With the MLB playoffs in full swing, the NBA season ready to launch, and ubiquitous football every weekend, October is a great month for sports fans. Despite the options, Sundays are all about the NFL, and the barbecues that accompany them. Here are five Raza to watch in Week 6, as you enjoy your queso.
Manny Ramirez
Originally drafted by the Detroit Lions, Tejano Manny Ramirez recently returned to Motown after a four-year stint with the Denver Broncos. Lining up at guard, Ramirez is a 6’3, 320 lb. wall that protects Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford from the league’s most fearsome pass rushers. The son of Houston roofers who actually met on a roof, Ramirez is no stranger to tough labor, and sees himself as a role model for young Latinos.
BRONCOS VS.BROWNS
SUNDAY, OCT 18TH 1:00 PM ET
FIRSTENERGY STADIUM
Andrew Sendejo
Minnesota Vikings strong safety Andrew Sendejo owns 91 solo tackles in his five-year NFL career. The San Antonio native has assisted on an additional 43 tackles, and hopes to make contact this weekend after a couple of Sundays off the field. At 2-2, the Vikings host the Kansas City Chiefs in a contest that could plot the course for the upcoming schedule. Sendejo’s relentless motor would be a helpful addition versus the Chiefs.
CHIEFS VS. VIKINGS
SUNDAY, OCT 18TH 1:00 PM ET
TCF BANK STADIUM
Fernando Velasco
Heading into Week 6, the Carolina Panthers remain one of five undefeated teams in the league. While credit goes to head coach Ron Rivera and superstar QB Cam Newton, don’t forget Fernando Velasco and his compadres on the offensive line. Velasco will have his hands full on Sunday afternoon against the Seahawks in Seattle, but at 6’4, 312 pounds, the veteran is well equipped to hold his own against the Legion of Boom.
PANTHERS VS. SEAHAWKS
SUNDAY, OCT 18TH 4:05 PM ET
CENTURYLINK FIELD
Sean Smith
Regarded by football pundits as one of the top cover men in the NFL, Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Sean Smith is primed for a breakthrough. Smith allowed only 57 percent of passes thrown his way to be completed last season, while starting all 16 games for the Chiefs. If Viking’s quarterback Teddy Bridgewater decides to test Smith in Minnesota, Kansas City could be back on the road to respectability after a 1-4 start.
CHIEFS VS. VIKINGS
SUNDAY, OCT 18TH 1:00 PM ET
TCF BANK STADIUM
Mark Sanchez
Once considered the East Coast’s answer to Tony Romo, Eagles QB Mark Sanchez watches most games from the sidelines these days. Backing up Sam Bradford in Philadelphia, Sanchez is only two seasons removed from his reign as the Sanchize in New York City. The last time Sanchez took the Monday Night Football stage, he threw for 332 yards in a rout over the Panthers. An appearance by Sanchez in Week 6 doesn’t necessarily spell disaster in Philly.
EAGLES VS. GIANTS
MONDAY, OCT 19TH 8:30 PM ET
LINCOLN FINANCIAL FIELD