Pick or Pass? Who to take in your survivor pool in Week 5
After seven wins to start the season, the Buffalo Bills ended our perfect run with a shocking road upset of the Atlanta Falcons last week.
While the Cincinnati Bengals cashed with a blowout of the Cleveland Browns, Matt Ryan couldn't overcome the loss of Julio Jones as the Falcons fell.
With nine games sitting at a 4-point spread or less this week, picking two teams to score outright wins is a very difficult task, which is probably obvious by the two teams selected.
Two teams to pick
New York Giants
It's Week 5 and the New York Giants are somehow still winless. So why the heck are they getting a pick in this week's survivor pool? That's certainly a fair question, but the club has shown in recent weeks that they might be close to turning a corner. New York has lost its last two games by a combined five points, and the Eli Manning-Odell Beckham Jr. connection appears to be ready for an explosion.
Indianapolis Colts
When the two teams selected for the Survivor Pool in Week 5 are a combined 1-7 on the season, it's pretty clear it's a very difficult week. Despite sitting 1-3 and starting Jacoby Brissett at quarterback, the Colts are the second pick this week to register an outright win. It's a risky play, but with the San Francisco 49ers coming to town, Indianapolis is actually favored in the contest. The scoreline of last week's loss in Seattle doesn't quite tell the full story as the Colts were close through almost three quarters of play. Look for Indianapolis to protect the ball and win a close one.
Team to avoid
Kansas City Chiefs
The only undefeated team left heads to Houston to face red-hot rookie Deshaun Watson. The former Clemson star turned in a performance for the ages in a win over the Titans last week, throwing for four touchdowns and running for another. While the Chiefs defense certainly presents more of a challenge, Watson will be up to the task and give them fits. The Texans pass rush should threaten Alex Smith, and that alone makes the Chiefs a bad pick this week.
Record: 7-1
Teams picked so far: Carolina Panthers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Seattle Seahawks, Oakland Raiders, Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, Cincinnati Bengals, Atlanta Falcons