Week 5 of the NFL came with some huge surprises. Some teams came out and proved doubters wrong and somewhat got their seasons back on track, and other teams fell deeper into a hole in the standings. Here is a full recap of the action from Week 5.
The Los Angeles Rams took on division rival Seattle Seahawks to kick off Week 5. After a slow start to the season between the two, the connection between Matthew Stafford and Robert Woods clicked. The two combined for 12 connections and 150 yards. For Seattle, Russell Wilson suffered an injury on his throwing hand that sidelined him for the remainder of the game. Backup QB Geno Smith finished the game for Seattle. In the end, the Rams won the 26-17 to improve to 4-1 on the season.
The Patriots went down to Houston to face off the struggling Texans. For the majority of the game, the Texans had a grasp on the lead and the game. But several second-half mistakes by Houston allowed Mac Jones and the Patriots to make a run at the game late. Jones and the Pats took the lead late in the fourth and maintained it to win 25-22.
The Dallas Cowboys looked to maintain their stellar play against division rival New York Giants in Week 5. Unfortunately for the Giants, both Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley went out with injuries (Concussion for Jones, Ankle Sprain For Barkley). The Cowboys took no mercy on the hobbled Giants, by beating them by a score of 44-20. Dak Prescott threw for 302 yards and three touchdowns while the 1-2 punch of Ezekiel Elliot and Tony Pollard racked up 185 yards on the ground (110 for Elliot, 75 for Pollard). Trevon Diggs also intercepted another interception, bringing his total to six.
The 49ers traveled to Arizona to face the undefeated Cardinals. Rookie QB Trey Lance made his first career start and played well too. Lance threw for 192 yards and also ran for 89 yards, showing how versatile he can be. It was a low-scoring game though, with only three touchdowns scored between both teams. Deandre Hopkins made a clutch catch to take the lead late in the fourth quarter to help Arizona take a 17-10 lead, which was ultimately the final score in the game. Kyler Murray threw for 239 yards in the win for Arizona.
The New York Jets and Atlanta Falcons took their game overseas and played in London for Week 5. The Falcons offense was on a roll, being led by rookie Kyle Pitts and Matt Ryan. Pitts had his first breakout game of his career with nine catches for 119 yards and one touchdown. Matt Ryan threw for 342 yards and two touchdowns on the day as well. Atlanta won the game 27-20.
Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals went down to the wire with the Green Bay Packers. Burrow threw 281 yards with two touchdowns. His former LSU teammate Jamarr Chase who has been the best offensive rookie this season kept up his great play. Chase caught six catches 159 yards and a touchdown. On the other side, the duo of Rodgers and Davanta Adams had an impressive day as well. Rodgers had 344 yards two touchdowns. Adams had a career-high 206 yards on 11 receptions and one touchdown. Both teams had issues with their kickers missing kicks throughout the game, even with one kick hitting the flag on the upright in overtime. Mason Crosby came in the clutch after several misses to win the game for Green Bay in OT. The final score was 25-22.
The Vikings and Lions game also came down to the wire. With Dalvin Cook out, Alexander Mattison stepped up to the plate in Cook’s absence and rushed for 113 yards. Justin Jefferson caught seven passes for 124 yards for Minnesota as well. The Detroit Lions still battled and made it a game, and scored in the closing moments. But Cousins and the Vikings got into field goal range where Greg Joseph nailed a 54 yards field goal to give Minnesota a 19-17 lead that won the game.
The Pittsburgh Steelers hosted the Denver Broncos for their Week 5 matchup. Pittsburgh took advantage of the game early, jumping out to a 17-6 lead at halftime. But in the fourth quarter, Denver started to storm back in a comeback attempt. With under a minute left and Denver on the goalline, Teddy Bridgewater threw an interception that sealed the game for the Steelers. Pittsburgh escaped with a 27-19 win. Chase Claypool caught five passes and racked up 130 yards. Najee Harris also ran for 122 for the Steelers.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense was clicking on cylinders this Sunday vs. the Miami Dolphins. Both Mike Evans and Antonio Brown both had over 100 yards receiving and two touchdowns in the game for Tampa Bay. Tom Brady completed a pass to nine different receivers, totaling 411 yards and five touchdowns. Tampa Bay won 45-17 over the Dolphins. Tom Brady did sustain a minor injury on his throwing hand, but coach Bruce Arians said Brady will be good to go Thursday vs. the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Jacksonville Jaguars losing streak just seems to go on and on, and this past Sunday it did just that. The Tennesee Titans dominated the Jags, behind a 130 rushing yard three-touchdown performance from Derrick Henry. Trevor Lawrence still looks to attain his first career win but to no avail. Lawrence threw for 273 yards and a touchdown, while James Robinson ran for 149 yards and one touchdown. The final for Tennesee vs. Jacksonville 37-19.
The Las Vegas Raiders and Chicago Bears game was boring to watch, but the storyline behind it made it interesting. An email from Jon Gruden saying inappropriate phrases regarding NFLPA officer DeMaurice Smith was unveiled. Despite Gruden insisting he wasn’t a racist, at the time, the Raiders still played unenthused, quite frankly. The Bears defeated the Raiders by a score of 20-9.
The Philadelphia Eagles showed their resiliency against the Carolina Panthers. Offensively, it wasn’t the prettiest game, as both defenses played well. Jalen Hurts threw for 198 yards for the Eagles and ran for 30 yards and two touchdowns as well. Sam Darnold threw 177 yards for the Panthers but threw three interceptions in the game. Philadelphia won 21-18, to gain their second win of the season.
The Washington Football Team played the New Orleans Saints in their Week 5 matchup. New Orleans offense has been looking very inconsistent this season, but the offense looked fluid vs. the WFT. Jameis Winston threw for 279 yards and four touchdowns in the game. Alvin Kamara ran for 71 yards and one touchdown as well as five catches for 51 yards and one touchdown. The WFT battled though, but the effort came up short. New Orleans won 33-22, as they improve to 3-2 on the season.
The Chargers and Browns game was one of the most exciting games we’ve seen this season. Both teams scored, and scored, and scored some more. For Cleveland, Nick Chubb led the way with 161 yards rushing and one touchdown. Kareem Hunt scored two rushing touchdowns as well on the day. David Njoku caught seven passes for 149 yards ant one touchdown on the day too. For LA, Mike Williams caught eight passes for 165 yards ant two touchdowns. Going into the fourth quarter, the browns led 28-21. The Chargers then scored 26 points in the fourth to take the lead and win. Justin Herbert continues to prove he is one of the best QBs, regardless of age, finishing with 398 yards and five total touchdowns (four passing, one rushing). The Chargers won 47-42.
The Buffalo Bills have been dominating the NFL since their Week 1 loss to Pittsburgh, and Week 5 was no different. The Bills played the Kansas City Chiefs on a rainy Sunday, seeking revenge for their AFC championship loss last season. The Chiefs looked off from the beginning of the game, dropping passes, blown coverage and a lot of mistakes they usually do not make. The Bills looked sharp and took advantage of those blunders the entire game. Josh Allen threw for 315 yards and three touchdown, and ran for 59 yards and one touchdown. Dawson Knox caught three passes for 117 yards on the night. Buffalo kept things rolling, as they defeated the Chiefs 38-20.
The Baltimore Ravens hosted former Baltimore Team, the Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night. In the first half, the Ravens offense looked stagnant and sloppy. But that all changed in the second half when 2019 MVP Lamar Jackson put on a historic performance. Down 19 points in the second half, Jackson shredded the Colts defense. He finished the game with 442 yards and four touchdowns. Jackson was also 37/43 on his passes, which is a NFL record for pass completion percentage with 40 or more attempts. Mark Andrews was the main target for Lamar, as he finished with 11 catches for 147 yards and two touchdowns. In OT, Lamar led the Ravens down to the redzone, where Hollywood brown caught the game saving touchdown. The ravens won 31-25, as they move on to 4-1 on the season.