NFL Week Five Surprise: Broncos Upset Eagles and Patriots Stun Bills
The final pair of unbeaten squads in the NFL watched their flawless starts broken during week five as both the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills endured surprising losses on their own turf.
The Denver Broncos evolved from underdogs to front-page news thanks to an spectacular rallying win against the reigning Super Bowl champions 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 primetime appearance in twelve months.
Baltimore's team experienced a third straight defeat - their defensive struggles could be terminal for their play-off hopes - while Dallas, Indianapolis, and Detroit celebrated decisive victories on another eventful Sunday.
Denver Downs Title Holders
Not only was it beating the reigning title holders, but the way of their comeback from 14 points down that made the Broncos' win by 21-17 in Philadelphia such a defining achievement.
Philadelphia had won 10 games consecutively, 12 in a row on home turf and 20 of their last 21 total before Broncos quarterback Bo Nix engineered two touchdowns in five fourth-quarter minutes and a late field goal.
Philadelphia are currently 4-1 but there is a big worry about the offence, which ranks as one of the worst in the league. Wideout DaVonta Smith stated they are not "in sync" with QB 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 have all the ingredients to mount a serious challenge.
The Broncos meet New York's Jets at Tottenham Stadium on Sunday.
Patriots on National TV Shock Buffalo
If Denver's win was somewhat anticipated, few predicted the Patriots traveling to Buffalo and defeating Josh Allen's Bills, but they accomplished it with huge character.
A first primetime game for the rookie quarterback produced a star-making showing as he directed a decisive field goal drive in the final moments to win 23-20.
The young QB was resilient and made the right throws at the right times, several to ex-Buffalo wideout Stefon Diggs, who had an outstanding performance for their coach's team.
Vrabel was expected to improve the situation in New England, but a win like this came earlier than many predicted.
The Patriots defence contained the Buffalo Bills attack during their surprising road victory.
Ravens Play-off Dreams Dashed?
The season is becoming a nightmare for Baltimore, who were missing a host of defensive stars as they were dominated 44-10 by the Houston Texans.
It matched their largest home defeat, and falling to 1-4 for the season means among the preseason Super Bowl favourites have just a small opportunity of making the play-offs.
The Ravens are currently 4-11 when missing star QB Lamar Jackson, who was hurt, but it is a historically bad defense that is the real problem - for a franchise that have been known for defensive toughness historically.
Houston coasted to the win as the Ravens became the first team in the Super Bowl era to concede a minimum of 37 points in four out of five games. Their campaign is already in tatters.
Detroit, Tampa and Indianapolis Go 4-1
The Lions' running back duo Gibbs and Montgomery scored a touchdown in one contest for the fourteenth occasion - a joint NFL record - as Detroit defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 37-24.
Victory made it four wins in a row for the league's top scorers the Lions, but not one against teams with a winning record.
A more unexpected 4-1 team are Indianapolis. With Jonathan Taylor scoring a hat-trick in their 40-6 rout of the Las Vegas Raiders and signal-caller Daniel Jones looking like a new man, they will be a difficult opponent for any side.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers joined the four-win group with a thrilling 38-35 win in Seattle in which both teams exchanged nine touchdowns in 10 sparkling drives before the Seahawks faltered initially with a final-minute interception.
The kicker booted the game-winner with the final play of the contest for his second occasion this season. All four of the Bucs' wins have been clinched in the last minute.
New Orleans and Tennessee Get Help for First Wins
Given how New Orleans and Tennessee began the season, they required assistance to get their initial victories, and they got plenty due to several comical errors from New York and Arizona.
Following a strong opening from first-year player Jaxson Dart, New York committed five turnovers - one was crucially taken back for six points - while additionally permitting Rashid Shaheed to find the end zone on a long reception as New Orleans prevailed 26-14.
The Cardinals were more disastrous as they squandered a 21-3 lead mainly due to two massive mistakes.
First, Emari Demercado inexplicably fumbled the ball just before reaching the end zone for a long score.
More disastrous was to come when Arizona picked off Cam Ward near their end zone, then lost the football into the end zone for Tyler Lockett to recover as Tennessee snapped a ten-contest slide with a narrow win.
Tyler Lockett registered one of the most farcical touchdowns we'll see this year.
That left the Jets as the sole victory-less squad left in the NFL after their bruising 37-22 loss by the Cowboys.
The quarterback became the first player in NFL history to surpass 4K through the air and 1,000 yards rushing in his first 20 career games as he came back from being hurt to steer the Washington Commanders to a notable 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 win over the Miami Dolphins.
Week 5 NFL 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)
