Week 5 Picks

The Bucs hung tough with rookie Jalon Daniels under center last week vs the Packers.. The Cowboys won against state foe Houston in a thrilling comeback. Dak Prescott and the Dallas offense keep the Bucs winless.

The Eagles are struggling sitting at 2-2. They travel across the pond to face a physical Jacksonville defense. The 3-1 Jags haven’t won pretty fashion. This will be a similar – in an ugly game – Jacksonville gets the W.

The Bengals suffered from more sloppy play in an ugly home loss versus the Jaguars. Making matters worse, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins suffered injuries. They travel to face the Dolphins who lost at Minnesota but put up a good fight. Cincinnati bounces back behind their improved defense.

A heated rivalry in Lambeau Field – with two coaches who simply don’t like each other – sets the stage for a big divisional matchup at historic Lambeau Field. The Bears will start backup Tyson Bagent with Caleb Williams out of the lineup. The Packers won on Sunday but it was ugly yet again. In a physical contest between old foes – Ben Johnson once again earns bragging rights.

The first place 3-1 Browns are the surprise of the first quarter of the season. Deshaun Watson has played well – to the shock of most. The Jets appear to be the same ole Jets – but have some good young pieces in place. The home field advantage is the difference.

Two winless teams square off in Music City in a must win situation. The Texans are looking to go on a run like they did last season – but it isn’t looking good. The Titans could be the perfect elixir. In a close tilt – the Texans defense is the difference.

The Colts pulled away from the Commanders overseas. They now travel to face the Steelers who are coming off a tough loss on TNF – but have extra rest. In an ugly – physical game, Pittsburgh pulls out the victory.

The Raiders are a good team. They proved that even in defeat vs KC. Some mental errors cost them the victory. The Patriots bounced back on the road handing the Bills their first loss. This should be an entertaining game. In a tight one – Drake Maye continues his bounce back.

The Vikings certainly don’t look like a 4-0 team, but they sit atop of the NFC North as one of only three remaining undefeated teams. Brian Flores has been masterful again with a dominating defense – giving up only 12.8 PPG – best in the league. The Saints were surprisingly throttled on MNF at home by the Falcons. This is a great matchup with the Saints 10^th in the league in scoring vs Flores. The Saints bounce back handing Minnesota their first loss.

Jayden Daniels is slated to make his return for the 1-3 Commanders. The G-Men sit atop of the NFC East with a surprising 3-1 record despite being without QB Jaxson Dart. The Giants traded for JJ McCarthy but Jameis Winston will likely be the starter again this week. John Harbaugh is doing an excellent job – but they will fall short in the battle between longtime rivals.

The Broncos lost a tough game in San Francisco last week. Making matters worse – they suffered a bevy of injuries including to star corner Patrick Surtain II who will be out on Sunday. The Bolts lost at Seattle keeping them winless. They get their first win in a close one over the Broncos.

The Detroit defense failed them again on SNF vs the Panthers giving up 32 points. On the season, they are 31^st in the NFL giving up 31.8 PPG. The Cardinals are still the Cardinals – sitting with a 1-3 record. The Lions offense will score enough to secure the victory.

This will be a slobberknocker, per normal, between two of the best teams in the NFC. The Niners, 4-0, have played well despite key injuries with a point differential of +58 while the Seahawks are 3-1 with a differential of 32. In a physical – old school battle – the home crowd is the difference.

Lamar Jackson suffered an ankle injury in Baltimore’s victory over the Titans. Tyler Huntley will get the nod. The Falcons have bounced back in a big way since the return of Michael Penix Jr. They dismantled the Saints in New Orleans on MNF. Bijan Robinson has another big game.

The Bills fell from the ranks of the unbeaten last week with a home loss to the Patriots. The Bills offense is playing well – leading the league with 31.8 PPG. However, their defense is ranked 25^th giving up 26.8 PPG. They will face a tough test against a Rams squad who pulled a victory out of the jaws of defeat at Philadelphia. Expect a high scoring thriller with the Bills eking out a huge road victory in front of a prime-time audience.