playNFL NationCloseNFL NationNFL Nation is made up of 32 team-specific reporters who cover the NFL year-round across ESPN.com, ESPN television shows, ESPN Radio, ESPN+ and social media platforms. It was established ahead of the 2013 season., Pamela MaldonadoClosePamela MaldonadoSports Betting AnalystPamela Maldonado is a sports betting analyst for ESPN., Eric MoodyCloseEric MoodyESPN WriterEric Moody is a writer for fantasy football, men’s and women’s basketball, and sports betting at ESPN. Eric joined ESPN in 2021 after working as a senior fantasy analyst at Pro Football Network. Prior to that, he spent much of his career as a manager at a Fortune 100 financial services company., Ben SolakCloseBen SolakESPNBen Solak joined ESPN in 2024 as a national NFL analyst.
He previously covered the NFL at The Ringer, Bleeding Green Nation and The Draft Network., Seth WalderCloseSeth WalderESPN AnalyticsSeth Walder is an analytics writer at ESPN, specializing in quantitative analysis. He is also a regular on “ESPN Bet Live” and helps cover sports betting. Seth has been at ESPN since 2017. He previously worked at the New York Daily News covering the Jets and Giants.
You can follow Seth on X via @SethWalder.Multiple AuthorsOct 9, 2026, 06:00 AM ETOpen Extended ReactionsWeek 5 of the 2026 NFL season is here. Can the Raiders get back on track against the Patriots after losing their first game of the season? Will the undefeated Vikings keep rolling against the Saints? Who has the edge in Bears-Packers?
How will Eagles-Jaguars play out in another edition of London football? And what can we expect from the 49ers’ visit to Seattle?We’re here to get you ready for the action. First, our NFL Nation reporters take you inside the locker room with the best thing they heard this week, and ESPN Research provides a key stat to know. Then, analytics writer Seth Walder makes a bold prediction for each matchup, NFL analyst Ben Solak gives one reason to tune in to each game, fantasy analyst Eric Moody shares fantasy football intel, and betting analyst Pamela Maldonado hits betting insights for each contest.
We also have Football Power Index (FPI) game projections, and Maldonado, Moody and Walder all give us final score picks for every game.Let’s get into the full Week 5 slate, which culminates with a “Monday Night Football” matchup between the Bills and Rams on ESPN. (Game times are Sunday unless otherwise noted, and all odds are via DraftKings.)Jump to a matchup: PHI-JAX | CHI-GB | LV-NE MIN-NO | CIN-MIA | IND-PIT HOU-TEN | NYG-WSH | CLE-NYJ DEN-LAC | SF-SEA | DET-ARI BAL-ATL | BUF-LARThursday: TB-DAL Bye: KC, CARWhat ESPN Analytics says … Eagles (2-2) at Jaguars (3-1) in London9:30 a.m. ET | NFL Network | JAX -7.5 (41.5 O/U)What we’re hearing on the Eagles: Philadelphia entered the week with significant offensive problems. The Eagles have gone three-and-out on a league-high 15 possessions and rank 25th in points per game (18.8), 29th in total yards per game (269.8) and are tied for fourth in most sacks allowed (12).
Things went from bad to worse with right tackle Lane Johnson retiring and starting offensive lineman Cam Jurgens being traded to Baltimore. “I think it’s ironic because my thing when I came in as a rookie was, ‘Don’t dip your toe in the water, drown in it and learn how to swim.’ We’re drowning right now, and we’re learning how to swim,” left tackle Jordan Mailata said. — Tim McManusWhat we’re hearing on the Jaguars: An under-the-radar reason for the Jaguars’ offensive success over the first month is how good they’ve been on third down. They’re converting 51.1% (ranked third), and they’ve been especially good in third-and-short (3 yards or less), converting 10 of 13 chances (76.9%, ranked third). “The biggest reason is staying ahead of the chains and being more consistent first and second down, less penalties, less negative runs, sacks, all those things play a part in it,” QB Trevor Lawrence said. — Michael DiRoccoStat to know: The Eagles have allowed the second-lowest QBR on deep passes (20-plus air yards) this season.
Opponents have completed 27% of deep passes for zero touchdowns and two interceptions against Philly. — ESPN ResearchBold prediction: The Jaguars will win by two touchdowns. Philadelphia is 2-2 and ranks 27th in EPA per play on offense and 25th on defense. That is rough. And in three of those games, the Eagles had the now-retired Johnson, too.
We can and should think about these teams dramatically differently now than when the season began (for the Jaguars, this is a good thing!). — WalderWhy you should watch this game: You can play a game called “how many Eagles players do I recognize?” as they take the field without Johnson (retired), TE Dallas Goedert (knee), WR DeVonta Smith (hamstring) and RB Saquon Barkley (hamstring) — and now Jurgens is a Raven! If Willie Lampkin gets the start on the now sparse offensive line, as expected, he’ll be the shortest Eagles offensive lineman (5-foot-11) to start in over 60 years. — Solakplay1:53Dan Orlovsky: Lane Johnson’s retirement a ‘significant loss’ for EaglesInjuries: Eagles | JaguarsFantasy nugget: Jaguars WR Parker Washington has scored at least 13 fantasy points in three of four games this season, so I wouldn’t be too concerned about his 2.0-point Week 4 performance. He also had a 39-yard reception overturned. Washington is in a good spot to bounce back against a defense that has allowed the 10th-most fantasy points per game to WRs and has struggled against slot receivers.
See Week 5 rankings. — MoodyBetting insight: The Eagles are 7-0 ATS (against the spread) as underdogs since 2024. Jacksonville gives up plenty of passing yards, so QB Jalen Hurts can keep drives alive with quick throws and his legs. The Jaguars can win by leaning on the run, but Philadelphia still makes passing touchdowns tough to come by. That should help the Eagles hang around and cover the spread.
Read more. — MaldonadoMaldonado’s pick: Jaguars 24, Eagles 19 Moody’s pick: Jaguars 30, Eagles 23 Walder’s pick: Jaguars 31, Eagles 14 FPI prediction: JAX, 73.4% (by an average of 6.5 points)Matchup must-reads: How will the Eagles move forward without Johnson? … Why Jags play 26 of next 30 regular-season games away … Tracking Hunter’s 2026 seasonBears (3-1) at Packers (2-2)1 p.m. ET | Fox | CHI -1.5 (45.5 O/U)What we’re hearing on the Bears: Coach Ben Johnson announced Tyson Bagent as the starting QB early in the week.
Getting reacquainted with the silent cadence is paramount for what is expected to be a hostile environment at Lambeau Field. Bagent is no stranger to rivalry games, having gone head-to-head with Shippensburg during his years at Division II Shepherd, but being the starter for Bears-Packers carries a different weight. “This is one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports,” Bagent said. “It’s easy for the fans to get up for, easy for us to get up for, so it will certainly be a different feel out there.” — Courtney CroninWhat we’re hearing on the Packers: During TE Tucker Kraft’s rehab from last season’s torn ACL, he said he saw no reason he couldn’t return as the same player — or even better.
Through four games, he’s tied for 15th among TEs in catches (15) and tied for 17th in receiving yards (148) with only one touchdown and has also battled the drops. “Statistically, it might not look like I’m playing better,” Kraft said. “Some could even say that I might’ve lost my stinger. … This week, try to get back to my roots, the kind of s— I was on my first and second year when I was playing to the echo of the whistle and being hard on the defense.” — Rob DemovskyStat to know: The Packers’ 22% pass block win rate is the worst by any team through the first four games of a season since ESPN began tracking in 2017. — ESPN ResearchBold prediction: Bears edge Dayo Odeyingbo will stay hot and record a sack for a fourth straight game.
Odeyingbo looks improved, with a 22% pass rush win rate at edge th
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