NFL Week 5 Predictions: Prediction for every game including Jets vs. Vikings and Cowboys vs. Steelers

Both NFC South opponents are coming off big victories: The Atlanta Falcons defeat the New Orleans Saints with a game-winning field goal and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers dismantle the Philadelphia Eagles. Tampa Bay appears to be the better team right now, especially with Vita Vea back and Calijah Kancey at least having a chance of returning in Week 5. That gives the Buccaneers a potentially significant advantage in the trenches against a struggling Falcons offensive line. If Atlanta wins this, it will be on the shoulders of Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier against one of the NFL’s worst run defenses this season.

Related: NFL defensive rankings

The New York Jets defense has really turned things around in the last two games, holding their last two opponents to a 54.9% completion percentage and a 69.1 QB rating (Pro Football Reference). In contrast to the Green Bay Packers, New York also has a secondary that can actually keep up pretty well with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Still, the Vikings are the best team in the NFL right now and if these Jets’ offense had so many problems with the Denver Broncos’ defense, Aaron Rodgers and Co. could be in for a very long Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings’ defense, according to Brian Flores.

Rexcited: NFL offensive rankings

The Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears offenses, particularly their running games, have started to gain some momentum. This leaves this game to the defensive players, and this is where the Chicago Bears have the huge advantage. Chicago’s secondary is well-equipped to keep the bottom-10 Panthers receiving team in check, and the Bears’ defensive line should be able to generate some pressure. With Caleb Williams facing a bottom-three defense, Chicago has the edge and should win consecutive games.

Related: NFL Power Rankings

The Baltimore Ravens put together one of the most impressive performances by an NFL team this season. On the other hand, the Cincinnati Bengals are 1-3 and have allowed a total of 62 points to their last two opponents. Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins should have relative success through the air against this Ravens secondary, but running the football won’t be an option against the NFL’s No. 1 defense. Rivalry games can always be difficult, but the Ravens appear to be the far superior football team right now, possessing the arsenal to dismantle Cincinnati’s defense into a big win.

Related: NFL Top 100 Players

If there’s one game to skip in NFL Week 5, it’s this one. The New England Patriots rank last with the second-worst offense (13 PPG) in the NFL (238.8 yards per game). The Miami Dolphins offense without Tua Tagovailoa is just as bad. Explosive plays, let alone points, will be hard to come by. Ultimately, we’ll give the slight edge to a better defense and a more experienced quarterback, but this matchup feels like a coin toss where the outcome doesn’t matter.

Related: Highest Paid NFL Players

The Washington Commanders have officially taken the plunge. This is not what we expected going into the season, due in large part to massive concerns about Washington’s offensive line and defense. It is a credit to this organization that the offensive line has exceeded expectations and allowed Jayden Daniels to thrive. With the Cleveland Browns defense having taken a significant step backwards in 2024 and the Browns offense in dire shape, the Commanders should be able to earn their fourth straight win and a 4-1 start no one expected.

Anthony Richardson (hip pointer) left Sunday with an injury and the Indianapolis Colts offense looked better without him thanks to Joe Flacco. Now there’s no QB controversy in Indianapolis, but it shows how great this Colts offense can be when Shane Steichen is running the game, when the quarterback is protecting the football and completing more than half of his passes. For now, Richardson will likely play in Week 5 and that game depends on his decision-making. Indianapolis has the edge due to Jonathan Taylor and a Colts defense on the rise, but this is the Jacksonville Jaguars’ best chance at a win so far.

Prepare your popcorn. The timing of this matchup is particularly good for the Houston Texans, who should get Joe Mixon back for Week 5 before facing a Buffalo Bills defense that has allowed just over 200 rushing yards. Houston wants to dominate the football and success will do more for CJ Stroud and this passing game. However, we also expect Josh Allen to bounce back after a difficult period Football on Sunday evenings performance, and while Stefon Diggs’ “revenge game” is a very popular narrative, Buffalo will be just as motivated to prove it’s better off without him. We expect this to be the highest scoring NFL game of Week 5 and the Texans to win it late in the fourth quarter.

If the Denver Broncos can beat the New York Jets in a game in which Bo Nix only had 60 yards on 25 pass attempts, the Las Vegas Raiders are in trouble. Denver’s defense is suffocating opponents this season – allowing just 4.2 yards per play (2nd) with a 28.3% third-down conversion rate (4th) in four games. With Davante Adams (hamstring injury) potentially out for this game, Denver should be able to control this game throughout. The Raiders’ only hope, especially with Maxx Crosby (upper ankle sprain) out, is for Antonio Pierce to bring the team back together like he did against the Kansas City Chiefs last year.

Brock Purdy has proven he can play well without Deebo Samuel and George Kittle, but life is just easier when you have two All-Pro offensive weapons on the field alongside Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings. Now, after a stunning win, San Francisco faces an Arizona Cardinals defense that has allowed the seventh-highest yards per game average (5.8). Kyle Shanahan will be cooking on Sunday. Whether San Francisco wins or not depends on whether the 49ers’ defense can turn things around. This unit looked great against the New England Patriots, but this is a bottom-three offense where teams don’t have to worry about offensive weapons. Luckily for San Francisco, Kyler Murray and Co. are currently a bit up and down, which could be the deciding factor in this underrated game.

Related: Week 5 Fantasy Rankings

Everything looked bleak for the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field after falling behind the Minnesota Vikings 28-0. Somehow, Green Bay lost 31-29 due to missed field goals as Jordan Love played 60 percent and threw passes. The Packers’ offense is proving to be one of the best units in the league, and while this defense has a tendency to give up on the big play, it also generates takeaways like no other. Against a Los Angeles Rams team without Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, but also with a bottom three defense, the Packers should get a win.

Related: Tips from NFL experts

The Seattle Seahawks defense under first-year head coach Mike Macdonald is one of the biggest stories in the NFL right now. After fielding one of the worst defenses in 2023, Seattle’s defense is thriving this season. That’s bad news for Daniel Jones, especially since this Seahawks offense should have no trouble exploiting the Giants’ secondary.

The hype surrounding this game has taken a bit of a hit. The Dallas Cowboys will be without Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence, making a poor defense even worse. As if that wasn’t bad enough for Dallas, this Cowboys offense has proven that it can only move the football when Dak Prescott comes into contact with CeeDee Lamb or Jake Ferguson. In short, the Pittsburgh Steelers have every advantage in this game except quarterback play. However, Pittsburgh also blew its undefeated season last Sunday against a struggling Indianapolis Colts team. Still, the Steelers just look far superior defensively and this looks like a very good matchup for them Football on Sunday evenings.

Related: NFL games today, NFL Week 5 schedule

On one side of the field, we have a New Orleans Saints team that is coming off back-to-back losses and will likely be without Taysom Hill, Demario Davis, Tyrann Mathieu and Erik McCoy Monday Night Football. Meanwhile, Isiah Pacheco, Marquise Brown and Rashee Rice (torn cruciate ligament) are no longer represented in the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense. It could have been a great game, but both teams were decimated by injuries. That’s why we give preference to the team with the greats as quarterback and head coach.

Related: 2024 NFL bye week schedule