Kincaid in Full: Previewing Every Week 5 Game

Aaron Jones looked a little bit better in the Vikings' last game and has an opportunity to run against the Saints' run defense, which has shown vulnerabilities. If the Vikings can get their run game clicking, it would provide something to hang their hat on offensively.

Alvin Kamara is a different player now compared to 10 years ago and is unlikely to break off a big run against the Vikings' aggressive defense; the Saints' offensive line is really not good right now, limiting his ability to create.

Robinson's rushing attack is dominant and forcing defensive game planning; Ravens defense plays light boxes and nickel coverage that won't work against his run game, making him a key focal point for Baltimore's defensive strategy.

Bo Nix has struggled significantly when pressured this season. Additionally, in the Seahawks game, there were instances where open receivers were 20 yards downfield on intermediate routes with no pressure, yet Nix opted for checkdowns instead, suggesting decision-making issues beyond just pressure situations.

Bo Nix has a concerning pattern of not throwing the ball to open receivers, which compounds Denver's defensive challenges against LA. Mina Kimes notes this is a longer-term issue beyond just last week's performance, raising questions about his decision-making and ability to exploit defensive weaknesses.

Mina Kimes gives Bryce Young credit for a strong performance on Sunday night, saying "Bryce was great on Sunday night and we gave him his flowers." However, she immediately pivots to concern about the Panthers' secondary, noting it is "so bad" and citing a stat that the Panthers have given up the most (or fourth-most) yards under pressure of any team ever.

Cam Ward is showing improvement and doing better things now, but the question is whether he's getting better fast enough; similar to Bryce Young in previous seasons, it's one step forward, two steps back. When protected, he can complete consistent passes and has shown exciting scrambling and cross-body throws, but there's still uncertainty about whether he can sustain this against better defenses.

Dak Prescott is playing at an elite level and has been carving up defenses. He rarely slips up; his floor is slightly above average and his ceiling is great. The Cowboys offense, which just went nuclear against Houston, is a major problem for the Buccaneers. Prescott throws the ball quickly and will exploit zone coverage, and if the Bucs can't generate pressure, he will dissect them. He also punishes blitz schemes if they are not bespoke to his tendencies.

Kincaid was a non-factor against Patriots; Patriots did a good job cutting safeties and covering him, but he's the Bills' biggest weapon and must be a much bigger part of the game plan against Rams defense, which has shown vulnerability to teams targeting safeties in coverage.

Daniel Jones has regressed significantly under pressure this season with an off-target rate close to 40% when pressured, the second-worst in the NFL despite averaging 4.6 air yards per attempt. This is a major concern heading into a matchup against the Steelers' good pass rush.

Deshaun Watson is second in the NFL in QBR when blitzed (95) but drops to 24 QBR when not blitzed—a massive 71-point swing. This reflects the Browns' offensive design built around yards after the catch; 39% of Cleveland's receiving yards come after contact, leading the NFL by a significant margin. The Jets, who blitz at a 7th-highest rate, should avoid blitzing and instead try to generate pressure with four-man fronts while emphasizing tackling, as the Browns punish missed tackles.

London is a primary target on Falcons' play-action passing attack, which is oriented toward deep outbreakers and corner routes; Penix is accurate throwing to him on these deep routes, and London benefits from the dominant run game giving Penix time to throw.

Drake Maye played well against Buffalo but showed concerning panic moments that resurfaced despite improved protection and separation; he was protected more than usual and threw to more open targets, but there were still glimpses of panic plays. Against better defenses, especially the Raiders' pass rush, his ability to handle pressure without panicking will be critical to his success.

Geno Smith and the Jets had a disappointing performance against Chicago on both sides of the ball. The Jets seem to be uncomfortable in tight games and have not figured out how to win or learn how not to lose in situational football. They will face a Browns team with a strong defense in what is expected to be a tight game.

Gino Smith attempted only 15 passes in the Jets game against Chicago, indicating the Jets barely possessed the football. He was pressured 50% of the time on those 15 attempts, highlighting both limited offensive opportunity and poor pass protection.

Jacoby Brissett was hit by Azeez Ojulari, forcing an interception in the Cardinals game, highlighting the Giants' defensive pressure capability.

Jacoby Brissett, normally a conservative quarterback who avoids turnovers and sacks, has recently struggled with both issues. Mina Kimes notes this is disappointing and unexpected given his historical profile, suggesting the Cardinals' pass rush could exploit this vulnerability in the Lions-Cardinals matchup.

Hurts' performance is being constrained by a deteriorating offensive line; in the Rams game, multiple plays left him with no pocket and no shot, with blitz pressure from the right side going unanswered. The Eagles' offensive line composition—Mylotta, Willie Lankin at guard, Drew Kendall at center, Tyler Steen at right guard, and Markel Bell—cannot consistently handle protections or push the run game. Mina Kimes notes this is a systemic problem: the team can't get into flow or execute consistently because they can't get a pocket. The Eagles' build with Hurts requires a good offensive line to function; without it, even innovative scheme or elite quarterback play cannot consistently overcome the shortcomings.

Jalen Daniels, the Buccaneers' backup quarterback, did not look like a starting NFL quarterback but also did not look like a disaster. He looked like a standard backup quarterback. He is not good enough to overcome the Buccaneers' shortcomings, especially when going toe-to-toe with Dak Prescott. He would have been fine if the team just needed to buy a couple of weeks or were building to something else, but this team needed more.

Cook is killing it in Bills' run game; Mina Kimes noted multiple points in Patriots game where Cook was dominant and the Bills should have run the ball more. Bills and Rams have two of the five best rushing attacks in football, and Cook should be featured more against Rams.

Jayden Daniels is returning from injury for Washington's matchup against the Giants in Week 5. Mina Kimes noted that before Daniels got hurt, he was playing well, and she expressed interest in seeing his comfort level and whether he will run in this game. She chose Washington to win the matchup specifically because of how Daniels looked before his injury, citing that backup-on-backup would have favored the Giants.

The Steelers should be able to run the ball effectively on Indianapolis, who has an abysmal run defense. The Steelers are a good running team, making this a favorable matchup for their ground game.

Joe Burrow and the Bengals have struggled to run the ball through the first four games, but this may be partly due to facing three consecutive elite run defenses rather than a fundamental inability. The Bengals should attempt to establish a running attack against Miami this week. Burrow has made seemingly sarcastic comments about throwing more, suggesting frustration with the run-game struggles. The Bengals' defense relies on pass rush from the defensive front to generate pressure, as the secondary has shown missed assignments and coverage breakdowns in the red zone.

Jordan Love was throwing the ball super quick in the last game against Tampa, suggesting a quick-release offensive scheme. This pattern may repeat depending on the Packers' offensive approach going forward.

Against Patriots, Allen had his lowest rushing output in a couple of years; Patriots played a lot of zone coverage and used a spy on him. Mina Kimes expects Allen to run more against Rams if Chris Shula plays man coverage, but the Patriots game showed he can be contained on the ground.

Justin Jefferson's status was being checked during the Vikings-Saints preview discussion, indicating ongoing health concerns that could impact the Vikings' offensive ceiling.

Coleman was great in Patriots game and deserves credit despite taking grief; he should continue to be featured in Bills' offense against Rams.

Kirk Cousins played exceptionally well in the Raiders' marquee game last week with well-designed plays by Kubiak, including peel-out throws across his body and super athletic throws he's never done before. However, he hasn't been as good in other games, so the performance may not be fully sustainable.

Kyler Murray showed rust in his return against Miami, taking four sacks without generating the explosive plays that make him special; he didn't attempt any deep passes and lacked the burst that was supposed to differentiate him from Sam Darnold. The Vikings' offensive ceiling depends on whether he can regain that explosiveness.

Mina Kimes expresses confidence that the Cardinals will be able to move the ball against the Lions defense, provided they can keep Hutchinson off the field. She believes the Cardinals' run game and Kyler Murray's ability give them enough offensive firepower to win a shootout-style game, even if it comes down to "who holds the pen last."

Williams broke many tackles in important moments against Eagles; Rams' run game is effective at breaking tackles and running the ball well, and Williams will likely have similar success against Bills' defense, which hasn't figured out how to stop the run.

McConkey is out for the Chargers-Broncos matchup, which significantly impacts Denver's defensive strategy. Mina Kimes notes this absence makes the game 'hard' to pick and influences her decision to favor Denver's defense despite the Broncos' own defensive injuries at cornerback.

Penix hates throwing into the middle of the field; his recent throws have been all sevens and fives (deep routes), outbreakers, comebacks, and quick routes. He avoids dig routes and inside throws, which the Ravens defense can exploit by forcing him to throw into the middle where their best players operate.

The Texans offense looked entirely different with Nico Collins on the field; he caught a 45-yard pass on the first play of the game and then kept catching deep digs, opening up the rest of the offense. This was the first time since the Cowboys game where the offense felt like it could function at its potential.

Parker Washington has been very good for the Jaguars this season. However, he is not an incredible receiver in the way that would make the Eagles' secondary concerns moot; the Jaguars' offensive strength is more about their overall system and Trevor Lawrence's play than any single elite receiver.

Nakua had 125 yards and a rushing touchdown against Eagles despite not looking quite himself yet; he's a freak talent and remains very important to Rams offense. He's also comfortable blocking safeties and linebackers on receiver inserts, making him a cheat code in the run game.

Sam Darnold successfully attacked Seattle's zone coverage with crossers against the Chargers, hitting the exact throw that Seattle's defense struggled to defend. Mina Kimes emphasizes this is the key to the Vikings' offensive success: Darnold must attack downfield against a Chargers defense that is better against the run than the pass.

Diggs (number 17) is a veteran receiver who saves Josh Allen from throwing pick-sixes; against Rams, he should be featured more. Mina Kimes noted that Diggs positioned his body and made inside moves not in the playbook to help Stafford avoid interceptions, demonstrating his value as a veteran presence.

Trevor Lawrence has been exceptional at dissecting defenses and evisceratinglinebackers, particularly against Cincinnati. He stands in the pocket knowing hits are coming and delivers accurate passes 10-20 yards downfield with fearlessness in tight windows. Mina Kimes notes he is more willing than most quarterbacks (contrasting with Bryce Young) to throw into tight windows while getting hit. This skill set makes him a threat against the Eagles' weak linebacker coverage and reliance on cover-three and cover-four schemes.

With Huntley at quarterback instead of Lamar Jackson, Ravens are not a plug-and-play offense; Mina Kimes would pick the Ravens if they had Lamar, but with Huntley, she's picking Atlanta instead, indicating significant downside to the Ravens' offensive outlook.

Tyson Bagent's passing performance in his last game was really good, according to Mina Kimes. She noted that even though the Eagles managed to stop the Bears' rushing attack and force them to throw, Bagent still threw the ball effectively, suggesting he can maintain passing efficiency even when the run game is shut down.

Tyson Bagent's passing performance in the last game was really good; the Eagles forced the Bears to throw and Bagent threw the ball effectively, suggesting he can execute when forced to pass. This is relevant for the Bears' game plan against Green Bay, where forcing Bagent to throw rather than letting the Bears run is the only hope of winning.