NFL 2021 Week 5 Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is soon upon us. The fifth week of the regular season is sure to bring much surprises, upsets and fun. The games I'm going to keep an eye on are the Rams-Seahawks, Browns-Chargers, and Bills-Chiefs games. In this post, I'll do a week preview and my picks for the week's games. Let's get to work!

Week 5 Preview

The fifth week of the NFL's regular season will start in Seattle, Washington and ends in Baltimore, Maryland. All 32 teams will be playing in a 16-game slate. The week that will be will have a Thursday night game, a Sunday morning game, eight early games, four late games, a Sunday night game and a Monday night game. CBS will have the single, regional game and FOX will have the doubleheader this week. Let's get to the picks!

Week 5 Picks

Note: TW is me and CV is Cardinal Viking, my former roommate. All game times are in US Eastern.

LA Rams (3-1) @ Seattle (2-2) (FOX/Amazon/NFL Network; 8:20 pm): TW: Rams; CV: Rams
The Rams lost to the Cardinals and the Seahawks beat the 49ers last week. The period of trashy Thursday night games are over as two division contenders square off. LA looked a bit off against the Cardinals and a lot of it was on the defense. On a short week and going on the road against the 12th man could be a tough sell to some people picking the Rams. Sean McVay will get them back in order I feel but it'll be a close one. 

NY Jets (1-3) @ Atlanta (1-3) (NFL Network; 9:30 am): TW: Falcons; CV: Jets
The Jets won against the Titans and the Falcons lost to the Football Team last week. New York got a great win against the Titans and earned their first win. Both teams will be going to the United Kingdom so it'll be truly morning football. Both teams aren't really good. I like the Falcons offense against the Jets defense if Atlanta can keep them on the field. Zach Wilson looked promising last week but this could be a tough one to handle for him. I'll take the Falcons.

Denver (3-1) @ Pittsburgh (1-3) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Steelers; CV: Broncos
Both teams lost last week as the Broncos lost to the Ravens and the Steelers lost to the Packers. Both teams have solid defenses, though I would give the Steelers a slight advantage in that department. Denver has its issues on offense but I would give the Steelers the edge in offensive woes. Can I trust a banged up Ben Roethlisberger over a healthier Drew Lock? I think the game will be a defensive battle but I feel the Steelers will take it in the last possession. 

Detroit (0-4) @ Minnesota (1-3) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
Both teams lost last week with the Lions losing to the Bears and the Vikings losing to the Browns. Detroit came close to getting their first win over the Bears but they're going up against a Vikings team that is better than their record shows. Kirk Cousins has thrown well so far this week but I question how well their running game can do against Detroit. In spite of that if they can get themselves a decent game and give Kirk Cousins a break they have a great shot to win. 

Green Bay (3-1) @ Cincinnati (3-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Packers; CV: Bengals
Both teams won last week as the Packers beat the Steelers and the Bengals beat the Jaguars. Green Bay's offense has been doing well since the Week 1 fiasco over the Saints. Cincy's offense is just as good and I think the reason for that is them running the ball with Joe Mixon. I like the Packers in the matchup if their defense can slow down Joe Mixon and make Joe Burrow throw the ball more often. 

Miami (1-3) @ Tampa Bay (3-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
The Dolphins lost to the Colts and the Buccaneers beat the Patriots last week. Miami looked lost against the Colts as their defense really let Carson Wentz look good. Their offense just doesn't hold up a lot of promise to keep up with the Buccaneers. Tampa didn't look great against New England but a win is a win. Tom Brady is still playing well and that doesn't spell good for Miami who are looking to bounce back. 

New England (1-3) @ Houston (1-3) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
Both teams lost last week as the Patriots lost to the Buccaneers and the Texans lost to the Bills. New England stayed with the defending champs and almost won but almost doesn't count. Their defense will look a bit different without Stephon Gilmore who was picked up by Carolina this week. If Davis Mills has the game that he had last week then this will be a tough one to sell for the Texans in terms of pick 'ems. I think Bill Belichick will get his guys back to focus. 

New Orleans (2-2) @ Washington (2-2) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Football Team; CV: Saints 
The Saints lost to the Giants and the Football Team beat the Falcons last week. New Orleans is a weird team. They play well one week and shit the bed the next. Washington is somewhat of the same. If I didn't have to pick this game I would but that would just not be fair. If there's one thing that the Saints don't do well is stopping the run and Saquon Barkley's run last week was somewhat of a telling sign. I'll take the underdog in Washington. 

Philadelphia (1-3) @ Carolina (3-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Panthers; CV: Panthers
Both teams took losses last week as the Eagles lost to the Chiefs and the Panthers lost to the Cowboys. Philly's offense looked fairly unstoppable against the defending AFC champs in the Chiefs. Jalen Hurts has done well with his arm and legs in that offense. Devonta Smith has been a great target for Hurts to throw to. Carolina won't likely have Christian McCaffrey again but they will have an addition on defense with Stephon Gilmore who was acquired by trade from New England. Sam Darnold will have to pick up the slack on offense but I think he can do it. 

Tennessee (2-2) @ Jacksonville (0-4) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Titans; CV: Titans
Both teams lost last week as the Titans lost to Jets and the Jaguars lost to the Bengals. Tennessee lost a really tough game against the Jets. They really let that one slip away as the Jets did enough to win. I think they'll rebound back against a Jaguars team that is not playing well both on the field and off the field as Urban Meyer's actions last weekend will take far more of a distraction than needed. Derrick Henry will have a field day against the Jaguars defense. 

Chicago (2-2) @ Las Vegas (3-1) (CBS; 4:05 pm): TW: Raiders; CV: Raiders
The Bears beat the Lions and the Raiders lost to the Chargers last week. Both teams are dealing with injuries on the rushing offense as David Montgomery won't be playing in this game and Josh Jacobs hasn't been able to stay healthy yet so far this year. Justin Fields played better but he didn't look great against Detroit. Jon Gruden's defense will be ready to contain him and play well. Derek Carr could face a challenge in keeping Khalil Mack off balance but I think the Raiders will take this one. 

Cleveland (3-1) @ LA Chargers (3-1) (CBS; 4:05 pm): TW: Browns; CV: Browns
Both teams won last week as the Browns beat the Vikings and the Chargers beat the Raiders. Cleveland has done well in offense with a good balance of run and pass. Their defense has been probably the biggest factor for them as Myles Garret has led a bunch of great defenders. They'll need to play great against one of the best offenses in football in the Chargers. Justin Herbert has played spectacular and Austin Ekeler has ran well. This game should be a great watch but only one can win. I'll go with a slight nod to the Browns but I think it will be close. 

NY Giants (1-3) @ Dallas (3-1) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys
Both teams won last week as the Giants beat the Saints and the Cowboys beat the Panthers. New York avoided the dreaded 0-4 start by beating a Saints team that was imploding. What they face off against is an improved Dallas team that beat up a Panthers team without Christian McCaffrey. Dallas had great success with their running game as Ezekiel Elliot had one of his best games in a few seasons. I think it'll be a tough road for the Giants to win but I think Dallas will pull it off. 

San Francisco (2-2) @ Arizona (4-0) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Cardinals; CV: Cardinals
The 49ers lost to the Seahawks and the Cardinals beat the Rams last week. Jimmy Garoppolo won't likely see action in this game and will thrust rookie Trey Lance into the spotlight. Lance has had some playing time and has done good in limited action with 162 passing yards with three touchdowns and 44 yards rushing with one touchdown. The Cardinals defense was what impressed me over their win against the Rams last week. They seemed to know everything the Rams were doing. The Cardinals remain to be the last unbeaten left in the league and I think the unbeaten streak will continue on for at least another week.

Buffalo (3-1) @ Kansas City (2-2) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Bills; CV: Bills
Both teams won last week as the Bills beat the Texans and the Chiefs beat the Eagles. Old school AFC matchup on NBC. This game will be a rematch of the AFC championship game last year. Buffalo has came out and destroyed opponents as they have scored 118 points and allowed 21 points since Week 2. Kansas City's defense looked a bit off against Philly as they practically couldn't stop them last week. That doesn't spell good news for the Chiefs in this one. They just seem to have enough defense to stop them. 

Indianapolis (1-3) @ Baltimore (3-1) (ESPN; 8:15 pm): TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
Both teams won last week as the Colts beat the Dolphins and the Ravens beat the Broncos. Indy avoided a dreaded winless start against Miami. This Colts team is still trying to find its identity I think. Baltimore proved that the Broncos were pretenders last week. I think the Ravens will win on their running game and Lamar Jackson can do both run and pass. Carson Wentz could be a factor in the game but he just seems quite off this season. 

Early and Late Game TV Pairings (courtesy of 506sports.com):

Note: Game in bold is being shown in my area

CBS Single

Miami @ Tampa Bay
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

New Orleans @ Washington
Spero Dedes, Jay Feely

New England @ Houston
Andrew Catalon, James Lofton

Tennessee @ Jacksonville
Tom McCarthy, Tiki Barber

Chicago @ Las Vegas (LATE)
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

Cleveland @ LA Chargers (LATE)
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

FOX Early

Green Bay @ Cincinnati
Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

Philadelphia @ Carolina
Joe Davis, Greg Olson

Denver @ Pittsburgh
Brandon Gaudin, Mark Schlereth

Detroit @ Minnesota
Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston

FOX Late

NY Giants @ Dallas
Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

San Francisco @ Arizona
Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez

For more information on which game is being shown in your area check out: NFL 2021: Week 5 Maps. Check local listings. 

2021 Pick'em Records:

My record:

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

Total: 36-28

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-10
Week 2: 12-4
Week 3: 13-3
Week 4: 10-6

Total: 41-23

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

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

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 

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

-Tom

NFL 2020 Week 5 Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is soon upon us. After the spike of positive coronavirus tests, perhaps this week will see a full slate of games without anyone getting sick. Last week in picks was good for me with a 11-4 record, we shall see if this week will bring more good luck. In this post, I'll talk about my picks for the week's games. Let's get to work!

Week 5 Picks

Week 5 of the National Football League's regular season starts in Chicago, Illinois and finishes in New Orleans, Louisiana. There will be 15 games shown this week. The week includes: a Thursday night game, eight early games, four late games, a Sunday night game, and a Monday night game. FOX will have the single, regional game and CBS will have the doubleheader. Green Bay and Detroit have bye weeks this week. Let's get to the picks!

Tampa Bay (3-1) @ Chicago (3-1) (FOX/NFL Network): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
The Buccaneers beat the Chargers and the Bears lost to the Colts last week. Week 5 starts with a pretty good match up on paper. Both have short rest after playing on Sunday. It would seem to me that the Bears were exposed last week against the Colts as they shut down Chicago's running attack and make their quarterbacks beat them. The key is if they can get Brady pressured early and often. I don't trust Chicago enough to beat them, I'll go with Tampa. 

Jacksonville (1-3) @ Houston (0-4) (CBS): TW: Texans; CV: Jaguars
Both teams lost last week as the Jaguars lost to the Bengals and the Texans lost to the Vikings. The Bill O'Brien era is over and Romeo Crennel takes over as interim. The matchup of the Texans offense vs Jaguars defense seems to lean more into Houston's favor. I feel Houston's time to get a win is due. Don't let me down, please.

Cincinnati (1-2-1) @ Baltimore (3-1) (CBS): TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
Both teams got a win as the Bengals beat the Jaguars and the Ravens beat the Football Team. The Bungles got their first dub of the season last week and now they face off against the class of the division. Safe to say I can't trust to pick Cincy in this one. Baltimore is literally favored by 13 points according to Vegas. Who can blame them? On both sides of the ball, Baltimore has them beat. Sorry Bungles. It was nice while it lasted.

LA Rams (3-1) @ Washington (1-3) (FOX): TW: Rams; CV: Rams
The Rams beat the Giants and the Football Team lost to the Ravens. LA has been playing better this season and I feel its more of the lower expectations is what got them to where they are at right now. They will also play against Kyle Allen who will start over Dwayne Haskins in this game. It would seem that the Rams have what it takes on both sides of the ball to take care of business in this one. Kyle Allen had a mixed season last year who had some glimpses of stardom and most of it was a dud. I'll take LA.

Las Vegas (2-2) @ Kansas City (4-0) (CBS): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
The Raiders lost to the Bills and the Chiefs beat the Patriots. Several Raiders players tested positive for COVID today, so we shall see if this one will be played. Nevertheless, I think the Chiefs got this one in the bag but when it comes to the Raiders-Chiefs rivalry, all bets are off in this one. If Mahomes is healthy, Las Vegas has no chance. 

Philadelphia (1-2-1) @ Pittsburgh (3-0) (FOX): TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers
The Eagles beat the 49ers and the Steelers didn't play their game last week due to postponement due to COVID. It's the Philly Cheese Steaks vs the Yinzers in this Battle of Pennsylvania. The Eagles are banged up and got through to a win in San Francisco. I like the Steelers in spite of the amount of rest that they have. You have to remember that they last played a game in Week 3 against the Texans. I'll take the safe bet with the Steelers. 

Carolina (2-2) @ Atlanta (0-4) (FOX): TW: Falcons; CV: Panthers
The Panthers beat the Cardinals and the Falcons lost to the Packers. I know what you're saying Carolina, why no respect? I get ya. At some point the Falcons have to get a win and let Dan Quinn keep his job for at least another week. With the way that Teddy Bridgewater has been playing I can see them pulling off a win but I just don't see them keeping up with Atlanta's offense. Please Atlanta, for the sake of killing memes for a week please win a game. 

Buffalo (4-0) @ Tennessee (3-0) (CBS): TW: Bills; CV: Bills
The Bills beat the Raiders and the Titans game last week was postponed due to COVID. After bailing on Buffalo last week, the Bills Mafia will likely be happy with me as I will take the Bills to beat the Titans in this one. Josh Allen has been playing really well this season and I can see him taking apart this Titans defense apart. If the Bills defense can take Derrick Henry out of the game I think Buffalo will get to 5-0. Assuming this game will be played come Sunday as the Titans might have more positive tests looming. 

Arizona (2-2) @ NY Jets (0-4) (FOX): TW: Cardinals; CV: Cardinals
The Cardinals lost to the Panthers and the Jets lost to the Broncos last week. Arizona has been stumbling a bit for the past couple of weeks. I would give most of the blame to Kyler Murray as the turnovers really jumped up quite a bit. If the Cards plan to win I think the running game of the Cardinals needs to pick up and lessen the pressure on Murray. For the Jets, scoring points off turnovers will be a must in order to win as your offense is horrendous. I think Arizona gets back on track. 

Miami (1-3) @ San Francisco (2-2) (FOX): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
The Dolphins lost to the Seahawks and the 49ers lost to the Eagles last week. San Fran got somewhat embarrassed last week and they need to get Jimmy Garoppolo back ASAP as the QB situation is a mess. Ultimately, I'll take the 49ers running game to pick up the slack in this one where the rest of the offense lacks. Miami could be good enough to win but turnovers need to be down to a minimum in order to win. 

Denver (1-3) @ New England (2-2) (CBS): TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
The Broncos beat the Jets and the Patriots lost to the Chiefs last week. What did we learn last week without Cam Newton with the Patriots? It was a struggle to get anything going on offense. Should he return I would say the Patriots have a better shot to get a dub but the Broncos have proven that they've been underachievers so far. I like the Pats running game and secondary but this game could get postponed as well so it might not matter if they play this game.

Indianapolis (3-1) @ Cleveland (3-1) (CBS): TW: Browns; CV: Browns
Both teams got wins last week as the Colts beat the Bears and the Browns beat the Cowboys. Sadly, this game isn't getting more attention as both teams are actually good this year, at least for Cleveland. The Brownies will be without Nick Chubb due to injury but I feel Kareem Hunt will do fine as a runner. I question how well Baker Mayfield will do against a much improved Colts defense that took Chicago to town last week. Browns defense needs to play better as well as they nearly gave up 40 points to the Cowboys last week. 

NY Giants (0-4) @ Dallas (1-3) (CBS): TW: Cowboys; CV: Giants
Both teams lost last week as the Giants lost to the Rams and the Cowboys lost to the Browns. Old school NFC on CBS matchup. Dallas should have the upper hand in this game based on their offensive power but their defense gave up 49 points last week to the Browns of all teams. As well as letting Cleveland's running backs walk all over them. 

Minnesota (1-3) @ Seattle (4-0) (NBC): TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks
Both teams got wins last week as the Vikings beat the Texans and the Seahawks beat the Dolphins. The Vikes finally got a dub last week and unfortunately they're facing off against the class of the NFC in Seattle. Minnesota could have success in passing the ball as Seattle is 32nd in pass defense yards allowed. The thing that has kept them winning has been turnovers from the secondary and Russell Wilson who has currently 16 touchdowns and just two interceptions. Keep the Seattle offense off the field for Minnesota, and keep the Vikings running game quiet for Seattle.

LA Chargers (1-3) @ New Orleans (2-2) (ESPN): TW: Saints; CV: Saints
The Chargers lost to the Buccaneers and the Saints beat the Lions last week. Week finishes up with a fairly spicy matchup as the rookie takes on the hardy veteran in quarterback. Austin Ekeler will be out for this one as he was hampered with a hamstring injury last week. He will likely miss 4-6 weeks. Joshua Kelley will have to be the one to help Justin Herbert out in the offense as well as Keenan Allen. I think the Saints are still the better team but this one could be quite a good one to watch. I'll take Nawlins. 

Local TV Schedule:

FOX Single:
Philadelphia @ Pittsburgh
Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

CBS Early:
Las Vegas @ Kansas City
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

CBS Late:
NY Giants @ Dallas
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

2020 Week by Week Record: 

TW's record:

Week 1: 8-8
Week 2: 15-1
Week 3: 9-6-1
Week 4: 11-4
Total: 43-19-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 10-6
Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 8-7-1
Week 4: 7-8
Total: 36-26-1

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1

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

See you guys on Tuesday for the Week 5 recap post! Enjoy the games

-Tom

NFL 2019 Week 5 Picks

Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is soon upon us! A quarter of the season has passed us, with some teams at 4-0, 3-1, 2-2, 1-3, 0-4, and of course 0-3-1. The crowned champion isn't crowned in October so we will have to see which team is a pretender and those who are legit moving on past week 17. In this post I will do a NFL 100 Spotlight and my picks to the games. Let's get to work!

NFL 100: A Spotlight

Last week Jared Goff joined an exclusive club of quarterbacks in NFL history, the 500 club. He threw for 517 yards in a 55-40 loss against Tampa Bay. The Rams have quite a list of quarterbacks that have that 500 passing yards mark, including Vince Ferragamo's 509 yards in 1982 against the Bears. Both quarterbacks fall short to the franchise and NFL record quarterback, Norm Van Brocklin.

Brocklin's 554 passing yards is a record that has stood for near 70 years. He threw that many yards during an era where defenses were allowed to do much more to offenses than today. As well as it was a running back league and that the quarterback was seen less of than today. Like a second class citizen.

The game was played on September 28th, 1951. It was a Week 1 matchup between the Rams and the New York Yanks (an expansion team that was in operation from 1950 to 1951). The Rams had lost to the Cleveland Browns in the NFL Championship game that previous year. Certainly the Rams were looking forward to getting back to a championship and perhaps take some revenge on the Browns.

The Rams got started with a 41-yard pass from Brocklin to Elroy Hirsch, 7-0 Rams. Running back Dick Hoerner ran the ball for a 22-yard score, 14-0 Rams. Vitamin Smith would go for 67-yards from scrimmage on a pass play from Brocklin, 21-0 Rams. In the 2nd quarter, Brocklin would show off his running ability to get a rushing touchdown, 28-0 Rams. Elroy Hirsch would catch his 2nd touchdown pass from Brocklin on a 47-yard play, 35-0 Rams. The Yanks would get on the board with a 79-yard punt return from Buddy Young, 35-7 Rams. Elroy Hirsch would catch another pass from Brocklin, this time a 26-yard pass play, 42-7 Rams. The Yanks wouldn't go quietly with a 30-yard fumble return for a touchdown, 42-14 Rams. Elroy Hirsch would catch his 4th and final touchdown pass in the game from Brocklin, a 1-yard play, 48-14 Rams. Dan Towler would put the icing on the cake with a 1-yard rush for a touchdown, 54-14 Rams. The game was finally over.

Norm Van Brocklin would finish the day with 27 for 41 for 554 yards (20.5 yards per completion for you nerds out there) with five touchdowns and two interceptions. He had a passer rating of 128.3. John Rauch of the New York Yanks finished the game with 38 passing yards.

In the end, The Rams would finish the year with a 9-4 record and would meet the Cleveland Browns for the NFL title. The Rams would win the game 24-17 for their 2nd NFL championship (their last until 1999 with the St. Louis Rams). Norm Van Brocklin would finish the year with 1,725 passing yards.

Week 5 Picks

Week 5 of the National Football League regular season starts in Seattle, Washington and ends in Santa Clara, California. The Miami Dolphins and the Detroit Lions are on a bye week. There will be a Thursday night game, 10 early games, two late games, a Sunday night game and a Monday night game. CBS will have the single, regional game and FOX will have the double-header.

LA Rams (3-1) @ Seattle (3-1) (FOX/NFL Network): TW: Rams; CV: Rams

The Rams lost to the Buccaneers and the Seahawks got a win against the Cardinals. A divisional game that means a lot to both teams. I still believe in the Rams to get back to a winning position. Can't rely on Jared Goff to carry the team for you, they need Todd Gurley to have a good game, otherwise this will be a rough game to be Jared Goff.

Chicago (3-1) @ Oakland (2-2) (FOX): TW: Bears; CV: Bears

Both teams got wins last week as the Bears beat the Vikings and the Raiders beat the Colts. I think we'll learn a lot more about Chase Daniel in this game and how well he can play in a starting position. If the Bears running game can have a good game, I think they'll win. Should be noted that this game is in London.

Buffalo (3-1) @ Tennesee (2-2) (CBS): TW: Titans; CV: Bills

The Bills lost to the Patriots and the Titans beat the Falcons last week. Josh Allen will not be playing in the game so it will be up to Matt Barkley to get Buffalo to a dub this week. I like to believe that the Titans will win based off of good quarterback play from Marcus Mariota, who has yet to throw an interception this season. Close game I feel.

Jacksonville (2-2) @ Carolina (2-2) (CBS): TW: Jaguars; CV: Panthers

Both teams got a win last week as the Jaguars beat the Broncos and the Panthers beat the Texans. A battle between two backup quarterbacks. I feel the game will come down to which running back can have a great day whether it'll be Leonard Fournette or Christian McCaffrey (both of whom are on my fantasy team). I'll go Jags due to the Panthers 24th ranked rush defense.

New England (4-0) @ Washington (0-4) (CBS): TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots

The Patriots got a win against the Bills and the Redskins lost to the Giants last week. In terms of who starts for the Redskins, I don't think it will matter too much. The Patriots are well built on both sides of the ball. Quite possibly a blowout.

Arizona (0-3-1) @ Cincinnati (0-4) (FOX): TW: Bengals; CV: Cardinals

Both teams lost last week as the Cardinals lost to the Seahawks and the Bengals lost to the Steelers. Oh boy, this game is definitely worthy of the "Toilet Bowl" status. Both teams are terrible, especially on the offensive line. The game could possibly end in a tie for all we know. I don't see it happening but I feel the Bengals have to be better than the Cardinals... right?

Minnesota (2-2) @ NY Giants (2-2) (FOX): TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings

The Vikings lost to the Bears and the Giants beat the Redskins. We will learn how well Daniel Jones handles a good defense in Minnesota. I feel the Vikings offense will get back on track with Dalvin Cook's legs and Kirk Cousin's arm. The Giants defense is suspect for sure.

Baltimore (2-2) @ Pittsburgh (1-3) (CBS): TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers

The Ravens lost to the Browns and the Steelers beat the Bengals. Baltimore's defense hasn't done well in terms of stopping people. I feel the home crowd will be loud, a divisional game, Pittsburgh needs to win the game if they want to get back into the playoff talk. The Ravens could possibly win but their defense needs to put up a showing.

Atlanta (1-3) @ Houston (2-2) (FOX): TW: Texans; CV: Texans

The Falcons lost to the Titans and the Texans lost to the Panthers. Atlanta seems a bit off this season, for some reason. Their offense should be back to form but Matt Ryan has six interceptions so far this season. The defense is not that great so I'll give the Texans the pick in this one.

Tampa Bay (2-2) @ New Orleans (3-1) (FOX): TW: Saints; CV: Buccaneers

Both teams got wins last week as the Buccaneers beat the Rams and the Saints beat the Cowboys. The Saints defense has played well the past two games, and we will learn a lot about their defense in a huge test against the Bucs offense. Can Teddy Bridgewater take advantage of the 32nd ranked Bucs pass defense, we shall see but this could come down to less than a field goal.

NY Jets (0-3) @ Philadelphia (2-2) (CBS): TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles

The Jets were on a bye and the Eagles beat the Packers last week. Philly found a good winning formula with running the football with some passes. I like the Jets in terms of their running back but other than that the Eagles should get a win in the game.

Denver (0-4) @ LA Chargers (2-2) (CBS): TW: Chargers; CV: Broncos

The Broncos lost to the Jaguars and the Chargers beat the Dolphins last week. Bradley Chubb not being in the lineup due to injury spells certain doom for a Denver team that hasn't forced a turnover yet this season. The Chargers should win this game on a good balance on offense. I can't trust Joe Flacco to give the Broncos offense more than 30 points.

Green Bay (3-1) @ Dallas (3-1) (FOX): TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys

Both teams lost last week as the Packers lost to the Eagles and the Cowboys lost to the Saints. It's a nationally televised game on FOX as one of the classic rivalries gets renewed. The Packers defense got somewhat exposed against the Eagles while the Cowboys on offense certainly got exposed as well. I feel the Cowboys have more talent than the Packers. If Green Bay wins then I'll be happy either way.

Indianapolis (2-2) @ Kansas City (4-0) (NBC): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs

The Colts lost to the Raiders and the Chiefs won against the Lions. A rematch of the AFC Divisional playoff game back in January. The Colts kept that game interesting but the Colts had Andrew Luck at quarterback. I feel the Colts defense will have its hands full in this one.

Cleveland (2-2) @ San Francisco (3-0) (ESPN): TW: Browns; CV: 49ers

The Browns beat the Ravens and the 49ers were on a bye last week. Week 5 finishes up with a decent matchup on Monday night. Both teams look pretty good on paper. The Browns have done well on the road and I'll go on a whim and take the Browns. Real toss-up of a game.

Local TV Schedule (courtesy of 506sports.com, subject to change):

CBS Single:
NY Jets @ Philadelphia
Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon

FOX Early:
Minnesota @ NY Giants
Sam Rosen, Charles Davis

FOX Late:
Green Bay @ Dallas
Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

For more information on which game is being played in your area, check out: NFL 2019: Week 5 Maps

See you guys on Monday night after the game for the Week 5 Recap. Enjoy the games!
-Tom