Los Angeles Rams

NFL Week 5: 5 best games on Sunday

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Feb 24, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan speaks to the media during the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

We have the skinny on the Week 5 NFL slate, and the five games you can’t go without watching.

With 14 games on the Week 5 docket, there are plenty of games to choose from. Then again, let’s be real. This isn’t the strongest group of games, but we found five contests worth watching.

5. Buffalo Bills at Los Angeles Rams

This game is fascinating, for a bevy of reasons. First, despite having the combined record of 5-3, are either of these teams any good? The Rams have some very impressive wins over the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals, but the offense continues to look awful with Case Keenum at the helm.

Buffalo also beat the Cardinals and shut out the New England Patriots, but did so against Jacoby Brissett. It’s fair to wonder if Tyrod Taylor can continue to win games when his top target of Sammy Watkins is out for at least the next seven weeks due to a foot injury. The Bills desperately need Taylor to keep handing off to LeSean McCoy, who has had a few impressive outings this campaign.

Whoever wins this game is going to be in nice shape moving forward. Should it be Los Angeles, the Rams will be 4-1 and at least tied atop the NFC West with the Seahawks. If Buffalo can find a way to travel cross-country and beat the Rams, it moves to 3-2 and stays right in the hunt for a wild card spot.

This contest probably comes down to whether Taylor or Keenum plays better.

Sep 25, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers celebrates a first half touchdown pass against the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: William Glasheen/The Post-Crescent via USA TODAY Sports

4. New York Giants at Green Bay Packers

The Sunday night matchup is always fun, and this should be no exception. The Packers are a very explosive team that got its mojo back in Week 3 with a 31-point explosion in the first half against the Detroit Lions. Aaron Rodgers threw four touchdowns in that contest, showcasing why he has MVP potential in 2016.

The Giants are desperately looking to get back in the win column. New York started out 2-0 with wins over the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints, only to drop games versus the Washington Redskins and Minnesota Vikings each of the past two weeks. The Giants have been dealing with all kinds of issues, mostly surrounding the antics of Odell Beckham Jr.

This is a crucial game for both teams. The Packers have to keep winning to stay on the tail of the Vikings, who are one of the three undefeated teams in the league. New York is already a game and a half behind the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East, and could fall further behind with the Eagles making a trip to Detroit on Sunday.

If New York’s expensive defense can’t generate pressure on Rodgers, it’s going to be a long day for Big Blue at Lambeau Field.

Sep 18, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) completes a pass against the Cleveland Browns during the second quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

3. Washington Redskins at Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore is not getting much respect this season, despite a 3-1 start. The Ravens were able to beat the Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars over the first three games, before falling by a point to the Oakland Raiders last week.

For the Ravens, getting another home game gives them a chance to right the ship. Washington comes in at 2-2, albeit looking better after a couple of bad losses to start the year. The Redskins are the defending NFC East champions but were walloped on national television by the Pittsburgh Steelers and then beaten at FedEx Field by the Dallas Cowboys.

The matchup to watch in the game is Washington’s receivers against Baltimore’s secondary. The Redskins have all kinds of talent for Kirk Cousins to throw to, including Jordan Reed, DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon. Conversely, the Ravens have a very weak secondary, perhaps save for safety Eric Weddle.

If Baltimore can’t stop Cousins from connecting on some long passes, the Redskins could put the Ravens in a tough spot. Baltimore is not the kind of offense that will go for 30 points often, perhaps an issues against its Maryland brethren.

Sep 25, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen (97) reacts after making a sack in the fourth quarter. The Vikings defeated the Panthers 22-10 at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

2. Houston Texans at Minnesota Vikings

This might be the game where people start to wonder why Brock Osweiler got paid $72 million. If you have not noticed yet, Osweiler has been bad despite having the Texans to a 3-1 start. The newly-minted franchise quarterback has thrown five touchdowns against six interceptions, including five in the past three games.

Against Minnesota, that ain’t going to fly. The Vikings have the best defense in football right now. Don’t believe it? Consider that Minnesota is 4-0 with the 31st-ranked offense, only better than the Los Angeles Rams. Is it sustainable? Who can tell, but it is going to be good enough to stymie Osweiler and his wild ways.

This interconference matchup is more about whether Sam Bradford and the offense can get on the right rack against a good defense. Contrary to popular belief, the Texans are still a good defense without J.J. Watt, mostly because of the development from Whitney Mercilus and Jadeveon Clowney. Both can get serious pressure off the edges.

Houston will be hard-pressed to win this one unless it can earn a positive turnover ratio. Early in the season, that has been a challenge with Osweiler treating the football like a greased pig.

Sep 25, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders (10) celebrates the touchdown by wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (88) against the Cincinnati Bengals in the second half at Paul Brown Stadium. The Broncos won 29-17. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

1. Atlanta Falcons at Denver Broncos

Well, are you more about offense or defense? If you like points, then you are going to love watching the Falcons. If it’s defense, then the Broncos are a team you should be buying merchandise from.

Denver is 4-0 and looking like the class of the AFC West once again. Trevor Siemian is doing enough not to completely derail the train, and the defense is back to being absolutely dominant. Von Miller is off to a great start with a sack per game, while the No Fly Zone of Aqib Talib, Bradley Roby and Chris Harris Jr. remains dominant.

They will have their hands full on Sunday. Matt Ryan is playing the best football of his career, already having a 500-yard passing game under his belt. Ryan is averaging more than 10 yards per attempt, a number that is unheard of in the modern age. Ryan is getting plenty of help from Julio Jones, who had 300 receiving yards last week and leads the NFL in that category.

If Atlanta wins, you have to believe the Falcons are the best in the NFC South until proven otherwise. A loss would allow the Carolina Panthers to perhaps start creeping back into the race, already two games back. As for Denver, it needs to keep winning with the Oakland Raiders only a game behind.