2023 Picks, Week 5

This Taylor Swift stuff really has taken on a life of its own.  Although, I agree with Stephen A. Smith.  You knew what you were getting into, Travis.  And, yes, the NFL was obviously gonna milk it for all it's worth.  Are they overdoing it?  It's hard to say.  Because they're getting a whole lot more people watching NFL games who otherwise wouldn't. 

I also feel the need to comment about the ridiculous "stat" somebody posted the other day about how Taylor Swift will perform in more NFL stadiums than any NFL team this year.  Well...duh!  She went to how many cities?  NFL teams only play 17 games, with eight or nine of them at home.  So, of course, a touring megastar will play more NFL stadiums than an NFL team!  They can max out at 14.  She can max out at 30.

Anyway, back to the actual football.  The Bears blew a massive lead against Denver, then beat Washington by 20 on Thursday night, leaving the team they traded the No. 1 pick to as the only winless team left.  And we could easily see one of the two remaining unbeaten teams left go down in that heavyweight Sunday night matchup between Dallas and San Francisco.

Thursday Night: Washington (Loss)

Jaguars (2-2) vs Bills (3-1): Buffalo-Jacksonville becomes the first team ever to play back-to-back games in London.  This time, the Jaguars are the "road" team against the Bills.  I'm curious to see if being over there for two full weeks will be any sort of advantage for Jacksonville.  How could it not be?  They got the win over Atlanta last week, but this one will be a much bigger challenge.  That Bills offense is clicking right now.  Since blowing the lead in Week 1 against the Jets, they've put up 37, 38 and 48.  While they probably won't get that high against the Jaguars defense, they'll get enough.

Texans (2-2) at Falcons (2-2): Atlanta-Is Houston actually good?!  The Texans winning in Jacksonville was a surprise.  Then they did the exact same thing to the Steelers!  The Falcons, meanwhile, didn't get a bye after playing in London, which might be a good thing after the whooping they took.  Houston had a good couple of weeks offensively, but I'm still not entirely sold.  That's one of the reasons I'm going with Atlanta here.

Panthers (0-4) at Lions (3-1): Detroit-Detroit is 2-0 on Thursdays this season, which bodes well for Thanksgiving!  That's still nearly two months away, though.  The Lions' next order of business is No. 1 pick Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers, who are still looking for their first win.  It won't be coming this week.  Over the past couple of games, the Lions have shown exactly why so many experts are high on them.  They go to 4-1 and stay right with the big boys in Philadelphia, Dallas and San Francisco.

Titans (2-2) at Colts (2-2): Tennessee-Everybody in the AFC South is 2-2, and it really feels like it'll be that way in the division all season.  None of the four teams has particularly stood out, either.  Which makes the division games that much more important.  The Titans got rolled in Cleveland, then did the rolling in Cincinnati.  Indianapolis, meanwhile, has played back-to-back overtime games.  The Colts have shown signs that they might be the team to beat in this division, but I see the Titans making enough big plays to beat them on the road.

Giants (1-3) at Dolphins (3-1): Miami-Good news...the Giants aren't a primetime game this week, so America as a whole won't be subjected to them!  In fact, this is their first 1:00 game all season (in Week 5...for an East Coast team).  Now for the bad news...last week was the one they needed.  This brutal stretch of four road games in five weeks (and five of their first six against playoff teams) isn't getting any easier with a trip to Miami.  Just for comparison, the Dolphins have played one home game and scored 70 points.  The Giants have played two and been outscored 64-3.

Saints (2-2) at Patriots (1-3): New Orleans-Either Bill Belichick's luster is wearing off or the law of averages is finally catching up to the Patriots.  He entered the season just two victories away from 300 career regular season wins.  It's Week 5, and he's still at 299.  Belichick will reach the milestone eventually, obviously, but I don't think this is how he foresaw this season going.  The Saints also got their butts kicked last week and have actually lost two straight after starting 2-0.  Whoever wins here has the chance to get their season back on track.

Ravens (3-1) at Steelers (2-2): Baltimore-Baltimore and Pittsburgh have had some great battles over the years, with the game more often than not being decided by a field goal.  So, you can bank on this year's first installment coming down to a field goal, as well.  Who kicks that late field goal, though?  Well, the Ravens have Justin Tucker, so advantage Baltimore there.  Really, though, it's how they bounced back last week after that loss to Indianapolis where they really impressed me.

Eagles (4-0) at Rams (2-2): Philadelphia-There's obviously no Super Bowl hangover in Philadelphia.  If anything, the Eagles are more motivated to get back there.  They needed overtime to stay undefeated last week, but Jake Elliott kicked the field goal to get them past Washington and move them to 4-0.  Their trip to SoFi against a Rams team that resembles the one that won the Super Bowl two years ago more than that trainwreck from last season will be a challenge.  But I think the Eagles rise to that challenge, win a close one, and get to 5-0.

Bengals (1-3) at Cardinals (1-3): Arizona-Simply put, Cincinnati is not the same team without a healthy Joe Burrow.  I don't want to say the Bengals are overrated, but they certainly aren't as good as some people give them credit for.  And, frankly, Arizona isn't as bad as some people think.  Sure, they're 1-3, but the 1 was a dominant effort against Dallas, and they really should've beaten the Giants, too.  Cincinnati, meanwhile, has been held to a field goal in half of its games.  Without Burrow, I don't know how the Bengals score.

Jets (1-3) at Broncos (1-3): Jets-Give the Jets some credit.  There was a real chance that Sunday night game against the Chiefs would get out of control early and not only did it not get out of control, it was a game!  The Jets ultimately lost, of course, but they showed that their defense, which we already knew was elite, will keep them in a lot of games.  Now, it'll be up to Zach Wilson to seal the deal in some of those.  A trip to Denver will give him a chance to do just that.

Chiefs (3-1) at Vikings (1-3): Kansas City-Minnesota is the next stop for Taylor, Travis & Mrs. Kelce, who sure seems to be relishing her 15 minutes (or is this still her 15 minutes from the Super Bowl?).  Anyway, Taylor Swift jokes aside, the Chiefs are a much better team when Kelce's in the lineup, as evidence by their Week 1 loss without him and their three wins since with him.  Plus, their quarterback is pretty good.  The Vikings will have some ground to make up in the NFC North after dropping to 1-4.

Cowboys (3-1) at 49ers (4-0): San Francisco-What could they do for an encore after last week's Sunday night game was a ratings bonanza?  How about featuring another installment of one of the best rivalries in the NFL?  Cowboys-49ers games are always so much better when they're both good, aren't they?  They've met in the playoffs in each of the last two years, and San Francisco won both times.  Don't be surprised if they meet again this January.  This game could determine who the home team is in that one, should it happen.

Packers (2-2) at Raiders (1-3): Green Bay-Green Bay without Aaron Rodgers is still a work in progress.  At times, Jordan Love looks great.  At times, he doesn't.  Hence the 2-2 record.  This week, they visit their old friend Davante Adams, whose Raiders have been just as inconsistent.  Las Vegas won at Denver in the opener, but scored just 17 points, and has lost three straight since then.  Something's obviously gotta give.

This Week: 0-1
Last Week: 10-6
Overall: 41-24