The Rich Top 5: NFL Week 6’s Most Intriguing Matchups

Rich's Week 6 Top 5 came with a guest panelist. His youngest son, Cooper, had been hanging around the studio for two days, so Rich pulled him up to a microphone alongside Chris and TJ for a bonus YouTube edition of the five other games he can't wait to see.

Number five: Bills at Raiders. Rich has a feeling this one goes "off the rails," like an old-school Big 12 game. Buffalo is on a short week after spending the whole stretch on the West Coast. Las Vegas has lost two in a row, sits on the edge of going from 3-0 to 3-3, and has the Rams up next. Everybody thinks it's falling apart. Rich's hunch is that the Raiders might just say no. Chris expects a close game with lots of points. Coop's only complaint was the ranking. "I would have put it higher."

Number four: Bears at Falcons. Caleb Williams is officially questionable, and after his podium appearance, Rich's advice was to step back and let him be. He tore his hamstring, he isn't telling anyone the grade, and the room's consensus was simple. Quit asking. Atlanta will have Michael Penix Jr. officially playing, which means a possible matchup of two quarterbacks from the same draft class. The Falcons also had the Ravens right where they wanted them, Rich noted, and let them off the hook.

Number three: Ravens at Browns, with a share of first place in the AFC North on the line. If Cleveland wins, it is 4-2, has the same record as Baltimore, and holds the leg up. Even if Pittsburgh gets to 4-2 as well, the Browns already beat the Steelers at home.

Coop admitted he didn't see a Browns surge coming, and he couldn't understand why Lamar Jackson isn't playing such a big game. "Can't physically make it," came the answer from the studio. Coop asked whether Snoop Huntley was really a better choice than Lamar. Not if everyone's healthy, Rich said, but if Lamar can't go, that's the end of that. One voice predicted the game won't be close, in Baltimore's favor. Another warned that Deshaun Watson is trending in the wrong direction, and that it might be closer to Shedeur Sanders time than people think. Rich's take on all that pessimism: "Well, that being said, the Browns are definitely winning this game."

Number two: Texans vs. Jaguars. It's an NFL Network game, and Rich insisted that, as a team player, that is not the reason he's mentioning it. Houston just won its first game with DeMeco Ryans calling plays and a defense that looked "a hell of a lot better." Was that a real answer, or was it just the Titans? Jacksonville, meanwhile, should have lost to the Eagles given all its mistakes and got lucky at the end. Throw in a first NFL Network look at Marvin Harrison Jr., and it's a massive AFC South contest at 9:30 a.m. Eastern, 6:30 in Los Angeles.

Rich suggested Coop would be sleeping through that one. Coop pointed out his dad has a napping schedule, so they're basically even.

Number one: Packers vs. Cowboys on Sunday night. Green Bay just lit up the Bears' secondary. Can Dallas get home on Jordan Love? And if the defense can't stop Love, can the Cowboys score enough to keep up? Dallas could start 2-4, which nobody prognosticated, or get back to 3-3. Green Bay, meanwhile, could reach 4-2. "Four and two is still pretty impressive," Rich said.

Rich tried to wrap it there, but there was one more. The best 2-3 team in the league, the Rams, takes on the Arizona Cardinals. That set up the real fight of the segment, because the room thought Rich was about to pick the Jets against the Patriots.

Coop pounced. Wasn't this the same dad who said after the Jets' overtime turnover that it was exactly why he doesn't root for them anymore? Rich clarified: he said that's why it's easier. Then Rich hyped up the Jets anyway, ticking off David Bailey, one of the top defenses, and Garrett Wilson showing up.

Coop had one more question. Where did this sudden Jets confidence come from? Rich had the answer ready. "Because Cooper is sitting here on Friday, right?"

The crew closed it out with a Godfather lesson for Coop. Never let anybody outside the family know what you're thinking.