NFL matchups
Patriots at Jets
11 a.m. on CBS
The Jets (3-2) are, without equivocation, far better than anyone expected. They are more capable on offense and more stingy on defense.
They are by no means a postseason contender, but they have been playing at or near mediocre all season and that is light years ahead of where anyone expected them to be.
The Patriots (3-2), however, are not a team that can be beaten with a little pluck and a lot of luck. To beat New England you need talent — lots of it — and the Jets are still lacking there. Line: Patriots by 9.5 Pick: Patriots
Packers at Vikings
11 a.m. on Fox
The pieces are all there for the Vikings (3-2) to be a top team. Their defensive line can dominate games, their secondary is topnotch and Sam Bradford showed in Week 1 that he can stretch the field with Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen. Unfortunately, Bradford cannot seem to stay on the field.
Line: Packers by 3 Pick: Packers
Steelers at Chiefs
2:25 p.m. on CBS
The combination of Alex Smith, Kareem Hunt and Tyreek Hill has made Kansas City a juggernaut. There is just as much offensive talent on the Steelers (3-2) but that team has been out of sync all season, and a pass-first strategy against a top-ranked pass defense last week — a strategy that resulted in five interceptions — would not seem to indicate they are on the path back to greatness.
Line: Chiefs by 4.5 Pick: Chiefs
Giants at Broncos
6:30 p.m. on NBC
The Giants (0-5) already know they will go the remainder of the season without Odell Beckham Jr. (fractured ankle), Dwayne Harris (fractured foot) and Brandon Marshall (officially a sprained ankle, though he said on Instagram that he had season-ending surgery). Going into a road game against the heavily-favored Broncos (3-1), they also have Sterling Shepard in a walking boot. Line: Broncos by 11.5 Pick: Broncos
Dolphins at Falcons
11 a.m.
Early bye weeks may seem like a disadvantage, but for the Falcons (3-1) the timing could not have been better. They are expected to get Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu back from injuries, and with a little luck could also see the return of Vic Beasley Jr., Ryan Schraeder and Ricardo Allen.
Getting back your top two wide receivers, your most dominant pass-rusher, your starting right tackle and your starting free safety is bound to brighten the spirits of a team that is still reeling from a Week 4 loss to Buffalo. Line: Falcons by 11.5 Pick: Falcons
Rams at Jaguars
2:05 p.m.
But even with a world-class secondary, and a terrific young running back, Leonard Fournette, there are reasons the Jaguars are 3-2. Chief among them: The frequent ineptitude of the team’s quarterback, Blake Bortles, and the defense’s inability or unwillingness to stop the run.
So where does that leave Jacksonville in a matchup against the much-improved Rams (3-2)? It very likely depends on how stubbornly Los Angeles plans to focus on passing. Line: Jaguars by 2.5 Pick: Jaguars
Lions at Saints
11 a.m.
The Lions (3-2) would very likely be 5-0 if Golden Tate had made it a few more inches in Week 3 and the defense had made one more stop in Week 5. A loss is a loss, but it is worth remembering when trying to predict Detroit’s performances that they have either won or been on the verge of victory every week. The Saints (2-2) have looked improved in their last two games, and trading away Adrian Peterson is probably a good move for team morale, but even at home they are just not as scary as they once were.
Line: Saints by 5 Pick: Lions
Browns at Texans
11 a.m.
The Texans (2-3) will play the rest of the season without two of the team’s best defenders, but they still go into the game against the Browns (0-5) as big favorites. That is less about the quality of the Browns as it is a testament to how much respect the Texans’ rookie quarterback, Deshaun Watson, is already getting. He threw four touchdown passes two weeks ago and five last week.
Line: Texans by 9.5 Pick: Texans
Bears at Ravens
11 a.m.
You would never guess it based on the box score, but Chicago’s rookie quarterback, Mitchell Trubisky, looked great in his NFL debut on Monday. The problem for the Bears (1-4) is that none of their receivers can catch. Line: Ravens by 6.5 Pick: Ravens
49ers at Redskins
11 a.m.
The 49ers (0-5) are a rather dramatic combination of bad and unlucky. It is not that they have necessarily deserved a win, but losing by 3 points or less for four consecutive weeks seems rather cruel. Line: Redskins by 9.5 Pick: Redskins
Buccaneers at Cardinals
2:05 p.m.
Adrian Peterson was not happy with his playing time in New Orleans, but considering the sad state of Arizona’s offensive line, he may also not like being on the field for the Cardinals (2-3). Line: Buccaneers by 2.5 Pick: Buccaneers
Chargers at Raiders
2:25 p.m.
Coach Jack Del Rio expects Derek Carr to be back at quarterback for the Raiders (2-3) and even with a broken bone in his back he represents an enormous improvement over E.J. Manuel. The Chargers (1-4) came back to beat the (winless) Giants last week, but winning on the road against a team that isn’t as bad as its record suggests does not seem likely.
Line: N/A Pick: Raiders
Colts at Titans
6:30 p.m. Monday on ESPN
When a star quarterback is out, teams generally lean on unimpressive veteran backups and hope for the best. That is the strategy that led to the Titans (2-3) losing to Miami last week, as Matt Cassel was incapable of filling Marcus Mariota’s shoes.
The Colts (2-3) went in the other direction when they needed to fill in for Andrew Luck, trading for an intriguing youngster, Jacoby Brisset.
He has rewarded the team with two wins in three weeks, and could potentially get them to .500 this week.
Line: N/A Pick: Pick ’em