The Touchdown Three: Week 6 Picks

The Touchdown Three: Week Six

By Paul Mainwaring

Glass Jaw?

As Mike Tyson once said ‘Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth’, well Week Five felt like a punch in the mouth for my picks. The Bears defense not travelling to London, and Teddy Bridgewater being excellent, were not in my plan and this is why I had a losing week. Do you change? Do you panic? Of course not! Still in profit, still feeling confident, so the plan continues, well until I get hit in the mouth again…….

Week 5: 1-2

Overall Record: 8-6-1

Eagles +3 @ Vikings

I think the Eagles are good, like best team in the NFC good. I don’t do this as a reverse jinx for my friend Neil (listen to us on Waxing Lyrical), but as I genuinely believe it. Yes, they have a couple of strange losses to the Falcons and the Lions, but I do think a lot of that was due to the injuries on offense. The wide receiver core is getting healthy and the emergence of Jordan Howard as a featured back is a real boost. If they can stay healthy all season I expect to see Wentz and his boys in some meaningful games in January.

The Vikings did what all Kirk Cousins teams do last week, they beat up on a garbage team. As I have discussed previously, if Kirk is your QB you never have to worry when you play a bad team. The Vikings dominated the Gmen and also got one of their WR’s back on track, although it wasn’t the one who asked for a trade. The Vikings have issues still but that win will help morale, especially with a big home game on deck.

The Vikings are a good team, the Eagles are better. Cousins struggles against good teams, and I don’t expect that to change here. Pick the Eagles to cover.

Saints +1.5 @ Jags

So I learned something last week. Teddy Bridgewater and the Saints coaching staff read my weekly article. How do I know that I hear you ask? Well I said 200 yards of offense was unsustainable, they got 450. I said the Bucs were better, they dominated the game. I underestimated Teddy and the whole Saints team, and I was wrong to do that. I thought the Brees injury would derail the season, so far it has not affected wins and losses at all.

I secretly love the Jags, well Gardiner Flint Minshew II. They are another team who have lost their starting QB, and have not really missed a beat. They put on another excellent show on Sunday versus the Panthers but they couldn’t overcome Christian McCaffrey and the turnovers. I think for the first time in a long time things are looking up for the Jags on offense and that can only be a good thing long term.

This should be a really good matchup, and one I can’t wait to watch. I think it will be close but I am going with both the talent and experience, so I am taking the Saints here

Cowboys -7 @ Jets

What to make of the Dallas Cowboys? After 3 straight wins to start the season, the Dallas hype train was in full effect. Since then, losses to the Saints and Packers may have calmed the hype. As a Washington fan I always think people overrate the Cowboys, but that doesn’t mean I don’t think they are good. They have talent, and when games are played on their terms they will be successful, the issue for them is I don’t think they can play off that script.

The Jets have had a rough few weeks, and one of those weeks was a bye. With Darnold missing games due to mononucleosis the offense hit rock bottom, with them not scoring a TD on offense for 2.5 games. You would hope that with Darnold back things would improve, but do expect him to be rusty. The Jets are a bad team and their Head Coach pick is looking worse and worse every week. I would have sympathy but I support Washington.

The Cowboys are able to assert their gameplan this week and will dominate the Jets. Pick the Cowboys

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A former UKEndzone writer, Paul has been dragged out of an enforced retirement to give his thoughts on the NFL and anything else he can slide past the editorial team.

Paul is most famous (infamous?) as Mainz one half of Waxing Lyrical. alongside his Partner in Crime Neil ‘Dutts’ Dutton.

Find him @Mainzey7 where all manner of sports are on the menu.

Image credit: Dan Powers-USA TODAY Sports