NFL Week Five Shocker: Eagles Fall to Broncos while Bills Succumb to Patriots
The last two undefeated squads in the NFL saw their perfect records shattered during week five as the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills endured surprising losses on their own turf.
Denver's football team evolved from dark horses to headline-makers following an spectacular rallying win against the reigning Super Bowl title holders Philadelphia, prior to boarding a flight for Sunday's overseas matchup.
The New England Patriots then visited Buffalo and ended Buffalo's perfect record with an impressive victory of their own in their initial primetime appearance in a full year.
Baltimore's team suffered a third straight loss - their defensive struggles could be fatal for their postseason aspirations - while the Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis, and Detroit enjoyed blowout wins on another action-packed Sunday.
Broncos Defeat Title Holders
Not only was it defeating the reigning title holders, but the manner of their comeback from 14 points down that made Denver's 21-17 victory in Philadelphia such a defining achievement.
Philadelphia had secured 10 contests consecutively, 12 in a row at home and 20 of their last 21 total before Broncos quarterback Bo Nix engineered two touchdowns in the final five minutes and a last-minute three-pointer.
Philadelphia are now 4-1 but there is a big worry about the offence, which ranks as one of the worst in the league. Receiver DaVonta Smith stated they are not "in sync" with quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Denver's defence, which tackled Hurts on six occasions, had much to contribute with it, and, combined with an established starting QB in Nix and top head coach in Sean Payton, they possess all the components to launch a legitimate playoff push.
Denver meet New York's Jets at Tottenham Stadium on Sunday.
Patriots on National TV Upset Bills
Should the Broncos' victory was almost half expected, few predicted the Patriots traveling to Buffalo and beating Josh Allen's Bills, but they did so with huge character.
A first primetime game for the rookie quarterback produced a star-making showing as he directed a decisive scoring drive in the dying seconds to win 23-20.
The young QB was tough and executed the right throws at crucial moments, many to ex-Buffalo wideout Stefon Diggs, who had a big game for their coach's side.
The head coach was expected to turn things around in New England, but such a significant victory came sooner than most expected.
The Patriots defence bottled up Buffalo's offensive efforts during their surprising road victory.
Ravens Play-off Hopes Over?
The season is turning into a disaster for the Ravens, who were without multiple defensive stars as they were hammered 44-10 by Houston's team.
It matched their largest loss at home, and falling to 1-4 for the season means among the preseason Super Bowl contenders have just a small opportunity of making the play-offs.
The Ravens are currently 4-11 when missing star QB Lamar Jackson, who was injured, but the real issue is a historically bad defensive unit that is the real problem - for a team that have been known for stout defense historically.
Houston coasted to victory as the Ravens became the first team in modern NFL history to allow at least 37 points in four out of five games. Their season is already over.
Lions, Bucs and Colts Go 4-1
Detroit's running back duo Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery registered a touchdown in the same game for the fourteenth occasion - a joint NFL record - as Detroit defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 37-24.
The win made it four wins in a row for the league's top scorers Detroit, but not one against opponents with a winning record.
A more unexpected 4-1 side are the Indianapolis Colts. With Jonathan Taylor running in three touchdowns in their decisive hammering of the Las Vegas Raiders and signal-caller Daniel Jones appearing as a new man, they will be a difficult opponent for any team.
Tampa Bay joined the four-win group with a thrilling 38-35 win in Seattle in which both teams exchanged nine scores in 10 impressive possessions before the Seahawks cracked first with a final-minute turnover.
The kicker kicked the winner with the last kick of the game for his second occasion this season. Each of Tampa Bay's victories have been secured in the last minute.
Saints and Titans Receive Assistance for First Wins
Given how the New Orleans Saints and Tennessee Titans began this campaign, they needed help to get their first wins, and they received ample due to several comical errors from the New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals.
Following a strong opening from New York rookie Jaxson Dart, the Giants made five giveaways - including one crucially taken back for six points - while also allowing Rashid Shaheed to find the end zone on a long catch and run as the Saints prevailed 26-14.
The Cardinals were even worse as they blew a 21-3 lead primarily due to two massive mistakes.
Initially, Emari Demercado unexplainably dropped the football moments before crossing the line for a 72-yard touchdown.
Worse was to come when Arizona intercepted Cam Ward close to their end zone, then fumbled the ball into the end zone for Tyler Lockett to score as Tennessee snapped a ten-contest slide with a 22-21 victory.
Tyler Lockett registered one of the most farcical scores we'll see this season.
That left New York's Jets as the sole victory-less team remaining in the NFL after their punishing 37-22 loss by Dallas.
Jayden Daniels became the first player in NFL history to surpass 4K through the air and 1K on the ground in his first 20 career games as he returned from injury to guide Washington to a notable 27-10 victory at Los Angeles.
Rico Dowdle was the star man for Carolina with 206 rushing yards in their exciting 27-24 victory over the Miami Dolphins.
NFL Week Five Scores and Highlights
Minnesota Vikings 21-17 Cleveland Browns
Houston Texans 44-10 Baltimore Ravens
Miami Dolphins 24-27 Carolina Panthers
Las Vegas Raiders 6-40 Indianapolis Colts
New York Giants 14-26 New Orleans Saints
Dallas Cowboys 37-22 New York Jets
Denver Broncos 21-17 Philadelphia Eagles
Tennessee Titans 22-21 Arizona Cardinals
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 38-35 Seattle Seahawks
Detroit Lions 37-24 Cincinnati Bengals
Washington Commanders 27-10 Los Angeles Chargers
New England Patriots 23-20 Buffalo Bills
San Francisco 49ers 26-23 Los Angeles Rams (OT)
