Week 4 produced great action, can Week 5 follow suit?

It was 8 in the morning Sunday, October 2nd when the sound of my alarm clock rang throughout my room. Since the clock is a good five feet away from my bed, I had to walk out of my bed and shut it off (contrary to what most people do; just reach out and hit the “Snooze” button). Automatically I was thinking, “What the hell am I doing up so early?” After entering a deep state of thought, I remembered: marching band! My band had to perform at a local parade this past Sunday, and unfortunately on top of that I had finish homework.

As I suited up around 9 o’clock, I remembered that I forgot to publish my Week 4 picks!

And that is where we start off today:

Detroit Lions @ Dallas Cowboys

I was dead wrong about the Cowboys; they suck! After throwing three 1st-half TD’s, Romo took a break and threw 3 INT’s, 2 of them Pick-6’s going the other way. If only he was just more careful with the football, maybe I would’ve gotten this pick right.

Although it was the Dallas D that let them back into this game, it was the Lions offense that exploded in the second half. Stafford had 2 TD throws to Megatron (8 TD’s so far!) while leading this team to victory late in the 4th. I’m interested to see if the Lions can keep this undefeated streak going against the Bears in Week 5.

Megatron has 8 TD catches this season (boston.sportsthenandnow.com)

Carolina Panthers @ Chicago Bears

While my score wasn’t right, the outcome was correct: Chicago over Carolina in this one. Matt Forte was the real story in this one with 205 rushing yards on 25 carries. Cam Newton had 2 rushing TD’s in this game, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Bears. 181 yards of Newton’s 374 were accumulated by Steve Smith. Next week, the Panthers take on the high-octane New Orléans Saints and the Bears go against the Lions.

Matt Forte exploded against the Panthers with 205 rushing yards on 25 carries (beargoggleson.com)

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Houston Texans

I predicted a one-point win for the Texans in this one, and it ended up being a seven-point victory. The Texans were able to pull off the upset, and now as a result the Steelers are 2-2 on the year and not looking sharp at all. On the flip side, Arian Foster had 155 yards rushing vs. the Steelers and that improved Texans D only gave up 10 points to the Steelers. As much as I wanted to see more scoring in this one, it was a fun game to watch nonetheless and I’m glad the Texans pulled this one off. Pittsburgh versus Tennessee and Houston versus Oakland in Week 5.

Looks like Foster's back to full health as he rushed for 155 yards in Sunday's game against the Steelers (biographyplaers.com)

 Tennessee Titans @ Cleveland Browns

CJ and the Titans were not to be out-done in this game as they beat the Browns 31-13. Unfortunately, my prediction was completely off. Nonetheless, Chris Johnson looks like he FINALLY is back playing football as he rushed for 101 yards against the Browns. Colt McCoy attempted 61 passes, while completing 40. Next week, the Titans play Pittsburgh and the Browns are on a bye.

Johnson finally decided to start playing football with 101 yards in a W against the Browns (losthatsportsblog.com)

Buffalo Bills @ Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati over Bills! The Bengals knocked off the former undefeated Bills last week, improving their record to 2-2. The Bengals defense was able to hold Ryan Fitzpatrick and Fred Jackson in check last Sunday, and this allowed for the Bengals to come out with the W. As usual, my pick was correct (I wish). Rookie QB Andy Dalton threw for 298 yards and Ced Benson had 104 yards on the ground. Almost a 300-yarder for the rook; I’m very impressed by him so far, especially considering the team he’s playing on. Next week, the Bills take on the ‘Dream Team’ and the Bengals take on the Jacksonville Jaguars and THEIR rookie QB Blaine Gabbert.

***GAME OF THE WEEK***

Washington Redskins @ St. Louis Rams

In this game, Washington was able to use the ground game effectively; Ryan Torain was the primary beneficiary of this. The ‘Skins had great blocking all day, and as a result Torain was able to rush for 135 yards. I’m curious to see whether Sam Bradford will get out of his ‘Sophomore Slump’ and be as effective as he was last season.

Minnesota Vikings @ Kansas City Chiefs

This game was mainly a defensive battle; neither team had one breakout performance on offense. Cassel passed for 260 yards, 107 of ’em going to Dwayne Bowe en route to a 22-17 KC win. While AP had 80 yards on the ground, it wasn’t enough to win. Like i said in me prediction: you need more than one good player to win football games (unless the position is QB, example Tom Brady). My score wasn’t far off (21-20 KC win). Next week, the Chiefs face the 0-4 Colts and the Vikings face Kevin Kolb and the new-look Cardinals.

Cassel's 260 yards was just enough to get the win against the Vikings (fantasyknuckleheads.com)

San Francisco 49ers @ Philadelphia Eagles

I was wrong: Michael Vick is the real deal. He’s very inconsistent, but when he’s on his game, the potential for 350-400 yard games is there. I was feeling the 49ers would pull off the upset, but I was too squeamish to put that as my pick. Going back to Vick, he threw for 416 yards against the 49ers D with 171 of those yards going to DeSean Jackson. If you ask me, very impressive especially considering it wasn’t clear whether he was 100% healthy coming in. Frank Gore finally found the holes and hit them, racking up 127 yards on the day. Vick’s aforementioned inconsistency and injury risk still makes me a bit skeptical, but I’m confident that if he can stay healthy he’ll have a great season. Just remember that repeating the same performance two seasons in a row is next to impossible.

Vick's 416 yards proved to not be enough in Week 4 as the 49ers upset the Eagles 24-23 (live.drjays.com).

New Orléans Saints @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Did anyone besides fans in Jacksonville honestly believe they had any chance against the Saints? Drew Brees threw for 351 yards and Tight End Jimmy Graham had 132 yards receiving. Actually, he was the leading receiver of the game. Maurice Jones-Drew ran for 84 yards in the loss. Next week, the Saints take on Killer Cam and the Panthers and the Jags host Cincinnati.

Brees led his team to a win in Jacksonville with 351 yards (worldbestsports.com).

Atlanta Falcons @ Seattle Seahawks

Even thought the final score was a lot closer than I expected, the Falcons still came up with the W. Tarvaris Jackson actually threw for more yards than Matt Ryan (with Jackson throwing for 319). Michael Turner added 70 yards and 2 TD’s on the ground, and Julio Jones was the leading receiver with 127 yards. In all honesty, I’m very surprised that Roddy White didn’t lead the team in receiving yards. I mean, he is the Pro-Bowler. I will admit, the Seahawks put up more of a fight than I expected, so I would keep an eye on this team for now.

The rookie Jones showed us that he can produce in the NFL with 127 receiving yards (cbssports.com).

New York Giants @ Arizona Cardinals

After watching that game, all I can say is WOW, we got lucky. Victor Cruz almost cost us the game with that fumble. If you missed it, here it is:

Credit: BSOTube on Youtube.com

The call on the field was that he “gave himself up”, so in reality he didn’t fumble the ball. Ken Whisenhunt was about to challenge it, BUT the ref’s said that since it’s the refs call, it cannot be challenged. My dad told me it’s “Kinda like balls and strikes in baseball, you know?” Anyway, the Cardinals almost had us there, but thanks to that call, Eli was able to lead us to a 4th quarter comeback win. Eli passed for 321 yards with Hakeem Nicks being his No. 1 target: 162 receiving yards on the day for Nicks! Beanie Wells did not disappoint either with 138 yards on the ground.

Denver Broncos @ Green Bay Packers

Wow, I thought it would be a decisive win, but I didn’t think it would be 49-23! Rodgers eclipsed the 400-yard mark (408) on the day. But, Brandon Lloyd took the “Top Receiving” award for the day with 136 yards and Willis McGahee (NOT KNOWSHON MORENO) had the most rushing yards with 103. Next week, the Broncos take on the Chargers and the Packers got to Atlanta to face the Falcons.

Rodgers passed for 408 yards in the blowout win against the Broncos (images.teamtalk.com).

Miami Dolphins @ San Diego Chargers

I swear to God the Miami Dolphins have no idea what they’re doing. Now, they’re 0-4 with no identity on offense or defense. Philip Rivers passed for 307 yards, with 108 of them going to Vincent Jackson. Sophomore Ryan Mathews rushed for 81 yards. Will Tony Sparano get the pink slip? If they lose in Week 6 to the Jets, I think he should.

New England Patriots @ Oakland Raiders

I predicted an Oakland upset in this one, and I was let down. The Patriots had no problem picking apart the Raider D.

Stay tuned for more posts by me, @TheSportzGuru!