We’ve got five for Week 5, as these positional battles have the potential to shift the postseason landscape on this NFL slate and beyond.
It’s almost one o’clock in New York City and this is The Five in the NFL.
This 2026 season has reached its essential first quarter landmark and it’s been hard to truly uncover the contenders and pretenders. Big games pepper this sizable Week 5 slate, one slightly depleted by the first batch of byes.
The Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs are taking the week off but the rest of the league is back at work beyond Thursday combatants Dallas and Tampa Bay.
The Week 5 flings kick off in London with the Jacksonville Jaguars facing the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday morning while an anticipated tilt between the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams ties the knot on Monday night.
Top Week 5 Positional Battles To Watch In The NFL
Which position battles could reign among the team turmoils? TeamFB7 has five in mind …
EDGE Josh Hines-Allen vs. LT Jordan Mailata
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (@ London, EN): Sunday, 9:30 a.m. ET, NFL Network
The Patriots were *terrified* of letting Josh Hines-Allen take over the game on Sunday. Was constantly getting chipped, doubled, and cut blocked all game long on top of a lot of quick game from NE. Won almost every 1-on-1 he had imo Game-wrecker at EDGE https://t.co/YQRUbJUXeA
— AJ Schulte (@AJSchulteFB) September 29, 2026
It’s not exactly Thanos’ snap, but vital pieces from the Philadelphia Eagles’ last Super Bowl run are vanishing into thin air. The medically-induced losses of Saquon Barkley, Dallas Goedert, and DeVonta Smith are bad enough but the Eagles will go through the rest of this season and beyond without Lane Johnson (retirement) and Cam Jurgens (traded to Baltimore).
With players dropping off the roster like flies and the New York Giants making a surprising run at the division, it’ll be up the Eagles’ veterans to hold down the fort. The schedulemaker hardly sympathized with the early struggles as Philadelphia will look to make things right with a trip abroad against the surging Jaguars. Jacksonville doesn’t blitz much but has made the most of its backfield invasions to the tune of placing a respectable 13th in quarterback hits. It’ll look to clip an Eagle group that’s seeking to avoid just its fourth three-game losing streak of the Nick Sirianni era that began in 20021.
Pressure is high enough on quarterback Jalen Hurts in more ways than one, but another dire spotlight turns to Jordan Mailata, the undisputed elder statesman on the front five now that Johnson has moved on. The blind side will have its hands full with the Pro Bowl antics of Josh Hines-Allen, who put up three quarterback hits last week in a victorious grinder against Cincinnati. Elsewhere on the line, third-round rookie Markel Bell will be dealing with Travon Walker on a day where Hurts likely faces an heavy workload with Barkley ailing and Tank Bigsby on injured reserve.
CB Marcus Jones vs. WR Tre Tucker
Las Vegas Raiders @ New England Patriots; 1 p.m. ET, CBS
Kirk Cousins with a rocket to Tre Tucker for a Raiders TD 🚀 LVvsLAC on CBS/Paramount+ Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/YztxEx5znr
— NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2026
In true Sin City fashion, the Raiders have gotten on a bit of a heater and now have a bit of an exciting, if not potentially costly, decision to make: do they go as far as they can with this hand or do they leap into the realm of reinforcements, which could well include Marvin Harrison Jr. after reports of the embattled, potential-packed receiver’s imminent trade emerged over the weekend?
In any event, the Raiders’ rumored involvement in such conversations should have their incumbent pass-catchers on their best behavior. Fourth-year man Tre Tucker has been Kirk Cousins’ top target through the first four weeks and will likely warrant further attention with Jalen Nailor (concussion) unable to partake. With the returned Brock Bowers the undisputed top option in the Raider system, Tucker has a prime opportunity to showcase his value before the project potentially welcomes in Harrison or another aerial threat should Vegas management decide it wants to be a trade deadline buyer.
Only adding to the Tucker breakout potential is the depleted nature of the Patriots’ secondary: Carlton Davis and Christian Gonzalez are unable to partake while rookie depth stars Channing Canada and Karon Prunty are likewise sitting out. That puts the spotlight on Marcus Jones, the regularly-regarded returner who has partaken in a career-high 78% of defensive snaps this season. Jones has done a respectable job in expanded opportunities over the last two weeks, picking up four pass deflections and an interception. Quarterbacks have a 69.8 passer rating in the 20 times they’ve targeted his assignments.
CB Byron Murphy Jr. vs. WR Chris Olave
Minnesota Vikings @ New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m. ET, Fox
Chris Olave with room to run! @ATLvsNO on ESPN Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/h41ZXIfwWA
— NFL (@NFL) October 6, 2026
Even in the depleted NFC South, it’s getting late early for the New Orleans Saints: having entered this year as a trendy playoff pick, the Big Easy has endured the hard times of 1-3 and lost vital divisional ground with an embarrassing prime time effort against Atlanta last Monday night.
Hosting the perfect Vikings at dome sweet Superdome is a vital opportunity for New Orleans to start making things right: they should be able to handle a sputtering Minnesota offense but the purple people beaters have made a name for themselves through defense, namely a relentless blitz and pass rush overseen by Brian Flores.
That puts the onus on New Orleans receiver Chris Olave to get open quick and provide prime opportunities for Tyler Shough before the pocket collapses. He’s proven to be well up to the task on many an occasion and stands as the Saints’ most undeniable offensive threat in quite some time. Matching up with him will likely be the experienced Byron Murphy Jr., who has allowed 15 receptions on 21 targets this season. Since letting up 22 in its season opener, Minnesota has kept offenses in check while the defense handles the dirty work. Olave’s finesse could well be the difference for a Saints group that wants to prove itself against elite competition.
EDGE Abdul Carter vs. LT Brandon Coleman
New York Giants @ Washington Commanders, 1 p.m. ET, Fox
Abdul Carter was getting to the QB FAST, with 8 pressures coming in under 2.5 seconds. 9 PRESSURES, 3 QBH, 24.3% PRESSURE RATE vs Cardinals New York needs Carter creating this kind of pressure if they want to control the NFC East race. https://t.co/43uK0bmtiN
— Football Performances (@NFLPerformances) October 5, 2026
Public opinion readily granted the NFC East to the Eagles or even the Dallas Cowboys before this season began. Even in their Jaxson Dart-less state, however, the Giants have broken out to a 3-1 record to pace the rollercoaster quartet. With the Commanders, Saints, and Texans looming on the road ahead, there’s a chance to establish a rock solid foundation for the East lead heading into their November-opening bye.
Like the Vikings before them, the Giants have paved their way to the top with a solid pass rush, accomplishing plenty with Brian Burns also sidelined. The continued consistency of Abdul Carter has gone a long way: though his sack totals have yet to reach their desired levels, Carter ranks in the upper half of both the pass rush and run-defense sections of PFF. ESPN’s stats department has him second in pass rush win rate through four weeks.
That puts pressure on the meandering Commanders, who have literally taken a step forward and two paces back on the medical front: they’re expected to welcome back franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels but two of his top targets, Stefon Diggs and Terry McLaurin, linger in limbo. Brandon Coleman, already a medically-induced replacement in the absence of Laremy Tunsil, has produced middling results in his place and faces significant scrutiny to keep things clean, lest he let the potential chatter of Daniels’ potentially rushed return hit a boiling point.
WR Keon Coleman vs. CB Trent McDuffie
Buffalo Bills @ Los Angeles Rams, 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN (Monday)
Trent McDuffie shut down Malik Nabers and the Giants on Monday night. 1 INT, 4 PD, 2 SOLO McDuffie set a new career high in pass breakups as Los Angeles held New York without a touchdown in a 28 to 6 win. https://t.co/pVAxjCPjZ3
— Football Performances (@NFLPerformances) September 22, 2026
Both Keon Coleman and Trent McDuffie came into season with every right to take things personally: Coleman faced questions about his continued Western New York purpose after two lackluster outings following the Bills’ move up the 2024 draft board to obtain his services while McDuffie was sent from Kansas City to SoCal in an effort to become the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history.
So far, both have lived to their respective reputations. Coleman has been one of Josh Allen‘s favorite targets, offering him a sense of reassurance amidst on-and-off medical woes for DJ Moore. McDuffie has a league-best 7 pass breakups and has been equally impressive in the advanced metrics, with passers posting a 22.5 passer rating on the 21 occasions they’ve targeted his receivers.
At the start of the season, this looked like a potential Super Bowl preview, especially with the SoFi Stadium handling hosting duties for both occasions. Adversity on both sides, however, has reigned: the Rams endured two losses before getting back to .500 with an improbable comeback win over the Eagles while the Bills are licking their wounds after a shocking divisional defeat to the New England Patriots. What Coleman and McDuffie get up to in a Monday melee could help re-establish the path to a Pacific title.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
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