NFL Week 6 Picks: Desperate Times for Cowboys, Vikings

Wade Phillips will look bewildered on the Dallas sideline waiting for instructions from "coach" Jerry Jones.

Brad Childress will look bewildered across the field as he mulls over two-point conversions. Tip to Chilly: coaches in the upper Midwest swear by the chart.

Dallas at Minnesota is the biggest game of the season for the Cowboys and Vikings, even in the sixth week, because the loser will be 1-4 and in a lot of trouble. "Which one is in more trouble if they lose?'' has been the question all week. Well, either one -- lot of people sick of both teams probably wish both could lose.

Minnesota is favored by a point and a half in the 1-3 Bowl. That means the folks in Vegas actually believe the Cowboys are better (factor in the three points a team generally gets at home), what with Brett Favre favoring his elbow and hobbling around like your average 41-year-old playing touch football on the lawn with his kids.

This isn't touch.

And the Cowboys are better. In a physical sense, not a cosmic one.

Cowboys at Vikings

Team	Point Spread	Projected Score
Dallas Cowboys		27
Minnesota Vikings	- 1 1/2	21

No one has noticed the Bucs and no one has noticed Josh Freeman's development in his second season -- his passer rating is better than, among others, the ratings of Eli Manning, Donovan McNabb and Carson Palmer, respectively. (Of course, Jay Cutler is fifth in that category because getting sacked doesn't take off points. But that's another story.)

Still, this spread demonstrates that nobody really takes the Bucs seriously, despite a 4-1 record that ties them for first with Atlanta in the NFC South, a game ahead of the defending Super Bowl champions. The defending Super Bowl champions notice, however and that should fire them up a bit.

Saints at Buccaneers

Team	Point Spread	Projected Score
New Orleans Saints	- 4	20
Tampa Bay Buccaneers		13

The Ravens had never won in Foxborough until they went there last January for a first-round playoff game and won 33-14. Can they again shut down Tom and ~~Randy~~ ... whoops, Tom and Deion?

Ravens at Patriots

Team	Point Spread	Projected Score
Baltimore Ravens		33
New England Patriots	- 3	14

Those Vegas folks sure like the Colts.

Maybe because Mike Shanahan rarely stopped Peyton when he was in Denver.

Colts at Redskins (Sunday night)

Team	Point Spread	Projected Score
Indianapolis Colts	- 3	20
Washington Redskins		19

Colt McCoy will be so overmatched that Ben Roethlisberger can ease his way in by watching the defense score.

Browns at Steelers

Team	Point Spread	Projected Score
Cleveland Browns		2
Pittsburgh Steelers	- 13 1/2	20

Both Meadowlands sides have trap games this week.

Jets at Broncos

Team	Point Spread	Projected Score
New York Jets	- 3	16
Denver Broncos		15

If this game was in Atlanta, Andy Reid would have to declare Michael Vick fit and play him.

At the Linc, where the Iggles have sustained both their losses, it's still Kevin Kolb.

Falcons at Eagles