NFL Week 5: Projecting Winners and Losers of Weekend's Biggest Matchups

There are a few automatic questions that greet us while looking at the sexiest positional matchups for Week 5.

The first one jumps out right away. Can any defensive back stop Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones? If anyone is capable at all, it's Denver Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib, who's generating turnovers like it's his job (it is his job).

What about Ezekiel Elliott? The Dallas Cowboys running back will look to continue his rumbling ways against the Cincinnati Bengals and their defense that hasn't allowed a rushing touchdown yet.

And will a receiver do anything of significance against the Minnesota Vikings' Xavier Rhodes? Nah, probably not.

Let's plunge in then to look at those matchups and more with the fifth weekend of the 2016 NFL season somehow already upon us.

Le'Veon Bell vs. Jets' Run Defense

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Le'Veon Bell is the type of football player who can elude a lot of defensive players on the field.

Sure, we call the Pittsburgh Steelers standout a running back because that's where he spends most of his time. But as Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman noted, Bell spent seven of his first 32 snaps lined up as a wide receiver during a win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 4. He also lined up in the slot for five snaps during that same period, and he even took a snap as a tight end.

He does a bit of everything, and he does it all well. But it's on the ground where the quick-slashing runner still does the majority of his damage. He quickly became his usual elusive self after returning from a suspension to post 144 rushing yards on the Chiefs. He did that with a comically absurd average of eight yards per carry.

Bell is arguably the most physically gifted and versatile running back the NFL has to offer. And now, in Week 5, he'll be attempting to do his slashing and cutting against a group of New York Jets defenders that have become rather efficient when asked to stop such things.

As we round the quarter pole of this 2016 season, the Jets rank second against the run while allowing 70.3 yards on the ground per game. They've also given up just 3.1 yards per carry and only one rushing touchdown.

Prediction: The Jets defense has plenty of its own versatility, especially up front with defensive ends Leonard Williams and Muhammad Wilkerson, who excel against both the run and pass. But siding with any defense trying to stop Bell requires some tough mental gymnastics right now because he's proven to be nearly matchup poof.

He's averaging 124.3 total yards per week over his last seven games dating back to the beginning of 2015.

Ezekiel Elliott vs. Bengals Front Seven

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The wait for Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott to play like a high first-round pick ended with a thud. The good kind of thud.

Elliott's punishing bowling-ball running style has led to a small mountain of rushing yards over his past two games, making those early struggles a fading distant memory. The fourth-overall pick in 2016 has piled up 278 rushing yards since Week 3, and he's also averaging a solid 2.53 yards after contact, per Pro Football Focus.

Elliott suddenly turned the tap on and created a gushing waterfall of rushing yards against the lowly Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers. Strength will meet strength in Week 5 when he tries to run through the Cincinnati Bengals' front seven.

The Bengals run defense has given up just 3.8 yards per carry in 2016. That includes holding the Broncos' C.J. Anderson to 37 yards in Week 3 and limiting the Dolphins' Jay Ajayi to 33 yards in Week 4.

Entering Week 5, we're still waiting on the Bengals to allow a 100-plus yard rusher, and Elliott has logged two straight games with 135-plus yards. 

Prediction: Something has to give here, and it won't be the league's rushing leader. Even during his apparently slow start, Elliott still finished with 83 rushing yards in Week 2. In four games, he's only fallen below the 80-yard plateau once.

Julio Jones vs. Aqib Talib

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Covering Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones must feel like trying to keep up with a Ferrari-tank hybrid.

Maybe you can match his speed or at least come close enough. But are you strong enough to gain body position on jump balls? And do you have a hope of bringing Jones down once he's hit full gallop in the open field?

The answer to the latter two questions is usually "nope!"

A rare blend of strength and natural athleticism led to a slice of history in Week 4. There are six receivers in league history who have recorded 300-plus, single-game receiving yards, and now Jones is one of them. He thoroughly roasted the Carolina Panthers with 12 receptions for 300 yards—an afternoon highlighted by his 75-yard touchdown.

But if there's one cornerback who can answer "yes!" to the questions above and give Jones a tough battle, his name is Aqib Talib.

At 6'1" and 205 pounds, Talib is a grappling physical route disruptor. He also has high-level instincts that give him the anticipation to not just take risks, but take the right risks. He jumps routes and essentially runs them for the receiver, which is how Talib ended up with two interceptions in Week 4.

He's recorded three picks overall in 2016, which already matches his 2015 total.

Prediction: Talib was the key component in a secondary that held Cincinnati Bengals stud receiver A.J. Green to a pedestrian 77 yards on eight catches in Week 3. He has the length and strength to execute against Jones while sufficiently limiting him, too.

Brian Orakpo vs. Branden Albert

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As a whole, the Miami Dolphins' offensive line is leaky, which is an annual problem that contributes to quarterback Ryan Tannehill's skin turning many shades of black and blue. The unit ranks 28th after four games and has given up 51 pressures, per PFF.

Here's another easy way to look at numbers and know there's still a wretched stench coming from Miami's offensive line. First, you look at the calendar and again note that most teams have played only four games. Then you look at the amount of sacks Tannehill has taken overall (11) and realize that's not even the worst of it.

No, the most damning digit is how often those sacks have come in bunches. Tannehill already has two games in 2016 where he's taken five sacks.

Left tackle Branden Albert is the flower growing from the cracked concrete that is the Dolphins' O-line. He's allowed only five sacks over his last two seasons, per PFF. Albert has also remained a steady presence while giving up only seven pressures through three games.

He missed Week 4 due to a lingering ankle injury, but he was a close game-time decision and should be back for Week 5. His assignment then will be to stop Tennessee Titans outside linebacker Brian Orakpo, who is suddenly dialing the clock back to 2013.

That was the last season when Orakpo recorded double-digit sacks. His ability has rarely been questioned as the 30-year-old's age advances. It's generally been assumed that Orakpo can still be a dominant force off the edge when healthy. The health part of the equation raises concerns with him, as Orakpo has struggled through pectoral injuries.

But he's looking like his usual physically imposing self right now with four sacks over the Titans' last three games.

Prediction: This will be a classic veteran stopper vs. pocket destroyer matchup, and one Orakpo should win.

Jerry Hughes vs. Greg Robinson

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The Buffalo Bills aren't looking like a group of players who played the dizzy bat game in the parking lot with fans before kickoff anymore. That's especially true of their defense, which has allowed only 18 points over two straight wins.

During those wins, opposing quarterbacks have been sacked eight times. Even more impressively, relentless pressure throughout a Week 4 win over the New England Patriots reduced the time for downfield throws to nearly zero. Patriots wide receivers finished with one reception for 16 yards.

Bills outside linebacker Jerry Hughes has led the pass-rushing charge as expected. He's logged just one sack-less game so far in 2016, with four sacks overall.

Hughes took a step back in 2015 along with the entire Bills defense. But he's not far removed from two straight double-digit sack years (2014 and 2013).

Hughes is powering a surging pass rush that ranks third heading into a Week 5 matchup against the bizarrely 3-1 Los Angeles Rams. He'll spend much of his afternoon entrenched in a battle that could determine which way that game goes.

Rams left tackle Greg Robinson will be assigned to Hughes. The matchup is one of the most significant of Week 5 because if Robinson doesn't avoid being a constant penalty producer, then the Rams will come cratering back down to Earth.

Robinson has been a disappointment as a first-round pick in 2014. He has been beaten often and forced to clutch and grab, which has resulted in four penalties already, according to PFF.

Prediction: Any "gym fails" internet video is impossible to turn away from, and this matchup will be fun to watch in the same painful sense. Hughes will enjoy camping out in the Rams' backfield.

DeAndre Hopkins vs. Xavier Rhodes

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When teams put a premier wide receiver across from Minnesota Vikings cornerback Xavier Rhodes, he seems to shrug every time and then go about the business of swallowing them whole.

Rhodes missed the Vikings' first two games due to a knee issue. He returned to his starting role in Week 3 and has been assigned to shut down the Carolina Panthers' Kelvin Benjamin—who doubles as a walking tall building—and the New York Giants' Odell Beckham Jr.

Benjamin missed 2015 due to an ACL tear, but during his last healthy season, he finished with 1,008 receiving yards as a rookie and nine touchdowns. And Beckham is always a game-breaking weapon with 2,755 receiving yards over his first two seasons along with 25 touchdowns.

Rhodes held them to a combined 23 yards on three catches, which included exactly zero yards on zero catches from Benjamin.

Rhodes doesn't carry the name value of, say, a Josh Norman yet. That's likely because he does his job quietly—or at least with less volume than the Redskins cornerback and many of his peers.

Being that silent shutdown artist won't get any easier in Week 5 with the Texans' DeAndre Hopkins coming into Minnesota.

Prediction: The name of Rhodes' assignment hasn't mattered yet. That's not about to start now either, especially with the inconsistent play of Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler.

Jordan Reed vs. Ravens Linebackers and Safeties

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It doesn't take long to see how important tight end Jordan Reed is to the Washington Redskins' offense.

He's caught 25 passes so far to lead all tight ends. No other Redskins pass-catcher has hit the 20-reception mark yet.

Reed is also third among tight ends with 263 receiving yards. That leads all Redskins pass-catchers, and he's also been on the other end for two of quarterback Kirk Cousins' six touchdown passes.

Reed has done all that despite not truly erupting yet—at least from a yardage perspective. He recorded seven games with 80-plus receiving yards in 2015 including the playoffs. We're still waiting on his first of 2016, but the 26-year-old has come close while averaging a steady 65.8 yards each week.

Matching that average could be a challenge in Week 5 against the Baltimore Ravens. They field a secondary that's controlled tight ends well largely because of safety Eric Weddle, a feisty new addition. The Ravens are allowing only 36.7 receiving yards per game to tight ends, according to Football Outsiders.

Prediction: Reed can win this matchup based on sheer volume. He's the league's second-most targeted tight end, according to PFF. Going to a pass-catcher with his wingspan and bulk repeatedly will wear down a defense and lead to chunk gains.

Brock Osweiler vs. Harrison Smith

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There are nine teams with a 3-1 record. That muddled mess is standard in early October, a time when mirages will eventually give way to reality.

The Houston Texans are among them. If you hadn't watched a snap of Texans football yet in 2016 and looked only at the standings, it would be reasonable to assume the play of quarterback Brock Osweiler has pushed Houston to its current position. Connecting those dots seems especially logical because defensive end J.J. Watt was limited when healthy, and he's now injured again.

But that assumption would be wildly incorrect.

The Texans have prevailed to win three games while tolerating Osweiler's bumbling mediocre play. Of the 43 quarterbacks who have attempted a pass in 2016, Osweiler's average of 6.5 yards per throw ranks him tied for 34th, according to PFF. And that's being generous while including backups Drew Stanton and Kellen Clemens on the back end. They've attempted a combined 16 passes.

Osweiler has also thrown six interceptions already, and it feels like we might be waiting a while for his first pick-free game. If the Texans are to remain among those one-loss teams, then it will take Osweiler successfully navigating the coverage of Vikings safety Harrison Smith.

He's one of the league's most agile safeties, with the vision to read and react quickly while covering space fast. That package of skill led to Smith giving up only 89 yards in coverage during the 2015 season, per PFF.

Prediction: Osweiler has struggled to push the ball downfield with any consistency so far in 2016. That's not about to change in Week 5 with Harrison roaming the defensive backfield.