Week 5 NFL Shocker: Broncos Upset Eagles while Patriots Stun Bills
The last two undefeated squads in the NFL saw their perfect records shattered during the fifth week as both the Philadelphia Eagles along with Buffalo Bills endured shocking home defeats.
The Denver Broncos transformed from underdogs to front-page news following an impressive comeback victory against the current Super Bowl champions the Eagles, prior to boarding a plane for this Sunday's London matchup.
The New England Patriots then traveled to Buffalo and ended Buffalo's undefeated start with a statement win of their own in their first primetime game in twelve months.
The Baltimore Ravens suffered a third consecutive loss - their defensive struggles could be terminal for their play-off aspirations - while Dallas, Indianapolis Colts, and Detroit enjoyed blowout wins on another eventful Sunday.
Denver Downs Champions
Not only was it beating the Super Bowl champions, but the manner of their 14-point comeback that made the Broncos' 21-17 victory in Philadelphia such a defining success.
The Eagles had won 10 games in a row, 12 in a row on home turf and 20 out of 21 total before Broncos quarterback Bo Nix engineered two touchdowns in five fourth-quarter minutes and a late three-pointer.
Philadelphia are currently 4-1 but there exists significant concern about their offensive unit, which sits among one of the worst in the league. Receiver DaVonta Smith stated they are not "on the same page" with quarterback Jalen Hurts.
The Broncos' defensive unit, which tackled Hurts six times, had a lot to do with it, and, combined with an established starting QB in Nix and elite coach in Sean Payton, they have all the ingredients to launch a legitimate playoff push.
The Broncos meet the New York Jets at Tottenham Stadium on Sunday.
Patriots on National TV Upset Bills
Should the Broncos' victory was almost half expected, few predicted the Patriots traveling to Buffalo and defeating Josh Allen's Bills, but they accomplished it with tremendous resilience.
Their initial national television appearance for the rookie quarterback produced a star-making showing as he directed a game-winning field goal drive in the dying seconds to secure victory 23-20.
The young QB was tough and made accurate passes at the right times, several to ex-Buffalo wideout Stefon Diggs, who had a big game for their coach's side.
Vrabel was expected to improve the situation in New England, but a win like this arrived sooner than most expected.
The Patriots defence contained Buffalo's offensive efforts during their upset road victory.
Ravens Play-off Hopes Over?
The season is becoming a disaster for Baltimore, who were without multiple key defenders as they were hammered 44-10 by the Houston Texans.
It equaled their largest loss at home, and dropping to 1-4 for the season means among the preseason Super Bowl contenders have just a small chance of making the postseason.
The Ravens are now 4-11 playing without superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson, who was hurt, but the real issue is a historically bad defense that is the primary concern - for a franchise that have been synonymous with defensive toughness historically.
The Texans strolled to victory as Baltimore became the first team in modern NFL history to concede a minimum of 37 points in four out of five games. Their season is already over.
Lions, Bucs and Colts Go 4-1
The Lions' backfield tandem Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery registered six points in the same game for the fourteenth occasion - a joint NFL record - as the Lions put away the Cincinnati Bengals 37-24.
The win made it four victories in a row for the league's top scorers Detroit, but not one against opponents with a winning record.
A more surprising 4-1 team are Indianapolis. With Jonathan Taylor scoring a hat-trick in their decisive rout of Las Vegas and signal-caller Daniel Jones looking like a transformed player, they will be a tough match for any side.
Tampa Bay entered the four-win group with a thrilling 38-35 victory in Seattle in which both teams traded nine touchdowns in 10 impressive possessions before Seattle cracked first with a late interception.
Chase McLaughlin booted the winner with the final play of the game for the second time this year. Each of Tampa Bay's wins have been secured in the last minute.
New Orleans and Tennessee Receive Assistance for First Wins
The way New Orleans and Tennessee Titans started the season, they needed help to get their first wins, and they got plenty thanks to some farcical mistakes from the New York Giants and Arizona.
After a strong opening from New York rookie Jaxson Dart, the Giants committed five turnovers - including one decisively taken back for six points - while additionally permitting Rashid Shaheed to score on a long reception as the Saints won 26-14.
The Cardinals were even worse as they blew a substantial advantage primarily due to two huge blunders.
First, Emari Demercado inexplicably dropped the football just before crossing the line for a 72-yard score.
More disastrous followed when Arizona picked off Cam Ward near their own goal line, then fumbled the ball across the goal line for Tyler Lockett to recover as the Titans ended a 10-game slide with a narrow victory.
The receiver scored one of the most farcical scores witnessed this season.
That left New York's Jets as the only winless team left in the NFL after their bruising 37-22 loss by the Cowboys.
Jayden Daniels became the initial athlete in NFL history to eclipse 4,000 passing yards and 1,000 yards rushing in his initial twenty career games as he returned from being hurt to steer Washington to a notable 27-10 victory at the Los Angeles Chargers.
The running back was the star man for the Carolina Panthers with over 200 yards on the ground 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)
