Another game being played in London> After that, there will be two more NFL game played in Europe. Specifically in Berlin and Madrid.
There are only three teams with only one loss to their name, although the Packers, who are one of those teams, also have a tie on their record. It is still early, but it does not feel like there will necessarily be a dominant team this season.
Meanwhile, the Jets remain the league's only remaining winless team. They don't feel like the kind of team that will finish the season winless, so we have to wonder when they will finally win.
Some other intriguing games set to be played this weekend.
Let's take a look:
LA Rams versus Jacksonville at London, UK - So the early game, being played in London's iconic Wembley Stadium, features a pretty interesting match-up. The Los Angeles Rams will take on the technically hosting Jacksonville Jaguars. This is a tough game to pick. Both teams are 4-2, and both have mostly won, but shown some inconsistencies and losses as well. However, I feel that the Rams are, if ever so slightly, a bit better. They have a tough defense and can also score some points. The Jaguars, however, have clearly surprised a lot of people this year, with wins in consecutive weeks against the Texas, 49ers, and Chiefs. So clearly, both teams have enjoyed some success this season. Again, a tough one to call. But I'm going to pick the Rams in a tight one, decided in the final minutes, if not seconds. My pick: LA Rams
Carolina at NY Jets - The Panthers must be riding high at this point. Coming off a solid win over the Cowboys, which was tough and could have gone either way, the Panthers find themselves in an unusual spot: relevant heading into late October, and possibly November. That despite low expectations by most. After all, many would not have been surprised had the Panthers been sporing the same record of the New York Jets right now, at 0-6. Of course, there are reasons - many of them, actually - why Gang Green finds themselves as the league's only remaining winless team. Yes, they have lost every game that they played so far. However, all but two of those games were close, decided by less than 7 points. Sooner or later, the Jets are going to snap this losing streak, and they must feel like they can win this one. After all, despite the improvements that the Panthers have shown, they remain winless on the road. So I am going to go out on a limb and, once again, pick the Jets to pull off an upset here. They cannot lose every single game, after all, can they? My pick: NY Jets
Las Vegas at Kansas City - The Raiders finally won their second game of the season last weekend. But they had to hang on against Tennessee in order to win at home. Now, against a hot KC team that has won three of their last four and has home field advantage against the Silver & Black? It's simply difficult to see how the Raiders can win this one. My pick: Kansas City
Miami at Cleveland - Two struggling, 1-5 teams face off by the lake. While neither team has been impressive so far, obviously, it still feels to me that the Fins are the better team, with greater potential. While I do not necessarily expect them to reach, or even perhaps contend, for the playoffs, they feel like they are a better overall team. True, the Browns have home field advantage, and that should help. Still, they have the worst rated offense in the league, and this has been for two seasons in a row. Going to be difficult to keep up with anyone under those circumstances. My pick: Miami
New Orleans at Chicago - The Bears started off the season poorly, dropping their first two games. But they seem to have caught on fire a little bit, winning three straight now. Some of them against quality opponents, especially the road win against the Commanders last weekend. The Saints are struggling at 1-5, and going on the road to take on the Bears at the Windy City is a tough test. My expectations is that Da Bears will be a bit too much for them. My pick: Chicago
New England at Tennessee - The Patriots are one of the bigger surprises so far this season. They are 4-2, and just look impressive. Clearly, Head Coach Vrabel is doing something positive. Now he goes on the road to face his former team, the Titans. They are really struggling at 1-5, and just have not shown much of anything so far this season. The Pats seem to have improved on both offense and defense, while the Titans rank near the bottom in both, but especially on offense. So my expectations are that the Patriots take this one, and possibly convincingly, at that. My pick: New England
Philadelphia at Minnesota - Both of these teams are a little hard to figure right now. The Eagles are the defending champions and looked like they picked up right where they left off last season by racing out to a 4-0 start. Since then, they have lost two in a row, and they looked resigned and lacking in any kind of championship swagger last week against the Giants. The Vikings have also been inconsistent, but they feel tough on defense. Still, Philly are the defending champions. Except that in between their two Super Bowl seasons, they started off 10-1 two seasons ago, looking like the best team, before collapsing after that. This team feels like they are almost at a crossroads, because they still might be the same dominant team that took the title last year, but they also might bear an eerie resemblance to that team which collapsed a couple of years ago. They just haven't looked like the Super Bowl team of January and February, and I'm not sure they will in this game, either. My expectations are that the Eagles once again struggle on offense, and that the Vikings surprise the Eagles. My pick: Minnesota
NY Giants at Denver - Both teams have shown signs of serious improvement this season. The G-Men finally seem to have built some excitement on the field, with some sparks of life on offense, and a tough defense. However, it feels to me that the Broncos are farther along in their rebuilding process. After all, they were a playoff team last year, and they have looked nothing short of fantastic so far this season. That, plus the altitude at Mile High, should help them get past the fairly well-rested Giants, to earn a win, although my guess is that it will remain a fairly close game. My pick: Denver
Indianapolis at LA Chargers - What a game this one should be! Two first place teams battling it out in what is now close to midseason. The Colts have been surprisingly good so far this season. They have the top-rated offense, led by former Giants quarterback Daniel Jones. He has been so good so far, that everyone seems to have given him the nickname of "Indiana Jones." Plus, Indy's defense has looked solid, as well. So far, the Colts have not played a bad game. Meanwhile, the Chargers still feel like they are shaky, despite beating the Dolphins last weekend. I expect that the Colts will find a way to top the Chargers in this one, despite this being a West Coast trip. My pick: Indianapolis
Washington at Dallas - One of the league's fiercest rivalries is renewed, as the Commanders go to Big D to take on the Cowboys. By now, it seems clear that the 'Boys have one of the most explosive offenses in the league. But their overall record and potential is hampered by a surprisingly weak defense, which compromises their chances for success this season. On average, they allow about 30 points per game, which is awful. The Commanders have a tough defense, which was part of their postseason success last year. I expect their defense to step up a bit later this season, and they should be able to just get past the Cowboys in this one. My pick; Washington
Green Bay at Arizona - The Packers are one of three teams remaining with only one loss on their record (although they also have one tie). Meanwhile, the Cardinals started the season off looking like they might be real contenders. Since then, however, they have gone about a month without a single win. However, I expect the Cardinals to play tough and possibly even pull off an upset. Yes, I suspect that this one will be a tough game for the Pack. Still, my expectations are that they will find a way to win in the end. My pick: Green Bay
Sunday Night Football: Atlanta at San Francisco - The Falcons have surprised me more than once so far this season. They seem especially tough at home. However, they will be on the road for this one, and the 49ers are coming off a loss that might serve to get them especially motivated to avoid a losing streak. Despite injury issues, expect the Niners to win this one. My pick: San Francisco
Monday Night Football Game # 1: Detroit at Tampa Bay - The first Monday game will feature former division rivals. And this should be a good one! The red-hot Tampa Bay Bucs, sporting an NFC best 5-1 record, take on the Lions in Detroit. These are, presumably, two of the elite teams in the NFC. With the Lions coming off a tough loss in KC last week, I expect them to come out swinging, aiming to avoid a losing streak. But the Bucs are tougher than most people expected. Still, with extra motivation and home field advantage, expect the Lions to roar. My pick: Detroit
Monday Night Football Game # 2: Houston at Seattle - Two teams that have realistic playoff aspirations, and even hopes to win their respective divisions. Seattle has been fairly solid all season, pulling off some fairly major surprises. Meanwhile, the Texans have begun to dig themselves out of a nearly disastrous 0-3 start. Now, they have begun to play well and are looking a lot more like the playoff contending team we all expected them to be. It could go either way. But I like the momentum that the Texans have built in recent weeks to pull them through a tough road game in Seattle. My pick: Houston
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