Football Friday Fives: NFL Edition For Week 5 From The Sports Mac

5 Storylines To Keep An Eye On

1. Randy Moss returns to the place he started his career as he plays for the Vikings against a familiar foe from the last few years at the Jets on Monday night.

2. Who will take the workload in the backfield for the Redskins after they lose Clinton Portis for at least the next month after suffering a groin injury last week?

3. Can the 49ers put a stop to the nightmare beginning of their season and get a first win of 2010 at home over Philadelphia?

4. How will the Cardinals third starting QB of the young season, undrafted rookie Max Hall, against what has been a stout New Orleans Saints defense?

5. Can the last unbeaten, Kansas City, stay that way with a big road game off of their bye week at Indianapolis?

Top 5 Games Of The Weekend

1. Vikings (1-2) at Jets (3-1), 8:30 PM, Monday, ESPN: The new reacquisition, Randy Moss, joins Minnesota for his first game as Brett Favre returns to New York for the first time since leaving the Jets.

2. Chiefs (3-0) at Colts (2-2), 1:00 PM, Sunday, CBS: The undefeated Chiefs get a severe road test at an Indianapolis team looking for more consistency.

3. Packers (3-1) at Redskins (2-2), 1:00 PM, Sunday, FOX: Both teams look to continue their momentum as they each got division wins last weekend.

4. Broncos (2-2) at Ravens (3-1), 1:00 PM, Sunday, CBS: The pass-happy Broncos take their aerial show to Baltimore to face the challenging Ravens defense.

5. Giants (2-2) at Texans (3-1), 1:00 PM, Sunday, FOX: New York looks to continue their defensive momentum against a very potent Houston offense.

5 Worst Games Of The Weekend

1. Jaguars (2-2) at Bills (0-4), 1:00 PM, Sunday, CBS: Despite Jacksonville’s miracle win over the Colts, this is still a matchup of two bad teams.

2. Rams (2-2) at Lions (0-4), 1:00 PM, Sunday, FOX: St. Louis has scored 20 points just once so far this year and Detroit can not seem to find a way to win a game.

3. Bears (3-1) at Panthers (0-4), 1:00 PM, Sunday, FOX: Even if Jay Cutler doesn’t play for Chicago, the Bears could have little problem with struggling Carolina.

4. Saints (3-1) at Cardinals (2-2), 4:00 PM, Sunday, FOX: Starting a undrafted rookie at QB against an New Orleans pass defense that is just outside the top 10 in the league seems like a recipe for disaster for Arizona.

5. Eagles (2-2) at 49ers (0-4), 8:15 PM, Sunday, NBC: No Michael Vick or LeSean McCoy for Philadelphia and with San Francisco’s offensive struggles, points could be at a premium.

5 Players To Watch This Weekend

1. Kevin Kolb, Eagles QB vs. San Francisco: This was his job at the beginning of the season and he needs to perform or you could see Michael Vick back from his injury very quickly.

2. Kyle Orton, Broncos QB vs. Baltimore: When you have the best pass offense and worst rush offense in the league, the Denver QB is going to be the key for any opposing defense.

3. Santonio Holmes, Jets WR vs. Minnesota, Monday: New York gets another weapon for the arsenal, but how much will he be involved in the offense for his first game this year?

4. Brian Cushing, Texans LB vs. N.Y. Giants: The starting LB for Houston is coming back at an opportune time with the bruising Giants running game coming to town.

5. Chris Ivory, Saints RB vs. Arizona: The rookie has to be somewhat productive to take the pressure off of Drew Brees and keep the Cardinal defense from just playing the pass.

5 Teams That Have To Have A Big Week

1. Vikings (1-2) at Jets, Monday: With the addition of Randy Moss, there is more than enough talent to score on the New York defense. They have to execute, however, to get a big win on the road or risk falling three games back in the division.

2. Bengals (2-2) vs. Buccaneers, Sunday: Enigmatic Cincinnati needs to win games they are supposed to if they want to be a playoff team this year. This is one of those games.

3. Colts (2-2) vs. Chiefs, Sunday: Indianapolis has been up and down so far and they need a big effort against a young Kansas City team and lose any more ground to Houston in the AFC South.

4. Eagles (2-2) at 49ers, Sunday: The good news for Philadelphia is there is no clear favorite in the NFC East and they need to take advantage against the struggling 49ers to keep pace with the rest of the division.

5. Falcons (3-1) at Browns, Sunday: Atlanta has to win games like this over a mediocre opponent and keep their advantage over New Orleans in the NFC South.