Week 5 brings another full slate, but the best watchability may be hiding in plain sight. Last week’s overlooked games all delivered: the Kansas City Chiefs handed the Las Vegas Raiders their first loss in a close divisional fight, the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams turned into a 24-20 Rams comeback, and the New York Giants’ game ended with them in first place in the NFC East for the first time since 2015.
This week has its own trio of matchups worth circling.
The most familiar one on the list is Bears vs. Packers, and even in a season with some fresh wrinkles, that rivalry still carries real weight.
Chicago and Green Bay are two of the league’s oldest franchises, and this meeting continues the evolution of a matchup that has already gone through plenty of eras. The quarterbacks give it even more intrigue, with Jordan Love and Caleb Williams set up as the long-term answers for their teams.
Williams won’t be available Sunday, though, because of a hamstring injury, which means the Bears go into this one with a different starter again. That has hardly slowed Chicago down.
After beating the New York Jets last week, the Bears became the first NFL team in 30 years to win three of their first four games with three different quarterbacks. Ben Johnson has kept the offense moving no matter who’s under center, and that makes this trip to face the 2-2 Packers at home worth watching.
Then there’s Vikings vs. Saints, a game that looks a little different on the surface than it does when you dig into the numbers.
Minnesota is still unbeaten, but the offense has not exactly been lighting it up. The Vikings have scored only one touchdown over their last three games and sit last in passing yards with 709.
New Orleans comes in at 1-3 after an ugly 45-24 loss to the resurgent Atlanta Falcons, and the Saints need something to change quickly if they’re going to get their season moving. A win would put them in position to be tied for the best record in their division, which is not where many would expect them to be heading into Week 5. The matchup is interesting because both teams have clear issues to clean up, even if Minnesota’s margin for error looks a little different from New Orleans’.
And then there’s the oddball of the week: Titans vs. Texans.
Yes, it’s a divisional game between two 0-4 teams, and yes, that’s exactly why it belongs on this list. This is only the seventh 0-4 matchup in the Super Bowl era, which makes it a rare one by any standard.
Five weeks into the season, that alone makes it a game to keep an eye on.
The Texans’ record doesn’t tell the full story. They lost by five to the Buffalo Bills in Week 2, by two to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 3, and by four to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4. They’ve been close enough to be sitting at 3-1 instead.
The Titans have had their own narrow defeats, falling 24-20 to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2, 12-7 to the New York Giants in Week 3, and 24-18 to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4. With both teams in desperation mode, the real question is simple: who finally finishes the job?
In Other News...
JJ McCarthy Is Progressing Faster Than Vikings Fans Might Expect
JJ McCarthy is already drawing strong reviews in New York after arriving in a trade, with Giants offensive coordinator Matt Nagy saying the young quarterback has picked up the offense quickly. McCarthy has not played in a game yet, but the staff is trying to get him comfortable in the system while also keeping fellow quarterback Jake Haener ready.
The next step could come soon enough to matter for Minnesota fans still tracking the quarterback they once hoped to build around. Head coach John Harbaugh said McCarthy could be moved into the backup job for the upcoming game, though nothing has been made official yet, leaving his role in the immediate plan still unsettled. [Read more 🡒]
Justin Jefferson Just Gave Vikings Fans A Reason For Hope
Justin Jefferson has been doing more than watching Minnesotas season from the sideline while he works back from the ankle sprain he suffered on Sept. 27. The Vikings receiver recently hosted a Strike Out Cancer bowling event that raised more than $45,000 for the American Cancer Society, and the night carried extra meaning with Jefferson making a personal gesture for a young cancer survivor by gifting two Super Bowl tickets.
It was the kind of off-field effort that keeps Jeffersons profile high even as he eases through limited practice and the Vikings get ready for their next game. The event also earned him Week 5 NFLPA Community MVP honors, a reminder that even while his on-field return remains a work in progress, he is still giving Minnesota plenty to feel good about. [Read more 🡒]
Stefon Diggs' Latest Setback Just Added To Washington's Week 5 Trouble
Washingtons Week 5 outlook took another hit Friday when the Commanders officially ruled out six players for Sundays game against the Giants, including quarterback Marcus Mariota and wide receiver Stefon Diggs. Mariotas absence is especially notable because he was already dealing with a knee issue that is expected to keep him out for 2-3 weeks, leaving Washington to navigate the injury the same way it handled his preseason setback.
Stefon Diggs being unavailable only adds to the sense of a lineup getting thinned out at the wrong time, with the Commanders already trying to sort through multiple absences on both sides of the ball. For a team heading into a divisional game with limited margin for error, the bigger question now is how long this patchwork approach can hold up before the missing pieces start to show in the standings. [Read more 🡒]