Getty The Falcons are one of four teams on bye this week.
Some fans will need to make other Sunday plans today as the “NFL bye week season” has begun. This week, the Falcons, Broncos, Saints and Redskins are all on bye. This means they will not be playing until Week 6.
Why does the NFL do this? To ruin your fantasy team lineup? No, the league gives every team a week off during the season. When a team hits their bye week can vary. This season, bye weeks start on Week 5 and go through Week 11. Each team will get a randomized bye week during this stretch. The NFL regular season is 17 weeks, but each team only plays 16 games.
Let’s take a look at how each team on bye during Week 5 has performed this season. The Falcons are coming off a disappointing home loss to the Bills. Atlanta still sits at a solid 3-1 including wins over the Packers and Lions. The Falcons have a very winnable game next week at home against the Dolphins.
Denver also sits at 3-1. The Broncos are coming off a big 16-10 divisional victory over the Raiders. Denver also has wins over the Chargers and Cowboys. Their lone defeat came against the Bills. Denver faces the Giants at home next week.
The Saints have bounced back after losing their first two games. The Saints are coming off victories over the Panthers and Dolphins. New Orleans has a difficult matchup next week against the Lions.
Washington is 2-2 heading into their bye week. The Redskins are coming off a loss against the Chiefs on Monday Night Football. Washington does have quality wins over the Rams and Raiders. Next week, the Redskins face the 49ers.
There is still plenty of great football happening today. The Cowboys host the Packers at 4:25 p.m. Eastern on Fox. The Seahawks square off with the Rams at 4:05 p.m. Eastern.
Looking ahead to Week 6, there are also four teams on bye. The Bills, Bengals, Cowboys and Seahawks all have the week off.