NFL Week 5 Preview and Predictions - Mr. Face's Blog

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Mr. Face's Blog

NFL Week 5 Preview and Predictions

Posted on October 7, 2012 at 11:10 AM.

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NFL Week five is here and as October begins we're starting to get a view of how some of the teams are shaping up.

Dark Horse?
The undoubted surprise of the year is definitely the Arizona Cardinals who have started off their season at 3-1 and look to be a contender in the NFC West. Even so I have my doubts that they will be able to compete with such a strong 49ers team. Other surprises are the Saints starting 0-4

How High Can They Fly?
The Eagles, while prone to mistakes, have proven that they have the ability to win games...if Vick can get protection. The Eagles are coming off of an impressive win over the defending champion Giants (that still hurts to say) and face a very lackluster Steelers this week.

In Bill We Trust
The Patriots have evened up to 2-2 and are now tied with the Jets in the AFC East. They struggled offensively against the Cardinals and lost a heartbreaker to them and the Ravens in a game which was filled with bad officiating for both sides. At 1-2 and in a must win situation they traveled to Ralph Wilson Stadium and absolutely demolished the Bills with a 52-28 showing. The Patriots play at home against Peyton Manning and the Broncos in what is my "must watch" game of the week.

Unbeatables
There are currently only two undefeated teams in the NFL and they certainly deserve to be undefeated. The Texans have been dominating each of their opponents this season and have the highest points differential in the NFL with +70. Meanwhile the Falcons' high flying offense has been playing on all cylinders. Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez are proving to be very difficult to stop this season with both having so far brought in over 20 catches each. Julio Jones, White, and Gonzalez have combined for nine touchdowns and 897 yards thus far. It's going to be interesting to see how long these juggernaut teams can go like this.

Predictions
(1-3) Dolphins @ Bengals (3-1)
-I like this Bengals offense and I think the Dolphins will have a tough time stopping it. 14-31 Bengals secure the win at home.

(3-1) Eagles @ Steelers (1-2)
-Polamalu and Harrison are both probable for this game, even then I have my doubts that the Steelers can win this game without a proper rushing attack. 21-17 Eagles winning a big game.

(2-2) Packers @ Colts (1-2)
-As much as I like a heartwarming story of a team coming out and winning a close game for their ailing coach...it's just not going to happen out there for this Colts squad. Packers will dominate this game from the beginning and win 42-7

(0-4) Browns @ Giants (2-2)
-The Browns are last in the power rankings for a reason. Even with the Giants having a battered defense the Browns are going to have a tough time getting anything going. Giants win big 31-10

(4-0) Falcons @ Redskins (2-2)
-I like this Redskins squad...but I love the Falcons squad this year. RGIII and his offense won't be able to keep up with the Falcons. 42-31 Falcons win.

(3-1) Ravens @ Chiefs (1-3)
-The Ravens pass defense is nothing like it used to be having given up 300 passing yards in the last three weeks. Look for the struggling Matt Cassel to rebound in this game, even then I think the Ravens will win. 31-24.

(2-2) Seahawks @ Panthers (1-3)
-The Panthers return home after a demoralizing loss due to a poor secondary. It's going to be pretty hilarious to watch one of the worst secondaries play against the team with the least passing yards. Seahawks win 14-10.

(3-1) Bears @ Jaguars (1-3)
-The Jaguars have no chance here, their receivers couldn't get separation against a Bengals team which had four CBs down, there's no way they'll get past Tillman and this Bears defense. Bears win 28-3

GAME OF THE WEEK
(2-2) Broncos @ Patriots (2-2)
-Peyton vs Brady. It's been over a year since we've said that and it's good to know that it's going to be happening again. Manning and the Broncos will have some success against a weak Patriots secondary but I think the front seven will stop the run and get a good pass rush on Manning. On the other side a loaded Patriots is raring to go as Ridley and Bolden are coming off of a game in which they ended up with 200+ rushing yards. The Broncos will be hard pressed to stop Brady and his receivers and a suddenly very threatening running game. Patriots win 31-28 in overtime.

(2-2) Bills @ 49ers (3-1)
-Do I really have to say anything here? The Bills aren't going to get anything done rushing against the Niners and that's the only thing they can really do. 31-6 Niners win.

(1-3) Titans @ Vikings (3-1)
-The surprising Vikings face the not-so-surprising Titans in a clash of the running backs. Chris Johnson is coming off of his first 100+ yard game of the season and Peterson is looking to rip apart a weak Titans defense. Vikings win 28-24.

(3-1) Chargers @ Saints (0-4)
-This is an interesting matchup. The Saints proved that they do have an offense last week...then again they were facing the Packers defense. I still don't trust the Chargers despite their uncharacteristic strong start. I'm picking the Saints in a shootout 42-38.

(4-0) Texans @ Jets (2-2)
-Who picked this for Monday Night Football? Seriously, I want to know so I can clobber them for making a horrible decision. The Texans outmatch the Jets in almost every way and with the loss of Revis and Holmes the Jets suddenly have lost their offense and defense. Texans dominate this game 34-0.

Interesting Stats
-The Seahawks are currently on track to have the lowest passing yards in a season since 1992, they currently have 594 yards.
-The Patriots hasn't had two 100 yard rushers since 1982...until last weekend.
-Where did Brian Hartline come from? He currently leads the league in receiving yards with 455.
-Drew Brees leads the league in passing yards with 1,350. Despite this the Saints have failed to win a single game thus far.

Notable Injuries
-Josh Cribbs is probable this week which is kind of surprising considering he was knocked unconscious last week by a hard hit to the head.
-Greg Jennings currently is out indefinitely with a groin injury. This is very bad for the Packers.
-Dwight Freeney has an injured ankle and is a gametime decision.
-Laurent Robinson (concussion) was not at practice at Thursday. If he doesn't play that just adds to the weakness the Jaguars already have at WR.
-Both Julian Edelman and Steve Gregory are out for the Patriots game against the Broncos. Edelman's loss shouldn't be too bad but Gregory is a starter in an already weak safety position.
-Hakeem Nicks has been ruled out for the Browns game.
-Santonio Holmes has been IR listed and is going to undergo surgery to fix a Lisfranic injury.
-Darrius Heyward-Bey participated in practice on Thursday and it looks like he'll be ready to go next week. This bye week will go a long way to helping the Raiders.
-James Harrison and Troy Polamalu are both probable for the game against the Eagles, this will surely have an impact on the game.
-Nate Kaeding is out for the Chargers game against the Saints.
-NaVorro Bowman is questionable this week with an injured arm.
-Jake Locker is out for the Titans game against the Vikings. Kenny Britt is questionable.