NFL Week Five Recap

Overall SU: 52-24 (10-4 wk 5)
Week 5 ATS: 7-7
Overall ATS: 33-43

Still the Rams
Minnesota Vikings @ St. Louis Rams
Line: Vikings -10
O/U: 41
My Pick: Vikings -10. Minnesota cruises 27-6.
Result: Vikings 38-10
Minnesota still looks good, but St. Louis still looks like they could go 0-16. It's kind of amazing, because they really do have some decent talent on offense. I have no idea how they can suck this badly.

Average At Best
Dallas Cowboys @ Kansas City Chiefs
Line: Cowboys -8
O/U: 42.5
My Pick: Cowboys -8. Dallas wins 34-20.
Result: Cowboys 26-20 (ot)
I think this game finally shows the Cowboys where they stand in the league. They're just not as good as people seem to think they are (myself included). Usually you hear that the sum of the parts is better than the individual pieces...in this case, it seems to be the other way around. Dallas, on paper, has great talent on both sides of the ball. Yet they just can't put it all together.

Carolina Wins!
Washington Redskins @ Carolina Panthers
Line: Panthers -3.5
O/U: 37.5
My Pick: Redskins +3.5. Carolina wins 13-12.
Result: Panthers 20-17
A solid comeback win for the Panthers, but they still haven't beaten the spread. They're now the only team in the league with that distinction thanks to Kansas City's ability to hang with the Cowboys.

Everybody Blows out the Bucs
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Philadelphia Eagles
Line: Eagles -14.5
O/U: 43
My Pick: Buccaneers +14.5. Eagles still win big 27-13.
Result: Eagles 33-14
I should have known that the Bucs' propensity to allow the big play would result in another blowout loss. Stupid pick. I just hate to give a team more than 2 touchdowns in the NFL.

Offensive Ineptitude
Cleveland Browns @ Buffalo Bills
Line: Bills -6
O/U: 40.5
My Pick: Browns +6. Cleveland notches win #1 20-16.
Result: Browns 6-3
This was a disgusting game all around. Derek Anderson completed ONE pass in each half for a grand total of 2 COMPLETIONS the entire game. And they still won. Wow, Buffalo. Wow.

Was Ochocinco Right?
Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens
Line: Ravens -8.5
O/U: 42
My Pick: Ravens -8.5. Baltimore gets back on track, 30-17.
Result: Bengals 17-14
Now that the Broncos have proven themselves to be far better than expected, it only follows that their week one victim would be proving themselves a much better team than most thought they were after week one. Could this team get to 12 wins, as Ochocinco predicted? They've beaten every team in their division thus far, and their only loss is to an undefeated team. Baltimore is sliding the wrong way, and they need to catch themselves before they dig themselves a hole. If the Bengals are for real, which they appear to be, the AFC North is a definite 3-team race.

They really are THAT bad...
Oakland Raiders @ New York Giants
Line: Giants -15.5
O/U: 38
My Pick: Raiders +15.5. Giants win 24-13.
Result: Giants 44-7
Not much needs to be said. I thought Oakland would at least have enough pride to "show up" against a 16 point spread. They didn't.

Way Too Close
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Detroit Lions
Line: Steelers -10.5
O/U: 44
My Pick: Steelers -10.5. Pittsburgh wins 31-20.
Result: Steelers 28-20
With Cincy stepping it up, Pittsburgh cannot show any vulnerability if they plan on making it to the playoffs this year. The defending NFL Champs appear to be, at this moment, the third-best team in their own division. When Polamalu comes back they'll get better, but will it be good enough?

What was That?
Atlanta Falcons @ San Francisco 49ers
Line: 49ers -2.5
O/U: 41
My Pick: 49ers -2.5. San Francisco wins a good game at home 23-17.
Result: Falcons 45-10
So much for the good game. San Fran had been so good...I have no idea what happened. They played through 4 weeks with more passion and pride than anyone in the league, and somehow didn't show up in week 5. They'll be back, I'm sure, but who knows when they will disintegrate again?

Holy Crap, They're For Real...
New England Patriots @ Denver Broncos
Line: Patriots -3.5
O/U: 41
My Pick: Broncos +3.5. Pats win 20-17.
Result: Broncos 20-17
This pick was made based on my opposite-of-gut theory, and it paid off. I really didn't think much of the Broncos, but having seen them play...well...they're good. Great defense and just enough offense. Rarely do we see a 5-0 team that was expected to be awful in the preseason. New England sucks when they wear the old-school uniforms from back when the Patriots actually DID suck. I wish I knew when they'd be wearing them...

Doing it with Defense?
Houston Texans @ Arizona Cardinals
Line: Cardinals -5.5
O/U: 50
My Pick: Cardinals -5.5. Arizona wins 34-27.
Result: Cardinals 28-21
Rarely does defense win a shootout, but in this case Arizona managed to pull it off. An INT return for a touchdown and a red-zone stand late in the game proved to be the difference. If Arizona can play solid defense, they can get back to where they should be...Atop the NFC West.

It takes coordination to lose to the Seahawks by this much...
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Seattle Seahawks
Line: None
O/U: None
My Pick: Seahawks Pk. Seattle wins 23-13.
Result: Seahawks 41-0
Seriously, what the hell was that? They beat the Titans last week...did they waste all of their offense for the season on that one game? Seattle has flashes of brilliance, but is still behind the Cards and 49ers in the division race. We'll see if they can do anything against those teams to shake things up a bit.

The Titanic Has Hit an Iceberg
Indianapolis Colts @ Tennessee Titans
Line: Colts -3.5
O/U: 45.5
My Pick: Colts -3.5. Tennessee will win eventually, but it won't be this week. Colts win 24-20.
Result: Colts 31-9
The Titans started 11-0 last year. They are awful since. I have no idea what can spark such an atrocious turnaround, but they've pulled it off. The Colts are excellent, and will be a force to be reckoned with all year long. Peyton is very dangerous normally, but now that he is confident...let's just say nobody in the NFL wishes they were playing in the AFC South.

And The Slide Begins
New York Jets @ Miami Dolphins
Line: Jets -1.5
O/U: 36
My Pick: Jets -1.5. New York marches on with a 23-9 win.
Result: Dolphins 31-27
I mentioned that I was worried that the first Jets loss would send them into a bit of a slide. I should have listened to myself. I guess I needed to see this game to gain some more respect for what the Dolphins can do without Pennington. Henne played well, and that rushing game crushed the Jets' supposedly Raven-like D. New York could fall fast if that defense can't stop the run. I really thought they'd look much better.

Byes: Chicago, Green Bay, New Orleans, San Diego