If you missed week four of the NFL, then what were you doing?! There was frantic action between the Jets and Chiefs, the Eagles and Commanders also put on a clinic, and the Miami Dolphins Hype-train was derailed. Seriously, ensure your schedule is free for this next wave of games in Week 5.
100% Record on the Line: Eagles @ Rams
With the only 100% winning record left in the NFL, the Philadelphia Eagles are most certainly ‘one to watch’ in Week 5 of the regular NFL season. Jalen Hurts was on form against the Washington Commanders as he threw two touchdown passes and accrued over 300 yards. He’s enjoying his football at present, for sure. When the franchise became the 2022 NFC Champions, it rejuvenated the expectations amongst the Eagles players, management, and supporters.
The Rams expected more after winning the 2021 Super Bowl. Some thought that it would start a long spell of dominance in the NFL for the Rams. Nope, not at all. Despite winning the 2021 Super Bowl, the Rams then went 5-12 in 2022. Arguably one of the biggest drop-offs in form in the contemporary era of NFL teams. Has the team got any better since then? It’s inconsistent. 2-2 from the opening four games might not inspire too much confidence, but it could be a lot worse.
Rams QB Matthew Stafford does have a stellar 4-1 personal record against the Eagles from his days with the Detroit Lions. Avid followers will recall that night in 2015 when he threw five touchdown passes in a single game. If he can bring his record against the Eagles, then that winning streak could be in danger at SoFi Stadium.
However, the contemporary head-to-head record doesn’t make pleasant reading for LA Rams supporters. The Eagles have won five of the last six encounters dating back to 2002. The lone win for the Californian team came back in 2004. Could this trend be bucked with Stafford now plying his trade for the Rams?
Points Aplenty: Panthers @ Lions
If there’s one game with a decent chance of a good point haul, it’s thus the NFC North vs. North South encounter. The Carolina Panthers head to Ford Field, having endured a tragic start to the 2023 season. Four games played, four games lost. Bryce Young seems to be the first-choice QB, but in the game, Andy Dalton stepped in, and the Panthers arguably played better with him. The team needs to find its rhythm, and that starts with finding the right QB. The last match against the Minnesota Vikings, a team who were also winless until last weekend, would indicate it isn’t Young. Zero touchdowns on his game log isn’t a good look.
The Detroit Lions offense must be licking their lips at the sight of the Carolina Panthers coming to Michigan. They’ve already scored 106 points this season and will have observed how weak their opposition is at stopping attacks. For context, the Panthers have already omitted 102 points. Jared Goff might not be the best QB in the NFL right now, but he does more than his fair share of work. RB David Montgomery has seen a lot of success in his rushing, while WR Amon-Ra St. Brown has been exceptional in his receiving efforts. This is most certainly a well-oiled team to complement the Motor City.
These teams even met in the NFL 2023 preseason. The Lions won that contest 26-17, which was courtesy of a particularly high-scoring second quarter where they earned 20 points. This time, it could easily put more past this deflated Panthers team, making it an unmissable match.
Can Belichick Take Advantage of the Saints?
It seems like every week, new articles emerge about how the New England Patriots are awful and Bill Belichick should retire. The unfortunate truth is that since Tom Brady left, they’ve dropped off. Whatever essence of success Belichick had bottled, Brady took with him to Tampa Bay and has since put it on his shelf in his retirement.
Last week, the Patriots were truly put to the sword, with Belichick enduring his worst-ever loss as the Dallas Cowboys taught them a lesson with a 38-3 win. Dak Prescott wasn’t even that good; the Patriots just completely capitulated at AT&T Stadium. Mac Jones hasn’t been terrible in the entirety of the season, but his two interceptions last weekend didn’t make him look good. At which point Belichick could be seen trying to call Brady; after realizing his number was blocked, he sent Cam Newton a text.
The New Orleans Saints have their own set of problems. Even with two wins on the board, these were low-scoring, slender wins. Last weekend saw them brought back down to earth as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat them 26-9. Derek Carr looked incredibly sluggish throughout the game, giving Mac Jones a contest for least impressive QB performance.
Ultimately, this game will be a great watch as both teams will fancy their chances of winning. Belichick will still think he has a Super Bowl-winning franchise at his disposal (Good one, Bill), as the Saints aren’t that much better. If you have a lot of disdain for the Patriots due to their dominant spell from yesteryear, then they might continue to dwindle. Equally, if you like them from the same period, this is a very winnable game for them.
Historically, the Patriots have done well in this fixture as they lead the overall series 10-5. However, historically, the Pats had Tom Brady…such metrics might fill conjecture and news articles, but nothing replaces the best NFL player in history.