Week 5 NFL Shocker: Eagles Fall to Broncos and Patriots Stun Bills
The final pair of unbeaten teams in the NFL saw their perfect records shattered during the fifth week as the Philadelphia Eagles along with Buffalo Bills endured shocking home defeats.
The Denver Broncos transformed from underdogs to front-page news following an spectacular rallying win against the reigning Super Bowl champions Philadelphia, before hopping on a flight for this Sunday's London contest.
The New England Patriots then traveled to Buffalo and ended the Bills' undefeated start with a statement win of their own in their initial primetime appearance in a full year.
Baltimore's team experienced a third consecutive loss - their defensive unit's struggles could be terminal for their postseason hopes - while the Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, and Detroit Lions enjoyed blowout wins on yet another eventful Sunday.
Denver Downs Title Holders
It wasn't just beating the reigning title holders, but the manner of their comeback from 14 points down that made the Broncos' win by 21-17 in Philadelphia such a defining achievement.
Philadelphia had secured 10 games in a row, 12 straight on home turf and 20 of their last 21 total before Denver's signal-caller Bo Nix engineered two scoring drives in five fourth-quarter minutes and a late three-pointer.
Philadelphia are now 4-1 but there exists significant concern about their offensive unit, which sits among the poorest performing in the NFL. Receiver DaVonta Smith stated they are not "on the same page" with quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Denver's defence, which sacked Hurts on six occasions, had much to contribute with it, and, together with a genuine franchise quarterback in Nix and elite coach in Sean Payton, they possess all the components to mount a legitimate playoff push.
Denver face the New York Jets at Tottenham Stadium on Sunday.
Patriots on National TV Shock Buffalo
If Denver's win was somewhat anticipated, few predicted New England traveling to Buffalo and defeating Josh Allen's Bills, but they accomplished it with tremendous resilience.
A first primetime game for Drake Maye produced a breakout performance as he led a decisive scoring drive in the final moments 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 had a big game for Mike Vrabel's team.
Vrabel was anticipated to improve the situation in New England, but such a significant victory came earlier than many predicted.
New England's defensive squad bottled up Buffalo's offensive efforts during their surprising road victory.
Baltimore Postseason Hopes Over?
This campaign is turning into a disaster for Baltimore, who were missing a host of key defenders as they were hammered 44-10 by Houston's team.
It matched their biggest loss at home, and falling to 1-4 for the season means among 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 hurt, but it is a historically bad defensive unit that is the primary concern - for a team that have been known for stout defense over the years.
The Texans coasted to the win as the Ravens became the initial squad in the Super Bowl era to concede at least 37 points in four of their first five contests. Their campaign is effectively over.
Lions, Bucs and Colts Go 4-1
Detroit's backfield tandem Gibbs and Montgomery registered a touchdown in one contest for the fourteenth occasion - a shared NFL record - as Detroit defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 37-24.
Victory made it four wins in a row for the highest-scoring team Detroit, but none against opponents with a winning record.
A more unexpected 4-1 side are Indianapolis. With Jonathan Taylor running in three touchdowns in their 40-6 rout of the Las Vegas Raiders and quarterback Daniel Jones appearing as a transformed player, they will be a tough match for any team.
Tampa Bay joined the four-win group with a thrilling 38-35 victory in Seattle in which both teams exchanged nine touchdowns in 10 sparkling possessions before the Seahawks cracked first with a final-minute turnover.
Chase McLaughlin booted the winner with the last kick of the contest for his second occasion this season. Each of Tampa Bay's victories have been secured in the last minute.
New Orleans and Tennessee Get Help for Initial Victories
Given how the New Orleans Saints and Tennessee began the season, they required assistance to get their first wins, and they got plenty thanks to some farcical mistakes from the New York Giants and Arizona.
Following a good start from New York rookie Jaxson Dart, the Giants committed five turnovers - one was decisively returned for a touchdown - while additionally permitting Rashid Shaheed to find the end zone on a long reception as New Orleans won 26-14.
The Cardinals were more disastrous as they blew a substantial advantage mainly due to two massive mistakes.
Initially, Emari Demercado unexplainably dropped the football moments before reaching the end zone for a 72-yard touchdown.
More disastrous followed when Arizona intercepted Cam Ward close to their own goal line, then lost the ball into the end zone for Tyler Lockett to recover as the Titans snapped a ten-contest slide with a narrow victory.
Tyler Lockett registered among the most bizarre touchdowns witnessed this year.
This left the Jets as the sole victory-less squad remaining in the NFL after their punishing 37-22 defeat by Dallas.
Jayden Daniels became the initial athlete in NFL history to surpass 4,000 passing yards and 1,000 yards rushing in his first 20 professional contests as he returned from being hurt to steer Washington to an impressive 27-10 win at Los Angeles.
The running back was the standout performer for the Carolina Panthers with over 200 yards on the ground in their exciting 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)
