- Minnesota Vikings face Cleveland Browns in London on Oct. 5 at 7:30 a.m. MDT.
- New York Giants aim for second win against winless New Orleans on Oct. 5.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks clash as both teams seek fourth win.
SALT LAKE CITY — Week 5 of the NFL season kicks off with plenty of intrigue, from another international matchup to multiple winless teams searching for a spark, and a marquee battle between the Buccaneers and Seahawks, there's no shortage of storylines across the slate.
Minnesota Vikings (2-2) vs. Cleveland Browns (1-3)
Sunday, Oct. 5, 7:30 a.m. MDT – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (NFL Net)
The Vikings play in their second straight international game when they take on the Browns in London.
Why Minnesota will win:
The Vikings are facing their second straight AFC North opponent after losing to the Steelers a week ago in Ireland. Minnesota's offense didn't get hot until it was too late but they rallied back late in the fourth quarter to give themselves a chance. They will hope to avoid another slow start as they have some of the best offensive players in the league, led by wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
Carson Wentz has filled in well for the injured J.J. McCarthey, but Minnesota faces one of the better defensive units in the league this week. However, they won't be facing a quarterback like Aaron Rodgers so if they get out to a slow start again, they may be alright.
The Vikings' defense has been elite under the direction of defensive coordinator Brian Flores and with the Browns turning to rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel, the defense has a chance to take advantage of his inexperience.
Why Cleveland will win:
Don't let the Browns' record fool you, their defense has some playmakers and they boast one of the best defensive lines in the NFL. Myles Garrett has recorded four sacks and is always terrorizing opposing offenses. The Vikings offensive line has been beat up to begin the year and this is where Cleveland can take advantage in this one.
The Browns are also making the switch from Joe Flacco to Gabriel this week which could go both ways. It will be challenging for Gabriel to make his first start against Minnesota but he was able to get some game reps in relief of Flacco in their week 2 game against Baltimore. Gabriel provides Cleveland with more mobility in the pocket and could jumpstart this offense.
Line: MIN -3.5
Over/Under: 36.5
New York Giants (1-3) vs. New Orleans (0-4)
Sunday, Oct. 5, 11 a.m. MDT – Caesars Superdome (CBS)
Jaxson Dart leads the Giants into New Orleans after securing the team's first win of the season in his first career start.
Why New York will win:
New York looked like a different team last Sunday than they did in week 3's loss to the Chiefs. The team rallied behind Dart as they upset the Chargers in a tight contest. The Saints are not on the same level as Los Angeles but they have still been competitive in most of their games despite being 0-4.
Losing Malik Nabers for the season is a blow to the Giants'offense and they will need other players to step up in his absence. If third-year wideout Jalin Hyatt can see more snaps, he'll provide Dart with a deep threat option in this offense.
New York's defense shut down Justin Herbert and the Chargers last week after their defensive line caused problems all game long. Their front seven can play a huge role in securing their second straight win as they face New Orleans offensive line that ranks near the bottom of the league.
Why New Orleans will win:
The Saints were in a fight with Bills for most the game until Buffalo pulled away late. New Orleans even had a chance to take the lead in the fourth before a touchdown was overturned and they settled for a field goal. A big reason why the Saints have been competitive in this rebuild has been the play of quarterback Spencer Rattler.
Rattler has thrown for 765 yards and five touchdowns with just one interception. These aren't numbers that will wow you but he has played steady enough for New Orleans to have a chance. Rattler is 0-10 as a starter in the NFL but he and the Saints could be due for a win as they host the Giants who are coming off their first win of the season.
New York has offensive line issues of their own and losing star receiver Malik Nabers is a huge blow to their offense. This could be one of New Orleans' best chances at getting a win, especially early in the season.
Line: NO -1.5
Over/Under: 41.5
Dallas Cowboys (1-2-1) vs. New York Jets (0-4)
Sunday, Oct. 5, 11 a.m. MDT – MetLife Stadium (FOX)
The Cowboys will travel to New York to take on the winless Jets as New York looks to secure the first win of Aaron Glenn's tenure.
Why Dallas will win:
The Cowboys secured a 40-40 tie against the Packers on Sunday Night Football last week as their offense didn't miss a beat with out star receiver Ceedee Lamb. Dak Prescott has quietly put together a great start to the season, throwing for 1,119 yards and six touchdowns with a 72.9 completion percentage.
With the way Prescott has performed, Dallas has a chance to be competitive in the NFC playoff picture despite having the worst total defense in the league to begin 2025. Lucky for Prescott and the Cowboys, they face an 0-4 Jets team that has been unable to break away from making the same mistakes even under a new regime this season.
Dallas' biggest weakness on defense has been their pass defense, which is allowing 297.3 yards per game through the air. However, New York starting quarterback Justin Fields is more of a run threat than he his with his arm. If the Cowboys can contain him in the pocket and prevent him from using his legs, their defense should fare much better than it has so far.
Why New York will win:
First year head coach Aaron Glenn is still searching for his first career win and his team had chances to win over these first four weeks. They'll be hosting a Dallas team that has been Jekyll and Hyde with their overall performance this season as they rank first in total offense but dead last in total defense.
The Jets have been a middle of the pack team in both categories this season but they have talented players on both sides of the ball that could give the Cowboys problems on Sunday. Without Lamb, New York can utilize their top corner Sauce Gardner to shutdown Dallas' top receiver. In the trenches, Quinnen and Quincy Williams will need to get a much better outing of the Jets' front seven that hasn't produced despite being very talented.
The Fields to Garrett Wilson connection is something to look for on the offensive side of the ball for New York as the two have rekindled their college connection this season. Despite Fields missing a game due to injury, Wilson has put up 311 yards and three touchdowns on 27 receptions. Wilson's 27 receptions is good for sixth in the league and he should be in line for a big game against this weak Cowboys secondary.
Line: DAL -2.5
Over/Under: 47.5
Tennessee Titans (0-4) vs. Arizona Cardinals (2-2)
Sunday, Oct. 5, 2:05 p.m. MDT– State Farm Stadium (CBS)
The Cardinals host the win-less Titans in an inter-conference matchup in the desert.
Why Tennessee will win:
The Titans are one of three winless teams in the NFL and all three have been featured in this week's preview. The difference between Tennessee and the two other teams is they may have found their franchise quarterback with rookie Cam Ward.
Ward hasn't been spectacular to say the least and his stats aren't eye-popping but the situation he's in isn't great. If you're picking one of the quarterbacks on the three 0-4 teams to start your franchise with I would choose Ward over Fields and Rattler. He possesses the tools to be a great NFL quarterback but the limitations of the players around him have caused the team to struggle.
The Cardinals have lost back-to-back games after winning their first two so trouble could be brewing in the desert. Arizona also escaped a fourth quarter rally from the winless Saints in week 1 and could be in similar trouble this week. The Cardinals will also be on their third-string runninback after James Conner and Trey Benson went on IR and with the slow starts from other playmakers such as Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona could be on upset alert.
Why Arizona will win:
The Cardinals have had extra time to rest and prepare for this matchup after playing last Thursday. They'll get to host the Titans who were blanked 26-0 to the Texans last week and have struggled to be competitive in their losses. This could be the game that helps Arizona get back on track.
Both of the Cardinals' losses have been by a combined four points so they could very easily be undefeated right now. Arizona currently has a +1 turnover differential but their three giveaways have all been interceptions thrown by Kyler Murray. Murray will need to improve on his turnover rate especially if the Cardinals are going to generate their own turnovers against a rookie quarterback this week.
Despite being down their top two running backs, Michael Carter and Emari Demercado can take advantage of Tennessee's 27th ranked rushing defense along with Murray, who has been one of the NFL's best dual threat quarterbacks since entering the league in 2019.
If Arizona can play clean football and avoid giving the Titans more chances, they should be able to snap their two-game slump.
Line: AZ -7.5
Over/Under: 42.5
Tampa Buccaneers (3-1) vs. Seattle Seahawks 3-1)
Sunday, Oct. 5, 11 a.m. MDT – Lumen Field (CBS)
The Buccaneers travel to Seattle to take on the Seahawks in the most intriguing matchup of week 5 as two 3-1 teams battle it out.
Why Tampa will win:
Baker Mayfield is going to give his team a chance to win any game based on his effort and leadership alone. It's surprising that he and his quarterback counterpart this Sunday both failed in Carolina when they were teammates in 2022 but that may have had more to do with the organization.
Since they both left the Panthers, Mayfield and Sam Darnold have thrived, with Mayfield taking the Buccaneers to the playoffs in both of his first two years. Seattle has always been a tough place to play but Mayfield has played in plenty of tough environments while competing in the AFC North when he was playing for Browns.
The Buccaneers may be without starting running back Bucky Irving after he suffered an injury last week. The team is already without star wideout Mike Evans but the team got a boost with the return of wide receiver Chris Godwin against the Eagles. Rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka has also emerged a trustworthy and reliable target so Tampa Bay will still have plenty of options for Mayfield to go to.
They will need the passing offense to thrive as the Seahawks boast the sixth best rushing defense in the league and the team could be without Irving. There's not many other quarterbacks that I'd take over Mayfield in this spot and he will be relied upon to get the job done.
Why Seattle will win:
This revamped Seattle team has gotten out to a bit of a surprising start in Mike Macdonald's second year as head coach and the play of both his offense and defense is a big reason why. Darnold has looked like a major upgrade over last season's starter Geno Smith and he has already built a great on field connection with wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba who currently second in the NFL with receiving yards with 402 yards.
Smith Njigba is The two-headed backfield of Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet have had a slow start to the season but they each can bring a different element to this offense. The Seahawks will likely need a big game from their rushing attack in order to win this one.
Seattle's defense has been great in 2025 and they currently rank as the number two scoring defense, allowing just 16.8 points per game. They will have their hands full with the Buccaneers offense but Seattle's 12th man will be rocking as they usually are and this could provide the difference in this one between two evenly matched teams.
Line: SEA -3.5
Over/Under: 45.5
