On Sunday afternoon, the Eagles looked to be in total control with a 17–3 lead in the fourth quarter over the visiting Broncos. Then Denver rallied, scoring 18 unanswered points to deal the defending champions their first loss of the season.
The result will do two things. People will start questioning the Eagles after five lackluster showings, and many will also start asking whether the Broncos should be included as a true Super Bowl contender.
Meanwhile, the Ravens hosted the Texans and watched their playoff chances take another hit with a 44–10 loss. C.J. Stroud was awesome, throwing for 244 yards and four touchdowns.
In the late window, the Buccaneers and Seahawks turned back the clock to 1976 and gave us an epic shootout. Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold combined to go 57-of-67 for 720 passing yards and six touchdowns in a 38–35 road win for Tampa Bay.
In Los Angeles, Jayden Daniels made his return after missing two games to handle Justin Herbert and the Chargers, winning 27–10 while totaling 270 yards and two touchdowns.
Finally, for the second consecutive Sunday, the NFL got started early. And, for the second consecutive week, the Vikings got things going in a 21–17 win against the Browns and rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who was solid in his pro debut, throwing for 190 yards in defeat.
Good: Broncos show their mettle against the champs
Last year, Denver went 10–7 and made an unexpected playoff run. The Broncos did it primarily by beating bad teams, with a victory over the playoff-bound Buccaneers being their only such win in 2024 (excluding Week 18 vs. the Chiefs’ backups).
On Sunday, Denver showed it might be coming of age as a true contender.
Trailing 17–3 in the fourth quarter, Bo Nix dominated Philadelphia’s secondary. The second-year quarterback threw for 146 yards in the final 15 minutes after amassing only 96 in the three prior quarters.
With the victory, Denver moved to 3–2 and a half game back of the Chargers in the AFC West, while staying ahead of the Chiefs, who play on Monday night.
Denver looked overmatched for the majority of the day before fighting back to beat an Eagles team that hadn’t lost with Jalen Hurts playing a full game since Week 4 of last season.
It’s a signature win. It’s a statement for a team that hasn’t won a playoff game since 2015.
Good: The Colts are showing they’re a threat in the AFC
It’s time to believe in the Colts.
After losing a 27–20 decision to the Rams last Sunday with some critical self-inflicted wounds, Indianapolis came home and blasted the Raiders out of Lucas Oil Stadium, 40–6, to run its record to an AFC South–best 4–1.
Daniel Jones has been the league’s biggest surprise to this point. After winning a quarterback competition in training camp with Anthony Richardson, Jones has thrived under Shane Steichen’s motion-heavy scheme. Through five games, he has thrown for 1,290 yards and six touchdowns while averaging 8.6 yards per attempt. Entering Sunday, the offense was top-ranked with 6.5 yards per play.
While Jones is playing well, don’t overlook the Colts’ defense. Under new coordinator Lou Anarumo, Indianapolis hasn’t allowed a touchdown before the fourth quarter in two of its five games. The difference has been the additions of Anarumo, corner Charvarius Ward and safety Cam Bynum, who have helped raise the floor of a unit ranked 20th in yards allowed last year.
Although it’s tough to put the Colts in the category of the Chiefs and Bills, it’s fair to slot them atop the next group, including teams such as the Steelers, Broncos and Chargers. And that’s a major jump from the middling expectations most had for Indianapolis coming into the season.
Bad: Baltimore is getting nothing from Derrick Henry
In Week 1, Derrick Henry looked unstoppable. Since then, he’s either been stopped by his opponent or his coaching staff.
Against the Bills in the season opener, Henry ran wild for 169 yards and two touchdowns on 9.4 yards per carry. In four games since then, Henry has just 46 carries for 148 yards and two scores. Part of the problem has been Baltimore’s league-worst defense, putting offensive coordinator Todd Monken in spots where he’s been forced to pass.
Still, there have been a number of opportunities to run the ball and Monken has elected to go elsewhere. Against the Browns, the Ravens won 41–10 and yet Henry had only 11 carries. The following Monday night, Henry had 12 carries against the Lions, despite never being down more than one score until the game’s final moments.
Last Sunday, the game got away from Baltimore in Kansas City, but the score was within 10 points for most of the first half. In those 30 minutes, Henry had four touches in the run game.
Maybe Henry’s three fumbles, including a pair of critical ones in the fourth quarters of close losses to Buffalo and Detroit, are part of the play-calling. But with Lamar Jackson sidelined due to a hamstring strain, Henry has to be a bigger part of the game plan. It’s not been a problem historically for Henry, who entering the season had only 20 career fumbles on 2,529 touches.
At 1–4 and ravaged by injuries, the Ravens desperately need to shorten games, protect the defense and lift the offense. All can be accomplished by Henry, who gained 1,921 rushing yards and scored 16 touchdowns last year.
So far, Baltimore refuses to use the only tonic which can save it.
Ugly: Geno Smith was brought in to help, and he’s hurting the Raiders
In the winter, the Raiders traded a third-round pick to acquire Smith from the Seahawks, pairing him with his former coach in Seattle, Pete Carroll.
So far, it’s been a bust in Vegas. Smith has thrown a league-worst nine interceptions, including another two picks against the Colts, including the end of a red-zone trip when a low throw was tipped by defensive tackle Grover Stewart and nabbed by edge rusher Laiatu Latu.
At 1–4 after Sunday’s 40–6 loss, the Raiders appear to be out of the playoff picture, currently in last place in the AFC West. While the defense deserves blame (entering 21st in yards and 23rd in points per game allowed), the team invested heavily in the offense, signing Smith in free agency and drafting running back Ashton Jeanty in the first round.
Instead of a vast improvement, the Raiders appear to be a team that has been stuck in the mud for the better part of a quarter-century.
Last season, with Gardner Minshew II, Aidan O’Connell and Desmond Ridder starting under center, Las Vegas averaged 18.2 points per game, ranking 29th. This season? The Raiders are averaging 16.6 points per game.
Good: Dillon Gabriel looks like a viable option in Cleveland
Perhaps all it took was the Browns going to another continent to find their quarterback.
In all seriousness, Cleveland should be both excited and tempered in its feelings on Gabriel’s debut. Ultimately, he played well enough against the Vikings, avoiding negative plays against one of the league’s top defensive coordinators, Brian Flores. The third-round pick from Oregon didn’t turn the ball over and was sacked just twice, going 19-of-33 for 190 yards and two touchdowns.
Still, Gabriel threw for 5.8 yards per attempt and had only three completions which went for more than 10 air yards, two coming with Minnesota in prevent defense. It wasn’t a tour de force, but for a first start against a defense ranked sixth overall and 10th in yards per play entering the day, it was respectable.
After returning from London, the Browns will travel to Pittsburgh before facing the Patriots and Jets, a trio of defenses ranked in the bottom half of the league in yards per play. The assignments are easier in theory, but as Gabriel puts more on tape within Cleveland’s offense, he’ll have to adjust and close holes in his game.
Bad: Rams’ special teams are an abject disaster
If the Rams could kick extra points and field goals like a normal team, they’d be 5–0 and staring at pole position for home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs.
Los Angeles is instead 3–2 because of coordinator Chase Blackburn’s bumbling special teams unit. In Week 3, the Rams had the Eagles beaten, leading 26–7 in the third quarter. After Philadelphia closed to within five points with 8:46 left, kicker Joshua Karty lined up for a chip-shot, 36-yard field goal. Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter broke through the line and blocked the kick.
Then, after the Eagles took a one-point lead, the Rams had Karty line up for the potential game-winning kick from 44 yards, only to see Jordan Davis block this attempt before running it back for a touchdown on the game’s final play.
On Thursday night the story was similar. Karty missed a 53-yard field goal and an extra point in Los Angeles’s 26–23 overtime loss. Had Karty hit even the extra point, the Rams could have knelt at the end of regulation to set up a short field goal instead of needing a touchdown, which resulted in Kyren Williams’s fumble at the goal line.
It’s early, but Los Angeles has given away two key games against NFC rivals because of horrendous special teams play.
Ugly: Brock Purdy’s contract after watching Mac Jones
When Purdy signed his five-year, $265 million extension in May, there were plenty of questions about whether it was wise.
After all, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan helped Jimmy Garoppolo reach a Super Bowl and two NFC championship games. Once Garoppolo left the field, Purdy replaced the veteran and 2021 first-round pick Trey Lance to also play in a Super Bowl and two conference title games.
Shanahan has a long history of elevating quarterbacks, and Mac Jones appears to be the latest to enjoy an extremely passer-friendly system.
With Purdy on the sideline dealing with turf toe, Jones has stepped in and looks as good or better than Purdy ever has in Shanahan’s system, albeit in a small sample. Entering Sunday, Jones has three starts this season. He’s leading the league with 301.7 passing yards per game alongside six touchdowns and an interception. He’s done all of this, missing a combination of stars every week, including receivers Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings, Demarcus Robinson and Ricky Pearsall, and tight end George Kittle. Most importantly, Jones is also 3–0.
Due to Purdy’s massive contract, there’s no quarterback controversy. Purdy will start when he’s healthy. Jones will be the backup on a two-year, $7 million deal. However, fans have seen what Jones can do, and if Purdy struggles, there will be grumbling.
Good: Buccaneers, Seahawks provide elite uniform battle
In 1976, the NFL became more attractive with the addition of Tampa Bay and Seattle. For the Buccaneers, it took 26 losses before they finally won a game in their sweet look, but that’s besides the point.
With both teams playing their 50th anniversary seasons, they turned back the clock a half-century. The result is one of the best-looking football games you’ll ever see and a great finish, with the Buccaneers winning 38–35 on a Chase McLaughlin 39-yard field goal as time expired.
The Seahawks wore their original uniforms until they radically changed their look before the 2002 season, adopting blue helmets and a lighter shade for their jerseys. Tampa Bay wasn’t quite as patient, changing its aesthetic in 1997 after going through 18 losing seasons in 21 years.
We may never see the Buccaneers return to Bucco Bruce on a full-time basis, or the Seahawks reignite the Silver Lids, but for one day, it was fantastic.
Bad: Chargers should feel sick about loss to Commanders
The Chargers were clear frontrunners in the AFC West two weeks ago. Not so fast.
After a loss to the Giants in Week 4, Los Angeles came home and took an early 10–0 lead against the Commanders. Then it all fell apart, starting with Quentin Johnston fumbling at Washington’s 23-yard line and continuing when Ladd McConkey’s 57-yard punt return was nullified because of a roughing the punter penalty before halftime.
Those plays resulted in a multi-score swing, allowing Washington to tie the game en route to scoring 27 unanswered points in a 27–10 victory.
For the Chargers, the mistakes have been aplenty. Last week, Justin Herbert threw two interceptions. On Sunday, he had a pass deflected at the goal line down 20–10, resulting in a Mike Sainristil theft with 7:40 remaining to seal the game. Then there were 10 penalties for 85 yards and five sacks allowed—ugly football in an ugly loss.
Los Angeles is 3–2, and if the Chiefs beat the Jaguars on Monday night, it will find itself tied atop the division with Kansas City and Denver. That’s a far cry from where the Chargers were only 14 days ago.
Ugly: The Bengals have to find a new quarterback
Joe Burrow turf toe injury took away any hope the Bengals had of making a deep playoff run. However, it appears Cincinnati has completely given up.
Since Burrow was injured against the Jaguars in Week 2, the Bengals have been outscored 113–37 in their past three games by the Vikings, Broncos and Lions. Jake Browning has been atrocious as Burrow’s fill-in, throwing three touchdowns against eight interceptions before tossing three scoring tosses in garbage time on Sunday.
To that point, Cincinnati general manager Duke Tobin has to be scouring the market. Kirk Cousins is undoubtedly available in Atlanta, but his base salary is $27.5 million. Tobin could make a call to the Giants for either Jameis Winston or Russell Wilson. Every option should be explored.
If coach Zac Taylor can’t coax a better effort out of his team, it’s time for owner Mike Brown to start considering other options. While Cincinnati isn’t a playoff-caliber team without Burrow, no NFL team should be getting blown out by halftime every week.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as The Good, Bad and Ugly in NFL Week 5: Broncos Stun Super Bowl Champs .
