Week 5 NFL Surprise: Eagles Fall to Broncos while Patriots Stun Bills
The final pair of unbeaten squads in the NFL watched their flawless starts broken during the fifth week as both the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills suffered surprising home defeats.
Denver's football team evolved from dark horses to front-page news following an impressive comeback victory against the current Super Bowl title holders the Eagles, prior to boarding a plane for Sunday's London contest.
The New England Patriots then traveled to Buffalo and halted Buffalo's undefeated start with an impressive victory of their own in their initial national television game in twelve months.
The Baltimore Ravens suffered a third consecutive defeat - their defensive unit's struggles could be fatal for their play-off aspirations - while Dallas, Indianapolis, and Detroit Lions celebrated decisive victories on yet another action-packed Sunday.
Denver Downs Title Holders
Not only was it defeating the reigning title holders, but the manner of their 14-point comeback that made Denver's 21-17 victory in Philadelphia such a defining achievement.
Philadelphia had secured 10 games in a row, 12 straight at home and 20 out of 21 overall before Broncos quarterback Bo Nix orchestrated two scoring drives in five fourth-quarter minutes and a late field goal.
The Eagles are currently 4-1 but there is a big worry about their offensive unit, which ranks as one of the worst in the league. Wideout DaVonta Smith stated they are not "in sync" with quarterback Jalen Hurts.
The Broncos' defensive unit, which sacked 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 possess all the components to launch a legitimate playoff push.
The Broncos meet the New York Jets at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.
Patriots on National TV Shock Buffalo
Should the Broncos' victory was almost half expected, nobody saw New England marching into 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 directed a decisive scoring drive in the dying seconds to secure victory 23-20.
The young QB was tough and made the right throws at crucial moments, many to former Bills receiver Stefon Diggs, who delivered an outstanding performance for Mike Vrabel's side.
The head coach was expected to improve the situation in New England, but a win like this arrived earlier than most expected.
New England's defensive squad contained Buffalo's offensive efforts during their upset away win.
Baltimore Postseason Dreams Dashed?
The season is turning into a disaster for the Ravens, who were without a host of defensive stars as they were dominated 44-10 by the Houston Texans.
It matched their biggest loss at home, and falling to 1-4 for the season means one of the pre-season Super Bowl contenders have only a slim opportunity of reaching the play-offs.
The Ravens are currently 4-11 playing without star QB Lamar Jackson, who was injured, but the real issue is a historically bad defensive unit that is the real problem - for a franchise that have been known for defensive toughness over the years.
The Texans strolled to victory as Baltimore became the initial squad in the Super Bowl era to concede at least 37 points in four out of five contests. Their campaign is effectively over.
Detroit, Tampa and Indianapolis Go 4-1
Detroit's running back duo Gibbs and Montgomery registered six points in the same game for the fourteenth occasion - a joint NFL mark - as the Lions defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 37-24.
The win made it four victories in a row for the league's top scorers the Lions, but none against teams with positive records.
A more unexpected 4-1 side are the Indianapolis Colts. With their star running back scoring a hat-trick in their decisive rout of Las Vegas and quarterback Daniel Jones appearing as a new man, they will be a tough match for any side.
Tampa Bay joined the 4-1 club with a mesmeric 38-35 victory in Seattle in which the sides exchanged nine touchdowns in 10 impressive possessions before Seattle cracked first with a final-minute interception.
The kicker kicked the game-winner with the last kick of the contest for his second occasion this year. All four of the Bucs' victories have been clinched in the last minute.
New Orleans and Tennessee Receive Assistance for First Wins
The way the New Orleans Saints and Tennessee Titans started this campaign, they needed help to secure their first wins, and they got plenty thanks to several comical mistakes from New York and Arizona Cardinals.
Following a good start from first-year player Jaxson Dart, New York made five giveaways - including one decisively returned for a touchdown - while additionally permitting Rashid Shaheed to find the end zone on an 87-yard catch and run as New Orleans won 26-14.
Arizona were more disastrous as they squandered a 21-3 lead primarily thanks to two huge mistakes.
First, Emari Demercado unexplainably fumbled the football moments before reaching the end zone for a long score.
More disastrous was to come when the Cardinals picked off Cam Ward close to their own goal line, then fumbled the football across the goal line for Tyler Lockett to score as Tennessee ended a 10-game losing streak with a narrow victory.
Tyler Lockett scored one of the most farcical touchdowns we'll see this season.
This left the Jets as the only winless team remaining in the league after their punishing 37-22 defeat by Dallas.
The quarterback became the initial athlete in NFL history to surpass 4K through the air and 1K on the ground in his initial twenty professional contests as he returned from being hurt to guide Washington to an impressive 27-10 win at the Los Angeles Chargers.
The running back was the standout performer for the Carolina Panthers with 206 rushing yards in their exciting 27-24 victory over Miami.
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)
