NFL Picks Week 5: Vikings Meet Eagles In NFC Championship Rematch
Ryan Mayer
A quarter of the NFL season is in the rearview mirror already as we hurtle down the path towards Atlanta for Super Bowl LIII. Through four weeks, the most dominant team in the league has resided in Kansas City, helmed by Andy Reid and quarterbacked by Patrick Mahomes. K.C. seems to be an unstoppable juggernaut on offense, averaging over 36 points per game this season, as Mahomes has thrown for 14 touchdowns and zero interceptions.
But, this week, the league's premiere defense rolls into town, as Calais Campbell, Jalen Ramsey and the 3-1 Jacksonville Jaguars visit Arrowhead. For some insight into a matchup that could end up having playoff implications, we turned to CBS Denver's Michael Spencer. He gave us his expert take on that matchup and three others as we gear up for another full weekend of NFL football.
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Denver Broncos at New York Jets, 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)
The Broncos visit the Jets and boy, does Denver need this one. Last year, the Broncos suffered an eight-game losing streak. They have currently lost two straight including a disappointing outing in which they led by 10 late against the Chiefs. Denver is not good on the road. The Broncos have lost eight of their last nine going back to last year, but the Jets aren't good no matter where they play. I'll take the Broncos.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Kansas City Chiefs, 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)
Jaguars and Chiefs should be a fun one. These two teams are among the top teams in the AFC, and I don't think that's a fluke. Patrick Mahomes has been nothing short of incredible in his first full season as the starting quarterback, but he hasn't seen a defense quite like Jacksonville. The Jaguars have allowed the fewest points of any team in the NFL this season. While I would usually give the edge to the defense, given that this game is at Arrowhead, I'm going with the Chiefs to win a close one.
Miami Dolphins at Cincinnati Bengals, 1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)
Who had the Dolphins being 3-1 at this point in the year? I know I certainly didn't. Miami's offense had been averaging better than three touchdowns per game through their first three games. They came back to earth against the Patriots, as New England held them to just seven points a week ago. I think that was more indicative of the type of season the Dolphins will have the rest of the way. Meanwhile, Cincinnati has been putting up more than 30 points per game including last week's last-second win in Atlanta. I like the Bengals' confidence, and I think they win by a touchdown.
Minnesota Vikings at Philadelphia Eagles, 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)
In Philadelphia, the Eagles will host the Vikings in a rematch of last year's NFC Championship. The difference this year? The Vikings have a new quarterback. Kirk Cousins is pulling the strings in Minnesota, and if he can be as effective as he was last Thursday against the Rams, I think the Vikings are going to put up a ton of points this week. I think they are just starting to see the beginnings of what this offense can look like in Minnesota. So give me the Vikings to win the rematch, even though Philadelphia won the one that mattered.