Week 5 of the NFL season will come to an end with a divisional matchup between the Raiders (1-3) and Chiefs (3-1). The Raiders come off a (32-23) win against the Denver Broncos. As for the Chiefs they come off an impressive victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (41-31). This is a tough AFC West division and neither team will look to lose the game which will only put them into a deeper hole. The Chiefs are favored to win but that doesn’t mean to count out the Raiders in this game.
The Raiders offense has struggled on offense despite adding Davante Adams to their receiving core. Raiders are far from the worst team in the league despite their (1-3) record they just haven’t been able to get things going on either side of the ball and unfortunate turnovers in key moments have led to their losses. The run game for the Raiders was a key aspect of their week 4 victory against the Broncos and they’ll look to continue that success if they struggle to pass the ball. Last week’s only turnover came from the raiders which ultimately lead them to win the game in week 4 and the Raider’s defense will have to force more turnovers against a high-powered Chiefs offense. The Raiders will look to win back-to-back games and improve their record to (2-3).
As for the Chiefs, their offense played absolutely well against a great Buccaneers defense. Patrick Mahomes is playing at an MVP level which is expected of him and is passing the ball around to all of his offensive weapons that include Travis Kelce, Juju Smith-Schuster, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Clyde Edwards-Helaire will look to continue running the ball efficiently as he had himself 92 rushing yards and a touchdown. What makes the Chiefs offense scary is that no matter who Mahomes wants to go to he will find the open man and make the defense suffer. The Chiefs defense is allowing 24 points per game which is one of the highest in the league but their offense makes up for it and puts up points. The Chiefs will have to be better on defense as well as force turnovers and limit Adams in the passing game. With the Chiefs offense being able to control time and have the majority of the possession that will be key to victory for the chiefs.
An AFC North divisional matchup between the Rams and Bengals on Sunday night will be an interesting matchup. Last we saw from the Bengals (2-2) they defeated the Miami Dolphins and their offense looked to be back on track. As for the Ravens (2-2), they’ll look to rebound after a loss 23-20 against the Buffalo Bills. The AFC North currently has a three-way tie between the Bengals, Ravens, and Cleveland Browns so this game will no doubt be an important one for the Bengals and Ravens.
The Bengals look to be back in shape on offense and are going up against the Ravens who are ranked 30th on defense. Joe Burrow will look to pick apart the Ravens secondary, and Ja’Marr Chase will look to bounce back after a quiet outing in week 4. The Bengals run game has yet to find its legs with Joe Mixon in the backfield and will look to continue to find a recipe for success through the ground. With the Bengals offense filled with weapons Burrow will have Mixon, Tee Higgins, Chase, and Tyler Boyd. As for the Bengals Defense, they will be playing a tough Ravens offense that features Lamar Jackson and Mark Andrews. It’ll be interesting to see how the Bengals will react on defense and adjust to the playing style of the Ravens. A key to a Bengals victory will be Burrow playing at his best and leading the Bengals offense to score in what we expect to be a shootout between Burrow and Jackson.
The Ravens Offense struggled in the second half of the Ravens versus Buffalo Bills game and couldn’t put up any points in the second half. Ravens have been a good first-half team but when it comes to the second half the offense seems to turnover the ball quite a bit. Jackson will look to hit his receivers in stride and run the ball against a Bengals defense that has played well lately but hasn’t played a quarterback of Jackson’s caliber yet. On the opposite end of the ball, the Ravens defense has struggled in the second half blowing leads and giving up but plays in both their losses this season. It’s been rough going for the Ravens but they are tied for first in the division and have the potential to take first place in their division if they win this game. A key to victory for the Ravens will be the defense as they look to play consistent football and eliminate big plays as well as not allow the Bengals offense to score. All eyes will be on the Ravens defense in the second half of this game.
This game will be played in London and will be live at 8:30 AM Central Daylight Time. The Giants (3-1) are playing the Packers (3-1) and they are almost evenly matched, it’ll be an interesting game, to say the least. The Packers have been getting into a rhythm on offense lately and Rodgers is finally connecting with his receivers. The Packers defense barely held onto a 27-24 victory against the New England Patriots with Rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe leading the Patriots offense. The Giants came off a win against the Chicago Bears in which Daniel Jones had 2 rushing touchdowns. Jones was injured in week 4 and is questionable heading into week 5. If Jones is out against the Packers look for the Giants offense to be running the ball often with Saquon Barkley. The Giants defense was able to hold the Bears to 4 Field Goals and no Touchdowns were allowed. The Giants do have a shaky secondary that could allow Rodgers to have a field day throwing the deep ball.
Score prediction: Packers win (27-24)
Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings (3-1) will host the Bears (2-2) as it will be an NFC North battle. The Vikings are coming off a thriller game in London which they won 28-25 over the New Orleans Saints. Kirk Cousins had a decent outing as he went for 273 passing yards along with a touchdown. Justin Jefferson will be looking to have another great game as he goes up against a below-average Bears defense. In week 4 against the Saints Jefferson put up 10 receptions with 147 receiving yards and a rushing touchdown. As for the Bears they continue their offensive struggles and it also doesn’t help that Running Back David Montgomery is questionable heading into week 5, after suffering a severe ankle injury against the Texans in week 3. On the bright side, Khalil Herbert has picked up the workload and is the only bright spot in that Bears offense. The Bears defense has been below average and with a secondary that is already shaky look for Jefferson to have an explosive game.
Score prediction: Vikings Win (24-10)
Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills
The Bills (3–1) will be hosting the Steelers (1-3) this Sunday. The Steelers coming off a loss finally let Rookie Quarterback Kenny Pickett get a chance to play against the New York Jets after Mitchell Trubisky was struggling early on in the game. Pickett has been announced as the Steelers starting Quarterback heading forward. The Steelers have had one of the league’s most struggling offenses this season and with Najee Harris running the ball decently look for Harris to be getting called on a lot. Pickett’s first career start won’t come easy as it’s against the Bills. The Steelers defense has been average as they took a huge blow when T.J. Watt got injured in week 1. The Bills come off an impressive win against the Baltimore Ravens as they came back to win 23-20 after trailing by 17 points. Josh Allen and Stephon Diggs will look to pick apart a struggling Steelers defensive unit. The Bills defense will be playing rookie quarterback Pickett and will look to apply pressure and force Pickett into uncomfortable throwing situations. The Bills secondary has recently taken hits due to injuries but the backups and rookies have stepped up for the Bills defense. This Bills defense looks to continue playing exceptionally.
Score prediction: Bills win (28-3)
Los Angeles Chargers at Cleveland Browns
The Chargers (2-2) will be visiting the Browns (2-2) in week 5. The Chargers are coming off a 34-24 victory over the Houston Texans in a game they held the lead all game but nearly relaxed halfway through the game. The Chargers were up 27-7 at the half and the Texans rallied back 27-24 until the Chargers offense sealed the victory with a touchdown late in the fourth. The Chargers do not look to repeat what happened against the Texans almost blowing a lead. Justin Herbert will be playing a Browns defense that he hopes to pick apart along with the Chargers run game that includes Austin Ekeler. It is worth noting that the Browns are missing Myles Garrett who is questionable heading into the Chargers matchup and Jadevon Clowney who is also injured with no injury update. The Browns offense relies heavily on the run game with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt in the backfield. This game will feature two of the best running teams in the league and whichever defense can eliminate the run game will seal the victory in week 5.
Score prediction: Chargers win (24-21)
Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars (2-2) will be hosting their division rivals the Texans (0-3-1) this Sunday afternoon. The Jaguars have been off to an interesting start despite coming off a loss to the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles. The Jaguars offense struggled a little in week 4 but were able to keep themselves in the game. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence Looks to bounce back after getting strip-sacked twice and throwing an interception but on a positive note threw 2 touchdowns. The Jaguars defense has been surprisingly playing some stellar football. As for the Houston Texans they are desperate for a win and have been struggling on both sides of the ball. The only bright spot for the Texans is Rookie running back Dameon Pierce who has been pounding the ball well for that Texans’ offense. The Texans Defense hasn’t played all that well and will look to eliminate Lawrence’s passing options.
Score prediction: Jaguars win (17-7)
Detroit Lions at New England Patriots
The Detroit Lions despite having a (1-3) record has been impressive this season as all their losses have come within 4 points or less. The Lions came off a loss against the Seahawks in a high-scoring game 48-45 in which they lost, and Goff had an electric outing with 4 passing Touchdowns along with 378 passing yards. The Lions will look to continue to try and find a way to seal a victory against the Patriots. The Lions defense will look to pressure Patriots rookie Quarterback Bailey Zappe in his first career start. The Patriots will be without Mac Jones as he is listed as doubtful with an ankle injury. New England’s defense was able to keep them in the game against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense in week 4 but ultimately fell short 27-24. Despite the Patriot’s offense having a Rookie Quarterback leading the way, Zappe didn’t look so bad going 10/15 with 99 passing yards and 1 passing touchdown. This game looks to be evenly matched.
Score prediction: Lions Win 21-20
Seattle Seahawks at New Orleans Saints
Seattle is coming off a thrilling game against the Detroit Lions in which they won 48-45. The Seahawks offense was electric in week 4 with Geno Smith leading the way with 2 passing touchdowns and 320 passing yards. Seattle’s offense will try to continue its offensive success against a New Orleans defense that has been just average. The Seahawks defense will look to continue forcing turnovers against a Saints offense that will be without Michael Thomas and Jameis Winston. The Saints will be starting quarterback Andy Dalton in week 5 against the Seahawks. Dalton had a decent outing in week 4 throwing for 236 passing yards and a touchdown but the Saint’s offense leaned toward their running game as they had 2 touchdowns through the ground. Saint’s defense has been above average and has a lot of talent on the defensive side of the ball. The key for both teams will be to try and eliminate the run game as both Seattle and New Orleans have good running games.
Score Prediction: Seahawks win 24-7
Miami Dolphins at New York Jets
The Dolphins (3-1) have had a little bit of time to recover from their loss against the Cincinnati Bengals. Miami will be without Tua Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater will be starting against the Jets in week 5. Last we saw of the Dolphins the offense was in rhythm with Tua as their quarterback but we will see how this offense plays with Bridgewater leading the way. The Dolphins’ defense will have to carry a bit more of the workload depending on how the Dolphin’s offense plays. A key to victory for the Dolphins will be to be consistent on both sides of the ball, especially on offense. The Jets (2-2) came off a win against the Pittsburgh Steelers in which Zach Wilson made his return to the Jets Offense. The Jet’s offense is young and they look to continue improving week by week as they’ve been surprising some people this year. Wilson will have to try and eliminate his turnovers as he threw for 2 interceptions against the Steelers but on the bright side, he had a receiving touchdown and a passing touchdown. The Jet’s defense has been average but a key to their victory will be trying to get off the field on defense as they are one of the league’s worst teams on 3rd down and allow opposing teams to convert 51% of the time.
Score Prediction: Dolphins win 20-17
Atlanta Falcons Vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
A divisional matchup between the Falcons (2-2) and Buccaneers (2-2) is always a treat. The Falcons come off a 23-20 win against the Cleveland Browns. the Falcons were deemed one of the worst teams in the league but have shocked a lot of people out there. Mariota has been somewhat impressive as he’s completed 58% of his passes on the season and Patterson is fourth in the league in rushing with 340 rushing yards. The Falcon’s defense is in the middle of the pack in the league as they are average but the defensive front for Atlanta can cause problems for Brady on Sunday. A key to winning the game for Atlanta will be to force Brady to make quick decisions with the ball in his hands and shut down the run game. The Buccaneers come off a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and will look to avoid a 3 game-losing streak. Brady and the Buccaneer’s offense have struggled as of late and haven’t been able to get anything going in the running game. The Buccaneer’s defense has been off to a good start but will need their offense to step it up this game. Buccaneer’s key to victory will be getting the offense going and putting up points.
Score prediction: Buccaneers Win 28-14
Tennessee Titans Vs Washington Commanders
The Titans (2-2) are heading into week 5 fresh off a 24-17 victory against the Colts, they’ll look to extend their winning streak to 3 games in a row. The Titans seem to be getting back to their form as they are trying to do what they do best which is run the ball with Derrick Henry. Ryan Tannehill will have to provide more in this game as he was just efficient last week in their week 4 victory but the run game seemed to be working. The Titan’s defense will look to force turnovers last week even though they allowed a lot of yardages the Titan’s defense was able to force turnovers that their offense was able to capitalize on. As for the Commanders they look to snap their three-game losing streak at home. Carson Wentz will have to eliminate turning over the ball to stay in this game against the Tennessee Titans. Wentz had two interceptions last week and only put up 10 points in a loss to the Cowboys. Putting up points on offense will be key for the Commanders this week as they haven’t been able to put up a lot of points the past two weeks. On the defensive end of the ball, the Commanders aren’t the worst in the league but they are on the field a lot which causes them to be fatigued in key situations.
Score Prediction: Titans Win 23-20
San Francisco 49ers At Carolina Panthers
The 49ers (2-2) are coming off a 24-9 win against the Super Bowl Champs and division rivals the Los Angeles Rams. The 49ers’ offense has made improvements since week 3 as Jimmy Garoppolo looked a little more comfortable in the pocket and Deebo Samuel had himself a game. The 49er’s defense played lights out in week 4 against the Rams and sealed the victory with a Pick 6 by Talanoa Hufanga, they will look to continue to play dominant defense against a struggling Panthers offense. The Panthers (1-3) have been struggling on offense and look to improve upon it. Baker Mayfield struggled in week 4 throwing a couple of interceptions and will have a tough matchup this week against a dominant 49ers defense. Christian McCaffrey made more of an impact catching the ball than running it in week 4 and will look to get it going in week 5. The Panther’s defense will look to try and pressure Garoppolo and double-team Samuel.
Score Prediction: 49ers win 21-7
Philadelphia Eagles at Arizona Cardinals
The Battle of the Birds will take place in Arizona where the Cardinals will host the undefeated Eagles. The Eagles (4-0) look to extend their win streak to five in a row and remain the only undefeated team. The Eagle’s defense forced a lot of turnovers against the Jaguars which led to their offense capitalizing those turnovers into points. Jalen Hurts and the Eagle’s offense struggled in the first quarter but were able to put up 20 points in the second quarter against the Jaguars in week 4. The Eagles will look to dominate through the passing game and stay consistent through the ground. The Cardinals (2-2) came off a win against the Carolina Panthers, where Kyler Murray was efficient through the air with 207 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and a rushing touchdown. The passing game will be important as no Cardinals receiver had over 100 receiving yards in week 4. The Cardinal’s defense will have to pressure Murray and force turnovers in order to win this game.
Score prediction: Eagles win 28-25
Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Rams
The Rams will be hosting the Cowboys at Sofi stadium. The Rams (2-2) came off a tough loss against their division rivals the San Francisco 49ers in week 4. Matthew Stafford has yet to find a number two receiver and has yet to utilize the new Rams receiver, Allen Robinson. Stafford has relied heavily on Star Receiver Cooper Kupp this season, the Ram’s offense has yet to get it going this season and will face a tough Dallas defense. As for the Ram’s defense, they’ve been on the field quite a bit this season which has led to fatigue and allowing points. The Ram’s offense will have to come up big against the Cowboys and put up points. Cooper Rush will be starting in week 5 against the Rams, the Cowboys (3-1) have gone on a 3-game winning streak and look to keep it going. The Cowboy’s Offense has been consistent with Rush leading the way and they will have to play a tough Rams defense that includes Jalen Ramsey and Aaron Donald. The Cowboy’s defense has been lights out since Week 2 and has been one of the league’s best and they’ll look to eliminate Kupp from getting any catches.
Tonight is going to be crazy and wild as it’s one of the most intense nights in WWE. Extreme Rules is here and boy are we in for a great night of matches. Multiple titles are on the line and so many feuds will either continue to grow or will end at Extreme Rules. Will we have new champions at the end of the show or will every champion continue their reigns? Sit back and watch because it’s going to be an exciting night for the WWE Universe.
‘I Quit’ Match: Edge vs. Finn Balor
A dream match for most fans. Never have the two been in the ring in a one-on-one situation and tonight the WWE Universe will see a match that will always be remembered. It all started with betrayal. Edge at one point this year lead The Judgement Day and Finn was part of the movement. But it did not last long as Balor and the rest of the Judgement Day turned on Edge and now Edge is out for revenge. It’s a one-on-one match but it will not feel like one as Edge will not only deal with Finn Balor but he would also need eyes on the back of his head because Judgement Day will be nearby not knowing what they may do. Despite the huge obstacle Edge may face he will be victorious.
Prediction: Edge defeats Finn Balor
Strap Match: Karrion Kross vs. Drew McIntyre
In what can be the biggest and most exciting match of the night we have up-and-coming superstar Karrion Kross looking to continue to make a name for himself. After his return in August he started the feud with Drew after attacking him from behind the same night he returned and multiple shots at Drew that he was picked to be the future of the WWE but failed and was the wrong pick by the company. Drew with so much on the line at Extreme Rules in a match that can jumpstart his career or could put him back in the same place where we just don’t know what his future holds or if he will ever be a champ again.
Prediction: Karrion Kross defeats Drew McIntyre
Fight Pit Match: Matt Riddle vs. Seth Rollins
Seth Rollins always knows how to put on a show at any PPV he is a part of. As of late, he has been on the mic talking about being the champion one day and that the champ has been avoiding him. But before he could get there he has to finish his feud with Matt Riddle who we had no idea where he would be after losing tag titles and losing his partner to injury. After a lot of back and forth and plenty of things said that were really personal just heated up this match up so much more. Will Riddle win and continue to build his name as a solo or will Rollins win another PPV match and lead him to a title shot? Also, this match will have a special guest referee. UFC Hall of Fame Daniel Cormier could have a huge part in Rollins losing tonight so keep eye on him during the match.
Prediction: Riddle defeats Seth Rollins
Ladder Match for Raw Women’s Championship: Bianca Belair vs. Bayley
She is back and ready to make some noise. The surprise return of Bayley at Summerslam definitely brings a spark to the women’s division. Confronting Bianca Belair after defending her title. Bayley has been out for some time now and now that she is back she is ready to be a champ again. And to do so she will have to win a match that is only fitting for Extreme Rules. How far is Bayley willing to go to take the title from Bianca the same can be said for Belair. What is she willing to do and how much pain is she willing to endure to hold on to that title? This will be the most exciting title match of the night and should be full of excitement. Turn your phones off and keep your eyes on this match because you won’t want to miss any of it.
The Timberwolves came into this game against the Lakers following a victory in Miami. The difference in this game is the fact Rudy Gobert & D’Angelo Russell were going to suit up. Everyone has been waiting to see how this offense and defense would look with Gobert in it. Tonight the fans and media got that answer as soon as he touched the floor. The Timberwolves were able to run a lot of set plays and a lot of screens. Rudy Gobert was able to be dominant in the paint as he was able to alter a lot of shots from the Lakers. On the offensive end, he was able to get open and make some great post moves for strong finishes. It’s going to take a little time for the chemistry to get there as Rudy had some illegal screens but this is a marathon, not a race. Tonight Rudy finished with 5 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 assists. This could be a special season for Rudy and when Karl-Anthony Towns joins the lineup it will make things even easier for the big man.
D’Angelo, Anthony, and Jaden were all in mid-season form as all three combined for 34 points in limited minutes. Anthony Edwards was showing off some of the work he put in during the offseason. Edwards hit a couple of step-back jumpers and he also was able to get to the rack with ease. Edwards was playing with a confidence that rubbed off on his teammates early and he was able to get anything he wanted. Anthony Edwards was giving that work to any Lakers player they put on him tonight. It didn’t matter if it was Pippen Jr, Walker IV, or Reeves. Everyone is expecting Anthony Edwards to make that All-Star leap and this can be the season if he’s presented with the opportunity.
Russell looked really good and he was able to hit his 3-point shot tonight. D’Angelo is going to be the key to the success of the Timberwolves and he was able to make it look easy against anyone the Lakers had on him. Russell is one of those players that can get it done on both ends. Tonight he was trying to get Gobert involved as you can tell he wanted to work on their chemistry. This was a good test for Russell’s first game to get into the groove of the NBA season. Jaden McDaniels was able to show some glimpses on both ends of the floor tonight. Jaden had a move where he got the ball near the corner and dribbled into a spin-move dunk. It was impressive to see as you can tell McDaniels is playing with a lot of confidence. On the defensive end, he was getting in those passing lanes making sure he was able to at least be a part of the play in some way. Jaden will have a big year and his play tonight was encouraging for all Timberwolves to see especially in limited minutes.
The players that stood out to me tonight apart from the starters were Bryn Forbes and Jaylen Nowell. Both were able to come in and be aggressive against the Lakers. If they can give this type of production off the bench all season long it will make up for some of the depth that the Timberwolves lost in the Gobert trade. Tonight they combined for 20 points with Nowell having 13 of those. They showed that they can get the ball in the hoop and can get hot at any moment to help those starters in the clutch. If this trend continues the Timberwolves fans will love what they see moving forward, especially after this Lakers game.
Photo Credit: (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NBAE via Getty Images)
