Nick's Picks: Week Six Wrap-up
by Nick Ferraro
JetNation Columnist
Top Five
1. Indianapolis Colts 6-0
The Colts blistered the Rams for 45 points after finding themselves in a 17 – 0 hole.
2. Denver Broncos 5-1
The Broncos dominated the Patriots early to get up 28 –3 on their way to the win.
3. Cincinnati Bengals 5-1
The Bengals overcame a sluggish first half to pull away from Tennessee.
4. Tampa Bay 5-1
The pressure is on Chris Simms now that it appears Brian Griese is out for the year.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars 4-2
The Jags capitalized on a very rusty Tommy Maddox to win in Pittsburgh.
Week Six
Bears 28 Vikings 3
The Mike Tice job watch is under way. He will be out soon if this type of play follows the “play� Vikings team members were reportedly involved in during the week on a charter cruise. Although the cruise took place on a lake not far from Minneapolis, one of the Vikings told reporters they could not be punished since they were in “international waters�.
Stat of the game: Dante Culpepper now has more INTs than he did all of last season.
Cowboys 16 Giants 13 (OT)
This was a mess that neither team deserved to win. Each team committed four turnovers in the mediocrity bowl.
Stat of the game: The Gnats were 1 – 11 on 3rd down.
Panthers 21 Lions 20
Jeff Garcia would have already been named the starter in Detroit if he were healthy. Harrington was again unproductive in the passing game. The overrated Panthers still needed a last minute touchdown to win the game.
Stat of the game: Detroit RB Kevin Jones was limited to 21 yards on 12 carries.
Bengals 31 Titans 23
A 24-point second half propelled the Bengals. They will need to play a better overall game next week against the Steelers.
Stat of the game: The Bengals improved their league-leading turnover ratio to +16. Buffalo is the next closest team at +8.
Chiefs 28 Redskins 21
The Chiefs got a must-win game in KC. A fumble return for a TD was the key play. The Redskins looked prime to move ahead in the third quarter when Sammy Knight took a fumble 80 yards to give the Chiefs a 21 – 14 lead.
Stat of the Game: The Chiefs got the win despite rushing for less than 100 yards and passing for less than 200 yards as a team.
Falcons 34 Saints 31
The Falcons got a break from the officials to win a close game in San Antonio. The Saints were called for defensive holding on a missed field goal attempt with no time on the clock. The call gave the Dirty Birds another shot from five yards closer. Todd Peterson hit on his second try from 36 yards to win it. The Saints played well after tanking the week before in Green Bay. The Falcons returned a fumble and a blocked field goal for TDs during the game.
Stat of the Game: The Saints had 456 yards of offense compared with just 266 for Atlanta.
Jaguars 23 Steelers 17 (OT)
Tommy Maddox was the Jaguars best player on Sunday. He threw three picks including an overtime toss to Jacksonville’s Rashean Mathis that was returned for the game-winning TD. Charlie Batch may get next week’s start for Pittsburgh if Big Ben can’t go.
Stat of the Game: The Steelers were 1 – 12 on third down and had only 73 yards rushing.
Buccaneers 27 Dolphins 13
Ricky Williams’s return was uneventful as the Dolphins fell in Tampa. It was a costly victory for the Bucs who lost starting QB Brian Griese for the year. The Tampa ground game continued to roll despite missing its Cadillac. Tampa had 180 yards rushing against a solid Miami defense.
Stat of the Game: Michael Pittman’s 127 yards rushing helped Tampa control the clock for over 35 minutes of possession.
Ravens 16 Browns 3
In a battle of punchless offenses, the Ravens defense put the clamps on the Browns. Where is 1st – round pick Braylon Edwards for Cleveland? He has a grand total of nine catches in five games.
Stat of the Game: The Browns averaged an equally pathetic 3.9 yards per pass and rush attempt on the day.
Broncos 28 Patriots 20
Denver blistered the Pats for 28 straight points after the Pats took a 3-0 lead in the first. The loss dropped the defending champions to 3-3 on the year. Denver has not committed a turnover in 17 quarters. Denver shut things down too early allowing Brady to mount a comeback in the second half. The Broncos ground game, which posted 178 yards, helped them run the game clock to zero.
Stat of the Game: When New England went up 3-0 early, it was the first time Denver had trailed in the last five games.
Chargers 27 Raiders 14
The Chargers had their way with the awful Raiders in Oakland. LaDainian Tomlinson ran, caught, and threw a TD pass for San Diego. Randy Moss went out in the first quarter with an injury and did not catch a pass. It wouldn’t have mattered.
Stat of the Game: After all the preseason hype, Oakland is averaging just 18 points per game, which ties them with the juggernaut Chicago Bears.
Seahawks 42 Texans 10
Shaun Alexander’s four TDs led Seattle. The Texans are on the clock at 0-5.
Stat of the Game: The Texans had 95 penalty yards and just 67 yards rushing.
Colts 45 Rams 28
The Rams got out to a 17 – 0 lead after one quarter; then they realized they were the Rams. The Colts outscored St. Louis 45 –11 through the last three quarters. Four turnovers doomed the Rams who lost QB Mark Bulger early to an injury.
Stat of the Game: The Colts were 8 – 12 on 3rd down.
Bills 27 Jets 17
Kelly Holcomb has made a big difference at QB for the Bills. He wasn’t spectacular, but he gives the Bills enough of a threat in the passing game to open things up. He has also shown the ability to find top WR Eric Moulds. Moulds now has 14 catches in last two games with Holcomb as the starter after just 10 catches in four games with JP Losman playing QB. Willis McGahee also had a big day with 129 yards on 43 carries. The Jets allowed as many points Sunday as they did in the last two games. Curtis Martin had his best day rushing, but it wasn’t enough as the Jets struggled with just 126 yards passing. The 2–4 Jets appear headed toward one of those years as they lost starting center Kevin Mawae for the year with a torn triceps.
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