The second month of the NFL season and October kicks off with some high-powered matchups as the Baltimore Ravens take on the divisional rival Cincinnati Bengals and the Buffalo Bills take on the Houston Texans. Week 5 will also feature the Davante Adams sweepstakes. Here are five things to watch in week 5.
NFL Week 5: What to Look Out For
1. Davante Adams Trade Watch
The Las Vegas Raiders Pro-Bowl wide receiver has dominated headlines this week after letting the Raiders organization know he’d prefer to be traded from the team. The trade request comes after the Raider’s head coach, Antonio Pierce, made comments after a team loss to the Carolina Panthers in week three that certain players were making “business decisions” with their effort for that game. Many believed Pierce’s comments were aimed at Adams along with a couple of other players.
Even more, speculation happened on a trade when Pierce liked an Instagram post referring to Adams having played his last down for the Raiders. After being asked about the post, Pierce declined to explain.
Adams was initially traded to Las Vegas in 2022 from the Green Bay Packers, where he was set to play with college quarterback and close friend Derek Carr. The two played together for one season before Carr was released from the Raiders.
Could Carr and Adams team back up again? NFL reporters have reported that the New Orleans Saints is one of the listed teams Adams wouldn’t mind being traded to. Adams has also played with current New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and the Jets are also on his list.
A trade could come together over the weekend as Adams plans to sit games until a trade is worked out.
2. Joe Burrow vs. Lamar Jackson
The Ravens vs. the Bengals is among the premier matchups in the league. Fans get to enjoy the matchup twice a year as both teams are in the AFC South, and when Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson are both playing and healthy, it is a must-watch game.
The Bengals come into this game at 1-3 and finally got a win over the Carolina Panthers last week to keep from going 0-4. The Ravens demolished a 3-0 Bills team at home on Sunday Night Football. Burrow and Jackson have gotten off to solid starts this season, with Burrow having seven touchdowns to one interception on the year and Jackson having seven total touchdowns to one interception.
A 1-4 start for the Bengals would be an uphill climb for the rest of the season, while 2-3 puts the Ravens behind the eight-ball in a loaded AFC conference. This a big matchup for week five, which could make things difficult for the loser in the latter part of the season for postseason scenarios.
3. Bills vs Texans: Stefon Diggs Bowl?
The second heavyweight battle at quarterback features Josh Allen and CJ Stroud. This game features two division leaders as well as two of the best quarterbacks in the game. The Bills will be looking to bounce back from a Sunday Night Football beatdown by the Ravens, so there is urgency in this matchup for the Bills to avoid getting beat in back-to-back weeks by AFC contenders.
The only AFC teams the Texans have faced this season are the Indianapolis Colts and the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Bills will definitely provide a step up in competition against AFC opponents the Texans have faced so far this season.
Even though the quarterbacks headline the matchup, these two teams made one of the bigger trades with one another during the offseason. Buffalo sent Pro Bowl receiver Stefon Diggs to the Texans after a mutual split this offseason. So far, both teams have been well off, but Diggs will have extra motivation to knock off his former team while the Bills will want to prove they made the right decision.
4. Commanders’ Offense Staying on Fire?
The Washington Commanders currently have the hottest offense in the league, led by rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. In four games, the Commander’s offense has had 23 scoring drives, 19 incomplete passes, and four punts.
They currently are first in offensive success rate and Expected Points Added (EPA) per play. Washington will host the Cleveland Browns this week, who bode one of the most formidable defenses in the NFL; however, at this point, it’s not about who the Commanders play but how long they can keep up this historic offensive output going forward.
5. Steelers, Cowboys SNF Showdown
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys face off in a standalone game Sunday night, and it’s an important game for both teams. The Steelers lost their first game last week with Justin Fields as a starter. Fields have been the de facto starting quarterback for the Steelers, with Russell Wilson being out due to injury for the first month. However, Wilson has been ramping up and seems ready to play, so a bad performance from Fields could have the Steelers consider Wilson the following week.
On the Cowboys side, they will be without Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Brandin Cooks, so Dak Prescott and crew will need to be perfect against a tough Steelers team Sunday night.
Main Image: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
