Abe’s Picks:
Giants vs Eagles:
Two division rivals coming off a loss in prime time, not many better games on paper. Unfortunately, no Malik Nabers for the Giants will make it tough for them to stay in the game for long. Rookie QB Jaxon Dart has played decently well so far, but in his last two games, he has turned the ball over four times. If the Giants want to win, they will need to do three things: rush for over 150 yards, win the turnover battle and stop the Eagles’ running game.
Sounds semi-easy to do, but the Eagles’ offense is stacked at all positions, with an all-pro level player at every position. Though they rank No. 25 in rushing, where teams have been hurt, when QB Jalen Hurts scrambles, Hurts has 182 rushing yards and four touchdowns through five games.
On the other side, for the Eagles, this game is an opportunity to get their entire offense in sync. Ranking No. 25 in rushing and No. 31 in passing is not something anyone would have thought the Eagles would rank. Saquon Barkley, Jalen Hurts and AJ Brown had a meeting with each other that lasted over two hours about the offense. Brown has been outspoken about his desire for the Eagles to pass the ball more and include Devonta Smith and himself more in the game plan. Defensively, the Eagles have been good, there are not many issues the Giants can give them unless they are able to find a way to run the ball.
Prediction: Eagles 24-13
(Actual score: Giants 34-17)
Broncos vs Jets
Both teams could be coming in with jet lag since the game will be taking place in London. The Broncos are coming off a big win against the previously undefeated Eagles. RB JK Dobbins and WR Courtland Sutton were able to get going and help the offense get up late. One issue they had last week that cannot be brought into this week’s game is penalties; they were called for 12, resulting in 121 yards. How the Broncos can win this game is simple: have Patrick Surtain shadow Jets WR Garret Wilson the whole game, limit Justin Fields’ scrambling ability and do not give the Jets a short field.
The Jets offense only scores 23 points per game, ranking 19th in the entire league. The passing attack is what is currently weighing them down, only averaging 201 yards a game. Rushing-wise, Breece Hall and Fields rank third in the NFL with close to 150 yards a game.
The Broncos average around the same amount of points with 24, which ranks No. 16, but the two offenses are quite different. The Broncos visually have a more complete offense with Sean Payton calling plays. Averaging 140 rushing yards a game and 220 passing yards a game, there is potential for this game to get out of hand quickly. Denver’s defense is stout. Star pass rusher Nick Bonitto already has seven sacks and 17 solo tackles on the year.
Prediction: Broncos 34 – 20
Seahawks vs Jaguars
After the Jags win over the Chiefs on Monday night football, this game has all the fixings to be the game of the week. Seattle is coming off a loss to the Buccaneers, and some holes were seen with injuries in their secondary and defense to Julian Love, Devon Witherspoon, Derrick Hall, Demarcus Lawrence, Tariq Woolen, and, at times, Nick Emanwori. Head Coach Mike Macdonald says he won’t know until later if they will be available for this week.
The Seahawks’ offense was rolling against the Buccaneers, scoring 35, and star RB Kenneth Walker III averaged 8.6 yards a carry. Sam Darnold was also playing like an MVP candidate with 341 yards and four passing touchdowns. Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and Darnold did a great job spreading the ball around to eight different players. When the offense has been at its best, Cooper Kupp, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Tory Horton have all been involved. They will need to do the same this week.
For the Jaguars, Trevor Lawrence had his best game this season, throwing for over 220 yards and rushing for an additional 54 with three total touchdowns. Brian Thomas Jr and Travis Hunter played like an elite duo for the first time all season. With a banged-up secondary for the Seahawks, we could see more of the same. It will be instrumental for the Jags to get RB Travis Etienne Jr. involved, who only had 12 carries for 49 yards vs the Chiefs.
Seattle’s defense is elite, even with the injuries to some key players. Ranking second in ppg allowed 16.8, ninth in total yards allowed 285, and third in rushing defense, allowing less than 80 a game. The Jaguars’ defense is mediocre statistically, aside from turnovers forced; they lead the NFL with 13 through five games. Seattle cannot let them win the turnover battle.
Prediction: Seahawks 31 – 23
Chargers vs Dolphins
Two teams that seem like they should be playing as good as the other one. The Chargers started the season 3-0 and have seemingly forgotten they are supposed to be a good team, dropping their last two. The Dolphins have looked very good defensively; they still have some issues and gaps.
Running back injuries have been killing them. Against the Broncos, Najee Harris tore his Achilles two days ago. Omarion Hampton was put on the Injured Reserve with an ankle injury. Justin Herbert and the passing offense will have to show up like they were when they went 3-0 and not how they have been since the losing streak began.
The Dolphins seem to have gotten better since the knee dislocation of Tyreek Hill. Tua Tagovailoa has played very well as of late. Jaylen Waddle, Devon Achane, and Darren Waller have been making plays all over the field offensively. The Chargers’ defense allows 147 rushing yards per game. Devon Achane could have a big showing.
Prediction: Chargers 27-21
Rams vs Ravens
The Ravens’ season seems to be going downhill at 1- 4. You could make the argument that they should tank and get a high draft pick and focus on next year. Without Lamar Jackson last week, they were blown out by the Texans 44-10, who are now 2 – 3. The regression of the Ravens defense, not just versus the Texans, but the season as a whole. It seems doubtful that Lamar Jackson will play this week after missing practice on Wednesday.
The Rams are coming off a loss to the 49ers. However, they lost that game more than the 49ers won it. Matthew Stafford was throwing dimes all over the 49ers’ secondary, and Kyren Williams had his best day rushing of the season. Their offense was firing on all cylinders, especially late in the game. A few plays did not go their way, including a fumble on the one-yard line by Williams and a questionable fourth-down call in overtime.
The Ravens’ defense has given up 35.4 points per game and allowed over 400 yards of offense. The Rams have a mediocre defense led by second-year player Jared Verse, giving up 22 points per game and 350 yards per game.
Prediction: Rams 41 – 17
Cardinals vs Colts
Head Coach Johnathan Gannon made headlines all week, not for anything he did good last week. Also, not because the Cardinals blew a 21 – 6 lead in the fourth quarter to a winless Titans team. He was, however, in the headlines for hitting his third-string running back multiple times and was fined by the Cardinals for $100,000.
The Cardinals are a mess across the board. Their QB, Kyler Murray, has not improved since his rookie season, and their supposed generational talent wide-out, Marvin Harrison Jr., has not panned out yet. Their defense has been average and not what you’d think a defensive-minded head coach would have his players playing like.
The Colts, on the other hand, are night and day different; their QB, Daniel Jones, has improved significantly. Their offense-minded coach has them looking like an elite offense through five weeks. While there is doubt about how tested they truly are, they lost to the Rams and beat the Broncos by one point. When they have played teams of the Cardinals caliber, like the Raiders and Titans, they have blown them out. I expect similar results.
Prediction: Colts 31-16
Cowboys vs Panthers
The Cowboys have been playing at a top-five level offensively. Defensively, their secondary has been tested and came out badly. Against the Jets, six players had over 25 yards receiving, and star wide-out Garret Wilson had six catches for 71 yards and a touchdown. Their defense gives up over 400 yards of offense a game and 31 points per game.
The Panthers’ defense is not much better, giving up 31 points per game and 404 yards per game. They somehow shut down the star-studded Falcons 30-0 a few weeks ago, which was so surprising that the Falcons fired their offensive coordinator. They have a 50% third-down stop rate, which is the worst in the league. You almost wish this game were going to be a 52 – 49 type of game, but the Panthers’ offense is inconsistent and bad.
For the Cowboys to win, they have to outscore their opponent, which sounds obvious, but if they don’t score at least 37 points, they won’t win or tie a game so far this season. The Panthers do not have to score as much to win, but they did score 27 and 30 in their two wins.
Prediction: Cowboys 34 – 17
Saints vs Patriots
The Saints are coming off a big win against the Giants, finally able to get a win. The Patriots had the most surprising win of the 2025 season thus far, beating the Bills. Stefon Diggs went off for 10 catches and 146 yards, the Patriots’ offense looked explosive, and Drake Maye was playing out of his mind, especially when throwing outside of the pocket.
The keys for the Patriots to be able to win this game will be to cause turnovers, run the football, and use play-action passes to get deep into the Saints’ secondary. The Saints give up 238 passing yards a game; being explosive out of the gate will make this game over by halftime. That will take some consistency from the Patriots, which has not been their friend this season; they’ve been up and down all season on offense and defense.
For the Saints, winning this game does no good for them; it is evident that they’re in for the top pick in the NFL draft. Nothing positive comes from them winning games; the city of New Orleans wants a new QB. The Spencer Rattler experiment was short-lived and deservedly so; he has the personality of Kyler Murray with 75% less talent. If they do somehow win this game, though, it will be because they follow the same blueprint they had last week. Winning the turnover battle, exploding down the field, and playing good defense, Alvin Kamara has yet to get going this season. It will be interesting to see if Kellen Moore can get them started.
Prediction: Patriots 27 – 17
Conner’s Picks:
Browns vs Steelers:
The Browns (1-4) are coming off a loss when they played in London against the Vikings. They were up 17-14 in the game and gave up a game-winning touchdown drive to Carson Wentz. However, their defense played well really other than the last drive.
The Steelers (3-1) come into the game off their bye week. So far, they have played well, defeating two 3-2 teams (the Vikings and Patriots) and their only loss being to the Seahawks (3-2).
The Browns will be starting rookie Dillon Gabriel in this game and he played decently against the Vikings. He threw a pair of touchdowns for 190 yards.
For this game, I think that Gabriel can play just as well, considering they are going up against a worse defense, in terms of yards and points allowed. The Steelers’ defense is allowing 382.5 yards and 24.5 points per game.
As for the Steelers’ offense against this Browns’ defense, I think the Browns have the upper hand. They are only allowed 247.8 yards per game and are allowing 24.6 points a game, while the Steelers are only putting up 24 points a game. But the Browns only do have four takeaways on the year.
Honestly, even though the Steelers are coming off a bye, I predict they will drop this game. In the last six games between these two teams, the series is tied three games apiece – in the last three seasons, they have split games. Now that Joe Flacco is gone and Shedeur is indefinitely the second string, I think that will give Dillon the confidence he needs.
The Steelers’ defense has also been shaky so far this season, allowing thirty points in half of the games they have played. I also predict that Rodgers will get frustrated by this Browns’ defense, especially as they are tied for fifth in the league in sacks. This seems like a trap game for the Steelers and one they will lose.
Prediction: Browns 22-19
Titans vs Raiders
The Titans (1-4) head into this game after getting their first win on the season. The win was one of the craziest wins in recent history, especially this season as the Cardinals had them dead to rights for most of the game. Regardless, they still won.
On the other hand, the Raiders (1-4) have not won a game in four weeks and most recently got demolished by the Colts, 40-6.
Geno Smith has played awful this season, throwing just six touchdowns to nine interceptions through his first five games. In fact, in his last two games he has thrown five interceptions to just two touchdowns. As for their run game, Ashton Jeanty has been solid, averaging 4.3 yards per carry.
However, Cam Ward has not been much better. He has only thrown two touchdowns this entire season through five games.
As for defenses, both are allowing right around 28 points per game – the Titans 28.2 and the Raiders 27.8. They are also both allowing over 320 yards per game.
In general, this game is going to be a rough one to watch. However, I ultimately have the Titans winning. I think momentum is a big factor in this decision as the Titans are coming off a win. However, their defense is also tied for fifth in the league in takeaways with eight. Smith loves to turn the ball over, and I think that will give Ward enough opportunities to carry the Titans to a narrow win.
Prediction: Titans 24-16
49ers vs Buccaneers:
This is one of the most anticipated games of the week. They are both 4-1 and the only teams they have lost to have been 4-1 teams.
For the 49ers, Mac Jones has been surgical in his three starts. He has thrown six touchdowns to just one interception, while leading the Niners to two divisional wins. He has asserted himself as a future starting quarterback in the league.
For the Bucs, Baker Mayfield has been even better. In their four wins, all of them came from Mayfield game-winning touchdown drives. He is arguably a front runner for MVP. He has thrown 10 touchdowns to just one interception all year.
As for both teams’ defenses, they have played well, but the Niners definitely have the upper hand. The Bucs are allowing 26.4 points per game on average, while the 49ers are giving up just 19.6. The 49ers are also only allowing about five more yards per game defensively.
However, I still think this game will come down to the offense. The 49ers still have zero rushing touchdowns and are averaging just 3.1 yards per carry. The Bucs also have one of the best rushing defenses in the league, allowing just 92.4 yards per carry and four total touchdowns this season.
As a result, the Niners will likely have to rely on Jones, Kendrick Bourne, Juaun Jennings, Demarcus Robsinson, Jake Tonges and Christian McCaffrey in the passing game if they want to pull this one out. The Bucs’ only have four takeaways this season and they are allowing an average of 218.4 passing yards a game, No. 20 in the NFL. And the Niners are leading the league in passing yards per game at 290.6.
The Bucs’ offense is averaging 110.4 rush yards per game (No. 22 in the league), and the Niners’ defense is allowing 108 on average. Also, Mayfield is averaging 256.6 pass yards per game and the 49ers defense is giving up 207.6 on average.
In general, this game is going to be close, especially considering the Bucs are putting up 27 points a game on average. However, I think the 49ers prevail in this game. Mayfield has been clutch all season but I think the Niners’ defense can do enough early on to prevent a Bucs’ comeback.
Also, Jones, assuming he plays at least solidly this game, can carve up the Bucs’ defense that has allowed a lot of passing yards and only has two interceptions. Both the Bucs and Niners have been good at winning close games this year, but the Bucs have had to comeback in every game, even against bad teams like the Falcons and Jets.
Mayfield has played well against strong defenses, like last week against Seattle, but I think he struggles a bit more this week. He may also need to let it fly even more than normal if the defense allows Jones to continue the run he has been on.
I think the Niners have the slight upper hand this game due to their defense, and I think they pull out a gritty win to get to 5-1 on the year.
Prediction: Niners 28-24
Bengals vs Packers
The Bengals (2-3) have lost their past three games in a row after starting 2-0 and have looked awful. In this three-game stretch, they have lost by a combined 76 points.
Jake Browning has thrown six touchdowns to eight interceptions since he has taken over as the Bengals’ quarterback and has not played well. Therefore, they brought in Joe Flacco, who may or may not start this upcoming weekend. Flacco has not played well this year either, throwing two touchdowns to six interceptions. Regardless of who plays, it will not go well for the Bengals.
The Packers (2-1-1) are coming off a bye week and before that, a tie to the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football in week four. Their offense is putting up 26 points per game, while their defense is allowing just 16.8.
As for the Bengals, their defense is allowing 31.2 points per game and their offense is scoring just 17 a game.
Even though Flacco has beaten the Packers once this year, this will not happen again, assuming he starts. The Packers are the better team with the better quarterback, offensive line and overall defense. Just like in recent weeks, this game won’t be very close for the Bengals.
Prediction: Packers 38-17
Lions vs Chiefs:
The Lions (4-1) are on a four-game win streak, while the Chiefs (2-3) are coming off a tough loss to the Jaguars on Monday.
The Lions are averaging 34.8 points per game, and the Chiefs are putting up 25 on average. However, on the defensive side of the ball, the Chiefs have allowed 21.4 points a game, but the Lions have given up 22.4 points on average.
Both Patrick Mahomes and Jared Goff have only thrown two interceptions, but Goff has thrown four more touchdowns.
As for the run game, Mahomes is the leading rusher for the Chiefs with 190 yards. Simply put, Mahomes has basically had to do it all himself so far this season. To be fair, he has had to throw the ball to Tyquan Thornton and Hollywood Brown, who are solid receivers but definitely not great ones. Mahomes also does not get Rashee Rice back until next week against the Raiders.
For the Lions, they have two rushers with over 300 yards on the ground thus far: Jamhyr Gibbs and David Montgomery.
The Chiefs have also given up 123.4 rushing yards per game and 190.6 passing yards. The Lions are giving up more passing yards at 206.6, but are only giving up 92.2 rushing yards a game. To some degree, this benefits both teams. The Lions should be able to run the ball, while the Mahomes should be able to air it out.
The Lions have nine takeaways this season, including six interceptions, while the Chiefs do have eight total takeaways .
This game will likely either be a statement win for the Lions or a close game that the Chiefs pull out. I think this because it will require the Chiefs’ defense stepping up for them to even have a chance to win. Mahomes will also need to likely air it out more to keep up with the Lions’ offense.
Honestly, considering how both teams have been playing this season, I think the Lions will prevail. They have the better offense and their defense has played well. The Chiefs have struggled and have been inconsistent. Until Mahomes does not have to do it all, which may be next week when they get Rashee Rice back, the Chiefs could be in for a rough ride.
They have failed to establish the run game and their defense has been the only thing truly keeping them in games. However, even then they allowed Trevor Lawrence to get the go-ahead touchdown against them last week. Overall, it might be close, but it probably won’t be too close and the Lions will prevail.
Prediction: Lions 33-24
Bills vs Falcons:
The Bills (4-1) came off a terrible loss to the Patriots, one in which they had three turnovers. The Falcons (2-2) are coming into this game off a bye.
The Bills have looked pretty dominant all year, but their four wins are against opponents who have three wins combined on the season. They then proceeded to lose to the now 3-2 Patriots.
The last game the Falcons played, they beat the Commanders, but they did not have to play against Jayden Daniels.
This season, Michael Penix Jr. has been okay through four games, throwing three touchdowns to three interceptions. However, he has helped the Falcons move the ball down efficiently, as they come in at the No. 7 ranked offense in terms of yards per game in the NFL. Despite this, they are only averaging 19 points per game.
The Bills are averaging 33 more yards of offense per game than the Falcons and are putting up 30.6 points per game.
However, this game will really come down to the Falcons’ defense against the Bills’ offense. The Falcons are first in the NFL with only 244 yards per game allowed. They also are only giving up 21.5 points per game and have six takeaways through their first four games. They are the No. 1 ranked team in passing yards allowed but No. 16 in rushing yards allowed.
This benefits the Bills as James Cook is averaging five yards per carry this year and the team as a whole is averaging 154.4 yards per carry. However, the Bills have given up 145.6 rushing yards per game so far this season, meaning Bijan Robinson could also have a field day.
Both rushing attacks will be good and so I predict the game will come down to who will play better at quarterback. This obviously favors Allen, and even though I think the Falcons’ defense will keep them in the game, I think Allen will come through in the clutch. The Bills’ defense has been shaky a lot this year, but they have kept the team in games when needed, like against the Patriots last week.
Prediction: Bills 23-17
Bears vs Commanders:
The last time these two teams met, the Commanders ruined the Bears’ season. The Commanders, last season, defeated the Bears on a game-winning hail mary. The Bears were 4-2 going into the game, and after losing it to drop to 4-3, they went 1-9 the rest of the way.
This year, both teams are again needing to win this game. Fortunately for the Bears (2-2), they just had their bye week and are riding a two-game win streak. As for the Commanders, they are 3-2 and just had a convincing win over the Chargers in Jayden Daniel’s return.
In the three games Daniels has played, he has four touchdowns and no interceptions, but he has not been as electrifying as he was his rookie season.
As for Caleb Williams, he has thrown eight touchdowns to two interceptions, but has heated up recently, with five of those touchdowns being thrown in his last two games.
The Bears are averaging 25.3 points a game, and the Commanders are putting up 26.8 a game. Defensively, the Commanders have been more stout, allowing 9.1 fewer points per game than the Bears. However, both teams have been rough defensively, averaging allowing over 350 yards per game.
Therefore, if the Bears want to win this game, they will need to rely heavily on Williams’ arm. This could work well because the Commanders have allowed 27 or more points in three of their games this season and they have the No. 23 ranked passing defense.
The Bears’ offense has been slow all season but has shown some flashes, especially in their games against the Cowboys.
As for the Commanders, their offense has been solid. Their passing offense has been solid, but they rank first in rushing yards per game with 156.4 per game. This is good news for the Commanders as the Bears are the No. 31 ranked defense in rushing yards allowed, giving up 164.5 yards per game.
Therefore, all things considered, the Commanders should be able to pull this one out. Their defense is solid, and as long as they do not get torched, should be able to keep them in the game. Then, as long as Daniels takes care of the ball, the run game should do most of the work for the Commanders.
The Bears will need to rely on Williams to have a great game, and although he has played well in the past couple weeks, I doubt he will be able to do as much as he will have to to carry the Bears to victory. The Commanders’ defense has been shaky, but I think the Bears’ will be worse and I anticipate Daniels to do enough to win considering that, especially if Terry McLaurin returns.
Prediction: Commanders 31-20
