NFL Week 5 Preview and Predictions
Week 5 Headlines
Quarter-Poll Shockers: We’re a quarter of the way through the NFL season, and there have been plenty of surprises. At 3-1, we have the Buffalo Bills and Los Angels Rams. The Jets are the best team in New York with a 2-2 record while the Giants are 0-4.
No Defense For Defending Champs: In another quarter-poll shocker, the New England Patriots defense ranks at the bottom of the league.
Andrew Luck Throwing Again: For the first time in nearly a year, Andrew Luck participated in practice with his team. However, the Colts quarterback remains mum on his return to the field.
Cam Newton’s Comments: Panthers Quarterback Cam Newton finds himself the subject of scrutiny following a brief exchange with a female reporter. After the reporter questioned him about Panthers receiver Devin Funchess running more physical routes, Newton remarked that it was “funny to hear a female talk about routes”. The Panthers quarterback has already lost a sponsor over the incident.
Fantasy Football Start Em/Sit Em
Starting Quarterbacks: Jameis Winston, Carson Wentz, Eli Manning, Brian Hoyer
Sitting Quarterbacks: Cam Newton, Andy Dalton, Jared Goff, Jay Cutler
Starting Running Backs: Jay Ajayi, Carlos Hyde, Aaron Jones, Christian McCaffrey
Sitting Running Backs: Ameer Abdullah, LeGarrette Blount, Latavius Murray, Eddie Lacy
Starting Receivers: Larry Fitzgerald, T.Y. Hilton, Pierre Garcon, Adam Thielen
Sitting Receivers: Alshon Jeffery, Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree, Kelvin Benjamin
Starting Tight Ends: Delanie Walker, Charles Clay, Jared Cook, Hunter Henry
Sitting Tight Ends: Eric Ebron, Jack Doyle, Martellus Bennett, Jimmy Graham
Starting Defenses: Vikings, Lions, Eagles, Ravens
Sitting Defenses: Packers, Jaguars, Buccaneers, Texans
Game Picks
Patriots vs. Buccaneers: Fans in the New England have to begin staring at the panic button for the first time in a long time. The Patriots defense is currently the worst in the league and features a host of weekly blown coverages. Against a team with weapons like Tampa Bay, this could prove to be very fatal. Bill Belichick is known for making adjustments, but his bend but don’t break philosophy has gone wrong thus far. Expect the Patriots to try and get back to the basics. Speaking of defense, the Buccaneers unit is still banged up in key areas. So while their offense has a chance for a big game, their defense will likely be too injured to capitalize. So I’ll pick the Patriots to win by seven points.
49ers vs. Colts: Moving the ball in this game shouldn’t be an issue for San Francisco. The Colts defense isn’t anything special and Kyle Shanahan should be able to find something to exploit on tape. The only question is if Brian Hoyer can avoid making the game-killing mistakes his prone to making. The Colts offense has proven it can do something on their end. And while they should be able to throw the ball on the Niners secondary, I am concerned with their ability to stop the Niners front seven. The Colts offensive line issues could bite them in this game. So I’ll pick San Francisco to get their first win of the season.
Jets vs. Browns: This is funny. The New York Jets were supposed to be tanking the season away while the Browns showed improvement and the sibilance of organizational direction. Well everyone was wrong on both sides. Josh McCown has been solid at quarterback for the Jets and should be able to move the ball on the Browns defense. Speaking of the Browns defense, top pick Myles Garrett could be back this week. While any boost on defense is appreciated, the Browns still have holes in their secondary. Offensively, DeShone Kizer has shown flashes in his rookie campaign, but not much else. Cleveland’s running game hasn’t been able to get anything going either. It won’t get easier against the Jets defensive front. My goodness, the Jets are going to be over .500 on Sunday. What a strange season.
Jaguars vs. Steelers: Jacksonville’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde routines are getting annoying. One week they look like a competent football team that can make a playoff push. The following week, they look like the same old Jaguars everyone would often ignore. In this defensive struggle against the Steelers, this may come down to trusting Blake Bortles. I don’t know if that’s wise. The Steelers front seven looks good so far this season. So I expect Pittsburgh to stack the box to stop the run and make Bortles win the game. All that would be left is their offense showing up. The Steelers offense has yet to have that one big game, and that probably won’t change against the Jaguars defense. But even the Jags can’t stop all of their weapons. So I’ll pick Pittsburgh to win the game.
Chargers vs. Giants: Somebody has to win this game. The Chargers are currently on a nine-game winning streak that stretches back to last season. Now they have to travel across the country for a 1 P.M. kickoff. Being on the road shouldn’t be a big deal since the Chargers have no home field to speak of, but the early kickoff against a good Giants secondary could be troublesome. The Chargers don’t have the horses to exploit the weak Giants run defense, so they’ll have to rely on Philip Rivers once again. Eli Manning has never beaten the team he snubbed during the 2004 NFL Draft day many years ago. At least he can look forward to having a little more time to throw. At best, the Chargers only have two pass rushers that pose a threat to the battered offensive line. On top of that, the Chargers have a suspect secondary. That means Odell, Marshall, Shepard, and Engram should have room to work. I’m picking the Giants to win their first game of the season.
Bills vs. Bengals: The AFC’s top surprise team is the Buffalo Bills. While they aren’t overwhelming in talent, they are playing smart football so far this season. They limit backbreaking mistakes and exploit the ones made by their opponents. And in a game that will probably be a slow and physical one, the Bills should be favored here. While the Bengals have talent that exceeds their record, they’re prone to make mental mistakes. For that reason alone, I pick the Bills to win.
Panthers vs. Lions: The Carolina offense made their first appearance in about two seasons, but it’s hard to say the unit is fixed now. After all, they struggled against the Saints defense and then feasted on the Patriots defense. The Lions defense provides a different challenge. Their big and physical up front and could possibly counter the Panthers running game. I also expect the Lions to come up with countermeasures for Cam Newton as well. What puts this game in the Lions favor is the lack of Carolina pass rushers. If you give Matthew Stafford time to throw, he can put up numbers on any defense. And with an average secondary to boot, the Panthers could be in trouble here. I’m picking the Lions to win the game.
Titans vs. Dolphins: It was a very bad week for the Titans. They were soundly beaten in Houston and lost their quarterback to injury. While the status of Marcus Mariota is unknown, we know that Matt Cassel is the backup. While the Miami pass defense has been problematic, Cassel isn’t in position to take advantage of it. Plus, the Dolphins defense strength is defending the run. That just so happens to be the Titans offense strength. So that will be the matchup to watch. Speaking of the Dolphins, they still haven’t played a home game and have traveled to both coasts and to London. Jay Cutler looks just like the last time we saw him in Chicago; uninspired and uninterested. However, the Dolphins should be able to win this game if they can stop the Titans run attack.
Cardinals vs. Eagles: Arizona has the receivers to get after the Eagles suspect secondary, but may not have the pass protection for it to even matter. Honestly, the Eagles defensive front should be able to push around the Cardinals offensive line. On the other side, the Cardinals can make life hard for Carson Wentz. If the running game bottoms out for any reason, it’s up to Wentz to find plays against the Cards secondary. In close matchups like this, I find it wise to pick the home team. I’m looking for the Eagles to get after Carson Palmer and force some mistakes out of him.
Ravens vs. Raiders: Oakland has looked very overrated in recent weeks. They have been physically outmatched in both of their last two games. And now, they have to deal with an injury to Derek Carr. A Carr injury derailed any hope of a deep playoff run last season and will likely do the same this season if the Raiders aren’t careful. E.J, Manuel’s job will be to manage the game. But the real heartbeat of the offense now relies on the O-line and the running backs. Oakland’s offensive line has underachieved so far this season and that has had a negative impact on their running backs. That has to change against Baltimore. The Ravens defense should play well even if they’re banged up. The real question is what their offense will do. Their running game has been pedestrian and Joe Flacco makes too many mistakes. But with Manuel under center, the Ravens match up well in this game. I expect the Ravens to pick the backup quarterback clean and lead the team to victory.
Seahawks vs. Rams: The NFC’s surprise team is the Los Angeles Rams. Sean McVay has transformed an offensively inept team into a fun and efficient offensive team. This week will be their ‘show me’ game as the Seattle Seahawks come to town. This will be the game that tells us if the Rams are for real or just arriving early. The matchup to watch is the Rams offense against the Seattle defense. The Rams will have a tough time moving the ball against one of the league’s best defenses. It will be interesting to see how McVay attacks them. Also, the Seahawks offense seems to have figured out how to score points. And against the Rams struggling run defense, the Seahawks already have a way to effectively move the ball if their O-line is up for it. I expect the Rams to play well in this game, but I have to go with the more battle-tested team in Seattle to win.
Packers vs. Cowboys: The rematch of the best NFL playoff game from last season. Green Bay needs to be worried about how their run defense matches up with the Cowboys run attack. While Dallas has underachieved in this area, they may be due for a big game. Dallas has to be staying up late at night trying to figure out ways to stop Aaron Rodgers. Their only defensive difference maker is DeMarcus Lawrence and he isn’t enough. So with that said, I expect the Packers to focus on stopping Ezekiel Elliot and making Dak Presscot beat them. While Dak almost did that in January, the Packers secondary isn’t nearly as injured as they were then. Plus, they have no answer for Rodgers. So I’m picking the Packers to win.
Chiefs vs. Texans: Historically fun fact time. The Kansas City Chiefs were the Dallas Texans in the AFL before moving to Kansas City and changing their name. So in a way, it’s an all Texans game. Anyway, this game feels like a trap game. Coming off of a short week and being touted as the best team in football, the Chiefs may be prime for a fall. The Texans have been the hot team over the last two weeks. Their defense has been great and DeShaun Watson has been playing great. While the Chiefs defense has the tendency to make opposing quarterbacks play well below their level, they have yet to face a quarterback with Watson’s skill set. How that matchup plays out will be interesting. What will also be interesting is how Kansas City will respond to the Texans defense. In a messy game, I’m going with the upset and picking the Chiefs.
Vikings vs. Bears: The Mitch Trubisky era begins on Monday for Chicago, and the timing couldn’t be worse. The Vikings have one of the best defenses in the league. In typical rookie quarterback fashion, look for the Bears to run the ball a lot to open up some quick passes for Trubisky. But don’t expect it to work too well. Minnesota’s corners can easily keep up with the Bears receivers. Also, stopping the run will likely be on top of their to-do list next to hitting the rookie. The Vikings not having Dalvin Cook and Sam Bradford is the only thing keeping this game close. However, I expect Case Keenum and the Vikings offense to put up just enough points to win.
