Week 5 NFL Shocker: Eagles Fall to Broncos and Patriots Stun Bills
The last two unbeaten squads in the NFL watched their flawless starts shattered during week five as the Philadelphia Eagles along with Buffalo Bills suffered surprising home defeats.
Denver's football team evolved from underdogs to headline-makers following an impressive comeback victory against the current Super Bowl champions Philadelphia, before hopping on a plane for Sunday's overseas contest.
New England's squad then traveled to Buffalo and halted the Bills' undefeated start with an impressive victory of their own in their initial primetime game in twelve months.
Baltimore's team experienced a third straight loss - their defensive woes could be fatal for their postseason aspirations - while Dallas, Indianapolis, and Detroit Lions enjoyed blowout wins on another eventful Sunday.
Broncos Defeat Champions
Not only was it 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 defining achievement.
The Eagles had secured 10 games in a row, 12 in a row on home turf and 20 of their last 21 total before Broncos quarterback Bo Nix orchestrated two touchdowns in the final five minutes and a late field goal.
Philadelphia are currently 4-1 but there is a big worry about their offensive unit, which ranks as one of the worst in the NFL. Receiver DaVonta Smith says they are not "in sync" with QB Jalen Hurts.
The Broncos' defensive unit, which tackled Hurts on six occasions, had a lot to do with the outcome, and, combined with a genuine franchise quarterback in Nix and elite coach in Sean Payton, they have all the ingredients to mount a serious challenge.
Denver meet the New York Jets at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.
Patriots on National TV Shock Buffalo
If Denver's win was almost half expected, nobody saw the Patriots marching into Buffalo and defeating 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 scoring drive in the dying seconds to win 23-20.
The young QB was resilient and made the right throws at crucial moments, several to ex-Buffalo wideout Stefon Diggs, who delivered a big game for their coach's side.
The head coach was expected to turn things around in New England, but a win like this came earlier than most expected.
New England's defensive squad bottled up Buffalo's offensive efforts during their surprising away win.
Baltimore Postseason Dreams Dashed?
The season is turning into a nightmare for the Ravens, who were without a host of defensive stars as they were hammered 44-10 by the Houston Texans.
It equaled their biggest home defeat, and falling to 1-4 for this year means one of the preseason Super Bowl favourites have only a slim chance of making the play-offs.
Baltimore are currently 4-11 when missing star QB Lamar Jackson, who was injured, but it is an exceptionally poor defense that is the real problem - for a team that have been synonymous with defensive toughness over the years.
Houston coasted to the win as the Ravens became the initial squad in modern NFL history to concede at least 37 points in four of their first five games. Their season is already over.
Detroit, Tampa and Indianapolis Go 4-1
The Lions' backfield tandem Gibbs and Montgomery registered a touchdown in the same game for the 14th time - a shared NFL mark - as Detroit put away the Cincinnati Bengals 37-24.
The win made it four wins consecutively for the league's top scorers the Lions, but none against teams with a winning record.
A more surprising 4-1 team are the Indianapolis Colts. With their star running back running in three touchdowns in their 40-6 hammering of Las Vegas and quarterback 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 the sides traded nine touchdowns in 10 sparkling drives before the Seahawks cracked first with a final-minute turnover.
Chase McLaughlin kicked the game-winner with the final play of the game for the second time this year. All four of Tampa Bay's wins have been clinched in the last minute.
Saints and Titans Get Help for Initial Victories
The way New Orleans and Tennessee began this campaign, they needed help to secure their initial victories, and they received ample due to several comical mistakes from the New York Giants and Arizona.
Following a good start from first-year player Jaxson Dart, New York made five turnovers - one was decisively taken back for six points - while additionally permitting Rashid Shaheed to score on an 87-yard reception as the Saints prevailed 26-14.
Arizona were more disastrous as they squandered a substantial advantage mainly thanks to two massive mistakes.
First, Emari Demercado inexplicably fumbled the football just before crossing the line for a 72-yard touchdown.
Worse followed when the Cardinals picked off Cam Ward close to their end zone, then fumbled the football into the end zone for Tyler Lockett to recover as the Titans snapped a ten-contest losing streak with a 22-21 win.
Tyler Lockett scored one of the most farcical touchdowns witnessed 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.
The quarterback became the first player in NFL history to eclipse 4,000 passing yards and 1,000 yards rushing in his initial twenty professional contests as he came back from injury to steer Washington to a notable 27-10 win at the Los Angeles Chargers.
Rico Dowdle was the standout performer for the Carolina Panthers with over 200 yards on the ground in their thrilling 27-24 win over Miami.
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)
