Four teams fell victim to an early bye week in Week 5, through little fault of their own. However, an early-season bye can be a blessing in disguise for some teams as they hope to get healthy at the right time, and make gains in the standings by simply not putting their own record at risk. This week, the following teams had a bye:
Team | Record | Week 6 opponent |
|---|---|---|
Pittsburgh Steelers | 3-1 | Cleveland Browns |
Green Bay Packers | 2-1-1 | Cincinnati Bengals |
Chicago Bears | 2-2 | Washington Commanders |
Atlanta Falcons | 2-2 | Buffalo Bills |
All four teams on a bye are still fighting for their postseason lives, hence the early-season aspect of all of this. The Steelers are in first place in the AFC North, the Packers are well within play of the NFC North lead as are the Bears, while the Falcons are just a game back of the division-leading Buccaneers. Still, some teams gained more than most on their bye, and not just because of their likely Week 6 opponents.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers survived a thriller in Dublin last Sunday, in which Mike Tomlin did everything in his power to achieve the opposite result. Nonetheless, the Steelers tend to win close games. Their defense did just enough late against a Vikings team led by Carson Wentz, of all quarterbacks, to win and cement their spot atop the AFC North.
Pittsburgh gained the most of any team in their bye week thanks to the results of other teams within their own division. The Baltimore Ravens – lacking Lamar Jackson – were blown out at home against the Houston Texans. Baltimore entered the season as favorites to win the division, but are 1-4 on the season, and it remains unclear exactly when Jackson will return to action. The Browns also lost, and are starting rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel moving forward. Tomlin's Steelers face Gabriel next week, and this defense tends to feast on rookie quarterbacks.
Verdict: Steelers win Week 5 bye
Green Bay Packers
The Packers and Cowboys played to a tie in Micah Parsons return to Dallas. Matt LaFleur's team was favored in that matchup, but thanks to some shoddy defense and questionable clock management, the best the Packers could achieve was a draw. That tie could eventually come back to haunt Green Bay in the NFC playoff picture, and the Vikings win in London gives them a slight edge moving forward. Despite all of their flaws, Minnesota technically has more victories than the Packers, albeit at a lower win percentage.
The Packers will watch the Detroit Lions game against the Bengals closely on Sunday more multiple reasons. First, the Lions are leading the division and have dominated their competition the last few weeks. Second, the Packers play those very Bengals next week. No matter the result, the Packers have plenty of questions to answer in Week 6.
Verdict: Packers lose Week 5 bye
Chicago Bears
The Bears have won two straight games under Ben Johnson and headed into their bye week on a high, having defeated the Las Vegas Raiders by a point in Week 4. Chicago is 2-2 and well ahead of schedule in Johnson's first season as head coach. Caleb Williams has shown flashes of brilliance in his second season at the helm, while Johnson's teachings haven't gone unnoticed.
Unfortunately for Chicago, with the Vikings victory in London, the Bears are in last place in the NFC North while the Vikings also hold a head-to-head advantage. Chicago also lost to the division-leading Lions in Week 2, meaning the Bears have plenty of work to do in the division before they can be considered a serious playoff contender. Minnesota's win in London didn't help their case.
Verdict: Bears lose Week 5 bye
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons are a mystery. We don't know enough about this team, led by Michael Penix Jr., to definitively say if they are NFC South contenders or not. A loss by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would go a long way for the Falcons early-season chances and to improve the confidence of a young team. However, one thing the Falcons did gain in Week 5 are some possible trade suitors for Kirk Cousins. One look around the league makes it clear there are plenty of mid-tier teams in need of improved QB play.
Thus far, the New Orleans Saints defeated the New York Giants, while Carolina Panthers beat the Miami Dolphins. However, neither of those teams are expected to be serious NFC South contenders this season. Atlanta is Tampa's primary competition, hands down.