Week 5 NFL Shocker: Broncos Upset Eagles while Patriots Stun Bills
The last two undefeated squads in the NFL watched their flawless starts shattered during week five as the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills endured shocking home defeats.
The Denver Broncos transformed from dark horses to front-page news thanks to an spectacular rallying win against the current Super Bowl title holders Philadelphia, before hopping on a flight for Sunday's overseas matchup.
New England's squad then visited Buffalo and ended the Bills' perfect record with a statement win of their own in their initial national television appearance in twelve months.
The Baltimore Ravens experienced a third consecutive defeat - their defensive woes could be fatal for their play-off aspirations - while the Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, and Detroit celebrated blowout wins on yet another eventful Sunday.
Denver Downs Champions
It wasn't just defeating the reigning title holders, but the way of their 14-point comeback that made Denver's 21-17 victory in Philadelphia such a signature success.
Philadelphia had secured 10 contests consecutively, 12 straight on home turf and 20 out of 21 total before Broncos quarterback Bo Nix engineered two scoring drives in the final five minutes and a last-minute field goal.
The Eagles are now 4-1 but there is a big worry about their offensive unit, which ranks as the poorest performing in the league. Receiver DaVonta Smith says they are not "on the same page" with QB Jalen Hurts.
The Broncos' defensive unit, which tackled Hurts six times, had much to contribute with it, and, combined with an established starting QB in Nix and elite coach in Sean Payton, they possess all the components to mount a serious challenge.
The Broncos face the New York Jets at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.
Patriots on National TV Shock Buffalo
If Denver's win was somewhat anticipated, few predicted New England marching into Buffalo and beating Josh Allen's Bills, but they accomplished it with huge character.
Their initial national television appearance for the rookie quarterback delivered a star-making showing as he led a game-winning field goal drive in the dying seconds to win 23-20.
The young QB was tough and executed accurate passes at crucial moments, many to ex-Buffalo wideout Stefon Diggs, who delivered an outstanding performance for their coach's team.
The head coach was expected to improve the situation in New England, but a win like this came sooner than many predicted.
New England's defensive squad contained the Buffalo Bills attack during their upset away win.
Ravens Play-off Dreams Dashed?
The season is turning into a nightmare for the Ravens, who were without multiple key defenders as they were dominated 44-10 by Houston's team.
It equaled their biggest home defeat, and dropping to 1-4 for the season means one of the pre-season Super Bowl favourites have just a small chance of reaching the play-offs.
Baltimore are now 4-11 playing without superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson, who was hurt, but the real issue is an exceptionally poor defensive unit that is the primary concern - for a franchise that have been known for stout defense historically.
Houston strolled to the win as the Ravens became the initial squad in modern NFL history to allow at least 37 points in four out of five contests. Their campaign is already in tatters.
Lions, Bucs and Colts Reach 4-1
The Lions' backfield tandem Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery scored a touchdown in the same game for the 14th time - a shared NFL record - as the Lions defeated Cincinnati 37-24.
Victory made it four victories consecutively for the league's top scorers Detroit, but none against opponents with positive records.
A more unexpected 4-1 team are Indianapolis. With their star running back scoring a hat-trick in their decisive hammering of the Las Vegas Raiders and signal-caller Daniel Jones appearing as a transformed player, they will be a tough match for any side.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers joined the four-win group with a thrilling 38-35 victory in Seattle in which the sides exchanged nine touchdowns in 10 impressive possessions before the Seahawks cracked first with a late interception.
Chase McLaughlin booted the winner with the last kick of the contest for his second occasion this year. Each of the Bucs' wins have been secured in the final moments.
New Orleans and Tennessee Get Help for First Wins
Given how the New Orleans Saints and Tennessee began this campaign, they required assistance to get their first wins, and they received ample due to some farcical mistakes from the New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals.
Following a strong opening from first-year player Jaxson Dart, New York committed five giveaways - one was crucially returned for a touchdown - while additionally permitting Rashid Shaheed to find the end zone on a long reception as the Saints prevailed 26-14.
Arizona were more disastrous as they blew a substantial advantage mainly due to two massive blunders.
First, Emari Demercado inexplicably fumbled the football moments before crossing the line for a 72-yard score.
More disastrous was to come when Arizona picked off Cam Ward near their own goal line, then fumbled the football across the goal line for Tyler Lockett to recover as Tennessee snapped a ten-contest slide with a narrow victory.
The receiver scored one of the most farcical touchdowns we'll see this year.
This left New York's Jets as the only winless squad remaining in the league after their bruising 37-22 defeat by the Cowboys.
The quarterback became the initial athlete in NFL history to eclipse 4K through the air and 1K on the ground in his first 20 career games as he returned from injury to guide the Washington Commanders to an impressive 27-10 victory at the Los Angeles Chargers.
The running back was the standout performer for Carolina with over 200 yards on the ground in their exciting 27-24 win over the Miami Dolphins.
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)
