Week 6 NFL Picks

Before I get to my picks, a little word on the Oilers. 3 games into the season, the Oilers are now 2-1. That's nothing remarkable, except for tthe fact that so far, they have played the Flames twice and the Sharks once, both teams favored to sit atop the Western Conference at the end of the season. The Oilers have now scored 10 goals while allowing only 7, not too shabby for a team picked to finish 12th in the West by The Hockey News. But, regardless of all that, last night was special. The Sharks came into Edmonton with a 3-0 record last night and seeking revenge for their ousting in last year's playoffs. And for 40 minutes, everything looked great for the Sharks. Nabokov was playing great, Cheechoo had a natural hat trick and San Jose was leading by 2 heading into the 3rd period. But, coming right out of the gate, the 'Cardiac Kids' got to work. Ryan Smyth scored 3 goals in the span of 2 minutes and 1 second, breaking the old Gretzky mark of 2:18. The defense settled down, Roloson made a couple of huge saves, and Hemsky iced it in the 15th minute, taking the puck while coming out of the box and beating Nabokov.

Now, listen to me people. Wherever you live, if you're reading this, please, please, call your cable or satellite company and order NHL Center Ice. Then go on www.Edmontonoilers.com and print out the Oilers' schedule. Study it carefully, and then sit down and watch every Oilers' game this season. It's gonna be wild...

Week 6 NFL Picks:

NY Giants vs. Atlanta: The Giants put up a great defensive effort last week vs. Washington. But John Abraham will start this week, meaning he and Patrick Kerney will terrorize Eli Manning all afternoon. The Giants will try to run, but Grady Jackson will be waiting. On the other side of the ball, Michael Vick has his usual day: 10 of 22, 95 yards, 1 int, 100 yds rushing, 1 TD. Atlanta.

Houston vs. Dallas: Dallas will look to rebound and stay in the hunt with Philly. Against a weak Houston defense, look for Bledsoe to have a big day. Dallas.

Buffalo vs. Detroit: The Bills got killed last week by Chicago. Their defense will rebound against a bad Detroit offense. And Losman will have a career day against a defense so incompetent that looks like it's coached by the White House staff. Buffalo.

Seattle vs. St. Louis: Shaun Alexander was rumored to maybe play in this game, but he won't dress. The Rams are 4-1, but this is a real test. Hasselbeck will continue to struggle, but the Seahawks defense wins this one. Seattle.

Philadelphia vs. New Orleans: Game of the week. Brees is a smart guy, and he won't get rattled by the Philly blitz schemes. It will come down to big plays: Brees and Bush vs. McNabb. And it's hard to bet against Mcnabb these days. Philly in a nail-biter. Philadelphia.

Cincinnati vs. Tampa Bay: Bruce Gradkowski looked like a seasoned veteran last week. The Bucs are 0-4, but they have some fight left in them. The Bengals will overlook them, and Gradkowski picks up his first win. Tampa Bay.

Tennessee vs. Washington: Let's see... Clinton Portis will run for 150 yards. Brunell will look like he's 26 again. Vince Young will look like, well, a rookie QB. Washington.

Carolina at Baltimore: Steve Mcnair is not playing too well. Julius Peppers is the best defensive player in the NFL right now. Steve Smith's hamstring is still bothering him, and the Ravens "D" is amongst the best in the league. This game will see less than 20 points total, and Carolina wins by a field goal. Carolina.

Miami at NY Jets: Didn't Joey Harrington look a lot better than Culpepper last week. I always thought Harringtn was a good QB who never got a fair chance on a terrible team when in Detroit. On Sunday, he prves he belongs in the NFL when getting a late 4th quarter TD that wins the game. Miami.

Kansas City at Pittsburgh: 2 teams that want to establish the run and win with good defense. This time, Willie Parker runs wild, Roethlisberger benefits and throws his first 2 TDs of the year, one to TE Heath Miller. Pittsburgh.

San Diego at San Francisco: After a week of celebration (SF beat the Raiders last week), things go back to normal in the Bay Area after the 49ers get clobbered by SD. San Diego.

Oakland at Denver: The league's worst offense plays against the league's best defense in the most hostile environment in the league. That one is easy. Denver.

Chicago at Arizona: I like Matt Leinart. He will be a star. Not in 2 years though, but in 2 weeks. On Monday night, we will show the country his calm and his poise, and just what a pretty ball he throws. Unfortunately, his defense won't do enough to help him, but the game will be a lot closer than people think. Chicago.

Season record: 40-19

Dwarf out.