The Sunday slate has much to live up to after Week 5 kicked off with an early contender for Game of the Year on Thursday night. Kirk Cousins threw for 509 yards and 4 TDs to lead the Falcons to an overtime victory against the Buccaneers.
There is no shortage of great matchups to look forward to. Let’s look at some of the storylines heading into the games.
Jets (2-2) vs Vikings (4-0)
The Jets and Vikings head across the pond for our first dose of AM football in 2024. It was a rough week in the New York headlines for the Jets, where they discussed everything from “WR1” Garrett Wilson’s route tree to Aaron Rodgers’s snap cadence. The Vikings continue to stack wins against formidable opponents after defeating the NFC rival Packers last week.
The world will be watching, so no matter the outcome, the pressure is on for the Jets, and especially Head Coach Robert Saleh.
Panthers (1-3) at Bears (2-2)
This should be a battle between the last two #1 overall picks, but Panthers QB Bryce Young only made two starts before being benched in favor of Andy Dalton. Caleb Williams has shown improvement over the first 4 weeks of the season and will look to build on that against the Panthers, who could be picking #1 overall again in 2025.
Ravens (2-2) at Bengals (1-3)
In their last 8 games, these AFC North rivals have split their series with each team winning 4 games. No matter the records, they always play each other tough. The Ravens are as hot as any team in the league while the Bengals are still figuring out their 2024 identity. It feels like a lopsided victory for the Ravens, but history proves otherwise.
Dolphins (1-3) at Patriots (1-3)
Quarterback is just the beginning of the problems for these teams. I expect this to look like 4th quarter preseason football.
Browns (1-3) at Commanders (3-1)
Nick Chubb is close to returning, but it may not be enough to overcome the awful play of the Browns, especially QB Deshaun Watson. It’s a bad time to run into the Commanders and their red-hot rookie Jayden Daniels.
Colts (2-2) at Jaguars (0-4)
Doug Pederson has been under heavy scrutiny lately for the Jaguars‘ rough start and the disappointing play of the freshly paid Trevor Lawrence. The Colts look much better behind Joe Flacco than they have Anthony Richardson, though it’s still unclear who will start on Sunday. Even though the Jags are struggling, the Colts will need to bring their A-game as they have lost 8(!) straight games in Jacksonville.
Bills (3-1) at Texans (3-1)
Labeling this game “The Stefon Diggs Revenge Game” suggests a ridiculous narrative that Diggs was wronged by the Buffalo Bills. All they did to Diggs was force him the ball to shut him up, deal with his antics anyway, and pay him a ton of money. There’s a reason a receiver of his caliber has played for 3 different teams before even falling out of his prime – he’s a problem.
Fortunately for the Texans, they haven’t seen it yet. Houston has been as impressive as expected in 2024, with their only loss coming from the undefeated Vikings. The Bills should be playing angry after an embarrassing 35-10 loss in primetime to the Ravens.
Both teams have moved the ball with ease so far this season while having some inconsistencies on defense. Two of the best QBs in the AFC go head-to-head in what could be a very high-scoring affair.
Raiders (2-2) at Broncos (2-2)
Denver‘s defense has been smothering its opponents and rookie QB Bo Nix is doing just enough not to lose – allowing them to get back to .500 after an 0-2 start. Headlines this past week were dominated by the trade talks of All-Pro Wide Receiver Davonte Adams. He wants out of Vegas and they appear to be willing to oblige.
Solid defense and a lack of offensive production from either team has set this up to be a defensive struggle where field position and turnovers likely decide the game.
Cardinals (1-3) at 49ers (2-2)
Kyler Murray has played better than the Cardinals‘ record due to being 29th in points allowed with 26.5 per game. The Brock Purdy naysayers are quiet this year as he ranks 2nd among all QBs grading out at 87.6 per PFF. The 49ers appear to be picking up steam as they get healthier and should roll through the Cardinals in week 5.
Packers (2-2) at Rams (1-3)
Rams coach Sean McVay and Packers coach Matt LaFleur came through the coaching ranks together and know one another well. Both teams are battling injuries but only the Packers have been able to win despite them.
Giants (1-3) at Seahawks (3-1)
Last we saw the Giants they lost to the Cowboys in primetime. They’ve had 10 days of rest but somehow are now less healthy. They will be without their two best offensive players in rookie sensation Malik Nabers and RB Devin Singletary. The Seahawks took their first loss last week with no shame to the Super Bowl-contending Detroit Lions. They still put up a fight scoring 29 points in the loss.
The Giants defense ranks a respectable 12th in yards and points allowed, but they face an aggressive and high scoring offense in the Seattle Seahawks
Cowboys (2-2) at Steelers (3-1)
Having played one another three times in the Super Bowl, the Cowboys and the Steelers are the league’s top inter-conference rivalry. It doesn’t get much attention because they only play once every few years, but their respective fanbases know the history.
This Sunday Night Football matchup doesn’t feel like a Super Bowl preview or even a game worthy of the primetime spotlight. Dak Prescott vs Justin Fields is a far cry from the classic games Terry Bradshaw and Roger Staubach once had, but all we can do is hope for an entertaining game. I don’t think any of us saw Bucs/Falcons being an instant classic on Thursday Night but, that’s why they play the game.
More to Come
The bye weeks kicked off this week, so we have fewer games, therefor I made the previews for each a bit longer. I will also break up the Game Previews from the Betting & Fantasy plays. Look for that to post Sunday morning before the 1:00 games kick-off to give you plenty of time to set your lineups and place your bets.
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