2009 Week Six NFL Football Game Previews
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Sunday, October 18th, 2009
St. Louis Rams (0-5) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (2-3)
Time: 1pm ET
Spread: Jacksonville - 10
Over/Under: 41.5
Preview: Two teams that took it on the chin hard on Sunday will square off in Florida. The winless St. Louis Rams will take on a Jaguars team that is working to get back to .500 on the season. St. Louis has scored just 34 points in five games, including just 10 on Sunday against Minnesota. The Rams offense was marred with three turnovers within the red zone on Sunday. Defensively, St. Louis has been no better, as they have allowed 146 points, which is the second most in the NFL. The Jaguars played their game Sunday without top receiver Mike Sims-Walker. Sims-Walker was suspended for the game for violating team rules. The receiver leads the team with three touchdowns on 19 catches. Jacksonville’s two wins came in a row, as they knocked off Houston and Tennessee. The Jaguars started the season with losses to Indianapolis and Arizona.
Baltimore Ravens (3-2) @ Minnesota Vikings (5-0)
Time: 1pm ET
Spread: Minnesota - 2.5
Over/Under: 43.5
Preview: In one of the best games on Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens will head north and take on the 5-0 Minnesota Vikings. Baltimore will come into this one with a bit of a chip on their shoulders, losers of two straight games. The most recent loss for Baltimore came in the final minutes to divisional rival Cincinnati. The week before, the Ravens were downed by the New England Patriots. Ray Lewis, the top defensive player for Baltimore was flagged with two penalties late in the game to cost Baltimore yardage. Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco has gotten off to a solid start, racking up 1289 yards and 9 touchdowns. Minnesota comes into the games on the heals of quarterback Brett Favre clamoring that this 2009 Vikings team was the best team he had ever played on. The Vikings have started the season 5-0, including a week five blow-out win in St. Louis. Minnesota forced the Rams offense to turn the ball over three times inside their own red zone. The 40 year old quarterback Farve has done his part to lead the offense to a NFL high 156 points. Favre has completed 103 of 149 passes for 1069 yards and 9 touchdowns.
Detroit Lions (1-4) @ Green Bay Packers (2-2)
Time: 1pm ET
Spread: Green Bay - 13.5
Over/Under: 48
Preview: After winning their first game since the 2007 season, the Detroit Lions have dropped two straight. They will look to get back on the winning track Sunday when they take on divisional rival Green Bay, on the road. The Lions were downed 28-20 by the defending NFL Champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Detroit rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford missed the start, and is questionable for this game, with an injury. Stafford has thrown for just three touchdowns in four starts. The Lions are giving up a NFL most 162 points. For Green Bay, the bye week was an excellent time to heal their wounds from a Monday Night defeat at the hands of their longtime rival Minnesota Vikings. To make things worse for Green Bay, former Packers quarterback Brett Favre picked up a win against the last remaining team he had yet to beat in his career. The Packers are averaging 26 points per game offensively, and allowing just over 23 points per game given up.
Houston Texans (2-3) @ Cincinnati Bengals (4-1)
Time: 1pm ET
Spread: Cincinnati - 4.5
Over/Under: 45
Preview: The Houston Texans will travel to Cincinnati to take on one of the hottest teams in the NFL. The Bengals have won four straight games, including a win over divisional rival - Baltimore on Sunday. Houston is coming off their 28-21 loss to Arizona, in a game they battled from 21 down to tie the game, and then see quarterback Matt Schaub throw a pass for an interception, returned all the way for a touchdown. The Texans have scored 115 points in five games, and allowed 120. Houston is in second place, tied with Jacksonville in the AFC South. The Indianapolis Colts lead the division with their 5-0 record. The Texans offense has been led by quarterback Matt Schaub, who threw for 371 yards in Sunday’s game. On the season, Schaub has amassed over 1400 yards passing. The Bengals used 120 rushing yards from re-emerging Cedric Benson to upset the Ravens on the road. The Bengals have scored 101 points in five games, while allowing 90. Cincinnati’s lone loss was in week one, when the Denver Broncos scored a fluke touchdown to down them.
Cleveland Browns (1-4) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2)
Time: 1pm ET
Spread: Pittsburgh - 14
Over/Under: 38
Preview: The Cleveland Browns, fresh off their 6-3 slug fest win over Buffalo will take their win streak on the road to take on the defending NFL Champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Cleveland used two field goals and shut Buffalo down to just three points to snap their ten game losing streak. The win for the Browns was also the first for new head coach Eric Mangini. The Browns have had all sorts of problems offensively, with both quarterbacks Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson. Cleveland has scored just 55 points in 5 games. The Steelers are losing two straight games have now won their last two. Pittsburgh picked up a 28-20 win on the road at Detroit on Sunday. In the win, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw for 277 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Steelers have been without top defensive player Troy Polamalu, and running back Willie Parker. Parker expects to return for this game, and Polamalu continues to be questionable. The Steelers are averaging 22.6 points per game offensively, and allowing 19.6 points per game.
Kansas City Chiefs (0-5) @ Washington Redskins (2-3)
Time: 1pm ET
Spread: Washington -6.5
Over/Under: 37.5
Preview: The winless Kansas City Chiefs will take their show on the road to Washington on Sunday. The Chiefs fought hard, but came up on the wrong side of a 26-20 overtime decision to Dallas. Kansas City allowed Dallas receiver Miles Austin to garner 250 receiving yards. In the five losses for Kansas City, their margin of defeat is 10.8. Matt Cassell, who came over from New England in the off-season has thrown for 711 yards in the early going while his top receiver is Dwayne Bowe has caught three touchdown passes. Kansas City sits at the bottom of the AFC West, trailing 5-0 Denver, 2-2 San Diego and 1-4 Oakland. The Redskins are playing their fifth straight winless team. After losing in week one to the New York Giants, Washington played St. Louis and beat them 13-10. The Redskins then were downed by the Lions, who had not won since 2007. In week four the Redskins narrowly defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are 5-0. Last week, Carolina picked up their first win of the season over the Redskins. Head Coach Jim Zorn is on the hot seat in the nation’s capital, and after this affair with Kansas City, the schedule gets tough. Washington will see Philadelphia, Atlanta, Denver, Dallas, Philadelphia and New Orleans in their next six games.
Carolina Panthers (1-3) @ Tama Bay Buccaneers (0-5)
Time: 1pm ET
Spread: Carolina - 3.5
Over/Under: 39.5
Preview: The Carolina Panthers will look to win their second straight game when they take on the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. Carolina picked up a hard fought 20-17 win on Sunday over the Washington Redskins. The offense for Carolina, led by Jake Delhomme, DeAngelo Williams and Johnathan Stewart offense has sputtered all season, averaging just 14.2 points per game. Delhomme leads the NFL in interceptions thrown and the combination of Williams and Stewart has garnered just three touchdowns. Carolina is looking to fight back towards the top of the NFC South, where New Orleans at 4-0 leads, followed by Atlanta at 3-1. The Buccaneers will be in search of their first win on Sunday. Tampa Bay was downed 33-14 on Sunday by Philadelphia. Tampa Bay has been outscored on the season 140-68.
New York Giants (5-0) @ New Orleans Saints (4-0)
Time: 1pm EST
Spread: New Orleans - 3
Over/Under: 47.5
Preview: In the lone game in week six that features two undefeated teams, the New York Giants will travel to New Orleans to take on the Saints. The Giants have been red hot lately, allowing just 23 points in the last three games. In the last three weeks the Giants have beaten Tampa Bay, Kansas City and Oakland by an average of 23.3 points per game. The Giants have been led by their quarterback Eli Manning. Manning has thrown for 1212 yards despite playing with an injured foot. Steve Smith leads a solid receiving core with four receiving touchdowns. The Giants are leading the NFC East, ahead of Philadelphia (3-1), Dallas (3-2) and Washington (2-3). The Saints took last week off and should be healthy and ready to attack the Giants. The Saints have been one of the best offenses this season, scoring 144 points in 4 games. The Saints quarterback Drew Brees has thrown for 1031 yards in the first four games, with passes to Devery Henderson and Marques Colston. Mike Bell, replacing Pierre Thomas at running back leads the team in rushing yards with 229. The Saints lead the NFC South with their 4-0 mark, just ahead of 3-1 Atlanta.
Arizona Cardinals (2-2) @ Seattle Seahawks (2-3)
Time: 4:05pm ET
Spread: Seattle - 2.5
Over/Under: 47
Preview: In a key NFC West game, the Arizona Cardinals will hit the great Northwest to take on the Seattle Seahawks. The Cardinals are just ½ game behind San Francisco in the division, while the Seahawks trail by just a game. Both teams are coming off wins in week five. Arizona scored the first 21 points against Houston, only to see the Texans rally back and tie it. The Cardinals finally pulled away with a late defensive touchdown. The Cardinals high powered offense has been limited to just 85 points in four games this season. Tim Hightower and Larry Fitzgerald lead the Arizona offense. Hightower has ran for 126 yards and caught 25 passes, while Fitzgerald has caught 260 yards and four touchdowns. The Seahawks played an impressive game on Sunday, blasting the Jacksonville Jaguars 41-0. Matt Hasselbeck threw for 241 yards and 4 touchdowns in his first game back off the disabled list. Seattle’s other win on the season was the season opener against St. Louis, 28-0.
Philadelphia Eagles (3-1) @ Oakland Raiders (1-4)
Time: 4:05pm ET
Spread: Philadelphia - 14
Over/Under: 40.5
Preview: The Eagles will look for their third straight win on Sunday when they head out west to take on the Oakland Raiders. Philadelphia has scored 33.5 points per game in their last two wins; over Kansas City and Tampa Bay. The Eagles lone loss came September 20th to the New Orleans Saints. Brent Celek has sparked the Philadelphia offense. Celek has caught 26 passes for 303 yards and 2 touchdowns in the early going. The Eagles trail New York in the NFC East by 1.5 games. The Raiders have been down right miserable, and had it not been for the 13-10 win at Kansas City the heat would really be on head coach Tom Cable. JaMarcus Russell has been absolutely horrid at quarterback for the Raiders, and has now sparked calls for Oakland trading for Brady Quinn, out of Cleveland. Russell turned the ball over four times in the loss to Philadelphia on Sunday. The Raiders have scored just 49 points in five games.
Buffalo Bills (1-4) @ New York Jets (3-2)
Time: 4:15pm ET
Spread: NY Jets - 9.5
Over/Under: 38
Preview: In an AFC East tilt, the Buffalo Bills, losers of three straight games will play the New York Jets. The Jets are coming off two straight loses, including their Monday Night Football loss at Miami. Buffalo in their most recent loss scored just three points at Cleveland, to allow the Browns to pick up their first win in 2009. The Bills, who signed Terrell Owens to a contract over the off-season have not seen much production from him, as he has caught just 12 passes for 202 yards. The Buffalo offense has scored just 77 points in five games. The losing streak has sent Buffalo to the bottom of the AFC East, trailing 2-3 Miami, and 3-2 New England and 3-2 New York. The Jets had a late lead in the game Monday, but could not stop the wildcard offense late in the game. Ronnie Brown ran for a touchdown with just 7 seconds remaining put the Dolphins ahead to stay. The loss was the second straight for New York, after falling on October 4th at New Orleans. The pick-up of Braylon Edwards should help a Jets offense that has scored 101 points in five games.
Tennessee Titans (0-5) @ New England Patriots (3-2)
Time: 4:15pm ET
Spread: New England - 9.5
Over/Under: 43
Preview: When the schedule makers put the 2009 slate together, week six was looked upon, and many people expected this to be a huge AFC tilt. The Tennessee Titans will head to Foxboro to take on the New England Patriots. Now, instead of a huge tilt between two solid teams, this game pits winless Titans team against a Patriots team coming off a loss to Denver. The Titans have been the NFL’s biggest disappointment thus far. Tennessee is coming off a 33-9 pasting from divisional rival Indianapolis. The Titans, uncharacteristically, are getting outscored by an average of 11 points per game. Kerry Collins at quarterback has not been the answer for the Titans, and rumors are swirling that Jeff Fisher is nearing a move to Vince Young behind center. For the Patriots, after surviving a scare from Buffalo in week one, the Jets were able to oust New England, and now the Broncos were able to do the same. New England seems to be having trouble getting on the same page offensive, notably quarterback Todd Brady and receiver Wes Welker. Brady has been listed probably for this game, with a slight injury to the shoulder. Welker has been listed as questionable with an injury to his knee.
Chicago Bears (3-1) @ Atlanta Falcons (3-1)
Time: 8:20pm EST
Spread: Atlanta - 3.5
Over/Under: 46
Preview: The Chicago Bears will play in the dirty south Sunday, following their bye week. Both teams come into this affair with three wins and a loss. The Bears lone loss came in week one, when they were downed at Green Bay. Atlanta was downed in week three at New England. The Falcons offense, led by Matt Ryan, Michael Turner and Roddy White has put up 102 points in four games, while the defense is allowing just 15.6 points per game. The Falcons trail New Orleans by just one full game at the top of the NFC South. Atlanta’s kicker Jason Elam has been listed as questionable for this game with a left hamstring injury. The Bears have picked up wins over Pittsburgh, Seattle and Detroit in the last three games. The Bears are led by off-season pick-up Jay Cutler. Cutler has led the Bears offense to 105 total points through 901 passing yards. The Bears trail Minnesota in the NFC North by 1.5 games.
Monday, October 19th, 2009
Denver Broncos (5-0) @ San Diego Chargers (2-2)
Time: 8:30pm ET
Spread: San Diego - 3.5
Over/Under: 44
Preview: In an early season AFC West, the defending divisional champion will be put to the test at home. The undefeated Denver Broncos, led by head coach Josh McDaniels will travel to San Diego and look to remain unbeaten. The Broncos are coming off an upset win at home over the New England Patriots. The Broncos also came back in the waning seconds in the season opener over Cincinnati. Kyle Orton has done a solid job as quarterback for the Broncos, passing for just over 1200 yards. Rookie running back Knowshon Moreno has led the rushing attack, with just over 330 yards. Most notably for Denver has been their defense. The Broncos have only allowed 43 points in five games. The Chargers are coming off their bye week, and will look to move to over .500. The Chargers were 38-28 victims before their bye to the Pittsburgh Steelers. San Diego has scored 101 points in four games this season, but defensively is where the Chargers need a spark, as they have yielded 102 points. The Chargers trail Denver in the AFC West by 2.5 games.
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