NFL Predictions Week 5: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Antonio Brown and 3 Letdown Players

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Antonio Brown and Matt Ryan will all have a poor Week 5 performance.  These players entered the season with varying expectations, but now are expected to major roles.  The evaluation of their performance is different based on their positions.  The quarterbacks will have different expectations than Antonio Brown.

It would be safe to say that Ryan Fitzpatrick has taken the league by surprise.  He is leading one of the better offenses in the NFL, while also leading the Bills to a 3-1 start.  Fitzpatrick has done a great job moving the offense up and down the field.

Fitzpatrick's numbers are not as important as the outcome of the game.  Buffalo has gotten a taste of winning and a home loss would be a letdown.  The Bills are facing a Philadelphia Eagles team dealing with their own pressures.  Fitzpatrick and the Bills can expect to see a highly motivated Eagles team.

I feel Fitzpatrick will approach another 300-yard passing day, but the Bills will suffer a home loss.  The loss will be a major letdown for a Bills franchise looking to change its culture.

Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons have already been a disappointment.  They were expected to be among the NFC elite, but have sputtered out of the gate.  Ryan and the offense have been a major disappointment, as they were hoping to make a big leap forward. 

Atlanta is hoping to erase the memory of last year's embarrassing playoff loss.  However, I feel that Ryan is going to be pressing.  He will have a lot of pressure trying to keep pace with the Green Bay offense.  This added pressure could result in poor decisions and turnovers.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are stilling trying to find a playmaker opposite Mike Wallace.  Hines Ward is a good consistent target, but is no longer a real deep threat.  Antonio Brown has shown a lot of promise, appearing like a legitimate No. 2 target.

However, today will not be a big game for Brown.  Pittsburgh is dealing with a bit of a crisis, as it struggled to play a physical brand of football.  The Steelers have been getting pushed around at the point of attack; look for them to rectify that today.

Pittsburgh is going to feature a run oriented attack versus the Titans.  This will be to reestablish a bit of a tough guy mentality. However, they will also be looking to protect Ben Roethlisberger, who is nursing a foot injury.