NFL Week 5 preview

1. The unknowns vs. the legend » So the Kansas City Chiefs are the last undefeated team in the NFL. If you expected that one, you should’ve put some money down in Vegas and have retired to Boca by now. That may not last past this week though, as the Chiefs travel to Indianapolis to face Peyton Manning and the Colts — who are coming off a last-second loss in Jacksonville. Manning doesn’t lose back-to-back games often in the regular season. In the last three seasons, he’s done it three times — and the team lost a total of nine games in that span. The Chiefs’ defense gives up a stingy 12.7 points per game (No. 2 in NFL), but they give up 313 yards per game (No. 14) and the Colts average 411 yards (No. 3). — Leon Saffelle

2. Is Chicago a contender or a pretender? » The Bears might be 3-1. But they certainly didn’t look like a playoff team last Sunday against the Giants. And while New York’s pass rush can be fearsome, it probably shouldn’t make your offensive line look like swiss cheese. That’s what happened after Chicago allowed 10 sacks in a 17-3 loss. Place some of the blame on quarterback Jay Cutler, who held onto the ball far too long at times. He paid for that by suffering a concussion and is out for this week’s game at Carolina. So was the hot start a fluke for a Bears team that finished 7-9 last season? Lose to the winless Panthers — averaging 11.5 points per game – and you have your answer. — Brian McNally

3. Feeling Randy » The New England Patriots have proven expert at dumping players past their prime for draft choices. Is this the case with their trade of 33-year-old Randy Moss to the Vikings? Last year, Moss caught 83 passes for 1,264 yards and 13 touchdowns, numbers that suggest he’s far from done. In Minnesota, he fills the Vikings’ need for a No. 1 receiver after the preseason loss of Sidney Rice to an injured hip. And what to make of the trade from the perspective of the Patriots, who are reportedly exploring a trade for Chargers holdout receiver Vincent Jackson? Are they forsaking the present for the future? — Kevin Dunleavy

Upset special

Giants over Texans

The seemingly rejuvenated G-Men are three point underdogs at Houston, which boasts the league’s top running back (Arian Foster) and a freewheeling air attack led by quarterback Matt Schaub. Seems fair enough. But Schaub has taken the second-most sacks (11) in the NFL this season, trailing only Chicago’s Jay Cutler, whom the Giants knocked into oblivion last week. In the two games since being torched by Peyton Manning and the Colts, Tom Coughlin’s defense has yielded only 381 yards and 32 points. — James Irwin

Fantasy watch
Five to start

1. QB Eli Manning » The Giants quarterback is facing a Houston Texans’ defense that has allowed the most passing yards per game and eight touchdowns.  

2. RB Michael Bush » The Raiders back figures to start this week in place of Darren McFadden. He had 40 yards and a touchdown on seven carries last week.

3. RB Jamaal Charles » The Chiefs back is averaging seven yards per carry and facing a Colts defense that has allowed the third-most yards per rush against.

4. WR Terrell Owens » Any fantasy owner that didn’t start Owens last week (222 yards, one touchdown) was kicking themselves.

5. WR Mark Clayton » The Rams receiver is averaging 75 yards per game and is facing one of the worst pass defenses — the Lions.

Five to sit
1. QB Kyle Orton » The leader in passing yards has been one of the elite fantasy quarterbacks this year, but not this week against the Ravens.

2. RB Ahmad Bradshaw » The Texans are susceptible against the pass, not so much against the run though — allowing just 70 yards per game.

3. RB Brandon Jackson » After coming in for the injured Ryan Grant in Week 1, Jackson has only rushed for 137 yards and one touchdown this season.

4. WR Percy Harvin » With Randy Moss coming to Minnesota, Harvin’s numbers — which are already low (106 receiving yards) — should take a hit.

5. WR Jeremy Maclin » Eagles quarterback Kevin Kolb failed to get the ball down field last week as Maclin only had one catch..

— Jeffrey Tomik

Game of the week

Vikings at Jets, 8:30 p.m., Monday, ESPN

Even before Randy Moss joined the Vikings, this was a terrific matchup between two teams with Super Bowl aspirations. Not to mention the fact that Brett Favre returns to face the Jets, whom he played for in 2008. But it’ll also be interesting to see how Vikings running back Adrian Peterson fares against the Jets’ run defense. Peterson is tied for third in the NFL with 392 yards rushing while New York has the NFL’s fourth-best run defense (74.8 yards per game). — John Keim

Examiner Power Rankings

— Craig Stouffer