Sunday, it started with the Falcons edging the Browns to move both teams’ records to 2-2. A win by the Bengals, combined with losses by the Ravens and Browns, threw those teams into a three-way tie in the AFC North.

The Rams’ loss to the Forty Niners Monday night knotted the NFC West, and the Bucs’ loss to the Chiefs dropped Tampa into an unlikely tie with the Falcons in the NFC South. In the NFC East, the Cowboys and Giants are battling to keep pace with the Eagles, the league’s last undefeated team. In the tough AFC West, the Raiders finally notched a win but remain at the bottom of the heap. Something has to give, and the start of the season’s second quarter should create some separation.

 
The now-coveted Thursday Night contest will again rank near the top of the weekend’s offerings, as the Colts try to turn their season around versus the Broncos.  Then, on Sunday, we get a battle of 3-1 teams as the Giants visit the Packers. The Cowboys put their 3-1 record on the line in L.A., where the defending champion Rams have slipped to 2-2. 

But this week, the Sunday Night Football contest is my Game of the Week: Lamar Jackson and the Ravens battling Joe Burrow and the Bengals. Depending on how the Browns fare against the Chargers, that Bengals-Ravens showdown could be for the division lead in the AFC North.

Last weekend, my picks went 9-7. Once again, half the contests went down to the wire. Not a single division leader has more than a one-game lead. And so, the drama continues.

Here are the Week Five matches — and my picks:

1.    Colts at Broncos               Broncos        TNF
2.    Giants at Packers             Packers
3.    Steelers at Bills                Bills
4.    Chargers at Browns          Browns
5.    Texans at Jaguars            Jaguars
6.    Bears at Vikings               Vikings
7.    Lions at Patriots               Lions
8.    Seahawks at Saints          Saints
9.    Dolphins at Jets               Jets
10. Falcons at Bucs                 Bucs
11. Titans at Commanders       Titans
12. Forty Niners at Panthers     Forty Niners
13. Eagles at Cardinals            Eagles
14. Cowboys at Rams              Rams
15. Bengals at Ravens             Bengals         SNF
16. Raiders at Chiefs                Chiefs           MNF
 
While that Monday night game is certainly a good one, by the time Sunday is over, the traffic in some of these three- and four-lane division highways should be reduced. Still, continued congestion is forecast for several more weeks.

Fans: take your seats and buckle up. Teams: hit the accelerator.