Believe it or not, a quarter of the NFL season is now in the books. The top teams have separated themselves after indifferent results to start the season. Sadly, some franchises are already watching College football to see who their team will draft because of a lost season like the Bears, Panthers, and Giants. Surprisingly, teams in the AFC and NFC South have been competitive because seven of the eight teams have a .500 record or better. So, how will things play out this weekend? In this article, we will preview and predict the five hottest matchups heading into Week 5.
Last week: 3-2
Overall: 12-8
1. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2) at Buffalo Bills (London)-Sunday, NFL Network 9:30 a.m.ET
The last time these teams met in 2021, the Jaguars upset the Bills 9-6 in a shocking result. Josh Allen of the Jaguars outplayed Josh Allen of the Bills by recording a sack and interception on the All-Pro quarterback. In this matchup, the Jaguars will not be a massive underdog after a resurgence last season to make the playoffs. The Duval County franchise had a dominant performance last week in a 23-7 win in London against the Atlanta Falcons. Josh Allen of the Jaguars played a huge role in the win by recording three sacks. Josh Allen of the Bills had his best performance of the season against the Dolphins in week four by completing 84% of his passes, 320 yards, and four touchdowns. The Jaguars have the advantage of rest because they have stayed in London for the week while the Bills had to travel for the game. I think Josh Allen of the Bills will want revenge after the stinging loss in the last meeting and prove he is the better Josh Allen in the league. It will be a close game, but I have the Bills winning, but barely.
Bills 23-Jaguars 21
2. Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers- Sunday, 1 p.m. ET CBS
This matchup is still one of the best traditional rivalries in the sport because these two franchises hate each other. Last week, the Ravens pummeled the Browns in a 28-3 win on the road to surge to the top of the division. The Ravens’ defense took advantage in the Dog Pound by forcing backup Dorian Thompson-Robinson to throw three interceptions in the blowout loss. This week, Baltimore stays on the road to play a wounded Steelers team. Pittsburg was embarrassed last week when they lost to the Texans 30-6, and Houston QB CJ Stroud had a stellar game. To make things worse, the team lost their starting quarterback Kenny Pickett to a banged-up knee. It remains to be seen whether he will be able to suit up on Sunday or it will be Mitch Trubisky. Either way, I have Lamar Jackson, and the Ravens keeping the momentum going with a close and hard-fought win. The Steeler’s defense had a letdown last week, and I think they will motivated to slow down the Ravens.
Ravens 20-Steelers 16
3. Houston Texans at Atlanta Falcons- Sunday, 1 p.m. ET Fox
The Texans have become the Cinderella team everyone is rooting for this year. After starting 0-2, the team has bounced back behind Stroud and Head Coach DeMeco Ryan to win two straight contests. On Sunday, they will face a team trending in the opposite direction. The Falcons started 2-0 and now stumbled in back-to-back weeks. However, I think they will stem the tide this week because they will expose the Texans’ defensive weakness against the run. Atlanta will move the ball behind strong running from Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier. However, Stroud will keep his team in it with a pure Atlanta defense. In the end, the Falcons will edge this game.
Falcons 27-Texans 23
4. Philadelphia Eagles (4-0) at Los Angeles Rams (2-2)-Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET Fox
The Eagles are undefeated, but if you watch the games, they could easily be 2-2 or even 1-3 after four weeks of football. Last week, the defense failed to slow down a Washington Commanders offense in a 34-31 overtime victory at home. A win is a win, but this defense has played only one dominant game against the Buccaneers. I think this will be a tough match for the Eagles against Aaron Donald, that brings pressure on the quarterback. I think Matt Stafford has built good chemistry with Puka Nacua and Tyler Higbee. I think the Rams will upset the Eagles and hand them their first loss in a thriller.
Rams 24-Eagles 23
5. Dallas Cowboys (3-1) at San Francisco 49ers (4-0)-Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET NBC
This will be the game of the weekend, and fittingly it will be on Sunday Night Football. This game can be considered an early playoff game because the winner will take the first step towards having a home-field advantage in the plays as the top seed. I think the Cowboys are under the most pressure to win because of the playoff losses to the said team in the playoffs in recent years. Dallas responded to the critics in a blowout 38-3 win against New England last week. In the post-game press conference, Dak seemed motivated to win this game. However, I have the 49ers to win because Christian McAffery will be the best player on the field and expose the Cowboy’s weakness in stopping the run. It will be a close game until the fourth, when McAffery will end it with a big run to a back-and-forth game.
49ERS 27-Cowboys 20