NFL Game Picks: Week 5

Week 4 in the National Football League had a lot of games with interesting turnouts. Lots of close turnouts in the week four window including ones that exposed teams and others that shocked the fans, here are our picks for the week five slate.

Matt’s Picks:

Carolina Panthers (0-4) @ Detroit Lions (3-1) Sunday 1:00 p.m.

Carolina is only one of two teams left remaining winless as they have a tough task up next on the road looking for their first win. Although the Panthers have had close games, it will be rough for rookie quarterback Bryce Young to lead his team in a hostile environment.

This is a big opportunity for the Detroit Lions to start their year 4-1 for the first time since 1991. Their defense has been playing well with Aidan Hutchinson and Charles Harris on the rush, and David Montgomery has dominated their run game.

My pick: Lions 31, Panthers 13

New Orleans Saints (2-2) @ New England Patriots (1-3) Sunday 1:00 p.m.

The Saints made tough decisions last week starting an injured Derek Carr which limited the passing in the week four loss to the Buccaneers. In this game, Alvin Kamara, Michael Thomas and Chris Olave must take over on offense since New England has struggled recently.

It’s been a rough first four weeks for Bill Belichick and the Patriots as they struggled offensively at Dallas in Week 4, falling 38-3. While the first few weeks the Pats played in close games, the offense has hurt them as they are collapsing all around Mac Jones on the ground and in the air.

My pick: Saints 20, Patriots 17

Dallas Cowboys (3-1) @ San Francisco 49ers (4-0) Sunday 8:20 p.m.

The Dallas defense was able to dominate the run defense over the Patriots as they held up without Trevon Diggs. The Cowboys’ offensive line injuries don’t do them justice, they must have a smart plan with Dak Prescott and the offense to work around that top Niners defense.

The San Francisco elite rush attack with Christian McCaffrey is a huge part of their success, Brock Purdy must utilize his weapons in Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle around a compromised Dallas defense if they want to win this game. The 49ers defense will be a huge key in keeping them in this game as they look to start 5-0 for the first time since 2019.

My pick: 49ers 27, Cowboys 17

Green Bay Packers (2-2) @ Las Vegas Raiders (1-3) Monday 8:15 p.m.

If the Green Bay offensive line can contain Maxx Crosby, Jordan Love and his young core of wide receivers will take advantage and enjoy this one in Sin City. The Packers’ defense must shut down the Raiders pass game and keep Josh Jacobs contained.

The Raiders must make a decision on whether it’s Jimmy Garoppolo or Aidan O’Connell to start this Monday night. Their key to success is to find a groove on the ground with Josh Jacobs taking over because the Packers pass defense will be a problem for either Vegas quarterback.

My pick: Packers 27, Raiders 20

Will’s Picks:

Tennessee Titans (2-2) @ Indianapolis Colts (2-2) Sunday 1:00 p.m.

This game is a pivotal AFC South matchup as every team in the division has a 2-2 record.

With that said, I believe that this game is very evenly matched. Both teams have subpar receivers, but the Colts win this game for two reasons.

First of which, both teams have sub-par receiver rooms, but the Colts have the best receiver on the field in this game in Michael Pittman Jr. DeAndre Hopkins for the Titans could see the most production in this game out of the position, but wide receiver won’t be the most important position in this game.

Both teams thrive off of their running game, and though the Titans have the best running back in this game, arguably in the league, we will get our first look at the Colts’ two-headed rushing monster in this game.

Rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson is a great runner, but his dual-threat ability will be twice as scary now that star running back Jonathan Taylor has been activated off the IR.

The Colts dominate on the ground in this game and come out with the win at home.

My pick: Colts 24, Titans 17

Houston Texans (2-2) @ Atlanta Falcons (2-2) Sunday 1:00 p.m.

Rookie quarterback CJ Stroud has shattered the stigma around Ohio State quarterbacks this season and is proving that the Texans made the right choice with him as the number two overall draft pick.

Stroud and the young Houston offense have been exciting to watch this year, and that continues this week.

The Falcons’ secondary will be a good test for this inexperienced offense, but Stroud and the Texans will keep rolling this week.

Between the new receiver duo in Tank Dell and Nico Collins, as well as Dameon Pierce at running back, Stroud has options. He should be able to expose the Falcons’ defense for a few big plays to help them win.

Not to mention the Falcons offense has been disappointing outside of Bijan Robinson, which does not come as a surprise.

The best offense will win this game, and I believe the Texans will do just that.

My pick: 27 Texans, Falcons 17

Cincinnati Bengals (1-3) @ Arizona Cardinals (1-3) Sunday 4:05 p.m.

How much more time do we give the Bengals before we call their season a failure?

This game may be that marker. Sitting at 1-3 and in the bottom of the AFC North, the Bengals backs are against the wall. They need a big win to turn their season around.

They need the highest-paid player in the NFL to play even just worth half of what he is getting paid. I think Joe Burrow is going to do that this week. Burrow showed all throughout his college career and even in his early pro career he plays better when he has people to prove wrong.

People are doubting the Burrow and the Bengals, and they will prove their doubters wrong.

Let’s not forget who they are playing either. The Cardinals are a very bad team, with one lucky win against the Cowboys.

A win this week may not turn their season around, but it will help for the Bengals going forward.

My pick: 38 Bengals, Cardinals 10

Michael’s Picks:

New York Jets (1-3) @ Denver Broncos (1-3) Sunday 4:25 p.m.

In a battle of the 1-3 teams, the New York Jets will travel to Mile High Stadium to take on the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

With his career on the line, Zach Wilson gave his team some faith as he delivered his best performance yet for the Jets and gave their offense life for the first time this season.

On the other side, the Denver Broncos’ defense has struggled immensely resulting in their 1-3 record despite Russell Wilson's solid play from quarterback.

In a matchup of the Wilsons, I expect the Jets to continue their surge and hit the Broncos’ defense hard both on the ground and through the air as the Broncos will struggle to get much going against a stiff Jets Defense.

My pick: Jets 31, Broncos 20

Baltimore Ravens (3-1) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2) Sunday 1:00 p.m.

In a classic AFC North rivalry matchup, the Baltimore Ravens will visit the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday at Acrisure Stadium.

The Ravens are coming into this one hot after destroying the Cleveland Browns on the road while the Steelers got blown out in their road matchup against the surging Houston Texans.

I expect this to be a classic close gritty matchup as Lamar Jackson, who has looked sharp all season through the air, takes on the Steelers’ stellar defense led by T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick.

However, with the uncertainty of Kenny Pickett’s availability for Sunday, I expect Lamar Jackson and the Ravens defense to capitalize and take care of business to get the win on the road.

My pick: Ravens 23, Steelers 16

Philadelphia Eagles (4-0) @ Los Angeles Rams (2-2) Sunday 4:25 p.m.

In this NFC matchup, the Los Angeles Rams are set to take on the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday.

The Eagles look to stay undefeated this season as they take on the Rams who at times this season have looked like their superbowl contending selves.

The Rams’ defense will look to step up and stump Jalen Hurts and the Eagles’ offense as Matthew Stafford will look to continue his great season with breakout Rookie wide-receiver Puka Nacua.

Ultimately I believe that with the emergence of Jalen Carter, the Eagles’ defense will step up and make it difficult for Matthew Stafford and the Rams to get things going, as they will continue their undefeated season.

My pick: Eagles 28, Rams 24

Ethan’s picks:

Chicago Bears (0-4) @ Washington Commanders (2-2) Thursday 8:15 p.m.

In yet another less anticipated Thursday night matchup, the Bears will try for their first win of what is already a season to forget.

Justin Fields has shown flashes of success this season but still isn’t where he needs to be as a franchise quarterback.

His receiving core could be good if they weren’t looking to trade one of them (Chase Claypool) away. They’re coming off a game that was very winnable for them, but untimely choked away the lead.

The Washington Commanders, on the other hand, have been an intriguing team to watch this season. Quarterback Sam Howell has performed better than most could’ve expected and the team is decent (besides the blowout vs. Buffalo).

I think this game is very winnable for both teams. On the Bears side, Fields has to be able to adjust to the absence of Claypool, who is out for Thursday. He needs to do what he does best and scramble for positive yards while under pressure.

For Washington, they just need to sustain drives and capitalize on any turnovers. They must utilize Brian Robinson Jr. when it comes to drives, especially in the red zone.

In the end, this game is going to swing the Commanders’ way as the Bears continually find a way to lose winnable games this season.

My pick: Commanders 17, Bears 7

New York Giants (1-3) @ Miami Dolphins (3-1) Sunday 1:00 p.m.

This game presents the tale of two teams. On one side you have the struggling New York Giants, and on the other side you have the powerhouse Miami Dolphins.

This game is not expected to be a closely contended matchup but is still worth previewing.

Currently, the Giants are coming off an embarrassing 24-3 loss on Monday Night Football to the Seattle Seahawks. The Giants have not looked like themselves from last season and seem to just be trying to survive.

It’s not currently known whether or not Saquon Barkley or Andrew Thomas will play, but even if they do, I don’t see it making a difference.

The Dolphins are coming off a shocking loss to the Buffalo Bills this past Sunday. This team has had an incredible offense all season with Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill proving to be a deadly combination.

I expect them to steamroll this weak Giants defense and have a good rebound game after last week and destroy the Giants, just as they did to the Broncos.

My pick: Dolphins 45, Giants 10

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Buffalo Bills @ Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Sunday 9:30 a.m.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are one of the teams in the NFL where it's hard to get a grasp on just how good they are. They’ve had commanding wins over both the Colts and Texans, but haven’t really shown that firepower against teams like the Texans and Chiefs.

The Bills, meanwhile, are on fire this season especially after their huge win over the Dolphins, showing that they are one of the biggest threats to win the Super Bowl.

Stefon Diggs and Josh Allen are having another career year together and have rebounded nicely after their surprise loss to the Jets in Week 1.

The Bills will have the upper hand in this game mainly due to the Jaguars’ limited pass defense. Jacksonville lets up an average of 249.8 passing yards per game. Expect Allen to pass for more than this and lead the Bills to a 4-1 record.

My pick: Bills 35, Jaguars 17

Kansas City Chiefs (3-1) @ Minnesota Vikings (1-3) Sunday 4:25 p.m.

This matchup features arguably two of the best offenses in the NFL, with two different records.

The Vikings have been one of the most surprising failures of the season, only picking up their first win this past Sunday against the Panthers.

The Chiefs, meanwhile, have had a decent season so far, despite quarterback Partick Mahomes struggling with their receiving core. After a loss vs the Lions in their season opener, the Chiefs have been relatively dominant, with the exception of a close call vs. the Jets last week.

This game is going to be closer than many think. It will be a highly offensive and high-scoring game. I see the Chiefs once again pulling out a win here.

In the end, I see it coming down to a battle of the quarterbacks and the Chiefs have the obvious advantage in this. Expect this to be another game that the Vikings lose by one score, as they’ve done all season.

My pick: Chiefs 38, Vikings 31

Matt Cabram is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email mwc5817@psu.edu

William James is a fourth-year print/digital journalism student. To contact him, email wmj5101@psu.edu.

Ethan Ellis is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email ece5133@psu.edu.

Michael Landis is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email mpl5930@psu.edu