The NFL Roundup 2018: Week 5

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Week 5 in the NFL is quite the important time for football fans and franchises across the nation. Because now that a quarter of the season is complete, a sense of urgency begins to arise. For teams that are doing well, see a grand opportunity to pad their record as they prepare for a playoff run and they make a push to keep their winning ways going while teams that are disappointing or are in the middle of the pack, work all that much harder to turn their season around. All of this helps to bring about more interesting matchups and equally as fascinating stories and without further ado, let’s examine the top stories to keep an eye upon this weekend, alongside what games you simply cannot miss.
 
The Denver Broncos find themselves in a must-win game this weekend.
While there are plenty of teams that would be happy to find themselves at 2-2 and their fans would equally be okay with that record, expectations in the Mile High City are running high right now and that record is downright unacceptable with both Broncos fans and players. After all, this team is stacked with talent, and is supposed to be better than the nightmare 2017 squad, yet right now, they’re as mediocre as it gets. Which means they need to dominate against the New York Jets this weekend. In part to quiet the doubt in Denver, but also to demonstrate to one another that they can in fact play quality and mistake free football and quite frankly, if the Broncos can’t accomplish that against a sub-par Jets squad, then their season is truly in peril.
 
Will the Jacksonville Jaguars deliver the first loss of the season for the Kansas City Chiefs?
While winning cures everything in the NFL, it also puts a target on your back since your opponents all want the honor of being the team to deliver your first loss of the season, or one in general and right now, you know the Jaguars are licking their chops at the opportunity to defeat one of the league’s best teams. In large part due to the fact that Jacksonville wants to show the league that they are in fact elite and what better a way to do that than by toppling KC and in all honesty, they’ve got a good chance at pulling it off. If they can follow Denver’s Monday Night game plan for four quarters and disrupt Patrick Mahomes on offense and take advantage of the porous KC defense, then expect the Jaguars to sneak away one heck of a big-time win.
 
Can the Cleveland Browns beat the Baltimore Ravens?
I have to be honest, the Cleveland Browns are a team that outright fascinate me. They’ve got great talent on paper at some positions and they’ve played hard in some big games this year, yet their record reflects a consistent problem, they simply can’t finish what they started. They should have beaten Pittsburgh and Oakland and now one has to wonder if they can potentially surprise the Ravens this weekend. It’s honestly a legitimate possibility since Baker Mayfield plays like a QB with nothing to lose when he takes the field and that D is stout at times, so don’t be shocked if they keep this game close or find themselves with the lead. But, is it possible for them to beat a red-hot Baltimore squad? The answer is yes, provided the coaching staff stays aggressive on both offense and defense. 

---

The Most Fascinating Games to Watch This Weekend 

Atlanta Falcons at Pittsburgh Steelers
Heinz Field – Pittsburgh, PA
1:00 p.m. EST – FOX

Normally, I try and stay away from games that feature two teams with losing records because often times, the quality of play on the field is supremely sub-par. But what’s fascinating about this matchup, is that both of these teams have played some high-octane games, losing in heartbreaking fashion on several occasions and well, that means that there are some high stakes for both of these squads heading into this one. After all, a loss here will further cement the end of the season for both teams, so I’m expecting both the Falcons and the Steelers to come out swinging and I’m expecting this one to be a high scoring affair as Atlanta and Pittsburgh fight to keep their playoff hopes alive. 

Miami Dolphins at Cincinnati Bengals
Paul Brown Stadium – Cincinnati, OH
1:00 p.m. EST – CBS 

If you were to ask me at the beginning of the season as to whether or not I expected Miami and Cincinnati to be at the top of their respective divisions in 2018, I would have answered with a confident and resounding, no. But four weeks into the season, here we are, with both of these teams dominating their opponents, which means this particular matchup is super important to both squads. Because the AFC is a competitive place, and every single win brings them that much closer to a division title and a playoff appearance and considering how often these teams score, this one has the makings of an epic shootout, provided of course these two defenses continue to keep it loose and a big-time defensive stop is what this game may come down to. 

Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks
CenturyLink Field – Seattle, WA
4:25 p.m. EST – FOX

​Make no mistake about it, the Rams are for real this year and their stout defense and powerhouse offense have made life hell for their opponents this season. But, anything can and will happen in a divisional matchup and this battle in the NFC West is either going to turn out to be one for the ages, or an outright blowout and the outcome of this one is solely on the shoulders of the Seahawks. Because if they cannot find a rhythm on offense or defense, the Rams will punish them with impunity and I’m quite curious to see if Seattle can rise to the occasion and challenge this team, or if Los Angeles will just utterly destroy the Seahawks on their way to 5-0.