NFL Week 5 Takeaways

1.The Jaguars defense is elite. In recent memory, very few teams have had such a potent pass rush and imposing secondary. On Sunday, the Jags intercepted Ben Roethlisberger five times and returned two of them for touchdowns. I am really skeptical of Jacksonville’s offense as Blake Bortles is just serviceable at best, but with Dante Fowler and Calais Campbell rushing the passer and A.J. Bouye and Jalen Ramsey manning the secondary, the Jaguars will have a chance to win their fair share of games this season.

2. Don’t count the Bengals out. After a miserable 0-3 start, Cincinnati is now 2-3 after defeating the surging Buffalo Bills on Sunday. With Pittsburgh and Baltimore struggling as of late the Bengals have to like their chances to stake their claim as kings of the AFC North.

3. T.Y. Hilton might be the most underrated player in football. Last year he led the league in receiving yards and this year without Andrew Luck throwing him passes Hilton hasn’t missed a beat. Against the 49ers, Hilton accounted for 177 receiving yards including a huge catch in overtime. The Colt receiver may very well be the best receiver not named Antonio Brown in the NFL.

4. The Jets didn’t think the Jets would be this good. After five weeks, New York is tied atop the AFC East. There was speculation that the Jets could possibly obtain the number one pick in next year’s draft prior to this season. That is now out of the question. They certainly lack talent, but it is quite an accomplishment that they are over.500 at this point in the season giving the preseason expectations.

5. Melvin Gordon is one of the most versatile running backs in the NFL. The third year back out of Wisconsin decimated the Giants on the ground and through the air on Sunday as he accounted for over 100 yards on the ground over 50 yards through the air and two scores en route to the Chargers first victory of the season.

6. The Panthers are the best team in the NFC. At least for this week. On Sunday, Cam Newton led Carolina to a huge road victory against the Detroit Lions. Newton threw for 355 yards and three scores. On Thursday night, the Panthers will square-off with the Eagles who are also 4-1. That will be quite the NFC battle and a matchup that I think favors Cam and company.

7. The Seahawks defense hasn’t gone anywhere. In a huge NFC West matchup with the Los Angeles Rams, The Legion of Boom held the Rams to just ten points and forced five turnovers. In their first four games the Rams were averaging upwards of 35 points per contest so it is not like the Seahawks were able to stifle some inept offensive unit. Pete Carrol needs to channel this type of effort from his defense each and every week if the Seahawks want to be a premier team this season.

8. Aaron Rodgers is unbelievable. I feel like I have seen this story a million times. Down three points with just over a minute to go, Rodgers led the Packers on touchdown drive to defeat the Cowboys in Dallas. If there’s anyone, ever, who throws a prettier football than Aaron Rodgers, please show me. The Packers have themselves a cheat code.

9. The Cowboys offensive line is a concern. After succumbing to the Packers, the Cowboys fell to 2-3 heading into their bye week. Last year, their offensive line was arguably the most valuable unit in all of football as Ezekiel Elliott averaged over five yards per rush. This season, the Cowboys sophomore tailback is down to three and a half yards per carry. That might not seem like much, but it is the difference between leading the league and finishing in the middle of the pack. For a team that is so dependent upon a dominant running game, the Cowboys need their offensive line of last season to return. If it doesn’t, they the Cowboys will be watching the postseason from the comforts of their living rooms.

10. Two injuries, one in each conference, could change completion of NFL moving forward. In the NFC, Odell Beckham Jr. broke his ankle and will miss the season. This will not impact the Giant’s playoff chances as they were already miniscule with or without their electric receiver, but this could have a dramatic impact on the Giant’s plans moving forward. Without Odell, the Giants offense is severely limited. They simply don’t have anyone who possesses the ability to take the top off of defenses. If they wind up with a top0tiv pick, which now seems possible, if not probable, do they wave goodbye to Eli? In the AFC, the Texans appear to have lost JJ Watt for the season as well. The Texans appeared to be AFC South favorites, but now without their All-World defensive end, life will be difficult for Houston. They need Jadeveon Clowney to play like that the number one overall pick that he was. If he can channel that, Houston should be able to withstand the loss of Watt.