The first handful of weeks of the 2022 NFL season were loaded with exciting games and thrilling finishes, but so far, Week 5 is looking like the week of the blowout. There were blowouts all throughout the day on Sunday but it was still a fun weekend of football, as always. How did our NFL picks go for Week 5? Well, it was a pretty good week, actually, including some of our top upset picks.
It’s already Week 6 of the 2022 NFL season and there is another loaded slate of games with four teams getting the first bye weeks of the season. Those four teams are the Lions, Titans, Raiders, and Texans, so they will be out of action. Let’s take a look through this week’s slate of games and make some NFL picks and predictions for every game.
Last week’s picks: 11-5
Week 6 byes: Lions, Titans, Raiders, Texans
2022 NFL picks and predictions for Week 6
Washington Commanders (1-4) at Chicago Bears (2-3)
Thursday, October 13, 8:15 PM ET
After the absolute dud the Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts put up on Thursday night last week, you can understand why Al Michaels was quick to express his disdain when he remembered that this week’s matchup is between the Commanders and the Bears. At least neither of these teams is winless, up to this point.
The Commanders are fresh off of yet another disappointing loss — at home — against the Tennessee Titans. Washington simply can’t get into any sort of groove offensively and the running game could take some time to get going with Brian Robinson finally making his debut (nine carries for 22 yards) on Sunday.
The Bears’ situation is a bit more straightforward. Justin Fields is struggling badly in year two. Chicago is clearly one of the NFL teams more devoid of talent than others and they’re probably not as good as their 2-3 record would indicate.
With that being said, someone’s got to win this game. I think after getting his feet wet in Week 5, Brian Robinson is poised to go off against the Bears but Chicago’s defense has been forcing turnovers and Carson Wentz is going to need to do something he hasn’t been doing very well of late — protect the ball.
Prediction: Commanders win 21-16
New England Patriots (2-3) at Cleveland Browns (2-3)
Sunday, October 16, 1:00 PM ET
Well, how about that? The New England Patriots should have been unanimously predicted to win this weekend — regardless of opponent — when it was announced that they were going to be wearing their absolutely beautiful alternate uniforms against the Detroit Lions. They absolutely embarrassed one of the best offenses in the NFL — the Detroit Lions — by shutting them out in New England.
The Patriots’ 29-0 win is an incredible display of coaching by the GOAT, Bill Belichick, who was not only welcoming one of the NFL’s top-scoring offenses to town but also having to use a rookie at the quarterback position. That rookie, Bailey Zappe, did his job running the offense and completing 17-of-21 passes while Rhamondre Stevenson ran all over Detroit’s defense to the tune of 161 yards.
The Cleveland Browns know a thing or two about running all over defenses, but they have struggled late in a couple of close games despite having one of the best offensive weapons in the game, Nick Chubb.
Chubb is out there just having his way with teams these days, proving that by averaging almost eight yards per carry against the Chargers on Sunday. The Browns have not been good at home this year (1-2 record there) and are really struggling in close games. All three of their losses so far this season have been by a combined six points. You don’t exactly want a matchup against a Belichick-coached defense to try and “get right”.
This game is such a toss-up on the surface for your weekly NFL picks but I give a slight edge to New England with the way they play defense.
Prediction: Patriots win 20-19
San Francisco 49ers (3-2) at Atlanta Falcons (2-3)
Sunday, October 16, 1:00 PM ET
After dropping a Sunday night game in Denver a couple of weeks ago, the San Francisco 49ers have been looking much, much better in the last two weeks with Jimmy Garoppolo at the helm. Garoppolo hasn’t thrown any interceptions and the 49ers’ defense has been stepping up big time.
Notably, the 49ers are getting an absolute breakout year from safety Talanoa Hufanga, a fifth-round pick out of USC in 2021 who has seen his game take an astronomical leap forward in 2022. Hufanga’s emergence this season has helped the 49ers maintain dominance at times defensively. He’s already got a pair of touchdowns and that’s coming off the heels of scoring a special teams touchdown in last year’s playoff game against the Packers.
Both Atlanta and San Francisco have good running games offensively but that is where San Francisco can really put teams away quickly if they are in sync. Against the Panthers, 49ers running back Jeff Wilson was absolutely outstanding, averaging 7.1 yards per carry.
The Falcons have been a tough out for teams so far this season. Even against the Buccaneers, they only lost by six points. Head coach Arthur Smith has that team playing much better this season, even without much of a passing game to speak of. That’s been frustrating for Falcons fans because Kyle Pitts and Drake London are two of the best players on that roster.
Without Cordarrelle Patterson, will the Falcons be able to lean on those guys more in this matchup?
Prediction: 49ers win 31-22
New York Jets (3-2) at Green Bay Packers (3-2)
Sunday, October 16, 1:00 PM ET
Well then, how about the New York Jets so far this season? The Jets have won two straight games after getting their first win earlier in the season in miraculous comeback fashion with Joe Flacco at the helm. That feels like a lifetime ago at this point, doesn’t it?
Zach Wilson has been back the last two weeks, and the Jets just got themselves a huge win over the Miami Dolphins who were not only down Tua Tagovailoa but also lost Teddy Bridgewater during the game as well. The Jets took advantage with a decisive 40-17 victory and Robert Saleh has this team playing with some serious confidence.
But the Jets’ most recent win wasn’t about Zach Wilson. It was all about Breece Hall. Hall had 100 yards receiving on just two receptions and added 97 yards as a runner with a touchdown. Hall’s big-time breakout performance could be crucial for the Jets moving forward, especially with a road matchup going up against the Packers who will be jet-lagged coming back from a terrible loss to the New York Giants.
The Packers only have two losses so far this season, but there are serious concerns with this team that have been called out by everyone all throughout the course of the 2022 offseason. Aaron Rodgers doesn’t have a go-to weapon in the passing game with Davante Adams in Las Vegas and that becomes a clearer issue by the week.
The Packers’ offense had 0 second-half points against the Giants in their international debut. We’ll see if players like Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs can step up over the course of the season but right now, the Packers have some major concerns in that area. Despite all of that, I’m not calling the Jets on the road in Green Bay just yet, but the Jets might give them a serious fight.
Prediction: Packers win 24-21
Jacksonville Jaguars (2-3) at Indianapolis Colts (2-2-1)
Sunday, October 16, 1:00 PM ET
Despite having the worst scoring offense in the NFL, the Indianapolis Colts were able to show some resolve and grit against the Denver Broncos on the road this past week. Trailing by three points late in the game, Stephon Gilmore forced a late interception of Russell Wilson and the Colts drove down the field to tie the game, forcing overtime. The offense had an efficient drive down the field to start the overtime period, and the field goal they got would be all they would need.
The Colts offense has gotten a huge boost in the last couple of weeks from rookie Alec Pierce, who has really stepped up in a big way as a true secondary threat along with Michael Pittman Jr. in the passing game. Jonathan Taylor should be back from an ankle injury in this divisional matchup against the Jaguars, and the Colts have the type of defense that could really cause some fits for teams throughout the season.
Somewhat surprisingly, they are 2-2-1 after some dreadful offensive performances in the first five weeks. That record has them right in the thick of things in the AFC South right now. On the other hand, the Jaguars have now lost two games in a row after so many people were jumping on their bandwagon in September.
Going on the road to face a well-rested Colts team which could be getting some key players back from injury could be a deadly recipe. Despite the improvements we’ve seen from Trevor Lawrence this season under Doug Pederson, this could be a tough matchup for Jacksonville.
Prediction: Colts win 20-17
Minnesota Vikings (4-1) at Miami Dolphins (3-2)
Sunday, October 16, 1:00 PM ET
Just a couple of weeks ago, the Miami Dolphins were firing on all cylinders and appeared to be one of the best teams in all of the NFL. Fast forward a couple of weeks, and the Dolphins have now lost two straight games while losing their top two quarterbacks in the process. If neither Tua Tagovailoa nor Teddy Bridgewater can play against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 6, this game could be a bloodbath in South Beach.
Of course, the Dolphins could roll Skylar Thompson out there and surprise everybody, but the Vikings have been somewhat surprisingly tough to beat so far this season. I say somewhat surprising because this team completely overhauled its scheme and personnel defensively while overhauling the scheme and coaching staff on offense as well.
Kevin O’Connell has done a good job as the captain of this ship, leading the Vikings to a 4-1 record and an undefeated record at home. Going to Miami, the Vikings may not have the speed at corner to match the speed of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, but who does?
Justin Jefferson and Dalvin Cook are firing on all cylinders as of right now, particularly Jefferson. This guy looks like he might be the best and most reliable receiver week to week in the NFL at the moment, and I don’t think that’s just hyperbole at this point.
The guy is even out there completing passes for crying out loud.
As far as this matchup, a lot of the projection hinges on who is playing QB for the Dolphins. If Teddy Bridgewater is cleared to play against his former team, that could be an intriguing storyline. With that being said, it’s crucial to also remember that Bridgewater ended last season in Denver on IR due to a head injury.
Could Tua Tagovailoa be back this week after his terrifying injury a couple of weeks ago? I’m not sure but we will find out more as the week progresses. For now, I’m going to assume either Teddy Bridgewater or Skylar Thompson get this start for Miami.
Prediction: Vikings win 32-27
Cincinnati Bengals (2-3) at New Orleans Saints (2-3)
Sunday, October 16, 1:00 PM ET
Who would have thought going into last week that Taysom Hill would be one of the NFL’s biggest stars of Week 5? Hill accounted for four touchdowns against the Seattle Seahawks in what turned out to be one of the best overall games of Week 5. He completed one pass for a 22-yard touchdown and then ran for three more, including a huge 60-yard run where he showed off some surprisingly great long speed.
Andy Dalton was the QB for the Saints in this game once again, and New Orleans proved that it’s just a much more formidable offense when Hill is getting involved, regardless of who is the starting QB.
The Saints have won both games in which Hill has run for 80-plus yards this season, so you can expect more of him going forward as they try to ride the hot hand. Alvin Kamara also looked good against the Seahawks. None of this is good news for the downtrodden Cincinnati Bengals, fresh off of yet another tough loss against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night.
The Bengals are not looking good offensively right now. They are one of the worst rushing offenses in the NFL and Joe Burrow is still getting hit constantly. He’s been sacked 18 times in five games, which would put him on pace to easily beat the 51 times he was sacked last season.
Going up against the New Orleans Saints who are finding a groove offensively with a healthy Alvin Kamara and an inspired Taysom Hill, the Bengals are going to have to lean on their top 10 defense heavily in this one. I’m buying the Saints being able to keep it up in Week 6.
Prediction: Saints win 30-26
Baltimore Ravens (3-2) at New York Giants (4-1)
Sunday, October 16, 1:00 PM ET
This is one of those games that feels like if I pick the Giants, they’re going to lose, and if I pick against the Giants, they’re going to win. I’ve been picking against the Giants pretty much all year so the fan base is probably hoping everything just keeps going on as it has been. This game is going to be fascinating from a coaching perspective. Not to overstate anything, but Wink Martindale — the defensive coordinator of the Giants — is facing his former team in this one.
Let’s settle down here for a second and just think about this. The only thing impressive about the Giants this season has been this team’s resolve and miraculous ability to finish games, right? They are well-coached, but outside of Saquon Barkley, there’s nothing that really stands out about this team in a big way. Daniel Jones has not been spectacular and neither has the offensive line. The defense has been top 10 in a variety of categories but how many football fans could name even half of their starters?
The Giants are just playing well as a team, and they’re executing well enough late to win games. The Baltimore Ravens have a top-five offense in the NFL right now and Lamar Jackson has been looking more like his MVP self than the guy we’ve seen the last couple of years, seemingly “regressing” a bit.
I know the Giants deserve a lot of respect and kudos for the way they have played up to this point, but I can’t pick them coming back from London after yet another shocking victory. At some point, that is going to run out, right?
Prediction: Ravens win 33-17
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2) at Pittsburgh Steelers (1-4)
Sunday, October 16, 1:00 PM ET
After consecutive losses to the Packers and Chiefs, the Buccaneers and Tom Brady got back on the board with a much-needed win this past week against the Atlanta Falcons. It was much-needed, but it wasn’t overly impressive. The Buccaneers appear to be sleepwalking offensively and there are probably a variety of layers as far as the reasons why.
First and foremost, how could Tom Brady not at least be a little bit distracted about what’s going on right now in his personal life? Second, it seems like Rob Gronkowski really does make that much of a difference. Third, the Bucs are just not healthy on that side of the ball and the offensive line is not as good this year without some key players there. They are dead last this year in rushing (yards per carry) and defensively they’ve been susceptible once teams get inside the red zone.
Despite it all, the Bucs have an apparent walk in the park here on Sunday afternoon with a trip to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers, who were absolutely blown out of the water by the Bills this past weekend. I’m not sure that’s the kind of Steelers team we can expect to see the rest of the way this year, but it certainly makes this game an easy one to pick.
As quickly as my mind said “Buccaneers” for this matchup, it then seemed a little too easy. The Bucs don’t strike the same fear as they would have last year but the Steelers are lucky to not be 0-5 right now. Other than simply thinking something weird might happen in this game, I can’t think of any reasons why you should pick the Steelers to win.
Prediction: Steelers win 27-26
Carolina Panthers (1-4) at Los Angeles Rams (2-3)
Sunday, October 16, 4:05 PM ET
We all know how it goes the week after an NFL team fires its coach in season. All of a sudden, the team seems galvanized and the locker room seems rejuvenated, if only for a week. The Carolina Panthers fired Matt Rhule on Monday, freeing him up to get after whatever big-name college is going to open up the vault and hand him whatever amount of money he wants.
The Panthers have been a struggle to watch this season. Baker Mayfield has let me and me and many other of his fans down with a really poor overall performance in his first year as Carolina’s starter. And this team has plenty of intriguing weapons. Mayfield is either not finding them or not hitting them, and both of those things are problems.
Sam Darnold is not healthy enough to play, so there’s no danger of a QB swap happening anytime overly soon for Carolina. Matthew Stafford also doesn’t look right this season and is getting hit a lot more after the Rams let Austin Corbett walk and watched Andrew Whitworth retire in the offseason.
Those two losses have loomed large and the Rams have the worst offense in the NFL right now in terms of yards per play. They are out of sync and would be a complete disaster without Cooper Kupp. Thankfully for the Rams, this could be the perfect get-right game. They desperately need one.
Prediction: Rams win 34-18
Arizona Cardinals (2-3) at Seattle Seahawks (2-3)
Sunday, October 16, 4:05 PM ET
Both of these NFC West foes dropped close games in Week 5 action with Seattle dropping a very exciting road game against the New Orleans Saints and the Cardinals dropping a home game in their new all-black uniforms to the Philadelphia Eagles, who remain the NFL’s only undefeated team. Where do these two teams go from here?
Seattle has been playing pretty good football this season despite the fact they obviously traded away Russell Wilson in the offseason and also lost Jamal Adams in Week 1 due to injury. Geno Smith has been playing better than anyone expected, and frankly, that includes Seattle, which had Geno in competition all offseason with Drew Lock for the starting position.
Smith had three touchdowns and no interceptions against the Saints, but the Seahawks defense could not stop Taysom Hill and Alvin Kamara, and the Saints made it happen with Andy Dalton under center.
Will the Cardinals be able to get back on track here on the road against the Seahawks, who have looked quite good with Geno Smith under center offensively? I’m not so sure. It just feels like the Cardinals are unbalanced and forcing the issue on offense. Looking ahead to this NFC West matchup, I can’t help but like the Seahawks with the way Geno Smith is playing right now, even after an injury to starting running back Rashaad Penny.
Penny’s injury will give way to more touches for Kenneth Walker who had a really nice 69-yard run against the Saints on Sunday. We should see a lot of him going forward. I like the Geno-led Seahawks in this week’s NFL picks.
Prediction: Seahawks win 30-28
Buffalo Bills (4-1) at Kansas City Chiefs (4-1)
Sunday, October 16, 4:25 PM ET
Everyone in the football world is going to be glued to their TV when these two teams face off. The matchup at the quarterback position between Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes really doesn’t need much hyping up or introduction. These are two of the best quarterbacks in the game and two of the most exciting teams, in general.
Everyone remembers the playoff ending last season when the Bills had the Chiefs on the ropes with 13 seconds remaining in regulation. Patrick Mahomes worked his magic and marched Kansas City into field goal range, where the Chiefs tied the game and infamously won in overtime with the Bills not touching the ball. That game actually caused the NFL to change its overtime rules for the playoffs this year, but we’ll see if these two teams can handle business in regulation this time around.
Chiefs Kingdom is going to be absolutely berzerk and the Bills have had this matchup circled for nine months. This is a game the Bills want to win desperately (not like they don’t want to win them all, but you get it) and I think we’re going to see another MVP-caliber performance from Josh Allen.
Allen will flex his MVP candidacy in this game, which will take all four quarters against the great Patrick Mahomes playing on his home field. The Bills are just so good right now, and I don’t think Kansas City has the same level of firepower offensively to win this shootout right now, strictly speaking in terms of the weapons Josh Allen has at his disposal. This week’s NFL picks include a big road win for Allen and company.
Prediction: Bills win 34-31
Dallas Cowboys (4-1) at Philadelphia Eagles (5-0)
Sunday, October 16, 8:20 PM ET
America is going to be treated on Sunday Night Football to truly one of the best games of the week. The Dallas Cowboys have ripped off four straight wins since losing starting quarterback Dak Prescott to a thumb injury. Will this be the week Dak comes back? Obviously, this would be the perfect time for his insertion into the lineup, though that doesn’t mean anything negative about the job Cooper Rush has done in his stead.
Rush, for his part, has been sensational. He only needed to complete 10 passes in the Cowboys’ Week 5 win over the Los Angeles Rams — on the road — as the defense and running game dominated Matthew Stafford and the downtrodden Super Bowl champions.
The Philadelphia Eagles squeezed out a win against the Arizona Cardinals on the road and continue to look like one of the NFL’s most formidable all-around outfits. Jalen Hurts continues to make play after play, and the Eagles have some legitimate closers in the pass rush department right now, led by free agent pickup Haason Reddick who had yet another sack against Arizona.
How do you pick this game? The Eagles have a home-field advantage, but these two teams can match up really well against each other with strong running games and great defense.
Dallas has been so interesting, and I don’t think the Eagles are going to run the table. I look at a player like Micah Parsons as a massive difference-maker in a game like this, especially if Dak Prescott is able to play for Dallas on the other side. Perhaps this pick would fluctuate based on Prescott’s availability, but I’m riding this Dallas wave for Week 6 of NFL picks.
Prediction: Cowboys win 28-27
Denver Broncos (2-3) at Los Angeles Chargers (3-2)
Monday, October 17, 8:15 PM ET
Things are not good for the Denver Broncos right now. Expectations are not being lived up to, to say the least. Russell Wilson has been a shell of his former self in Denver and is coming under fire from all angles. Unfortunately, a number of people in the media have started making it personal against Russ, kicking him while he’s down, which is grossly unprofessional and out of line.
At any rate, the Broncos are so bad offensively right now that nobody knows this team has one of the best defenses in the NFL. The Broncos’ defense features one of the best and most impactful pass rushes in the NFL, starring Bradley Chubb who has 5.5 sacks through the first five games. He’s joined by Baron Browning, who was an unstoppable force against the Indianapolis Colts, playing in place of the injured Randy Gregory.
Between Chubb, Browning, top pick Nik Bonitto, and potentially Jonathon Cooper and Aaron Patrick coming back from injury, the Chargers’ offensive line and Justin Herbert will have their hands full in this game. The Chargers did everything they could to blow a lead in Cleveland this past week but the Browns couldn’t capitalize late. Despite being 3-2, the Chargers are a team with serious question marks at the top with head coach Brandon Staley.
Playing at home is not a great advantage for Los Angeles, but playing a beaten and dejected Broncos team certainly is. Interestingly enough, back in the 2012 season, it was a Week 6 matchup on Monday Night Football against the Chargers that helped the 2-3, Peyton Manning-led Broncos get on track and become one of the best teams in the AFC.
Prediction: Broncos win 27-23