Tennessee Titans 26, Pittsburgh Steelers 23
This was a huge loss for Pittsburgh, who has now lost two games against teams that had a combined one win coming in. Needless to say, the Steelers are struggling a great deal on the road during the early part of the season. That isn’t going to bode well for them in the AFC in general and the AFC North in particular.
Ben Roethlisberger threw for 300 yards once again, but it was a lack of balance on offense that hurt Pittsburgh on this one. They gained just 56 yards on 22 rushes against a defense that had yielded 140-plus four separate times this season.
Meanwhile, Tennessee got a much needed win after failing to even compete in their previous two games, losing by a combined 68-21 score. Chris Johnson had his second impressive showing in three games, going for 114 yards on just 23 touches.
At 2-3, Pittsburgh is a full two games behind the division-leading Baltimore Ravens. Tennessee, on the other hand, pushed itself out of the AFC South cellar with the win.
Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns
One’ would think that Cincinnati has a major advantage here. After all, they are going up against the only winless team remaining in the National Football League. That is just on the surface.
Four of Cleveland’s five losses have come by a combined 23 points, showing exactly what it means to be competitive on a weekly basis. More importantly, Cincinnati is coming off a horrendous performance against the Miami Dolphins last week.
While I don’t envision Cleveland winning this game, you can definitely expect it to be closer than originally anticipated. Rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden should be able to find seams down field against what is a relatively weak Bengals’ secondary. Additionally, I can see Trent Richardson continuing his emergence as a true Pro Bowl caliber running back.
That being said, Cleveland won’t be able to stop the Andy Dalton-to-A.J. Green connection. Absolutely no reason to believe that Cincinnati won’t be able to put up 30 or more in this one.
Fantasy Outlook
A ton of options here. Both Trent Richardson and BenJarvus Green-Ellis are solid RB1 options here. Though I am not high on Green-Ellis, he is going up against a Browns front that consistently struggles stopping the run. Meanwhile, Cincinnati just won’t be able to stop Richardson. Expect both to go for over 100 total yards.
Andy Dalton is definitely QB1 material as well. Considering that I have A.J. Green as the No. 1 fantasy wide receiver through five weeks, there is no doubt in my mind that he will put up starter numbers right here. One person to really keep an eye on is Jermaine Gresham, who has yet to break out like many believed he would this season.
Dallas Cowboys at Baltimore Ravens
If Baltimore decides to actually feed the rock to Ray Rice here, they should win the game. However, I don’t have confidence in Cam Cameron actually understanding that Dallas possesses one of the best secondaries in the NFL. If that is the case, expect Joe Flacco to show his “struggle face” a lot on Sunday.
This matchup actually does seem to benefit Dallas to an extent. They are strong against the rush and the pass on the defensive side of the ball. Additionally, Tony Romo still does have the targets on the outside to eat apart what has been a dreadful Ravens’ secondary through five games.
My pick is Dallas in an upset. Check out what Kwame Fisher-Jones has to say about this game in his NFC East Preview.
Fantasy Outlook
Not really feeling either starting quarterback here. While Romo will definitely put up the yards you expect from a QB1 option, it is those five pesky interceptions last Monday night that worry me a great deal. Ray Rice is a must-go, no matter how you feel about the Ravens ineptitude in terms of play-calling.
I would caution against starting either tight end, Dennis Pitta and Jason Witten here. Both defenses possess solid coverage linebackers and improved safety play. With that in mind, I would definitely advocate going with both Torrey Smith and Miles Austin as possible WR1 options. Also, think about Dez Bryant as a FLEX option...Nothing more.