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2019 Week 6 Predix



Written by Sam DeCoste

After five weeks, only two undefeated teams remain, the New England Patriots and the San Francisco 49ers. Both teams will be featured in high profile games this week, when the Pats host the Giants on Thursday Night Football, while the Niners are on the road to take on the NFC Champion Los Angeles Rams. Other games on the Week 6 slate include Seahawks-Browns,Eagles-Vikings, and Packers-Lions. 

Last week, I improved my record by just one game, going 9-6. However, my Lock of the Week failed me for the second straight week, and now I have a lock record of 3-2. I need to pick up my game this week if I want to break my record for prediction accuracy. So without further ado, let's get right into it!

BYES: Bills, Bears, Colts, Raiders

Here are my records over this season:

My record last week: 9-6
Regular season record: 48-29-1
Lock of the Week record: 3-2



NYG @ NE
Danny Dimes versus Tom Brady. Giants fans are hoping this is the moment Daniel Jones earns his first signature win in his young NFL career, and continue in Eli Manning's footsteps by vanquishing the Pats. That's probably not going to happen this time, and here's why. Saquon Barkley, Evan Engram, and Sterling Shepard are all ruled out for the game. Apart from Golden Tate, they are the three most explosive playmakers for the Giants offense. Without them, the Pats defense has a chance to suffocate Daniel Jones and give him a proper welcome to the NFL.

In New England, it's back to business as usual. Brady threw for 348 yards and 3 touchdowns, and Sony Michel finally got some touches last week, with 19 touches for 123 yards and a touchdown. If Josh McDaniels calls more plays for Michel and get him more involved, the Pats have a dynamic running game to complement Brady and the aerial attack. New York's gives up an average of 130 yards per game on the ground, so don't be surprised if Belichick opts to call a run-oriented gameplan on Thursday night.

It's not 2007 anymore, and the Giants won't be getting miraculous plays from David Tyree or Mario Manningham. The Giants are extremely shorthanded, and they don't have nearly enough to end New England's undefeated season like they did in Super Bowl XLII. This is my Lock of the Week.

Prediction: NYG 9, NE 29


CAR @ TB
Rise and shine at 9:30 Eastern Time ladies and gentlemen, we're going to get some more overseas football this week. Last time these divisional foes squared off, the Bucs prevailed over the Panthers, and that was the last time we saw Cam Newton in action. That loss left Carolina at 0-2, but since that game, the Panthers are unbeaten. Kyle Allen, Newton's backup, has filled in nicely, throwing for 5 touchdowns in 3 games without turning the ball over. If the Panthers can continue to play ball security and play good defense, the Panthers can avenge their Week 2 loss in London.

The key to a Bucs victory is to force Kyle Allen to chase the game. Tampa Bay's offense may be the most explosive in the NFC South this year, and it comes down to the hiring of offensive guru Bruce Arians. Under Arians, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin have combined to form a lethal one-two punch on the perimeters. Chris Godwin by himself leads the NFL in touchdown receptions with 6, and Mike Evans has been unguardable this season. It comes down to Jameis Winston and his ball security. If he can avoid his characteristic back breaking interceptions and spread the defense out, Tampa should have no problems.

Kyle Allen's Panthers may be forced to chase the game against a potent offense, which means Allen could be exposed this week. I like the Bucs to sweep the Panthers for the first time since 2016. 

Prediction: CAR 13, TB 23

SEA @ CLE
All eyes are on Baker Mayfield. The reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year, who threw a record 27 touchdown passes as a rookie quarterback, now leads the league in interceptions with 8, and turned the ball over 4 times all by himself on Monday night. This is going to boil over in Cleveland, especially for personalities like Landry and Beckham who want the ball every play. The Browns will not beat the Seahawks if Beckham has 2 catches for the third straight week. 

Meanwhile, Russell Wilson and the Seahawks come in hot after upsetting the Rams last week. Wilson looks like the frontrunner for MVP alongside Patrick Mahomes, with a league high 12 touchdown passes, and zero turnovers. His touchdown pass to Tyler Lockett on Thursday night may be the play of the year, and plays like that will carry a team to another postseason appearance. The Seahawks have a great chance to win in Cleveland if they pressure Baker Mayfield like the Niners did last week. Mayfield has taken 16 sacks this season, which means Pete Carroll could send blitz packages his way. Pressuring Mayfield will shut down the Browns offense, as it has happened in 3 of Cleveland's losses already. 

Week to week, nobody knows which version of the Browns we are getting. The same can't be said for Russell Wilson and the Seahawks. Seattle has their identity, and it has worked to this point with a 4-1 record. Make that 5-1 for Seattle.

Prediction: SEA 24, CLE 17

HOU @ KC
Two quarterbacks from the 2017 draft class match up for the first time in their NFL careers in Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes. For the Texans, they may be catching the Chiefs at the best time, after their flat offensive performance against Indy. Considering the injuries to key skill positions for KC, it may be difficult to perform as they expect. Scoring 13 points at home will hardly ever bring back the bread. But it looks likely that Tyreek Hill will return this week after picking up a Week 1 injury, which gives them a massive boost.

Meanwhile, Deshaun Watson was phenomenal against the Falcons last week. Watson threw for 426 yards and 5 touchdown passes, while Will Fuller exploded for 217 yards on 14 catches for 3 touchdowns. This offense has performed inconsistently all season, but they will be coming into Arrowhead with undeniable momentum after putting 50 on the Falcons. Watson will need to have a similarly efficient performance at Kansas City to have any chance of besting Pat Mahomes and the Chiefs.

This games has the makings of a classic Chiefs shootout, ending in Patrick Mahomes making more plays than his counterpart. The odds of a repeat are highly likely, so I will pick the home team to bounce back. 

Prediction: HOU 28, KC 34

PHI @ MIN
The Vikings are coming off their most complete performance of the season, a 25-10 win over the Giants in Jersey. Kirk Cousins finally did not play like an expensive oil spill, rather he played efficient football and carried his team. Cousins and his 300 yard, 2 touchdown performance, combined with Dalvin Cook's 218 yards from scrimmage, and a stout defensive performance is a solid winning formula. If the Vikings are to make it back to the playoffs, this needs to be the way they win. To beat the Eagles, the defense needs to pressure Carson Wentz and shut down the run like they did versus the Giants, allowing just 64 yards on the ground.

For the Eagles, there was never any doubt they would get past the winless New York Jets. That being said, Carson Wentz played below expectations, throwing for just 189 yards and a single touchdown pass. To come into a hostile environment like Minnesota and escape with a win, Wentz needs to spread the ball out, and make sure Zach Ertz is a focal point of the offense, and for his offensive line to give him protection. The Vikings are a fundamentally sound defense and they will pose Philly's toughest challenge this season.

It wouldn't be a surprise to see these teams squaring off again in January. Both squads are evenly balanced and both have a realistic shot of winning this game. I will lean towards Minnesota, who is undefeated at home this season.

Prediction: PHI 10, MIN 20

NO @ JAX
Possibly the most intriguing matchup of the week is unfolding in Jacksonville this week, when Teddy Bridgewater's Saints come marching in to take on Gardner Minshew's Jaguars. 

Remarkably for the Saints, they have not missed a beat without Drew Brees. Bridgewater is undefeated as the starter in New Orleans this season, with wins over Seattle, Dallas, and Tampa Bay. Bridgewater may be a better quarterback now than he was in Minnesota for two seasons. He has thrown for 849 yards, 6 touchdowns, and just 2 interceptions this season. He has done an admirable job filling in for a future Hall of Fame quarterback, and has the Saints in an amazing position to make a run at the division, and the number one seed for another season.

In Jacksonville, the play of rookie quarterback Gardner Mindshew has taken the league by storm. Mindshew has turned the ball over just once all season, and is coming of a performance where he threw for 374 yards and 2 touchdowns against a top five pass defense. Mindshew Mania is real, and he has the Jags offense firing on all cylinders. If the Jags are able to run the ball, and Mindshew avoids turnovers, the Jags have a very good chance of upsetting the Saints. 

That being said, the Saints are a well-coached football team and are a tough out with or without Drew Brees. A victory for Gardner Minshew's squad would be wonderful to see, but the Saints are favorites for a reason. They will get the dub.

Prediction: NO 23, JAX 14

WSH @ MIA
Super Bowl preview? I think so.

Over the course of the first quarter of the season, the Redskins have played better football. They jumped out to a 17 point lead in Philly on opening day before collapsing in the second half, they held the Cowboys to just 10 points Week 2, and Case Keenum was playing great football before his benching. On the other side, the Miami Dolphins have scored just 2 touchdowns all season. The Dolphins can't win if they don't score, and they haven't showed us they are capable of turning things around. 

With Jay Gruden out of town, the Redskins are bound to bounce back. The playbook will be simplified, the players will be able to just go out and play without any pressure to win, and they could have some more fun. Miami is sticking with Brian Flores, who has led the team to their worst start to a season in franchise history. Miami will remain in winless purgatory, while the Redskins will earn their first win of 2019.

Be sure you tune in this week, because we could potentially see these teams match up again in February. Yes I'm serious.

Prediction: WSH 19, MIA 7

CIN @ BAL
The Ravens were able to bounce in Pittsburgh with a 26-23 overtime win, but Lamar Jackson was less than spectacular. Jackson completed 19 for 28 passes for 161 yards and threw 3 interceptions in the win, which could pose problems for the Baltimore offense going forward. After turning the ball over zero times in Weeks 1-3, Jackson has 5 interceptions in the last two games. If he turns the ball over against the Bengals, they will have a chance to give the Ravens a scare. 

Both teams have their problems, but Cincy has way more than Baltimore. Cincy also has yet to win a game, which makes a road trip to Baltimore a daunting task. The Ravens will rediscover their winning ways this week.

Prediction: CIN 10, BAL 26

SF @ LAR
The Rams are looking up at the unbeaten San Francisco 49ers at the top of the NFC West, which makes this a must win game for the home team. The roots of LA's struggles come down to the defense, which has been embarrassing. They have surrendered 85 points and 8 passing touchdowns in their last two games. Opposing quarterbacks are doing whatever they want versus the Rams defense, which is putting Jared Goff in unfavorable positions to be a gunslinger. Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips needs to have his unit prepared, otherwise Jimmy Garappolo could put the game out of reach for the Rams. 

The key to the Niners 4-0 start has been their stellar defense, which ranks 2nd overall, allowing just 258 yards per game. They are shutting down their opposition by stuffing the run, and pressuring the quarterback. San Fran forced 4 turnovers out of Baker Mayfield last week, and it could prove pivotal again against Jared Goff, who has already thrown 7 picks this year. The Niners can come out with another win if they force turnovers from Goff, and pile up sacks. 

The tide may be turning in the NFC West this season, but until the Niners are able to slay the beast, I have doubts. Sean McVay will have his squad ready to go and stampede the Niners. Their unbeaten run will come to an end.

Prediction: SF 24, LAR 31


ATL @ ARZ

The Falcons have fallen to 1-4 for the second consecutive year, and it comes down to Dan Quinn. His defense surrendered nearly 600 yards of offense in Houston last week, and his quarterback Matt Ryan is second in the NFL with 7 interceptions. There is no reason for the Falcons to be underperforming like this, or for the team to be 3 games below .500 in early October. However, if there is a week to finally turn it around, it would be this week in Arizona.

The Cardinals finally won their first game of the year in Cincinnati last week, but their defense has been atrocious through five weeks. They give up an average of 408 yards and 28 points per game. Playing such liable defense is not a positive situation for a rookie quarterback like Kyler Murray to play well. Murray has trailed in every game this year, which has forced his coach to call more passing plays than he is ready for, forcing an excess of incompletions, sacks, and turnovers. Against an explosive offense like the Falcons, Kyler Murray could be in for more of the same struggles.

It wouldn't be surprising to see the Falcons fall to 1-5, but the Cardinals are a struggling football team. I cannot see Kyler Murray outscoring Atlanta's offense. This will be the game we see Atlanta back in the win column.

Prediction: ATL 22, ARZ 19

DAL @ NYJ
In the first three weeks of the season, the Cowboys went 3-0, against teams with a combined record of 2-12. The past two weeks, the Cowboys are 0-2, and their opponents have a combined record of 8-2. Are you noticing a pattern? Because I certainly am. Dallas takes care of business against inferior teams, but struggling against stronger opposition.
Luckily for the Cowboys, the Jets are 0-4, which means they are on track to find their winning ways again.

For the Jets, it will be the first time we see Sam Darnold after a month out, recovering from mono. Since Darnold's diagnosis, the Jets young season has already crumbled into disaster. However, in his lone start versus the Bills on opening day, the Jets offense showed sparks of explosiveness. Jamison Crowder was Darnold's favorite target, Le'Veon Bell moved the chains well, and the defense was swarming all over the ball. With Darnold back, the Jets could potentially find another gear which they couldn't trigger with Luke Falk at quarterback. 

Don't be surprised to see the play from the Jets elevate with Darnold back. But it would be a shock if Dallas came away with their third straight loss in Jersey this week. Prescott, Elliott, and Cooper will be a force too strong to contain, and they will lead the Cowboys to a much-needed win.

Prediction: DAL 24, NYJ 20

TEN @ DEN
What an impressive first victory it was for the Denver Broncos, over the Chargers in LA last week. Philip Lindsay was superb on the ground, rushing for 114 yards and a touchdown, while Courtland Sutton continued his strong start to the season with 92 yards and 4 catches and a score. If they can replicate their performances respectively, that will go a long way to beating Tennessee and their stout defense.

Against Buffalo, the Titans came out flat and got schooled by the Bills. Mariota was sacked five times, and the offense was only able to muster 7 points. The offense needs to be more efficient than that if they want to be a contender in the AFC South. The most interesting positional matchup of this game is undoubtedly the Titans offensive line, which has given up the most sacks in the league, and the Broncos defensive line, which has the second lowest sack total of any team this season. If the Broncos can bring Mariota to the turf like the Bills did, the Broncos can pull off an upset. However, if the Titans can move the ball down the field and protect Mariota, Tennessee are runaway favorites.

The Titans lost last week, which means they will probably win this week. Their defense will shut down Joe Flacco and the Broncos offense and lead the Titans to a nail biting victory. 

Prediction: TEN 19, DEN 14

PIT @ LAC
It's surprising to see that the NFL did not flex out this contest, considering there are more enticing matchups occurring earlier on Sunday. But the NFL kept this game intact for the primetime window, which means we will see Mason Rudolph square off versus Philip Rivers in the StubHub Center. 

For the Chargers, their upset loss to Denver was one of the most surprising storylines of Week 5. The offense was held to 13 points and Rivers threw 2 picks, costing the Chargers a divisional win. They will need to pick up the slack against the Steelers, which forced the Ravens into overtime on Sunday. The X-factor of the game is undoubtedly Melvin Gordon. Returning from a contract holdout, Melvin Gordon is becoming more involved in the offense every week, and he will slowly begin to take over games again. This has the potential to be Gordon's homecoming party, against a mediocre Steelers defense.

Pittsburgh's season has already taken a tumble, and against a Chargers team looking to get back in the win column, it would be shocking to see the Chargers fall to an inferior opponent for the second straight week. 

Prediction: PIT 16, LAC 23

DET @ GB
Believe it or not, the Lions have won four straight versus the Packers, including 5 of their last 7 matchups going back to 2015. The Lions have had the Packers' number as of late. However, this time will be different, because  Aaron Rodgers is playing and fully healthy. When he is at his best, the Packers are hard to beat in Lambeau Field. The Packers have also beaten the Bears and Vikings already, which means they have stepped up against divisional opposition.

That being said, the Packers cannot afford to overlook the Lions, who have started the season off strong. Last time we saw Detroit in action, they nearly handed the Chiefs their first loss of the year. Matt Stafford is playing great football, with a passer rating of 102.6 and 9 touchdown passes thru four games. Coming off the bye week, the Lions have a chance to extend their winning streak versus the Packers and claim an unbelievable statement win. 

We should be in for a competitive ballgame on Monday night. While the Lions have started off strong, and have arguably played better football this season than the Packers, the home team are the favorites for a reason. Aaron Rodgers is a game changer, and it will show this week. 

Prediction: DET 20, GB 26


Thank you for reading Franchise Quarterback! I hope you enjoyed the Predix and stay tuned for weekly Predix every Wednesday for breakdowns of all the upcoming games!

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