Eagles-Broncos Game Preview: Who Will Win in Week 5?

The Philadelphia Eagles are surprisingly 4-0, despite a rocky offensive start to the regular season. The Denver Broncos will visit the City of Brotherly Love in Week 5, as they look to build off a dominant victory over the Cincinnati Bengals last week.

After another inconsistent offensive showing in Week 4, Philadelphia’s offense will attempt to get back on track against Denver’s stout defense. Yet it won’t be an easy task against the best pass rush and cornerback in the NFL.

Here’s my full game preview for the inter-conference matchup between the Eagles and Broncos in Week 5.

Three Storylines To Follow

Can A.J. Brown Rebound Against Denver’s Defense?

The Eagles failed to properly utilize star wide receiver A.J. Brown last week. For the second time in four games, Brown had two or less catches this season. Brown is clearly upset about his lack of involvement and sent a not so subtle shot at the team on social media.

After Brown said the right things to the media during the week, it seems like everyone is ready to move past last week’s debacle. Yet Brown has an established history of bouncing back after a lowly performance in Philadelphia.

Since being traded to the Eagles in 2022, Brown has had four regular season games where he played the full game and had two or fewer receptions. Following those performances, Brown has had exactly five receptions in each of his next regular season games.

While Brown could be matched up with Broncos All-Pro cornerback Patrick Surtain II in Week 5, I’d still expect the Eagles to get WR1 involved early and often. Brown should haul in at least five receptions against Denver.

Who Will Start at CB2 for the Eagles?

Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will have an interesting decision to make in Week 5. After Adoree’ Jackson missed last week’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kelee Ringo stepped in at CB2 and played well enough to force Fangio into a tough decision.

Will the Eagles start the 30-year-old veteran that played reasonably well but failed to standout? Or will the Eagles start the 23-year-old that missed several tackles but has a higher ceiling at this point in his career?

My guess is that Jackson will start against the Broncos, although I don’t necessarily agree with the decision. This feels like the perfect opportunity for Fangio to make a switch at CB2. Yet in his eyes, Ringo likely only got the start in Week 4 because of Jackson’s injury and it wasn’t a performance based issue.

The Red Zone Battle

Philadelphia’s offense has struggled to consistently move the ball in 2025. Yet the Eagles have been consistently elite in one area of the field: the red zone. The Eagles are the only team in the NFL that has scored a touchdown on each of their red zone trips.

Meanwhile, Denver’s red zone defense is the NFL’s best in 2025. The Broncos have allowed opponents to score on just 25% of their red zone trips this season. Therefore, it’s going to be interesting to see who wins that battle in Week 5.

Two Underrated Players To Watch For

Patrick Johnson

The Eagles are banged up along the edge on defense and need someone to step up. After placing both Nolan Smith Jr. and Ogbo Okoronkwo on injured reserve, Philadelphia could ask Patrick Johnson to play a much bigger role against the Broncos in Week 5.

Johnson played 15 defensive snaps against the Buccaneers and I thought he played well enough to earn more snaps moving forward. He was utilized in a multitude of roles, as he was also asked to drop back in coverage last week.

If the Eagles continue to utilize a rotation along the edge in Week 5, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Johnson make a few plays. After grinding his way on special teams in recent years, I’m excited to see what he can do on defense.

R.J. Harvey

The Eagles have struggled to defend the run all season long. Philadelphia’s usually stout defensive front has been inconsistent and has allowed opponents to gash them for relatively big runs through the first four weeks of the regular season.

While rookie running back R.J. Harvey is stuck behind J.K. Dobbins on the depth chart, Harvey has the big-play ability to test Philadelphia’s defense. He also adds versatility with his ability as a pass catcher as well.

After Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving made a few plays against the Eagles last week, Harvey could be next. He saw his role increase in Week 4 and could look to build on that against the Eagles on Sunday.

One Key Matchup To Monitor

Quinyon Mitchell vs. Courtland Sutton

Quinyon Mitchell is playing like one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL this season. Mitchell is well on his way to earning All-Pro honors for the first time in his NFL career. Yet he’ll face another tough test in Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton in Week 5.

Sutton has hauled in at least five receptions for 60+ yards in three of Denver’s first four games this season. Sutton has played 78.9% of his snaps as an outside wide receiver, which means Mitchell will likely shadow him for nearly 80% of his snaps on Sunday.

Mitchell has dominated his top wide receiver matchups in back-to-back weeks. He limited Emeka Egbuka to two receptions for six yards on six targets in Week 4. He also held Davante Adams to two receptions for 12 yards on five targets in Week 5.

Now Sutton is Mitchell’s next big test and it’ll be interesting to see how the Broncos approach the matchup. Will Denver utilize Sutton more in the slot or on the move to try and avoid Mitchell? We’ll find out on Sunday.

Underdog Pick’em Plays for Eagles-Broncos

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Final Score Predictions

Josh’s Pick: Eagles 24, Broncos 21

The best red zone offense (Eagles) versus the best red zone defense (Broncos) in the NFL. Denver is a hard team to figure out but their pass rush and defense can give any offense fits. Not exactly the best recipe for success for a Philly offense that has struggled to find consistency. However, like the first four weeks - I think the Birds make just enough plays to keep the streak alive and move to 5-0.

Anthony’s Pick: Eagles 23, Broncos 20

The Eagles haven’t put a full game together on offense and could struggle to do so in Week 5 against the Broncos. Yet Philadelphia has been able to avoid turnovers, which Denver has certainly struggled with. In 2025, the Eagles have a turnover differential of +4, while the Broncos have a turnover differential of -2. The Eagles will force a costly turnover or two, which will ultimately be the difference in Week 5.