I don’t think four coaches from the same division have ever been fired on the same day, but if it’s ever going to happen, now would be the time, and yes, I am talking about the NFC East.
If the NFC East ceases to exist, it’s because the entire division imploded in Week 5 with possibly the most disastrous week for any division ever:
- The meltdown started on Thursday with the Cowboys losing to the Buccaneers, a team that had exactly zero wins going into the game. Oh, and did I mention that the Bucs were starting an undrafted rookie at quarterback? Because the Bucs were starting an undrafted rookie at quarterback.
- As bad as the Cowboys were, Philadelphia’s loss might have been worse. The Eagles somehow managed to lose even though they took the lead on a field goal with just eight seconds left to play against the Jaguars.
- And let’s not forget about the other two teams: The Commanders and Giants somehow tied. The Commanders actually had the ball in field goal range at the end of overtime, but they accidentally let the clock run out before they could try a kick.
I feel like the play this week is to ride this wave of incompetence and pick against every NFC East team.
So will I actually do that? Let’s get to the Week 6 picks and find out.
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Alright, let’s get to the picks.
All lines via DraftKings; All times ET
NFL Week 6 picks
Seahawks (3-2) at Broncos (3-2)
- Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET (Amazon)
If the NFL ever decides to have two head coaches battle each other in a steel cage, I nominate these two. I don’t know why the NFL would ever do that, but I just want to get ahead of things in case this happens.
They might not admit it, but there is no bigger coaching beef in the NFL right now than Mike Macdonald vs. Sean Payton and we wouldn’t have even known about it if not for a hot mic incident involving Macdonald from earlier this year. During the incident, here’s what we found out:
- Macdonald’s first game ever as a head coach came in 2024 against Payton’s Broncos. Since it was Week 1, Macdonald didn’t have a lot of film on the Broncos, so he decided to turn to Twitter to see if he could find some plays to scout from Denver’s training camp. He scoured social media to find plays that fans had filmed and shared.
- Payton caught wind of this strategy and was irate. The Broncos coach was so mad that he threatened to publicly accuse the Seahawks of cheating. “He basically threatened to come out publicly and do a whole Patriot, like Spygate type of thing,” Macdonald said. This is getting juicy.
- The Seahawks then responded by threatening TO SUE the Broncos if Denver accused Seattle of cheating. This is all real. I swear.
- The Seahawks ended up winning the Week 1 game 26-20. And the most hilarious part is that during the game, the Seahawks’ defense seemed to always be one step ahead of Denver’s offense: They forced three turnovers while holding the Broncos to just 231 yards.
Payton hated everything that happened so much that he essentially banned fans from filming anything at the Broncos’ training camp after that.
Again, this all happened in 2024, and now that you’re caught up, that brings us to this week (And if you somehow missed this very real story, we’ve got all the details here).
Macdonald apologized for the fact that his comments about the situation leaked out and Payton responded to that by pretending like it wasn’t a big deal, but it’s definitely a big deal. It’s been two years, but I still think Macdonald is mad about the fact that another team was going to accuse him of cheating, especially since it came just before he was about to serve as the head coach in his FIRST NFL GAME ever.
OK, now let’s fast forward to this week. Going into this game, Macdonald has one of the best defenses in the NFL and they get to face a Broncos offense that can’t get out of its own way this year. One reason the Broncos’ offense has been struggling is because they keep getting off to slow starts. They’ve scored just 23 points in the first half this year (4.6 points per game), which is tied with the Titans — THE TITANS — for the fewest in the NFL.
Last week, Macdonald was probably thrilled to see that Payton decided to take over play-calling duties in Denver, because that means he can now take out two years of anger on the Broncos’ coach. I was going to predict a blowout here for Seattle, but the game is in Denver, and I don’t quite trust Sam Darnold against the Broncos’ defense, so I’ll say a 10-point Seahawks’ win.
PICK: Seahawks (-3) 27-17 over Broncos
Texans (1-4) vs. Jaguars (4-1) in London
- Sunday, 9:30 a.m. ET (NFL Network, Stream: Fubo — try for free)
The Jaguars loved playing in London in Week 5 so much that they’re sticking around for another game. The Jags will actually be making some NFL history Sunday and that’s because they’re going to become the first team ever to play back-to-back international “home” games. The Jags have played two consecutive games in London before, but in the past, they’ve played one as the road team and one as the home team. This time, they’ll be the home team in both games.
I have no idea why I’m telling you any of this. I think I just needed to stall so I could decide who I actually want to pick to win this game, and now, I’m ready.
Last week, Robert Saleh called the Texans the best 0-4 team in NFL history and I don’t think he was kidding.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about the Texans over the years, it’s that there is no team better than them at losing your first few games of the season and then bouncing back to make the playoffs. In 2023, they started the season 0-2 before turning things around just in time to win the division with a 10-7 record. In 2025, they started the season 0-3 and still somehow managed to make the playoffs.
At this point, I’m starting to think the Texans are just seeing how far they can push things. If they can make the playoffs after an 0-3 start, why not 0-4?
One thing you should keep in mind about the Texans is that they’re about five plays away from being 4-1.
- In Week 1, Kamai Lassiter dropped an easy pick from Josh Allen in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter. If Lassiter holds on to the interception. Houston wins.
- In Week 3, they lost when the Colts hit a 53-yard field goal in the final 20 seconds. If the field goal misses. Houston wins.
- In Week 4, Dak Prescott threw a TD pass with 40 seconds left. If the defense makes a stop, Houston wins.
Basically, if NFL games were only 58 minutes long instead of 60, the Texans would be 4-1. I will definitely talk to Roger Goodell about possibly making that change on the Texans’ behalf, but that seems like a long shot, so please don’t count on that happening.
The Texans have a chance to completely turn their season around this week. They just traded for Marvin Harrison Jr., DeMeco Ryans just started calling defensive plays again, and if they win here, they’ll only be two games out of first place heading into Week 7, which is about all you can ask for when you open a season with four straight losses.
I’m going to say the Texans get their season back on track with a win here.
PICK: Texans (+3) 20-17 over Jaguars
Carolina (2-2) at Philadelphia (2-3)
It has been a rough week for the Eagles: They blew a win against the Jaguars, they have no healthy running backs on their roster, and now, they have to fly back from London and face a situation that no team has ever won in.
The Eagles will be going into Week 6 after playing in London and they’ll be facing a Panthers team that will be coming off a bye. This will mark just the fifth time in NFL history that a team coming off an international game has had to play a team coming off a bye, and uh, I have some bad news for everyone in Philadelphia: The team coming off the international game has gone 0-4.
And just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse for the Eagles, I have more bad news: The team coming off the international trip has averaged just 15.25 points per game, and the ugly part is that they’ve been outscored 70-30 over the first three quarters in those four games. I feel like the Eagles should file a protest over this part of their schedule, but I’m not sure who they would even file the protest with.
The problem with this specific situation is that the team coming back from Europe usually needs a small adjustment period. The jet lag after the flight back to the United States usually lasts a day or two, which means it can impact practice for your next game.
On the other hand, the Panthers have been sitting at home since Oct. 5 celebrating their Week 4 win over the Lions in the Cat Bowl. I mean, just think about that: Would you rather be dealing with jet lag or celebrating a win in the Cat Bowl. That’s a rhetorical question. You don’t have to answer.
Not only do the Panthers have the scheduling advantage here, but they might actually be the better team. Through four weeks, Carolina’s biggest weakness is that its defense can’t stop the run. The Panthers are surrendering 156.5 yards per game on the ground, which is the second-highest number in the NFL, but if there’s one team that might not be able to take advantage of that, it’s the Eagles. With Saquon Barkley and Tank Bigsby out, the Eagles were down to their third-string running back (Will Shipley) in Week 5. And well, he’s now also injured.
They might get Barkley back this week, but that’s not a lock.
Besides being out of running backs, the other problem for the Eagles is that they’ve struggled to stop the pass this year and they’re facing a Panthers team that is SECOND in the NFL in passing yards per game. I never thought in my entire life that I’d type out anything like that about Carolina’s offense, but here we are.
The deck is stacked against the Eagles, so I have no choice here; I’m taking the Panthers.
PICK: Panthers (+1.5) 27-24 over Eagles
Cowboys (2-3) at Packers (3-2)
- Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC, Stream: Fubo — try for free)
The Micah Parsons revenge game is finally here, but don’t get too excited, because Micah Parsons won’t actually be playing in it. Someone in the NFL scheduling department was asleep at the wheel when they decided to put this game in Week 5.
With Parsons coming off an ACL injury, they should have put this game later in the season. Personally, I would have picked the Thursday after Thanksgiving. Actually, it looks like we have Rams-Chiefs on that Thursday, so I guess I’d have to pick another day. Man, making the NFL schedule is hard. I’m glad I’m not in charge of that.
Despite not having Parsons, the Packers defense has actually played reasonably well this year, especially when it comes to stopping the pass. They’ve held three of their five opponents under 200 passing yards and no one has topped 260. That being said, the three quarterbacks they’ve held under 200 yards were Carson Wentz, Tyson Bagent and Jalon Daniels, so I’m not exactly impressed.
When it comes to stopping the pass, this will be the Packers’ biggest test of the season. The Cowboys might actually be able to have some success against Green Bay’s defense, but even if they do, I’m not sure that’s going to matter, because the Cowboys’ defense can’t stop anyone, which means this game could certainly end up turning into a shootout.
The Cowboys have faced five quarterbacks this year and those quarterbacks have a combined 120.5 passer rating against the Cowboys defense. To put that in perspective, Matthew Stafford had a passer rating of 109.2 last year and he won MVP. The Cowboys defense is so bad that it’s making every opposing QB look like an MVP.
With the Packers coming off one of the most impressive wins of Week 5 and the Cowboys coming off one of the worst losses, the obvious pick here seems to be Green Bay, but as we all know, I hate doing the obvious thing. That’s why I never order burgers from Burger King. Too obvious. When I’m at BK, I only eat Chicken Fries, and I won’t eat them for a month if I’m wrong about this game.
PICK: Cowboys (+1.5) 30-27 over Packers
Commanders (1-3-1) at 49ers (5-0)
- Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN, Stream: Fubo — try for free)
I’m not sure what the hottest object on earth is, but at this point, it might be Dan Quinn’s seat. It is at the hottest temperature a seat can be without the coach actually being fired. In Week 5, the Commanders became the laughingstock of the NFL when they botched the final minute of overtime in a game they should have won against the Giants.
Of course, if there’s one person who probably wasn’t laughing, it was 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, and that’s because the end of that game probably struck a little too close to home for him. The loss to the Giants was bad, but it wasn’t even the worst case of botched time management in Quinn’s career and that’s because Super Bowl LI exists. That’s the game where the Falcons blew a 28-3 lead to the Patriots.
Not only was Quinn the Falcons’ head coach in that game, but Shanahan was Atlanta’s offensive coordinator. That game has seemingly cursed both of them, because they might be two of the worst coaches when it comes to late-game execution. Shanahan is a very, very, very, very successful coach, unless you put in the fourth quarter of a close game.
Basically, if 49ers-Commanders comes down to the wire, get ready for a coaching clinic on what not to do in a late-game situation.
Fortunately for both coaches, I don’t see this game coming down to the wire. The 49ers offense is firing on all cylinders right now, no one can cover Mike Evans and Brock Purdy is looking like an early MVP candidate. And now, Shanahan’s offense gets to go up against a Commanders defense that has surrendered the fourth-most passing yards in the NFL this year.
Shanahan might try to take a 28-3 lead in this game just for old time’s sake, but if that happens, he won’t blow it.
PICK: 49ers (-7.5) 34-20 over Commanders
NFL Week 6 picks: All the rest
Falcons 34-27 over Bears
Ravens 23-20 over Browns
Colts 23-16 over Titans
Patriots 30-20 over Jets
Giants 24-17 over Saints
Buccaneers 20-17 over Steelers
Rams 30-20 over Cardinals
Chiefs 24-17 over Chargers
Bills 31-24 over Raiders
BYES: Bengals, Dolphins, Lions, Vikings
Last Week
Best pick: 49ers over Seahawks. Last week, I predicted that the 49ers would go into Seattle and beat the Seahawks by exactly three points and guess what happened? The 49ers went into Seattle and beat the Seahawks by exactly three points. Now, did I know that the game was going to end with an absolutely bonkers play involving Cooper Kupp coming up roughly seven millimeters short of gaining a first down on fourth-and-10? No.
I definitely didn’t predict that, but I should have, because crazy stuff always happens in Seattle. I’ve watched the Cupp play 47 different times since Sunday and I’m still not sure if he got the first down or not. I assume I’ll come to a conclusion at some point, and once that happens, I’ll be sure to let you guys know.
Worst pick: Colts over Steelers. Going into Week 5, the Colts were 2-17 all-time when playing in Pittsburgh, which is the WORST road record in NFL history for any team against a single opponent, but for some reason, I ignored that fact and still took the Colts. I also ignored the fact that the Colts were coming off a game in London while the Steelers went into the game on 10 days rest after playing on Thursday night in Week 4. I also might have accidentally ignored my wife when she told me to take the trash out last Monday. Apparently, I ignored a lot of things last week.
Finally, if you guys have ever wondered which teams I’m actually good at picking, I’m going to start sharing that information with you now that we’ve got five full weeks of information. Here’s a quick look at my best and worst teams when it comes to picks this year.
Team I’m 5-0 picking this year: Dolphins
Teams I’m 4-1 picking this year (Straight up): Patriots, Titans, Jaguars, Broncos, Eagles, Lions, 49ers Commanders (3-1-1), Chiefs (3-1)
My worst team this year (Straight up): Bears (1-4)
Every other team is somewhere in the middle.
Picks record
- Straight up in Week 5: 8-6-1
- SU overall: 46-32-1
- Against the spread in Week 5: 6-9
- ATS overall: 34-43-2
- BREECHIGAMIS: 1
You can find John Breech on Facebook or Twitter, and if he’s not doing one of those things, he’s probably ordering some chicken fries from Burger King.