NFL Predictions Week 5: Buffalo's Fred Jackson Will Be the Week's Leading Rusher

Where on earth has C.J. Spiller gone?

I can't say for sure, but my guess is that Spiller is somewhere in Fred Jackson's shadow. 'Tis a large and mighty shadow, and Spiller may never get out of it.

That's because Jackson is the man for the Buffalo Bills. He was a well-kept secret in both 2009 and 2010, but there's no overlooking Jackson's success this season. Through four games, he already has 369 yards rushing and four rushing touchdowns. Thanks to his efforts, Chan Gailey really has no use for Spiller.

And things are probably not going to change much this Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. Four games into the season, the word is out that the Eagles are powerless to stop the run, and you can expect the Bills to take full advantage of that by running Jackson right at them as many times as they possibly can.

The Eagles might find their rush defense, but there's virtually no indication that they are going to any time soon. The Eagles currently rank 30th in the NFL against the rush, and it's definitely worth noting that they are coming off a game in which they allowed 164 yards rushing to the San Francisco 49ers. Frank Gore picked up 127 of those, which is pretty concerning given how rusty he looked in the first three weeks of the season.

If a rickety runner like Gore can do that much damage, one shudders to think what Jackson is going to be able to do against the Eagles. Because the Bills know that the Eagles can't stop the run, I foresee Jackson getting upwards of 20 carries. Given the way he's been going this year, Jackson may very well turn those carries into 125 yards. Maybe even 150.

My only concern is what will happen if the Eagles race out to a big lead early, which is something the New England Patriots were able to do against the Bills in Week 3. They had to take to the air to come back on the Pats, and Jackson ended the day with just 12 carries.

The Eagles may be unable to stop the run, but don't think they can't score. On the contrary, that's one thing they've done very well this season, and nobody ever accused the Bills of being a defensive juggernaut. The Eagles could very well put the Bills in an early hole, which will hinder Jackson's workload.

But I think the exact opposite is just as likely. With a little help from Jackson, I can see the Bills putting the Eagles in an early hole. Jackson will get work early, and he'll get work late. At the end of the day, he'll have some big numbers next to his name.

Projection: 22 carries, 140 yards, two TDs.