The Biggest Question for Every NFL Game in Week 5

Nearly a quarter of the 2026 NFL season has passed, and teams are finding their stride (or lack thereof in the case of the league’s five 0–4 squads).

The Panthers and Chiefs will be the first teams to take their byes this season as they go on rest this week. For the other 30 teams playing on Sunday, here is the biggest question for all 15 games in Week 5.

Buccaneers (0–4) at Cowboys (2–2): Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET

Can Todd Bowles keep his seat from getting hotter?

The Buccaneers are in a tough position, heading to Dallas winless with an undrafted rookie making his second start at quarterback. They’ll face one of the best offenses in the league in the Cowboys, who have to feel good after torching the Texans’ defense in the second half last week. Ultimately, though, much of the Buccaneers’ poor start is their own doing. They’ve underachieved, with their offense ranking 28th in yards and passing yards. The defense, meanwhile, has gotten to the quarterback just six times so far, despite drafting Rueben Bain Jr. and Calijah Kancey returning from injury. They’ve turned the ball over nine times, third-most in the league. Coach Todd Bowles was already on the hot seat after the Buccaneers’ late-season collapse in 2025, and that seat has already heated up after their 0–4 start. It could become boiling if the Bucs endure a lopsided loss in prime time.

Eagles (2–2) vs. Jaguars (3–1) (London): Sunday, 9:30 a.m. ET

Can the Eagles’ passing offense challenge the Jaguars?

If the Eagles want to beat the Jaguars in London, they’ll likely have to do so through the air. The Jaguars have boasted one of the league’s best running defenses since Liam Coen took over last year, and is allowing 74.3 rush yards per game in 2026, second best in the league. The Eagles, meanwhile, could be without Saquon Barkley and already put RB Tank Bigsby on IR, putting the pressure on the passing game to heat up. The Eagles’ offensive line is down multiple Week 1 starters, including longtime tackle Lane Johnson, who announced his retirement on Tuesday. The Jaguars’ pass defense has given up the second-most yards, including 428 passing yards to Joe Burrow last week—but they still are a stiff unit which features a strong cornerback rotation including Jarrian Jones, Jourdan Lewis and Travis Hunter.

Bengals (2–2) at Dolphins (0–4): Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

Can the Dolphins’ pass rush come through again?

After failing to record a single sack through the first three weeks of the season, the Dolphins sacked Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray four times in Week 4, with Joshua Uche, Zach Sieler and Chop Robinson all notching at least one sack in the game. Can the Dolphins keep this going? The Bengals have allowed nine sacks this season, and quarterback Joe Burrow does hold onto the football too long sometimes. The Dolphins’ best bet will be getting past offensive linemen other than tackle Amarius Mims, who has had an outstanding start to the year. Per Next Gen Stats, Mims did not allow a single pressure vs. the Jaguars in Week 4 and has allowed a 3.0% pressure rate in 2026, best in the league among tackles with 100 or more pass blocks.

Raiders (3–1) at Patriots (2–2): Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

Can Drake Maye cut back on turnovers?

Drake Maye and the Patriots’ offense returned to form in their win over the Bills, but he still turned the ball over twice in the game, fumbling and throwing an interception. Maye has thrown a league-high seven interceptions. The Raiders have forced a league-leading nine turnovers, helping them get off to a 3–1 start. If Maye turns the ball over again, the Raiders could take advantage.

Vikings (4–0) at Saints (1–3): Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

Can the Saints force some turnovers?

One reason the Vikings have been able to win two games without scoring a touchdown (besides their defense) is that they’ve only turned the ball over twice so far this season. Their offense has yet to find itself, but it at least isn’t creating those kinds of negative plays. The Saints, meanwhile, have struggled to force turnovers and rank second-to-last in turnover differential (minus-5). They’ve forced only three turnovers, which is tied for 23rd in the league. If the Saints can turn over the Vikings, it could help them come away with a win.

Browns (3–1) at Jets (1–3): Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

How will the Jets rebound?

Despite their 1–3 record, the Jets overall have looked like a much better team in 2026—even if that wasn’t a high bar to clear. Still, they’ve lost three consecutive games, including a deflating loss to the Bears which saw them maintain possession of the ball for just 17 minutes and 15 seconds of the game, mustering only eight completions and seven first downs. How will they rebound against a Browns team that is coming off three consecutive wins and feeling good after a prime-time win in front of their home fans?

Colts (2–2) at Steelers (2–2): Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

Will the Steelers’ pass rush stunt Daniel Jones again?

Last season, the Steelers became the first team to expose the Colts during their historic offensive start. They did this by heavily pressuring Daniel Jones and sacking him five times as he threw one touchdown and three interceptions. Jones has thrown three touchdowns and four picks so far this season. If the Steelers can heavily pressure him again, it could help slow down the Indianapolis offense like last season.

Texans (0–4) at Titans (0–4): Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

Can the Texans’ defense play up to its past track record?

The Texans’ defense had a disappointing showing in the second half of their loss to the Cowboys last week, giving up 28 points and allowing Dak Prescott to complete 80% of his passes. Overall, the Texans’ defense has not been as stout as it was expected to be, ranking 26th in points allowed and fifth in passing yards allowed. Can they get right against the Titans? The Titans rank last in the league in yards, 31st in points and 28th in passing yards. If there were a time for the Texans to reassert their defensive dominance, it should start with their matchup against Tennessee.

Giants (3–1) at Commanders (1–3) : Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

Can the Giants get to the Commanders’ QB?

While second-year edge rusher Abdul Carter has played well, the Giants’ pass rush has struggled to take down the quarterback this season. The Giants have tallied just three sacks on the year, fewest in the NFL. Despite injuries to the offensive line, the Commanders have allowed only five sacks, the fourth-fewest. This is good news for the Commanders, especially with Jayden Daniels likely to return this week. They’ll look to keep their star quarterback upright and healthy after he missed two games with a dislocated elbow.

Bears (3–1) at Packers (2–2): Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

Can the Packers keep their fans from booing?

The last time the Packers played at Lambeau Field, they were booed off the field as the Falcons embarrassed them 35–14 on Thursday Night Football. While Green Bay rebounded with a win in Tampa in Week 4, it was far from a convincing victory. Heading into Week 5, the Packers are in danger of getting booed again if they play the way they have the first month of the season.

Bears coach Ben Johnson is on an epic troll run, from his handshake antics toward Matt LaFleur last season to starting Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum on the first play this past week after reports came out that Bagent would start. If Johnson gets the best of LaFleur and the Packers again on their home turf, it could get ugly at Lambeau field.

Broncos (2–2) at Chargers (0–4): Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET

Any hope for the Chargers’ banged up offensive line?

Another year, more offensive line issues for the Chargers. Both tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater sustained injuries in their loss to the Seahawks, and Slater is expected to miss time with an ankle sprain. Is there any hope for Justin Herbert’s protection? Herbert was one of the most sacked and hit quarterbacks a season ago, and has been heavily pressured again this season. Jim Harbaugh was defensive toward questions regarding the offensive line this week, but at this point, it’s hard to feel good about the line’s prognosis. The Broncos’ pass rush has led the league in sacks the past two seasons, and could get going again vs. Los Angeles.

Lions (2–2) at Cardinals (1–3): Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

Can the Lions’ secondary slow down the Cardinals?

As Tetairoa McMillan displayed on Sunday night, the Lions’ banged-up secondary is a major concern. The Lions rank last in the league in passing yards allowed (304 per game), and every team they’ve played has diced them up. The Cardinals are not one of the league’s best teams, but they have a talented trio of pass catchers in Trey McBride, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson. Will the Lions be able to hold them off, or can Arizona take advantage of this porous secondary to pull off the upset?

49ers (4–0) at Seahawks (3–1): Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET

Which team can run the ball?

The 49ers struggled to run the ball last season, and particularly against the Seahawks, with Christian McCaffrey averaging 3.1 yards per carry against Seattle. Thus far this year, the 49ers’ rushing attack has improved while the Seahawks have been a much worse rushing team since the departure of Kenneth Walker III and with Zach Charbonnet still recovering from a torn ACL. To make matters worse, Seahawks’ first-round pick Jadarian Price was placed on injured reserve, leaving them reliant on George Holani and Emanuel Wilson, who have both averaged under 4.0 yards per carry.

Ravens (3–1) at Falcons (2–2): Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET

Can the Ravens’ defense slow down the Falcons?

Since Michael Penix Jr.’s return, the Falcons’ offense has been rolling. They’ve racked up an average of 40 points, 223.5 rushing yards and 4.5 rushing touchdowns across two games while suddenly appearing unstoppable. The Ravens’ new offense under Declan Doyle has also been hot to start the season, but Baltimore could be without two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson on Sunday. Ian Rapoport reported that there’s an “outside chance” Jackson could play in the Sunday Night Football showdown. Tyler Huntley is a good backup, but it won’t matter if the Ravens’ defense can’t slow down this Falcons offense. The Ravens hired an excellent defensive mind in Jesse Minter, but their defense is still a work in progress, ranking 19th in points allowed and 16th in passing yards allowed. They’ve only allowed 100 rushing yards per game (10th-best), a number that will be tested against Bijan Robinson & Co.

Bills (3–1) at Rams (2–2): Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET

Which MVP quarterback will out-duel the other?

The Bills and Rams will meet on Monday Night Football in Week 5 in a clash featuring the past two MVP winners, Josh Allen and Matthew Stafford. Coming off his MVP campaign, Matthew Stafford has had a shaky start to 2026, tossing six touchdowns and six picks. Josh Allen, meanwhile, looked like a very early MVP front-runner through two weeks. The past two weeks, however, his play has dipped amid a bevy of Bills turnovers, including three interceptions from Allen.

The last time these two teams met in 2024, the Rams won the high-scoring affair 44–42. Stafford was efficient, completing 23-of-30 passes for 320 yards and two touchdowns. Allen, meanwhile, was outstanding in his comeback attempt, throwing for 342 yards, three touchdowns and rushing for 82 yards and three touchdowns.

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