NFL Week 5 schedule: A look at three underrated games you should watch, including a rare matchup

Oct 9, 2026 at 10:15 am ET • 4 min read

It's Week 5 of the 2026 NFL regular season, and we have another exciting slate of games, plus some under-the-radar matchups I think everyone should be paying more attention to. Last week, all three of my underrated games turned out to be worth a watch. 

First, in one of my highlighted games of the week, we saw one of the few remaining undefeated teams get handed their first L, when the Las Vegas Raiders lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in a close divisional battle. 

Another of my underrated games was the battle between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Los Angeles Rams, which turned out to be a close game, with the Rams pulling off a near-impossible comeback to win 24-20. 

The third and final of my spotlighted games last week was the game that put the New York Giants in first place in the NFC East for the first time since 2015.

So now it's once again that time to dive into why some of the less talked-about contests should be on your radar.

Bears vs Packers

Sunday, Oct. 11 at 1 p.m. ET on Fox, stream on fubo

The Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers are two of the oldest franchises with one of the most storied rivalries in NFL history, which always makes this one a good watch. The rivalry has certainly changed over the years, and I'm intrigued by how it will continue to evolve in this era of the teams.

Both teams have their long-term answer at QB in Jordan Love for the Packers and Caleb Williams for the Bears, so this new-look rivalry should only get more interesting as these two continue to see each other more.

This week, however, the Bears' side will have a different player at the helm, with Williams still out due to a hamstring injury. Chicago has been a fascinating team to watch this season. With their win against the New York Jets last week, they became the first NFL team in 30 years to win three games in the first four weeks of the season with three different quarterbacks.

If you told me the Bears would start Caleb Williams, Case Keenum and Tyson Bagent and only one of those QBs would record a loss through the first four weeks, I would be shocked to find out Williams was the one with an L. Head coach Ben Johnson has shown he can operate his offense regardless of who is throwing passes and I'm curious whether that will be kept up against the 2-2 Packers, who have home field advantage.

Vikings vs. Saints 

Sunday, Oct. 11 at 1 p.m. ET on Fox, stream on fubo

The Minnesota Vikings are one of three undefeated teams remaining in the league, but you wouldn't necessarily know it from their numbers. Their offense needs work, having scored only one touchdown in the last three games and ranking last in passing yards (709).

The 1-3 New Orleans Saints are coming off an ugly loss to the resurgent Atlanta Falcons and will be looking to erase the memory of that 45-24 defeat. The Saints don't have much longer to get things together and turn their season around, so they could have an extra boost against a Vikings team that isn't without cracks.

These teams are very different in their strengths and weaknesses, which I expect will make for an interesting matchup. Both have major things to work on, and while it may seem like the Vikings can give up a loss with less of a hit than the Saints could, their divisions make that conversation a bit more nuanced. The Vikings are just ahead of the 3-1 Bears, and the 2-2 Packers and Detroit Lions are capable teams as of late, while the AFC South tends to be a division with more struggle. The Panthers and Falcons have the best record at 2-2 each, and while they're playing well, they haven't proven consistency in the past. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 1-4 after Thursday's win over the Cowboys. 

New Orleans could see itself tied for the best record in their division with a win this week, which seems surprising, considering it is going into the game with just one win.

Titans vs Texans 

Sunday, Oct. 11 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS, streaming on Paramount+

OK, you may think you're reading a misprint here, or that I've completely lost the plot putting two winless teams in my underrated games of the week, but hear me out. It's not that often you get the chance five weeks into the season to see a matchup, and a divisional matchup at that, with two 0-4 teams going against each other. This is only the seventh 0-4 matchup in the Super Bowl era, and who doesn't love watching history?

Of the five teams without a check in the win column, these two just happen to both be in the AFC South and happen to be facing each other this weekend, what luck! Both teams are in desperation mode, and one of these teams has to win. Right? Right ... 

The Texans record isn't a reflection of how their games have gone. They came within five points of the Buffalo Bills in Week 2, lost by two to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 3 and lost by four to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4. They are a few bounces of the football away from a 3-1 record.

The Titans also had close games in three of their losses. They fell 24-20 to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2, 12-7 to the New York Giants in Week 3 and 24-18 to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4.

I am curious to see which team will finally close out the game and whether it becomes a turning point.