2026 NFL Season Week 5 Preview

   

Once again, this weekend kind of snuck up on me, and I forgot to do the preview.

So really quickly, below is my preview of the upcoming games for NFL 2026 week 5:

Philadelphia vs. Jacksonville in London, UK - Two teams are playing in London, and both teams have been difficult to make predictions for. I would have said a couple of weeks ago that Philly feels like the better overall team. However, I'm no longer sure about that, given how the Eagles have been playing. Plus, it feels like the Jaguars are likely more at home in London than Philly would be. So I will go with the Jaguars for this one. My pick: Jacksonville

NY Giants at Washington - Going out on a limb here. Normally, I would pick Washington with the home field advantage. But the G-Men have a golden opportunity. This is as big a game as the Giants have had in years, even though it is now only mid-October. The defense has been solid, and the offense has done enough. Let's see if they can do it one more week. Probably picking Big Blue because I am a fan, but they are my pick for this one nonetheless. My pick: NY Giants

Cleveland at NY Jets - I would like to think that the Jets could win this one. And they can. It's just that they seem to have already entered that part of the season where everything is going wrong for them. The Browns, meanwhile, are playing lights out in recent weeks. Look for that trend to continue, and for the Browns to escape MetLife with an improved record and standing in the AFC North. My pick: Cleveland

Indianapolis at Pittsburgh - The Colts have been playing with some urgency lately. But the Steelers have this annoying habit of playing tough at home in particular. So while the Colts may be the better of these two teams, I am going with the home team specifically because of the luck which seems to be on their side, especially at home. My pick: Pittsburgh  

Chicago at Green Bay - While I do think that the Bears are an improved team this season, I still feel that somehow, the Pack will come up with the goods in this one. They always play Chicago tough, and have revenge for last season's disastrous playoff collapse to serve as extra motivation. Plus home field advantage, and all of it should be enough to push them through. My pick: Green Bay   

Cincinnati at Miami - Hey, the Dolphins might be 0-4, but they played tough and gave the undefeated Vikings a hard time last weekend. So they are not hopeless this weekend. However, the Bengals have dropped two straight, although I suspect that they are better than they look. Joe Burrow should be solid today and will lead the Bengals to a much needed win. My pick: Cincinnati

Minnesota at New Orleans - A tough game. It might not seem obvious, because Minesota is 4-0, while New Orleans is 1-3. But the Saints are, I suspect, better than their record suggests. Meanwhile, I am a bit suspicious of the Vikings and their 4-0 start. That makes them look like one of the league's elite teams, but I have my doubts that this is what they actually are. So an upset may be in the brewing. My pick: New Orleans

Houston at Tennessee - The team from Houston goes to Tennessee to take on the former Houston franchise. Both of these teams are winless. However, the Texans are better - and I mean significantly better - than an 0-4 record might suggest. This game should be where they finally put it all together enough to earn their first "W" of the season. My pick: Houston

Las Vegas at New England - The Raiders were unbeaten and barely lost to the Chiefs last weekend. As impressive as they have been to this point, going to the East Coast to play the Patriots on the road feels like a much tougher test than any they have faced to this point. Frankly, I am not at all certain that they can handle it. My pick: New England  

Denver at LA Chargers - Denver should be one of the better teams in the league this season. Remember, they came very close to reaching the Super Bowl last season. Still, I figure that the Chargers are overdue for a win. They have to win at some point, right? And the Broncos are a familiar divisional opponent. I should pick Denver, but something tells me that the Chargers will find a way to put it together and produce a big win and stop the bleeding, at least for one week. Hope that they don't make me eat my words at the end of the day. My pick: LA Chargers

San Francisco at Seattle - The 49ers are one of three remaining unbeaten teams in the league. They look fantastic to this point in the season, running on all cylinders. However, heading on the road to Seattle, where they historically have struggled recently, will be tough. The 'Hawks need this win Trailing in the division race by one game, they can hardly afford to lose. Look for Seattle to play possibly their best game of the season and to produce the win. My pick: Seattle

Detroit at Arizona - The Lions are struggling a bit. But not quite like how the Cardinals are struggling. Neither team can afford to lose this one. But Detroit absolutely cannot afford to lose with as many good teams as there are in their division, and with the realistic hopes of reaching the playoffs or possibly even winning the division still intact. The Cardinals figured to struggle, with too many very tough opponents in their division. They are going through a learning process, but they likely will not nab a win here. Campbell's team likely will be prepared for this one. My pick: Detroit

Sunday Night Football: Baltimore at Atlanta - Weeks ago, this pick would have felt easy. The Ravens seemed like far and away the better team. Now, however, I am less certain. The Ravens have struggled, while the Falcons have been really turning up the intensity in recent weeks with a couple of big wins. It feels like this could go either way. Yet still, I will pick the Ravens to come away with a narrow win to stay hot this season, although it could come right down to the wire. My pick: Baltimore

Monday Night Football: Buffalo at LA Rams - This is a tough game to pick. The Bills are solid, but they are coming out of a disappointing loss. How they respond remains to be seen, but they have a tough challenge going on the road against the Rams, in what could potentially be a Super Bowl preview. The Bills will likely produce yards and points, but I expect the Rams to come away with the win, even if it comes down to a miracle rally at the end. My pick: LA Rams