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At the dawn of the fifth week of the 2017 season, the Vikings were 2-2, which was a loss to the Lions. Case Keenum, who replaced Sam Bradford after the first week, was in its infancy after an improbable four-month run. The Eagles were 3-1, their only loss to a team of great chefs (it sounds familiar), and Carson Wentz (six touchdowns and two interceptions at that time) was getting ready for his campaign with the NFL.
During the first month of the 2018 season, these teams hardly resemble the participants in the NFC championship game from eight months ago. The Eagles are 2-2 and have trouble finding consistency in attack. the Vikings are 1-2-1 and have the despicable feature of not losing to the Bills, but to do it at home and in a rout, 27-6.
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In Philadelphia, there are signs of optimism. Wentz, who ripped his ACL last December, finally returned to training in the third week. Unsurprisingly, it looked rusty, but less at each pass. It currently ranks 23rd in value per game, according to The statistics of Football Outsiders, which is not terrible, but just behind Ben Roethlisberger and just at the head of Marcus Mariota.
And although Kirk Cousins was beneficial to the Vikings – he signed a $ 84 million, three-year, fully guaranteed contract, and his 11th total value among all passers-by – the Offensive line has not only struggled to protect it. but the current game is even worse. The 2017 second-round pick, Dalvin Cook, who ripped his ACL last September, is only 2.7 yards average per race this season.
And then there is the defense. The second best unit a year ago behind the Jaguars, the 2018 version looks like this group only by the fact that they wear similar uniforms. At the moment, the Vikings rank 25th in defense, just ahead of the Raiders and Lions. And after the group's revelation by the Rams at Week 4 – Jared Goff pitched for 465 yards and five touchdowns – Mike Zimmer, defensive coach he's one, was naturally puzzled.
"We've never been – probably nowhere else – we've never been so poor in pass coverage, so let's look at everything we do and start doing things right again" l & rsquo; Viking coach told reporters.
The question of whether there is enough time to repair everything that hurts this defense in 10 days is another matter. And with the hot start of the Bears and no sign that the Packers will fail, the Vikings are in a precarious situation. Meanwhile, the Eagles are part of the NFC East, where nine wins could earn you a division title.
In other matches, the Colts have the unenviable task of facing the Patriots, while the Falcons and Steelers face off in a disappointing victory showdown and Jon Gruden is looking to win two consecutive games for the first time in ten years.
We will talk about all the games of the week 5 in our choices below.
LAST WEEK: 12-3
GLOBAL RECORD: 36-25-2
Minnesota to Philadelphia
Line: Eagles -3
None of these teams look like the 2017 version of themselves. The difference is that the Eagles seem to be on the right track as the Vikings continue to search for answers.
To choose: Eagles 35, Vikings 27
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Indianapolis to New England
Line: Patriots -10
With or without Andrew Luck in good health, the Colts wavered between the losers of the garden variety and their overwork against the Patriots. They lost seven straight games against New England by just three and up to 38 points, dating back to the 2010 season, two years before Luck's draft. We're talking about it because even though the Colts have played better in recent weeks and the Patriots have not gotten off the ground yet, it's hard to imagine Indy leaving Gillette Stadium with anything but the # 8 defeat in a row. .
To choose: Patriots 35, Colts 17
Miami to Cincinnati
Line: Bengals -6.5
Maybe it's too much to call the Dolphins frauds – they started 3-0 and ranked second in terms of efficiency behind the Rams (and, especially, right in front of the Chiefs) before they to be summarily embarrassed by the Patriots on Sunday. . But there were few positives in the 31 points behind. Meanwhile, the Bengals have quietly played as one of the NFL's top teams, including convincing victories over the Ravens and a return led by Andy Dalton on the road against the Falcons last week. After missing the playoffs of the last two seasons, Cincy is ready for a return to football in January.
To choose: Bengals 38, dolphins 28
Atlanta to Pittsburgh
Line: Steelers -3
Two notable offenses that have been betrayed by defenses that allow even more points. To be honest, the Falcons have a minus-6 point differential and the Steelers are under-14 – combined, which is even better than the Giants (minus-22), the Raiders (minus-26), the Buccaneers ( minus-27) and bills. (minus 56) and the cardinals (minus 57). And to continue in the spirit of fairness, the Falcons D was decimated by injuries – starters Deion Jones, Keanu Neal and Ricardo Allen are all missing – while Steelers' D has not recovered yet. to have lost Ryan Shazier. injury last December. Pittsburgh is 13-2-1 against Atlanta – and apart from the 2006 Georgia Dome defeat, the previous defeat came in 1970 – which is the only reason we love them this Sunday.
To choose: Steelers 40, Falcons 39
Baltimore to Cleveland
Line: Ravens -3
Not only are Ravens tied for the division lead, but it can also be said that they are one of the best teams in the AFC. They lost only once, against a very good team from Bengals, and have just defeated the Steelers in Pittsburgh. The attack has finally found its balance and the defense has not yet allowed a touchdown in the second half of all games this season. The Browns could be 4-0 this season, but they are 1-2-1, mainly because Hue Jackson seems to be coaching as a person who is afraid of getting fired. (Weird, we know it.) The good news is that Baker Mayfield is now the starter. The bad news is that Mayfield faces this defense on Sunday.
To choose: Ravens 31, Browns 24
Denver to N.Y. Jets
Line: Jets -1
Remember when the Jets smoked Lions in the first game of the season? It seems like four years ago. They scored 48 points in Detroit. In all three games since then – all losses – they have had a combined total of 41. In those three defeats, rookie quarterback Sam Darnold completed less than 55% of his throws and scored one touchdown against four choices. The Broncos looked good against the Chiefs on Monday, but not enough to defeat Patrick Mahomes. Fortunately for them, they will not face Mahomes on Sunday
To choose: Broncos 24, Jets 18
Green Bay in Detroit
Line: Packers -1.5
Is there a bigger puzzle than Lions? They were swept away by the Jets, never really had the opportunity to beat the 49ers, then beat the Patriots before falling to the Cowboys last week. At 1-3, they are in last place in the division and, given the way the underground Bears are now evolving, we do not see Lions changing positions any time soon. The good news is that Detroit beat Green Bay twice last season. The bad news is that Brett Hundley has been the quarterback both times.
To choose: Packers 30, Lions 21
Jacksonville to Kansas City
Line: Heads -3
We all thought Denver would be a trap game for the Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City had no chance against a substitute Broncos defense this season but enjoying the benefits of hosting the Chiefs at the Mile High Stadium. But playing on the road has not yet preoccupied Mahomes; he posted big numbers in Los Angeles and Pittsburgh. He will return home to face the Jags, one of the league's most dominant defensemen a year ago and still ranked in the top 10 in the first month of the 2018 season. this The trap of Mahomes? Until the Chiefs lose, we can not imagine betting against them, even against a very good team of Jags who seems to have finally found his own quarterback to Blake Bortles.
To choose: Heads 24, Jaguars 21
N.Y. Giants at Carolina
Line: Panthers -7
We need a reason – for whatever reason – to believe in the Giants. To date, they have not provided any, and despite a post-season review, at least on paper, remains one of the worst teams in the NFL. It was in full demonstration last week against the Saints, who conceded 48 points to the Bucs, 38 points to the Falcons and who should have lost to the Browns. Instead, the Giants were outclassed at home, losing by two touchdowns and without a clear solution to anything that afflicts them. The Panthers, meanwhile, have just left their time and added Eric Reid to the security checklist. Given the league's bad defenses this season, especially in New York, it's amazing that Reid has stayed at work for so long. A win for the Panthers could propel them to first place in the division, according to the Saints' position against the Redskins on Monday night.
To choose: Panthers 24, Giants 12
Tennessee to Buffalo
Line: Titans -3.5
The Titans are the best team nobody talks about. Mike Vrabel started his first month as a coach and Marcus Mariota had one of the best games of his career in Sunday's overtime victory against the Eagles. So impressive: Harold Landry, second rookie, who was inexplicably neglected as a first-round talent, leaving several teams now regretting the decision to let him go. Unexpectedly, the Super Bowl of the Bills arrived two weeks ago when they traveled to Minnesota to whip the Vikings. This was also a disaster in Buffalo, where only the cardinals were rated better (under-57 to under-56). When you lose on average two touchdowns, things are so far away from the rails that you can not see the tracks anymore.
To choose: Titans 28, Bills 10
Oakland at L.A. Chargers
Line: Chargers -5.5
The Raiders finally won a match – yes, it was against the Browns, but that was Jon Gruden's first victory in 3,592 days – and they will now win two consecutive wins for the first time since the weeks 12 and 13 last season. (The last time Gruden won at least two games in a row he had a four-game winning streak with the Bucs in 2008, his last season with the team.) The Chargers are 2-2 with defeats in teams likely to participate in the playoffs (and Super Bowl favorites), leaders and rams. If Philip Rivers knows a wave of turnover and Derek Carr continues to play the role of Gruden's offensive player, the Chargers could certainly lose Sunday, but we are still not convinced that Gruden is asking this team to 39, buy what he sells.
To choose: Chargers 35, Raiders 28
Arizona to San Francisco
Line: 49ers -4.5
C.J. Beathard was pretty good last week to replace Jimmy Garoppolo, whose season is over after a torn ACL. Josh Rosen looked very good too, early in his career in the NFL. Yes, the Cards still lost, but they scored 17 points, a high for the season, they finally found a way to get David Johnson involved. Rosen's modest stats (15 out of 27 for 180 yards, one touchdown and no losses) contradict an impressive effort by a rookie in less than ideal circumstances. We do not know if the Cards will win their first game of the season on Sunday, but they are getting closer.
To choose: 49ers 21, cardinals 20
L.A. Rams in Seattle
Line: Rams -7
Earl Thomas has finished his season and his career with the Seahawks also seems to be over. This means that the Boom Legion is officially dead and the Seahawks are trying to reinvent themselves. That's … go. That's about the best way to say it. Russell Wilson continues to launch behind a fortunate offensive line and the sixth-ranked defense before losing Thomas, must now host the NFL's most explosive offensive. The Rams can beat you in so many ways – both sides of the ball – which could be a long afternoon for Pete Carroll, who surely misses Jeff Fisher.
To choose: Rams 38, Seahawks 14
Dallas to Houston
Line: Texans -3
The Texans finally won a game, beating the Colts in overtime, and Deshaun Watson continues to beat the rust after a slow start following an ACL injury last November. But here's the thing: the offensive line of Texans is a huge problem. Watson was sacked seven times against the Colts. For some reason, Indy arrived Sunday with an average of 3.3 bags per game. The good news is that J.J. Watt continues to look like the former NFL defensive player of the year and the Cowboys, while beating the Lions, have a lot of outstanding issues in attack. Can Dak Prescott return to his rookie form? Who will emerge as a legitimate downfield threat? Will Zeke Elliott literally do everything? We chose the Texans to win the division and we will stay with them to see if they can change the situation after a slow start.
To choose: Texans 28, Cowboys 24
Washington in New Orleans
Line: Saints -6.5
The Redskins have just retired and are heading to New Orleans as one of the most surprising teams in the league. Alex Smith was better than expected and he does it without a legitimate receiver and with Adrian Peterson, 33, behind him in the background. What defense will Saints Smith & Co. face on Monday night? Who was steamed the first three weeks of the season or who closed down Eli Manning and the Giants? We guess it's somewhere between the two; Fortunately, the Saints have one of the three most explosive offensives in the league, so even though their defense is not that of the previous season, Drew Brees, Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara and their respite. Mark Ingram can more than compensate.
To choose: Saints 38, Redskins 28
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