NFL week 6 - Five to watch: Pumped up Tom Brady not feeling the pressure

VERDICT: BRADY HAS A BALL AND ALL THE LUCK

CINCINNATI BENGALS @ BUFFALO BILLS

There must be something in the Bengals’ tea this season if week five’s astonishing recovery to beat the Super Bowl runners-up, the Seattle Seahawks 27-24 in overtime is anything to go by. Quarterback Andy Dalton crafted the second greatest fourth-quarter comeback in Bengals history in what left tackle Andrew Whitworth hailed as the best they’ve ever played. “You don’t know what it means for your season, but I can tell you this,” Whitworth said. “That’s the most talented group of rushers and (overall) defense that we’ve ever faced. They’ve got guys everywhere that are good. We’ve said all along that this was going to be an extremely talented team, but we believe we are too. Being able to overcome what we did against that kind of talent is a heck of a message.” He should know as he’s played in the AFC North for 10 seasons. A breathtaking 20 unanswered points against Seattle, a play-off tested team and ever-so-close to winning two consecutive Super Bowls. With 17 of those points coming unanswered in the fourth quarter to tie the game and then the nerve to go on and win it in overtime. These Bengals are tigerish after many years lost in the jungle. “That’s a big statement. Seattle’s been to the last two Super Bowls and they play just like us,” nose tackle Domata Peko said. Running back Giovani Bernard, was sanguine about it all. “To come back from a deficit like that, it was huge,” he said. “It’s a statement around the league, but we know all about the guys we have. It’s not a shocker to us. We know we can hang with the big boys.”

VERDICT: BENGALS CLAW THEIR WAY TO 6-0

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS @ GREEN BAY PACKERS

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said this week:“I think we need to play a little faster this week. Get the ball back to the line of scrimmage, get set a little quicker and pick up the tempo a little bit more. We’ve been kind of crawling a little bit.” Funny thing to say for a 5-0 team, but then the guy is perfect and a perfectionist.

Rodgers produced two big plays for TDs against St Louis last time out but the Pack’s running game stalled a bit and fell from its No3 ranking to No8 in the NFL with. Eddie Lacy and James Starks good for a combined return of only 44 yards on 18 carries. But they still won! Rodgers would love to have receiver Davante Adams back in his armoury but his ankle injury is likely to keep him sidelined in week six, although he did practice this week to a limited extent. Rodgers has dubbed Adams a Pro Bowl-quality receiver. The second-year pro said he feels better and is “getting there,” and he wants to play. “I want to get out there regardless, if we’re scoring 100 points a game or if we’re only putting up 20 or whatever it is,” he said. “I’m just hungry to get out there to play again. It hasn’t been that long, but it feels like a lifetime when you’re standing on the sideline.” Rodgers the realist adds: “You just keep on trying to do the same stuff and not get too high or low every week. Realize your preparation has gotten you to this point, the routine has worked obviously for years. Stick to it.” Green Bay is 9-1 all-time against San Diego, including 3-1 at Lambeau Field and the Packers have won six straight over the Chargers. San Diego last beat Green Bay in 1984. However, the last two games between the two teams, in 2007 and 2011, were both decided by just a touchdown.

VERDICT: PACKERS CHARGE ON TO 6-0

DENVER BRONCOS @ CLEVELAND BROWNS

Browns head coach Mike Pettine was asked this week what makes his quarterback and NFL Offensive Player of the Week Josh McCown so effective.

"He understands when a play gets called -- the play from A to Z," Pettine said. "He understands it well, the formation, who needs to be where, the timing of any particular motion, the spacing of the wide receivers and then what the read is. If the route is built to where we have a blitz-beater on one side and a zone-beater on the other, he can recognize a defense." He’ll need to bring all of this to the party on Sunday against the unbeaten Broncos whose defense can fluster the passer by rushing in numbers or hunting in a smaller pack. Pettine is confident that McCown can handle whatever Denver throw at him, even if the Broncos lead the league with 22 sacks and boast 11 different players with at least one sack each. Moving the ball on the ground and preventing long-yardage scenarios is the key to not putting McCown and the offensive line in harm’s way against the pass rush." Not only do they sack the quarterback, they're hitting him, too, and that has an effect over time," Pettine said. "We're aware of that.” It all sounds relatively simple, but that is why QB Peyton Manning and Co are five and 0.

VERDICT: CLEVELAND BROWNED-OFF

ARIZONA CARDINALS @ PITTSBURGH STEELERS

The Steelers are not perfect at 3-2 but the big news elsewhere is that QB Ben Roethlisberger is recovering fast and wants to play against the Arizona Cardinals this Sunday. We’ll have to see what the Steelers doctors and coach Mike Tomlin have to say about that but the quarterback took a positive step this week. Big Ben was destined to be a big part of the NFL this season. He still can be and took part in practice on Wednesday, taking a big step back following his third quarter knee injury suffered in week three against St Louis. That MCL sprain and a bone bruise forced him to miss the past two games. The veteran quarterback said his throwing is fine, but he needs to display lateral ability before he can hit the field for game action. Michael Vick has started the last two weeks for the Steelers, in Ben’s place, with varying success but his final two touchdown drives in Monday night's last-second victory – including a 72-yard touchdown pass – might convince the team that Vick can give them a bit more time if Ben is not good to go just yet. The restricted offense employed with Vick, which relies almost entirely on running back Le'Veon Bell and a short passing attack, won't work this week against the Cardinals. If Roethlisberger doesn't play, Vick will be told to stretch the field more so than in the last two weeks. Big Ben has returned from injuries time and time again ahead of the normal period of recovery. He will play through pain if allowed. But this may be a week too soon.

VERDICT: BIG BEN WON’T CHIME BUT VICK WILL CURE ALL