The first four weeks of the 2026 NFL season are in the books. We’ve seen plenty of surprise outcomes this year, as evidenced by the NFL standings entering Week 5. While bye weeks have arrived this week, the matchups on the NFL Week 5 schedule provide plenty of action for football fans to enjoy.
Let’s dive into our NFL Week 4 predictions for every game.
Dallas Cowboys 28, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17
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Jan 16, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) lines up against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second quarter during a wild card game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Baker Mayfield (thumb) won’t be playing in Week 5, so it will be UDFA rookie Jalon Daniels making the start for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football. Between that, a struggling Buccaneers’ offense and this front’s inability to generate pressure consistently, everything here works in the Dallas Cowboys’ favor.
Philadelphia Eagles, Jacksonville Jaguars
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Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) drops back to throw in the first quarter of the NFL Week 4 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Jacksonville Jaguars at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026.
There’s a real possibility of DeVonta Smith, Saquon Barkley and Lane Johnson all not making the trip to London to face the Jacksonville Jaguars. Even when healthy, this Philadelphia Eagles offense has looked disjointed this season and it presumably won’t look any better on Sunday against a stout defense. Trevor Lawrence’s penchant for tight-window throws will give Philadelphia’s defense a chance or two for interceptions, but it’s going to take more than that to beat the Jaguars.
Related: NFL Injury Updates, including Saquon Barkley
Chicago Bears 38, Green Bay Packers 21
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Jan 10, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) against the Green Bay Packers during an NFC Wild Card Round game at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Wm. Glasheen/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images
Ben Johnson has made his hatred for the Green Bay Packers about as clear as his desire for this Chicago Bears offense to set the record for scoring. With the Packers defense missing both Edgerrin Cooper and Micah Parsons, containing this Bears offense becomes an incredibly difficult task. On the other side, Chicago’s defensive front shouldn’t have much trouble taking advantage of the Packers offensive line. It honestly wouldn’t be a surprise if Johnson tries to hit 50 points at Lambeau Field.
Related: Green Bay Packers RB Replacement Options
Houston Texans 24, Tennessee Titans 14
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Jan 5, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) throws a pass against the Tennessee Titans during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
One of the NFL’s winless teams will come out on top with a victory in Week 5, that is unless the Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans find a way to tie. C.J. Stroud, when he has Nico Collins, has looked much better than he did late last year and the Titans offense certainly doesn’t have the passing attack at the level that can cause problems for Houston’s secondary. If the Texans don’t win this, heads need to roll in Houston.
Cincinnati Bengals 27, Miami Dolphins 20
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Dec 21, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) looks to make a pass during the third quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
This Week 5 matchup gets a tad more interesting with wide receivers Tee Higgins (adductor) and Ja’Marr Chase (concussion) uncertain to play. If Joe Burrow just has one of them, this Cincinnati Bengals offense shouldn’t have much trouble hitting big plays against the Miami Dolphins defense. On the other side of the football, the only real semblance of hope for Miami would be another big game from Ollie Gordon all the while Malik Willis hits his deep shots. It’s a tough ask, even if Cincinnati doesn’t have its top wideouts.
Las Vegas Raiders 27, New England Patriots 24
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Sep 7, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) hands the ball off to running back Rhamondre Stevenson (38) during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
The Las Vegas Raiders proved in Week 4 that they are way ahead of schedule and might legitimately compete for a playoff spot this season. This is also a relatively favorable matchup for Las Vegas, against an injury-depleted New England Patriots offensive line, which boasts the third-highest pressure rate (29.5%) in the NFL this season. We expect a back-and-forth game, but will roll with the Raiders to pull off the upset in Foxborough to improve to 4-1.
Minnesota Vikings 17, New Orleans Saints 13
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Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
Until the right matchup comes along, this Minnesota Vikings defense can keep single-handedly winning games. Justin Jefferson remains uncertain to suit up in Week 5 against the New Orleans Saints, but you can guarantee that Brian Flores will turn up the heat on second-year quarterback Tyler Shough. The highlights will be few and far between in this matchup, but that’s exactly the style of football that has put the Vikings atop the NFC.
Cleveland Browns 24, New York Jets 17
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Sep 27, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Denzel Boston (12) scores a two point conversion against the Carolina Panthers during the fourth quarter at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images
The Cleveland Browns win streak can certainly extend to four games on Sunday. While the New York Jets certainly look more competitive than they did a year ago, but Cleveland is playing better football right now. The Jets should be able to force Deshaun Watson into a turnover and a few sacks, but Cleveland is better defensively and it’s also got the healthier group of skill players with Breece Hall injured.
Related: Cleveland Browns Open to Shedeur Sanders Trade
Pittsburgh Steelers 28, Indianapolis Colts 27
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Oct 1, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) takes teh field in the first quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images
As bad as the Pittsburgh Steelers secondary looks right now, they can still get after the quarterback. While pressure is a recipe for success against just about any quarterback, it’s particularly effective when facing Daniel Jones. The Indianapolis Colts still seem inclined to let Jones carry this offense for long stretches, rather than just centering everything around Jonathan Taylor. Indianapolis is also at a disadvantage defensively in this one. The Steelers should be able to pull out a tight one at home.
Washington Commanders 24, New York Giants 20
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Oct 4, 2026; Tottenham, ENG; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) walks off the field during warmups before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
The tentative expectation is that Jayden Daniels is back under center as the Washington Commanders quarterback in Week 5 and wide receiver Terry McLaurin could also be cleared to play. While Washington hasn’t been good defensively by any means this season, Jameis Winston will gift-wrap a few chances for interceptions. In what should be a very competitive NFC East duel, Daniels’ big-play ability proves to be the difference-maker. The Giants lose a close one on the road, but continue to demonstrate signs that this team is much better coached than it was a year ago.
Denver Broncos 21, Los Angeles Chargers 16
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Sep 21, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) is pressured by Denver Broncos defensive end John Franklin-Myers (98) as he throws a pass in the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
The Denver Broncos won’t have Pat Surtain II on Sunday and it still feels like it shouldn’t matter. Offensively, the Los Angeles Chargers look completely lost right now. Justin Herbert is making awful decisions with the football, Ladd McConkey is hurt, the interior offensive line is a mess and Mike McDaniel’s run game has been a big disappointment. All of this has stolen the headlines from significant regression from Los Angeles defensively. This isn’t necessarily a “get-right game” for the Broncos offense, but just some efficient play from Bo Nix paired with an elite defense should be enough to win.
Detroit Lions 34, Arizona Cardinals 28
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Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) throws a pick-6 but the officials rules it a dead ball due to the 2-minute warning against the Arizona Cardinals in the first half at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on Sep 22, 2024.
After what happened on Sunday Night Football, the Detroit Lions are absolutely in jeopardy of losing this Sunday on the road against the Arizona Cardinals. An atrocious defense will have plenty of problems stopping Michael Wilson, Trey McBride, Jeremiyah Love and even Marvin Harrison Jr. It’s also not like Arizona can’t hold up decently well in pass protection, giving Jacoby Brissett time to take shots downfield. However, Arizona is nearly as bad defensively and Brissett (4 interceptions) has shown multiple times this year that he can get careless with the football and too locked-in on McBride and Wilson. If you swap the quarterbacks, the Cardinals could win this one by a touchdown. Instead, Goff plays well enough for Detroit to head home with a 3-2 record.
Seattle Seahawks 20, San Francisco 49ers 17
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Jan 17, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) carries the ball as Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) defends during the first half in an NFC Divisional Round game at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images
This is one of our favorite matchups in Week 5 entirely because of the chess match between Kyle Shanahan and Mike Macdonald. The San Francisco 49ers will be without fullback Kyle Juszczyk in this game, which feels like an underrated blow for this offense. The Seattle Seahawks also did an outstanding job shutting down this 49ers’ offense in their last two meetings. It will be a much tigher game than the playoff meeting, obviously, but we do suspect that Macdonald outmaneuvers Shanahan and enough big-time throws from Sam Darnold to Jaxon Smith-Njigba propel Seattle to the win at home
Baltimore Ravens 28, Atlanta Falcons 21
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Oct 4, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) drops back to pass during the first half against the Tennessee Titans at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
It all comes down to the availability of Lamar Jackson and, if he plays, how close to 100 percent he is. We saw last season how limited Jackson was in the pocket when he played through a lower-body injury, he was no longer able to evade sacks and the Baltimore Ravens offense fell apart. The Atlanta Falcons, even with lesser names, are finding ways to generate hits and pressures this year. Atlanta will also have plenty of success funneling touches to Bijan Robinson and Drake London. We’re giving Baltimore the edge assuming Jackson is close to 100 percent, but the Falcons can absolutely win this Sunday Night Football matchup if he’s visibly limited by the ankle.
Los Angeles Rams 31, Buffalo Bills 28
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Sep 8, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) is brought down by Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller (40) in the third quarter at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
This should be the best Monday Night Football matchup in 2026. Of course, that also means this game probably ends in an ugly 9-3 final score. What we’re expecting is a shootout, with Matthew Stafford and Josh Allen going blow-for-blow. Coming off a loss, Allen is going to stick to the approach that helped him beat the Texans a few weeks ago and that’s an “all gas, no brakes” mentality to attacking with aggressive throws in all areas of the field. Likewise, Matthew Stafford will also take his fair share of chances. What this game will boil down to is the Rams’ ability to run the football on Buffalo’s front and Los Angeles having the more consistent pass rush. Allen will have a shot late for the go-ahead score, but the pass will be picked off.