. There are few venues in the NFL as challenging to play in as CenturyLink Field. The Patriots will also have to overcome a trip across the country and the Seahawks “12^th” man. If there is one quarterback and coach combination that can handle that adversity, it is Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. The quarterback that will struggle on Sunday will be rookie Russell Wilson. Wilson has shown glimpses of the play that made the Seahawks so excited during the pre-season, but has struggled with consistency. When you look up consistency in the dictionary, there is a picture of a Patriots logo. Patriots win big despite being on the West coast.

New England- 38

Seattle- 21

NY Giants at San Francisco

Let us hope as football fans that we get to watch a game as hard fought and as close as the NFC Championship game from last year. Even though the Giants prevailed in their most recent matchup, the 49ers are favored this Sunday. That is exactly how the Giants like it. Tom Coughlin and the G-men seem to feed off of the underdog mentality, motivating them to win games like one this weekend. However, the 49ers are the hottest team in football, winning their last two games by a combined score of 79-3. They are demonstrating that the title of pre-season favorites was not a misnomer. While there is no doubting the Giants uncanny ability to win on the road, this will be a tough game for them to win. They have not played and beat a team of the 49ers caliber yet. In fact, the three Giants wins have come against teams with a combined record of 2-12. The 49ers will control the line of scrimmage offensively and defensively to defeat the Giants at home.

NY Giants- 21

San Francisco- 28

Minnesota at Washington

Having a running quarterback can be both an incredible advantage and a major headache for organizations. Head Coaches and Offensive Coordinators have to keep that quarterback healthy by limiting the number of running plays they call for that player. But they also want to use that players abilities to their fullest and challenge opposing defenses to stop him. The Redskins have this advantage and headache in RGIII. RGIII has proven he is the real deal throwing and passing. But how many hits can he take, and will it affect his play if he takes too many hits? Jared Allen is one of the best in the league at applying pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Expect the Vikings offense to continue its methodical ways, while Allen and the rest of Minnesota’s defense shut down RGIII.

Minnesota- 27

Washington- 20

Green Bay at Houston

While it is obvious enough, it has to be said that this not even close to the same Green Bay Packers team from 2011. In particular, Aaron Rodgers does not look like the same player he was last year. Instead of stepping up into the pocket, Rodgers seems to be throwing off his back foot forcing more inaccurate throws. Not to mention, the numbers and statistics Aaron Rodgers put up last year are almost unmatchable, so he was destined to see a dip in stats, not necessarily in his play. The Green Bay offense has to find its rhythm quickly, especially as they travel to Houston to take on a talented Texans defense. Protecting Aaron Rodgers will be the key element for the Pack in this game because the Texans are among the best in the league at applying pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Expect Rodgers to lead the Packers to a crucial victory, while handing the Texans their first loss of the season.

Green Bay -31

Houston- 28

Denver at San Diego

The Denver Broncos are becoming known for their furious fourth quarter comebacks after getting down early in the first half of games. Now they either have to find ways to complete those comebacks or prevent the huge deficits from happening. There are definitely elements of Peyton Manning’s game that are missing from his days with the Colts, but Manning at 80% is better than a majority of the starting quarterbacks in the league. The Broncos opponent in week six, the San Diego Chargers, were recently the first victim of the New Orleans Saints. The most consistent element of the San Diego Chargers team is their inconsistent play. It is impossible to know which Philip Rivers will show up, or which Chargers team will show up. On Monday Night Football, Rivers and the Chargers will have one of those off days, falling victim to Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos.

Denver-37

San Diego- 31

Pittsburgh at Tennessee

When it is all said and done at the end of the 2012 season, the Tennessee Titans will be in the mix for honors as the worst team in the league. CJNoK actually brought his 3.2 yards per rush average down against the Vikings, rushing for 24 yards in 15 carries. Granted, the Titans offensive line has not been opening up the same running lanes it did for Johnson two years ago, but 2.9 yards per rush? The best running backs find the holes when they are not there. The best teams also win even when they don’t play their best, just like the Pittsburgh Steelers did Sunday against the Eagles. Big Ben continues to be the master of broken play miracles, and the Steelers defense continues to stifle opposing offenses. Road teams on Thursday Night Football this year are 5-0. Chalk up another win for road teams as the Steelers give the Titans their third consecutive double digit loss.

Pittsburgh- 35

Tennessee- 10

Fraser's Favorites Week 5

Atlanta at Washington

The Atlanta Falcons are one Carolina first down and 55 seconds away from being a 3-1 football team. Instead, Matty Ice continues to prove the validity of his nickname as he drove his team 74 yards in 50 seconds to secure an undefeated start. While Matt Ryan and the Atlanta offense continued their hot start, it was the Falcons defense that struggled to contain Cam Newton. It was obvious that both John Abraham and Ray Edwards were cheating outside on the play-side read, allowing for open running lanes for Cam Newton. In week five, the Falcons face yet another read/option quarterback in rookie RGIII. RGIII’s main goal will be to dominate the time of possession in order to keep the explosive Falcons offense off the field. Despite Griffin’s heroic efforts, the Redskins defense will not get enough pressure on Matt Ryan to slow Atlanta down.

Atlanta- 37

Washington- 27

Cleveland at NY Giants

Before the season, if someone had said that the Cleveland Browns had the same record as the New Orleans Saints after four weeks that person would have been laughed at and ridiculed. Going into week five, the Cleveland Browns do have the same record as the Saints, but it is not one to boast about. The Browns are winless and will remain without a win when they lose to the New York Giants. The Giants have always been a team that has overcome adversity, and it looks as though they will have to accomplish that same task again in week five. The Giants have eight starters on the injury list including Hakeem Nicks, Kenny Phillips, and Antrel Rolle. Despite those injuries, Eli Manning will connect with his younger receivers to light up the 28^th ranked passing defense.

Cleveland- 24

NY Giants- 33

Miami at Cincinnati

While there are no moral victories in football, Joe Philbin has to be proud of the way his team has played the first four weeks of the year. Few gave the Dolphins any chance at being successful this season and most considered them a four or five win team. Over the last two weeks, Miami has lost two overtime games and have proven that they will be competitive this year. They travel for the second week in a row to take on the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals are currently 3-1 thanks to the sophomore connection of A.J. Green and Andy Dalton. Dalton currently ranks fifth in the league in quarterback rating and is in the top ten is total passing yards. However, one major flaw in the Bengals team is their inability to stop the run. This Sunday, Reggie Bush and Daniel Thomas will be key to a Dolphins upset.

Miami-  23

Cincinnati- 21

Green Bay at Indianapolis

The Indianapolis Colts are a young football team. As an organization, they decided to go through a longer rebuilding process by letting go of Peyton Manning and drafting Andrew Luck. When a rookie quarterback comes into the league they need a sense of continuity and their coach needs to nurture and guide them. Unfortunately, Luck, the Colts organization, and the NFL, learned earlier this week that Head Coach Chuck Pagano would miss the rest of the season recovering from cancer. This is news no person, family, or team wants to hear. The Colts come off their bye week with that news and now have to welcome Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers to Indianapolis. Without Chuck Pagano, and most likely without Dwight Freeney, there is no way Andrew Luck will be able to keep up with Aaron Rodgers. Packers big.

Green Bay- 40

Indianapolis-20

Baltimore at Kansas City

The Baltimore Ravens are one point away from being another undefeated team after week four. Joe Flacco leads the fourth ranked passing offense to take on the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead stadium. In their most recent game against the Chargers, the Chiefs turned the ball over an incredible six times. They lead the league in a category no team wants to be in first place; turnovers. On a more positive note, the Chiefs do have the league’s number one rushing attack. That rushing attack led by Jamaal Charles will be the reason the Chiefs foster an upset at the hands of the Ravens.

Baltimore- 27

Kansas City- 28

Philadelphia at Pittsburgh

The battle for Pennsylvania features two hopeful playoff contenders. The Philadelphia Eagles have amazingly won their three games by a mere four points. Their defense has improved tremendously over the last several weeks compared to last year, but Michael Vick continues to be injury and turnover prone. Their counterpart in PA, the Pittsburgh Steelers, are coming off of a bye week, and have to be fuming after their week three upset loss to the Raiders. Rashard Mendenhall will return this week hoping to improve upon a rushing attack that averages a putrid 2.7 yards per rush. Expect a healthy Mendenhall, and defense with the additions of Troy Polamalu and James Harrison, to make a difference as the Steelers knock off the Eagles in a defensive struggle.

Philadelphia- 21

Pittsburgh- 24

 

Seattle at Carolina

For 59 minutes, Cam Newton looked like the phenomenon that he was in 2011. He threw for 215 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed for 85 yards and added another touchdown on the ground. However, with one play, and in a matter of seconds, Cam Newton transformed back into the pouty, sad quarterback we saw in week three. He fumbled on a third and short opportunity that would have clinched an upset over the Falcons. Instead, the Panthers come into a week five matchup with the Seahawks with a 1-3 record. Newton’s counterpart in week five, Russell Wilson leads a passing attack that ranks dead last in the NFL with a pathetic 130 passing yards per game. Despite Newton’s poor performance at the end of last week’s game, expect him and the Panthers offense to explode at home against the Seahawks.

Seattle- 23

Carolina- 35

Chicago at Jacksonville

In the first round of this years draft, the Jaguars selected supposed game changer Justin Blackmon. Blackmon has proven to be a major distraction off the field, and has been virtually non-existent on the field. While he had six total catches Sunday against the Bengals, his longest reception on the season was 14 yards. If Blaine Gabbert has any chance of being the Jaguars franchise quarterback, he needs his franchise receiver to step up and start making plays. Until that point, Gabbert will be the focal point of the Jaguars losses. Chalk up another loss in week five as the Chicago Bears travel to Jacksonville. A defense that picked off Tony Romo five times last Monday Night will feast on the inaccuracies of Gabbert.

Chicago- 31

Jacksonville- 17

Tennessee at Minnesota

Leslie Frazier has to be the front runner for Coach of the Year. He has the Vikings, specifically sophomore quarterback Christian Ponder, playing at a much higher level than expected. Minnesota was pushed aside in all playoff talks before the season, but after week four, find themselves in the mix in the NFC North. If they aim to make the playoffs in 2012, they will have to win games like the one they have in week five against the Titans. In the Titans three losses they have been outscored 110-37. Against Tennessee’s 27^th ranked rushing defense, expect Adrian “All Day” Peterson to tally 150 rushing yards.

Tennessee- 14

Minnesota- 27

Denver at New England

The rivalry between the Indianapolis Colts and the New England Patriots disappeared when Peyton Manning signed with the Broncos. Now the rivalry has ultimately shifted from teams to the two future Hall of Famers. When Tom Brady and Peyton Manning meet, football fans truly get to watch something special; the greatest regular season quarterback of all time in Peyton Manning versus arguably the greatest post-season quarterback of all time in Tom Brady. Both quarterbacks and teams exploded in week four with dominating performances against division rivals. This game will be determined by the defense that can apply the most pressure and disturb the timing between quarterback and receiver. With Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil in Tom Brady’s face all day, the Broncos will come out of Foxborough with a win.

Denver- 31

New England- 27

 

Buffalo at San Francisco

San Francisco’s efforts were simply just dominating against the Jets last Sunday. They absolutely manhandled the Jets in the trenches, on special teams, and ran all over the Jets totaling 245 yards on the ground. Couple the 49ers abilities on the ground with a Buffalo Bills defense that allowed 247 yards to the Patriots last week and it is a recipe for disaster. Throw-in a 3000 mile trip to San Francisco, and the Bills don’t stand a chance.

Buffalo- 14

San Francisco- 30

San Diego at New Orleans

An argument can be made in most professional sports that head coaches are nothing more than just figureheads. A head coach is someone who controls a team’s discipline and motivates a team to fulfill their potential. The absence of Sean Payton from the New Orleans Saints should completely dispel that myth. It is obvious that Sean Payton had a greater impact on this team than anyone could have imagined. It is also curious how negative the impact of hiring Steve Spagnuolo has been to their defense. The Saints defense ranks last in the league in total yardage allowed and last in the league in rushing yards per game allowed. New Orleans will attempt to get their first win of the season this week when they host the San Diego Chargers. On Sunday Night Football, Drew Brees will not only break Unitas’ consecutive games with a passing touchdown record, but he will also lead the Saints to their first win of the season.

San Diego- 31

New Orleans- 38

Houston at NY Jets

Monday Night Football will host quite possibly the ugliest game of the week with two teams headed in totally opposite directions. The Houston Texans are being looked at as something special; a team that comes around once every decade that truly dominates every facet of the game. The Jets meanwhile, have a quarterback whose completion percentage is the worst in the league, two star players in Darrelle Revis and Santonio Holmes whom are out for the season, and a rushing defense allowing 172 yards per game. The two headed monster of Arian Foster and Ben Tate is the last duo the Jets wanted to see in week five. Just as predicted before the season, the poor play of the Jets, specifically Mark Sanchez, will have most New York fans thinking it’s Tebow Time.  This one will be over by the end of the first quarter.

Houston-35

NY Jets- 10

Arizona at St. Louis

The Arizona Cardinals defense has stifled opposing offenses enabling the Cards to improve to 9-2 in their last 11 games dating back to the end of 2011. A superb defense coupled with a blessing in disguise when John Skelton fell to injury have created a legitimate contender in Arizona. They dispelled any pretender misnomers when they defeated both the Patriots and Eagles in consecutive weeks and now look to defeat divisional foe St. Louis Rams. While only 2-2, the Rams have impressed so far thanks to rookie kicker Greg Zuerlein and a defense that ranks second in the league in sacks. If the Rams hope to knock off the Cardinals, they will have to do more than kick field goals especially with Larry Fitzgerald lining up on the opposing sideline. With the emergence of number two receiver Andre Roberts expect the Cards quick passing attack to eliminate the Rams pass rush as the Cards stay undefeated after week five.

Arizona- 26

St. Louis- 20