- Close
senior NFL national reporter- Jeremy Fowler is a senior national NFL writer for ESPN, covering the entire league including breaking news. Jeremy also contributes to SportsCenter both as a studio analyst and a sideline reporter covering for NFL games. He is an Orlando, Florida native who joined ESPN in 2014 after covering college football for CBSSports.com.
- Close
senior NFL national reporter- Dan Graziano is a senior NFL national reporter for ESPN, covering the entire league and breaking news. Dan also contributes to Get Up, NFL Live, SportsCenter, ESPN Radio, Sunday NFL Countdown and Fantasy Football Now. He is a New Jersey native who joined ESPN in 2011, and he is also the author of two published novels.
Week 5 of the 2023 NFL season is here, and league insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano are breaking down the biggest questions, latest news and notable buzz of the week. Plus, they picked out which teams are on upset watch and which players should -- or shouldn't -- be in your fantasy football lineups.
Which team has the best defense? What is going on with Joe Burrow and the Bengals? Which offseason transactions have been the most disappointing moves so far? And which offensive and defensive coordinators are on the hot seat after sluggish starts? It's all here, as Dan and Jeremy answer big questions and empty their notebooks with everything they've heard heading into Week 5.
Jump to a topic:
Top defenses | Bengals' slow start
Disappointing moves | Coordinator hot seats
Upset picks | Fantasy tips | Latest buzz
Which team has the NFL's best defense?
Graziano: This isn't necessarily the best week to say it since they just allowed 28 points to Baltimore, but through the first four weeks it's the Browns. They're the only team allowing under 200 yards per game. They're first in defensive efficiency and third (behind Dallas and Baltimore, also good choices here) in defensive expected points added. Their opponent QBR of 30.4 is the lowest in the league, and opponents are converting a league-low 22.6% of their third downs against Cleveland. Just imagine how good those numbers all looked a week ago, before the Browns got Lamared by the Ravens on Sunday.
Fowler: The Browns are brimming with optimism under new coordinator Jim Schwartz. But give me the Bills or 49ers right now, with a slight lean toward Buffalo. The 49ers might be the most talented, but they haven't been truly tested yet. The Bills, on the other hand, just got the ultimate test (Miami) and held the Dolphins to 20 points by clogging passing lanes and applying pocket pressure on Tua Tagovailoa. Greg Rousseau is making his star turn (three sacks this season), Matt Milano might be the best linebacker in football right now, and Von Miller comes back as early as this week.
Graziano: The Bills getting Miller back is massive, especially since they unfortunately lost cornerback Tre'Davious White again (torn Achilles). That puts more pressure on their back-end guys, but obviously adding Miller to the pass rush will help everybody back there.
Couple of under-the-radar teams to watch: The Ravens are playing very good defense under coordinator Mike Macdonald, especially considering how injured they've been in the secondary. Aidan Hutchinson is a star pass-rusher for the Lions, but Detroit has also had the league's best run defense -- and coordinator Aaron Glenn's star could be on the rise again. And keep an eye on that Falcons defense. Ryan Nielsen came over from New Orleans and is in his first season as defensive coordinator in Atlanta, which is making life tough on opponents at all three levels.
Fowler: Good cases there, especially with the Ravens and Lions ranking top-five in total defense and Atlanta emerging. On a similar note, Tennessee is a defense that could start to take off under Shane Bowena after shutting down the Bengals last week.
And we have to mention the Cowboys in any "best defense" conversation. Dallas' unit under Dan Quinn is a threat. The loss of cornerback Trevon Diggs (torn ACL) is wholly felt and hurts the Cowboys' versatility a bit, but they are still about 18 players deep, and Micah Parsons is getting pressure on nearly 40% of his rushes.
What are you hearing on Joe Burrow and the Bengals' slow start?
Fowler: Well, a few things are in play here. First, Burrow's mobility is definitely limited with the right calf issue. On Sunday, the Titans could tell how aware and cautious Burrow was about even attempting to extend a play, and they used that to their advantage in a 27-3 win. Cincinnati isn't placing the blame at Burrow's feet, though. As one person there told me, Sunday's loss was collective, a true team loss. The Bengals are struggling mightily to protect Burrow.
There was a feeling coming out of last week that his calf strain was improving (even if slightly) and the team had a strong week of practice. The thought is the Bengals can try to get right over the next two weeks, with Burrow getting better in the meantime, and then he has a full week of rest during the Week 7 bye.
Graziano: The Bengals' belief is Burrow's calf will continually improve as long as he doesn't pull it again, and I think a lot of what you're seeing is his own effort to be as safe as possible with it and prevent a major setback. It's a risky strategy, but as Burrow himself said after the Week 3 victory over the Rams, there's a risk of losing too many games as well.
Burrow and the Bengals have decided to try to tough it out, though as you mention, they do have their eyes on that Week 7 bye as a potential spot for him to get some much-needed rest. If they have to play without injured receiver Tee Higgins (broken rib), it might be tough to get the offense on track, though, right? No matter how Burrow's leg is holding up?
Fowler: Yeah, it's going to be a slog, regardless. Ja'Marr Chase says he's always open, and everyone is about to find out if that's true, because it wouldn't be a surprise to see Burrow force-feed his favorite target. The Bengals effectively moved Chase all over the field for that big game against the Rams two weeks ago, so perhaps they use a similar strategy. Tyler Boyd in the quick game will be crucial, and while Joe Mixon might not be in his prime, he can still get tough yards. Cincinnati isn't void of talent, so momentum is still attainable.
Who has been the most disappointing offseason transaction so far?
Graziano: Objectively, in terms of on-field impact, it has to be Aaron Rodgers, but that's not really his fault. And he did actually seem to have a positive impact on the Jets' building all summer prior to his season-ending injury in the first game. So let's give Aaron a pass and look elsewhere.
Jimmy Garoppolo leads the league in interceptions and has played only three of the Raiders' four games. That's pretty disappointing. Who else? Denver coach Sean Payton? Titans receiver DeAndre Hopkins? Any of a variety of Panthers newcomers?
Fowler: Payton is an interesting pick, because the Broncos' brass isn't paying top dollar for a 1-3 start. But Payton has improved the offense pretty dramatically. Denver ranks 10th in scoring offense compared to dead last in 2022. And Carolina is worth a discussion. I'm still bullish on Bryce Young's makeup, intangibles and savvy taking over, but it has been a slog so far.
Graziano: Yeah, it's way too soon to write off Young at this point, but I thought that Carolina offense would be a lot better with this coaching staff. Running back Miles Sanders is a candidate for this "honor," and the Panthers' O generally hasn't been able to get off the ground around Young, who looks more overwhelmed than I expected him to be.
Fowler: While we're discussing quarterbacks, It's probably worth nudging the Saints' Derek Carr. He played hurt this week, but his 763 passing yards rank 25th, sandwiched between Daniel Jones and Desmond Ridder. The passing attack in New Orleans hasn't taken off.
Graziano: Another offense that doesn't look like it knows the season has started is the Giants' unit. You have to think the team was expecting a bigger impact so far from tight end Darren Waller, who joined New York via a trade with the Raiders.
Fowler: Yeah, Waller getting three targets on "Monday Night Football" was curious. The Giants want him to be more of a focal point.
The Ravens probably are hoping for more on that $15 million investment in Odell Beckham Jr., too. He has missed two games (ankle), which isn't overly alarming but is not ideal against the backdrop of his long-standing durability concerns. And he hasn't quite gotten off the ground in his two games of play, with five catches for 66 yards.
Which coordinator has the hottest seat through four weeks?
Fowler: There's actually a scarcity of candidates here this early in the season. Obviously Denver's defense under Vance Joseph is worth examining. The Broncos are giving up 461.5 yards per game, the worst in the league by nearly 60 yards. But as a former head coach and three-time NFL coordinator, here's to thinking Joseph gets time to fix this.
With the Steelers once again starting slow on offense, Matt Canada's name will continue to circulate. The team's streak of 39 consecutive games without 400 or more yards will only continue to gain traction until it's broken. The Steelers traditionally don't make in-season coaching moves, so Canada will get more time to state his case. Coach Mike Tomlin cares more about wins than gaudy numbers, and the 2-2 Steelers are still winning just enough ... for now.
Graziano: Those were the two that jumped to mind for me -- with, as you said, the caveat that teams generally don't make these kinds of changes this early, and that it's probably too soon to engage in this kind of speculation. Canada is in his third season, and the Pittsburgh offense has been consistently abysmal under three different quarterbacks.
A couple of defensive coordinators who aren't in any immediate trouble but could be at year's end if things continue: Wink Martindale of the Giants and Patrick Graham of the Raiders.
What's your top upset pick for Week 5?
Graziano: Cardinals (+3) over Bengals. The Cards are playing pretty well right now, beating the Cowboys two weeks ago and hanging with the 49ers for three quarters Sunday. The Bengals are ... not playing well. Burrow doesn't look right, the pass protection is still a mess, the offense can't get going and they may not have Higgins for this game. It feels like a must-win for a Bengals team that entered the season with the highest of hopes, but it also feels like a game that Joshua Dobbs and this plucky Arizona bunch could steal.
Fowler: Cowboys (+4) over 49ers. Dallas can microwave motivation from the past two playoff losses to San Francisco, which has put up 30-plus points with ease each week but hasn't faced an elite defense. Expect defensive coordinator Quinn and the Cowboys to cook up some unfamiliar looks for Niners coach Kyle Shanahan in one of the best chess matches of the season. Extract the curious Arizona game and that Dallas offense has been equally excellent.
What's your fantasy football call of the week?
Fowler: Play Jets running back Breece Hall. At some point, the Jets have to kick-start the running game more consistently, and Denver's last-place run defense presents that opportunity. Hall is averaging eight carries per game as he splits time with Dalvin Cook, but I see his workload increasing soon enough. He has shown big-play ability with two rushes of at least 40 yards, and he should be gaining strength on his surgically repaired knee by the week.
Graziano: Yeah, man. I would be starting every Jet I have this week against that Denver defense. Yikes.
I also like Ravens receiver Zay Flowers this week against a Steelers defense that has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to wide receivers. Baltimore's receiver corps is banged up, and Flowers is a player for whom the Ravens want to manufacture touches. His per-game target totals this year have been, in order, 10, five, 10 and four -- which means he should get 10 this week, right?
Seriously, the Ravens see Flowers as a budding star. He's still looking for his first NFL touchdown, and only three teams (Broncos, Bears, Eagles) have allowed more passing touchdowns than the Steelers. Especially with the likes of Keenan Allen, Amari Cooper, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf all on bye, this is a good week to fire up the Baltimore rookie.
What else are you hearing this week?
Graziano's notebook:
• The surgery that Patriots edge rusher Matthew Judon is having to repair his torn right biceps normally comes with a six-month recovery time, which would obviously put Judon out for the rest of the season. But he is telling people he'd like to try and find a way to play at some point. One of the things Judon and the Patriots are studying is T.J. Watt's return last year from a torn pectoral muscle. Watt suffered the tear in Week 2 and returned to play in Week 9 from an injury that's usually season-ending. The Pats are prepared to be without Judon for a long time, and likely the rest of the year, but he's at least hoping they can find a way to get him back on the field at some point. We shall see.
• New England is also prepared to play without rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez for a while. The first-round pick and September NFL Rookie of the Month injured his shoulder in what has turned out to be a costly Week 4 loss to the Cowboys, and a timeline for his return has yet to be determined. Don't be surprised to see the Patriots poking around the league for trade help at cornerback and/or edge rusher. Of course, trading for help at those positions is easier said than done.
• Carr surprised Saints coaches and teammates by practicing Friday -- five days after injuring his right shoulder in a loss to the Packers -- and being ready to play Sunday. The Saints weren't concerned with the shoulder affecting his ability to throw as much as they were concerned about him taking hits to it. Carr and the Saints' offense had a lousy day against the Bucs on Sunday. After the game, they downplayed the extent to which the injury hampered Carr, but it seemed clear he was affected at least a little bit. Keep an eye on the practice reports out of New Orleans this week, but if Carr is able to practice in any capacity, I would expect him to suit up and start against the Patriots in Foxborough on Sunday.
• I asked around with some Jets people about the idea that Rodgers' return to the team last weekend might have helped Zach Wilson, and the answer was basically that Rodgers' presence has a "calming effect" on the whole team. Rodgers wasn't in Wilson's ear on game day or in any meetings with him leading up to the game, but the sense was that Rodgers being back helped everybody feel better and play better against the Chiefs. I did not ask what effect they thought Taylor Swift had, though.
• The Bears were crushed to lose to the Broncos the way they did, but they were excited about Justin Fields' statistical career day and think it's sustainable if the group around him plays as well as it did against Denver's leaky defense. They also think there's a chance they will have left guard Teven Jenkins back for Thursday's game against Washington, which would be a help.
Overall, the response I got from Bears sources on Fields was that he didn't do anything different in practice last week -- he just seemed to have a better feel for the defense and his progressions on game day. The Bears felt the entire offense played better around Fields on Sunday and that his confidence rose and stayed high throughout the game as a result. There's still a long way to go before the Bears know for sure whether they'll be moving on from him next offseason, and it's important to note that Denver's defense isn't stopping anybody right now. But in the same way Wilson needed to play well against the Chiefs for his own confidence, Fields could benefit from the success he and his team had on offense in Week 4.
Fowler's notebook:
• I've spoken to multiple NFL execs who believe the Bears will end up releasing wide receiver Chase Claypool. "That's where I think it's trending," one exec said. Perhaps the Bears can salvage a late-round pick from a contender via trade, but his locker room presence will be a strong consideration for any prospective team after the player has outstayed his welcome in Pittsburgh and Chicago. In 10 games with the Bears, Claypool surpassed 30 yards twice. There's just not a big market here, though he has size and speed, which could attract a few contending teams.
• Some more background on Deshaun Watson's surprise inactive status Sunday against Baltimore: Watson barely did any throwing during the week but was hopeful he would be ready by Sunday. In a pregame workout, however, he couldn't throw with his normal zip due to a contusion in his shoulder/rotator cuff area. The injury is considered minor, and he should be back to his normal self for Week 6 against San Francisco after the bye.
In other Browns news, I'm told defensive end Myles Garrett came out of the game "fine" after a foot injury prompted him to wear a boot after the game. It shouldn't be anything that hinders him over the bye and the San Francisco matchup.
• With the Raiders struggling, Davante Adams is a popular name for fans to throw around as a potential dream trade candidate. From what I've always heard, however, Adams has been set on playing in Vegas long-term. That has been the plan from when he got traded there in 2022. So unless something has changed, I don't get any sense that he wants out. And as a nod to the future, I'm also told he's a big believer in Aidan O'Connell, the fourth-round rookie who stepped in for the injured Garoppolo (concussion) against the Chargers. Obviously, Garoppolo is entrenched as the starter, but O'Connell gives Las Vegas a real option to develop.
• Zach Wilson's confident outing Sunday night was a combination of the Jets' game-planning and Wilson's operation of the overall offensive attack. That's what one person with the team stressed to me -- he was running the offense with command, which leads to confidence. The Jets helped him with more first-down throws, play-action/movement and the use of three tight ends. Tyler Conklin played 40 snaps, followed by Jeremy Ruckert with 25 and C.J. Uzomah with 21. So it's more than just improved confidence with Wilson. His handle on what coordinator Nathaniel Hackett is trying to do has improved, and he was hitting his back foot on the drop and throwing without pause. And now the Jets hope they have something.
• In Pittsburgh, there's optimism around Kenny Pickett being able to handle enough practice this week to play Baltimore. The Steelers will gauge his left knee comfort daily, but the sense is Mitch Trubisky is not on high alert preparing to start.
• In Tampa Bay, Evans' hamstring injury is considered mild. Coming off a bye, he should be able to work his way back for Week 6, barring any setbacks -- though an MRI this week will reveal the full extent.