Broncos-Raiders and Week 5 Picks

The Broncos head to Oakland this weekend to take on the Raiders. Denver enters the game at 4-0, and the Raiders enter the contest with a 2-2 record and a bit more optimism than in the past. Make no mistake, the Raiders have some talent. David Carr, Latavius Murray, and Amari Cooper have impressed so far this year, and Khalil Mack leads the defense under new coach Jack Del Rio. We know what Del Rio is going to do. He is going to go after Peyton Manning and play man to man across the board. He has seen Manning up close and personal the last three years, and he know s where he wants to attack him. Denver has won four straight games in Oakland dating back to 2011. They haven't lost to the Raiders since Week 1 of the 2011 season when Kyle Orton was the starting QB. The last three games in Oakland with Peyton Manning at the helm of the Broncos wasn't even close as Denver rolled in each one. I sense there is a lot of momentum heading towards the Raiders in this one. I think that is the public still doubting Manning more than anything else. I think this will be a close game, and I definitely could see the Raiders winning, but I like Denver to extend their NFL record road divisional winning streak to 14 with a tough, grind it out win over the Raiders on Sunday afternoon.

Denver (-4) over OAKLAND
Final Score: Broncos-22 Raiders-17

Now, onto the picks for Week 5......

Last Week's Record: 8-7
Overall Record: 28-35
(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)

TAMPA BAY (-3) over Jacksonville: The battle of two franchises whose fan base cares more about college football than their own NFL teams. At 1-3, I thought the Bucs would look more impressive than they have, but I think they will overwhelm the 1-3 Jags this week at home.

TENNESSEE (+3) over Buffalo: The Bills lead the league in penalties and are up and down at 2-2 after four weeks. I would suspect that Rex Ryan will dial some blitzes up for Marcus Mariota, but I have a feeling the Titans pull the upset in Tennessee.

BALTIMORE (-5) over Cleveland: At 1-3, the Ravens avoided the dreaded 0-4 start with a wild win late over Pittsburgh last Thursday night. Now, they get the 1-3 Browns, who have looked pretty decent at times, in Baltimore. I see the Ravens winning by at least a touchdown-especially since they have had 10 days to rest after the Steeler game.

ATLANTA (-7) over Washington: I like what I see out of Atlanta and Dan Quinn right now. At 4-0, they are rolling and the combination of Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman is pretty deadly right now. I look for them to roll over the Skins in the Georgia Dome to get to 5-0.

KANSAS CITY (-8) over Chicago: I can't see the Bears going into Arrowhead and winning this game over the Chiefs. The Chiefs are 1-3, but they are better than their record indicates. They blew the Denver game in Week 2, and had got blown out in losses at Green Bay and Cincy. I would expect them to do a number on Jay Cutler with Tamba Hali and Justin Houston licking their chops.

New Orleans (+5) over PHILADELPHIA: I can't trust Philly until I see it happen for real. I think the Saints in for a down year again, but with Drew Brees back playing that might give them a chance perhaps. Both teams are 1-3, and this is basically a "Loser Leaves Town" match. The loser of this game isn't making a playoff run this year.

St. Louis (+9) over GREEN BAY: The Packers will win, but I would think that the Rams will be able to keep this game somewhat close with their defense. We know how dominating the Packers are at home in recent years with Aaron Rodgers, but I'm banking on a backdoor cover by St. Louis late.

CINCY (-3 ) over Seattle: This is the best matchup of the early games in my opinion. I am tempted to pick Seattle, but just how good are the Seahawks right now? They start out 0-2, and then they bomb Jimmy Clausen and the Bears at home. Then, they get a gift with the late fumble and "bat" non-call by the refs to beat the Lions 13-10 in Week 4. I usually don't back the Bengals, but you have to like how they have started the season at 4-0 so far.

DETROIT (+3) over Arizona: This is one of those games that no one picks in Detroit's favor, but I'll go the other way and take the Lions in an upset.

DALLAS (+9) over New England: Brandon Weeden has lost 10 straight starts in the NFL, and now he gets to take on the Patriots at home. The Pats look great coming in at 3-0, and Tom Brady is off to a fantastic start. New England will win the game, but I think the Cowboys will at least be able to keep it close.

NY GIANTS (-7) over San Francisco: The Niners and Colin Kaepernick are a mess right now. It is amazing how far Kaep's star has fallen the past couple of years. I can't see the Giants losing this game at home. At 2-2, they could easily be 4-0, and they will improve to 3-2 after this win on Sunday Night Football. By the way, can't we flex out of this game somehow?
 
SAN DIEGO (-3) over Pittsburgh: Two teams that are 2-2 and that is about right for them. The Steelers are trying to tread water until Big Ben returns in about a month. The Chargers are a little puzzling too. They just squeaked out a win over the Browns at home last week. I like the Chargers at home, but I don't have a lot of confidence in this pick.