Five weeks in, Leesl stretches the lead by 3 games — and Andy’s looking for a Week 6 turnaround!

Head-Scratchers & Hard Truths

Andy: Five weeks in, and it feels like half the coaching staff in the NFL forgot basic clock management—I’m looking right at you, Philly and Washington! Meanwhile, teams like Dallas and the Rams are somehow finding creative ways to drop games they should easily win, while Miami, Tennessee, and the Chargers are still out here searching for their very first victory. All of this madness makes the league wildly unpredictable… which is code for “driving my pick sheet crazy.”

Leesl: “Wildly unpredictable,” Andy? Speak for yourself! Sitting here with a three-game lead, the league looks beautifully predictable to me!

But, while you were stressing about clock management, I had an absolute blast celebrating Week 5. Picking Green Bay over your Bears at Lambeau on your birthday weekend was completely unapologetic on my part—but business is business when there’s a lead to protect! And to cap it all off, watching my Bills pick pull off that overtime thriller against your Rams on Monday night was pure perfection. Three games up, bragging rights secured, and I’m ready for Week 6!

🔒 Picks are locked in for Week 6! But this week comes with a bit of a twist… our ONLY splits are our mandatory “House Rules” picks!

SEASON STANDINGS

Leesl: 54-24-1 | Andy: 51-27-1

Week 6	Leesl	Andy
SEA at DEN	SEA	SEA
HOU at JAX	JAX	JAX
BAL at CLE	BAL	BAL
TEN at IND	IND	IND
NYJ at NE	NE	NE
NO at NYG	NYG	NYG
CAR at PHI	CAR	CAR
PIT at TB	PIT	PIT
ARI at LAR	LAR	LAR
LAC at KC	KC	KC
BUF at LV	BUF	BUF
WSH at SF	SF	SF

Where We Split ⚡

Only on picks… we still share the nachos!

1. CHI at ATL

Leesl (ATL): After watching Green Bay dismantle the Bears, I just don’t see Chicago recovering on the road. Atlanta’s offense is a completely different monster with Michael Penix Jr. back under center and Bijan Robinson in the backfield. If the Bears couldn’t stop Jordan Love, they’re going to have a rough time containing Atlanta’s playmakers! 🦅

Andy (CHI): I’m standing by my team! They owe us a response after last week’s performance, but this comes down to execution. Atlanta’s pass rush is banged up, and if Caleb Williams protects the football, our ground game with Swift and Monangai can control the clock and leave Atlanta with a win. 🐻

2. DAL at GB

Leesl (DAL): Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, I want to believe the Cowboys can go into Lambeau Field and pull off a win on Sunday night. But let’s look at the cold, hard facts: Jordan Love is on a hot streak, our defense is giving up huge chunks of yards, Dak and the offense are flat-out playing uninspired, and—did I mention this game is at Lambeau Field? I am putting Dallas on my sheet, but my expectations are officially buried under a rock! 🤠

Andy (GB): So you’re saying they have a chance?! 😅 You literally just listed every single reason why I didn’t hesitate for a second to pick Green Bay. Thanks for making my case for me! 🧀

Our Team Check-In: DakStreet Boys vs da Bears!

Leesl: If you picked the Cowboys over Tampa and are still feeling sick to your stomach over how that game wrapped up, join the club——and pass me the Pepto!! The defense gave up a staggering 241 rushing yards, and Dak and the offense stalled out completely in the second half with three turnovers sealing our fate. Now we have to drag ourselves into Lambeau to face Green Bay.

The silver lining? My Green Bay pick against Andy’s Bears was spot on! Sorry to spoil your birthday weekend, Andy, but watching Chicago get hammered at Lambeau definitely helped cushion the blow of the Cowboys’ disaster and Philly giving away their game. House Rules state I have to ride with Dallas this week—so let’s see if Dak can turn it around! 🤠

Andy: Keep the Pepto close, Leesl—because with you having to pick the Cowgirls to beat Green Bay, you’re going to need every last drop by Sunday night!

Oh, and by the way? There’s nothing quite like my loving spouse rooting against my team on my birthday while they get completely dismantled to give a guy his own severe case of heartburn.

As for the game itself, I’m still searching for a single thing they did right against our biggest rival… I’ll let you know if I find it. If they were trying to honor Coach Ditka, they failed miserably—Iron Mike would have been furious with that total no-show. They couldn’t establish the run, couldn’t stop Jordan Love from throwing for 367 yards, and were never in the game.

And finally, a quick word for Luther Burden: before you tell reporters you want to beat the Packers so bad they want to quit, maybe catch more than four passes! Play the game, Luther—don’t talk big if you aren’t going to show up. 🐻

Game / Matchup	Leesl’s Pick 🤠	Andy’s Pick 🐻
Dallas at GB ⚡	Dallas	GB
Chicago at Atlanta	Atlanta	Chicago

📜 Our House Rules:

The only non-negotiable rule in our house: No matter the spread, the injury report, or how rough the matchup looks, Leesl is legally obligated to ride with the Cowboys, and Andy must back the Bears. Picking against your own team is grounds for immediate disqualification and total public shame.

Post-Game Settlement 🏆

Leesl: Note to self: next year, put a clause in the House Rules that lets me opt out when my team has to play on the road against a team that just put up 31 points! I’m holding onto a three-game safety net, and need some serious divine intervention to shine down on our secondary. It’s going to take a genuine, old-fashioned tent-revival miracle to survive this one.

Andy: No fine-print escape clauses in October, Leesl! You insisted on House Rules, and now we get to see if that safety net holds up under pressure. If the Packers take care of business and my Bears pull off the upset in Atlanta, that three-game lead drops down to one before you even finish your Sunday night snack—and you’ll be asking me to pass that Pepto right back! 🐻

Over to You! 📣

Will Leesl’s own House Rules backfire and let Andy shrink the gap, or can Dallas pull off an upset at Lambeau to keep her three-game lead safe?

Drop your predictions for Chicago @ Atlanta and Dallas @ Green Bay in the comments below! 👇👇👇