NFL Picks Week 5: Tennessee Titans and 3 Teams That Will Prove They're For Real

Surprising teams get off to red-hot starts every year in the NFL, but not all of them are able to sustain it over the course of an entire season. In many cases, the standings seem to be flipped upside down this year, so there are plenty of upstart teams that will have to prove their worth.

One month isn't much of a sample size in the NFL, so there are still plenty of questions that need to be answered. Here are three teams that will prove that they are indeed for real with huge Week 5 victories.

Detroit Lions 

The Detroit Lions were expected to be a much-improved squad in 2011, but few could have predicted a 4-0 start as the Lions, are one of just two remaining undefeated teams. The Lions have played a couple lower teams, but they will have a great test when they host the Chicago Bears on Monday night.

A young team like Detroit isn't used to playing on the big stage, so there should be plenty of excitement and nervousness as the game approaches. The Bears aren't pushovers, either, as they won the NFC North last season and went all the way to the NFC Championship Game.

Despite that, the Lions have all the tools necessary to pick up a win. The Bears have struggled against the pass, and that just happens to be Detroit's specialty, thanks to quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Calvin Johnson.

The Lions should also be able to expose Chicago's porous offensive line thanks to a strong pass rush anchored by defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. 

Buffalo Bills 

Even after a 41-7 demolition of the Kansas City Chiefs on the road to open the season, most observers weren't buying the Buffalo Bills. A huge comeback over the Oakland Raiders still left many skeptical as well. People finally began to take notice when the Bills upended the New England Patriots after trailing by 21 points.

Just as most were buying into the Bills, they dropped a tough decision on the road to the Cincinnati Bengals last week. Now, Buffalo must prove itself once again. They will have a great opportunity as they host the 1-3 Philadelphia Eagles this weekend.

Regardless of their record, the Eagles are a very dangerous team and they are desperate for a victory. The Bills will certainly allow points and they may even fall behind, but they haven't let anything fluster them at home this season.

The Bills have one of the league's most explosive offenses with Ryan Fitzpatrick at the helm and the Eagles have been bad defensively, so I expect Buffalo to pull off the upset.

Tennessee Titans

After losing to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1, it seemed like the Tennessee Titans would be in for a long season. Shockingly, they atoned for that loss in Week 2, however, as they soundly defeated a Baltimore Ravens team that had dominated the Pittsburgh Steelers a week earlier.

The Titans are now 3-1 and are tied with the Houston Texans for the AFC South lead. They have been successful largely due to defense and a revitalized passing game with Matt Hasselbeck under center. All-Pro running back Chris Johnson hasn't even gotten going yet, although he seemed to get into the swing of things last week.

Tennessee will go on the road to take on the Steelers, who are currently decimated by injuries. Linebacker James Harrison is out with an orbital fracture, running back Rashard Mendenhall is questionable and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will be compromised by a foot sprain.

The Steelers are reeling, and this will be the perfect opportunity for the Titans to show that they are contenders.