NFL Week 5 picks: Purdy MVP case, Eagles injuries — SkimNews
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- Brock Purdy is the only player in NFL history to start a season 4-0 with one or fewer combined sacks, fumbles, and interceptions, and his 0.53 EPA per dropback through four games is the highest since Tom Brady in 2007, per CBS Sports Research.
- Bijan Robinson is averaging 153.5 total yards per game — described by Dajani as a 'historic start' and an MVP-caliber performance powering the Falcons into Sunday Night Football against Baltimore.
- The Philadelphia Eagles arrive in London without right tackle Lane Johnson, who retired Tuesday to focus on his mental health, left guard Cam Jurgens (traded Wednesday to Baltimore), and running backs Saquon Barkley and Tank Bigsby (both injured); DeVonta Smith also missed last week with a hamstring issue.
- Lamar Jackson's status is uncertain for Sunday Night Football, with Tyler Huntley expected to start after failing to score in the second half against Tennessee — both experts backed Atlanta -3.5, with Dubin saying he'd flip to Baltimore if Jackson plays.
- The NFL has had 23 games decided by one score over the past two weeks (tied for the most in any two-week span in league history) and 18 games decided by a game-winning score in the final four minutes or overtime through Week 4 (tied for second-most ever).
- The Buffalo Bills lead the league at 31.8 points per game while the Rams sit at 21.3; the Bills were perfect against the spread until last week and are 6-1 SU and ATS in their last seven games following a loss, per Dajani.
- Dajani and Dubin split on 49ers-Seahawks: Dajani took San Francisco +2.5 citing a 4-0 SU/ATS run in their last four road games at Seattle, while Dubin backed Seattle, calling both squads 'the two best teams in the league so far this season.'
Why it matters: The Eagles have lost four offensive starters — Lane Johnson to retirement, Cam Jurgens to a trade, Barkley and Bigsby to injury — in the same week, leaving Jalen Hurts behind a depleted line in London; both CBS experts backed Jacksonville to cover -7, with Dajani explicitly calling Philadelphia a team that's 'flailing.' The Purdy MVP case is also gaining real statistical weight: a 4-0 start with one or fewer combined turnovers and sacks has no prior precedent.
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