***SWAMPY SUNDAY - MUCK 5 - WEEK 6***

***JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS @ CHICAGO BEARS***

The Bears have been putting together some gritty games despite all the injuries they have had to overcome in this young season. Head Coach John Fox has his boys competing and putting up a fight and it seems like they have rallied behind backup QB Brian Hoyer. Hoyer has been filling in very nicely for Jay Cutler since his injury and Cutler just may have lost his starting job. Jacksonville was able to get their first win two weeks ago overseas against the Colts and might be caught sleeping here coming off a win & bye week & now on the road against a hungry team like the Bears. I like Chicago to defend Soldier Field today and get after the Jags in this one. After getting off the schneid and beating the Colts, I think the Jags will let their guard down a bit and relax in a sense resulting in failure to get up for a game against an average opponent. I see the Jags being out of sync and flat and the Bears are primed to take advantage. The emergence of Rookie RB Jordan Howard has been a real bright spot for Bears fans as it should be because this kid looks like the real deal. A big, physical, three-down type RB who can do it all and I think Chicago continues to ride this pony today which will help open up the passing game for Hoyer to be effective. BEARS-2.5

***CAROLINA PANTHERS @ NEW ORLEANS SAINTS***

My how the mighty Panthers have fallen! The Panthers remain in shock as they dropped another game last Monday Night while hosting a fellow NFC South opponent, the lowly Tampa Bay Bucs. Of course, the Panthers were without last year's MVP in QB Cam Newton, but there seems to be some other major issues with this team. The absence of Josh Norman has really proven to be monumental in the secondary as the Panthers have been rolling with Rookies & backups and will again be without top rookie CB James Bradberry this week. Against QB Drew Brees and a Saints team I fully expect to get up for this game at home, this will most definitely be a problem. The Saints came so close to serving the Panthers their first loss last year in the Dome, and then the Panthers went on to eventually get their first blemish afterwards in Atlanta. New Orleans will be ROCKING today as they like the Bucs will smell blood here at a chance to take out their divisional big brother by taking advantage of their vulnerability while they can. Brees and the boys will surely be in the zone today and I anticipate them to have themselves a day against this secondary, putting up some points and serving up what could be a final blow to this Panthers team. Essentially this game is a do or die type for both teams here, as the loser will be last in the NFC South and staring up at a near impossible climb to the playoff mountain. That being said, I like the Saints to gladly be the dagger for the Panthers here. SAINTS+2.5

***PHILADELPHIA EAGLES @ WASHINGTON REDSKINS***

Very interesting game here as we have the Rookie QB Carson Wentz for the Eagles in his first divisional game. Philadelphia will travel into Washington to take on a Redskins team who has won their last three games and also swept the Eagles last season. Skins QB Kirk Cousins and ex-Eagle WR DeSean Jackson have owned the Birds during their young tenure in Washington and I don't see that changing today. The Skins are now playing with confidence after squeaking out a tough win on the road in Baltimore last weekend against a tough defense like the one they will see today led by Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz. After an undefeated start to the season, the Eagles dropped their first game in Detroit last weekend as they came off of their bye week at 3-0. That loss was an unexpected one for this team and I believe could have shaken the confidence just enough for the young QB to rattle him a bit in this one today. Eagles OT Lane Johnson will now be serving a suspension for PEDs and the Skins front seven will get after Wentz, and I see him making a poor decision or two. For Washington, even without TE Jordan Reed I think Cousins will have a solid game and link up with DeSean on a deep ball that has been nonexistent so far this season. If there ever was a time to break that out, today is the day as ever since DeSean got booted out of Philly, it seems like he has done so every time he has faced them. Home cooking for the Skins here to win their fourth straight. REDSKINS+3

***ATLANTA FALCONS @ SEATTLE SEAHAWKS***

Bird game on deck for the afternoon slate! The surging Falcons will fly into Seattle to take on a Seahawks team who has been quietly resting and nursing injuries during their bye week. The Falcons have beaten both of last year's Super Bowl teams in the Panthers & Broncos back to back and looked damn impressive while doing so. However now that we have seen both of those teams for another week, are the Falcons that good? or was it more a case of both the Broncos and Panthers having some major issues at the moment? Hmmmmmm......only time will tell. The true test starts today when the Falcons play in Seattle, one of the most hostile environments the NFL has to offer. Falcons Head Coach Dan Quinn probably wants this win more than most as Quinn is the former Defensive Coordinator for the Hawks. That being said, Hawks Head Coach Pete Carroll most certainly knows this and has his team licking their chops at the challenge and I have to believe they answer the bell. The Hawks beat up the Jets before their bye week and they looked like they are finally utilizing their big TE acquisition Jimmy Graham. Graham was one of the NFL's top TEs during his time in New Orleans and due to injuries and a new system has been nonexistent in Seattle. However, QB Russell Wilson and Graham seemed to finally be on the same page and my god it looks to be a dangerous combination. As a member of the Saints, Graham especially terrorized fellow NFC South opponents like the Falcons. I believe he will do the same today. The Falcons defense has also been impressive as of late, but this game is apparently going to be played in the rain and I think the wet conditions will favor the home team in this one. Russell Wilson is a mobile QB and will surely utilize his legs to buy time and dink & dunk passes, extending drives and wearing out the Atlanta defense. Falcons QB Matt Ryan I believe will have a rough game today against the Hawks pass rush at home, surging off of the 12th man's energy, and in the rain I don't like his chances of throwing deep. I see Ryan as a sitting duck in the pond today. SEAHAWKS-7

***DALLAS COWBOYS @ GREEN BAY PACKERS***

Another treat here as we get a Prime Time caliber matchup on the afternoon slate when the surprising Rookie Duo of QB Dak Prescott & RB Ezekial Elliot head into Green Bay to take on the mighty Packers. The offensive line for the Cowboys is the best in the league, and Elliot is taking advantage of this luxury as he has been a beast as of late. The Packers apparently have one of the top run defenses in the league, so we will see how good this Cowboys run game truly is. That being said I think Dallas will have no problem pounding the rock on the Packers because I don't believe the Packers have faced a run first offense or even an offensive line like they will today. I like Elliot to have another big game here and I really like the efficient play of QB Dak Prescott and I have been following this kid since his days at Mississippi St., and I think it is safe to say that he rises to the occasion. This is a huge test here and with rumors & whispers of QB Tony Romo nearing full health, there is a QB controversy brewing. Dak says this is Romo's team but make no mistake he doesn't want to give up the starting QB job and I believe most of Dallas fanbase doesn't want him to either. I like the kid to have a big game today, utilizing his mobility to pick up first downs. It looks like WR Dez Bryant is going to play, and if that is the case I expect him to want to avenge his playoff mishap where the result of his playoff controversial catch cost GB the game and sent them home packing (no pun intended). On the other side of things, Green Bay has not looked right thus far despite their winning record. Their offense is still finding its way and should be able to have success against the Cowboy defense. However I have been very impressed with the Dallas D so far this season. CB Morris Claiborne seems to finally be playing like the high draft pick he was and with getting some guys back up front on the defensive line, I like these guys to be motivated enough to be a problem for Rodgers here. COWBOYS+6