NFL capsules

ShareThis

Week 5 NFL preview capsules. All times Eastern.SUNDAY:Tennessee Titans (4-0) at Baltimore Ravens (2-1), 1 p.m.Quick, which team has the longest active regular-season win streak? It's the Titans, who have won seven in a row, dating to last season. The Ravens are tough to beat at home.PREDICTION: Titans, 16-10Kansas City Chiefs (1-3) at Carolina Panthers (3-1), 1.The surprise wasn't that the Chiefs beat the Broncos; it was that they scored 33 points doing so. Larry Johnson won't find the Panthers defense as accommodating as Denver.PREDICTION: Panthers, 30-20Chicago Bears (2-2) at Detroit Lions (0-3), 1.Firing Matt Millen won't work. Having a bye week won't likely make a difference, either. All of a sudden, the Bears are looking like a team that could hang in the division race.PREDICTION: Bears, 24-17Atlanta Falcons (2-2) at Green Bay Packers (2-2), 1.QB Aaron Rodgers and the Packers have come back to earth after a 2-0 start. They will need to be a little grounded to stop RB Michael Turner, the league's leading rusher.PREDICTION: Packers, 27-20Indianapolis Colts (1-2) at Houston Texans (0-3), 1.Other than the Patriots, no team likely welcomed a bye week more than the Colts, who needed some extra time to get their offense -- and Peyton Manning -- in sync. The Texans finally get a home game.PREDICTION: Colts, 24-20San Diego Chargers (2-2) at Miami Dolphins (1-2), 1.It's not that the Dolphins have won the past six meetings with the Chargers. It's that new offensive package with RB Ronnie Brown that has energized the Fish. The Upset Special.PREDICTION: Dolphins, 30-27Seattle Seahawks (1-2) at New York Giants (3-0), 1.The Seahawks always seem to have problems when they travel across time zones. They will have even more against the Giants, who haven't started 4-0 since they won the Super Bowl in 1990.PREDICTION: Giants, 27-17Washington Redskins (3-1) at Philadelphia Eagles (2-2), 1.All of a sudden, the Redskins have won three in a row and Jason Campbell is looking like a productive quarterback. The Eagles can't fall too far back in the brutal NFC East.PREDICTION: Eagles, 27-24Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1) at Denver Broncos (3-1), 4:05 p.m.The Buccaneers still haven't lost with QB Brian Griese starting. But, then, the Broncos haven't lost at home since last November, even with that soft defense.PREDICTION: Broncos, 24-20.Buffalo Bills (4-0) at Arizona Cardinals (2-2), 4:15. The Bills are looking to start 5-0 for the first time in 17 years. The Cardinals are merely looking to fix a secondary that allowed six -- count 'em, six -- touchdown passes last week.PREDICTION: Cardinals, 34-31Cincinnati Bengals (0-4) at Dallas Cowboys (3-1), 4:15.If the winless Bengals could manage only 12 points at home against the Browns, imagine the carnage in Dallas against the Cowboys? Especially after they were beaten by the Redskins?PREDICTION: Cowboys, 41-17New England Patriots (2-1) at San Francisco 49ers (2-2), 4:15.The Patriots needed a bye week to get QB Matt Cassel more comfortable with the offense. They also needed the extra week to fix those holes the Dolphins tore in their defense.PREDICTION: Patriots, 23-21Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1) at Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2), 8:15 p.m.Playing the Jaguars is always a problem for the Steelers, who have lost the past four meetings, including two at Heinz Field last year. It gets more difficult on a short week following a physical win over Baltimore.PREDICTION: Jaguars, 17-14.MONDAY NIGHT:Minnesota Vikings (1-3) at New Orleans Saints (2-2), 8:30 p.m.Saints QB Drew Brees is just getting warmed up after throwing for 784 yards in the past two games. Even Vikings RB Adrian Peterson can't run for that many yards.PREDICTION: Saints, 31-17(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)