The month of October and Week 5 of the 2025 NFL season have arrived, and the San Francisco 49ers treated the football world to a stunning 26-23 overtime road win over the Los Angeles Rams despite a depleted depth chart. The 49ers pulled off the victory as a 7.5-point underdog, good for the largest upset win under coach Kyle Shanahan, which gave the Rams their worst upset loss since Week 15 of the 2020 against the New York Jets, who were also 7.5-point underdogs.
San Francisco had the following key offensive starters ruled out in Week 5: quarterback Brock Purdy (toe), wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee), wide receiver Jauan Jennings (ankle/rib). Yet, missing them and tight end George Kittle, who has been on injured reserve with a hamstring injury since Week 2, didn’t matter. Backup quarterback Mac Jones stepped up to throw for 342 yards (the second-most in a game in his career) and two touchdowns on 33 of 49 passing.
That’s a pretty remarkable start to the Week 5 action, so what stunners could happen next? Let’s take a peek with a fresh, five-piece set of bold predictions.
Drake Maye, Patriots hand Josh Allen, Bills first loss of 2025
The Buffalo Bills have won 14 consecutive home games, and they’re one of two teams, along with the Super Bowl LIX champion Philadelphia Eagles, to start 4-0 this season.
However, New England Patriots second-year Pro Bowl quarterback Drake Maye will outduel 2024 NFL MVP Josh Allen in his own house to lead the Patriots to a jaw-dropping victory as 8.5-point road underdogs, per SportsLine. Maye leads the NFL in completion percentage thus far this season, 74% — that’s the second-best completion percentage in the first four games of a season in Patriots history behind 2007 Tom Brady and his 79.2% completion percentage in that season’s first four games.
New England is both the NFL’s 10th-ranked scoring offense (25.5 points per game) and 10th-ranked scoring defense (20.3 points per game allowed): they’re a legitimately good football team out to a 2-2 start.
Drake Maye vs. Josh Allen, This SeasonDrake Maye (NE)Josh Allen (BUF)
Comp Pct
74%*
70.2%
Pass YPG
247.0
241.0
TD-INT
7-2
7-1
Passer Rating
109.4
109.7
Rush TD
2
3
* Leads NFL
Buffalo played with its food in Week 4 in a 31-19 win over the winless New Orleans Saints, leading by just two points (21-19) midway through the fourth quarter. The Bills allowed the Saints to run for a season-high 189 yards rushing on 5.6 yards per carry. That level of play will get them beat by Maye and Co. in Week 5.
NFL Week 5 picks, odds, best bets: Saints earn first win of season vs. Jaxson Dart’s Giants
Jordan Dajani
Eagles’ A.J. Brown catches a pass in both halves vs. Broncos
Having this as a bold prediction looks insane on the surface. However if you haven’t been paying attention to the Super Bowl LIX champion’s passing offense, you’re about to get your mind blown. No. 1 wide receiver A.J. Brown’s 166 yards receiving this season rank tied for 66th entering Week 5, and he has four halves without a catch in 2025. If that sounds like a lot, it’s because it is: Brown had just four halves without a catch in his first three seasons with the Eagles combined. Brown also has just one catch in the first quarter on five targets this season, and he’s only caught one of his eight targets thrown more than 10 yards downfield this season.
Per CBS Sports Research, there have been 124 individual players in the 21st century where a wide receiver was coming off of an All-Pro season, first or second team. Brown is just the second since 2000 to have four consecutive games with a half of no catches. The other was Larry Fitzgerald in 2012 when third-stringer Ryan Lindley was in at quarterback. Yes, Super Bowl LIX MVP quarterback Jalen Hurts has started and played all four games for Philadelphia this year.
That’s why it’s a bold prediction that Brown will catch a pass in both halves against a Broncos defense that is allowing the third-lowest completion percentage (57.5%) in the NFL this season.
Cooper Rush-led Baltimore Ravens upset Houston Texans
The Baltimore Ravens (1-3) are 1.5-point home underdogs against the defending AFC South champion Houston Texans (1-3) in Week 5 because two-time NFL MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson (hamstring) hasn’t practiced this week. There’s a chance Jackson could practice and play on Friday, but if he doesn’t, longtime Cowboys backup quarterback Cooper Rush will help lead the Ravens to victory over C.J. Stroud and Co.
Yes, the Ravens defense is an absolute tire fire: Baltimore is NFL’s worst scoring defense (33.3 points per game allowed) and the second-worst total defense (406.8 total yards per game allowed) in 2025 thus far. None of that will matter on Sunday because Stroud and the Texans offense can’t get in rhythm and push the ball downfield. They’re averaging 16.0 points per game, the fourth-fewest in the NFL this season, with Stroud averaging a career-low 208.0 passing yards per game despite currently posting a career-high in completion percentage (67.5%).
That won’t be enough against the Ravens, especially with running back Derrick Henry’s ownership of his former AFC South rival from his Tennessee Titans days: Henry is averaging 144.7 rushing yards per game with 11 rushing touchdowns in nine games against the Texans since 2019. Baltimore wins in a home upset.
Cowboys hold Jets QB Justin Fields to under 50 yards rushing
New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields is balling out despite the team’s 0-4 start. He is just the third player in NFL history with at least 450 yards passing (471), 175 yards rushing (178) and no interceptions through three games played, joining 2022 Michael Vick and 2020 Lamar Jackson, per CBS Sports Research. That’s despite missing Week 3 with a concussion.
The last time the Dallas Cowboys faced a scrambling quarterback was in Week 1 against Super Bowl LIV MVP Jalen Hurts. Hurts scrambled nine times for 63 yards and two touchdowns after Dallas’ secondary sealed off his patented deep passing game down the sidelines. His 63 yards off scrambles that day were the fourth-highest of his career and his most in a game since the 2022 season.
Fields’ odds to rush for 50 or more yards against the Cowboys are -124, according to DraftKings, but Dallas will shock the world by containing the dynamic dual threat to under 50 by sealing him tight inside the Jets’ pocket.
Tennessee Titans get shut out in consecutive games for first time in franchise history
The Tennessee Titans franchise also encompasses the rich history of the Houston Oilers. Never in the franchise’s history has its offense been shut out in consecutive games. Only three teams since 2000 have been shut out in back-to-back games: the 2000 Cincinnati Bengals (finished 4-12), the 2008 Cleveland Browns (finished 4-12) and the 2023 Carolina Panthers (finished 2-15).