2022 NFL Game picks: Week 5

Story posted October 6, 2022 in CommRadio, Sports by CommRadio Sports Staff

With a plethora of teams beginning the season 2-2, there seems to be a bit of parity in the league this season.

With a Miami Dolphins loss in week four, the Philadelphia Eagles are the lone team to be undefeated heading into week five.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are trying to manage a slow start, the Chiefs' offense hasn’t skipped a beat, and the Jaguars have shown they are legit.

Here are our picks for Week 5:

Connor Fenix

New Orleans Saints 24, Seattle Seahawks 16

The New Orleans Saints are undoubtedly in trouble, as a 1-3 start to the season is less than ideal.

However, Andy Dalton took over the starting role in last week’s game against the Vikings for an injured Jameis Winston, and the Saints scored a lot of points — something this team has been unfamiliar with this season.

Although it wasn’t enough, New Orleans was able to move the ball with the utilization of star rookie Chris Olave.

If the Saints can stop beating themselves with turnovers, they can easily turn their season around. It is a must-win, and the Saints will get back on track against the struggling Seahawks.

Green Bay Packers 27, New York Giants 20

Aaron Rodgers and the Packers are starting to find their rhythm, as Green Bay has won three consecutive games after an atrocious week one defeat to the division-rival Vikings.

Saquon Barkley and the New York Giants are also 3-1 and have somewhat proven they are a contender thus far. There is not enough evidence that the Giants can compete with the bigger teams, as they are not quite there in terms of being a complete club.

This game will take place in London, and with it being a neutral site, this will be a close game. The Packers' offense will serve as too much for the developing Giants, and Green Bay will propel to 4-1.

Miami Dolphins 23, New York Jets 21

The Dolphins will be without Tua Tagovailoa, but it is now Teddy Bridgewater’s time to shine in Miami.

The Jets are coming off a victory on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers, as they utilized a great performance from Zach Wilson to pull off the shocking upset.

This divisional game will prove a lot for both teams. It will prove if the Dolphins can still compete without Tua and if the Jets are legit contenders after a 4-13 record in 2021.

It’ll be a gritty game, but the Dolphins' offensive weapons will get the job done on the road at Metlife Stadium.

Baltimore Ravens 24, Cincinnati Bengals 20

After starting the season 0-2, the Cincinnati Bengals have turned their season around and have earned victories over the Jets and Dolphins.

There is still much room for improvement in Cincinnati, but they will have a tough test this Sunday as they will visit division-rival Baltimore.

The Ravens blew a 20-3 lead over the Bills last Sunday, but Lamar Jackson has shown he is still playing like an MVP.

Despite Baltimore’s issues at defense, the Ravens will quickly recover from the blown lead to a playoff-caliber team in the Bills.

Tennessee Titans 27, Washington Commanders 17

The Tennessee Titans are rolling into Washington on a two-game winning streak after a 24-17 win last week against the Indianapolis Colts.

Derrick Henry dominated on the ground with 114 yards and one touchdown. Ryan Tannehill threw for two touchdowns but only threw for 137 yards and finished with a 47.7 QBR. On the other side of the ball, the Titans shut down the Colt’s running attack, holding Jonathon Taylor to only 42 yards on 20 carries.

The Washington Commanders are desperate for a win as they’re on a three-game losing streak after their 25-10 loss to the Cowboys last week.

The story for the Commanders last week was a lack of success on offense. Carson Wentz threw for 170 yards with one touchdown to two interceptions, finishing with a QBR of 23.2. Only one Commander had over 40 receiving yards and that was the rookie Jahan Dotson with 43.

Los Angeles Chargers 31, Cleveland Browns 20

After a 38-10 loss to the Jaguars last week, the Chargers bounced back with a 34-24 win against the Houston Texans.

Justin Herbert returned to his usual self, despite his rib injury, throwing for 340 yards and two touchdowns. After getting out to a slow start to the season, Austin Ekeler picked up the pace and scored three times. The Defense had a solid game, as they allowed only seven first-half points and recorded two interceptions.

The Browns are coming off a tight loss of 23-20 to the Atlanta Falcons.

Nick Chubb dominated with 118 rushing yards and a touchdown. This was Chubb’s third game with 100 or more rushing yards in just four weeks. However, the Browns’ downfall was that they lost the turnover battle with a Jacoby Brissett interception and a David Njoku fumble.

This game is going to be a big test for the Browns as they are facing their toughest offense yet. In past weeks, they played the Panthers, Jets, Steelers, and Falcons. Justin Herbert and the Chargers are a major upgrade compared to those teams.

Dallas Cowboys 24, Los Angeles Rams 17

The Cooper Rush train is still rolling as he is 3-0 in his last three games, and Dak Prescott is unlikely to play in week five. Last week, Rush threw for 223 yards and two touchdowns in a 25-10 win against the Commanders.

Rush and receiver Ceedee Lamb have built some chemistry as Lamb has a touchdown in back-to-back weeks. Michael Gallup also found the endzone last week in his first game back from injury. On the other side of the ball, the Dallas defense continues to play well, as they picked off Carson Wentz twice.

The Rams lost to the 49ers 24-9 on Monday Night Football with a poor offensive effort as the offense failed to score a single touchdown.

Matt Stafford threw for 254 yards and had a fumble and one interception that was returned for a touchdown by 49ers’ safety Talanoa Hufanga. Stafford was sacked seven times and now has seven turnovers through four weeks. The Rams also only totaled 57 rushing yards on 18 carries. The defense played alright but couldn't stop the big plays, as Deebo Samuel had a 57-yard receiving touchdown, and Jeff Wilson Jr. had a 32-yard touchdown run.

Philadelphia Eagles 31, Arizona Cardinals 21

The Eagles fly into Arizona searching for their fifth win and to remain the only unbeaten team in the NFL.

Last week they came back from a 14-0 deficit against the Jaguars and ended up winning 29-21. Jalen Hurts and the passing game weren’t as explosive as it was in past weeks, mostly due to the heavy rainfall in Philadelphia.

Though, they were able to get it done with a dominant run attack. As a team, the Eagles rushed a total of 50 times gaining 210 yards. Miles Sanders had a big game tallying 134 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. The Eagles were also dominant on defense as they forced four fumbles, two of them coming from first-year Eagle Haason Reddick.

Kyler Murray and company are coming off a 26-16 win against the struggling Panthers and are looking to dethrone the Eagles. Kyler Murray leaned on Marquise Brown and Zach Ertz in the passing game as they were the team’s leaders in receiving yards and caught both of Murray’s touchdown passes.

This will be a battle of two former Oklahoma quarterbacks both of which are very mobile. The Eagles are battling injuries and will likely be without Avonte Maddox, Jordan Mailata and Jake Elliot and Darius Slay are questionable. Both teams have good offenses, but the game will come down to defense or injuries.

Minnesota Vikings 31, Chicago Bears 14

The Chicago Bears as a franchise have not changed in the slightest. They are still the same old team that unsurprisingly disappoints year in and year out.

Chicago has the second-worst scoring offense in the NFL, but the defense seems competent, ranking eleventh in scoring defense.

Second-year QB Justin Fields is barely completing 50% of his passes. The former Buckeye is at or near the bottom of the league in numerous categories, including passing yards, passing touchdowns, completions, and QBR.

On the other side, the Minnesota Vikings have so many weapons with WRs Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen and RB Dalvin Cook. QB Kirk Cousins is going to do what Kirk Cousins does best and beat up on bad teams and put up impressive numbers.

Especially as this is a home game for Minnesota, Chicago can't compete. The best chance for the Bears to find a way to win is to shut down Jefferson and pray for a defensive score.

Jacksonville Jaguars 27, Houston Texans 10

One of the less exciting matchups of Week 5 is a class between AFC South foes. Both teams finished near or at the bottom of the NFL last year, but one has found some success this season.

The Jags are 2-2 and at the top of the division alongside Tennessee, but they coughed up an early 14-0 lead against Philadelphia last week. QB Trevor Lawrence gave away the football five times in the loss, and a key to Jacksonville coming out on top is limiting the turnovers and winning the time of possession battle.

Houston has been a lackluster franchise since the devastating loss in the divisional round to Kansas City in 2019. QB Davis Mills is not following up a solid rookie season the way one would hope, as he's winless in four starts and is averaging only 6.4 yards per attempt.

Overall, this contest should be wrapped up by the fourth quarter, and Jacksonville will take first place in the division.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 28, Atlanta Falcons 17

This matchup is technically a battle for the NFC South division lead as both teams come into the contest 2-2. The Buccaneers are coming off a blowout loss to Kansas City on Sunday Night Football, and Atlanta narrowly edged out Cleveland.

If the last two seasons are used as a reference, this should be an easy win for Tampa Bay. The Bucs have not lost to the Falcons in the Tom Brady era and Brady is 10-0 against Atlanta for his career in regular and postseason play, and one would expect that to continue this coming week.

Atlanta is a team with a budding star in WR Drake London, but with RB Cordarrelle Patterson on the IR for the time being, it will be tough for the offense to find a spark. This should be an easy win for Tampa Bay as they move into the easier part of their schedule.

San Francisco 49ers 24, Carolina Panthers 16

For whatever reason, San Francisco cannot stop winning. QB Jimmy Garoppolo has taken this team on deep playoff runs in both of his full seasons with the team, granted only two of his five total seasons in the Golden City resulted in more than ten starts.

The 49ers soundly defeated the defending Super Bowl Champion Los Angeles Rams while Carolina lost to Arizona, dropping their record to 1-3. The Baker Mayfield experiment hasn't exactly worked out the way the Panthers hoped.

Carolina has too many skill position players performing far worse than expected, most notably WR DJ Moore. The former Maryland Terrapin is coming off three consecutive 1000-yard seasons, and in 2022, Moore is averaging a mere 34.5 yards per game.

San Francisco should cruise to an easy win if Garoppolo limits the mistakes and if their defense can contain RB Christian McCaffrey.

Detroit Lions 28, New England Patriots 17

History is seeming to repeat itself. The Lions seem to have a struggle with winning close games. Last year they lost six games decided by one score or less. They lost in a shootout to the Seahawks 48-45 in week four. This year they have opened the season up 1-3 where all of those losses came within no more than four points.

The Lions have the 32nd-ranked overall defense. On the other hand, they have the No. 1 ranked offense. Expect the Lions' offense to do work on the Patriots' defense. Bill Belichick will be without his starting quarterback Mac Jones again so it is safe to assume the offense will be simplified.

Detroit should edge this one out. Watch out for Jamaal Williams who currently leads the NFL in rushing touchdowns with six and is coming off a monster performance versus Seattle where he rushed the ball 19 times for 109 yards and two touchdowns.

Denver Broncos 20, Indianapolis Colts 14

To open up Week Five we will see two teams that have not lived up to expectations to open up the season. The Colts were predicted to dominate the AFC South but that has not been the case so far as they currently sit at 1-2-1.

The Broncos gave the Raiders their first win in a 32-23 where a Raiders’ defensive touchdown changed the game. Nathaniel Hackett and $250 million Russell Wilson have not found their footing so far. Wilson has not been playing up to his worth as he currently has a 91.1 QBR despite averaging 101.5 for his career. 

It was announced on Wednesday that the Colts will be without their all-pro running back Jonathan Taylor due to an ankle injury.

The Colts' offensive line has not been doing any justice either to start the season. Nyheim Hines, who is more of a receiving back, will start on Thursday. On the other side, Javonte Williams has been ruled out for the season so Melvin Gordon will see the starting position.

Look for Melvin Gordon III to bounce back after his costly fumble from last week as he no longer has to split carries. This is going to be a defensive battle, but expect Russell Wilson and the Broncos to pull it out versus Matt Ryan and company on Thursday night.

Kansas City Chiefs 35, Las Vegas Raiders 24

Las Vegas finally put one in the win column versus the Broncos this past Sunday to move to 1-3 but now have to travel to Arrowhead. The Chiefs took down the Buccaneers on the road 41-31 where Patrick Mahomes threw for 249 yards and 3 touchdowns.

The Raiders did not fare well against the Chiefs in the 2021 season losing both games 41-14 and 48-9. Las Vegas still has not fixed its offensive line problem. Their defensive ranks are not the best either. They sit at 23rd in points allowed per game and 22nd in yards allowed. They do not match up well with the Kansas City offense which has been among the best the past few seasons.

Davante Adams will most likely go off this game, but it will not be enough to overcome Andy Reid and the Chiefs' high-powered offense. Travis Kelce will put up a phenomenal stat line alongside his quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who will pick apart the Raiders' defense like usual. Derek Carr can expect to see pressure all Monday night long from guys like Chris Jones and Frank Clark. It should be a closer margin compared to previous meetings but the Chiefs should handle the Raiders.

Buffalo Bills 38, Pittsburgh Steelers 20

Steelers fans finally got what they asked for, with rookie Kenny Pickett seeing the field and Mitch Trubisky being benched.

However, the change was not enough, as they lost to the Jets 24-20. Pickett threw three interceptions, one that should not have been thrown, giving the Jets good field position with 3:35 left in the game and a chance to score, which they did.

These two teams met in week one last year, and the Steelers won 23-16 with help from T.J Watt. This time around, the reigning defensive player of the year will not be active.

Josh Allen has been putting up MVP numbers with a defense that has been performing well. Stefon Diggs currently sits in the top three in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns.

The Steelers have not been able to protect their Quarterback with a young offensive line. The Bills are ranked fifth in sacks at 13. Players like Von Miller and Greg Rousseau will feast on a weak offensive line, which will cause Pickett to be under duress all game. That does not bode well for a rookie Quarterback.

The Bills should dominate the Pittsburgh Steelers at home on Sunday as the Steelers struggle to find continuity on the offensive side of the ball.

Connor Fenix is a senior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email cjf5726@psu.edu.

Jake Hernick is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jrh6589@psu.edu

Kenny Ojeikere is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email kvo5183@psu.edu

JC Colavita is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jrc6383@psu.edu.