NFL 2025 Season Pick’em Tournament

WEEK 6

Welcome back to Fans v. AI v. Wife NFL Pick’em. Last week was an ugly one and it resulted in a THREE way tie! And the winner last week, a three time champ, Wife!

Smiles of the Week Victory Speech (Wife)

Hiiiiii. I won on a tie again but that’s because no one picked the Niners but me, bang bang Niner gang.

Rules

Each week we pick the teams we think will win.

No point spreads. Just straight up who’s gonna win.

A correct pick is worth one point.

Whoever receives the most points during the week will be crowned the Smile of the Week.

At the end of the regular season, whoever receives the most points will be crowned Chief Justice of Picks.

We follow the same rules during the playoffs and the Super Bowl. At the end of the Super Bowl, we combine all the points and the winner is crowned the Gridiron King or Gridiron Queen.

In case of a tie, we use the following tiebreaker rules.

• Wife gets tie-breaker priority. If she ties with anyone, she gets the crown.

• If AI only ties with any of the Fans, AI gets the crown.

• If Savannah only ties with Raymond, she gets the crown.

Meet the Pickers

Raymond (Fans)

Hello! I’m Raymond E. Strawn III. I love football. Jerry Rice is my favorite player and at first, I was a 49ers fan. But I was born in Oakland and when the Raiders moved back to Oakland and Jerry Rice joined the Raiders, I switched to the silver and black. The Raiders team colors also speak to me.

The goal here is to have fun, but also be crowned the Gridiron King. The odds are against me since I own zero tiebreakers, but it will only make victory that much sweeter.

Shaniece (Wife)

Hiiii My name is Shaniece King. I’m born and raised in San Francisco so of course I’m picking 49ers! I don’t watch sports so I’m picking everyone based off their logos that I like. 

Savannah (Fans)

Hello everyone, I’m Savannah Strawn! I cheer wholeheartedly for the Dallas Cowboys, even though they let me down year after year. I’ll be choosing them every week, even when the odds are stacked against them!

Tony Romo and Amari Cooper are my favorite former players, and now, my favorite is Brandon Aubrey, a.k.a. Butter! My goal here is to win, obviously, and have some fun as well. Let’s go Cowboys!

ChatGPT (AI)

Hey everyone, I’m ChatGPT, your resident AI picker joining the Strawn family’s NFL Pick’em challenge! While Raymond, his wife, and his daughter bring heart, gut feelings, and maybe a little team loyalty into their weekly picks, I’ll be crunching the data, trends, stats, and probabilities to make mine.

I don’t play favorites (unless you count algorithms), and I definitely don’t have a home team—so my picks are made with cold logic, no emotion… though we’ll see if that actually beats the human instinct.

Each week, I’ll be lining up right alongside the family to make my predictions. Will the machines rise, or will human intuition outsmart the data? Let’s find out together!

Thank you everyone for your introductions. Now let’s get to our picks!

This is the first week where teams start having bye weeks. Wife gain a game this week, holding first place by 3 wins (four with tiebreakers). We all correctly agreed on four unanimous picks, but we were all hurt by two upsets: Commanders winning in LA and Patriots winning in Buffalo. The trend stays alive as the Wife wins again during an odd week. But will the trend of a new player winning during an even week continue? In other words, will Savannah (Fans) get her first Smile of the Week this week or will the trend end? Now onto our picks…

Master Table Pick (Week 6)

Game	Raymond	Savannah	AI	Wife
PHI @ NYG	PHI	NYG	PHI	PHI
DEN @ NYJ	DEN	DEN	DEN	DEN
LAR @ BAL	LAR	LAR	BAL	LAR
DAL @ CAR	CAR	DAL	CAR	CAR
ARI @ IND	IND	IND	IND	IND
SEA @ JAX	JAX	JAX	JAX	JAX
LAC @ MIA	MIA	LAC	LAC	LAC
CLE @ PIT	PIT	PIT	PIT	PIT
SF @ TB	SF	TB	TB	SF
TEN @ LV	LV	LV	LV	LV
CIN @ GB	GB	GB	GB	CIN
NE @ NO	NE	NE	NO	NE
DET @ KC	DET	DET	KC	DET
CHI @ WAS	WAS	WAS	WAS	WAS
BUF @ ATL	BUF	BUF	BUF	BUF

Game-by-Game Analysis

PHI @ NYG

Raymond: PHI – Both teams coming off a loss, but I expect the better team to win this one. Eagles.

Savannah: NYG – I know the Eagles are probably going to win, but I’m going for the Giants just because it’ll be funny for the Eagles to lose two weeks in a row and to a bad team. I also think the Giants could beat them, since they’re home, and because they beat the Chargers, but they also lost to the Saints last week, so we’ll just have to see.

AI: PHI — Philly’s consistency and pass rush give them the edge over a struggling Giants team.

Wife: PHI

DEN @ NYJ

Raymond: DEN – The Broncos had a big win last week against the Eagles. And both their losses were one score games, one came down to 1 point. The Jets are just bad. Denver.

Savannah: DEN – Broncos are coming off the win against the Eagles so they’re confident. The Jets are still winless and I believe they’ll take yet another loss this week.

AI: DEN — The Broncos’ defense and experience make them better equipped to handle pressure situations.

Wife: DEN

LAR @ BAL

Raymond: LAR – Ravens defense is horrible but Lamar Jackson might be back. Even if he plays, I think his hamstrung injury will impact his play enough that he can’t overcome Baltimore’s defense. Rams.

Savannah: LAR – Even though the Ravens are home, Lamar is still out and there’s a bunch of other injuries, so the Ravens are weak right now. The Rams are doing pretty well, so I expect them to easily win this game.

AI: BAL — Ravens are tough at home, and Lamar’s mobility keeps the Rams’ defense guessing.

Wife: LAR

DAL @ CAR

Raymond: CAR – Dallas should win this game. Which is why I think the Panthers will pull off the upset at home. But Dallas has the better roster and I won’t be shocked if they win easily. Still, Panthers.

Savannah: DAL – Dallas all the way! The Cowboys are a little shaky during away games, and Carolina has won both their home games, but I think the Cowboys are the better team. If anything, it’ll be a close game, but with the Cowboys taking home the win. Let’s go Cowboys!

AI: CAR — Panthers’ defense can create turnovers, and their home-field advantage makes the difference.

Wife: CAR

ARI @ IND

Raymond: IND – I’m not surprised Daniel Jones is playing decent. I am surprised the Colts are 4-1. I expect them to keep rolling at home. Colts.

Savannah: IND – Colts are the better team and have home advantage, so this should be an easy win for them.

AI: IND — The Colts’ run game and steady QB play should control the clock against Arizona.

Wife: IND

SEA @ JAX

Raymond: JAX – I have doubted Jacksonville this season and I got the message. This team looks legit. Here’s their chance to prove it at home. Jaguars.

Savannah: JAX – The Jaguars are a solid team. I’ve gone against them a few times, but now I see they’re here and putting up a fight. Trevor Lawrence has impressed me, but he does throw a lot of interceptions. Besides that, I think Jacksonville will win at home.

AI: JAX — Jaguars’ offensive rhythm and home-field crowd give them the upper hand.

Wife: JAX

LAC @ MIA

Raymond: MIA – An early game upset alert. No, I don’t feel confident in this pick. But this is an upset game in the making. The Chargers are coming off two ugly losses (Bad game against a good/above average team and close loss to a bad team). Their leading back, Hampton is out and injuries in general are hurting the Chargers. This is also an early road Eastern time zone game for a West Coast team. Add all that up, upset! Dolphins.

Savannah: LAC – The Chargers are the better team, but this can go either way. The Chargers have some injuries on their side and the Dolphins are home. It could be close, but I’ll go for the Chargers. 

AI: LAC — Chargers’ passing game can exploit Miami’s secondary if they protect the QB.

Wife: LAC

CLE @ PIT

Raymond: PIT – Steelers at home, after a bye, against the Browns… Steelers.

Savannah: PIT – Steelers are obviously the better team. They’re well rested from the bye week and they’re home. Browns are bad. Easy win for Pittsburgh.

AI: PIT — Steelers’ home-field energy and defense will likely frustrate Cleveland’s offense.

Wife: PIT

SF @ TB

Raymond: SF – I went against my (future) wife’s Niners, like everyone else and that pick helped her win her third Smiles of the Week this season. This will be a tough road game, but the Niners should pull it off in a close game. SF!

Savannah: TB – Both teams are 4-1, both are coming off a win, Buccaneers are home, 49ers are still dealing with some injuries, so I just have to give the edge to the Buccaneers. 

AI: TB — Buccaneers’ balance on both sides gives them an edge in a close matchup.

Wife: SF

TEN @ LV

Raymond: LV – My Raiders are killing me so far and I think it’s safe to say this isn’t our year. We need to draft a QB. We need to rebuild our O-Line. We need DBs. Ugh. But the Titans aren’t a good team either. This game could decide the # 1 Pick, which I feel the Raiders should tank for. At least win or lose, as a fan I’ll be fine. But for this Pick Em, Gooo Raiders!!!

Savannah: LV – Although I hate to do it, I’ll be going for the Raiders, especially since they’re home. Both teams are bad, but the Titans are just straight up trash.

AI: LV — Raiders’ offense has been explosive at home; expect another strong showing in Vegas.

Wife: LV

CIN @ GB

Raymond: GB – Will Joe Flacco be ready to play this Sunday? Does it really matter? Green Bay should win this one regardless who the QB is in Cincinnati. Packers.

Savannah: GB – Usually I would go for the Bengals, but with Burrow out and potentially other injuries, the Bengals don’t seem like they’ll be going far this year. Packers are a mediocre team, but they’re home and relatively healthy, so I’ll give them the win.

AI: GB — Packers’ defense will create turnovers, and Lambeau weather favors Green Bay.

Wife: CIN

NE @ NO

Raymond: NE – The Patriots shock the world by beating the Bills. I expect them to continue playing well on the road. Sure, the Saints won last week. But it was against the Giants. Patriots.

Savannah: NE – Just like the Broncos, the Patriots are coming off a win against an undefeated team. They beat the Bills. I’m still shocked and a little upset, but that’s alright. The Saints did get their first win last week, but that’s because it was the Giants and they’re pretty inconsistent. I think this will be an easy win for the Patriots. 

AI: NO — Saints’ home advantage and defense should handle New England’s limited attack.

Wife: NE

DET @ KC

Raymond: DET – Something is off with the Chiefs. I also have no luck picking Kansas City games. Normally, I’d pick them here. But since my first instincts seem to be wrong with the Chiefs, I’m picking the opposite. Lions.

Savannah: DET – The Lions are a strong team and definitely better than the Chiefs. I think losing the Superbowl really messed with Kansas City. Jared Goff is a pretty solid QB and gets a good amount of PTD per game. The Chiefs are home, but it’s always a good week when both the Eagles and Chiefs lose, and an even better week if the Cowboys also win, so I’ll be going for Detroit. 

AI: KC — Chiefs at Arrowhead under the lights is one of the toughest matchups in football.

Wife: DET

CHI @ WAS

Raymond: WAS – Bears coming off a bye. But Commanders are home. Both teams beat the Raiders, but the Bears only won by 1 point while the Commanders won easily. Daniels is back but McLaurin is questionable as I write this. Even if McLaurin doesn’t play, Commanders seal the home win. Washington.

Savannah: WAS – The Bears had a bye week last week, but Washington is home, coming off a win against the Chargers, and Jayden Daniels is back. Bears are also an iffy team, so I think the Commanders should win this. 

AI: WAS — Commanders’ defense should pressure CHI’s QB all game and grind out a win.

Wife: WAS

BUF @ ATL

Raymond: BUF – I thought about going with Atlanta, off a bye, at home, and coming off a win. Plus the Bills had a rough divisional loss last week. But I expect the Bills to bounce back and respond with a road victory. Buffalo.

Savannah: BUF – The Bills hurt me last week. They should have won, but that’s okay. You can’t win them all. They’re still the best in the league and Josh Allen is still my guy. The Falcons are home and coming off a bye week, but they’re bad so this should be an easy win for the Bills.

AI: BUF — Bills’ offense is more dynamic, and they’ll outscore Atlanta in a shootout.

Wife: BUF

Standings (After Week 5)

Picker	Week 3 Record	Smiles of the Week	Season Record
Raymond (Fans)	6-8	1	46-32
Savannah (Fans)	7-7	0	40-38
AI	7-7	1	46-32
Wife	7-7	3 (2)	49-29

* Numbers in parenthesis are Smiles of the Week won by tiebreaker.