Week 5 NFL Surprise: Eagles Fall to Broncos and Patriots Stun Bills
The last two undefeated squads in the NFL saw their perfect records shattered during the fifth week as the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills suffered shocking losses on their own turf.
Denver's football team transformed from dark horses to front-page news following an spectacular rallying win against the reigning Super Bowl title holders Philadelphia, prior to boarding a plane for this Sunday's London matchup.
The New England Patriots then visited Buffalo and ended the Bills' undefeated start with a statement win of their own in their first national television game in twelve months.
Baltimore's team experienced a third straight loss - their defensive unit's struggles could be terminal for their postseason hopes - while the Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, and Detroit enjoyed decisive victories on 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 the Broncos' win by 21-17 in Philadelphia such a signature achievement.
The Eagles had won 10 games in a row, 12 in a row at home and 20 of their last 21 overall before Denver's signal-caller Bo Nix engineered two touchdowns in the final five minutes and a late field goal.
The Eagles are currently 4-1 but there is a big worry about the offence, which sits among one of the worst in the league. Receiver DaVonta Smith says they are not "in sync" with quarterback Jalen Hurts.
The Broncos' defensive unit, which tackled Hurts on six occasions, had much to contribute with it, and, combined with a genuine franchise quarterback in Nix and top head coach in Sean Payton, they have all the ingredients to mount a serious challenge.
The Broncos face New York's Jets at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.
Primetime Patriots Upset Bills
If Denver's win was somewhat anticipated, nobody saw the Patriots traveling to Buffalo and defeating Josh Allen's Bills, but they did so with huge character.
A first primetime game for Drake Maye produced a breakout performance as he directed a decisive field goal drive in the dying seconds to win 23-20.
Maye was resilient and executed accurate passes at crucial moments, many to ex-Buffalo wideout Stefon Diggs, who had an outstanding performance for their coach's team.
The head coach was expected to improve the situation in New England, but such a significant victory arrived sooner than most expected.
The Patriots defence contained Buffalo's offensive efforts during their upset away win.
Baltimore Postseason Hopes Over?
This campaign is turning into a nightmare for the Ravens, who were without a host of key defenders as they were hammered 44-10 by the Houston Texans.
It equaled their biggest loss at home, and falling to 1-4 for the season means among the preseason Super Bowl contenders have only a slim opportunity of reaching the postseason.
The Ravens are now 4-11 playing without superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson, who was hurt, but it is an exceptionally poor defense that is the real problem - for a franchise that have been known for defensive toughness historically.
The Texans strolled to the win as Baltimore became the initial squad in the Super Bowl era to concede a minimum of 37 points in four of their first five contests. Their season is already in tatters.
Detroit, Tampa and Indianapolis Reach 4-1
Detroit's running back duo Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery scored a touchdown in the same game for the fourteenth occasion - a joint NFL record - as the Lions defeated Cincinnati 37-24.
Victory made it four victories in a row for the league's top scorers Detroit, but not one against opponents with positive records.
A more surprising 4-1 side are the Indianapolis Colts. With their star running back running in a hat-trick in their 40-6 rout of Las Vegas and signal-caller Daniel Jones looking like a new man, they will be a tough match for any side.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers entered the four-win group with a thrilling 38-35 victory in Seattle in which both teams traded nine scores in 10 sparkling drives before Seattle cracked first with a late interception.
Chase McLaughlin booted the winner with the final play of the game for his second occasion this year. Each of Tampa Bay's victories have been clinched in the final moments.
Saints and Titans Get Help for First Wins
Given how the New Orleans Saints and Tennessee started the season, they needed help to secure their initial victories, and they received ample due to some farcical errors from New York and Arizona Cardinals.
Following a strong opening from first-year player Jaxson Dart, New York committed five turnovers - including one crucially taken back for six points - while additionally permitting Rashid Shaheed to score on a long catch and run as New Orleans prevailed 26-14.
Arizona were even worse as they blew a 21-3 lead mainly due to two huge mistakes.
Initially, Emari Demercado inexplicably dropped the football just before crossing the line for a long score.
More disastrous followed when Arizona intercepted Cam Ward close to their end zone, then lost the ball across the goal line for Tyler Lockett to recover as the Titans snapped a ten-contest losing streak with a narrow win.
The receiver scored among the most bizarre scores witnessed this season.
This left New York's Jets as the only winless team remaining in the league after their punishing 37-22 defeat by Dallas.
Jayden Daniels became the first player in NFL history to surpass 4,000 passing yards and 1,000 yards rushing in his initial twenty career games as he came back from injury to guide Washington to an impressive 27-10 victory at Los Angeles.
The running back was the standout performer for the Carolina Panthers with 206 rushing yards in their thrilling 27-24 victory over the Miami Dolphins.
NFL Week Five 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)
