NFL news and notes for Week 5

NFL WEEK 5

Power rankings

1. Saints

2. Giants

3. Vikings

4. Colts

5. Broncos

Compliment of the week

"Oh, he can be better than me. He's an athlete, an athlete. I was an athlete, but not a 4.3 (40-yard dash) athlete."

49ers coach Mike Singletary, a Hall of Fame linebacker, on San Francisco LB Patrick Willis, right

There are few things guaranteed each NFL season — QBs Peyton Manning and Drew Brees racking up touchdowns, the Lions missing the playoffs and QB Brett Favre coming out of retirement. But some surprises usually happen, with players having breakout years. Through the first quarter of this season, these are three of many who have stolen the spotlight:

Bengals DE Antwan Odom

Odom made a huge splash with his five sacks against the Packers in Week 2, the first time Green Bay has given up that many to one player. He is tied for first in the NFL in sacks (eight), a surprise considering he had just 15½ in his first five pro seasons. Odom was a disappointment last year, when after signing a five-year, $42.5 million deal, he started just eight games because of injuries. But now it appears the Bengals are finally reaping the rewards.

Giants WR Steve Smith

No Plax? No Problem. The other Steve Smith has outshined his Panthers Pro Bowl counterpart, helping Giants fans forget about WR Plaxico Burress. Smith has a league-best 34 catches (most in franchise history through first four games) for 411 yards. The third-year wideout has four of his five career touchdowns the past three weeks and — along with WR Mario Manningham (18 catches, 306 yards) — has become one of QB Eli Manning's top targets.

Raiders S Michael Huff

Huff, the Raiders' first-round pick in 2006, looked as if he might be another bust after having just one interception in his first 48 games. But he has been an entirely different player — and playmaker — this season, leading the AFC with three interceptions and 10 passes defended. And Huff's plays have come at big times, including a fourth-quarter pick against the Chiefs and a pass defensed on fourth down to seal the Raiders' 13-10 win over Kansas City.

Upset special

Dolphins (1-3) vs. Jets (3-1)

The Dolphins, who boast the league's best running game, will control the clock, keeping Jets QB Mark Sanchez and newly acquired WR Braylon Edwards off the field and under control.

Quote of the week

"I had to go to the senior center and cancel my bingo calling. And I had to cancel my Meals on Wheels today."

Sherman Lewis, 67, who joined the Redskins staff last week after being out of football since 2004

Teacher vs. student

Broncos first-year coach Josh McDaniels has his team 4-0 heading into Sunday's matchup against his former team, the Patriots, and he has his former boss, Bill Belichick, partly to thank for some of his early success. McDaniels said in an SI.com story that, after the 2007-08 season, Belichick gave him a five-page report on what it takes to be an effective coach. McDaniels had said he wanted to be a head coach, and Belichick spent a lot of time last year going through it with him. "That was kind of like my bible," McDaniels told SI.com. "He gave me as much of that information as I could possibly ask for — and then he gave me a whole bunch of information that I never would have asked for. I wouldn't trade that experience for anything."

Milestone watch

Cardinals QB Kurt Warner can become the fifth quarterback in NFL history with 50 300-yard passing games if he hits that mark today against the Texans. Warner, who has passed for 300 yards in 49 of 112 games (43.8 percent), can become the fastest quarterback to reach the 50-game mark, surpassing Dan Marino (176 games).

Number of the day

35-to-1 Odds the Saints will finish the season 16-0, as the Patriots did two years ago, according to BetUs.com.

What they're writing …

"The Texans going from Oakland's JaMarcus Russell to Arizona's Kurt Warner is like going from Ugly Betty to Megan Fox."

John McClain, Houston Chronicle

Trash talk of the week

Dolphins LB Channing Crowder, a former Gators standout, said there's no love lost between him and Jets RB Leon Washington, a former FSU star. They'll probably get to see — and hear — a lot from each other Monday night, when the two teams meet. "We do not like each other," Crowder said. "With Florida State, I hated him. I hate him now. If I see him out, I'm not going to talk to him. I'm not going to slap him, but I'm not going to be pleasant. … Every time (Washington) sees me, he starts cussing. I see him and I start cussing. It's going to be like that the whole game."

Information from Times wires, the Associated Press, Sports Illustrated and the NFL contributed to this report. Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@sptimes.com.