NFL Week 5 Essentials
Chargers at Giants: New York defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo had players run their film session for accountability's sake. Its defense is having trouble stopping the run and have squandered games on last-second drives in consecutive weeks. The N.Y. Post reported that Ben McAdoo cut down the music that typically blares during practices to go over key points and preach "accountability," so it's clear what the central theme was in camp this past week.
At 0-4, there's no room for error either of these teams, which makes this one of the better matchups on Sunday despite the records. Both Eli Manning and Philip Rivers have seen brighter days, but both can still be prolific passers.
Giants second-year MLB B.J. Goodson has been injured but returned and is being tasked with a leadership role. Jason Pierre-Paul (knee/shoulder) and Olivier Vernon (ankle) are each hobbled, but their secondary gets back CB Janoris Jenkins. Vernon and center Weston Richburg (concussion), the team's top offensive lineman, sat in practices this week. Richburg didn't clear protocol and has been ruled out, so the team may have issues up front, an area that's already a weakness. Guard John Jerry, Vernon and Pierre-Paul are questionable.
Tackle Joe Barksdale (foot) guard Matt Slauson (tricep) were limited in practice as the o-line issues that have helped trip up the Chargers the past few years continue. Russell Okung (groin) and LB Jatavis Brown (ankle) will play, while rookie WR Mike Williams (neck) is still at least a game away. The Chargers went out on Friday, a day early, to get acclimated to the time difference. They have lost nine straight overall, winning last on Nov. 27, 2016 on the road at Houston.
Bills at Bengals: Despite no true No. 1 receiver and a number of key offensive linemen being sidelined, Buffalo has pulled off back-to-back wins over Denver and Atlanta. The 17 points surrendered by the defense against the explosive Falcons last week were a season-high. First-year head coach Sean McDermott is pushing all the right buttons and has gotten enough from QB Tyrod Taylor, who has averaged over 8 yards per completion in Bills wins, to keep the chains moving consistently.
LeSean McCoy has run for just 106 combined yards after going for 110 in the season opener, so if he picks up his production now that he's healthier, the success can continue. They've been moving the ball decently despite the absence of talented left tackle Cordy Glenn, expected to return after practicing in full on Friday. The defensive line has been without DE Shaq Lawson or a healthy Marcell Dareus, but both should be in the mix. Safety Micah Hyde, leading the NFL with three interceptions, is listed as probable after dealing with a knee issue.
Cincinnati is looking for consecutive wins and its third straight solid effort since handing Bill Lazor play-calling duties. Andy Dalton is 46-for-57 for 498 yards and six TDs since the switch, so this will be a great test against an excellent defense. Unfortunately, he won't have tight end Tyler Eifert (back) and speedy rookie John Ross (knee) in the mix, but this is no longer the same bumbling offense they were earlier this season. Defensive improvement was also on display last week with LB Vontaze Burfict back, but this will be a step up from stopping the Browns.
Jets at Browns: Cleveland has seen DeShone Kizer put a lot of his raw talent on display, but he leads the NFL with eight interceptions and has consistently been burned by the fire he's been thrown in, posting the worst QB ranking and completion percentage of any starter. The loss of Corey Coleman definitely didn't help, while veteran offseason acquisition Kenny Britt hasn't been a factor and is doubtful due to a knee injury. The baptism continues with the surprising Jets in town looking to climb over .500 five games in, but this has been placed in the pick'em category by oddsmakers as one the Browns could win.
Aiding Cleveland's cause is the return of top pick Myles Garrett, who is set to finally make his NFL regular-season debut after seeing a promising preseason cut short by a high ankle sprain. LB Jamie Collins remains out with a concussion, so the defense the Browns hoped to field when they started the season still won't be complete.
New York defeated Jacksonville in OT last week after shutting out Miami 20-0, but carries a 2-7 (2-6-1 ATS) record over their last nine road games. One of the wins came last Oct. 30 in Cleveland in the only away game they've been favored in over the past two seasons. Ironically, the Jets beat Josh McCown, who threw for 341 yards but was picked off twice. He's now their quarterback, looking to play turnover-free ball and lean on a ground game that sprung Bilal Powell and Elijah McGuire for big plays against the Jags. Matt Forte (toe) is still sidelined.
Star DE Muhammad Wilkerson is questionable, while starting LB Josh Martin (ankle) won't play, joined by defensive backups Kony Ealy (shoulder) and Darryl Roberts (hamstring) as inactive. Backup corner Juston Burris (foot) could also miss the game for New York.
Jaguars at Steelers: That loss in New York was certainly a momentum killer for Jacksonville, which saw a penalty wipe out a late touchdown that would've put the Jets in a hole with roughly a minute to go. Instead, Blake Bortles couldn't throw over the defensive line, the Jags settled for a field goal and lost in OT. Instead of coming in 3-1 and in sole possession of the AFC South lead, they're in a three-way tie for first and arrive as Week 5's largest underdog.
Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown celebrated Festivus early, airing out their grievances this week following Brown's tantrum in last week's win over Baltimore. While there's no question his antics were uncalled for, there's no denying that Roethlisberger hasn't been sharp this season, leaving a lot out there by not executing. Despite that, Pittsburgh smoked the Ravens to take charge of the AFC North and is the current Super Bowl favorite according to Westgate Vegas. The Steelers are nearly 100 percent healthy outside of tackle Marcus Gilbert, who has been sidelined of late but might get back in the mix despite being listed as doubtful.
Jacksonville is nowhere near as healthy, but will have its elite secondary intact despite Jalen Ramsey being limied in practice due to an ankle issue. The Jags lead the NFL in pass defense, which will makes them a scary foe given Roethlisberger's shaky start. Center Brandon Lidner (illness) and WR Marqise Lee (ribs) are listed as questionable, while Bortles (wrist) and Leonard Fournette (ankle) appeared on the injury report but will play barring something unforeseen.
Titans at Dolphins: Jay Cutler took 11 preseason snaps at Hard Rock Stadium upon joining Miami in the preseason, throwing a jump ball that DeVante Parker took to the house. That was Aug. 17. An incredible seven-plus weeks later, he'll debut at home as the Dolphins starting quarterback, hoping to snap a run that has seen the team's offense score one meaningful touchdown all season. They've been held scoreless in eight of 12 quarters thus far and have been hampered by a lack of chemistry in addition to RB Jay Ajayi being bothered by a knee issue. Playing away from home, going from L.A. to East Rutherford to London, certainly hasn't helped manners, but they're not going to be greeted by a very patient fan base here.
Tennessee's defense has surrendered 31.5 points per game, next-to-last in the league behind Indianapolis. Veteran coordinator Dick LeBeau saw his unit give up 50 of Houston's 57 points last week and has been witness to his secondary getting carved up by Derek Carr, Russell Wilson and rookie Deshaun Watson. They've missed safety Jonathan Cyprien, who is expected to miss another game.
Another poor effort on that side of the ball would be hard to overcome since Marcus Mariota is questionable to play due to a hamstring injury suffered on his second rushing touchdown last week. He'll be a game-time decision and would be replacced by veteran backup Matt Cassel if he can't play. The Dolphins would catch a major break if they avoid facing the Titans' starter given their own issues in the secondary.
49ers at Colts: Even though two winless teams play and the Jets host the Browns, this is Week 5's worst matchup. Andrew Luck is practicing again but won't participate here, leaving Indianapolis in Jacoby Brissett's hands. The ex-Patriot draft pick has made some mistakes, but was terrific in the Colts' only win and made some nice plays against Seattle's stifling secondary, sparking hope that he'll be able to keep the team afloat until Luck is ready. Due to the Jags choking at the Jets, the rest of the AFC South is at .500. Getting center Ryan Kelly back in the lineup for the first time this season should definitely upgrade the line and improve the timing up front.
San Francisco has covered three straight, losing by a field goal or less each time to remain winless. This is the Niners' second of three consecutive road games and represents their best chance to win, on paper, until they visit Chicago on Dec. 3. The Brian Hoyer-led offense has found the end zone in only one of their four games, settling for entirely too many field goals after struggling inside the red zone.
San Francisco's defense will again be without safety Eric Reid and impressive-looking rookie LB Reuben Foster, though it hopes both can return next week. The 49ers have lost 18 of their last 20 road games, winning last on Christmas eve of '16 at the Rams. The Colts have won three straight meetings in this series by a 73-24 margin, last losing at home in 2001.
Cardinals at Eagles: Arizona would've lost to most teams on Sunday, surviving only when Carson Palmer connected with Larry Fitzgerald to erase an OT deficit. Coming on the heels of a disappointing Monday night performance against Dallas, that 49ers game was a must-win that it couldn't get a handle on until the final play. The Cardinals have struggled in every game this season and haven't broken 20 points since losing RB David Johnson in Week 1. Despite being outscored by 17 points, they're right there at 2-2 but will only be home once between now and a showdown with the Seahawks on Nov. 5. They'll be playing outdoors for the first time this season.
Conversely, the Eagles are beginning a stretch where they'll play four of their next five at Lincoln Financial Field, following up next Thursday's visit to Carolina with three straight home games. Philadelphia pulled off a 26-24 win in L.A. against the Chargers in what felt like a home date given the apathy for the team since relocating from San Diego. Eagles fans bought up most tickets and made their presence felt in helping rattle Philip Rivers. LeGarrette Blount closed the game out with his tough running, allowing Philly to open 3-1 for the first time since 2014. That year marked the only time it has opened 4-1 or better since 2006, so getting this one would give Doug Pederson a start that Chip Kelly managed once and mentor Andy Reid only enjoyed twice in his lengthy tenure at the helm.
Philadelphia has to overcome the absence of standout DT Fletcher Cox (calf) and top corner Ronald Darby (ankle) will miss another game, so its defense will be vulnerable. Corner Jaylen Watkins and safety Corey Graham should return, but aren't expected to be at 100 percent. Arizona won't have left tackle DJ Humphries, pass rusher Markus Golden or DT Robert Nkemdiche, who has been absent all year. Left guard Alex Boone hopes to return to protect Palmer, who should have his full arsenal of receivers with J.J. Nelson back.
Panthers at Lions: Cam Newton's lame, chauvinistic attempt at humor stole a lot of the shine off Sunday's road upset of the Patriots, especially now that they were able to bounce back and beat the Bucs. Despite the controversy, it's not one that is going to affect the team dynamic, especially if Newton can focus and build on his performance in Foxboro. After throwing three picks at home against the Saints, Newton accounted for four touchdowns, three through the air, for the first time since Sept. 25 of 2016.
He'll alleviate a lot of concerns if he can have similar success against a Detroit defense that allowed just seven points at Minnesota last week and has put its team in position to open 4-0 given how close they came to beating Atlanta in Week 3. This will be their first home game since a Golden Tate touchdown was correctly overturned, resulting in a 10-second run-off that left them no chance to try and score from less than a foot away. It says a lot about Jim Caldwell's team that they were about to rebound from such a devastating loss to beat a division rival on the road, especially since this next four-game block that begins here features trips to New Orleans and Green Bay sandwiched around a home date with the Steelers.
Seahawks at Rams: The highest-scoring team in football through four games is quarterbacked by Jared Goff. That sounds bizarre, but even with help from some defensive scores, L.A.'s offense has been among pro football's most dynamic, a wild 180 from where it stood last season. After pulling off an upset in Dallas, the Rams and they're 35.5 points per game are back home for an NFC West date against perennial division favorite Seattle. Since it's fair to say they've faced some depleted, weary defenses in the Colts, 49ers and Cowboys and dropped a game against the top unit they've faced when Washington came to town, there's room for healthy skepticism.
"Over the last 10 seasons, the Rams have finished 21st or worse in scoring. They’ve finished last in the league twice, including last year when they scored 14.0 points per game. The last time the Rams led the league in scoring was 2001 when Kurt Warner was the quarterback," Bookmaker.eu's Scott Cooley said. "Of course, this prompted the thought of which team will ultimately win the scoring title in 2017, and oddsmakers aren’t giving the Rams much of chance to hold their position.
Bookmaker lists the Falcons (+200), Patriots (+275), Chiefs (+400), Eagles (+550), Cowboys (+900) and Packers (+1200) with better odds than L.A. (+1500) to top the NFL in points when the season ends.
Give credit where it is due to Sean McVay for making the game easier for Goff and playmakers Todd Gurley, Sammy Watkins, Tavon Austin and Cooper Kupp. Now let's find out whether they can execute against an elite group of defenders, albeit not at full strength.
Seahawks DE Cliff Avril (neck) and one of his backups, Quinton Jefferson (hand) are sidelined, while starting CB Jeremy Lane is doubtful due to a groin injury. Tackle Rees Odhiambo and Luke Joeckel, who make up the left side of the o-line, are both expected to play. The Rams may have an issue up front. Although center John Sullivan will gut it out again through a sore hip, guard Jamon Brown (groin) will likely be a game-time decision. L.A. starting safety Lamarcus Joyner is considered doubtful. The Rams have played Seattle tough in spite of the team's struggles, winning three of the last four. The last five meetings in this series have been split evenly.
Ravens at Raiders: Oakland got terrific news regarding a potential Derek Carr return from a back injury that could come as early as next week if he doesn't rush back here. That doesn't help them much against Baltimore if he can't go, although it does potentially allow them to be aggressive in not holding back any tricks they might want to save for down the road if they needed to dig in with E.J. Manuel for the long haul. At home, coming off consecutive losses, this is a game they need to win to get back on track since AFC West foes L.A. and Kansas City come through the next two weeks.
With Carr sidelined indefinitely, BookMaker adjusted its futures odds for the Oakland Raiders. Going into last week, the Raiders had +1400 odds to win the Super Bowl but they have since been moved to +2500.
"Carr’s value to a game line is 5-6 points, depending on the opponent," said BookMaker.eu's Scott Cooley. "EJ Manuel is a significant dropoff in the eyes of the oddsmakers as they assigned his value to a game line as 0-1 point. The Raiders have seen a load of support despite the inept Manuel at quarterback. It’s probably more of a play against Baltimore than on Oakland. That spread opened pick'em and is now Oakland -3."
Baltimore finds itself in dire need of a win too, having been outscored 70-16 over its past two losses. Neither blowout came in a true road game, so the Ravens will have to find a way to get acclimated to a hostile environment for the first time all season given that their 20-0 win at Cincinnati in Week 1 was so thorough that the Bengals heard more boos than they did. Joe Flacco has been dreadful, throwing more interceptions than touchdowns in three of his five games. His best game has come at home against the Browns. It's no wonder that this spread would be close to double-digits if Carr were healthy. Manuel will have Michael Crabtree (chest) available after he was cleared to play and hopes to get a slumping Amari Cooper out of his funk.
Packers at Cowboys: Dallas left tackle Tyron Smith dealt with back tightness all week, putting his availability in question. Owner Jerry Jones went on he raido and said it would "really be a surprise if he doesn't play," which is a positive development given the alternative. If Smith can't go, Byron Bell would start at left tackle, which would really weaken that side of the line since guard Chaz Green has struggled and has been dealing with a hip issue. The news isn't as positive regarding top LB Sean Lee, who is likely to miss this game due to a hamstring strain that would benefit by an additional week off given that the Cowboys have a bye up next.
Currently, Green Bay is favored to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl as far as the Westgate is concerned (13/5), while the Cowboys come in at 8/1, fourth behind the Pack, Falcons (4/1) and Seahawks (5/1). Although they're banged up on both sides of the ball, there are signs this could be the healthiest they've been this season. Tackles Brian Bulaga and David Bakhtiari practiced in pads on Thursday and are on track to start together for the first time this season. Versatile back Ty Montgomery is doubtful due to his broken ribe, which means rookies Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams will likely get carries. WR Davante Adams needs to pass concussion protocol to participate, but LBs Nick Perry and Ahmad Brooks and CBs Davon House and Quinten Rollins are all likely to play. The Packers won a 34-31 classic in January's divisional playoffs in Arlington on a Mason Crosby field goal as time expired. They've won seven of the last 10 showdowns.
Chiefs at Texans: Kansas City puts its perfect record on the line as it attempts to move to 5-0, which would give it another obstacle to clear since teams that have won their first five games have managed to miss the playoffs in each of the past two seasons. The Chiefs are the only candidate able to potentially continue that dubious tradition, and considering they face the Steelers, Raiders, Broncos and Cowboys next, they need to make sure to secure all the wins they can get. Andy Reid's team has won 14 of their last 16 regular-season games, losing a pair of 19-17 decisions at home against Tampa Bay and Tennessee in last year. Kansas City carries an eight-game road winning streak (8-0 ATS), last losing over a year ago on Oct. 2 in a 43-14 rout at Pittsburgh.
After pulling out a home win on Monday night against Washington, covering in fluky fashion after scoring via fumble return on the game's final play, Kansas City faces a short week situation that puts it at a disadvantage going on the road despite its recent run of success outside Arrowhead. Although QB Alex Smith is an MVP candidate at the quarter point and RB Kareem Hunt is enjoying one of the most prolific starts to a career in NFL history, there's still a long way to go in a season where they've already lost safety Eric Berry. Tamba Hali won't be back off the PUP list until later this month and another top pass rusher, Dee Ford, will miss his second straight with a hip injury. The offensive line will likely be missing both starting center Mitch Morse and guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif.
Houston continues to get healthier, though standout corner Kevin Johnson (knee) will miss his third straight game and LB Brian Cushing remains suspended. So long as Greg Mancz plays through a knee issue, the Texans will be whole on offense besides tackle Duane Brown's continued holdout. The Texans come off a dominant 57-14 home win over Tennessee and nearly took out New England the week prior. They're a pick'em at home after a Jekyll and Hyde showing at Reliant Stadium thus far, having been dominated by Jacksonville in their home opener and imposing their will on the Titans last week. Houston beat the Chiefs in Week 2 last season 19-12 in a game that featured eight field goals.
Monday, Oct. 9
Vikings at Bears: Week 5's final matchup is all about the quarterbacks. Rookie No. 2 pick Mitch Trubisky will debut for Chicago. Veteran Sam Bradford may return for Minnesota. Based on how he felt in practices late in the week, calling his knee's improvement "night and day" from where it was when it started acting up to force him out of the last three games. Backup Case Keenum has gone 1-2 while filling in, contributing to the mixed results with uneven play.
The Bears have lost four of five in the series, but won at home 20-10 on Halloween night last season behind Jordan Howard's 153 rushing yards and have held serve at Soldier Field in eight of the last nine years in this series. Considering the Bears have been no juggernaut in that span, that's impressive. Be it under Brad Childress, Leslie Frazier or current coach Mike Zimmer, the Vikes have invented ways to lose in Chicago, dropping OT games, shootouts and low-scoring affairs alike. Minnesota snapped an seven-game losing streak with a 23-20 win on Nov. 1, 2015, scoring the final 10 points inside the last two minutes and winning on a Blair Walsh walk-off field goal.
The Vikings are 1-6 SU/ATS over their last seven road games and will be playing their first game without exceptional rookie RB Dalvin Cook, who tore his ACL in Sunday's home loss to Detroit. Backups Latavius Murray and Jerick McKinnon are expected to get most of the carries, while WR Michael Floyd comes off suspension to aid the cause. Chicago will be without suspended linebacker Danny Trevathan, who is taking a seat after being disciplined for his vicious hit on Green Bay's Adams on Sept. 28.