NFL 2024 Week 5 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come to an end. The week that was Week 5 brought us some insane storylines. Such storylines like an overtime thriller in Atlanta and Baltimore, a field goal game-winner in Houston and Jacksonville, blowouts in Denver and Washington and late night football in Pittsburgh. All that and more in this week's recap post!

NFL Week 5 Freaky Stat

Aaron Rodgers became the 9th quarterback in NFL history with 60,000 passing yards in a career. For the first time in NFL history a 100+ yard fumble and interception recovery went for a touchdown on the same day, let alone merely eight minutes between each other. 

NFL Week 5 Recap

Tampa Bay 30, Atlanta 36 (F/OT): TW: Buccaneers

Khadarel Hodge called game and sent the Falcons fans home happy. Baker Mayfield had a solid game with 19 of 24 passing with 180 yards and three touchdowns. Mike Evans caught the two passes for 2 and 23 yard plays. Sterling Shepard also caught one pass for a touchdown. Rachaad White had 10 carries for 72 yards, with a 56-yard run being the longest in the game. Bucky Irving had nine carries for 44 yards. Chris Godwin had five catches for 64 yards to be the leading receiver for the Bucs. I guess maybe the reason why they lost was perhaps they didn't sustain drives I guess. Tampa Bay had 333 total yards in the game. They did fumble in the 2nd to last drive in the game for them. 

Kirk Cousins had one of his best passing days in his career with 42 of 58 completions for 509 yards with four touchdowns but also tossed an interception. Drake London caught 12 passes for 154 yards with a touchdown. He would leave the game with an injury. Darnell Mooney caught the majority of the touchdowns with two and had nine catches for 105 yards. Khadarel Hodge, who had not a lot of play time so far this season, made the most of his opportunity as he caught the game-winning 45-yard pass from Kirk Cousins. Bijan Robinson had 12 carries for 61 yards in the game. Atlanta had 550 total yards of offense in this game. It was an effort that took to the last play but they hung around tough and stayed with the Bucs and made the most of the fumble in the 4th quarter. They took it down to overtime. For the Buccaneers, they shocking loss drops them to 3-2. For the Falcons, they improve to 3-2 on the season and have won two of their last three games. 

Next week:
Tampa Bay: @ New Orleans
Atlanta: @ Carolina

TW: 0-1

NY Jets 17, Minnesota 23: TW: Jets

Turnovers ground the Jets in London. Aaron Rodgers had a trying game in this one as he hit 29 of 54 passes for 244 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. One of the interceptions was grabbed by Andrew Van Ginkel for a 63-yard pick six. Another one was the game sealing one for the Vikings. The first Rodgers pass went to Adam Lazard for a 14-yard score that cut the Vikings lead to a 17-7 margin. The 2nd went to Garrett Wilson for a 1-yard short pass that brought the lead to a 20-17 margin in favor for the Vikes. The Jets running game didn't get going a whole lot due to the big score margin. Breece Hall had nine carries for 23 yards. Garrett Wilson had 13 catches for 101 yards with 22 targets. New York had 254 total yards in the game. The Jets had a chance to tie and/or win it but the last interception killed that chance. 

Sam Darnold hit 14 of 31 passes for 179 yards with an interception. Tyson Chandler rushed for 30 yards on 14 carries. CJ Ham had the only offensive touchdown for the Vikings on a 2-yard run up the middle. Andrew Van Ginkel had the defensive touchdown on the 1st interception of Aaron Rodgers. Will Reichard had three field goals with a 54-yard kick being the longest in the game. Justin Jefferson had leading receiver numbers with six catches for 92 yards. Minnesota had 253 total yards in the game. The normally powerful Vikings pass offense was held to 171 net yards in the game. Might be one of the reasons why the Jets defense kept it as close as they could. Imagine what the game might've been like if there were no Jets turnovers. For the Jets, they fall below .500 for the first time since Week 1 with a 2-3 record. For the Vikings, they improve to 5-0 and take the week off next week. 

Next week: 
NY Jets: vs Buffalo (Monday night)
Minnesota: Bye

TW: 0-2

Baltimore 41, Cincinnati 38 (F/OT): TW: Ravens

A big Derrick Henry run helped Baltimore to an overtime win. Lamar Jackson had quite the day with 26 of 42 passes completed for 348 yards with four touchdowns and had 55 rushing yards. Isiah Likely had two catches, Charlie Kolar had one and Rashod Bateman had the other catch for six points for the Ravens. Derrick Henry had 92 yards in the game with a touchdown. His 51-yard run came at a great time as the run was the Ravens first in overtime. Zay Flowers had seven catches for 111 yards in the game. Justin Tucker hit the game-winning field goal for the Ravens. Baltimore had 520 total yards in the game. For the Ravens, they have won three straight games after starting 0-2. 

Joe Burrow hit 30 of 39 passes for 392 yards for a whopping five touchdowns and an interception in the game. Of the five touchdowns: Ja'Marr Chase had two, Tee Higgins had two and Chase Brown had the other. Chase Brown rushed for 46 yards on 12 carries. Ja'Marr Chase had quite the day as he had 10 catches for 193 yards with a 70-yard play being the longest for him. He also had a 41-yard play in the game as well. If you had Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase in Fantasy you would've had 84 points. Cincinnati had 442 total yards. A safety was had for the Bengals as Derrick Henry was tackled in the end zone. The Bengals had a 38-28 lead with nine minutes left in the game. For the Bengals, they drop to 1-4 on the season. 

Next week: 
Baltimore: vs Washington
Cincinnati: @ NY Giants (Sunday night)

TW: 1-2

Buffalo 20, Houston 23: TW: Bills

The comeback falls short for the Bills. Josh Allen had 9 of 30 passes for 131 yards with a touchdown to Keon Coleman. James Cook had 20 carries for 82 yards with a touchdown run. Keon Coleman had one catch for 49 yards as the touchdown was his only catch in the game. Buffalo had 276 total yards in the game. Frustration was abound for the Bills quarterback as the offense converted just 3 times out of 14 on 3rd down and punted eight times. Despite that the Bills tied the game at 20-20 after being down 20-3 in the 3rd quarter. For the Bills, they drop their 2nd straight game with a 3-2 record. 

Kyle Fairbairn hit the game-winner from 59 yards for the Texans. CJ Stroud had 28 of 38 passes for 331 yards with a touchdown pass to Nico Collins for a 67-yard score that increased the Texans lead to 14-3 with the point after. Stroud did toss an interception. Cam Akers rushed nine times for 42 yards with a touchdown from 15 yards for the first touchdown for the Texans. Stefon Diggs had six catches for 82 yards to be the leading receiver for the Texans. Houston had 425 total yards in the game. The offense was slowed down in the 2nd half for the Texans as five of seven drives resulted in either a punt or a turnover. For the Texans, they survive the Bills and get to 4-1. 

Next week: 
Buffalo: @ NY Jets (Monday night)
Houston: @ New England

TW: 1-3

Carolina 10, Chicago 36: TW: Panthers

The Panthers offense is silenced in the Windy City. Andy Dalton hit 18 of 28 passes for 136 yards with an interception. Bryce Young would get some time off the bench who hit 4 of 7 passes for 58 yards. The only touchdown for Carolina came on a Chuba Hubbard 38-yard run on the Panthers 2nd drive of the game. They would not score again until Eddie Pineiro hit a field goal in the 3rd quarter. Chuba Hubbard finished with 13 carries for 97 yards. Jalen Coker had four catches for 68 yards. Carolina had 292 total yards in the game. For the Panthers, they drop to 1-4 on the season. 

Caleb Williams had a good game with 20 of 29 passes for 304 yards with two touchdowns. Both of them went to DJ Moore with 34 and 30 yard plays for six points. Dandre Swifth had 21 carries for 73 yards and a touchdown. Roschon Johnson had 10 carries for 25 yards. DJ Moore was the leading receiver with five catches for 105 yards. A quiet 1st quarter came with 20 unanswered points in the 2nd quarter that gave the Bears a 27-7 lead in the game. The Bears had 424 total yards in the game with 24 first downs with 6.1 yards/play on 69 plays (heheh nice). For the Bears, they get to above .500 football with a 3-2 record with a trip overseas against the Jaguars. 

Next week: 
Carolina: vs Atlanta
Chicago: vs Jacksonville (Sunday morning)

TW: 1-4

Cleveland 13, Washington 34: TW: Commanders

Washington dominated in effort against Cleveland. DeShaun Watson was not much of a factor as he hit 15 of 28 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown pass to Jordan Akins. Jerome Ford rushed nine times for 47 yards. Amari Cooper had four catches for 60 yards. Cleveland had 212 yards of offense in the game. One of the reasons why they didn't win was they couldn't sustain drives as only two drives went for seven or more plays in the game. For the Browns, they have lost three straight games with a 1-4 record. 

Jayden Daniels hit 14 of 25 passes for 238 yards with a touchdown pass to Dyami Brown and had a pass intercepted. Daniels had 11 carries for 82 yards in the game so a solid game for him in passing and running. Brian Robinson Jr rushed for the endzone two times with 18 yards in the game. Jeremy McNichols had seven carries for 44 yards with a touchdown. Austin Ekeler had six carries for 67 yards in the game. Terry McLaurin had four catches for 112 yards in the game. Team defense kept the Browns from really getting going as the Browns had 65 plays with an average gain of 3.6 yards/play. A quiet 1st quarter for Washington equated for a big 2nd quarter where all three drives resulted in either a field goal or a touchdown. For the Commanders, they improve to 4-1 for the first time since 2008. 

Next week: 
Cleveland: @ Philadelphia
Washington: @ Baltimore

TW: 2-4

Indianapolis 34, Jacksonville 37: TW: Colts

The Jaguars got a win to avoid winless streak. The Colts started Joe Flacco and he had 33 of 44 passes completed for 359 yards. Alec Pierce, Mo Alie-Cox and Michael Pittman had the touchdown catches from Flacco. Trey Sermon had 38 yards rushing with a touchdown. Alec Pierce had three catches for 134 yards and had a 65-yard play for the aforementioned touchdown. Indianapolis had 447 total yards in the game. They had their chances to win this game as they had recovered one fumble and the interception. For the Colts, they drop to 2-3 on the season. 

Trevor Lawrence hit 28 of 34 passes for 371 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Brian Thomas Jr and Brenton Strange were the recipients of the passes for six points. Tank Bigsby had 13 carries for 101 yards with two touchdowns with the 65-yard run being the touchdown. Brian Thomas had a solid day as he had five catches for 122 yards. Jacksonville had 497 total yards in the game. The pass protection broke down for the Colts as the Jags sacked Flacco four times for 35 yards. For the Jaguars, they break out of their funk and get the win with a 1-4 record.

Next week: 
Indianapolis: @ Tennessee

Jacksonville: @ Chicago (Sunday morning)

TW: 2-5

Miami 15, New England 10: TW: Patriots

The Dolphins prevail in Gillette Stadium. Tyler Huntley hit 18 of 31 passes for 194 yards with an interception. The interception was grabbed by Christian Gonzales. Jaylen Wright had 13 carries for 86 yards. Raheem Mostert was the workhorse as he had 19 carries for 80 yards. The only offensive touchdown for Miami was a 3-yard play by Alec Ingold. Ingold also put on a big block on the previous play and was rewarded on the touchdown. Tyreek Hill caught six passes for 69 yards. Miami had 372 total yards in the game. 

Jacoby Brissett hit 18 of 34 passes for 160 yards in the game. The only offensive touchdown went to Rhamondre Stevenson on a 33-yard run in the 1st quarter. Stevenson finished up the game with 12 carries for 89 yards before leaving the game with a leg injury. Demario Douglas had six catches for 59 yards. New England had 299 total yards in the game. The big things for this game was penalties as the Patriots were flagged 12 times for 104 yards. Special teams mistakes were also apparent. The Patriots had 12 men on the field, both kickers missed field goals and Jason Sanders couldn't hit a field goal due to a botched snap and Miami had a punt blocked. New England had a chance to win it but a Ja'Lynn Polk catch had one foot in and one foot barely out. For the Dolphins, they end their 3-game losing streak with a 2-3 record. For the Patriots, they drop to a 1-4 record. 

Next week:
Miami: Bye
New England: vs Houston

TW: 2-6

Arizona 24, San Francisco 23: TW: 49ers

The heat was on in Santa Clara as it reached close to 97 degrees. Kyler Murray hit 19 of 30 passes for 195 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Elijah Higgins was the recipient of the pass from Murray. Kyler Murray also rushed for a touchdown while getting seven carries for 83 yards with the touchdown run being a 50-yard run. James Conner had the most yards with 19 carries for 86 yards. Michael Wilson had five catches for 78 yards to be the top wide receiver for the Cards. Arizona felt alright on the road in the heat with 358 total yards. At one point, the Cardinals were down 23-10 at the start of the 2nd half or 23-13 at the start of the 4th quarter. Turnovers were a part of the comeback. Mistakes were a factor for the close score as the Cardinals had a blocked field goal and an interception in the 2nd quarter. Chad Ryland, who played for the Patriots last season, made the game-winner from 35 yards to give a 24-23 lead with 1:50 left.  For the Cardinals, they get their 2nd win of the season with a 2-3 record. 

Brock Purdy hit 19 of 35 passes for 244 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Both interceptions happened in the 2nd half. George Kittle was the player that caught the touchdown. Jordan Mason had 14 carries for 89 yards. Not quite the 100+ yard day that we've been accustomed to but still a solid effort. Brandon Aiyuk, who had signed a big extension in the offseason, had eight catches for 147 yards in the game with one catch being a 53-yard play. San Francisco had 384 total yards in the game. The biggest reason for the Cardinals comeback was that three of the four 49ers drives resulted in a turnover. They essentially let the game fall away from them. It kind of reminds me of a contest in 1988 when the 49ers had a lead but blew it on a field goal. Granted that game was on the road. Jake Moody hit two field goals and Mitch Wishnowski hit one. The blocked punt was a 61-yard score for the Niners. The 49ers had a chance to try a field goal of their own but a Brock Purdy interception killed that chance. For the 49ers, they have lost three of their last four games in a shocker as they drop to 2-3. 

Next week: 
Arizona: @ Green Bay

San Francisco: @ Seattle (Thursday night)

TW: 2-7

Las Vegas 18, Denver 34: TW: Raiders

The Raiders get romped in Denver as the Broncos don their classic orange uniforms of years ago. Gardner Minshew would have a trying game. He hit 12 of 17 passes for 137 yards with a touchdown and threw two costly interceptions. Costly in that he would get benched in favor of Aidan O'Connell. Before the benching the touchdown pass went to Brock Bowers in the 1st quarter for a 57-yard play that was the longest play for the Raiders. Aidan O'Connell didn't offer much as he hit 10 of 20 passes for 94 yards with an interception. Ameer Abdullah got the 2nd touchdown for the Raiders with 42 yards and had five carries. Bowers was the leading receiver with eight catches for 97 yards. Las Vegas wasn't quite lucky in the scoring department but did have 330 total yards in the game. The Raiders turnovers were really the deciding moment for them as they were costly. For the Raiders, they drop to below .500 with a 2-3 record. 

The Broncos donned their classic orange with blue helmet uniforms in this game. The game harkened back to a time when a person named John Elway threw passes for them. Bo Nix had 19 of 27 passes for 206 yards with two passing touchdowns and had a rushing touchdown. Jaleel McLaughlin and Josh Reynolds were the players that caught the passes from Bo Nix. Javonte Williams had 13 carries for 61 yards and had 50 receiving yards with five catches. The Broncos got a pick-six from a Gardner Minshew pass that was grabbed by Patrick Surtain for a 100-yard play. The Broncos had 289 total yards in the game. It was a team win for the Broncos as the offense did quite a bit while the defense also played a part and special teams really put the hurt on the Raiders. For the Broncos, they have won three straight games as they improve to 3-2 after an 0-2 start. 

Next week: 
Las Vegas: vs Pittsburgh
Denver: vs LA Chargers

TW: 2-8

Green Bay 24, LA Rams 19: TW: Packers

The Packers prevail in Inglewood. Jordan Love hit 15 of 26 passes for 224 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Both touchdowns went to Tucker Kraft with 66 and 7 yard plays. The interception was a pick-six that was grabbed by Jaylen McCollough in what was a weird play. Love was being chased by a Rams defender, to avoid the safety, Love tossed the pass and possibly hoped it would find a Packers player for a reception or an incompletion. Jayden Reed got things going with a catch for a 53-yard play. Josh Jacobs got scoring going for the Packers with a touchdown on a 2-yard play and finished with 73 yards with 19 carries. Tucker Kraft had four catches for 88 yards to be the leading receiver for the Pack. Green Bay had 323 total yards in the game with 19 first downs and just converted one 3rd down out of 8 times. For the Packers, they improve to 3-2 on the season. 

Matthew Stafford hit 29 of 45 passes for 260 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The touchdown pass went to Demarcus Robinson. Kyren Williams had 22 carries for 102 yards with a rushing touchdown. Jordan Whittington had seven catches for 89 yards to be the leading receiver for the Rams. He would leave the game with an injury as he was taken to the locker room. The Rams had 370 total yards in the game with 24 first downs and converted 8 of 16 3rd downs. For the Rams, they drop to 1-4 with a week off to regroup. 

Next week: 
Green Bay: vs Arizona
LA Rams: Bye

TW: 3-8

NY Giants 29, Seattle 20: TW: Seahawks

The Giants shock the Seahawks at home. Daniel Jones hit 23 of 34 passes for 257 yards with two touchdowns. Wandale Robinson had the first touchdown in the 2nd quarter on a 7-yard play that tied the game at 7-7. The 2nd touchdown went to Darius Slayton for a 30-yard score that gave the Giants a lead for good in the 3rd quarter. Tyrone Tracy Jr. had 18 carries for 129 yards in the game. Darius Slayton had eight catches for 122 yards with a 41-yard play being the longest. New York had 420 total yards in the game. They also had 24 first downs and had 37 minutes of ball possession. The Giants had a Jason Myers field goal blocked that was recovered for a 60-yard touchdown. For the Giants, they improve to 2-3 on the season. 

Geno Smith hit 28 of 40 passes for 284 yards with a touchdown pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba. That was the lone offensive touchdown for Seattle. They had a defensive touchdown on an Eric Gray fumble that was recovered by Rayshawn Jenkins for a 102-yard fumble six. Geno Smith had four carries for 72 yards with a 32-yard run being the longest. Kenneth Walker III had a quiet day with five carries for 19 yards. Tyler Lockett had four catches for 75 yards with a 33-yard play being the longest for him. Seattle had 333 total yards in the game. They had 17 first downs with 22 minutes of ball possession. They couldn't convert a lot of 3rd downs as they had 3 of 11 conversions and failed to convert on 4th down twice. For the Seahawks, they drop to 3-2 as they have dropped two straight games. 

Next week: 
NY Giants: vs Cincinnati (Sunday night)

Seattle: vs San Francisco (Thursday night)

TW: 3-9

Dallas 20, Pittsburgh 17: TW: Steelers

A weather delay didn't didn't prevent the Yinzers from not attending this game late into early Monday morning. Dak Prescott hit 29 of 42 passes for 352 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Not quite the game for him. The first touchdown went to Rico Dowdle. The 2nd touchdown went to Jake Tolbert for the game-winning score with 20 seconds left in the game. Rico Dowdle had a huge game running the ball carrying the ball 20 times for 87 yards while getting 87 receiving yards on seven catches. Dallas finished the game with 445 total yards, 25 first downs and had an average gain of 5.9 yards/play from 75 plays. For the Cowboys, they improve to 3-2 on the season. 

Justin Fields started the game for the Steelers. He hit 15 of 27 passes for 131 yards with two touchdowns while getting 27 rushing yards. Kyle Allen did toss one pass for a 19-yard gain in the game when it was possible that Fields was injured. Connor Heyward and Pat Friermuth were the players that caught the passes from Fields. Najee Harris was active in this game getting 14 carries for 42 yards while catching two passes for 35 yards. Pittsburgh finished the game with 226 total yards. The offense had 17 first downs, converted 3 of 12 3rd downs but did go 2 for 2 on 4th down. The Steelers had their chances in this game as the Cowboys fumbled once while intercepting two Dak Prescott passes. For the Steelers, they drop to 3-2 on the season. 

Next week:
Dallas: vs Detroit 
Pittsburgh: @ Las Vegas

TW: 3-10

New Orleans 13, Kansas City 26: TW: Saints

The Saints fall short in Arrowhead. Derek Carr hit 18 of 28 passes for 165 yards with a touchdown with two touchdowns but also tossed an interception. He would not finish the game as he would suffer an oblique injury. Jake Haener would come in but didn't get a lot of yards as he hit 2 of 7 passes for 17 yards. Both of Derek Car's touchdowns went to Rashid Shaheed and Foster Moreau. The Saints would score in both the 2nd and 4th quarters. Alvin Kamara had a quiet game as he hit 26 yards with 11 carries. Rashid Shaheed had four catches for 86 yards and had a 43-yard play being the longest gain for the Saints. New Orleans had 220 total yards in the game. It looked like the Saints got outclassed and got ran over by the Chiefs who just put them through a buzzsaw. For the Saints, they drop to 2-3 on the season. 

Patrick Mahomes hit 28 of 39 passes for 331 yards with an interception. The interception was on a play that was intended for JuJu Smith-Schuster that was deflected and grabbed by Khalen Saunders and took it back for a 37-yard return. Kareem Hunt had 27 carries for 102 yards with a touchdown. Xavier Worthy would score a touchdown on a 3-yard run to the right and gave it to his mom who was in the stands. JuJu Smith-Schuster had seven catches for 130 yards in the game. The Chiefs did win the game but there was a glaring issue for them. Their redzone efficiency was a measly 28% as they went 2 for 7 in the Red Zone while going 2 for 3 in goal to go situations. Kansas City had 460 total yards in the game and had 28 first downs and nearly had the ball for 40 minutes. For the Chiefs, they get to 5-0 and will stay undefeated for at least another week until they have to play at San Francisco for a Super Bowl rematch.

Next week: 
New Orleans: vs Tampa Bay
Kansas City: Bye

TW: 3-11

Records

2024:
Week 1: 14-2
Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 10-6

Week 4: 10-6
Week 5: 3-11

Total: 47-31

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2
2019: 161-94-1

2020: 167-88-1 

2021: 173-98-1
2022: 166-103-2
2023: 161-111

See you all on Wednesday/Thursday for the Week 6 Picks post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom

NFL 2024 Week 5 Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us yet again. With four weeks of regular season action in the books, the season is 22% complete. For matchups this week, I'll keep an eye on the Buccaneers-Falcons, Ravens-Bengals, Cardinals-49ers, Cowboys-Steelers and Saints-Chiefs games this week. This week's post will include a preview and the picks for the Week 5 games, the Early & Late Game broadcast pairings that Fox and CBS will have. Let's get to work!

Week 5 Preview

The Fifth week of the NFL's regular season will start in Atlanta, Georgia and will end in Kansas City, Missouri. There will be a Thursday night game, a Sunday morning game, six early games, four late games, a Sunday night game and a Monday night game. Week 5 will feature a 14-game slate where 28 teams will play. Teams on a bye this week are the Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles and Tennessee Titans. For matchups there will be six division matchups, four interconference games, one AFC game and three NFC games. CBS will have the doubleheader this week while FOX will have just the single, regional game this week. Let's get to the picks! 

Week 5 Picks

Note: All game times are in US Eastern. TW is me 

Tampa Bay (3-1) @ Atlanta (2-2) (Amazon; 8:15 pm): TW: Buccaneers

The Buccaneers beat the Eagles and the Falcons beat the Saints last week. Tampa had a rough time against Denver. Their pass protection broke down and they really rattled Baker Mayfield. Last week, they proved the doubters wrong and really blew out the visiting Philadelphia Eagles. Granted it was more of a game of attrition as the Tampa sun shined down. I think the key to the game for the Buccaneers is the pass protection. 

Atlanta started off rough to begin the season. Losses to Pittsburgh and Kansas City put a damper on them. A big win against the Eagles and then the Saints gave them some meaning to play games. Their win against the Saints is their first where they didn't score an offensive touchdown while scoring on defense and special teams. I don't think we've seen Kirk Cousins straight up have a great game yet in a Falcons uniform. I think the Falcons will need to get a good game from their offense. The Buccaneers won't let them get the opportunity to score on special teams or on defense. I like the Bucs. 

All-time series: Buccaneers lead 31-30

NY Jets (2-2) @ Minnesota (4-0) (NFL Network; 9:30 am); TW: Jets

The Jets lost to the Broncos and the Vikings beat the Packers last week. The first of many international games this year. The Jets and Vikings will play in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. The Jets come into the game with a bad loss to the Denver Broncos. Their offense didn't score a touchdown all game and resorted to Greg Zuerlein hitting three field goals. Their offense needs to do better. The defense kept the Broncos to just 10 points so they can't be that bad on offense. Especially when they hung 20+ on the Patriots two weeks ago. 

The Vikings are currently the 2nd undefeated team in the NFC with the Seahawks. The game against Green Bay last week showed how great they can be and how bad they can be at holding leads. Had Jordan Love not threw an interception (the 3rd one in the day) and actually scored, it would've been a choking a 28-0 lead. Suffice to say, the Vikings are still undefeated. The offense has seen a blossoming with Sam Darnold leading the way, Aaron Jones piling up yardage and Justin Jefferson doing Justin Jefferson things. If there was a point where the undefeated season ended I think this week might be the closest that the Vikes might have it to losing. I'll take the Jets.

All-time series: Jets lead 8-4

Baltimore (2-2) @ Cincinnati (1-3) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Ravens

The Ravens beat the Bills and the Bengals beat the Panthers last week. The rivalry renews in the AFC North. The last time these two teams met, Joe Burrow didn't play. As long as Burrow is playing the Bengals will have a chance to win games. They managed to get a win last week as they avoided the dreaded 0-4 record. Granted they played against the Panthers last week. Yes Andy Dalton has improved the Panthers but they still couldn't get a lead in the game against Cincy. The Bengals will have a tall task against the Ravens. 

Baltimore started off 0-2 and then they are now 2-2. The win last week against the Bills proved that they can create a lead and hold onto it. They couldn't quite put the foot on the gas and keep the Cowboys from almost beating them in week 3. Derrick Henry had a stellar day on the ground with 199 rushing yards. They should try to keep him involved in this game as well. I think they are in general the better team than the Bengals. I'll take them. 

All-time series: Ravens lead 30-27

Buffalo (3-1) @ Houston (3-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Bills

The Bills lost to the Ravens and the Texans beat the Jaguars last week. A good one in the AFC. A game that be key in deciding homefield in the divisional playoffs. At least a tiebreaker will be in play. For the Bills they blew out the Jaguars on Monday night and then the Ravens gave them a taste of their medicine and blew them out. It was a bit of a shocker as they let Derrick Henry run over them. They will need to clean up their run defense. If the offense can be like the Ravens it'll be a long day for them. Fortunately the Texans have the 18th ranked rush offense. It'll be a tough one to figure out with the Bills. They did get exposed a bit. 

Houston got a big bounce back win against the Jaguars. The Jaguars played one of their better games of the season but still lost. If there was a weakness for the Texans is pressuring CJ Stroud and forcing him into pressure and their run offense. The talent level for Joe Mixon and Cam Akers is average to good. I would like to see them utilize them a bit more if they see some sort of weakness in the Bills defense. The Texans defense is fairly underrated and they have a good pass defense that can shut down teams. I'll take the Bills.

All-time series: Texans lead 6-5

Carolina (1-3) @ Chicago (2-2) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Panthers

The Panthers lost to the Bengals and the Bears beat the Rams last week. Carolina had a rough start to the year, going 0-2. Then the change at quarterback with Bryce Young struggling. In comes the Red Rifle, Andy Dalton, who provides offense to a team that has a decent core. In just two starts, Dalton has thrown five touchdowns and just one interception. They will need him to keep going for this one as the Bears defense is not too shabby. 

The book on the Bears is pretty much their record, average. Caleb Williams has had an okay-ish start to the year. The turnovers could be cut down. I don't think we've seen a great game from him yet in four games this season. The Bears running game has gotten just as much touchdowns than their passer. I think if the Bears offense had to get off to a great dominating effort, I think this game might be the one. I like the Panthers though.

All-time series: Bears lead 8-4

Cleveland (1-3) @ Washington (3-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Commanders

The Browns lost to the Raiders and the Commanders beat the Cardinals last week. The Browns so far have been kind of what was to be expected. Their woes have been injuries to their offense. Nick Chubb hasn't played a down yet this year. David Njoku might be able to play. That will help out their cause to win. The quarterback play and mistakes have been their downfall in the early going. One such mistake was special teams missing a point after. 

Washington has been a bit of a surprise so far this season. Jayden Daniels has looked like the clear winner of the rookie quarterback debate so far. With three passing touchdowns and four rushing touchdowns, he is a scoring machine. He looked great against Arizona with his fellow teammates. The offense has put up so many points that their defense hadn't had to worry about them. I think the Commanders will take this but maybe it might be a bit less of a scoring fest as the Browns defense is a bit better. 

All-time series: Browns lead 35-12-1

Indianapolis (2-2) @ Jacksonville (0-4) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Colts

The Colts beat the Steelers and the Jaguars lost to the Texans last week. When all hope seemed lost for the Colts when a hip injury was inflicted on Anthony Richardson, Joe Flacco came in and provided the help they needed. Flacco, the hardy veteran, was signed as a free agent who played in Cleveland in a magical season last year. He would lead the offense and got them to 27 points. The defense would hold off the Steelers last push. Jonathan Taylor found success in penetrating the Steelers defensive front. Joe Flacco kind of brought a breath of fresh air to the Colts.

Jacksonville has been a bit of a rough spot this season. They haven't won a game since December of last year. They had a 8-3 record and then fell off the earth and have been falling since then. The play last week was optimistic. They played smart football with little to no turnovers. Their defense kept the Texans to 24 points. They can't be playing that awful to the Colts possibly. The Jaguars just seem off whether it be that there is a rift with the head coach to the rest of the team. I think the Jags are a falling ship, I'll take the Colts. 

All-time series: Colts lead 27-19

Miami (1-3) @ New England (1-3) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Patriots

The Dolphins lost to the Titans and the Patriots lost to the 49ers last week. Miami looked to be a playoff and possibly a Super Bowl contender prior to the season. Since the loss to Buffalo, it looked like a bit of a lost season so far. If they can stay the ship and win games in Tua Tagovailoa's absense, they might have a shot to a wild card spot. The rough part is that he might return in Week 8. The sad thing is that the rest of the team hasn't stepped up in his absence. Perhaps the offense has been a bit more of a complex one than really anything. 

New England has had a rough season so far. Perhaps it has been expected. The flaws of the Patriots are pretty evident. They can't protect the passer as they they snap the ball in one second then Jacoby Brissett is on the ground the next. If they can find some solace in giving him time, they might actually move the ball down the field and get first downs and then possibly score points. Essentially the gameplan is get the ball out as quickly as possible and try to find open receivers and tell them to go the distance. The run game is decent and can be productive if their offense can be more balanced. It will be hinging on if the Pats can go the distance and sustain drives. I think they can do it. I'll take them. 

All-time series: Dolphins lead 62-55

Arizona (1-3) @ San Francisco (2-2) (FOX; 4:05 pm): TW: 49ers

The Cardinals lost to the Commanders and the 49ers beat the Patriots last week. Arizona has shown some signs of life this season. Partially because of Kyler Murray being healthy and having a true #1 wide receiver in Marvin Harrison Jr out there making plays helps. Last week was a bit of an unraveling. They got destroyed by Washington and the Cardinals defense is kind of suspect now going forward. The run game of Washington did exploit a weakness in them. A weakness that the 49ers would like to capitalize on. 

San Francisco has had its growing pains this season. Starting off with a 2-0 record and then the losses to Minnesota and the LA Rams kind of exposed them a little bit. Teams with good offensive lines can hinder them. They found daylight in playing against New England's rough patchwork of an offensive line. Jordan Mason has been a bright spot for the running game of San Francisco. It kind of almost makes you forget that Christian McCaffrey is also on this team and once he returns he will likely make it back to the top spot in the halfback depth chart. I'll take the 49ers. 

All-time series: 49ers lead 36-29

Las Vegas (2-2) @ Denver (2-2) (FOX; 4:05 pm): TW: Raiders

The Raiders beat the Browns and the Broncos beat the Jets last week. Las Vegas has been kind of a roller coaster of a team so far this season. They looked good and bad. Very bad for picking as I like to pick teams that are stable in what they're doing. Some drama is floating around with Davante Adams and the Raiders organization as the team is open to trading him. Kind of weird that they're willing to do it as he's probably their best wide receiver. Suffice to say, I think the Raiders have a shot to win this football game. 

Denver has been a bit more of a surprise than people realize. The team was expected to be not good but yet they have two wins under their belt. The quarterback Bo Nix finally got his first touchdown pass against the Jets last week. The Broncos defense did the rest. Prior to last week, the Jets scored three touchdowns each in their games. They scored none against Denver. Has to be something worthwhile right. The Broncos running game hasn't really picked up yet and Javonte Williams hasn't quite had the start he would like to have with just 129 rushing yards with 40 carries. It would definitely get their offense going if he can find holes in the Raiders defense. If it comes down to the Raiders defense vs the Broncos offense, I would take the Raiders a lot of the time. I'll go with the Raidas. 

All-time series: Raiders lead 73-54-2

Green Bay (2-2) @ LA Rams (1-3) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Packers

The Packers lost to the Vikings and the Rams lost to the Bears last week. Green Bay's season has been kind of a weird one. Jordan Love is 0-2 with the team while his backup Malik Willis is 2-0 on the year. Last week was also a weird one for the Packers. They were down 28-0 at one point against Minnesota and then lost by a 31-29 final score. Despite the turnovers and everything going wrong on defense, they only lost by 2 points. They might be down and outmatched but they still fight on. They might have a decent time against a depleted Rams team. 

Los Angeles was supposed to be the great team that was expected to do well this season. I'm sure I was high on them this year. Injuries to Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp have been detrimental to them. Still you have to play with the guys that you got. Matthew Stafford is still healthy and moving so they have a shot to win anytime he's around. Remember he was a Detroit Lion. Suffice to say, the losses will be costly to them in this game. If only they can find some way to get them on the field sooner. The defense of the rams, isn't quite as good as they don't have a juggernaut of a force like Aaron Donald. Something that they will struggle a bit as the season goes on. I think the Packers will take it. 

All-time series: Packers lead 50-47-2

NY Giants (1-3) @ Seattle (3-1) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Seahawks

The Giants lost to the Cowboys and the Seahawks lost to the Lions last week. The Giants have had a rough go of it as of late. The loss to Dallas was a bit optimistic as they only lost by five points. Granted the game last year was a blowout. If there is a bright spot for the Giants it is Malik Nabers being the #1 guy as a wide receiver. The defense has shown some signs of improvement as well. 

The Seahawks fell back to earth last week against the Lions. Their undefeated bid ended. It was a bit warranted as the Lions are a really good team. They almost made it a game. Geno Smith had a rough game but the rest of the Seahawks except maybe Kenneth Walker III had a rough game as well. Every team has them. I think the Seahawks can have a rebound game and get back to basics of running the football and spreading the ball around to their playmakers in DK Metcalf. The 12's in Lumen Field will help them out for sure. 

All-time series: Seahawks lead 11-10

Dallas (2-2) @ Pittsburgh (3-1) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Steelers

The Cowboys beat the Giants and the Steelers lost to the Colts last week. The Sunday night game features two teams that are well known in NFL History. The Cowboys come into this game with a big needed win against the Giants. Their offense didn't do a whole lot but their defense kept the Giants from really running over them. Micah Parsons might not play in this game as he was injured last week. That might put things in a bind for the Mike Zimmer coordinated defense. 

Pittsburgh comes into this game with a loss to the Colts. They did knock out Anthony Richardson in this game but Joe Flacco, a foe they're all too familiar with, came in and provided needed offense to the Colts who needed it. The Steelers were down by a bit and they did almost pull off a tie game and/or a win, a lot of questions remain if Justin Fields can remain the starter while Russell Wilson is waiting in the wings. I think the Steelers defense will be the key once again. If they can give Cordarrelle Patterson more touches they could win this one. I'll take the Steelers. 

All-time series: Cowboys lead 17-16

New Orleans (2-2) @ Kansas City (4-0) (ESPN; 8:15 pm): TW: Saints

The Saints lost to the Falcons and the Chiefs beat the Chargers last week. New Orleans really had a letdown against the Falcons. Their team really should've won against the Falcons. Their offense was the better of the two. Unfortunately a muffed punt and a pick-six doomed them and prevented them from doing what they should've done. Their offense laxed after the first half and let the Falcons hang around. Taysom Hill getting two touchdowns should've been more than enough for this offense to put up more than just 24 points. 

Kansas City keeps their undefeated season alive with a 4-0 record. Rashee Rice got injured last week and will be out for at least this game and possibly more. It looked pretty bad. On the plus side, Travis Kelce did get going in this game just didn't get a touchdown pass. Their offense will remain the same as it is. Their defense will have a solid test against the Saints offense. If they can shut down the run game and force Derek Carr to beat you in the air. They have a solid shot to win this one. New Orleans did have the highest scoring offense earlier this season. 

All-time series: Chiefs lead 7-5

Early & Late Game TV Broadcast Pairings

Note: Games in bold are being shown in my area, check local listings

CBS Early

Buffalo @ Houston
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

Baltimore @ Cincinnati

Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

Indianapolis @ Jacksonville 

Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta

CBS Late

Green Bay @ LA Rams

Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

NY Giants @ Seattle 

Andrew Catalon, Tiki Barber, Jason McCourty

FOX Single

Miami @ New England

Chris Myers, Mark Sanchez

Carolina @ Chicago 

Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

Cleveland @ Washington 

Jason Benetti, Greg Olson

Arizona @ San Francisco (Late)

Kevin Burkhardt, Tom Brady

Las Vegas @ Denver (Late)

Kevin Kugler, Daryl Johnston 

For more information on which game is being shown in your area check out: NFL 2024: Week 5 Maps

Records

2024:
Week 1: 14-2
Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 10-6

Week 4: 10-6

Total: 44-20

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2
2019: 161-94-1

2020: 167-88-1 

2021: 173-98-1
2022: 166-103-2
2023: 161-111

See you all after the Monday night game for the Week 5 Recap! Enjoy the games!

-Tom

NFL 2022 Week 5 Recap

Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come and gone. The fifth week of the regular season is done and a quarter of the season is completed. There were many tasty storylines for the fans to digest. Such storylines like the roughing the passer penalties in Tampa and Kansas City, a clutch field goal by Justin Tucker, a giant upset in London, and a shutout in New England. All those storylines and more in this week's recap post. 

Week 5 Recap 

Indianapolis 12, Denver 9 (F/OT): TW: Broncos; CV: Broncos
Touchdowns were scarce but football ineptitude was plentiful. Matt Ryan was not good as he completed 26 of 41 passes for 251 yards with two interceptions. One of them was a blatant interception right down the middle. Deon Jackson would get a majority of the carries as he would get 62 yards. Philip Lindsay, the former Bronco, would get 40 yards in a return trip to Denver. Along with the two interceptions, the Colts would fumble four times but wouldn't lose it. For 3rd down conversions, the Colts were 4 of 16. Pass rushes would also plague the Colts offense as Matt Ryan was sacked six times. Russell WIlson would fare no better as he completed 21 of 39 passes for 274 yards with two interceptions of his own. One of them to the former Patriot, Stephon Gilmore in the 4th quarter. With Javonte Williams out for the season, Melvin Gordon would get a majority of the rushing yards with 54. Russell Wilson would feel the pressure and get sacked four times. Red zone efficiency would be a big, fat 0 for both teams went 0-6 combined.  On 3rd down conversions, the Broncos offense would stay stuck as they would go 2 of 15. For the Colts, it was an ugly win but they get their 2nd win of the season. For the Broncos, the loss drops them to 2-3 after a 2-1 start. 

Next week:
Indianapolis: vs Jacksonville
Denver: @ LA Chargers (Monday night)

TW: 0-1; CV: 0-1

NY Giants 27, Green Bay 22: TW: Packers; CV: Giants
Wow how about those Giants. Daniel Jones would pass well in this game as he completed 21 of 27 passes for 217 yards. New York's running game would do the scoring in this game. Saquon Barkley would get 70 yards on 13 carries with a touchdown. His longest was from 40 yards. Gary Bright well and Daniel Bellinger would both get scores as they would get five and two yards rushing in this game. Jones would get 37 yards rushing. Aaron Rodgers wouldn't have the passing completion category but he would complete 25 of 39 passes for 222 yards with two touchdowns to Marcedes Lewis and Alan Lazard. Aaron Jones would put up a respectable 63 yards on 13 carries. The Giants defense would hold down the Packers to 301 total yards. Green Bay would get a safety late in the 4th quarter that would be cut down the Giant lead to five. It wouldn't save them. Penalties would plague both teams as both teams would combine for 100 yards in penalties. Offense for the Packers would be faulty on 3rd down as they would go 4 of 10. The Giants are now 4-1 and keep pace with the Cowboys in the tight NFC East race and the Packers drop to 3-2.

Next week:
NY Giants: vs Baltimore
Green Bay: vs NY Jets

TW: 0-2; CV: 1-1

Chicago 22, Minnesota 29: TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
The Vikings just don't want to do anything easy will they. Justin Fields would put up decent numbers in this game as he would complete 15 of his 21 passes for 208 yards with a touchdown pass to Velus Jones Jr on a 9-yard short pass down the middle in the 3rd quarter. Fields would tack on 47 yards rushing for the Bears. David Montgomery who has had a solid start to the year would only get 20 yards rushing with a touchdown run in the 2nd quarter. Kirk Cousins played well who completed 32 of 41 passes for 296 yards with a touchdown pass to Jalen Reagor, a recent pick up from the Eagles on a 1-yard pass play. Cousins would score a touchdown on the ground as well. The day would belong to Dalvin Cook who racked up 94 yards rushing with two touchdowns. The Vikings offense would go quiet in the 3rd quarter where the Bears who looked dead during the first half would put up points to where they would lead the Vikings by one point late in the 4th quarter. It would be a Cousins run to the endzone to give the Vikings the leading edge. For the Bears, it is a 2-3 with two straight losses. For the Vikings, their 4-1 record gives them sole possession of 1st place in the NFC North.

Next week:
Chicago: vs Washington (Thursday night)
Minnesota: @ Miami

TW: 1-2; CV: 2-1

Atlanta 15, Tampa Bay 21: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
It wasn't a pretty win for the Buccaneers but it was a win. Marcus Mariota, who had found a second life in Atlanta would complete 14 of 25 passes for 147 yards with a touchdown pass to Olamide Zaccheaus  in the 4th quarter. Mariota would also be the leading rusher in the game as he racked up 61 yards. Avery Williams would get the scoring started for Atlanta with a 8-yard touchdown. Tom Brady, who made news this week with his hiring of a divorce lawyer, would complete 35 of 52 passes for 351 yards with a touchdown pass to Leonard Fournette. Fournette would get 56 yards rushing with a touchdown and had 83 receiving yards with a touchdown. All of Tampa's 21 points would come in both the 2nd and 3rd quarters. Tom Brady would be part of a controversial roughing the passer call that would go against the Falcons. There would also be a defensive pass interference call that would go not called. Brady would feel the heat of not just Tampa but also the Falcons as they would make him uneasy all day. For the Falcons, it is a 2-3 start after a few surprising wins. For the Buccaneers, it is a rebound win with a 3-2 record. 

Next week:
Atlanta: vs San Francisco
Tampa Bay: @ Pittsburgh

TW: 2-2; CV: 3-1

Detroit 0, New England 29: TW: Patriots; CV: Lions
The 2022 Lions have put up points. In New England, they would put up a big, fat ZERO. Jared Goff would complete 19 of 35 passes for 229 yards with an interception. The running attack of the Lions, their bread and butter, would be held to 101 yards. Jamaal Williams would get 56 yards on 15 carries. The biggest stat for the Lions was their 4th down conversion as they became the first team since 1995 to go 0 for 6 on 4th down. I would at least try to go for a punt or a field goal. Bailey Zappe would get his first start for the Patriots and wasn't flashy but consistent was the word. Zappe would hit 17 of 21 passes for 188 yards with a touchdown pass to Jakobi Meyers. Zappe would have an interception as a blemish. Rhamondre Stevenson would have a day on the ground as he rushed for 161 yards on 25 carries. Darn shame he didn't have a touchdown. The turning point in the game would be a Lions fumble that would be recovered by Kyle Dugger for a 59-yard touchdown. For, the Lions it is their 3rd straight loss with a much needed bye week next week. For the Patriots, it is a huge win as they get back on the winning column to a 2-3 record. 

Next week:
Detroit: Bye
New England: @ Cleveland

TW: 3-2; CV: 3-2

Houston 13, Jacksonville 6: TW: Jaguars; CV: Jaguars
Well Houston, you can say that you have your win. Davis Mills would complete 16 of 24 passes for 140 yards. He wouldn't get a touchdown but he wouldn't throw an interception in this game. Dameon Pierce would be the shining light for the Texans as he would get 99 yards with a touchdown. He would have a 20-yard run that would be the longest run play for the Texans. Houston's offense wouldn't amount to much as they would get 248 yards. Trevor Lawrence wasn't spectacular in this game as he complete 25 of 47 passes for 286 yards with two interceptions. Travis Etienne rushed for 71 yards on 10 carries. His 30-yard long run would be the longest run for the Jaguars. Jaguars kicker Riley Patterson would hit two field goals for the Jags only points in the game. For the Texans, it is their first true win of 2022. For the Jaguars, it is two straight losses after going 2-1. 

Next week:
Houston: Bye
Jacksonville: @ Indianapolis

TW: 3-3; CV: 3-3

LA Chargers 30, Cleveland 28: TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
It was a Cade York field goal miss that saved the Chargers from disaster. Justin Herbert completed 22 of 34 passes for 228 yards with a touchdown to Austin Ekeler. Herbert rushed for 49 yards with a touchdown but it would be Ekeler that would be the star in this game. He finished with a stat line of: 16 carries, 173 yards rushing, one touchdown, with a 71-yard run. Jacoby Brissett completed 21 of 34 passes for 230 yards with a touchdown but also tossed an interception. Nick Chubb was doing his thing as he rushed for 134 yards with two touchdowns on 17 carries. His partner in crime, Kareem Hunt, rushed for 47 yards with a touchdown. The Browns would find themselves at good field position as Chargers coach Brandon Staley gave them a 4th and 2 play that would force the Chargers to give the ball back to the Browns. Cleveland proceeded to go down the field with 1:10 left to go. Cade York would attempt a field goal from the 35-yard line and looked good at first before it would sail right. Both teams were plagued by midges, a small insect, that comes from Lake Erie. A bug that was made famous due to a 2007 baseball playoff game with New York Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain swatting the bugs against the Cleveland Indians. For the Chargers, they are now above .500 after a rough 1-2 start including a lopsided loss to the Jaguars. For the Browns, they fall to 2-3 in a tightly contested AFC North. 

Next week:
LA Chargers: vs Denver (Monday night)
Cleveland: vs New England

TW: 4-3; CV: 4-3

Miami 17, NY Jets 40: TW: Dolphins; CV: Dolphins
Quarterback problems loom for the Dolphins. Teddy Bridgewater would have an incompletion before leaving the game after being hit by Ahmad Gardner on a blitz that was deep in the Dolphin endzone. The incompletion would lead to not just Bridgewater leaving the game with an injury but an intentional grounding penalty resulting in a safety. Third string quarterback Skylar Thompson, the product of Kansas State, completed 19 of 33 passes for 166 yards with an interception. Miami would have a few shining moments as Raheem Mostert rushed for 113 yards with a touchdown. Tight end Durham Smythe would find the endzone on a run play from the 1-yard line. Zach Wilson completed 14 of 21 passes for 210 yards. New York's running game would be their point production as Breece Hall, Michael Carter, Bernard Berrios and Zach Wilson all scored at least a touchdown. Michael Carter scored two touchdowns. Breece Hall rushed for 97 yards. For the Dolphins, their issues loom large as they drop to 3-2 on two straight losses. For the Jets, they are above .500 for the first time in a long time as they are in 2nd place in the AFC East. 

Next week:
Miami: vs Minnesota
NY Jets: @ Green Bay

TW: 4-4; CV: 4-4

Pittsburgh 3, Buffalo 38: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
I felt it would be a Bills win but not a 35-point Bills win. Kenny Pickett got his first start for the Black and Gold. The former Pitt Panther completed 34 of 52 passes for 327 yards with an interception. Pittsburgh's running game would fare less as Jaylen Warren got 24 yards rushing. Najee Harris rushed for 20 yards. Josh Allen was like Picasso against the Steelers defense as he completed 20 of 31 passes for 424 yards with four touchdowns with an interception being his lone mistake. He would also get 42 yards rushing. James Cook would get 31 yards rushing with a touchdown and Devin Singletary would match Allen with 42 yards rushing. Buffalo would put forth 31 points in the 1st half as the lead would not be relinquished in this game. Pittsburgh's offensive woes continue as they went 5 for 15 and 0 for 3 on 3rd and 4th down conversions. For the Steelers, it is their fourth straight loss after being the defending AFC champion Bengals in Week 1. It is their worst loss in the Mike Tomlin era and the 35-point loss was the franchise's worst since 1989. For the Bills, it is their 4-1 record that keeps them atop the standings in the AFC East. 

Next week:
Pittsburgh: vs Tampa Bay
Buffalo: @ Kansas City

TW: 5-4; CV: 5-4

Seattle 32, New Orleans 39: TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks
It was the Taysom Hill show in the Big Easy. Geno Smith was good in this game for the Seahawks as the passer completed 16 of 25 passes for 268 yards for three touchdowns, two of them to Tyler Lockett. Kenneth Walker III would see the endzone for a touchdown while getting 88 yards rushing for Seattle. The touchdown would come from a 69-yard (heheh nice) run play that gave the Seahawks a 32-31 lead in the 4th quarter. Andy Dalton completed 16 of 24 passes for 187 yards with a touchdown pass but also threw an interception. Taysom Hill had a day for the Saints. Hill would complete a 22-yard pass for a touchdown while rushing for 112 yards for three scores becoming the 3rd player since the 1970 merger to rush for 100 yards with three touchdowns while passing for a touchdown. LaDainian Tomlinson in 2005 and Ronnie Brown in 2008 were the other two players. New Orleans's rush offense would out hustle their passing offense to a 235-203 margin. For the Seahawks, it is a wounding loss that marks their record at 2-3. For the Saints, it is their 2nd win after a horrid start to 2022. 

Next week:
Seattle: vs Arizona
New Orleans: vs Cincinnati

TW: 5-5; CV: 5-5

Tennessee 21, Washington 17: TW: Titans; CV: Titans
Three touchdowns were enough for the Titans to top the Commanders. Ryan Tannehill hit 15 of 25 passes for 181 yards with a touchdown pass to Dontrell Hilliard. Derrick Henry was doing his thing as he rushed for 102 yards with two touchdowns. Carson Wentz was good in the game as he completed 25 of 38 passes for 359 yards with two touchdowns to Dyami Brown in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. Wentz had the chance to win the game for Washington but would toss an interception at the 1-yard line to Titans defensive back David Long Jr. Tennessee's defense would save the day for the 2nd time in three games. Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr would get 22 yards rushing on nine carries for Washington. For the Titans, it is a 3-2 record that puts them at 1st place in the AFC South. For the Commanders, it is a 1-4 record with four straight losses to keep them in the basement of the NFC East.

Next week:
Tennessee: Bye
Washington: @ Chicago (Thursday night)

TW: 6-5; CV: 6-5

San Francisco 37, Carolina 15: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
It was red and gold in the stands and red and gold on the field. Jimmy Garoppolo would hit 18 of 30 passes for 253 yards with two touchdown passes to Tevin Coleman and to Deebo Samuel. Further proving to the 49ers that not trading him was the best thing that they could've done. Jeff Wilson would have a great game running the ball getting 120 yards on 17 carries with a touchdown. Tevin Coleman would also add a rushing touchdown to this game while putting in 23 yards rushing. San Francisco would take advantage of a Baker Mayfield pass that would land in the hands of Emmanuel Moseley and returned it for a 41-yard score. Baker Mayfield wouldn't amount to much as the former Brown would get only 20 of 36 passes completed for 215 yards. He would toss said interception to Mosley. PJ Walker would see some action as he would get a solid 5 of 6 for 60 yards passing. Christian McCaffrey would provide the only offensive touchdown for the Panthers in the 3rd quarter on a 19-yard run to the right. The Panthers would attempt a 2-point conversion but like their game plan, it would fail. If you watched highlights of this game you could seriously see more red than light blue in the stands. For the 49ers, they're above .500 and with the Rams struggling are now in the drivers seat in the NFC West. For the Panthers, the 2022 campaign can't end anytime soon as their record drops to 1-4. The best news possibly will be Matt Rhule losing his job come Monday.  

Next week:
San Francisco: @ Atlanta
Carolina: @ LA Rams

TW: 7-5; CV: 7-5

Dallas 22, LA Rams 10: TW: Rams; CV: Rams
It was a game that Murphy's Law would apply, at least if you were a player who wore a Rams jersey. Cooper Rush made stats last week as being the only Cowboys quarterback to win the first four starts of his career. His numbers for his fifth win weren't impressive as he completed 10 of 16 passes for 102 yards. Tony Pollard would shine in this game as the runner would get 86 yards rushing with a touchdown. He would get a 57-yard run for the touchdown that would be the longest in the game. Ezekiel Elliot would carry most of the running back workload as he would get 22 carries for 78 yards. The first score for Dallas would happen on a Matthew Stafford fumble that would be picked up by Demarcus Lawrence with only a minute and 24 seconds past in the 1st quarter. Brett Maher hit 3 for 3 for field goals. Matthew Stafford somewhat struggled in this game as the passer completed 28 of 42 passes for 308 yards with a touchdown pass to Cooper Kupp. He also threw an interception along with said fumble. Some trick plays would be used by the Rams as Riley Dixon would toss a pass for a 12-yard gain. Cooper Kupp would try a pass but would be an incompletion. The Rams running game was stifled for the game as Cam Akers was held to 33 yards on 13 carries. Cooper Kupp had 125 receiving yards with seven catches. The Rams would also try some fake punt plays. One would be successful while the other wouldn't. For the Cowboys, the 2022 season has been a success with their tremendous depth and 4-1 record. For the Rams, their flatness on offense has put them to a 2-3 hole in the NFC West. 

Next week:
Dallas: @ Philadelphia (Sunday night)
LA Rams: vs LA Rams 

TW: 7-6; CV: 7-6

Philadelphia 20, Arizona 17: TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles
The Eagles stay undefeated after a near miss field goal. Jalen Hurts completed 26 of 36 passes for 239 yards with 61 rushing yards on two touchdowns. At game's end Hurts would account for 300 total yards. Miles Sanders rushed for 58 yards on 15 carries. You'd have to give props to the Cardinals defense as they really held down the Eagles offense to 6 of 13 on 3rd down conversions and kept their offense in this game. Kyler Murray completed 28 of 42 passes for 250 yards with a touchdown but also tossed an interception early in the 1st quarter. Arizona's offense wouldn't get to the scoring mood until the 7th minute mark in the 2nd quarter on a Murray to Marquise Brown connection. Eno Benjamin rushed for 25 yards with a touchdown on the ground. James Conner was the leading rusher for the Cards with 55 yards. With 22 seconds left in the game, the Cardinals entrusted Matt Ammendola to kick their way to overtime. On a 43-yard field goal the ball looked like it would go through before veering right like a Scott Norwood flashback. For the Eagles, they remain undefeated with their 5-0 start, their best start since 2004 when they went to Super Bowl XXXIX. For the Cardinals, they fall to 2-3 in a NFC West where the division is up for grabs. 

Next week:
Philadelphia: vs Dallas (Sunday night)
Arizona: @ Seattle

TW: 8-6; CV: 8-6

Cincinnati 17, Baltimore 19: TW: Ravens; CV: Bengals
Justin Tucker does his best Mighty Mouse impression. Joe Burrow completed 24 of 35 passes for 217 yards with a touchdown pass to Hayden Hurst in the 2nd quarter. He would take a dive for the endzone. Burrow would follow his linemen's lead and dive into the endzone for the other touchdown that the Bengals scored. The touchdown would give the Ravens 1:58 of gametime left for Tucker to try his magic. Joe Mixon would rush for 78 yards on 14 carries. Ja'Marr Chase would be a small factor in this game as he caught seven balls for 50 yards. Overall the Bengals offense would put 291 total yards. Lamar Jackson completed 19 of 32 passes for 174 yards with a touchdown pass to Mark Andrews in the 2nd quarter. He was also picked off by Von Bell. Jackson would once again be the runner as he rushed for 58 yards. Justin Tucker, the platinum leg of the NFL, would hit four field goals in this game. The fourth field goal would count the most. From 43 yards, Tucker would hit the ball right down the center like a golfer's putt in the Masters tournament. For the Bengals, they drop to 2-3 and share a tie with the Cleveland Browns in 2nd place for the AFC North. For the Ravens, it is a 3-2 record and they would drop a lead but with the thanks to their clutch kicker, they avoid the disaster. 

Next week:
Cincinnati: @ New Orleans
Baltimore: @ NY Giants

TW: 9-6; CV: 8-7

Las Vegas 29, Kansas City 30: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
Tensions would flare in this game as two rivals meet in Kansas City. Derek Carr would get the Raiders offense going as he hit 19 of 30 passes for 241 yards with two touchdown passes. Both of them to Davante Adams. One of the touchdowns would come on a 4th and 1 play that would go for a 58-yard touchdown and then a 48-yard touchdown. Josh Jacobs would get 154 yards rushing with a touchdown run. Davante Adams had a good game with 124 receiving yards on three catches. The last play of the game would come down to a Carr to Adams pass that was originally called a completion but a replay review would reverse that call. Patrick Mahomes would do Mahomes things in this game as he completed 29 of 43 passes for 292 yards with four touchdowns, all of them to Travis Kelce. Jerrick McKinnon would go for 53 yards rushing on eight carries. The Chiefs would be on the receiving end of a questionable roughing the passer penalty on Chris Jones. It looked at first like it was a sack on Derek Carr but an official made the call to give the Raiders a first down. Las Vegas was up 17-0 before the Chiefs went on a 30-12 run to win the game. For the Raiders, it was a gut wrenching loss but the fact of the matter is that their record is now 1-4. For the Chiefs, the near loss was an ugly win but suffice to say is that they are leading the AFC West with a 4-1 record heading into a huge contest against Buffalo next week.

Next week:
Las Vegas: Bye
Kansas City: vs Buffalo

TW: 10-6; CV: 9-7

2022 Pick ‘Em Records

My record:

Week 1: 8-7-1
Week 2: 8-8
Week 3: 5-11
Week 4: 11-5
Week 5: 10-6

Total: 42-37-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-9-1
Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 5-11
Week 4: 6-10
Week 5: 9-7

Total: 37-42-1

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1
2021: 167-104-1

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2
2019: 161-94-1
2020: 167-88-1 
2021: 173-98-1

See you all on Wednesday for the Week 6 Picks post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom

NFL 2018 Week 5 Recap

Hello readers! Another week of intense, high stakes National Football League action has taken place. There were upsets, blowouts, and some games that were decided on the final play. The recap will be sort of a short one as I don't necessarily have a lot to talk about but the recap will still remain the same.

Indianapolis 24, New England 38: TW: Patriots, CV: Patriots
At the end of the day, it still proves that the Patriots are still the best team in the AFC. This game still proved that even though Andrew Luck still had quite the game slinging the ball for over 300 yards passing for three touchdowns. Not also to mention that he had 59 attempted throws. The Patriots are still a well-built machine.

TW: 1-0, CV: 1-0

Atlanta 17, Pittsburgh 41: TW: Falcons, CV: Falcons
Well, shit happens. The day that Yinzer nation that had been waiting for all year had come. The day the Steelers defense didn't suck. The Steelers offense returned to for with both the running and air games playing to balance. Ben Roethlisberger would throw for 250 yards for three touchdowns while James Conner would run in for two touchdowns. It might be safe to say that Atlanta isn't looking too good right now and they might be done. Tough division to come back from.

TW: 1-1, CV: 1-1

Baltimore 9, Cleveland 12: TW: Ravens, CV: Ravens
The day also finally came for the Browns. They finally won a game on a Sunday for the first time in almost three years, December 2015 as a matter of fact. It was a bit surprising to me that it would be their older brother, Baltimore, that would let them win a game. The game-winning field goal was ugly yet beautiful as they would win a game. Baker Mayfield threw for 342 yards with a touchdown and was pretty solid for most of the game. As for Baltimore, shaking my head. C'mon man!

TW: 1-2, CV: 1-2

Denver 16, NY Jets 34: TW: Broncos, CV: Jets
It was a big day for Isiah Crowell on the ground as he would break the franchise rushing yards record of 210 yards set by Thomas Jones in 2009. Crowell would get 219 after the game. Sam Darnold was overall alright as he didn't need to step up and make the big throws. For the Broncos, they went to the east coast and looked flat even though Case Keenum would throw for over 300 yards. Jet lag perhaps, who knows.

TW: 1-3, CV: 2-2

Green Bay 23, Detroit 31: TW: Packers, CV: Packers
It was a game that shouldn't have been closer than what the final result showed. Costly mistakes early in the game ended up dooming the Packers. The Lions took advantage of some of those mistakes and would end up winning a close one. Green Bay very fortunate that this game was as close as it was. Green Bay might need a new kicker after Mason Crosby would miss three field goals and one extra point. It is interesting to note that the Lions have a three-game winning streak against the Packers for the first time since 1990-1991, the year before Brett Favre would come to Green Bay.

TW: 1-4, CV: 2-3

Jacksonville 14, Kansas City 30: TW: Jaguars, CV: Chiefs
The Patrick Mahomes train kept on rolling despite not throwing for a touchdown, this was not the story of the game. Last week I quoted myself for being right and I'm going to have to quote myself for being wrong. Here's what I said about this game in terms of defense on the picks column:

"Jaguars are 1st in overall defense, the Chiefs are in 32nd. Can't beat an opponent when you can't stop them. I make my case."

The Chiefs defense would force five turnovers on the Jaguars as they were the big story in this game, not the offense. Football giveth, football taketh. Just not the Jaguars day nor my day.

TW: 1-5, CV: 3-3

Miami 17, Cincinnati 27: TW: Bengals, CV: Bengals
The game was a story of the first three quarters and then the fourth quarter. The Dolphins took a 17-point lead with 9:30 left in the 3rd quarter and then the Bengals would score 27 unanswered points. The Bengals took charge as they ravaged against Ryan Tannehill and the Dolphins on defense while making two key defensive touchdowns on an interception and a forced fumble. Good win for the Bengals.

TW: 2-5, CV: 4-3

NY Giants 31, Carolina 33: TW: Panthers, CV: Panthers
A game that ultimately came down to the wire and a game-winning field goal. Graham Gano would ultimately hit a 63-yard field goal, tied for the 2nd longest in NFL history. The game was sub-par for both passing attacks as both Eli Manning of the Giants and Cam Newton of the Panthers would throw for two touchdowns and two interceptions. Heartbreaker for the Giants as they would lose yet again on a game-winning field goal.

TW: 3-5, CV: 5-3

Tennessee 12, Buffalo 13: TW: Titans, CV: Titans
In another game that would come down to a game-winning field goal, the Bills would get their 2nd win of the season from Steven Hauschka. The game was a snore if you enjoy offensive football but defensively the Bills would force three turnovers against the Titans. Oddly enough Josh Allen of the Bills would only throw for 85 yards in the game. He would be the only one to score on the game's only touchdown on a run play.

TW: 3-6, CV: 5-4

Oakland 10, LA Chargers 26: TW: Chargers, CV: Raiders
It would be a big day for Phillip Rivers and the Chargers, not the Raiders in this one. Rivers would have another 300+ passing yard day for two touchdowns while completing 22 of 27 passes. For the Raiders, you can finally say that their defense outplayed Khalil Mack, then you realize that the Bears are on a bye week this week. Going to have to lick their wounds again and come back better again next week.

TW: 4-6, CV: 5-5

Arizona 28, San Francisco 18: TW: 49ers, CV: 49ers
The chances of a team going 0-16 this season were dashed away as the Cardinals would get win #1 on the season. The Cardinals got a bit of a boost on offense with David Johnson as he would score two touchdowns in the game while Josh Rosen throwing for one touchdown. The 49ers I felt, let this game slip away from them as two interceptions from CJ Beathard would ultimately doom the Niners in this one. Beathard had a good game otherwise throwing for two touchdowns and passing for over 300 yards. Poor Cardinal Viking, one week he picks the Cards, they lose, he picks against them, they win. Poor fella.

TW: 4-7, CV: 5-6

LA Rams 33, Seattle 31: TW: Rams, CV: Rams
The Rams would win a tough game in a hostile environment in Seattle to remain undefeated. The Rams would lose two key offensive weapons that would put the game on the shoulders of Jared Goff, Robert Woods and Todd Gurley. Gurley would run for three touchdowns in the game while Jared Goff would throw for one. The Seahawks offense kept pace with their opposition in this game but sadly would lose in a heartbreaker.

TW: 5-7, CV: 6-6

Minnesota 23, Philadelphia 21: TW: Eagles, CV: Vikings
The Vikings would get a close win in a rematch of the NFC championship game. The game really came down to a few questionable coaching decisions by Eagles coach Doug Pederson, a challenge call that really was no point in reviewing and a chance to pin the Vikings deep in their own territory. The Eagles will have to put this game behind them as they have a short week to prepare for the Giants. The Vikings offense hung tight as Kirk Cousins would throw for 301 yards and one touchdown.

TW: 5-8, CV: 7-6

Dallas 16, Houston 19: TW: Cowboys, CV: Texans
This was probably the dullest game of football that I've seen in a while. The Texans red zone offense was awful, both coaches were awful and deserved to be fired, and this game should've ended in another tie to be honest with you. Still, someone had to win and it was probably the one that deserved to be fired the most out of the two. Ezekiel Elliot had a meager performance for the Cowboys, who had been their driving force for their offense so far this season. As Hall of Fame head coach John Madden would put it "Winning is a great deodorant." Both teams stunk. Rip to my week

TW: 5-9, CV: 8-6

Washington 19, New Orleans 43:  TW: Saints, CV: Saints
I will be very honest with you guys, I didn't watch a single second of this game. I knew Drew Brees would get the record, he had 201 passing yards to get it, and then some. The Redskins defense got torched all game long by Drew Brees who would throw for 300+ yards and three touchdowns. Back to the drawing board for the Redskins who could've taken a lead in the NFC East, but nope they lose. As for me, I get a salvaged win in an awful week for me.

TW: 6-9, CV: 9-6

2018:
Week 1: 10-5-1
Week 2: 6-9-1
Week 3: 8-8
Week 4: 12-3
Week 5: 6-9
Overall: 42-34-2

Cardinal Viking
2018:
Week 1: 8-7-1
Week 2: 9-6-1
Week 3: 5-11
Week 4: 9-6
Week 5: 9-6
Overall: 40-36-2

See you guys on Wednesday/Thursday for the Week 6 picks!
-Tom

NFL Week 5 Picks

Hello readers! The time has come again for week 5 picks. The week that was week 4 has passed on with intriguing matchups, some upsets, some blowouts, and some games that came down to the final seconds.

The month of October is every exciting for sports fans in the United States and this year is no different. You have the National Football League regular season in full swing, Major League Baseball getting their playoffs starting (writing this before the NL Wild Card game, Rockies vs Diamondbacks), the National Hockey League starting their regular season (opening night is tonight as I'm writing this 10/4), and the National Basketball Association starting their regular season early on October 17th. Not also to mention that soccer fans get to enjoy the European leagues as well.

Last Sunday going into Monday morning, the nation witnessed a tragic event in Las Vegas. At the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas a shooter would open fire at a concert taking place in the hotel, killing 50+ people, while injuring 500 people at the event. As you read this please keep the victims of this horrifying event in your hearts and minds. Remember that love conquers hate, no matter what.

On Monday, the world also lose a legend in music, Tom Petty. Tom Petty best known for his musicianship as the frontman of his band: Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers suffered a full cardiac arrest and would die later after making the decision to be pulled off of life support. The rocker was only 66 years old. In keeping with his memory, here's a cool video of one of his best known songs:

Before last week's action transpired me and Cardinal Viking (my roommate) were 1-1-1 on picks. The week that was Week 4 would prove to be much of the same in terms of record for the both of us. Some games went my way, some games went his way. Let's take a look at our records for the past week:

My record:

11-5 (I picked Dallas and the Rams won in an upset, and I picked the Cardinals to win against the Niners)

Cardinal Viking's record: 

11-5 (He picked the Rams to beat the Cowboys, and he picked the Niners to beat the Cardinals)

So after four weeks of NFL action, we would tie yet again with a record of 1-1-2. The both of us picked the Patriots to beat the Panthers (sorry for doubting you Cam Newton). We picked the Packers to beat the Bears (sorry not sorry Bears fans). 

With a quarter of the season over, week 5 will be the first of many weeks for teams going on a bye week. The Washington Redskins, New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, and Denver Broncos will be going on a bye week for this week. The 14-game slate begins in Tampa, Florida and will end in Chicago, Illinois. There will be a Thursday night game, 8 early games, 3 late games, a Sunday Night Football game, and a Monday Night game. HERE ARE THE PICKS:

New England @ Tampa Bay: Patriots. The Patriots come off a loss against the Panthers, while the Buccaneers got the win against the Giants. I feel the Patriots will have a bounceback game against the Buccaneers. The Bucs have still key injuries on the defensive side of the ball, and Brady is hungry. 

Arizona @ Philadelphia: Eagles. Both teams come off wins as the Eagles beat the Chargers, and the Cardinals beat the Niners in overtime. The game will be a tight one I feel but when it comes down to it which Quarterback will come up big for their teams. 

Buffalo @ Cincinnati: Bengals. The two teams are coming off wins as the Bengals beat the Browns, and the Bills beat the Falcons. Tyrod Taylor of the Bills looks good so far this season, and the Bengals offense looks like they're back on track. The game may come down to the defenses, and which defense comes up with the most stops. Vegas pens this game as the Bengals as the favorite by -3, which I can't disagree. The Bengals get the win. 

Carolina @ Detroit: Panthers. The two teams in blue and white look to get wins in this game. The Lions won a tough game against the division rival Vikings, and the Panthers got their biggest win of the season beating the Patriots at home (which doesn't happen all that often). I'll be riding on the Panthers bandwagon for this game, and hopefully my renewed faith in Cam Newton will be rewarded. 

Jacksonville @ Pittsburgh: Steelers. The Jaguars roll into the Steel City to take on the Steelers. The Jaguars lost to the Jets on the road, and the Steelers got the bounceback win against the Ravens on the road. Did you know that the Jaguars last playoff win was against the Steelers at Heinz Field. That was in 2007 in the AFC wild card game. That was the past, and this is now/future. Steelers get the win. 

LA Chargers @ NY Giants: Tie... just kidding... Giants. The 2 of the 4 winless teams meet up this week as the Phillip Rivers-led Chargers roll into New Jersey to take on the Giants. This game normally would give me the heebie jeebies but I feel that Alexandra Daddario would take the Giants. I can't disagree with her. 

NY Jets @ Cleveland: Browns. The Jets came off a win against the Jaguars at home last week, while the Browns got curbstomped by their Ohio neighbors, the Bengals. This game normally would be the feel of a "Toilet Bowl" game but the Jets somehow have the same record as the Patriots. The people down at Las Vegas as of right now pen this as a pick 'em as both teams neither are the favorite or the underdog. That doesn't spell well for the Jets, but neither does the Browns. Alexandra Daddario's gut would probably be with the Jets, but I'll go against her on this one and pick the Browns. Is it sad that I have to have Daddario be on this column twice this week already?

San Francisco @ Indianapolis: Niners. Both teams come off losses last week. The Niners lost a heartbreaker to the Cardinals in overtime, and the Colts lost to the Seahawks on Sunday night. The game really could come down to a shootout but the game is putting the Colts as a favorite by 1.5 points. I'll go against Vegas and stick with the Niners who could get their first win of the season. 

Tennessee @ Miami: The... Titans. The final game in the early slate puts the Titans and the Dolphins together on the same field. Both teams came off bad losses as the Titans lost to the Texans, Dolphins to the Saints in London. Marcus Mariota will be out of this game and the Titans signed Brandon Weeden to start for this game (somehow a one-legged Colin Kaepernick could play better, oh well) and Jay Cutler is still considered to be a starting quarterback. The game looks awful on paper but I'd rather take the Titans, I hope it ends in a tie or a win for the Titans. Just awful.

Baltimore @ Oakland: Raiders. Both teams came off losses against division rivals. The Ravens lost to the Steelers, and the Raiders lost to the Broncos. The good news is that for the Raiders Derek Carr will miss some time this season, and not the whole season. The Raiders backup E.J. Manuel proved to be a decent backup last week, and the Raiders should win against a bad Ravens team. 

Seattle @ LA Rams: Rams. Both teams got good wins last week. The Rams upset the favorited Cowboys at home, and the Seahawks won against the Colts. The Rams are looking to be the biggest story of the season so far, and I feel bad for picking against them last week. Here's a little perspective for you: I turn 29 in November, and Rams Head Coach, Sean McVay, is 31 years old. He must command a lot of respect in that locker room. Keep rolling. 

Green Bay @ Dallas: Packers. The marquee game of the week comes as the Packers take on the Cowboys at home in a rematch of the NFC divisional playoff game. The Packers look back to form last week against the Bears for the win, and the Cowboys came off a loss to the Rams. The game will be quite entertaining and should live up to the hype that it did in the playoffs last season. Go Pack Go!

Kansas City @ Houston: Chiefs. The Sunday Night Football matchup features the 4-0 Kansas City Chiefs on the road to take on the Houston Texans. Both teams came off wins last week as the Chiefs beat the Redskins, and the Texans hung 57 points against the Titans. I like the Chiefs in this matchup as the Kareem Hunt vs Texans matchup will be key. The Texans are 14th in the league in rush defense. DeShaun Watson looked good but I feel that Alex Smith will have the last word in the game. 

Minnesota @ Chicago: Vikings. Both teams came off losses to their division rivals. The Vikings lost to the Lions, and the Bears to the Packers. The classic Black-And-Blue divison matchup will be prevalent in this game as divisional games always put more energy. The Vikings defense will keep them in the game as the Bears will feature Mitch Trubisky in his first NFL start as the Bears quarterback. The Vikings will win this game I feel regardless of whoever starts as QB for the Vikes. 

Local TV Schedule (via 506sports, subject to change):

CBS Single:
Jacksonville @ Pittsburgh

Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon

FOX Early:

Arizona @ Philadelphia

Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston

FOX Late:
Green Bay @ Dallas

Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

For more on which game will be featured in your area go to NFL Week 5 TV Map 

Record:

Week 1: 10-5

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 11-5

Overall: 39-24

Cardinal Viking, my roommates record:

Week 1: 7-8

Week 2: 13-3

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 11-5

Overall: 39-24

See you guys next week! 

-Tom