Atlanta got knocked off the ranks of the undefeated on Thursday night after the Saints were able to find their form and put together easily the most complete game of their season so far. The Falcons fell behind early, and never really did get back into the game.
And so the NFC has two unbeaten teams left, and the NFL as a whole has three unbeatens remaining.
In the NFC, the Packers and the Panthers still remain with perfect records, while in the AFC, the Bengals, Patriots, and Broncos all still sport unbeaten records. The Panthers and Patriots, by virtue of byes, both have 4-0 records, while the rest of them enjoy 5-0 marks.
So, are there any other unbeatens that are likely to lose ground this coming weekend, and to be knocked off the undefeated ranks?
Actually, this time, I think that there will be. Here are my predictions for week six:
Seahawks defeat the Panthers - You want to know which of the unbeaten teams is likely not be remain undefeated after this weekend? Look no further than the NFC South, where the Panthers have to travel to Seattle, never a friendly place for the away team. While it is true that the Seahawks have not resembled the form of the prior few seasons where they have looked like an NFL superpower, very, very few teams can boast road wins in Seattle the last few seasons. Dallas comes to mind last season and...err....um, that's about it. While Carolina has been undeniably impressive to this point in the season, can I see them pulling off a huge upset in Seattle a week after the Seahawks are reeling from a tough loss at Cincy? No, not really. I like the Seahawks to once again come alive in this one, and take down the Panthers on their home field.
Bengals defeat Bills - This is a tough one, but based on what I have seen so far, I think the Bengals look more complete, and more consistent, than the Bills. Buffalo definitely has what it takes to defeat Cincy, although the Bills just do not appear consistent enough to be the ones to do it.
Green Bay defeats San Diego - I do not like the chances of San Diego managing to pull off an upset here. Perhaps the only place that is as tough to play in the NFL outside of Seattle would be Lambeau Field, and this seems especially true for many West Coast teams (although the 49ers managed to do it a couple of time in recent years). But these Chargers are nowhere near as good as those San Francisco teams were, and Green Bay is a lot better than they were back then. Bottom line, the Pack raise their record to 6-0.
Denver defeats Cleveland - If the Browns play at their absolute best, and if the Broncos continue to sputter on offense, and if the Broncos do not continue to find magical solutions with their defense right at the end of games, and if a relatively insignificant home field advantage for Cleveland suddenly turns improbably huge, than the Browns might just win this game. But those are a lot of if's - too many to count on, really. Denver is the better team, and they should be able to get past the Browns, even in a tight game. Yes, Cleveland is coming off one of the most impressive wins in recent memory at Baltimore, but the Broncos are a different beast entirely. Look for the Broncos offense to come to life, their defense to remain stingy, and for Denver to remain unbeaten, raising their record to 6-0.
New England defeats Indianapolis - The Patriots are playing some lights out football right now as defending champs, while the Colts are finally beginning to find their groove. This is a classic rivalry, and has been almost since the turn of this new millennium. This is the first time that these two teams are meeting since that controversial AFC Championship Game that precipitated "Deflategate." Normally, the losing team in a playoff meeting has more incentive for revenge, but I actually suspect that this is not the case this time around. The Pats, as you surely remember, dismantled the Colts, 45-7. Yet, the entire legitimacy of the Patriots march to the Super Bowl was undermined, and their credibility has not (yet) been restored. So, if anyone has revenge on their mind, it should be the Pats. That, and a superior team, frankly, adds up to a New England win on the road on Sunday evening.
NY Jets defeat Washington - The Jets are looking strong at 3-1, and coming off a bye week. Washington is hanging a lot tougher than most people (yes, myself included, admittedly) expected to this point in the season, although there in recent seasons, there is always a feel with that team that everything is about to completely fall apart. Not sure if this is when it happens, and I can see Washington putting up a tough fight. But in the end, the Jets still just look too tough, and pull off the win to raise their record to 4-1.
Arizona defeats Pittsburgh - One of the real feature matches, this game is. The Cardinals look tough, and the Steelers were among many people's favorite picks before the season. Pittsburgh remains without their starting quarterback, and the Steelers still managed to win a tight game with a breathtaking ending on Monday night. But the Cardinals have shown consistency, and really need to win this game to stay comfortably ahead of the Rams and especially the Seahawks. With their ingenuity, I suspect that Arizona finds a way to win this.
Jax defeats Houston - It looks to me like the Texans are on the verge of completely falling apart, while the Jags, despite some tough luck, are on the verge of another win. Add those two together, and you have the making of a solid victory for the Jaguars.
Detroit defeats Chicago - At some point, the Lions are going to win a game. Why not now? The Bears have pulled off two straight victories, true. But they are still a team in turmoil, and if it were not for a very key injury last week, they likely would have lost to Kansas City. The Lions want that first win so badly, and really need it at this point. If this game were in Chicago, it might be a different story. But the Lions should take advantage of home field and down the Bears, earning their first victory of the season.
Tennessee defeats Miami - This is a tough one to pick, as the Dolphins have home field advantage, and the Titans have not exactly played stellar recently, either. But you get the feeling that the Titans are an opportunistic team ready to pounce on all opportunities, while Miami is a frustrated team that has not realized their potential, and are really reeling right now. This is one of those games that could go either way without it being a surprise, but my suspicion is that it goes for the Titans, who pull off a big road win.
Minnesota defeats Kansas City - The Chiefs seemed to fold it all in last week after losing Charles, their star running back. Without him now, and on the road against a hungry team aiming for the playoffs like the Vikings, I just don't see the Chiefs managing an upset. The Vikings have shown inconsistency, but the Chiefs have been quite consistent, with four straight losses. Make that five this week, and Minnesota has their way with them.
San Francisco defeats Baltimore - Both teams desperately need a win, and the 'Niners want some revenge in this, the first meeting for these two teams since that legendary Super Bowl meeting between these two franchises three seasons ago. The 49ers put together a strong game plan to almost pull off the victory last week, while the Ravens suffered a tough and demoralizing loss to the Browns last week, sending them to last place. So, I see Frisco doing it, and getting their second victory of the season.
Monday Night - NY Giants defeat Philly - Yes, this one is more from the heart, admittedly. I would like to believe that the good fortunes for the Giants are for real, and here to stay. They have won three straight, propelling them to first place in the NFC East. The Eagles, in the meantime, have shown inconsistency, although they usually play the Giants tough. But I will go with my prediction that the G-Men have turned a corner, and are now ready to make a real push to be contenders by pulling off an important road win within the division. Giants find a way to beat a tough Philadelphia team.
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