The NFL touches down in London for the second time this season, with the Falcons squaring off against the Lions at Wembley Stadium on Sunday. Or that’s what we hope will happen, at least. There was some consternation on Tuesday, when the Falcons published an infographic which suggested they might have confused England with Spain.
But the good news is that you have found your way here, dear reader, and hopefully in time to post your entry for this week’s Pick Six contest. Not a single person managed to call all six games correctly last week, mostly because an awful lot of people (myself included) showed too much faith in the Chicago Bears. Nobody will be making that same mistake this week, since I have not included their matchup among the games we will be predicting.
Minnesota Vikings @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sunday 1pm ET/5pm GMT
The worst team in the NFC North faces the worst team in the NFC South, in a game that both sets of fans – with an eye on the 2015 draft – might quietly be hoping to lose. But players and coaches fight for their jobs in matchups such as this. Tampa Bay have had a bye week to address their struggles in the run game and on defense, but Minnesota would appear to have more things going for them. The emergence of Jerick McKinnon has given the Vikings at least one viable weapon on offense, while their pass rush – led by fifth-year defensive end Everson Griffen – has been among the most effective in the league.
Vikings to win
Seattle Seahawks @ Carolina Panthers
Sunday 1pm ET/5pm GMT
These two teams lost just seven regular season games between them last year. This time around they have racked up six (plus one tie) within the first seven weeks alone. Back-to-back defeats have led many to question Seattle’s prospects of repeating as Super Bowl champs, yet Carolina have won only once in their last five games. The Seahawks would benefit hugely from getting Marshawn Lynch going in the running game again after two weeks of relative neglect, even if there have been reports this week of the back reacting badly to Percy Harvin’s trade. At least Seattle have the option of engaging Beast Mode, unlike Carolina, whose running game remains a disaster area – except where quarterback Cam Newton is involved.
Seahawks to win
Buffalo Bills @ New York Jets
Sunday 1pm ET/5pm GMT
As the trade deadline approaches, the Bills are contemplating a cruel hypothetical. Would they swap back last week’s victory over the Vikings, if it meant they could also undo the injuries suffered by both of their top two running backs in that game? In place of Fred Jackson and CJ Spiller this weekend, they must instead rely on Anthony Dixon and Bryce Brown. The pair have just five career starts between them, although Brown flashed some potential in relief of an injured LeSean McCoy over the last two years in Philadelphia. Will they be good enough to carry Buffalo past a Jets team that has now lost six games in a row, but which did at least gain another offensive weapon with the Percy Harvin trade? I am not convinced.
Jets to win
Houston Texans @ Tennessee Titans
Sunday 1pm ET/5pm GMT
Word has it that the Tennessee Titans plan to start Zach Mettenberger at quarterback this Sunday. In the grand scheme of things, it seems like a sensible move. The rookie sixth-round pick went just two-of-five for 17 yards and a pick in his only regular season appearance to date, but played well in preseason and, frankly, the Titans don’t have an awful lot to lose. Jake Locker has missed almost 50% of games since the start of 2012 due to injury, and Charlie Whitehurst is plainly not a long-term solution under center. But what does it mean for their short-term prospects in a divisional match-up against Houston? Probably not good things. For all the Texans’ shortcomings, there are few rookie quarterbacks who would relish a meeting with JJ Watt on their very first professional start.
Texans to win
Philadelphia Eagles @ Arizona Cardinals
Sunday 4.05pm ET/8.05pm GMT
From being the odd team out in the NFC West, squeezed out of the playoffs last year despite a 10-win season, the Cardinals are suddenly front-runners. At 5-1, they have a 1.5 game lead over the 49ers and two games over the Seahawks. And yet, it is also true that they have played within themselves these last two weeks, making hard work of wins over bad Washington and Oakland teams. Philadelphia will provide another level of challenge altogether, the Eagles arriving fresh from a bye, and having averaged more than 30 points per game so far. Can the Cardinals raise their game? If defensive lineman Calais Campbell can make it back from a knee injury in time, then they will certainly have a decent chance of slowing down that Chip Kelly offense.
Cardinals to win
Green Bay Packers @ New Orleans Saints
Sunday 8.30pm ET/Monday 0.30am GMT
After a shaky start, the Packers R-E-L-A-X-ed and got into a groove. The Saints need to do the same thing if they are going to rescue their season. A 2-4 record is not as disastrous as it might immediately appear, given the concurrent struggles of every other team in the NFC South, but the Saints do have cause for concern regarding a defense that is giving up 27.5 points and 373.7 yards per game. Aaron Rodgers, fresh from a near flawless performance during Green Bay’s rout of Carolina, could be due another big day, but the Saints will at least have Jimmy Graham back at something closer to full fitness after he played just a handful of snaps last weekend. It is also worth noting that, for all their struggles this year, the Saints’ defeats have all been on the road. Back in the comfort of the Superdome, they might just grab a victory that helps to put their season back on track.
Saints to win
And the rest
Here are the remainder of this weekend’s games. These are not included in the Pick Six, but feel free to post your winners for them as well. If you do so, please keep them separate from your Pick Six predictions, as it will make life a lot easier when adding up your scores.
Sunday
9.30am ET/1.30pm GMT
Detroit Lions @ Atlanta Falcons
1pm ET/5pm GMT
St Louis Rams @ Kansas City Chiefs
Baltimore Ravens @ Cincinnati Bengals
Miami Dolphins @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Chicago Bears @ New England Patriots
4.25pm ET/8.25pm BST
Oakland Raiders @ Cleveland Browns
Indianapolis Colts @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Monday
8.30pm ET/Tuesday 12.30am GMT
Washington @ Dallas Cowboys
(Bye weeks: New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers)
