Broncos vs Eagles NFL Pick: Undefeated Philly Hosts 2-2 Denver (Oct 5)

• In NFL Week 5 Broncos-Eagles, undefeated Philly hopes to get to 5-0 as it hosts 2-2 Denver
• The Eagles’ 4-0 record is even more impressive when looking at their extraordinarily difficult schedule
• The Broncos were off to a shaky start before their 28-3 dismantling of the Bengals in Week 4
• These teams have not met since 2021, with Philly winning 30-13

Did the Real Broncos Blow Out the Bengals?

On Monday night in Week 4, the Broncos dominated the Bengals 28-3.

It was as if the Bengals didn’t even show up and when they did, they did stuff like this:

Broncos QB Bo Nix was solid, completing 29 of 42 passes for 326 yards and 2 TDs. He was picked off once. J.K. Dobbins rushed for 101 yards on 16 carries. RJ Harvey added 58 on 14 carries. Harvey and Courtland Sutton each caught a TD pass.

The defense pitched a near-shutout. Alex Singleton led the way with 11 combination tackles.

Holding the Bengals to 3 points would have been impressive if Joe Burrow were under center. But Cincinnati’s backup QB Jake Browning is showing that he should be on the sideline holding a Microsoft Surface. Or doing something other than playing.

So how should the Broncos be judged after four games with a 2-2 record as they go to Philly to play the defending Super Bowl champs?

They squeaked by the woeful Titans in Week 1; lost to the Colts on a last-second field goal in Week 2; and lost to the Chargers on a last-second field goal in Week 3. With a little bit better luck, they could be 4-0.

Denver’s defense is at or near the top-10 in passing and rushing yards against. They’re -2 in takeaway differential. If they want to win, they will need to maintain ball security. On offense, they are 5th in rushing yards per game and right in the middle of the league at 16th in passing yards per game.

Philly is Also Dancing Through the Raindrops

The Super Bowl champs get the benefit of the doubt when looking at their record and gauging whether it’s deserved or not. The Eagles are 4-0 and have beaten three of the tougher teams the league has to offer in the Buccaneers, Rams, and Chiefs. They also beat the Cowboys who can score with anyone.

Still, those four wins were by a total of 20 points. The win over the Rams was particularly fluky given how LA’s long-snapper missed his assignment on the game-winning field goal attempt leading to the blocked kick and touchdown return.

Against Tampa, Jalen Hurts was 15 of 24 for 130 yards and 2 TDs. Saquon Barkley was stifled again with 43 yards on 19 carries. Philly did give its upcoming opponents something to think about with the fake tush push.

Philly is 16th in the league in defensive rushing yards allowed and 31st against the pass. That would normally spell a big-time passing attack from Sean Payton and the Broncos, but Dobbins has been very effective, so expect Denver to push the running game to open up the passing attack later.

A worrisome trend for the Eagles is that they are building up big leads and letting their opponents chip away, nearly beating them.

The Eagles do just enough to win.

Broncos vs Eagles Pick

For Week 5 Broncos-Eagles, Denver is an under-the-radar Super Bowl contender in a relatively shocking playoff upset sort of way making this game a potential Big Game preview. It’s unlikely, but possible.

If Denver can run the ball early and contain Barkley as just about every Philly opponent has done so far this season, they have a great chance of keeping the score close and pulling it out late. Hurts is not asked to win games by himself, so it’s important for the Broncos to get an early lead and force him to pass.

The Broncos are currently 3.5-point underdogs and will keep the game within a field goal.