Welcome to another edition of “must win games.”
As the season winds down, the games become more and more critical for all teams who are still in contention. A loss this week could very well end the season for a handful of squads. Here are five teams that absolutely have to win Week 5 games.
1) Indianapolis Colts
What a great opportunity the Indianapolis Colts have on Sunday night. Despite all their problems, the Colts can take the division lead with a win over the Houston Texans. The game may be in Houston, but J.J. Watt isn’t playing and the Texans aren’t exactly a juggernaut. Andrew Luck has to clean up the turnovers and make some intelligent decisions with the football. Meanwhile, the Colts defense needs to at least contain the Texans to get back to .500.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – OCTOBER 09: Andrew Luck #12 of the Indianapolis Colts passes the ball during the fourth quarter of the game against the Chicago Bears at Lucas Oil Stadium on October 9, 2016 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
2) Carolina Panthers
This is it. No more excuses for Ron Rivera’s squad. If the (barely alive) 1-4 Panthers can’t beat the New Orleans Saints, their season is officially over. More than likely Cam Newton will play after missing last week’s game because of a concussion, and they need him to play smarter football going forward. In defense of Newton, he has lost against the Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons this season. Let’s also not forget that the Falcons were 5-0 last season before completely falling apart. With a win this weekend, the Panthers may still be alive after all.
DENVER, CO – SEPTEMBER 8: Quarterback Cam Newton #1 of the Carolina Panthers walks off the field after losing to the Broncos 21-20 at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on September 8, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
3) Kansas City Chiefs
What a critical game this is. The Chiefs take on their longtime rival Oakland Raiders in a classic AFC West showdown. With the Denver Broncos now having lost back-to-back games, the Chiefs’ window of opportunity is open yet again. At 2-2 the Chiefs need to get this crucial road win, thus being just one game back in the AFC West. A Chiefs loss this week would vault the Raiders to an impressive 5-1 record.
4) New York Giants
Remember when the Giants were 2-0? It feels like a distant memory. Eli Manning is missing open passes, the Giants defense ranks last in sacks with just four, and now Ben McAdoo’s squad has lost three consecutive games. On top of all that, the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins all have winning records. It’s going to be extremely difficult to win this competitive division starting off 2-4.
GREEN BAY, WI – OCTOBER 09: Eli Manning #10 of the New York Giants throws a pass in the second quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on October 9, 2016 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
5) Arizona Cardinals
Just like the Panthers, the Arizona cardinals are dealing with a plethora of issues. They got a much needed victory over the San Francisco 49ers last week, but the NFC West is no joke of a division. Now 2-3, the Cardinals are looking up at the Los Angeles Rams, and they play an easy opponent at home in Week 6, the New York Jets. The Jets probably won’t even have Darrelle Revis, Eric Decker is now on IR, and Ryan Fitzpatrick leads the NFL in interceptions. If the Cardinals lose this game, they can pretty much forget about winning the NFC West.
Follow Damon Salvadore on Twitter @DamonSalvadore1