Here are 10 things that stood out from Sunday’s games in Week 5 of the 2019 NFL season.
10. How much do the Colts miss Andrew Luck?
Not all that much. Sure, Luck’s unexpected retirement in the preseason initially was a kick in the gut to Indianapolis because he was the franchise quarterback. But the Colts are over it. That became official with Sunday night’s victory against Kansas City. The Chiefs are one of the league’s best teams and they were playing at home. But the Colts played pretty much the perfect game. Luck’s replacement, Jacoby Brissett, was efficient. Running back Marlon Mack rumbled for 132 yards. And, most important, the Indianapolis defense was superb, sacking Patrick Mahomes four times and holding him to one touchdown pass. The Colts (3-2) are going to be as good as they would have been with Luck.
9. The Packers are the best team in the NFC
Although the Seattle Seahawks are very close, and the New Orleans Saints aren’t far off, the Packers are the best team in the conference at the moment. Sunday’s 34-24 victory against Dallas was impressive on many levels. At first, Green Bay’s defense was dominant. Aaron Rodgers and the offense were efficient, and running back Aaron Jones was spectacular with four rushing touchdowns. Dallas came close to making a furious second-half comeback, but don’t be fooled by Green Bay letting Dallas back into the game. This was still huge for the 4-1 Packers. Dallas is a good team, but the Packers dominated for most of the game — and they did it on the road. The NFC has no team that’s more well-rounded than the Packers right now.
8. Will Fuller is a machine, in reality and fantasy
The Houston wide receiver had been quiet to open the season. Although Fuller and quarterback Deshaun Watson had combined for 11 touchdown passes over the past two years, they hadn’t hooked up on a scoring strike this season. Until Sunday. Fuller had the best game of his career in a 53-32 victory against Atlanta. He tied a franchise record with 14 receptions, racking up 217 yards and three touchdowns. Watson, who threw for 426 yards and five touchdowns, seems to be hitting his stride. Fuller’s performance is a reminder that he can be just as dangerous as teammate DeAndre Hopkins, and Watson and the coaching staff will remember that going forward. Also, Fuller now becomes a guy you must start if you’ve got him on your fantasy team.
7. The season is over for the Steelers
Things haven’t looked promising for the Steelers since they lost franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to an elbow injury. But backup Mason Rudolph stepped in and was at least scrappy. Then things got even worse in Sunday’s overtime loss to Baltimore. Rudolph had to leave the game after taking a massive hit to the head. We’ll see what the doctors say, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Rudolph missed some playing time. Devlin Hodges, an undrafted rookie from Samford, replaced him in the third quarter and completed seven of his nine passes for 68 yards. But the Steelers are 1-4 and likely playing with a third-string quarterback in the immediate future. Coach Mike Tomlin could be on the hot seat if he has his first losing season, which seems like a certainty at this point.
6. Kyler Murray will be just fine
The No. 1 overall draft pick had taken some criticism with a bad team around him early in the year. But Murray got his first NFL win on Sunday against Cincinnati. Yeah, it was the Bengals, so perhaps it wasn’t impressive on the surface. But the thing that stands out is that the Cardinals finally found the proper formula to get the most out of Murray. At his best, he’s an efficient passer and a dangerous runner. That’s exactly what Murray was Sunday. He completed 20 of 32 passes for 253 yards and wasn’t intercepted. He also ran 10 times for 93 yards and a touchdown. Murray still will face ups and down with a weak supporting cast. But getting his first NFL win should only help the rookie’s confidence.
5. Christian McCaffrey put himself in the MVP race
This award usually goes to a quarterback, and Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes remains the odds-on favorite. But McCaffrey, Carolina’s all-purpose running back, has at least put himself in the conversation. With franchise quarterback Cam Newton injured, the Panthers have won three straight games with backup quarterback Kyle Allen. Give Allen plenty of credit. But give McCaffrey credit for almost single-handedly carrying the Panthers in Sunday’s victory 34-27 win over Jacksonville, a team that supposedly has a good defense. McCaffrey carried 19 times for 176 yards (9.3 yards per carry) and two touchdowns. He also caught six passes for 61 yards and a touchdown. If Carolina ends up in the playoffs, McCaffrey will have a legitimate chance to be the MVP.
4. Jay Gruden might be gone by the time you read this
It’s no secret that the Redskins’ coach is on the hot seat. The Washington media has been reporting that Gruden may not last the season and that’s not really a leap into speculation. It’s simply common sense. Gruden has worn out his welcome in Washington, and owner Dan Snyder has stayed with him for far too long. Gruden did nothing to help himself Sunday. The Redskins suffered a 33-7 loss to New England. With the possible exception of the Miami Dolphins, the Redskins are in more disarray than any team in the league. Plus, the Dolphins have an excuse. They were expected to be bad. The Redskins actually came into the season hoping to be a playoff contender. That’s not going to happen. Washington is 0-5 and this could be rock bottom. It’s entirely possible Gruden will be gone by Monday afternoon. [Editor’s note: Gruden was relieved of his duties early Monday morning.]
3. The Chargers are the most disappointing team in the NFL
Remember back in the preseason when there was talk about the Chargers being a Super Bowl contender? Well, forget all that. The Chargers will be lucky to go .500. They lost to Denver, one of the league’s worst teams, on Sunday, and it happened at home. The Chargers are 2-3 and going nowhere. Quarterback Philip Rivers had a poor game, throwing for just 211 yards with two interceptions. Running back Melvin Gordon gained just 31 yards on 12 carries in his first game back since ending his contract holdout. Rivers and Gordon are the guys who were supposed to carry this offense. With Kansas City in the division, the Chargers may already have dug a hole too deep to escape.
2. Michael Thomas is the best receiver in the NFC South
Atlanta’s Julio Jones is perhaps the most talented wide receiver in the league, and Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans is another big name. But we’re not talking about talent alone here. We’re talking about production — and New Orleans’ Thomas has been the NFC South’s most productive receiver this season. That was especially true on Sunday. Jones and Evans both had disappointing games. Jones had only three catches for 42 yards in a blowout loss to Houston. Evans didn’t even have a catch, ending a streak of 65 games with at least one reception. But Thomas exploded for 11 catches for 182 yards and two touchdowns in a victory against Tampa Bay. And let’s not forget Thomas has been putting up big numbers with backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater in place of the injured Drew Brees.
1. Adam Thielen needs to criticize Kirk Cousins more often
Thielen, a Pro Bowl wide receiver, came out last week and made critical comments about Cousins and the Minnesota passing game. Thielen was exactly right, because the lack of a downfield passing game was stifling the Minnesota offense. That might have been the smartest move of Thielen’s career, and Cousins apologized to his teammates for his poor play. On Sunday, there was no need for apologies. Cousins had one of the best games of his career. He threw for 306 yards and two touchdowns. Both of those touchdowns went to Thielen, who had seven catches for 130 yards. The downside is that all this came against a poor New York Giants defense. But, hey, it’s a step in the right direction for Cousins.
Pat Yasinskas has covered the NFL since 1993. He has worked for The Tampa Tribune, The Charlotte Observer and ESPN.com and writes for numerous national magazines and websites. He also has served as a voter for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
