Week five is warmed up and ready to go, and that means The Opening Drive! A former “Dream Team” could turn into a nightmare in Buffalo and one of the best rivalries in football is renewed in New England. Let’s get into the games!
(3-1) Tennessee Titans at
(2-2) Pittsburgh Steelers
This seems like a pretty even match-up… which is really odd to say. But the Steelers defensive line will be missing tackle Casey Hampton and end Justin Smith, so look for the Titans to get Chris Johnson going early and often. I’m not all-in with the Titans, but Matt Hasselbeck could find weaknesses in this Pittsburgh secondary. With Ben Roethlisberger in a boot and Rashard Mendenhall set for limited action, the Steelers could be bent over for the kicking.
(1-3) Philadelphia Eagles at
(3-1) Buffalo Bills
Why are these records flipped? I’m positive no one saw this coming. The Eagles are in a bit of a must-win in October because of a poor start and are staring at a 1-4 hole. The Bills are coming off their first loss of the season (to Cincy, ugh) and need to get back on track at home versus the ex-Dream Team. On their own turf, the Bills could out-shoot Vick and the Eagles.
(3-1) New Orleans Saints at
(1-3) Carolina Panthers
Cam Newton gets his first (of many) live looks at Drew Brees in this division match-up. The Saints will attempt to punish and confuse Newton with blitzes up the wazoo. Even with that in mind, I wouldn’t be shocked if this turned into a shoot-out.
(2-2) Oakland Raiders at(3-1) Houston Texans
After the devastating loss of owner Al Davis, I expect nothing less than a rallying effort from the Raiders in Houston. Their secondary is going to have issues defending Matt Schaub and that Texan air assault, but if their running game can keep Houston’s offense on the sidelines, they’ve got a shot.
(3-1) Tampa Bay Buccaneers at(3-1) San Francisco 49ers
One of these teams is going to be 4-1 at the end of week five. WTF. These two squads win ugly and love it. I still don’t trust Alex Smith at all, despite his apparent improvement this season. I can’t get behind any team with him as the starting quarterback. Does that make me a bad person?
(2-2) New York Jets at
(3-1) New England Patriots
Ooo…. Jets/Patriots. Who doesn’t love it when these two teams go to town on each other? I mean, this will probably be a total pounding, but maybe the Jets can keep it close? Their defense might slow down Brady a bit, but I’m convinced that Mark Sanchez won’t be able to keep pace anyway. Wes Welker will likely go off again this week. Get your fantasy team ready.
(4-0) Green Bay Packers at
(2-2) Atlanta Falcons
The Sunday nighter features a rematch of last year’s NFC Divisional round when the Packers absolutely demolished the Falcons on national television. I’m not seeing a reason to envision anything different this season. The Falcons won’t be able to keep Jermichael Finley under wraps and Brent Grimes can only cover one of these prolific receivers. Aaron Rodgers should be in for another fantastic day.
Enjoy the action everyone! Check back Monday for The Final Drive!
