NFC West Week 5 Preview

A preview of all four NFC West Week 5 games.

Author:
Nicolas Newman
Oct 9, 2020 6:28 PM EDT

NFC West Week 5 Schedule

Sunday, October 11th @ 10AM (Fox): Rams @ Washington Football Team
Sunday, October 11th @ 10AM (Fox): Cardinals @ Jets
Sunday, October 11th @ 1:05PM (Fox): Dolphins @ 49ers
Sunday, October 11th @ 5:20PM (NBC): Vikings @ Seahawks

Current NFC West Standings

Seahawks: 4-0
Rams: 3-1
Cardinals, 49ers: 2-2

General Week 4 recap and Week 5 overlook:

For the second consecutive week, the NFC West finished their matchups with a combined record of 2-2. Each team within the division was listed as a Week 4 favorite, but only the Rams and Seahawks walked away with wins. However, their wins were not necessarily pretty. The Dolphins hung in there with the Seahawks for the majority of their matchup, while the Rams struggled to defeat the 0-3 Giants.

Looking ahead to Week 5, each team within the NFC West has a favorable matchup, again. For the third time in five weeks, every NFC West team is the favorite to win their game, according to Las Vegas. This time, Vegas has each team as at least a touchdown favorite.

NFC West Week 5 Point Spread:

Rams -7 @ Washington Football Team
Cardinals -7 @ Jets
Dolphins @ 49ers -9
Vikings @ Seahawks -7

If Week 5 is anything like last week, not only will some of these touchdown favorites not cover the spread, they may be upset outright.

Here’s a closer look into each matchup:

Miami Dolphins (1-3) @ San Francisco 49ers (2-2)

2020 Team Stats (Dolphins on left side - 49ers on right side):

Points Scored Per Game: 23.3 - 26.8
Passing Yards Per Game: 248.5 - 285.5
Rushing Yards Per Game: 106.8 - 128.5
Points Allowed Per Game: 24.0 - 17.8
Passing Yards Allowed Per Game: 301.3 - 195.3
Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game: 124.8 - 110.8

Storyline: Can the 49ers keep the “Revenge Tour” dream alive?

If the 49ers lose this matchup, I don’t see them recovering well enough to make the playoffs. After this game, the team plays the Rams, Patriots, Seahawks, Packers, Saints, Rams (again), and Bills. That is a tough stretch of football. I just don’t see how the Revenge Tour dream could be kept alive, if the team is upset by the Dolphins.

For that reason, this is a “win or go home” type game. To keep the dream of returning to the Super Bowl afloat, Jimmy Garoppolo must play through his lingering high ankle sprain. He’s the best chance the team has to win, and with the season on the line the ball must be in his hands.

The Dolphins are not the New York Jets or Giants, they’re a respectable football team. They don’t stand out in a good nor bad way on either side of the ball. From a statistical standpoint, they’re in the middle of the pack or teetering towards that bottom quadrant in most categories.

Through four weeks, they’ve played their opponents tough. The Patriots, Bills and Seahawks were all playoff teams in 2019, and the Dolphins lost to them all by 10 points or less. They’re a scrappy team led by veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick, and he keeps games close.

Sunday’s game will not be a cake walk by any stretch of the imagination, as I’m sure the Dolphins will present a few moments of anxiousness towards 49ers fans alike.

But over the 60 minute period, I like the 49ers to win by 10. Jimmy Garoppolo will get this season back on track.

Prediction: 49ers 27 - Dolphins 17

Los Angeles Rams (3-1) @ The Washington Football Team (1-3)

2020 Team Stats (Rams on left side - Washington on right side)

Points Scored Per Game: 26.5 - 19.8
Passing Yards Per Game: 265.8 - 234.8
Rushing Yards Per Game: 142.3 - 92.3
Points Allowed Per Game: 20.0 - 28.0
Passing Yards Allowed Per Game: 252.3 - 230.0
Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game: 123.5 - 129.8

Storyline: Can the Rams go undefeated against the NFC East?

Through five weeks, every single one of the Rams’ opponents play in the East. They’ve gone undefeated thus far against the NFC East, but lost their matchup to the Bills, who play in the AFC East. Nonetheless, the Rams are going for a clean sweep against NFC East teams.

However, "Riverboat" Ron Rivera and newly named starting quarterback Kyle Allen may have other ideas. The Washington Football Team made the bold decision to not just bench 2019 first round pick Dwayne Haskins, but make him the third string quarterback behind Allen and former 49er, Alex Smith. Again, bold.

This matchup certainly has trap-game potential, and I am a believer in trap games. What I mean by that is teams occasionally take their upcoming matchup lightly, as they’re more focused on the following game(s).

In Week 6, the Rams play the 49ers on Sunday Night Football. Could the Rams go into this game underestimating the Washington Football Team, because they’re so excited about playing a divisional opponent under the bright lights of Levi’s Stadium? Possibly.

But, I think the Rams are too well coached to go into this game underestimating Washington. Sean McVay knows how competitive not just the NFC West is, but the entire NFC as a whole. McVay is probably using the 49ers as the example as to how you could not take anyone lightly, and how any loss against a weaker opponent could significantly alter your season.

I like the Rams in this one.

Prediction: Rams 24 - Washington Football Team 17

Arizona Cardinals (2-2) @ New York Jets (0-4)

2020 Team Stats (Cardinals on left side - Jets on right side)

Points Scored Per Game: 24.5 - 16.3
Passing Yards Per Game: 229.8 - 202.0
Rushing Yards Per Game: 144.5 - 98.5
Points Allowed Per Game: 23.0 - 32.8
Passing Yards Allowed Per Game: 257.0 - 247.5
Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game: 124.5 - 129.0

Storyline: Can the Cardinals avoid a disastrous loss?

Last week, I called and predicted the Panthers upsetting the Cardinals. Well guess what, I’m doubling down. The Jets will get their first win of the year and prove the Cardinals to be what they are, fools gold. Arizona beating the 49ers is starting to seem like a combination of a fluke, as well as the fact that the 49ers can’t defend mobile quarterbacks. As the weeks go on, I’m less and less impressed by the Cardinals.

I previously talked about how the Rams have a potential trap game on their hands against Washington, and I feel the same way about this Cardinals matchup. Unlike the Rams, I don’t think the Cardinals have the coaching or experience to go into this game with a take care of business mentality.

The Cardinals play the Cowboys under the bright lights of Jerry’s World next Monday, and I could see them falling victim to focusing on that game more so than what’s immediately ahead.

Joe Flacco is leading a Jets team that will be without Sam Darnold. The entire Jets organization is desperate for a win, and a win would be a huge relief for head coach Adam Gase, who is on the hot seat.

It would be a very humbling experience for Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray to lose to a Gase and Flacco led Jets team. The Cardinals are still a year or two away from being legitimate contenders, and this game will be the one that really brings them back to reality for this season.

Prediction: Jets 20 - Cardinals 17

Minnesota Vikings (1-3) @ Seattle Seahawks (4-0)

2020 Team Stats (Vikings on left side - Seahawks on right side)

Points Scored Per Game: 26.5 - 35.5
Passing Yards Per Game: 220.8 - 321.3
Rushing Yards Per Game: 150.5 - 113.3
Points Allowed Per Game: 31.3 - 27.3
Passing Yards Allowed Per Game: 299.8 - 408.5
Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game: 134.8 - 75.8

Storyline: Can the Seahawks improve to 5-0?

What I find most interesting against this matchup is that the Vikings have the ability to effectively pick up yardage through the ground and the air. For the most part, the Seahawks have only played one-dimensional teams.

Seattle has played: the Falcons, Patriots, Cowboys and Dolphins. None of those teams possess the balance of the run and pass game like the Vikings do. The Cowboys have Ezekiel Elliot, but their defense is so bad that the offense needs to play catch up and throw 60 times a game.

Limiting the amount that Russell Wilson has the ball in his hands is a key to this game, and I feel like the Vikings can do that. They need to control the time of possession battle, and give a lot of touches to Dalvin Cook. When they opt to throw, Kirk Cousins needs to take care of the ball.

The Seahawks secondary is horrendous, even more so now that Jamal Adams is out. But just because the secondary is horrible, doesn’t mean you need to go into the game with a pass happy approach. That approach will lead to a shootout, and I don’t see this Seahawks team losing a shootout.

This game will go one of two ways:

1) The Vikings go in with a run-first approach while dominating the time of possession battle, ultimately putting them in a prime position to steal the upset.

2) They can exploit the Seahawks secondary, which will lead to quicker drives, which will lead to more opportunities for Russell Wilson to have the ball. The more Wilson has the ball, the less likely the Vikings are to win.

I can almost smell an upset, but I don’t have enough faith in the 1-3 Vikings. Give me the Seahawks in another crazy high scoring affair.

Prediction: Vikings 30 - Seahawks 38

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