NFL WEEK 5 PREVIEW AND PICKS
Philadelphia (-2) at Buffalo - Sunday, 1:00 p.m. est
Questions to be answered in Buffalo…is this a dream or a nightmare for Philly? This was supposed to be a Super Bowl contender. Have the Bills peaked? They’ve done well as the underdog, but last week, they expected to win and didn’t.
How they match up:
Eagles Defense vs. Bills Offense
It’s not how bad the Philly defense has been, but when they’ve been bad that hurts the most. They’ve surrendered 42 points in the 4th quarter over the past three weeks. And they are quite vulnerable to the run. They’ve turned out to be very experienced in the secondary, but inexperienced at linebacker and their line hasn’t been too strong either.
Until last week, the Buffalo offense has been in gear. Fred Jackson has had 6 runs of 20 yards or more. The Bills have been moving up field with a controlled passing game that seems to fit Ryan Fitzpatrick well. Buffalo looked like they were going to ring up their fourth win a week ago but went from 17 in the second quarter to 3 in the second half.
The Eagles used to frighten offensive coordinators but this year, they’ve frightened their fans more often. The question will be, has Buffalo’s offense been figured out or did Cincinnati just push the right buttons.
Bills Defense vs. Eagles Offense
The Bills are giving up points. Their defense is near the bottom in most categories. They’ve been aided by an efficient offense. They have registered 8 interceptions so far. Among their opposition so far, the New England Patriots, a scoring machine. The defense did well against KC, but couldn’t come up with the big late stop in Cincinnati.
Philly’s offense has been putting up decent yardage totals, good point totals and still are not getting it done when they need it. Michael Vick has been beaten like a piñata while the Eagles are struggling on 3rd downs. This offense seems to start well, but can’t come up with big plays to stave off comeback attempts. This was supposed to be a potent offense. It’s sputtered too often.
Another game that likely won’t be decided until the 4th quarter. This Bills’ defense will make their offense work. The Eagles suspect all they need to do is finish.
Who to pick???
The Bills have been a surprise team this season, but so have the Eagles. Of course, Philly’s surprises aren’t good ones. If the Eagles are going to right the ship, they must have this game. But are their problems solvable in a week’s time? Who will be the determined trend stopper? We know the answer. Click here and buy this NFL pick for only $20.
New Orleans (-6) at Carolina - Sunday, 1:00 p.m. est
Saints fans wonder what might have happened if they hadn’t lost to Seattle in the first round of last year’s playoffs. They appear to be back on track. Carolina has only won one game, but they’ve been in every one and Cam Newton is having a great start.
How they match up:
Saints Defense vs. Panthers Offense
With as potent an offense as New Orleans has, a decent defense is all that’s needed. New Orleans is vulnerable through the air. The Saints may have gotten a break with Arian Foster out for the Texans in week 3, but they pitched a second half shutout while the offense sputtered last week in Jacksonville.
Newton didn’t have great numbers last week, still he was able to lead his team to his first career victory. And the fan base in Carolina will be energized with the Saints in town. Newton is the team’s third leading rusher and has scored four rushing touchdowns. And Steve Smith is being Steve Smith with 132 yards per game and 2 touchdowns.
While the supposed experts will look at this as a Cam Newton vs. Drew Brees showdown, the wise prognosticator will be most concerned with how Cam will do against a solid if not flashy defense.
Panthers Defense vs. Saints Offense
Carolina has had little success against the run. They’re next to worst against the run and they’ve played a couple of teams who don’t necessarily feature the ground game. Hard to say how that will translate against one of the best passing teams in the NFL. Carolina will have to slow Brees and hope for a few turnovers, they’ve only got three over the first month.
The Saints offense is clicking. Except for a second half of three field goals a week ago, Drew and his capable stable of receivers have been carving up defenses. Saints receivers are averaging 30 catches per game. Brees is at 69% completions. Drew has been spreading the ball around, making it difficult for a secondary to focus on any one player or area of the field.
All the defense has to do is keep the Panthers in the game. So far, they’ve been able to do that. They’re 3-0 against the spread. New Orleans can score at any time. Brees can make a strong defense look weak.
Who to pick???
No one expected Cam Newton to come on as strong as he has. On the other hand, Drew Brees is back in championship form. Patience is likely a factor in this game. Carolina will bring some energy to their home turf. What you need to know is when and if that energy will run out. For that information and an easy winner, click here and purchase for only $20.
Tampa Bay at San Francisco (-2.5) - Sunday, 4:05 p.m. est
Both teams are off to good starts. Tampa has won three straight while the 9ers are a collapse away from being undefeated. Neither are putting up impressive numbers, just wins.
How they match up:
Buccaneers Defense vs. 49ers Offense
Tampa’s defense gave them a chance by holding the Vikings down in the second half. They’ve been doing enough since. They held the Falcons to 3 over the first 3 quarters in week 3 and stopped Indy for most of the second half on Monday. They did give up a big play against the Colts. This is a young defense that is playing with energy.
Alex Smith was efficient, Frank Gore was dependable in the win over the Eagles last week. There wasn’t much offense in week 3. Time of possession has been relatively even over the first four games. If the offense finds a way to produce, a steady defense would benefit. But most importantly, when they’ve need to score they generally have.
The Bucs bring a good defense to the table and the 49ers have a workmanlike offense. Not what you’d call a prescription for a shootout. Hard to say if either has the edge.
49ers Defense vs. Buccaneers Offense
It has been relatively easy to throw on the 49ers, but pretty tough to run on them. The Bengals have had success with Cedric Benson, but this defense did well against him. LeGarrette Blount has been a solid runner for TB so this will be a challenge for SF. San Francisco has taken the ball away 11 times.
Tampa Bay has things going their way. They were able to control the ball against Atlanta and they’ve scored enough to do things like stop a long losing trend against Atlanta and fight off a game Indy team that didn’t seem to have a chance to stay with Tampa. And they may have saved their season with a second half comeback in Minnesota.
You have an opportunistic defense against an opportunistic offense in this matchup. The 49ers were on the road for two games and stayed in the east. The Bucs have had success on the road.
Who to pick???
Both of these teams have gotten off to starts you may not have expected. San Francisco is in a weak division, but only one of their wins was in division. Tampa has to keep winning to keep pace with the Saints and stay ahead of a talented Falcons team. So, who’s bubble will burst? Just click here and find out for only $20.
New York Jets at New England Patriots (-9.5) - Sunday, 4:15 p.m. est
You may wonder if the Jets have been looking forward to this game for two weeks. They’ve been controlled for their last two games. And the Patriots never lose two in a row, so they beat Oakland last week.
How they match up:
Jets Defense vs. Patriots Offense
When the Jets were getting ready for this season, it seems they were preparing most for this game. They wanted to sign Nnamdi Asomugha to give them the top secondary in the NFL. They’ll need it in this game. This defense though has been top shelf against the pass. But Darren McFadden torched them on the ground and even though the Ravens kept putting points up, it wasn’t always the defense’s fault.
The overall #1 question in the NFL at season’s end may be “is it possible to stop Tom Brady?” Except for an uncharacteristic four INT performance in Buffalo, the answer so far is no. Wes Welker is always open and Brady always hits his receivers. And the running game can do enough to set up the passing game. Precision is the key word. Brady is precise.
The Jets have been in a funk for two weeks. After their first two, you would have thought that this was going to be a great battle. But Brady looks awfully good. The Patriots appear to be driven to get back to the top.
Patriots Defense vs. Jets Offense
The Patriots defensive philosophy has been simple. Come up with a stop at some point and Brady will outscore you. It’s as if the defense doesn’t matter. New England is last in pass defense. And they’re 3-1. They are in the bottom of the rushing defensive standings. And they don’t seem to care. This is all about outscoring the opposition. Precision on offense, that’s the Pats defense.
They had a late miracle against the Cowboys. They pounded the Jaguars. Question would be, where’s the Jets’ offense been? They don’t have much of a running game and the nice stable of receivers have yet to establish themselves. Mark Sanchez has thrown five interceptions. In this game, missing a scoring opportunity would be fatal.
There are some concerns with the Patriot defense. Surely they know that if they’d get the defense up to speed, no one could beat them. After a decent couple of weeks, the Jet offense isn’t holding up their end of the deal.
Who to pick???
Since it has been established that New England is the premier offensive team in the AFC at least, and the Jets are trying to find their identity again, this game is even bigger than anticipated, especially for New York. A loss here and the only thing left of New York’s chances to win the division may be the jet trail in the Patriots’ wake. But not everything is as obvious as it may seem. Click here to get the rest of the story and the winner.
Green Bay (-5.5) at Atlanta - Sunday, 8:25 p.m. est
If this was school, Green Bay would have straight A’s so far. The Falcons would be in danger of going on probation. For being the top seed in the NFC last year, Atlanta is sure not looking like that team.
How they match up:
Packers Defense vs. Falcons Offense
Sometimes statistics can be misleading. But the Packers are hard on running games. They’re a bit soft against the pass, statistically, but teams are usually trying to catch up. Misleading. This is one of the best linebacking groups in the league. It’s not just Clay Matthews. The Pack always seem to have the ball, so it’s hard to judge the defense too critically.
Matt Bryant has been the most reliable part of the Falcons’ offense. Last week he bailed out an offense that can’t finish as well as they did a year ago. And that’s a big issue. Not as good on offense as they were a year ago. Matty Ice earned his nickname last year. So far, he hasn’t been that guy. The offense needs a jolt of efficiency to turn the corner.
Green Bay is rolling on offense so there’s no pressure on the defense. There’s a small difference between being good and being average in the NFL. The Falcons need to turn their offense up a notch.
Falcons Defense vs. Packers Offense
It has to be troubling that Atlanta didn’t turn the ball over, dominated time of possession and still had to withstand a late charge to pull off a win against an average Seattle team. They were ahead by 20 and still had a nail biting finish. They weren’t real good on Seattle third downs. And now, they’ve got to find a way to slow down an offensive machine.
It would be difficult to find a more well oiled offensive machine than the Packers. They just keep coming at you. Their passing numbers are near the top. They have a decent running game and a great offensive line. Not a big surprise. They are Super Bowl champs and at this point in the season, it’s hard to see who has the defense to slow them down.
The Falcons have only covered once. But that was in their only home game. Green Bay doesn’t seem to care whether they’re at home, the favorite or are inside or out. Aaron Rodgers may be referred to as Aaron Ice sometime soon.
Who to pick???
NFL teams who have their backs against the wall often find out what they are made of. Sometimes the discovery is not what they were hoping for. Atlanta knocked off the dream team at home in a nice comeback. They need a win over the champs to get their names back in the championship discussion. So, which team wants it more? You may be surprised at the answer. Click here and buy this NFL pick for only $20.
Chicago at Detroit (-6) - Monday, 8:35 p.m. est
On Monday night. Wow. Detroit. 4-0. No way. The schedule makers were hoping for an undefeated team on Monday night in week 5, but it wasn’t the Lions they figured to be on top of the division.
How they match up:
Bears Defense vs. Lions Offense
This usually dependable defense hasn’t really lit it up yet. Surely that has something to do with the second and third weeks of the season when the Bears played the Saints and the Packers. They’ve been torching everyone. Chicago found out how much pressure Cam Newton can put on a defense last week. This defense is always asked to keep the offense in the game.
The Lions are no longer pussy cats. They’ve answered every call including a big comeback against the Cowboys last week, on the road. Many of the points can be attributed to the Lions’ tough defense but Calvin Johnson is establishing himself as one of the best targets in the game. A brand new feature of Detroit’s offense is their belief. They think anything is possible.
Certainly the Bears can play solid defense. They’ll have to do that against a good offense and a packed house that has been waiting for something good to happen in most of the fans’ lifetimes.
Lions Defense vs. Bears Offense
Numbers don’t necessarily point out ferociousness. This is a defense that might let you go up and down the field, but when the time comes, they’ll take the ball or make the stop. They’ve taken the ball away 11 times. They’ve only played one game in the dome and the defense surrendered 3 points in that one. The noise level on a Monday night is likely to add to the hunger of this D.
This is nothing new for the Bears. Their offense struggles. They were able to take Carolina and Atlanta for quite enough points, but against the better teams, there hasn’t been a lot of success for Jay Cutler. Matt Forte has been most of the offense, on the ground and as a target for Cutler. It’s important to quiet the crowd, so a fast start would be important for the Bears.
At this point of the season, it seems as if the Lions defense is a hungrier bunch than the Bears offense. The NFL has a way of correcting abnormalities in the long run, but this game may signify a changing of the guard.
Who to pick???
Just when you think it’s safe to jump on an NFL team’s bandwagon, you get a slap in the face and a reality check. Is that the case here? You need to click here to find out who comes out of this game with their tank full and their direction clear. Only $20 for this winner.
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