Week 6 NFL Picks on FOX: Dallas Cowboys @ New England Patriots Odds and Predictions – Sunday Free NFL Picks 10/16/11

Week 6 Free NFL Picks: Dallas Cowboys @ New England Patriots NFL Week 6 Vegas Odds, Free Picks, and Expert Predictions on FOX 10/16/11: Two of the top offenses in the NFL will be on display Sunday when the Dallas Cowboys (2-2) travel to Foxboro to face the New England Patriots (4-1). Both franchises were considered Super Bowl contenders prior to the start of the year, and while the Patriots have lived up to the hype, the Cowboys have had mixed results as they deal with a number of injuries. While their records aren’t identical, both teams are powered by their passing attacks, and big plays and plenty of points could be in store. Armed with home field advantage, New England is a seven-point favorite in this matchup.

When breaking down the game, it only makes sense to start under center. New England quarterback Tom Brady has picked up right where he left off last season when he took home MVP honors. He has a legitimate chance to set the all-time mark for passing yards in a season in 2011-12, and there might not be a better game manager in the NFL. Meanwhile, Dallas QB Tony Romo can match Brady in terms of yards and touchdowns, but he has been plagued by crucial mistakes in the fourth quarter of multiple games. Until he proves he can make the clutch plays, Romo will never be mentioned among the elite QBs and Dallas’ postseason hopes will always be shaky.

While the Patriots have an edge under center with Brady, the teams are more or less equal in terms of offensive firepower at the other skill positions, New England boasts slot receiver Wes Welker, who has been unguardable this year and is on pace to shatter Jerry Rice’s record for yards in a single season. He is complemented by possession receiver Deion Branch and the two-headed tight end monster of Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski.

The Cowboys have an elite weapon at tight end as well in Jason Witten. They also have one of the best receiver tandems in the NFL in Miles Austin and Dez Bryant. Austin can stretch the field as well as any receiver in the game today, and Bryant is a nightmare to cover in the red zone because of his size and leaping ability. More importantly, Austin returns from injury just in time for this crucial matchup, and Bryant appears to have regained his burst following a quad injury. The Patriots secondary has struggled against offenses that can spread the field with receiving targets, and Dallas has the personnel to exploit the weakness.

An X-factor could be the play of the starting running backs for either time. Felix Jones can be a versatile weapon both on the ground and catching the ball, but he has struggled at times moving the chains between the tackles. As a result, Romo has been forced to throw well into the fourth quarter of games, which has caused some of the aforementioned mistakes. The same cannot be said for Patriots’ back Ben Jarvus Green Ellis. The bruising runner has been a force around the goal line, and last weekend against the New York Jets, he was able to run out the final seven minutes of the game to seal a New England victory.

In the end, this game has all the makings of a shootout. Dallas will be in desperation mode as they attempt to keep pace in the NFC East, and the porous Patriots’ secondary will likely provide ample scoring opportunities. However, Brady and company should be able to go toe-to-toe with Romo and the Cowboys’ offense. In the final minutes of the game, the huge advantage goes to New England. Brady biggest strength is Romo’s biggest weakness, which should allow the Patriots to emerge with hard-fought win.

Prediction: New England Patriots (-7) Cover the Spread

Free NFL Football Picks and Predictions: New England -7

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