This article covers predicted NFL Top 5 Exciting Games Week 5 and top 5 upsets. Thursday Night Football on NBC is right around the corner on 10/7/21 and that means Week 5 is starting. Time to continue with a weekly cadence of highlighting the best games to watch. Also determining the potential upsets lurking below the radar. Hard part about doing this exercise in 2021, is trying to determine if any of the 2020 trends will continue. 2020 was the season of Covid-19 impacts, no fans in the stands and a surprising post season.
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NFL Top 5 Exciting Games Week 5
5. Los Angeles Rams vs. Seattle
Rematch of the 2020 NFL Wildcard playoff game on 1/9/21, with the Rams winning at the Seahawks 30-20. Russell Wilson has an 8-11 career record against the Rams, which isn’t a coincidence due to the defensive personnel used by the Rams on a weekly basis. Matthew Stafford continues to be a rejuvenated QB with the Rams, even though the Cardinals dominated their Week #4 game. If the Seahawks defensive line can generate some sort of pass rush, this game could be interesting. If not, Stafford will dissect the Seahawks secondary for 60 minutes and the NFC West title will be out of reach for Seattle.
Prediction: Tough game to pick with both teams having a short week from Sunday to Thursday. Seattle typically plays well in Thursday night home games and they have a trick play or two to win this game by 3 points. Homefield advantage will be on full display.
4. Green Bay vs. Cincinatti
Both teams enter this game with 3-1 records. Seems like a lifetime ago that the Packers got smoked in Week #1 by New Orleans. Bengals keep winning close games, which is showing the quick maturation of their young QB, Joe Burrow. Joe Mixon has solidified the Bengals rushing attack to compliment their vertical passing game. Aaron Jones is just getting warmed up as the featured back with the Packers, and their passing attack is one of the best in the NFL. In a game that looks close on paper and could be a barn burner score wise, which Bengals DB/Safety is going to draw man-to-man coverage on Davante Adams of the Packers? If it ends up being Eli Apple, Adams is going to have a monster game.
Prediction: Packers win another close game on the road by 4 points
3. Cleveland vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Another match-up with both teams having 3-1 records. Browns continue to win games by controlling time of possession with Nick Chubb running the ball. Chargers were the forgotten team in the AFC West, behind the Chiefs and Raiders. Justin Herbert is starting to play QB at a higher level and he’s only in his second NFL season. By evenly distributing the ball to all RBs, WRs and TEs, the Chargers offensive plays are hard to accurately diagnose and defend. Quickness of the Browns defensive line might cause the Chargers some issues up front, and then fans get the benefit of watching a heck of a football game. This is one game to watch all 60 minutes if your schedule permits this weekend.
Prediction: Several momentum swings due to turnovers and special teams. Los Angeles Chargers win by 3 points with a walk-off field goal.
2. San Francisco vs. Arizona
A sudden must win game for the 49ers, if they want to keep pace with the 4-0 Cardinals in the NFC West. 49ers were methodically winning games until giving up a 51-yard walk off field goal to Green Bay in Week #3 and then losing by seven points to Seattle in Week #4. Kyler Murray is proving to be the real deal at QB for the Cardinals, in his third season in the NFL. Hate to admit this, but maybe Kliff Kingsbury has found his niche with the Cardinals as their head coach. He’d probably be the interim head coach at USC right now. 49ers starting QB Jimmy Garoppolo is currently banged up and that will have an impact on the outcome of this game. Rookie QB Trey Lance may match Murray for a couple drives, but the Cardinals have too much offensive firepower.
Prediction: Arizona win by 10+ points and the NFC West is now a two team race
1. Buffalo vs. Kansas City
Rematch of the 2020 AFC Championship Game that the Chiefs won 38-24 on 1/24/21. Bills have quietly won three straight games against teams with losing records. Chiefs have lost two of their last three games, due to a timely fumble and recovery by a Ravens rookie DL (Odafe Oweh), and four bad turnovers against the Chargers. Something has to give in the latest matchup between Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes. It’s time for the Bills to figure out if they are truly committed to running the ball. I’ll lean on Mahomes to have a new bag of offensive tricks to wake up the Chiefs, since they need to maintain pace with the Chargers and Raiders.
Prediction: Top notch scheduling for the Sunday Night Game on NBC. Chiefs make one-to-three more big plays than the Bills and win by 7 points.
NFL Top 5 Exciting Games Week 5 for Upsets that might happen
5. Denver vs. Pittsburgh
Currently listed as a even line from the experts in Las Vegas. Broncos got off to a nice 3-0 start, then starting QB Teddy Bridgewater got a concussion against the Ravens in Week #4. When Drew Lock runs onto the field to play QB for the Broncos, I start to have bad flashbacks to the Trevor Siemian days in Denver. Steelers still can’t find their identity this season and the entire roster seems to have aged overnight. I’ll lean towards the Broncos to keep this game close, even though the Steelers are due to score some points, in some fashion (offense, defense or special teams).
4. New Orleans vs. Washington
Saints are currently listed as 2.0 point road favorites. Washington typically plays hard at home to appease the lifelong season ticket holders in Maryland, or is it Virginia, or is it the District or Columbia or is it all the above? Geography wasn’t my best course in high school and college. One thing is for certain, Washington QB Taylor Heinicke and DE Chase Young play at a different and higher gear at FedEx Field and both of them will give the Saints trouble for 60 minutes. Washington has a good chance to steal a quality win at home this week.
3. New York Giants vs. Dallas
One of the more underrated rivalries in all of professional sports. Emmitt Smith’s iron man game in the last week of the 1993 season. Giants pulling off a big upset at Dallas in the divisional round of the 2007 NFL playoffs, that led to an unexpected Super Bowl title. The list goes on and on for these two members of the mediocre NFC East. Cowboys are playing great football behind a fully recovered and healthy Dak Prescott. Giants were looking like a bag college team, until Saquon Barkley decided to singlehandedly beat the Saints in overtime in Week #4. Cowboys are currently 7.0 point favorites at home. Giants are comfortable playing on the road and will keep this game close into the fourth quarter.
2. Indianapolis vs. Baltimore
Is this the Colts vs. Ravens? Or the Colts vs. Colts? Or the Colts vs. Browns? Ravens are currently 7.0 point home favorites and showing great early season defensive football. Not to mention they’ve decided to let Lamar Jackson run all over the field to improvise on offense. Feels like 2019 again. Colts are trying to find some consistency with Carson Wentz at QB, and he’s got a very patient coach in Frank Reich. Colts opened the season with three straight loses, but the final scores were somewhat close. Ravens typically don’t have a let down game at home, but this week feels different. If the Colts are hanging around late in the fourth quarter, turn your television to this game.
1. New York Jets vs. Atlanta
It’s that time of year again, for the annual NFL game from London, England at 9:30 AM EDT on Sunday (10/10/21). What an exciting matchup for the soccer fans lining up inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, to watch both squads enter with 1-3 records. I’ve picked the Falcons too many times to pull upsets in the 2021 season, so I’m going to flip to the lowly Jets to win this game. The Jets rookie QB, Zac Wilson, loves to impersonate Phillip Rivers, by throwing more passes to the other team for interceptions, particularly early in a game. That won’t matter this week, since the Falcons offense is stuck in neutral. Falcons are currently 2.5 point “home” favorites in the UK, but don’t be surprised if the Jets win this game.
Same bat time, same bat channel next week. I’ll review the results of NFL Top 5 Exciting Games Week 5 and try again in Week 6.
Never walk away from the table when you’re on a heater in Vegas! Hope you enjoyed NFL Top 5 Exciting Games Week 5.
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