Week 5 NFL Shocker: Eagles Fall to Broncos while Bills Succumb to Patriots
The final pair of undefeated teams in the NFL saw their perfect records shattered during week five as both the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills endured shocking losses on their own turf.
Denver's football team evolved from dark horses to front-page news following an spectacular comeback victory against the reigning Super Bowl champions Philadelphia, before hopping on a plane for this Sunday's overseas matchup.
The New England Patriots then visited Buffalo and halted the Bills' undefeated start with an impressive victory of their own in their initial national television game in twelve months.
The Baltimore Ravens experienced a third straight defeat - their defensive unit's struggles could be fatal for their postseason aspirations - while Dallas, Indianapolis, and Detroit Lions enjoyed blowout wins on another action-packed Sunday.
Broncos Defeat Title Holders
It wasn't just defeating the reigning title holders, but the manner of their comeback from 14 points down that made Denver's 21-17 victory in Philadelphia such a signature success.
The Eagles had won 10 games consecutively, 12 straight at home and 20 of their last 21 overall before Denver's signal-caller Bo Nix orchestrated two scoring drives in five fourth-quarter minutes and a last-minute field goal.
The Eagles are now 4-1 but there is significant concern about the offence, which ranks as the poorest performing in the NFL. Receiver DaVonta Smith says they are not "in sync" with quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Denver's defence, which sacked Hurts on six occasions, had much to contribute with it, and, combined 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 Upset Bills
If Denver's win was almost half expected, few predicted New England marching into Buffalo and beating Josh Allen's Bills, but they accomplished it with tremendous resilience.
A first primetime game for Drake Maye produced a breakout performance as he directed a game-winning scoring drive in the dying seconds to secure victory 23-20.
The young QB was resilient and made the right throws at the right times, several to ex-Buffalo wideout Stefon Diggs, who delivered a big game for Mike Vrabel's side.
Vrabel was anticipated 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 away win.
Baltimore Postseason Hopes Over?
This campaign is becoming a disaster for Baltimore, who were without a host of defensive stars as they were dominated 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 just a small chance of making the postseason.
Baltimore are now 4-11 when missing star QB Lamar Jackson, who was injured, but the real issue is a historically bad defense that is the real problem - for a team that have been synonymous with stout defense over the years.
Houston coasted to victory as the Ravens became the initial squad in the Super Bowl era to allow a minimum of 37 points in four of their first five contests. Their season is effectively in tatters.
Lions, Bucs and Colts Reach 4-1
The Lions' backfield tandem Gibbs and Montgomery registered a touchdown in one contest for the fourteenth occasion - a joint NFL mark - as Detroit defeated Cincinnati 37-24.
The win made it four wins consecutively for the highest-scoring team the Lions, but not one against opponents with a winning record.
A more unexpected 4-1 team are the Indianapolis Colts. With Jonathan Taylor scoring three touchdowns in their decisive hammering of the Las Vegas Raiders and quarterback Daniel Jones appearing as a transformed player, they will be a difficult opponent for any side.
Tampa Bay entered the four-win group with a mesmeric 38-35 win in Seattle in which the sides traded nine touchdowns in 10 sparkling possessions before Seattle cracked first with a final-minute turnover.
Chase McLaughlin booted the winner with the last kick of the contest for the second time this year. Each of the Bucs' wins have been secured in the last minute.
Saints and Titans Receive Assistance for First Wins
The way New Orleans and Tennessee Titans started this campaign, they needed help to get their initial victories, and they got plenty thanks to several comical mistakes from the New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals.
After a strong opening from New York rookie Jaxson Dart, the Giants committed five turnovers - one was crucially taken back for six points - while also allowing Rashid Shaheed to score on a long catch and run as the Saints prevailed 26-14.
The Cardinals were even worse as they squandered a 21-3 lead mainly thanks to two massive blunders.
Initially, Emari Demercado unexplainably dropped the football moments before reaching the end zone for a 72-yard score.
Worse was to come when Arizona intercepted Cam Ward near their own goal line, then fumbled the football into the end zone for Tyler Lockett to score as the Titans snapped a 10-game slide with a 22-21 victory.
The receiver scored one of the most farcical scores witnessed this season.
That left New York's Jets as the sole victory-less squad left in the league after their bruising 37-22 defeat 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 returned from injury to guide the Washington Commanders to a notable 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 victory over Miami.
Week 5 NFL 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)
