Now that Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season is over, we can turn our attention to Week 5. Let's dive into our picks and score predictions. Week 4 was another whirlwind of games in the NFL, and this is the beauty of this league - so much parity allows us to enjoy a ton of intense finishes.
As it stands right now, everything is wide open, and I truly do not remember a time in recent NFL history when things truly felt like this. Even the two remaining unbeaten teams, Buffalo and Philadelphia, have notable team issues that they have to work through.
It's a beautiful time for the league if you enjoy this heavy competition. Now that Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season is officially in the books, let's crack open our picks and score predictions for every single game in Week 5.
Bye Week: Falcons, Bears, Packers, Steelers
2025 NFL Picks and Score Predictions for Every Week 5 Game
San Francisco 49ers (3-1) @ Los Angeles Rams (3-1)
Thursday, October 2nd, 8:15 PM ET
On a short week, we get a solid NFC West rivalry on Thursday Night Football, but this is a one-sided game. Sure, the San Francisco 49ers are 3-1, but they lost a disappointing game at home to the Jacksonville Jaguars and are on the road in Week 5 to face the LA Rams, a squad that just beat the formerly undefeated Indianapolis Colts.
The Rams have the QB and head coaching advantage in this game, as I am not sure many would argue that Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay is a better, more reliable duo than Brock Purdy and Kyle Shanahan.
Purdy did seem to aggravate his toe in Week 4 against the Jags, so that is something to keep an eye out for. Overall, this game is going to be close because it’s a divisional matchup, but the Rams will do enough to win and get to 4-1.
Prediction: 49ers win 27-20
Minnesota Vikings (2-2) @ Cleveland Browns (1-3)
Sunday, October 5th, 9:30 AM ET (Game played in London)
The Minnesota Vikings will play their second international game in a row and face off against the Cleveland Browns in Week 5 of the 2025 NFL Season. It’s going to be a London game and a great chance for the Vikings to get back on track after an ugly loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin in Week 4.
Carson Wentz is likely again starting for the Vikings unless something changes, and while Wentz isn’t special, he’s capable. Wentz didn’t play all that well in Week 4, but the Vikings were very much in the game, but there is a reason why the veteran QB has not been able to latch onto a team since being traded by the Philadelphia Eagles several seasons ago. With Kevin O'Connell as the head coach, though, the Vikings will always be fielding a competent QB situation.
The Cleveland Browns are coming into this game having lost in blowout fashion to the Detroit Lions, and the Browns are simply not going to amount to much in the 2025 NFL Season. I would not be shocked to see a QB change during this game if Joe Flacco again starts off on the wrong foot.
Cleveland is clearly building toward the 2026 NFL Season, as they have two first-round draft picks next April. Minnesota does have an interesting QB situation of their own to figure out, as if they win this game, which is likely, will they rush to get JJ McCarthy back into the starting lineup?
This is something to keep an eye out for. It’s going to be close, but the Vikings close it out and get to 3-2, keeping themselves in the mix in the NFC North.
Prediction: Vikings win 17-14
Las Vegas Raiders (1-3) @ Indianapolis Colts (3-1)
Sunday, October 5th, 1:00 PM ET
This is not going to be a kind matchup for the Las Vegas Raiders, a team that lined up to potentially kick a game-winning field goal, but it was blocked, and with that, the Raiders lost their third game in a row and dropped to 1-3 on the season after a solid 1-0 start.
QB Geno Smith has been horrific this year, throwing seven interceptions in his first four games, which is just mind-bogglingly awful. The Raiders have a bad defense and don’t really have many good players outside of a small handful on either side of the ball.
It’s trending toward being another lost year for the franchise, but many of us saw that coming. They are in Indianapolis to face the 3-1 Colts, a team that lost a sloppy game against the Los Angeles Rams, and it really felt like the Colts’ first legitimate test of the 2025 NFL Season, and them playing poorly against a good opponent does tell us a lot about this team.
However, the Raiders aren’t much of a challenge at home, but they have proven to be able to move the ball down the field at times, and seeing as the Colts’ defense has been shaky this year, we could be seeing a shootout here in Week 5, but I would give the QB and head coaching edge to the Colts, and this game being at home is going to also tilt the contest in the team’s favor.
Indy wins this one by a touchdown and are able to rebound and continue their unlikely season, improving to 4-1 on the season. The Colts get a 'get right game' at the right time after their first loss of the season.
Prediction: Colts win 31-24
New York Giants (1-3) @ New Orleans Saints (0-4)
Sunday, October 5th, 1:00 PM ET
How about those New York Giants? What a game they had in Week 4 against the Los Angeles Chargers. To be honest, though, that game had ‘trap game’ written all over it for the Bolts, and not only did they lose in brutal fashion, but QB Justin Herbert took a ton of hits, and left tackle Joe Alt left the game and might miss a few weeks with an ankle injury.
Anyway, the Giants have a fierce defensive line that can create a ton of pressure, and they now travel to New Orleans to face the winless Saints, a team that has actually gotten some notable QB play from Spencer Rattler in the 2025 NFL Season.
I don’t think it’s a bad idea to keep Rattler in the mix as the starting QB beyond 2025, as he’s legitimately been good for most of the season. The Saints are close - they gave the Buffalo Bills a run for their money and do feel a bit better than their record indicates.
On the flip side, the Giants are riding high after an unlikely win against the Chargers, so it’s natural to think that the G-Men could be set to endure a letdown after such an emotional victory. It’s also going to be the first away start of the Jaxson Dart era, so it’s going to be a totally new environment for the rookie QB.
To me, it’s shaping up to be a close Saints’ win, making both teams 1-4 on the season. Neither New Orleans or New York is going to amount to much in the 2025 season, but both teams could have young, encouraging QBs who could turn into something in 2026 and beyond. The Saints win their first game of the season by a slim margin.
Prediction: Saints win 20-18
Dallas Cowboys (1-2-1) @ New York Jets
Sunday, October 5th, 1:00 PM ET
The Dallas Cowboys, as everyone expected, tied in Week 4 against the Green Bay Packers, but if you think about it, a tie is actually not something to scoff at. The Packers have largely been seen as a legitimate contender this year, and they’ve now not won for two weeks in a row.
The Cowboys have had no issues moving the ball this year - this offense is able to gain yards at will, and Dak Prescott has always been an efficient QB. Free agent signing Javonte Williams has also been very efficient and seems to have fixed their run game issues.
Overall, if Dallas can somehow figure out how to get a bit more stout on defense, they could turn into something. However, the Cowboys can get in the win column against the New York Jets, a bad football team.
The Cowboys will go into this game with the head coaching advantage and the QB advantage, and that is simply sometimes all a team needs to sway the game in their favor.
Both Dallas and New York are likely not sniffing the playoffs this year, but this could be a fun, tight game when it’s all said and done. I like the Cowboys to earn their second win of the season and narrowly beat the Jets by one point.
The New York Jets, on the other hand, are a total non-factor in the 2025 NFL Season and have major issues to try and figure out going forward. This team needs a franchise QB in the worst way and should end up picking very high in the 2026 NFL Draft, a class that might honestly be deeper at the position. It's going to be another long year for the Jets.
Prediction: Cowboys win 24-23
Denver Broncos (2-2) @ Philadelphia Eagles (4-0)
Sunday, October 5th, 1:00 PM ET
The Denver Broncos beat the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football and get to a solid 2-2 record before embarking on their October and November games. What does stick out to me is that Sean Payton historically wins about 70% of his games across these two months, so the Broncos are likely primed to go on a bit of a run here.
They did win three games in a row after an 0-2 start in 2024, and they also had a separate winning streak of four games as well last year. The Broncos will bring a stingy defense that excels at getting to the QB.
Bo Nix and the offense may also hit their stride more as the season goes on. As for the Eagles, this team won yet another close game, this time against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and I have to be honest, here, I am getting 2023 Eagles’ vibes from this year’s team. They have not played a complete game from top to bottom in any week this year and have won their four games by a total of 20 points, so they are winning by close margins.
In Week 3, for example, they needed a walk-off blocked field goal to beat the Rams, but that was after mounting an insane second half comeback. They were trending toward being blown out in that contest. Heck, even the Bucs mounted a comeback, so Philly had to button up as the season went on.
I say all of this to say that the Eagles are again winning by close margins and are due for a bit of a letdown game. They won’t keep winning games like this and have gone back and forth with their air travel each week. Give me the Broncos by a couple of points.
Prediction: Broncos win 23-21
Miami Dolphins (1-3) @ Carolina Panthers (1-3)
Sunday, October 5th, 1:00 PM ET
After a win on Monday Night Football in Week 4 against the Miami Dolphins, the team temporarily gets itself on track and could end up winning two games in a row, as they are in Carolina in Week 5 and face off against the Panthers, one of the three-worst teams in the NFL.
If nothing else, Tua Tagovailoa can throw the ball all over the place when he’s healthy, but he’s really not more than ‘good’ at this point. To be fair to the veteran QB, though, he’s never finished a season with a losing record in his NFL career, and that has to be good for something.
The Panthers blew out the Atlanta Falcons in Week 3 but then proceeded to get blown out by the New England Patriots in Week 4, so this team is all over the place. At the end of the day, Bryce Young is the unfortunate deciding factor here. He is far from a franchise QB and just not someone the Panthers can keep trotting out there.
He is again outmatched by his peer at the position, and the Panthers are going to continue losing games. At some point, they have to pull the plug on the Bryce Young era and begin trying to figure out who could take his place for the long-term.
Miami’s defense is going to allow Carolina to hang in the game, but I would trust the Dolphins to find a way to close it out, winning their second game in a row. However, this might end up being a whole lot of nothing for the Dolphins, as them potentially winning two games in a row against two bad teams doesn't really change the harsh truth of their situation.
Prediction: Dolphins win 31-24
Houston Texans (1-3) @ Baltimore Ravens (1-3)
Sunday, October 5th, 1:00 PM ET
In a battle of 1-3 teams, one of these teams will drop to 1-4 on the season, and both are reeling. The Texans did shut out the Tennessee Titans in Week 4, but that really isn’t much of an accomplishment if we’re being honest. Despite the huge win, the Texans still have massive issues along their offensive line, and CJ Stroud just can’t find much consistency.
With the Colts and Jags both currently 3-1 approaching Week 5, the Texans could risk falling a whopping four games behind one or both of those teams if they win this upcoming week, and you get the sense that a 1-4 start is going to pretty much end things before we even get to the halfway point of 2025.
On the other side of things, the Baltimore Ravens are in a similar spot - they just got blown out by the Kansas City Chiefs and now have even bigger questions on the defensive side of the ball. Their defense has been among the worst in the NFL, and it doesn’t seem like they’re going to find any answer on that side of the ball anytime soon.
The Ravens get this game at home and do have the better team, but I truly do not feel good about either team at the moment. With the way things are trending this year, it would not shock me if both ended up missing the playoffs.
After each team won the division in 2024 and earned a top-4 playoff seed, we could see both regress and fall out of the playoffs entirely, which just goes to show you how much parity and competitiveness there is in today’s NFL.
The Baltimore Ravens are going to win this game, but it’s going to be close. The Ravens improve to 2-3 on the season and keep their hopes alive, but the Texans drop to 1-4 in our prediction and could see their season disappear.
Prediction: Ravens win 28-27
Tennessee Titans (0-4) @ Arizona Cardinals (2-2)
Sunday, October 5th, 4:05 PM ET
The Tennessee Titans are on the cusp of blowing this thing up, and I am not sure Brian Callahan, their head coach, survives much longer. I could see him being let go before Week 5 even rolls around, but who knows at this point.
The Titans got shut out by the lowly Houston Texans, and the Texans are just 1-3 with that win, so that kind of tells you just how bad Tennessee is. The offense isn’t working, and QB Cam Ward has not done himself many favors thus far.
Right now, the Titans have to be thinking about the new era in 2026 and beyond. Ward is going to get just about all of the 2026 season as well, so any talks of the Titans pulling the plug on the rookie QB are not valid in my opinion.
On the other sideline is the Arizona Cardinals, a team that has lost two games in a row after beginning the year 2-0. It’s going to be a giant opportunity for the Cardinals do right the ship in this ‘get right game’ - and that’s kind of what the Titans will be for most of their opponents for the rest of the 2025 NFL Season.
It’s the harsh reality of the situation, and one that isn’t going to get fixed unless Tennessee makes huge changes. If you want my two cents, the idea of hiring Mike McCarthy to stabilize the franchise and to develop Cam Ward actually makes a lot of sense.
Anyway, the Titans are going to have to wait yet another week for their first win of the Ward era. The Cardinals win this one by two touchdowns and get back over .500, keeping themselves alive in the heated NFC West race in 2025.
Prediction: Cardinals win 27-13
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1) @ Seattle Seahawks (3-1)
Sunday, October 5th, 4:05 PM ET
This has a chance to be one of the games of the year, frankly. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were trending toward being blown out by the Philadelphia Eagles, but inconsistent Philly allowed them to claw back. Naturally, Philly was able to close it out and moved to 4-0 on the season, which could be huge for tiebreakers when playoff seeding comes around.
The Bucs are now 3-1 but still in a very good spot overall. QB Baker Mayfield is still at the top of his game, and the defense can be capable. The Bucs have another tough task ahead of them - they travel to Seattle to face the Seahawks, a 3-1 team off extended rest, as they played on Thursday Night Football in Week 4.
Furthermore, QB Sam Darnold has continued his high-level play from the 2024 NFL Season with the Minnesota Vikings, so the Seahawks might be better than we thought. To be fair, though, this team did win 10 games in 2024 with Geno Smith at QB, so this club was solid before upgrading at QB.
I believe this is going to be a higher-scoring, back and forth game. At the end of the day, I would take Baker Mayfield over Sam Darnold, and given this game is going to be very close, I would tend to pick the better QB when it’s all said and done. I could see a late touchdown drive putting the Buccaneers over the top of the Seahawks in an absolutely great Week 5 showdown. Give me Tampa Bay by just one point in this game.
The Buccaneers are one of the best teams in the NFL and are going to get a statement win on the road after a disappointing Week 4 loss.
Prediction: Buccaneers win 28-27
Detroit Lions (3-1) @ Cincinnati Bengals (2-2)
Sunday, October 5th, 4:25 PM ET
The Detroit Lions seem to be up to their old ways thus far in the 2025 NFL Season. They have ridden strong defensive performances and prolific offensive outputs to a 3-1 start thus far. They have now won three games in a row after a very ugly loss in Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers, and it does seem like the Lions have begun proving many of the doubters wrong.
In the offseason, the Lions lost both Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson to head coaching jobs, but it really does not feel like it through the first four weeks. All of a sudden, Detroit is staring at a 4-1 start here in 2025.
The Bengals are coming off of their second loss in a row and dropped a game to the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football to close out Week 4, so the Bengals are on a shorter week. Cincy’s QB, Jake Browning, simply isn’t going to go toe-to-toe with Jared Goff, one of the best pure passers in the NFL. The Bengals’ defense is again bad, and the offensive line continues to be a sore spot. Furthermore, with Joe Burrow not in the lineup, the Bengals’ weaknesses are magnified more than ever.
The Lions should get out to an early lead and be able to score a ton of points - they can hurt opponents from a plethora of different angles and are also good enough on defense to hang with the best teams in the NFL. Unless this is a trap game that I simply do not see coming, the Lions are going to win by multiple scores and continue to hang atop the NFC. Lions by 18 points in this prediction.
Prediction: Lions win 38-20
Washington Commanders (2-2) @ Los Angeles Chargers (3-1)
Sunday, October 5th, 4:25 PM ET
All of a sudden, the Los Angeles Chargers do not feel like the slam dunk they were just one week ago. The Chargers saw Joe Alt go down in their brutal Week 4 loss against the New York Giants, and if Alt is set to miss some time, which feels likely, the Chargers will have lost what was the best tackle duo in the NFL.
Furthermore, the roster itself isn’t necessarily loaded with talent, and QB Justin Herbert has thrown three interceptions across the last two games, so he’s not playing all that well, either. Unless LA can flip the script a bit and get back on track, I believe more people will continue to doubt if the team has what it takes to win the AFC West.
The Washington Commanders come to town, and if Jayden Daniels plays in this game, the Commanders should be able to win this one. Washington lost a dramatic game in Week 4 against the Atlanta Falcons, but it was backup Marcus Mariota in for that game.
Simply put, I believe Daniels is the deciding factor here. If he plays, the Commanders win, if he does not, it’s going to be hard to see how they come out victorious.
Washington does have some players along the defensive line who should be able to expose the all of a sudden weak Chargers’ offensive line. Let’s take the Commanders in this one, but it’ll be another close game. Both teams end up 3-2 if this prediction ends up coming true.
Washington getting Jayden Daniels back for this game would be huge, as they have to begin stacking wins to keep up with the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East thus far in the 2025 season.
Prediction: Commanders win 23-21
New England Patriots (2-2) @ Buffalo Bills (4-0)
Sunday, October 5th, 8:20 PM ET
The Buffalo Bills have not been good on the defensive side of the ball here in the 2025 NFL Season. They were able to fend-off the New Orleans Saints at home in Week 4. Buffalo does have some mounting injuries on that side of the ball, so you get the sense that if they can simply get healthy, they’ll be a complete team.
The Bills do have one of the easier schedules in the NFL this year, but the New England Patriots have to be looked at as a formidable team. They just blew out the Carolina Panthers, and second-year QB Drake Maye has honestly looked great.
I am keying in on the Bills’ defense in this game - Buffalo is going to have a hard time stopping the Patriots. Maye is going to do some damage with his arm and will throw multiple touchdown passes. However, the Pats are clearly trying to rebuild the rest of this roster and are in year one of the Mike Vrabel era.
It’s going to take a bit of time for the Patriots to round-out and become a legitimate playoff contender, but they have shown enough to hang around with the Bills. I would take the Bills to win by a handful of points, but I really do not believe this game is going to be anything but a close game.
Buffalo wins this game, improves to 5-0 on the season, but massive questions about how good their defense can be continue to loom over their heads as we make our way to the halfway point of the 2025 NFL Season.
If there was such a thing as a ‘good’ loss in the NFL for New England, this would be it. Bills by four on Sunday Night Football.
Prediction: Bills win 31-27
Kansas City Chiefs (2-2) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (3-1)
Monday, October 6th, 8:15 PM ET
This game.
Did we expect the Jacksonville Jaguars to have a better record than the Kansas City Chiefs coming into this game? The Jaguars have not been all that special on offense, but the run game has come alive, and the defense has simply been outstanding. That unit is creating splash plays left and right, and it seems like Liam Coen’s vision is already coming into view just four weeks into the 2025 NFL Season.
The Jags went into San Francisco and beat the 49ers, so that is definitely a quality win. As of right now, why can’t the Jags win the AFC South? They did win the division back in 2022, and many of the players from that season are still with the team.
Overall, the franchise seems to have hit the nail on the head with Liam Coen and his staff, but they could really continue to silence critics with a win over the Kansas City Chiefs, a team that just blew out the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4.
On paper, the Chiefs might have the edge, but they did begin the year 0-2 for a reason. There isn’t a lot of special on this roster, and the Jaguars being the more explosive team could benefit them here.
I am not 100% sold on the Chiefs just figuring it out simply because they are the Chiefs, and we have to also be open to the idea that the Jaguars are simply a darn good football team. I am going to go out on a huge limb here and perhaps make my biggest prediction here in Week 5. Jacksonville wins by one point on a late field goal, dropping the Chiefs to 2-3 on the season but improving to 4-1 themselves.