NFL games aren’t just matchups of two complete teams. They are also a series of individual one-on-one matchups that will ultimately help decide the outcome.
Every Friday, we’ll take a look at three potentially significant individual matchups that will take place in Sunday and Monday’s games.
Here are the matchups we’re looking at for the Week 5 game.
The Steelers and Colts enter Sunday’s game with matching 2-2 records, both needing a win to move their season in a positive direction.
While the Steelers are dealing with a depleted secondary due to the trade of Joey Porter Jr. with the Dallas Cowboys and injuries to Jamel Dean and Brandon Echols, the Colts don’t really have a wide receiver crew to exploit that, especially after the injury to Alec Pierce.
That will leave much of the Colts offense in the hands of Jonathan Taylor and tight end Tyler Warren.
The Steelers were able to win their 2025 game with the Colts thanks in large part to their ability to shut down both Taylor and Warren. The player most responsible for that is Wilson, the team’s most athletic linebacker. Wilson had 14 tackles, an interception and two passes defensed in that game, while helping limit Warren to just 26 yards on five catches and Taylor to just 45 yards on 14 carries.
They’ll need that kind of performance from Wilson, as well as fellow linebacker Patrick Queen, if they’re going to get similar results on the stat sheet and scoreboard this season.
There are no bigger games on Sunday than the Seahawks-49ers game. Not only does it feature the defending Super Bowl champions and their longtime rivals, but the top spot in the NFC West is also on the line.
One of the matchups that will dictate the outcome of that game is Smith-Njigba, the NFL’s reigning Offensive Player of the Year, against Lenoir, the 49ers’ top cornerback.
The question, however, is how much these two will actually see each other.
While Lenoir will get his fair share of Smith-Njigba, Seattle tends to move its star wide receiver around the formation, and the 49ers don’t seem inclined to shadow him. In some ways that might make the matchup more offensive coordinator vs. defensive coordinator matchup, but the two will still cross paths. many.
In two games against the 49ers a year ago, Smith-Njigba caught 15 passes (on 21 targets) for 208 yards. He never found the end zone, however, as the two teams split the season series.
The Raiders’ offense doesn’t typically run with its wide receivers. Not only because they don’t have a real No. 1, but because running back Ashton Jeanty and tight end Brock Bowers are the most talented players on offense.
But if there was ever a week for that to change, and if ever there was a week for a Raiders wide receiver to make some noise, this might be it.
The Patriots’ cornerback room has been decimated by injuries this week with starters Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis III sidelined. That could create some matchups for Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins to exploit, especially as it relates to Tucker.
The Patriots are also one of the NFL’s best teams at defending tight ends, which could leave Bowers neutralized a bit.
Tucker is the Raiders’ best big-play wide receiver, entering Sunday averaging more than 15 yards per catch this season. This could be a great opportunity for him to build on that.