Walker's NFL Week 5 Picks,
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by BigPPup
After going 2-1 for the second week in a row, the Voxant pick team is at 5-4 for the season. Not, too bad for the first month of the season. Here are this week’s picks.
The Detroit Lions completed what may be the best comeback of the season, by scoring 34 points against the Bears last week. Detroit is on fire behind the arm of Jon Kitna, a 3-1 start is the best thing to happen to Lions football since Barry Sanders. Detroit’s rush defense is pathetic, and their pass defense is not too much better. This puts a lot of stress on the offense to out gun everyone they are playing.
The Washington Redskins continue to have controversy and drama surrounding their team. Luckily for them they are 2-1 and winning can hide all flaws at the very least. However, the Redskins have a 300 pound gorilla lurking in the corner and its name is Injury. Washington lost the right side of their offensive line during the first two games of the season, and currently wide receiver Santana Moss has an injured groin, and no one can tell what is going on with running back Clinton Portis. All of these injuries will place a lot of pressure on young quarterback Jason Campbell to perform.
Washington suffered a heartbreaking lost to the Giants two weeks ago, and they are ready to bounce back with a strong performance. They will need to score points in bunches to keep up with the Detroit Lions. Unfortunately for Washington, scoring is not something they do well. The Redskins average 19.2 ppg. The injury to Moss will keep them from making the big plays downfield when the need them.
Detroit Lions win: 28-17
Norv Turner is killing the San Diego Chargers! Each week the Chargers appear to regress in their ability to score on offense, and to stop anyone on defense. LaDainian Tomlinson is still one of the best running backs in the NFL. The big question is will Norv feed him the ball? If the answer is no, then the Chargers will fall to 1-4 and prove that bad coaching, can destroy any team.
The Denver Broncos are 2-2, and they look like an average team. Typical of a Mike Shanahan team, the Broncos can run the ball on anyone. Jay Cutler is progressing, but he is still adapting to the NFL, and adjusting to his receivers. Denver is in danger of losing their starting running back Travis Henry after he failed another NFL drug test. If Henry cannot go on the Sunday, the Broncos will be hurting to find a feature back.
Despite not having Travis Henry, the Broncos will find a way to move the ball down field against a Chargers defense that is a shell of its former self. The real key to this game will be Denver’s corners Champ Bailey and Dre Bly. If the Chargers fail to get their running game started that will force Philip Rivers to throw the ball downfield against two of the best corner back in the league. The advantage in that match up goes to the Broncos.
Denver Broncos win: 20-14
The Chicago Bears are ravaged by injuries. Their entire starting secondary missed last week’s game against the Lions, and they will likely miss Sunday’s game against Green Bay. Despite the decimation via injuries, the Bears defense is still a force to be reckoned with. Last week collapse in the fourth quarter was as much Brian Griese’s fault as anyone else. Griese will get a second chance on Sunday to prove he is better than Rex Grossman.
Brett Favre has found the fountain of youth. Whatever he did over the offseason, he should put it into a bottle and sell it to middle aged men across the country. The Packers have no running game, and they realize that. This is why Green Bay lines up in the spread formation on a regular basis and Favre slings the ball down field every chance he gets. That is not the game plan most teams would want for the entire season, but at the moment it is working for the Packers.
The Bears are hurting in the secondary. Favre is a veteran who knows how to attack a gimpy defense. He will throw the ball 100 times if he has to on Sunday night. As long as he is moving the chains, and putting points on the scoreboard, he will keep pushing the ball down field.
Green Bay wins: 31-21
