NFL Week 5 Picks: Predictions for Every Game

October is upon NFL fans, as is Week 5 of regular-season action beginning on Thursday Night Football when the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns clash in an AFC battle featuring two rebuilding franchises.

After what is sure to be an entertaining game on Thursday, the Sunday slate of games appears to be the most entertaining to date. Contenders such as the Houston Texans and the reigning NFC champion San Francisco 49ers will clash, as will two playoff hopefuls when the Seattle Seahawks travel to Indianapolis to face Andrew Luck and the Colts.

Below is a prediction for every contest on the Week 5 lineup, followed by an emphasis on three marquee matchups.

Enjoy.

*Week 5 schedule courtesy of ESPN.

Seattle Seahawks 35, Indianapolis Colts 30

The Seattle Seahawks and Indianapolis Colts have plenty in common, including playoff appearances last year, sophomore quarterbacks and stellar starts to the 2013 season.

When the two collide in Lucas Oil Stadium in Week 5, much will be revealed about both sides.

For Indianapolis, a convincing win over San Francisco in Week 3 pegs the Colts as contenders. It's the same story for Seattle, which handed San Francisco a beatdown as well in Week 2 and made a surging comeback in Week 4 to topple the Texans.

The story here is the passing game. Both teams are potent on the ground (Seattle ranks No. 5 overall with Marshawn Lynch, Indianapolis No. 4 with what has been an effective committee), but Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson have plenty of room for improvement, and all eyes will be on them come Sunday.

As solid as the Colts defense has looked, Seattle's unit will be able to shut down Luck and Co. through the air, as the secondary has held two quarterbacks under 150 yards passing. Those quarterbacks were Cam Newton and Colin Kaepernick.

Luck will throw for more than 150 in this one, but the Seattle defense will play well enough to notch an important road win.

Both teams are playing extremely well, but Seattle gets the edge thanks to shutdown corners Brandon Browner and Richard Sherman.

Denver Broncos 45, Dallas Cowboys 24

Even though the NFL season is young, the Dallas Cowboys have experienced a roller-coaster ride with a .500 record, most recently dropping a contest to a similar San Diego Chargers squad.

Things have been much better for Peyton Manning and Denver, a team setting a historic pace offensively as ESPN points out:

Manning and Co. most recently dropped 52 points on the Philadelphia Eagles, marking the third time this season the team has scored 41 or more in a contest. Manning, at 37, is on a torrid tear through the first four weeks, and there are no indications he's set to slow down anytime soon.

As well as Dallas has played at times, the defense is a bottom-five unit against the pass, as it gives up over 304 passing yards per game. Manning has already thrown for over 1,400 yards and 16 touchdowns, and Denver simply has more weapons than Dallas will be able to cover.

This is a marquee matchup without a doubt, but Manning is playing too well for Denver to lose to a team like Dallas that seems to struggle in all areas at one point or another. Expect a rout and a 5-0 start for the Broncos.

Houston Texans 20, San Francisco 49ers 17

The highlight of Week 5 comes on Sunday Night Football when the Texans travel to Candlestick Park to take on the 49ers.

Houston is coming off consecutive losses, although it took Seattle down to the wire last week in overtime and gave up a big lead in heart-breaking fashion. The Texans tout the NFL's top defense thanks to a stellar pass rush and a secondary that surrenders just 141 passing yards per game.

San Francisco is no slouch on defense either coming in at No. 5 overall, but the lack of Aldon Smith's pass-rushing prowess will hurt the team, especially with Arian Foster looking back in form and getting the run game back on track.

The 49ers have struggled this season against teams similar to Seattle that rush quarterback Colin Kaepernick (just 856 yards and five touchdowns) well and defend the pass adequately.

Houston does both well, and the running back combo of Foster and Ben Tate, which averages over 130 yards per game, will wear out a San Francisco defensive unit giving up over 100 rushing yards per game. Matt Schaub will need to take care of the ball, though.

Simply put, the Texans are a better team at this point despite their Week 4 loss. Kaepernick and Co. have struggled against quality opponents, and Houston is a top-tier team. This one will come down to the wire, but Houston has enough to dictate the pace of the game en route to a victory.

Follow B/R's Chris Roling on Twitter for more news and analysis @Chris_Roling