Seattle Seahawks (2-2) at Cincinnati Bengals (4-0)
I did not expect the Bengals to be 4-0 heading into week five. Andy Dalton is finally playing up to the worth of his lucrative contract. Though there have been some nail-biters (Baltimore in week four), the Bengals have cruised to victory in their other three matchups. Yes, their first quarter of the season schedule hasn’t been that difficult but, they’re nonetheless well atop the division and will probably remain there for a while. Certainly anything can happen but with Big Ben injured in Pittsburgh and the Ravens and Browns both 1-3, it looks as though the Bengals could run away with the AFC North.
Pay Kam Chancellor. After sitting out the first two weeks of the season, Chancellor returned in week three but remained quiet. In week four, he won the Seahawks the game. In a must-see video, Chancellor miraculously punches the ball out of Calvin Johnson’s hands as Johnson is nearing the end zone, causing a fumble and a touchback with 1:45 on the clock. Seattle is looking better than they did earlier in the season, having won their last two games, but Cincinnati is on a roll and doesn’t look like they’re going to be stopped any time soon.
Seahawks 17 Bengals 20
Buffalo Bills (2-2) at Tennessee Titans (1-2)
After the Bills opened up the season on fire, the Giants found a way to shut down their offense last week after averaging over 30 points a game in the first three weeks of the season, the Bills were held to only 10 points in the team’s 24-10 loss last week. The Bills rushing attack led the league with 153 yards per game through week three, but managed only a total of 55 yards last game. Simply put, their ineffective running game put the pressure on Tyrod Taylor, who didn’t play poorly by any means, but was not as effective and efficient as he had been in previous weeks. This could be a huge turning point for the Bills if teams can figure out a way to consistently stop their rushing game.
Tennessee hosts the Bills after a bye week, during which the Titans benefitted from having Delanie Walker rest and recover in time for their week five matchup. It’s uncertain at this point whether or not he’ll play but he’s definitely a make-or-break type player. Aside from their week two loss, the Titans haven’t played a bad game yet. I see no weakness in their offense; Marcus Mariota certainly looks like a second or third year quarterback rather than a rookie. It should be an interesting matchup.
Bills 27 Titans 31
San Francisco 49ers (1-3) at New York Giants (2-2)
The Giants are turning their season around; after dropping the first two games to the Cowboys and Falcons, they defeated the Redskins and Bills to jump back to .500. The Giants’ one setback is their rushing game, in which they have struggled to find steady ground; Andrew Williams and Rashad Jennings average a combined 64 yards per game, which isn’t exactly good for your top two running backs.
What is going on in San Francisco? The 49ers just cannot move the ball down the field. Collin Kaepernick leads the team in both rushing yards and passing yards with only 217, 7 less than Aaron Rodgers have throwing the ball. The 49ers look terrible, and there doesn’t look to be a cure in sight. Still, give credit where credit is due. Aaron Rodgers is having an incredible season and is yet to throw an interception. Nonetheless, the Packers ran for 162 yards last week. Who knows, maybe this is the week that Jennings and Williams will combine for 100 yards.
49ers 10 Giants 20
Last Week’s Record: 1-3
Season Record: 9-7
