It’s hard to believe we are already in week 5. This is the first week with teams having bye weeks so we only have 14 games on the docket but there are some good ones. Read below to see who emerges victorious in this week’s slate of action.

Thursday, October 5

Commanders 28, Bears 20

Sam Howell has showed a lot of positive signs this season and now gets a favorable defense to carve up on Thursday night. The Bears are coming off a painful loss but at least they saw Justin Fields deliver one of the best games of his career. The Commanders defense, mainly the secondary, have been disappointing this season. Look for Fields and DJ Moore to connect many times in this game like they did last week.

Sunday, October 8

Bills 30, Jaguars 17

The Jaguars have another game in London against one of the best teams in football. This Bills defense is playing incredibly well at all three levels and the offense has been balanced. It’s imperative that the Jaguars run defense continues to play well to try and keep Buffalo one dimensional on offense. Meanwhile, Jacksonville’s offense is going to need to be more creative to attack this Bills defense and cannot just rely on their playmakers to win all the time. I think Buffalo has too much firepower and the Jaguars can’t keep up in this one.

Texans 24, Falcons 17

DeMeco Ryans has done a great job with this Texans team so far. The development of their defense the past two weeks and the strong play of CJ Stroud make the Texans a threat moving forward this year. On the other hand, the Falcons have a major concern at QB with Desmond Ridder. He struggles mightily when the run game isn’t working and he has to throw the ball downfield. I think Houston can get some turnovers in this one and win their third straight game.

Lions 30, Panthers 13

The Lions commitment to the run should remain this week when they face a Carolina defense that has really struggled defending opposing rushing attacks. David Montgomery looks like the workhorse back in that offense and should continue to wear down defenses. The Panthers are going to need to find a way to mix the run game and short passing game to slow down the Lions pass rush. If not, this game could get even uglier than I am predicting.

Titans 20, Colts 17

It’s hard to gauge Tennessee after four weeks. They’re talented enough in some areas but also have some huge weaknesses which include offensive line and secondary. The formula should be pretty simple moving forward: run the ball with Derrick Henry and take some play action shots when available. The Colts and Shane Steichen have done a great job devising game plans to get the most out of Anthony Richardson and their offense. The Colts have been very run heavy, but this week will be a big test against one of the league’s best run defenses. The Colts will probably be able to make some plays through the air but I think Mike Vrabel has enough answers to limit the Colts offense.

Dolphins 36, Giants 17

The Giants defense played much better Monday night than they have all season but they still have a major tackling problem. That’s not a good problem to have when you have to face the most explosive offense in the league. The Giants defensive front is going to need to disrupt Tua because if not, it will be a long day for the defense. If the Giants get Saquon Barkley back, they should be able to have more success on offense but their offensive line is still a mess and they are not a team that can score in bunches to keep up with explosive offenses.

Saints 16, Patriots 13

Bot of these offense have struggled mightily this season, especially the past two games. I am giving the Saints a slight edge in this one due to the injuries sustained by Matt Judon and Christian Gonzalez for the Patriots. The difference is the Saints have better playmakers and a healthier defense. Look for Chris Olave to be more involved this week and for Alvin Kamara to continue to get a big workload. The Patriots need to focus on protecting the ball and starting faster to avoid falling to 1-4.

Steelers 23, Ravens 20

This Steelers offense looks broken right now. The offensive line and run game have been big weaknesses this year and Kenny Pickett is struggling in part. Meanwhile, the Ravens have been a pleasant surprise this year even with all the injuries they have sustained thus far. Lamar Jackson is playing some of the best football of his career and the defense is making plenty of plays each week. But I’m taking Pittsburgh in this one because the NFL is often unpredictable and division games are usually tight. The Steelers pass rush is going to need to win this game and give the offense short fields.

Cardinals 23, Bengals 17

The Bengals look to be in serious trouble now. They can’t run the ball and their pass game is reliant on quick throws to mitigate Joe Burrow’s calf injury. The Cardinals offense is unpredictable and does a great job of game planning each and every week. Bengals DC Lou Anarumo is going to need to come up with a creative game plan to slow down Arizona and get some turnovers to help the Bengals offense.

Eagles 30, Rams 26

The Eagles have looked good but not quite elite this season. One of my primary concerns is the way the Eagles defense, primarily the secondary, has fared. The Rams should be able to attack with a quick rhythm passing game featuring Puka Nacua and possibly Cooper Kupp making his season debut. The Eagles defensive line will get plenty of pressure on Matthew Stafford so the Rams need to make sure they don’t stay too pass heavy. For the Eagles offense, look for AJ Brown to have another big game against a young Rams secondary.

Jets 24, Broncos 16

Zach Wilson played very well in a narrow loss last week and now gets to face one of the worst defenses in the NFL. Breece Hall is also off a snap count now, so this Jets offense should be ready to take off. The Broncos offense played well last week but has to play one of the best defenses in the league. Russell Wilson and the offense needs to finally put together a complete game to avoid losing.

Chiefs 30, Vikings 20

The Chiefs offense has not been up to their usual standard so far this season but luckily they are playing this Vikings defense. The Chiefs still haven’t found a go to WR yet but they do have a strong running game led by Isiah Pacheco that they should continue to utilize going forward. The Vikings defense needs to get interceptions when Patrick Mahomes presents them with the opportunity to give their offense more scoring opportunites. Kirk Cousins and the offense need to do a much better job taking care of the ball if they want to start turning the season around.

49ers 23, Cowboys 20

This is the game of the season so far. Can the Cowboys defense find a way to slow down this 49ers offense? I think they can somewhat but they need to make sure they are disciplined and not too over aggressive. The main focus for Dallas should be trying to slow down Christian McCaffrey and the 49ers run game. If they can do that, their pass rush has a chance to get after Brock Purdy. For the 49ers offense, I think they can get some favorable matchups with Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel to attack Dallas. This game should be a fun one!

Monday, October 9

Packers 24, Raiders 20

We have the Davante Adams revenge game on Monday night! While I expect the Raiders to try to target him plenty against his former team, they should follow the Lions game plan last week of trying to run the ball right down their throat. The Raiders also need to be wary of Rashan Gary who is off to a great start to the season. The Packers and Jordan Love need to start off much better offensively than they have the past two games. I think they will in this one and the Green Bay defense smothers Jimmy Garoppolo/Aidan O’Connell much like Khalil Mack did last week.