Week 5 NFL Surprise: Eagles Fall to Broncos while Patriots Stun Bills
The final pair of unbeaten squads in the NFL saw their perfect records broken during the fifth week as both the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills suffered surprising losses on their own turf.
The Denver Broncos transformed from underdogs to front-page news following an spectacular comeback victory against the current Super Bowl title holders Philadelphia, before hopping on a plane for Sunday's overseas matchup.
New England's squad then visited Buffalo and ended Buffalo's undefeated start with a statement win of their own in their first national television appearance in twelve months.
Baltimore's team suffered a third straight defeat - their defensive unit's struggles could be terminal for their play-off aspirations - while Dallas, Indianapolis, and Detroit Lions enjoyed decisive victories on yet another eventful Sunday.
Denver Downs Champions
It wasn't just beating the Super Bowl champions, but the way of their 14-point comeback that made the Broncos' win by 21-17 in Philadelphia such a defining achievement.
Philadelphia had secured 10 contests in a row, 12 straight at home and 20 out of 21 overall before Denver's signal-caller Bo Nix engineered two scoring drives in five fourth-quarter minutes and a late field goal.
Philadelphia are currently 4-1 but there is significant concern about the offence, which ranks as one of the worst in the NFL. Wideout DaVonta Smith says they are not "on the same page" with QB Jalen Hurts.
Denver's defence, which tackled Hurts on six occasions, had much to contribute with it, and, together with an established starting QB in Nix and top head coach in Sean Payton, they possess all the components to mount a legitimate playoff push.
Denver face New York's Jets at Tottenham Stadium on Sunday.
Patriots on National TV Upset Bills
If Denver's win was somewhat anticipated, nobody saw the Patriots traveling to Buffalo and defeating Josh Allen's Bills, but they did so with huge character.
Their initial national television appearance for Drake Maye delivered a breakout performance as he led a game-winning field goal drive in the final moments to secure victory 23-20.
Maye was tough and executed accurate passes at the right times, many to former Bills receiver Stefon Diggs, who had an outstanding performance for Mike Vrabel's side.
The head coach was expected to turn things around in New England, but a win like this arrived earlier than many predicted.
The Patriots defence bottled up Buffalo's offensive efforts during their upset road victory.
Baltimore Postseason Dreams Dashed?
The season is turning into a nightmare for the Ravens, who were without a host of defensive stars as they were dominated 44-10 by Houston's team.
It matched their largest loss at home, and dropping to 1-4 for this year means one of the preseason Super Bowl favourites have only a slim opportunity of making the postseason.
The Ravens are now 4-11 playing without 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 known for stout defense over the years.
Houston coasted to victory as the Ravens became the initial squad in modern NFL history to concede at least 37 points in four out of five contests. Their season is already in tatters.
Lions, Bucs and Colts Reach 4-1
Detroit's running back duo Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery scored a touchdown in one contest for the fourteenth occasion - a joint NFL mark - as the Lions put away Cincinnati 37-24.
The win made it four wins in a row for the league's top scorers Detroit, but not one against opponents with a winning record.
A more surprising 4-1 side are Indianapolis. With Jonathan Taylor scoring three touchdowns in their decisive rout of the Las Vegas Raiders and quarterback Daniel Jones looking like a transformed player, they will be a difficult opponent for any team.
Tampa Bay entered the four-win group with a mesmeric 38-35 victory in Seattle in which the sides exchanged nine touchdowns in 10 impressive possessions before Seattle cracked first with a late turnover.
The kicker kicked the game-winner with the final play of the game for his second occasion this year. Each of Tampa Bay's victories have been clinched in the last minute.
Saints and Titans Get Help for First Wins
The way New Orleans and Tennessee Titans started the season, they needed help to get their initial victories, and they got plenty thanks to several comical mistakes from New York and Arizona Cardinals.
After a good start from first-year player Jaxson Dart, New York made five giveaways - one was crucially taken back for six points - while also allowing Rashid Shaheed to score on an 87-yard catch and run as the Saints prevailed 26-14.
The Cardinals were even worse as they blew a 21-3 lead mainly thanks to two huge blunders.
Initially, Emari Demercado inexplicably fumbled the ball just before crossing the line for a long score.
More disastrous followed when Arizona picked off Cam Ward near their own goal line, then fumbled the football into the end zone for Tyler Lockett to recover as Tennessee ended a ten-contest losing streak with a 22-21 win.
The receiver scored one of the most farcical scores witnessed this year.
That left the Jets as the only winless team left in the NFL after their punishing 37-22 loss by Dallas.
Jayden Daniels became the initial athlete in NFL history to surpass 4K through the air and 1,000 yards rushing in his initial twenty career games as he returned from injury to guide Washington to an impressive 27-10 win at Los Angeles.
Rico Dowdle was the star man for Carolina with over 200 yards on the ground in their thrilling 27-24 win over Miami.
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)
