The last two undefeated NFL teams are involved in two of the most intriguing Week 5 matchups. Can the Philadelphia Eagles survive Puka Nacua-mania in Los Angeles, where Cooper Kupp will return? How will the latest chapter of Dallas Cowboys–San Francisco 49ers unfold, where the winner could have bragging rights as the league’s best team after Sunday night?
Our experts Kalyn Kahler, Jeff Howe and Mike Sando return to discuss that and other interesting notes from what should be another wild weekend in the NFL.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off a rough loss, Kenny Pickett is injured (but not expected to miss time) and Lamar Jackson and company come to town on Sunday. How much trouble is Pittsburgh’s season in right now and is Matt Canada really the source of all their offensive woes?
Shirt: We’ve seen Mike Tomlin’s teams improve and battle their way to respectability. This team is 2-2, not 0-4, but you’d never know it from the conversation surrounding this team. I thought the Steelers would be better. I do think they need an offensive reset, but I’m not quite ready to write off this team despite all the evidence suggesting the ship is sinking fast.
Kahler: There was a small, but inspired fire Matt Canada protest at the Buffalo Bills–Washington Commanders game two weeks ago in D.C. … that’s how unpopular this man is right now. His offense is averaging 12 points per game … that’s only better than two other teams, the Cincinnati Bengals and the New York Giants. When the CBS broadcast crew last week reported that Canada said his offense is not built to come back from large deficits, things got even worse for the offensive coordinator, who this week said that the broadcast completely misconstrued his words and that he was just talking about one specific instance, late in the 49ers loss that opened this season. There isn’t much this offense is doing well. The Steelers are 27th in yards per play, 29th in rushing yards per game, 25th in passing yards per game, and 29th in total yards per game.
Howe: The Steelers were 1-3 in 2021 and made the playoffs. They were 1-4 (then 2-6) last year before getting eliminated in the final week of the regular season, likely to a collective sigh of relief from the rest of the AFC field because the Steelers were cruising at that point. While this is a bad offense once again, they’ve given up 30 points in each blowout loss, so the defense needs to be more consistent if they’re going to make another run. But if that run is going to translate into any sort of playoff success, it’s up to Matt Canada to get Kenny Pickett, Najee Harris and George Pickens going.
The winner of Cowboys-49ers might be crowned the league’s best team after Sunday night. What are you watching for? What are the keys to victory for each team?
Shirt: I’m interested in seeing whether the Cowboys’ run defense can hold up at all, and then I’m curious to see how the 49ers’ offense performs if Dallas is able to build a double-digit lead. These are the areas where both teams could improve their standing by proving themselves.
Kahler: If this matchup is anything like the last two seasons, it’s going to be close, and it’s going to come down to whoever can manage the clock best and call smart plays in crucial moments. History tells us that is the Niners, who beat the Cowboys in the divisional round the last two seasons thanks to some silly Dallas play calling and players forgetting some of the basics of clock management play that they also need to know. (Dak Prescott running too far on a QB draw and then the offensive line getting in the way of the official who was trying to spot the football in 2021, taking 40 seconds to execute what should have been a quick punt in 2022, then Dalton Schultz failing to stop the clock because he didn’t fight through contact and continue forward motion going out of bounds, then that insane play with Ezekiel Elliot alone at center, with no supporting linemen to help block) … Mike McCarthy’s Cowboys look better this year than the last two seasons, and he knows this is a make or break year. If they can shake this nemesis, I will really believe in this team.
Howe: If it’s a close game, Brock Purdy could have an excellent opportunity to prove to the whole league that he can be a quality fourth-quarter quarterback against a legitimate opponent. The 49ers have been so dominant during Purdy’s starts that he’s never had to prove anything of the sort. The Cowboys run defense is clearly going to be in the crosshairs after giving up 222 rushing yards to the Arizona Cardinals. I spoke to someone whose team played the Cowboys this season and said the Cardinals game was just a complete no-show. If that’s the case, the Cowboys have a chance to prove they can stop the run. And lastly, I’ve given this far too much thought the last few weeks, but I think if you’re starting a franchise from scratch in a fantasy draft, Micah Parsons would be the first non-QB off the board. He doesn’t need to do anything to prove his greatness Sunday night, but if he can single-handedly wreck the 49ers offensive machine, that would make the Cowboys a terrifying opponent in the playoffs.
Once again, the AFC South might be a wacky division race. All four teams are 2-2 and the Indianapolis Colts host the Tennessee Titans in what could be a pivotal game on Sunday. Which of the four teams in the division do you feel most comfortable saying is the best so far?
Shirt: It’s been fun to see C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans outperform expectations, but I’ll take the Jacksonville Jaguars from a quarterback and overall talent standpoint.
Kahler: Jonathan Taylor is back, which will boost this Colts team. I’m excited about Indianapolis and Houston’s rookie quarterbacks both playing well, but I’m with Sando, I do think the Jaguars are going to slowly rise above the rest and find consistency.
Howe: I strongly expect the Jaguars to improve. They’ve got too much talent on offense to let the drops and mistakes continue to be this big of an issue. But right now, at this very moment, the Texans are the best team in the division. If the Jaguars don’t figure it out, I’ll take the Texans as a shocking division winner.
GO DEEPER
Colts’ Taylor: ‘If somebody wasn’t committed, they wouldn’t be here.’
Puka Nacua-mania is running wild, Cooper Kupp is back and Matthew Stafford is playing well in L.A. The Eagles are undefeated for a reason but barely survived the Commanders last week. Can the Rams hand Philadelphia its first loss or will the Eagles prevail again?
Shirt: I think the Eagles will assert their advantages on the lines to control the game and win comfortably. Matthew Stafford is playing sensationally to this point in the season. I just don’t know if he’ll get enough help from what’s around him.
Kahler: This is going to be a great NFC game. The Eagles’ four wins have each been very different, but last week’s overtime win vs. Washington was important because they were able to find their passing game again. I think Philadelphia will win this game as the more well-rounded and deep team.
Howe: Even though the Eagles are still figuring it out with a couple of new coordinators, I really like the way they’ve been finding different ways to win close games. It’s going to benefit them down the stretch. The Rams are a cool story, quickly transforming from a Super Bowl champion into an underdog and playing well enough to remain in the wild-card conversation. This should be a reasonably close game, but I’ll take the Eagles.
Four games in, who is your league MVP and why?
Shirt: Let’s go with Josh Allen based on the last few weeks. He’s coming off a near-perfect game against the Miami Dolphins and has redeemed himself after a rough opening week.
Kahler: Christian McCaffrey. It would be fun if MVP wasn’t a quarterback again. McCaffrey has 600 scrimmage yards and seven touchdowns in four games this season. That’s an MVP!
Howe: Micah Parsons. He’s game-plan-proof. Best player in the league through four weeks.
(Photo of Kenny Pickett and Nick Bosa: Carmen Mandato and Michael Owens / Getty Images)
2023-10-07 09:05:20
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