Alright, I won’t sugarcoat anything — my picks were absolutely HORRIFIC last weekend! To be fair, we did see a lot of upsets and crazy endings, including a Cardinals loss to the Titans that had us all scratching our heads. Even though it was an awful weekend to follow my picks, I am up for the challenge of bouncing back and getting back in the win column!
Thankfully, we only have two teams on bye this week, which means more football! Let’s get right into it…
MY PICKS (52-26 Overall)
Philadelphia Eagles @ New York Giants
- The Eagles look to bounce back after giving up a 17-3 lead in the 4th quarter against the Broncos at home, which turned into their first loss of the season. Jaxson Dart gets his third start of his young career, against his first NFC East opponent. I think the Eagles are angry with how they’ve looked offensively so far, and I expect them to send a message against a divisional foe this Thursday night.
Denver Broncos vs. New York Jets
- Yup, same old Jets. The only team to start 0-5 this season gets a lovely trip to London to face off against one of the best defenses in the NFL. While the Jets have had success running the ball, I think they struggle against Nick Bonitto and the stellar Broncos defense.
Arizona Cardinals @ Indianapolis Colts
- The vibes are at an all-time low in Arizona. They just blew a 21-6 lead against a horrible Titans team, with Emari Demarcado dropping the ball on a walk-in touchdown before crossing the goal line. This led to an altercation with HC Jonathan Gannon and a head coach *maybe* putting his hands on a player in a not-so-congratulatory manner. Yikes.
Seattle Seahawks @ Jacksonville Jaguars
- Before the season, this matchup looked to be a boring one with two teams who were probably pretty mediocre. However, both squads have had some early season success and have been quite exciting to watch! In a tough game to pick, I’m taking the Jaguars purely because they’re at home.
Los Angeles Chargers @ Miami Dolphins
- What are the identities of these two teams? At first, the Chargers looked unstoppable, rattling off three straight divisional wins. Then, they’ve lost their two most recent games to the Giants and the Commanders. The Dolphins don’t look much better though, after blowing a large lead against the Panthers. I’ll take the Chargers in an ugly game.
Los Angeles Rams @ Baltimore Ravens
- The Baltimore Ravens are 1-4. While a large part of this record can be blamed on their brutal injuries and tough schedule to start the year, they still are not playing like a normal Ravens team. Their loss at home was quite embarrassing last week against the Texans, and unfortunately, it’s looking like Lamar Jackson will be out a second straight week. The Rams are a WAGON, so it’s an easy pick for me.
Dallas Cowboys @ Carolina Panthers
- Dak Prescott is playing out of his mind! Even without star receiver CeeDee Lamb, Prescott has been slinging the ball around the yard and putting up some monster stats. The betting sites predict this to be a close game based on the spread, but I don’t believe in the Panthers at all.
New England Patriots @ New Orleans Saints
- One of my few upset picks of the week. The Saints showed some life last week in a comeback win against the Giants, and Spencer Rattler hasn’t looked bad at all as the starting quarterback. The Patriots are a solid team for sure, but I imagine they expended a ton of energy in their road win Sunday night in Buffalo. I’ll go out on a limb and take the Saints.
Cleveland Browns @ Pittsburgh Steelers
- Rookie QB Dillon Gabriel gets his second career start against a Steelers defense that has slowly started playing better with each game. Playing in Pittsburgh is no easy task for rookies, and I think the Steelers get it done against a fierce Browns defense.
Tennessee Titans @ Las Vegas Raiders
- Aaaaaaaand here’s my “Take the Dog for a Walk” game of the week. I don’t think there’s anything I’m excited for in this game, aside from the fact that Brock Bowers may be returning for the Raiders. Can the Titans pick up a second straight win? I could see it, but I’ll unemphatically take the Raiders here.
San Francisco 49ers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Another great Week 6 game. The Bucs have had several late-game heroics so far, and Baker Mayfield has found a new weapon in rookie WR Emeka Egbuka, who’s been tearing it UP this year. And yes, you’d be correct in remembering that was my Offensive Rookie of the Year pick at 18-1 odds. I think Tampa wins against a banged up Niners squad, but in a close one.
Cincinnati Bengals @ Green Bay Packers
- Bengals suck. Joe Flacco is old. Packers by 70.
Detroit Lions @ Kansas City Chiefs
- Future Superbowl matchup on Sunday Night Football? I cannot wait for this game between a high-powered Lions offense and a Chiefs team that is starting to bring some explosiveness back into their playcalling. The Chiefs are favored at home, but I predict this to be a shootout, and I will take the better offense. Lions 42, Chiefs 38.
Buffalo Bills @ Atlanta Falcons
- I am a 20+ year NFL fan, but I swear, every year I forget a team exists when they go on their bye week. This happened with the Falcons. The Falcons have shown flashes of excitement, but they welcome a pissed-off Bills team who are hungry for vengeance after their first loss at home Sunday night. Josh Allen goes off and the Bills take care of business.
Chicago Bears @ Washington Commanders
- A rematch of the Hail Mary game from last year on Monday Night Football. The Bears come off of a bye week, looking to clean up their offense against a solid Commanders team. I like Jayden Daniels at home, to bring his overall record against Caleb Williams to 2-0.
BETS (9-6 Overall)
Jake Ferguson Anytime TD (+155)
JK Dobbins Over 68.5 Rushing Yards (-114)
Titans/Raiders Over 41.5 Points (-108)
FANTASY
Last Week’s Pick: Tyler Warren (12.40 points)
New England Patriots TE Hunter Henry will be a solid start against the Saints. Henry has quietly become one of Drake Maye’s top targets, so he should put up some points against New Orleans.
Hopefully we have a better record this week! See you next time!
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See all of Jake Cloke’s entries.