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NFL Week 5: Some strong games ... as long as they get played

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Happy Friday, Readers and/or Reactors! If you, like me, wake up every morning cringing your way through your phone alerts to see what fresh hell 2020 is delivering, here's some more kindling for the bonfire: the NFL is preparing to move at least two games off the Sunday slate and into the work week.

Thanks to positive COVID tests, Pats-Broncos is moving to Monday afternoon, and Bills-Titans to Tuesday night. On the bright side: Tuesday football! On the very-much-not bright side: the NFL schedule's already starting to strain at the seams. The Titans, in particular, are barreling through the season with all the grace of a toddler rushing to the bathroom. We're right on the cusp of cancellations and catastrophe, folks.

But! Let's look on whatever bright side we can find. We've still got plenty of football ahead this weekend, so here's what to watch for. Lines by our amigos at BetMGM:

Battle for Pennsylvania. The Steelers (-7) and the first-place-with-one-win Eagles don't meet all that often, but when they do, the entire state has to eat either cheesesteaks or Primanti's subs for the next seven days. It's a law.

NFC Least: Yes, the Cowboys (-8.5) and Giants are playing for the first of what always feels like 43 times a season. At least this week we won't have to suffer through this dog's breakfast on a Sunday night.

Well, this is unexpected: The best game of the weekend might just be ... Indy (-1) at Cleveland? No, seriously. The Browns have one of the best offenses in football — stop laughing, I'm serious — and Indy's got one of the best records in the game, albeit fattened up by one of the easiest schedules in the league to date. It'll be a statement win for whoever comes out on top.

KC Masterpiece: Biggest line of the week: the Chiefs at -12 over the Raiders. Is Las Vegas that bad? Is KC that good? Put it this way: are you ever again betting that Patrick Mahomes can't cover the spread? I'm pretty sure you could spot him triple digits and he'd still find a way.

Gone South: The suddenly respectable lil' Panthers meet the still-punchless Falcons (-1.5), who haven't won a game since before the pandemic started. If Atlanta loses this one, expect the Falcons to open the roof at Mercedes-Benz Stadium to launch Dan Quinn through it.

So there you have it. Enjoy the games, stay safe, and get out and enjoy some October weather if you can. We'll all be stuck inside again soon enough. Catch you Monday!

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This guy's the centerpiece of the best game of the week. Really. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
This guy's the centerpiece of the best game of the week. Really. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Follow him on Twitter at @jaybusbee or contact him with tips and story ideas at jay.busbee@yahoo.com.

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