2014 NFL Season: Pokorny's Week 5 Picks

Ponder Back in the Saddle: For Vikings fans, this has to feel a bit like it did for Browns fans last season when Brandon Weeden was starting again after going to Jason Campbell and Brian Hoyer. Missing Teddy Bridgewater on the short week is a bummer, because I was hoping to see a competitive Thursday night game for once. Maybe the weather will make things interesting, but my faith in Christian Ponder doesn't exist. Packers 31, Vikings 13

Giants Storming Back: Well done, Eli. After a slump that lasted longer than I could have ever imagined, he finally seems to be back in a groove. When the offense plays well, it fires up the defense too. The Falcons have lost both of their road games by a significant margin, so I'm taking the Giants in a mini-upset here (even though they are favored by four). Giants 23, Falcons 20

Game of the Week, Part I: Here's a good one! The Colts are averaging 34 points per game over the first four weeks, while the Ravens are looking like a solid team having won their past three games. Two of the game's best veteran receivers will be featured in this game (Steve Smith and Reggie Wayne). The Colts have historically shown signs of being inconsistent early in games, but I'm hoping they've snapped out of that based on how the past two weeks have gone. Colts 28, Ravens 24

Forget Orton's History: I saw a statistic earlier today that Kyle Orton is 4-0 in his career against the Detroit Lions. Some marks carry weight (the AFC North QB records against the Browns), but this one doesn't. I think it's the right move to go with Orton, but the Lions are playing some of the best defense in the NFL right now and that's a recipe for disaster in his first game starting. Lions 23, Bills 16

On a Downward Spiral: Last year, the Panthers surged and took the league by storm after a poor start to the season. If the past two games are any indication, though, they could be on the verge of a big-time collapse. Their running back situation features Fozzy Whittaker and Chris Ogbonnaya now, and the offense just looks flat out ugly. Bears 17, Panthers 14

Not Enough Punch: Who anticipated this being a matchup of the 3-1 Texans against the 3-1 Cowboys in the battle of Texas? The Cowboys' running game has elevated Tony Romo's game again, but the Texans' offense won't have enough punch to match them. Cowboys 27, Texans 14

Living on the Edge: I had to restrain myself from picking an upset here, but the Jaguars haven't done nearly enough for me to stick my neck out for them. The Steelers will ride Le'Veon Bell to a comfortable victory. Steelers 20, Jaguars 10

Redemption Time: The Eagles had 22 yards rushing total last week and that was in a game that was competitive from the get-go. Philadelphia has had some offensive line issues that have completely disrupted LeSean McCoy's game, but I'd expect more from the "genius" of Chip Kelly. We'll see if that improves this week against a Rams defense that ranks 30th in the league against the run. Eagles 31, Rams 21

Glennon Restores Credability: The biggest coaching gaffe this offseason has to be Lovie Smith automatically naming Josh McCown his starting quarterback despite the success Mike Glennon had a year ago. Glennon should be here to stay now. The Saints have not been playing good football, but I think their defensive issues won't be as prominent against the Buccaneers. Saints 26, Buccaneers 17

Game of the Week, Part II: The Broncos nearly upset the Seahawks on the road two weeks ago, and now coming off of a bye, they take on the NFC's only remaining unbeaten team. The Cardinals also had a bye last week, so both of these teams will be well-rested. This is the type of game I wish could be featured in prime time, but I'll still take it as a nice match to watch right after the Browns game. Broncos 28, Cardinals 21

Gore to the Rescue: The 49ers certainly needed Frank Gore last week, because Colin Kaepernick certainly didn't do anything to break out of his slump. The Chiefs are coming off of a big-time win over the Patriots, and the return of Jamaal Charles and a high level of play from Alex Smith is what they need to win moving forward. They won't get enough of it this week against a 49ers defense that turned it up a notch last week. 49ers 23, Chiefs 17

Switch to Vick: Rex Ryan might not want to admit it, but his loyalty to Geno Smith might be his undoing. I don't know if Michael Vick can really help, but I think he has to at least give him a shot. The Chargers look like one of the most complete teams in football, though, so it's hard to see the Jets getting back on the winning side this week. Chargers 31, Jets 10

Brady is a Problem: The Patriots have a lot of problems right now...but Tom Brady is one of those problems. In no way should they consider a replacement, but things don't look to be improving anytime soon. To make matters worse, they are running into the only remaining unbeaten team in the AFC. Bengals 34, Patriots 14

Discouraging Output from Cousins: Heading into last week's game, a lot of people were on the Kirk Cousins bangwagon. Plenty of people jumped off afterward. While I still think Cousins offers some positives over Robert Griffin III, it's hard to envision Cousins rebounding against the Seahawks' secondary, and that will help Griffin's case even further when he's ready to play again. Seahawks 28, Redskins 9

Is it Cleveland's Time? The Browns are ready to begin their weakest five-game stretch of the season. Can they prove they've turned the corner against a Titans team that has laid an egg for three straight weeks? Our full game preview and prediction will be posted this Saturday.