Five for Friday: Week 5
The five biggest questions heading into Week 5:
1. Is this the week Tennessee falls? Could be. The 4-0 Titans are off to the best start in franchise history, but they go up against the resurgent Ravens in Bal’more on Sunday. Ray Lewis has this defense playing at nearly as high a level as the Super Bowl season in 2000, and rookie Joe Flacco has proven to be a relatively mistake-free quarterback. Tennessee’s defense is nearly in a class with the Ravens, and it could come down to how Albert Haynesworth & Co. respond against the Ravens. But if the Titans are in for a misstep, it could be here. 
2. Will Aaron Rodgers start his fifth straight game in Green Bay? Brett Favre’s replacement has a bum shoulder but still hopes to play on Sunday. If so, he’d be only 270 straight starts away from tying Favre’s team record. If not, the Packers are toast with rookie Matt Flynn. Green Bay is home to Atlanta on Sunday.
3. Can the Redskins keep up the good work? It was an absolutely massive win in Big D last week, and now it’s on to Philly to face the Eagles. It might be too much to expect back-to-back divisional wins for the Redskins, but they should be in this one to the end. If Brian Westbrook comes back from an ankle problem, though, I think he means the difference for the Birds.
4. Is Minnesota’s season about to go kerplunk? Not many must-win games in Week 5, but Vikings at Saints is pretty close. Not only are there quarterback problems in Minny (sorry, Gus Frerotte is no savior, even if he is the better alternative to Tarvaris Jackson), but the defense has stunk it up, too. The Vikes gave up a first-round pick for Jared Allen, but he has only two sacks so far.
5. Can the Steelers survive without their top two running backs? They lost Willie Parker to a knee injury and then Rashard Mendenhall to a season-ending shoulder injury. Now it’s Mewelde Moore’s team. The Steelers were so desperate that they re-signed Najeh Davenport, who was cut in the off-season. Not only that, but Big Ben has missed practice time this week because of that separated shoulder. Steelers on the road in Jacksonville. Tough one.
The picks (straight up, not against the spread):
Ravens over Titans: It could be 6-3.
Panthers over Chiefs. Kansas City goes against a real defense in this one, not Denver’s Swiss cheese D.
Bears over Lions. The post-Matt Millen doesn’t look much better. At least not yet.
Packers over Falcons. I think Rodgers will be in the lineup.
Colts over Texans. Peyton Manning benefits with the bye week after showing so much rust early on.
Chargers over Dolphins. San Diego has won two straight.
Giants over Seahawks: But not by much.
Eagles over Redskins: NFC East is the best thing going right now. Iggles bounce back from Chicago loss.
Broncos over Buccaneers. Jay Cutler over Brian Griese.
Cardinals over Bills: This one’s tougher than the Bills might realize.
Cowboys over Bengals. Even with Carson Palmer, it won’t be close. Without him, it’ll be ugly. Chad vs. T.O. Who makes a bigger fool of himself?
Patriots over 49ers: Could be ugly, but Pats can grind one out.
Jaguars over Steelers: Just not the right time to visit Jacksonville without running back help.
Saints over Vikings: Drew Brees on his way to another 4,000-yard passing season.
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Comments (3)
you afraid of the spread or something?
Boland:
This is your bye week. Shouldn't you be driving the Solara down I-80 with the windows down and not stopping until you get that Velveeta corn dog in Cleveland?
Geez....one comment of the week award and it goes to his head..
If Boland was driving "down" anything in his Solara it would be I-95. (trying to land some barebecued pigskin bellies in Florence SC or something--try to keep it football, Bob).
He would be heading "out" on I-80 if he was going to Cleveland.
And if he was in search of the perfect Velveeta corn dog he probably wouldn't stop on I-80 until somewhere in Illinois, equidistant to the Wisconsin and Iowa border.
But headed for Cleveland with his windows down, about 10 miles west of the toxic steel plant emissions in Youngstown, his nasal cavities would resucitate and start to pickup the rancid odor of fried pierogies, boiling kraut, and burnt kielbasa steamed in P.O.C. beer; all mixed in with an equally non-salubrious collection of toxic emissions from downtown Cleveland's own contribution to Global Warming.
Provided the winds were out of the Northwest.
Just a minor correction on your Americana Bob.
(And NO self respecting Cuyahogan would be caught dead in a Toyota Solara.......it better be a FORD...or walk).