2019 NFL picks, score predictions for Week 5

Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2) at Carolina Panthers (2-2)

Sunday, October 6, 1PM ET

It’s difficult for me to make this pick. Why? Because I’m all in on the Gardner Minshew hype. The kid is so fun to watch, and he brings a charisma to the Jacksonville Jaguars that we haven’t seen in a long time. Unfortunately, this Sunday just won’t be their day.

It won’t be Minshew’s fault, though. In fact, he’s a large reason why they’re 2-2 in the first place, and not 0-4. Apart from D.J. Chark and Leonard Fournette, the Jacksonville offense lacks any real weapons. The Jaguars defense hasn’t been nearly as good as it should be on paper. On top of that, this team has a knack for shooting itself in the foot with penalties.

In Week 5, that same team will be going up against a quality Carolina Panthers club that features on the best defenses in the NFL. That means they’ll be coming after Minshew all game long, making life difficult for him and allowing him little time to find his plethora of average playmakers down the field. And don’t expect Fournette to have much room to run.

That leaves it up to Kyle Allen, Christian McCaffrey and the Carolina offense to win the game. And as we’ve seen in recent weeks, they’re more than up the task. Look for CMC to get things going early, leading the Panthers to a third-straight win and sudden return to relevance.

Prediction: Panthers win 23-17