WEEK 5 MATCHUPS
BALTIMORE (2-2) AT PITTSBURGH (1-3)
The fact that neither of these AFC North teams has a winning record doesn’t diminish one bit the intensity of the rivalry between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers. If it is not the most historic series in NFL history, it’s as intense as any. While their meetings often are decided in the trenches, Pittsburgh coaches and players know stopping fast, versatile and elusive QB Lamar Jackson is critical to having a chance against Baltimore.
GREEN BAY (3-1) AT DALLAS (3-1)
Even with both teams coming off a loss — Green Bay’s defense showed little against Philadelphia in a 34-27 defeat, and the Cowboys’ offense showed even less in a 12-10 loss to New Orleans — this is a juicy matchup. It almost always seems to be. The Packers have won seven of the past eight in this series, with the lone victory for Dallas in that stretch coming during a franchise-record 11-game winning streak when QB Dak Prescott and RB Ezekiel Elliott were rookies in 2016.
TAMPA BAY (2-2) AT NEW ORLEANS (3-1)
Tampa Bay stunned the Saints in their 2018 season opener at the Superdome. Now the Buccaneers are coming off another big performance, having set a single-game franchise scoring record with a 55-40 road win against the Los Angeles Rams, who won last season’s NFC championship at New Orleans and beat the Saints again last month. The strong pass rush the Saints showed last week against Dallas is a must against Jameis Winston, who has passed for at least 375 yards and three touchdowns his past two games.
INDIANAPOLIS (2-2) AT KANSAS CITY (4-0)
This is their second meeting of 2019, with the Chiefs’ win over Indianapolis in January their first home playoff victory since Jan. 8, 1994. The Chiefs seek to start 5-0 for a third consecutive season and are odds-on favorites to do so: Kansas City is 11-2 in October under coach Andy Reid, who needs one win to reach 200 regular-season victories and has 211 total, sixth-most in NFL history.
MINNESOTA (2-2) AT NEW YORK GIANTS (2-2)
The Giants were buried by so many pundits after opening with backto-back losses — then second-year pro Daniel Jones moved in at QB in place of 38-year-old Eli Manning, and now they could wind up tied for the NFC East lead with their own win and a Dallas loss today. The Vikings may hail from the cold climate of the NFC North, but they have lost five straight outdoor road games.
JACKSONVILLE (2-2) AT CAROLINA (2-2)
Both of these teams were buried after 0-2 starts and injuries to starting QBs Nick Foles and Cam Newton. Guess what! The winner here, whether the AFC South’s Jaguars with rookie Gardner Minshew, or the NFC South’s Panthers with Kyle Allen, could find itself looking down at the rest of its division. Minshew Mania faces a tough test — Carolina has the league’s stingiest pass defense.
CHICAGO (3-1) VS. OAKLAND (2-2)
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium hosts the first of four NFL games in London this season, and the biggest note going into this one is Chicago pass-rushing power Khalil Mack taking on his old team for the first time since the Raiders traded him before last season. Now he leads perhaps the most ferocious defense in the NFL, with the Bears holding opponents to an average of 11.3 points per game so far.
NEW ENGLAND (4-0) AT WASHINGTON (0-4)
New England’s defense is no slouch, either. The Bears rank second in the league in average points allowed per game behind the Patriots’ 6.8. That has helped offset an ineffective offense — Tom Brady’s 45.9 passer rating last week against Buffalo was his worst since a 34 in a loss to the Indianapolis Colts in November 2006. Still, it’s hard to see him having much trouble today.
ARIZONA (0-3-1) AT CINCINNATI (0-4)
There are reasons to watch this game — if you think hard enough. Maybe tune in to see which of the first-year NFL head coaches might get his initial win: Kliff Kingsbury of the Cardinals or Zac Taylor of the Bengals. Or, if you like seeing QBs get knocked down, the Cardinals have given up a league-high 20 sacks, followed by the Bengals with 19.
NEW YORK JETS (0-3) AT PHILADELPHIA (2-2)
New York has been hopeful Sam Darnold will return less than a month after contracting mononucleosis, but surely coach Adam Gase isn’t thinking about rushing back his franchise QB, particularly with this season seemingly a lost cause. The Eagles’ defense is short-handed, though, and they need their receiving group to heal up quickly, too.
DENVER (0-4) AT LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (2-2)
Brought to you by the AFC West: one disappointing team — and one total flop through 25% of the season. Denver has perfected losing close games and struggles moving the ball on the ground and stopping the run. That means the Chargers, much more proficient through the air, might give lots of work to their deep stable of backs.
CLEVELAND (2-2) AT SAN FRANCISCO (3-0)
The undefeated 49ers will roll into Monday night a well-rested squad, with their last game a four-point home win over the Steelers on Sept. 22. No team is more of a pleasant surprise so far this season than San Francisco, but Cleveland has won four of the last five meetings in this series between the NFL’s two worst franchises the past four seasons. The Browns were 11-52-1 in that span; the 49ers 17-47.