NFL Week 5 Weekend Slate Preview

Here are the games to watch from this weekend's NFL slate.

Jets vs. Vikings (London)

Wake up with football! Aaron Rodgers and the Jets take on Sam Darnold and the Vikings in London. New York will have to contend with one of the best defenses in the NFL. Minnesota DC, Brian Flores, has been cooking all year. The Vikings lead the NFL in sacks (17) and Pressures (75). The next closest team, the Ravens, has 54 for the latter.

Rodgers will have to withstand the pressure, and the New York O-line may not be up to the task. So far this year, the Jets O-line sits 26th in Pass Block Win Rate (ESPN). That's not a good metric to have with one of the most pressure-heavy teams as your opponent.

New York's defense must show up and attempt to make this game 'ugly.' Through four weeks, the defense sits 16th in DVOA and 27th against the run. If there is an issue with the Vikings' offenses, it is their run game; they sit 17th in DVOA. If the Jets can stifle the Vikings up front and force Darnold to pass, he may regress to the mean, giving Rodgers a chance at the end to pull this one out. It's an excellent way to start your Sunday morning.

Bills vs. Texans

Image: Jamie Germano/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

The injuries on defense finally caught up to the Bills when they took on the Ravens. Baltimore is uniquely suited to exploit Buffalo's desire to play defense. Under Head Coach Sean McDermott, the Bills have been one of the most dominant Nickel defenses, meaning they always have five DBs on the field. They use their front four to control the line of scrimmage and utilize their athletic LBs to run balls down. That didn't work against the Ravens.

The Texans will be less physical than the Ravens and have sometimes struggled to run the ball consistently. CJ Stroud and his three-headed monster of a WR corp will have to contend with two of the best zone CBs in the NFL. Rasul Douglas and Christian Benford are off to a fantastic start this season. One area the Texans can take advantage of is the Safety postion. Starter Taylor Rapp went out with a head injury during the Raven's loss, and rookie Safety Cole Bishop, though a second-rounder, hasn't played well so far. Josh Allen and the crew will likely have to carry the load on this one. This game is for you if you want a classic QB dual.

Browns vs. Commanders

Washington has the most exciting offense so far this season. Rookie Jayden Daniels is by far the most productive in his class and perfectly fits Kliff Kingsbury's offense. After an unproductive first week, Kingsbury has been letting Daniels throw the ball downfield. The Air Raid is still alive and well in Kliff's veins, but the pairing of him and Anthony Lynn has created a hybrid offense that is giving NFL defenses trouble.

Cleveland is having a bit of buyer's remorse, not only for the Deshaun Watson contract but also for not extending Joe Flacco, who looks like he'll hold down the job in Indy for a while. Cleveland's defense is still dominant, and Schwartz has picked up the pressure rate in the past few weeks to counter the lack of production from the front four. The Commanders will have to contend with a man-dominant defense that has the players to match up. Still, single-high and pressure-heavy are not a great recipe for a QB that can run.

Ravens vs. Bengals

Baltimore is on a two-game win streak and riding a high after beating the Bills, one of the better teams in the AFC. Lamar looks excellent, and the defense is slowly getting its act together.

Cincinnati enters with a one-game win streak and zero wins at home. This is a divisional rivalry, and with the Steelers off to a 3-1 start, it has major implications going forward. Burrow & Co. are notoriously slow starters, but the bit has gotten old. The Bengals need a win badly and will face a team with the #1 DVOA offense and a top-ten defense to boot. Lose and go 1-4 to start, and the playoffs might already be out of reach.

Baltimore has been able to control the game with their running game, which has opened up space down the field for Jackson to throw to his receivers. So far, the Ravens are the most efficient offense in football. In the past few weeks, the defense feels like it has turned the corner, and newly appointed DC Zach Orr seems to be settling into his elevated role. The winner keeps pace with the Steelers, and the loser takes another step backward.

Sunday Night

Cowboys vs. Steelers

Sunday night will feature one of the more disappointing teams in the NFL with one of the surprises. The Cowboys did nothing this offseason to shore up significant concerns surrounding their defense. Though LB Eric Kendricks is playing well so far, the rest of the middle of the defense is lacking production. The Cowboys are by far the worst rushing defense in the NFL, and injuries have curtailed their dominance through the air. The offense, which is typically stellar, is underperforming.

The Steelers are looking at a 3-1 record and are down on the rest of the AFC North. Justin Fields has shown flashes all year, and Pittsburgh is not opposed to running the ball and controlling the clock all game. OC Authur Smith has a propensity to hand the ball off to his running backs. There is a real chance Pittsburgh can control this game on the ground and force the Cowboys into a situation where they must pass the ball. Pittsburgh owns one of the best run defenses in the NFL, and they pair that with the highest pressure rate. The Steelers force you to pass the ball and then let Watt & Co. go eat. It's not a great matchup for Dak and crew.

Monday Night

Saints vs. Chiefs

Which Saints team plans on showing up? The one that scored 40+ points against the Panthers and Cowboys, or the one that was stagnant against the Eagles and Falcons. New Orleans will head to Kansas City Monday night, attempting to right the ship offensively. Defensively, the Saints have been a juggernaut and sit second overall in DVOA. Dennis Allen is the defensive back rolling, and a secondary is stocked full of man-coverage defenders. The front four still struggles to gain pressure, but it is a far cry from last year.

Patrick Mahomes regrettably took out his best WR during an interception against the Chargers. Travis Kelce has also been a bit underwhelming so far this year. Still, the Chiefs sit 4-0. There are glaring issues, such as the run game and who will catch passes for Mahomes, but Kansas City has always mitigated these issues and found ways to win. Defensively, the unit is nowhere near where it was last year, but they are #2 in rush DVOA. The Saints want to run the ball and control the game. Derek Carr tends to make critical mistakes if there are too many passes. This is an exciting matchup with two teams that have contrasting styles.

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