The first football Sunday of October has arrived.
With four teams on their bye week and the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings playing in London, the early slate was the lightest it has been all season so far. There were just six games at 1 p.m. ET, but there was plenty of action.
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The four games in the late window wasn't short of content, either, providing unexpected results, including a collapse in the Bay Area.
Here are the winners and losers from the Sunday action in Week 5:
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WINNER: Everyone who watched Bengals vs. Ravens
Game of the year? That's what fans were treated to during the Cincinnati Bengals vs. Baltimore Ravens battle.
The Bengals led 38-28 midway through the fourth quarter when Joe Burrow tossed his fifth touchdown. The Ravens stormed back with 10 points in the final 5:24 to force overtime. In OT, Lamar Jackson's fumble seemingly set the Bengals up to win, but Evan McPherson missed a 53-yarder when they played it safe offensively.
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On the very next play after McPherson's miss, Derrick Henry powered for a 51-yard rush to set up an easy 24-yard kick for Justin Tucker. The Ravens are now 3-2 after starting 0-2, while the Bengals are a devastating 1-4. The margin for error is virtually zero for Cincinnati the rest of the way, while the Ravens' offense has unlocked a new dimension with Henry.
LOSER: Bills collapse in the closing moments
The Buffalo Bills were primed to force overtime after previously trailing the Houston Texans 20-3. Then, it all fell apart.
An intentional grounding penalty pushing the Texans out of field goal range with 40 seconds left, and the Bills took over after a punt at their own 3-yard line. Josh Allen, who briefly left with a head injury, threw three straight incompletions and Buffalo had to punt it from their own end zone with 16 seconds left. The field position gave Houston a 59-yard field goal, which Ka'imi Fairbairn promptly nailed to seal the win.
Allen's health was obviously a concern, but his decision-making on the final drive was baffling. The game was destined for overtime, and instead it ended with a regulation loss. This is the Bills' second straight loss against an AFC contender, as they are now 3-2 on the season. The Texans, on the other hand, improved to 4-1 despite injuries to Nico Collins (injured Sunday) and Joe Mixon (missed three straight games).
WINNER: Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels have arrived
Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels looked like seasoned veterans on Sunday.
The No. 1 overall pick led the Chicago Bears to a 36-10 win over the Carolina Panthers, the team who ironically gifted Williams to the Bears with the Bryce Young trade. While Young sat on Carolina's bench, Williams had his best game as a pro. He went 20 of 29 for 304 yards and two touchdowns. D.J. Moore, who was also included in the trade, had two scores against his former team.
Daniels, meanwhile, kept things rolling in Week 5. The No. 2 overall pick picked up another victory to move the Washington Commanders to 4-1, this time beating the Cleveland Browns 34-13. This wasn't necessarily the breakout game for Daniels like it was for Williams, but that's because the LSU product has already broken out. Sunday was just a continuation of what's been a standout season.
LOSER: Everyone who watched Patriots vs. Dolphins
If you didn't catch the game between the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins, don't worry about it.
Miami came away with the 15-10 win to improve to 2-3, but it wasn't pretty. Let's start with the victors. The Dolphins had 179 passing yards, but a solid 193 rushing yards allowed them to control possession. They held the ball for over 34 minutes as Tyler Huntley scored his first victory as the Dolphins' starter.
Then there's the Patriots, who put together a pitiful offensive performance. Jacoby Brissett couldn't move the ball (18 of 34 for 160 yards), and you have to wonder when No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye will take over.
WINNER: Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars, finally
They nearly surrendered a 14-point lead in the final minutes, but the Jacksonville Jaguars held on for their first win of the season on a late field goal by Cam Little. The Indianapolis Colts fell to 2-3 with the loss.
Trevor Lawrence had his best game of the season, completing 28 of 34 passes for 371 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. The Jags led 20-10 entering the fourth quarter, but both offenses exploded in the final 15 minutes. Tank Bigsby's 65-yard score with 5:09 to play put Jacksonville ahead 34-20, then Joe Flacco uncorked two deep balls to tie the game.
Lawrence then orchestrated an eight-play drive to set up Little's 49-yard game-winning kick. The Jags were the final winless team this season, so every NFL team now has a victory in 2024. The victory also snapped Lawrence's nine-game losing streak as a starter, with his last victory prior to Sunday coming on Nov. 26, 2023.
LOSER: Kyle Shanahan, 49ers blow second double-digit lead
To think the San Francisco 49ers could be comfortable at 4-1 despite their number of injuries...but that's far from the reality. After blowing a double-digit lead and losing away to the Los Angeles Rams, the 49ers did so again just two weeks later, botching another at home to the Arizona Cardinals to fall to 2-3.
Self-inflicted wounds from lackluster playcalling, red zone conversions and turnovers all cost San Francisco, with Brock Purdy throwing two tipped interceptions and Jordan Mason fumbling late in Arizona territory.
James Conner spearheaded Arizona's attack in the second half as the 49ers' defense continued to exhibit more red flags. Kyle Shanahan's window may be closing sooner than later, and it'll be his own undoing, regardless of the injury returns on deck.
WINNER: Broncos end five-year divisional skid
Eight games and five years later, Denver finally overcame the hump of beating the Las Vegas Raiders. Bo Nix had his best game as a rookie, completing 19 of 27 passes for 206 yards, two touchdowns and no picks in the 34-18 home win. He also rushed one in.
Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce benched the struggling Gardner Minshew for second-year signal caller Aidan O'Connell, but the performances didn't differ.
Though neither team is expected to make any real noise this season, it's a positive note for Denver to possibly change the tide against its AFC West foes.
LOSER: Seahawks' contending status
Seattle generated plenty of headlines for its 3-0 start under new head coach Mike Macdonald, but things have predictably changed.
The Seahawks failed their first real test at the Detroit Lions on Monday, then sputtered at home to Daniel Jones and the New York Giants 29-20 after a potential game-tying field goal late was blocked and returned for a touchdown.
Tyrone Tracy Jr. shined on the ground for New York, rushing for 129 yards and 18 tries despite not logging a touchdown. For Seattle, Geno Smith produced a solid dual-threat effort with 73 rushing yards on four carries with 284 passing yards and a touchdown on 28 of 40 completions, but it wasn't enough.
LOSER: Rams drop to 1-4 at home
A slow second half for Sean McVay and the Rams saw them fall to 1-4 on the season, losing at home 24-19 to the Green Bay Packers.
Matthew Stafford and Kyren Williams recorded the offensive touchdowns, with one being an unorthodox three-yard pick six when Jordan Love clumsily tried avoiding a safety.
But Love managed to compensate for his mistake with the win, throwing for 224 yards on 15 of 26 completions, two touchdowns -- both to Tucker Kraft -- and the aforementioned pick. Josh Jacobs also put in a rushing touchdown on a decent ground effort on the day.
If it wasn't for the 49ers collapsing against the Rams two weeks ago, Los Angeles could've been winless through the first five weeks.
