NFL Week Five Shocker: Broncos Upset Eagles while Bills Succumb to Patriots
The last two unbeaten teams in the NFL saw their perfect records shattered during week five as both the Philadelphia Eagles along with Buffalo Bills endured shocking losses on their own turf.
The Denver Broncos evolved from dark horses to front-page news thanks to an impressive rallying win against the current Super Bowl title holders Philadelphia, prior to boarding a flight for this Sunday's overseas matchup.
New England's squad then visited Buffalo and ended Buffalo's undefeated start with a statement win of their own in their first national television game in a full year.
The Baltimore Ravens suffered a third straight defeat - their defensive unit's woes could be terminal for their postseason aspirations - while the Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, and Detroit celebrated decisive victories on another eventful Sunday.
Denver Downs Title Holders
It wasn't just beating the Super Bowl champions, but the manner of their 14-point comeback that made Denver's win by 21-17 in Philadelphia such a signature success.
Philadelphia had secured 10 contests consecutively, 12 in a row on home turf and 20 out of 21 total before Denver's signal-caller Bo Nix orchestrated two scoring drives in five fourth-quarter minutes and a last-minute field goal.
Philadelphia are now 4-1 but there exists a big worry about the offence, which sits among one of the worst in the league. Receiver DaVonta Smith stated they are not "in sync" with QB Jalen Hurts.
Denver's defence, which tackled Hurts on six occasions, had much to contribute with it, and, together with an established starting QB in Nix and elite coach in Sean Payton, they have all the ingredients to launch a serious challenge.
Denver face New York's Jets at Tottenham Stadium on Sunday.
Patriots on National TV Shock Buffalo
If Denver's win was almost half expected, few predicted the Patriots traveling to Buffalo and beating Josh Allen's Bills, but they did so with huge character.
Their initial national television appearance for the rookie quarterback delivered a star-making showing as he led a decisive field goal drive in the dying seconds to secure victory 23-20.
Maye was tough and made accurate passes at the right times, several to former Bills receiver Stefon Diggs, who had a big game for Mike Vrabel's side.
The head coach was expected to turn things around in New England, but such a significant victory arrived earlier than many predicted.
New England's defensive squad bottled up the Buffalo Bills attack during their upset road victory.
Baltimore Postseason Dreams Dashed?
The season is turning into a disaster for Baltimore, who were missing multiple key defenders as they were hammered 44-10 by the Houston Texans.
It equaled their biggest home defeat, and dropping to 1-4 for this year means one of the preseason Super Bowl contenders have just a small opportunity of making the play-offs.
The Ravens are currently 4-11 playing without superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson, who was hurt, but the real issue is a historically bad defense that is the primary concern - for a team that have been known for defensive toughness historically.
The Texans strolled to the win as the Ravens became the initial squad in the Super Bowl era to concede at least 37 points in four out of five games. Their season is effectively over.
Lions, Bucs and Colts Go 4-1
The Lions' backfield tandem Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery registered six points in one contest for the fourteenth occasion - a joint NFL mark - as the Lions defeated Cincinnati 37-24.
The win made it four victories in a row for the league's top scorers Detroit, but not one against teams with a winning record.
A more unexpected 4-1 side are the Indianapolis Colts. With Jonathan Taylor scoring three touchdowns in their decisive rout of the Las Vegas Raiders and signal-caller Daniel Jones appearing as a transformed player, they will be a tough match for any team.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers entered the four-win group with a mesmeric 38-35 victory in Seattle in which both teams traded nine touchdowns in 10 sparkling possessions before Seattle faltered initially with a late interception.
The kicker kicked the game-winner with the final play of the game for the second time this season. Each of the Bucs' wins have been secured in the final moments.
Saints and Titans Receive Assistance for Initial Victories
Given how New Orleans and Tennessee Titans started this campaign, they required assistance to secure their first wins, and they got plenty thanks to several comical errors from the New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals.
Following a strong opening from New York rookie Jaxson Dart, New York committed five giveaways - including one decisively returned for a touchdown - while additionally permitting Rashid Shaheed to score on a long reception as the Saints prevailed 26-14.
Arizona were even worse as they blew a substantial advantage mainly thanks to two huge blunders.
First, Emari Demercado unexplainably dropped the football just before crossing the line for a 72-yard touchdown.
More disastrous followed when the Cardinals intercepted Cam Ward near their end zone, then lost the football across the goal line for Tyler Lockett to recover as the Titans snapped a 10-game losing streak with a narrow victory.
Tyler Lockett scored one of the most farcical scores witnessed this year.
That left the Jets as the only winless team remaining in the NFL after their bruising 37-22 loss by the Cowboys.
Jayden Daniels became the initial athlete in NFL history to surpass 4K through the air and 1,000 yards rushing in his initial twenty professional contests as he came back from being hurt to guide the Washington Commanders to a notable 27-10 victory at the Los Angeles Chargers.
The running back was the standout performer for Carolina with over 200 yards on the ground in their exciting 27-24 win over the Miami Dolphins.
Week 5 NFL Results and Key Moments
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)