NFL Week Five Surprise: Eagles Fall to Broncos while Bills Succumb to Patriots
The last two unbeaten teams in the NFL watched their flawless starts broken during week five as both the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills endured shocking losses on their own turf.
The Denver Broncos transformed from underdogs to headline-makers following an spectacular comeback victory against the reigning Super Bowl champions Philadelphia, before hopping on a flight for this Sunday's London matchup.
New England's squad then traveled to Buffalo and halted the Bills' perfect record with a statement win of their own in their initial primetime appearance in a full year.
Baltimore's team suffered a third straight defeat - their defensive woes could be terminal for their play-off aspirations - while Dallas, Indianapolis Colts, and Detroit Lions celebrated blowout wins on yet another action-packed Sunday.
Broncos Defeat Champions
It wasn't just beating the reigning title holders, but the manner of their comeback from 14 points down that made the Broncos' 21-17 victory in Philadelphia such a signature achievement.
The Eagles had secured 10 games consecutively, 12 in a row on home turf and 20 of their last 21 overall before Broncos quarterback Bo Nix orchestrated two touchdowns in the final five minutes and a last-minute field goal.
The Eagles are currently 4-1 but there is a big worry about their offensive unit, which ranks as one of the worst in the NFL. Wideout DaVonta Smith stated they are not "on the same page" with quarterback Jalen Hurts.
The Broncos' defensive unit, which sacked Hurts on six occasions, had a lot to do with the outcome, and, together with a genuine franchise quarterback in Nix and elite coach in Sean Payton, they have all the ingredients to launch a serious challenge.
The Broncos face New York's Jets at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.
Primetime Patriots Shock Buffalo
Should the Broncos' victory was almost half expected, few predicted New England traveling to Buffalo and defeating Josh Allen's Bills, but they did so 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 secure victory 23-20.
Maye was resilient and made the right throws at crucial moments, several to ex-Buffalo wideout Stefon Diggs, who delivered an outstanding performance for Mike Vrabel's team.
Vrabel was anticipated to turn things around in New England, but a win like this came earlier than many predicted.
New England's defensive squad bottled up Buffalo's offensive efforts during their upset road victory.
Baltimore Postseason Dreams Dashed?
This campaign is becoming a disaster for Baltimore, who were missing multiple key defenders as they were dominated 44-10 by Houston's team.
It matched their largest home defeat, and falling to 1-4 for the season means one of the pre-season Super Bowl contenders have only a slim chance of making the postseason.
Baltimore are currently 4-11 playing without superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson, who was hurt, but the real issue is an exceptionally poor defense that is the real problem - for a team that have been known for defensive toughness historically.
The Texans coasted to victory as Baltimore became the first team in modern NFL history to allow a minimum of 37 points in four out of five games. Their season is effectively in tatters.
Lions, Bucs and Colts Go 4-1
Detroit's running back duo Gibbs and Montgomery registered a touchdown in the same game for the 14th time - a joint NFL record - as Detroit defeated Cincinnati 37-24.
The win made it four victories in a row for the league's top scorers the Lions, but none against teams with a winning record.
A more surprising 4-1 side are the Indianapolis Colts. With Jonathan Taylor running in a hat-trick in their 40-6 rout of Las Vegas and signal-caller Daniel Jones appearing as a transformed player, they will be a difficult opponent for any team.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers joined the four-win group with a mesmeric 38-35 victory in Seattle in which the sides exchanged nine touchdowns in 10 impressive possessions before the Seahawks cracked first with a final-minute turnover.
The kicker booted the game-winner with the last kick of the game for his second occasion this year. All four of the Bucs' victories have been clinched in the last minute.
New Orleans and Tennessee Receive Assistance for Initial Victories
Given how New Orleans and Tennessee began the season, they needed help to get their initial victories, and they received ample thanks to several comical mistakes from the New York Giants and Arizona.
Following a good start from first-year player Jaxson Dart, the Giants made five giveaways - including one crucially taken back for six points - while also allowing Rashid Shaheed to score on an 87-yard reception as New Orleans prevailed 26-14.
Arizona were even worse as they blew a 21-3 lead mainly thanks to two massive blunders.
First, Emari Demercado unexplainably fumbled the ball just before reaching the end zone for a 72-yard touchdown.
Worse was to come when the Cardinals picked off Cam Ward close to their end zone, then lost the ball into the end zone for Tyler Lockett to score as Tennessee ended a 10-game slide with a narrow win.
The receiver registered among the most bizarre scores we'll see this season.
That left the Jets as the only winless team left in the NFL after their punishing 37-22 defeat by the Cowboys.
Jayden Daniels became the initial athlete in NFL history to surpass 4K through the air and 1K on the ground in his first 20 professional contests as he came back from being hurt to guide Washington to a notable 27-10 win at the Los Angeles Chargers.
Rico Dowdle was the standout performer for the Carolina Panthers with over 200 yards on the ground in their exciting 27-24 victory 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)
