Week 5 of the NFL season kicked off with a sloppy game between Tampa Bay and New England. The Patriots’ defense answered some questions by finally holding a team to under 20 points. Many other teams would love to join them in the win column in Week 5, but so many of those squads are facing key questions about their top players, coaches, or positional units.
Here’s a look at 15 key questions for Week 5 of the NFL season.
1. Are the Bills a playoff team?
No team in the NFL has allowed fewer points through four weeks than the Buffalo Bills. They’re a surprising 3-1 on the season and are coming off back-to-back impressive wins against the Broncos at home and Falcons on the road. In Atlanta, the Bills held one of the best offenses in the league to 17 points. If Buffalo keeps showing out on defense and Tyrod Taylor continues to make plays while protecting the ball, the Bills have a chance to shock the NFL by reaching the postseason. They’re next chance to improve their record will be Sunday at Cincinnati. Luckily the Bengals will be without Tyler Eifert and John Ross.
2. Can the Jets climb above .500?
The Jets were expected by many to be the worst team in the NFL in 2017, and suddenly they have a great chance to improve to 3-2. They’re traveling to Cleveland to play the winless Browns, who have looked as lost as ever. Suddenly, a team that had to deal with questions about tanking all offseason has found a way to win games.
Of course, many Jets fans are actually rooting against their own team. They want the team to earn the No. 1 overall pick in a loaded draft, but Todd Bowles also wants to keep his job. The Jets have done a good job thus far of fighting to keep themselves out of the cellar. Their game against Cleveland is viewed as an even “pick ’em” contest by most oddsmakers, which means you could flip a coin between the teams.
3. Will Ezekiel Elliott get back over the 100-yard hump?
Elliott has been in a bit of a slum since the Broncos held him to less than 10 yards rushing in Week 2 — at least by his standards. After he rushed for 100-or-more yards in seven games last season and topped the 90-yard mark in four others, Elliott has not reached triple-digits since Week 1. Part of that could have to do with opposing teams stacking the box to force Dak Prescott to throw, but the Cowboys’ offense still needs to run through Elliott. He’ll look to break out against a middle-of-the-road Packers defense this weekend that should be getting Mike Daniels back.
4. Who will win the battle of 0-4 teams?
Unless there’s a rare tie, either the New York Giants or Los Angeles Chargers are going to be 0-5 after Sunday. The former was considered a contender in the NFC entering the season, and the latter wasn’t exactly viewed as a competitor for the top overall pick in next year’s draft. The Chargers made a change with their kicker this week after losing three games by a field goal or less. The Giants have lost their last two games in the same fashion, but neither team has been able to put together a complete 60 minutes thus far. Their matchup in Week 5 could simply come down to who wants it more. The Giants being at home would typically be viewed as an advantage, but the Chargers may welcome a road game after their disastrous experiences in Carson.
5. Are the Rams the team to beat in the NFC West?
The Los Angeles Rams have been the biggest surprise of the 2017 season so far, and they really have a chance to put the rest of the NFC West on notice with a home game against the Seahawks in Week 5. Seattle has won the division in three of the past four seasons. Teams will really start taking L.A. seriously if they can make it three straight wins coming off a stunning victory at Dallas. First-year head coach Sean McVay seems to be pushing all the right buttons, and Jared Goff is coming into his own. Sunday will be as good of a test as the Rams will get.
6. Is Joe Flacco’s back injury still an issue?
Flacco dealt with a back injury that kept him out of the preseason, and he has been horrendous in the early part of the season. After watching him throw six interceptions and just four touchdowns in four games, it’s fair to wonder whether Flacco is playing hurt. The 32-year-old has never been confused with Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady, but he’s a far better player than he has shown this season. The Ravens have a good chance to snap a two-game losing streak when the face a Raiders team that won’t have Derek Carr, but Carr’s absence won’t matter if Flacco continues to post numbers like a passer rating of 65.0
7. Can EJ Manuel keep the Raiders in contention?
Derek Carr is expected to miss anywhere from two to six weeks after he suffered a back injury last Sunday against the Denver Broncos. After Carr went down, Manuel completed 11-of-17 passes and did not look all that bad outside of an interception he threw. In an AFC that doesn’t look all that strong through the first quarter of the year, a lot of pressure will be on Manuel to keep Oakland in the hunt until Carr can get healthy. It’s hard to expect much from a guy with a career passer rating of 76.9, so the Raiders’ defense might have to do a lot of the heavy lifting.
8. Is this the Niners’ best chance to get in the win column?
The 49ers are going to win a game at some point, and they have to like their chances on Sunday despite playing a second consecutive road game. Jacoby Brissett has been inconsistent at best for the Colts, and San Francisco has been knocking on the door with decent showings against the Seahawks, Rams and Cardinals the past three weeks. The biggest concern is that the Niners could be a bit worn out after losing to the Cardinals in overtime last weekend. But their defense has been better than expected, and Brian Hoyer should be able to find success against an Indy defense that has allowed more yards than any team not named the New England Patriots.
