Week 5 brought us all of the exciting finishes. We had two overtime games, two game-winning field goals in the final seconds, and other down-to-the-wire finishes. For the pure football fan in all of us, it was a great weekend.
What’s stood out to me through the first five weeks of the season is how little separation there is right now. It feels like at least 23 teams could win against anybody on any given night, and we’ve seen teams below that notch some impressive wins as well. It should make for an exciting playoff race and some wild upsets every week.
1 — Kansas City Chiefs (5-0, —)
A comfortable home win over the Saints sends the Chiefs into their bye as one of only two undefeated teams in the NFL. It hasn’t always been pretty, but they’ve avoided bad losses and won the games on their schedule. With top WR Rashee Rice sidelined with an LCL injury indefinitely, how they fill the void he leaves on offense will be something to monitor.
2 — Minnesota Vikings (5-0, —)
It was in London, but otherwise, it was business as usual for the Vikings. While QB Sam Darnold has come back down to earth after his scorching start to the season, DC Brian Flores’ unit is playing out of their minds. This week’s bye might be the only thing that can slow Minnesota’s momentum.
3 — Houston Texans (4-1, up 2)
It was a productive week for the Texans, notching an important win over an AFC rival and increasing their lead in the AFC South, thanks to a Colts loss. Texans QB C.J. Stroud was electric throughout, though there’s concern after top WR Nico Collins, suffered a hamstring injury in the win. It’s not expected to sideline him long-term, but any absence for Collins takes one of the league’s best receivers out of the game.
4 — Detroit Lions (3-1, —)
The Lions were on bye this week and travel to Dallas in Week 6.
5 — Baltimore Ravens (3-2, up 2)
The Ravens escaped Cincinnati with a three-point overtime win in what’s an early contender for game of the year. Ravens QB Lamar Jackson was nearly flawless, bringing Baltimore back from multiple two-score deficits to hang with the high-flying Bengals offense. Three straight wins have erased a rough 0-2 start, and now the Commanders come to town leading in the NFC East in what should be an explosive contest.
6 — Buffalo Bills (3-2, down 3)
Poor late-game decision-making left the door open for the Texans to kick a game-winning 59-yard filed goal as time expired. Back-to-back losses — albeit to current division winners — have exposed some of Buffalo’s weaknesses. Bills QB Josh Allen is superhuman, but there aren’t many proven weapons in this offense, and the defense is both old and thin. A marquee Monday night matchup against the Jets is a key bounce-back spot for this squad.
7 — Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2, down 1)
What looked like a Tampa Bay win late was undone by one of the wildest finishes of the season. At 3-2, the Bucs are locked in a competitive division race with the Falcons and the Saints, and defensive injuries have played a factor. If they can get healthier in the coming weeks, that would help. Another divisional matchup with the Saints is on deck, one that carries early-season significance for both teams.
8 — Green Bay Packers (3-2, up 1)
Packers QB Jordan Love did his best Will Levis impersonation, but Green Bay managed to escape Los Angeles with a win over the Rams. The defense plagued QB Matthew Stafford all game long, taking advantage of a beat-up Rams offensive line to slow down their offense. Now Green Bay hosts Arizona in a game they need to win to keep pace with the Vikings and Lions in the NFC North.
9 — Atlanta Falcons (3-2, up 4)
What an offensive explosion for the Falcons. Starting QB Kirk Cousins still looked a little hampered back there, but it didn’t matter Thursday night. A tough Buccaneers team came to town, and the Falcons got the win to stamp their mark on the NFC South race. Atlanta travels to Carolina next for what should be an easier divisional matchup in Week 6.
10 — Philadelphia Eagles (2-2, up 4)
The Eagles were on bye this week and host the Browns in Week 6.
11 — San Francisco 49ers (2-3, down 3)
While slow starts have been a bit of a staple of recent Niners teams, this season has a different feel to it. The 49ers’ defense isn’t as dominant as in years past, leaving the offense less margin for error. A trip to Seattle on Thursday night is up next, and while it’s still early, a loss there might be cause for some alarm in San Francisco.
12 — Seattle Seahawks (3-2, down 2)
A home loss to the Giants made for the most shocking result of the week. The Seahawks should be better than this, but something just isn’t clicking with this team. Of course, they still lead the NFC West by a game, and now the 49ers come to Seattle on Thursday night. It’s an important game for both teams, and the Seahawks need to fix some defensive issues quickly.
13 — Indianapolis Colts (2-3, down 2)
We might need to start talking about the Colts as a team hamstrung with injuries. Indianapolis entered Week 5 down eight starters and lost another when G Will Fries suffered a fractured tibia in the loss at Jacksonville. Backup QB Joe Flacco played one of the best games of his career and kept the Colts’ offense humming, and WR Alec Pierce has blossomed into one of the best deep threats in the league, catching three passes for 134 yards and a touchdown. Another divisional matchup with the Titans provides the chance for a bounce-back and starting QB Anthony Richardson could return for that game.
14 — Washington Commanders (4-1, up 2)
Washington put a total beatdown on the overmatched Browns, maintaining their lead in the NFC East. First-round QB Jayden Daniels had a rough first half, yet the rest of the roster stepped up to help him when he needed it. It was an important mark for this Commanders squad, as it seems this team is a lot better on the whole then we initially assumed.
15 — Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2, down 3)
A tough home loss to the Cowboys puts some additional pressure on the quarterback situation for Pittsburgh. Russell Wilson, named the starter out of the preseason, could return as soon as next week. Justin Fields has been largely good in his five starts, but back-to-back losses leave the door open for HC Mike Tomlin to make a switch. A trip to Las Vegas theoretically makes for an easier matchup for whoever gets the start.
16 — New Orleans Saints (2-3, down 1)
The Saints weren’t run off the field or anything, but a close game became a multi-score loss once the fourth quarter hit. The offense and QB Derek Carr have cooled off after a hot start, and now the Saints host the Buccaneers in what is a critical early-season divisional matchup. A loss puts New Orleans in a hole in the division race.
17 — Cincinnati Bengals (1-4, —)
The Bengals’ offense was firing on all cylinders, yet it wasn’t enough as their defense let them down in a home loss to the Ravens. Cincinnati’s defensive struggles are well-documented, and they lost CB Daxton Hill in this game. A Sunday night trip to a suddenly competent Giants team is up next, and a loss in New York could doom their already thinning playoff hopes.
18 — Chicago Bears (3-2, up 1)
Caleb Williams has arrived. We’ve been waiting for a breakout performance from the rookie quarterback, and we got it against the Panthers. Williams threw for 304 yards and a pair of touchdowns and he looked like the star he was billed as coming into the league. The Bears now travel to London to play the Jaguars with a chance to build continued momentum.
19 — Arizona Cardinals (2-3, up 1)
The Cardinals notched a comeback win over their rival 49ers, proving they’ll be a feisty, competitive team all season long. Cardinals QB Kyler Murray dazzled, and the young outside receiver duo dominated this game. The much-maligned Arizona defense got some stops, too.
20 — New York Jets (2-3, down 2)
New country, same team. A trip to London wasn’t enough to spark some life in this Jets team, and QB Aaron Rodgers keeps taking hits. The offense is stale and predictable, leaving this defense to try and carry the team to wins every week. New York is reportedly pursuing a trade for Raiders WR Davante Adams, but without a more innovative offense, it might just be more of the same.
21 — Los Angeles Rams (1-4, —)
It looked like Stafford might pull out another miracle comeback, but the Rams fell just short at home against the Packers and now face a season rapidly slipping away. Shades of 2022 are present when injuries doomed the Rams’ season before it could truly get started. They do have a bye this week, so hopefully they can get healthier when they return to action in Week 7.
22 — Denver Broncos (3-2, —)
The Broncos put a monumental beatdown on the Raiders, winning for the first time in Las Vegas and moving above .500 on the season. The defense has been excellent all year, but the offense is starting to find its grove. First-round QB Bo Nix hasn’t played as well as Daniels in Washington or Williams in Chicago, but he looks more comfortable on the field than he did to start the year. True wildcard contention is probably a year away, but Denver should be a tough out all season.
23 — Dallas Cowboys (3-2, up 1)
A late touchdown pass from Dak Prescott to WR Jalen Tolbert lifted the Cowboys past the Steelers on a weather-delayed Sunday night game. Getting to three wins, even in the wee hours of Monday morning, is an important step for this team. It wasn’t pretty, but the Steelers have been playing well. It’s about to get real for Dallas, however, as the Lions, 49ers, Falcons, Eagles, Texans and Commanders are their next six games. We’ll know what this team is made of after that stretch.
24 — Los Angeles Chargers (2-2, down 1)
The Chargers were on bye this week and travel to Denver in Week 6.
25 — Tennessee Titans (1-3, —)
The Titans were on bye this week and host the Colts in Week 6.
26 — Miami Dolphins (2-3, —)
A gritty road win in New England puts the Dolphins more at ease heading into their bye. Starting QB Tua Tagovailoa could return from his concussion soon, and going 1-2 (so far) without him in the lineup is better than it could have been. If Miami wants to get back in the AFC race, they need to use the off week to get healthy.
27 — Las Vegas Raiders (2-3, —)
The Raiders have one of the few true quarterback controversies in the league right now. Gardner Minshew won the job out of camp but hasn’t impressed and has now been benched twice mid-game for second-year player Aidan O’Connell. O’Connell has looked solid in his limited appearances, though it’s tough to take anything away from such a small sample size. Raiders HC Antonio Pierce announced Monday they are having a full-blown competition this week to determine the starter against the Steelers on Sunday. It’s not where Vegas wants to be five weeks into the season.
28 — New York Giants (2-3, up 2)
Well well well. The Giants have some fight in them after all. A close road loss to the Commanders doesn’t look so bad anymore, and a road win in Seattle is one of the better wins any team has this season. Even more impressively, they did it without their best player, first-round WR Malik Nabers. Wins like this will cool HC Brian Daboll’s seat, and if they can stack more, this staff might survive to reset at quarterback next season.
29 — Carolina Panthers (1-4, down 1)
Veteran QB Andy Dalton sparked the offense in a win over the Raiders in Week 3, but two weeks later, the novelty has worn off. The Panthers couldn’t get anything going against the Bears, falling convincingly and highlighting how far this team has to go, even with competent quarterback play. Benched second-year man Bryce Young did make an appearance in garbage time, so perhaps his story in Carolina isn’t quite written yet.
30 — New England Patriots (1-4, down 1)
A depleted Miami team that had struggled to stop anybody had no trouble shutting down New England’s offense Sunday, leading HC Jerod Mayo to make some telling comments after the game. His commitment to Jacoby Brissett as the starting quarterback has noticeably waned, leading to speculation we could see the rookie, Drake Maye, before long. It’ll be important for Mayo to play the long game here, however, and not rush Maye out there if he’s doomed to fail.
31 — Cleveland Browns (1-4, —)
After a non-competitive 34-13 loss to the Commanders, HC Kevin Stefanski publicly committed to Deshaun Watson as the team’s starting quarterback moving forward. If that’s true, it’s only because he has no choice. Watson’s massive contract isn’t going anywhere, and the Browns have precious few options but to continue to trot out Watson and hope he flips a switch in his play. This is rapidly becoming a lost season in Cleveland.
32 — Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4, —)
It was important for Jacksonville to win a game before their two-game stand in London, and they did just that. It was an injured Colts squad minus their top three pass rushers and starting quarterback, but a win is a win. Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence played lights-out, and the offense saved the defense after giving up a two-touchdown lead late. Games against the Bears and Patriots in London provide an opportunity to build momentum.
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