NFL Week Five Shocker: Broncos Upset Eagles and Patriots Stun Bills
The last two undefeated teams in the NFL saw their perfect records shattered during the fifth week as the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills endured shocking losses on their own turf.
The Denver Broncos evolved from dark horses to front-page news following an impressive rallying win against the current Super Bowl champions the Eagles, before hopping on a plane for Sunday's London matchup.
The New England Patriots then visited Buffalo and halted Buffalo's undefeated start with an impressive victory of their own in their initial national television appearance in a full year.
Baltimore's team suffered a third consecutive loss - their defensive woes could be terminal for their play-off hopes - while the Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis, and Detroit enjoyed decisive victories on yet another eventful Sunday.
Denver Downs Title Holders
Not only was it defeating the Super Bowl champions, but the manner of their 14-point comeback that made Denver's win by 21-17 in Philadelphia such a signature achievement.
Philadelphia had won 10 contests consecutively, 12 in a row on home turf and 20 of their last 21 overall before Broncos quarterback Bo Nix engineered two touchdowns in five fourth-quarter minutes and a last-minute three-pointer.
Philadelphia are currently 4-1 but there is significant concern about the offence, which ranks as one of the worst in the league. Wideout DaVonta Smith stated they are not "in sync" with quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Denver's defence, which tackled Hurts six times, had much to contribute with it, and, combined with an established starting QB in Nix and top head coach in Sean Payton, they possess all the components to mount a serious challenge.
Denver meet the New York Jets at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.
Primetime Patriots Shock Buffalo
If Denver's win was almost half expected, nobody saw New England traveling to Buffalo and defeating Josh Allen's Bills, but they accomplished it with tremendous resilience.
A first primetime game for Drake Maye delivered a breakout performance as he directed a game-winning scoring drive in the final moments to secure victory 23-20.
Maye was tough and executed the right throws at the right times, many to former Bills receiver 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 came sooner than most expected.
The Patriots defence contained Buffalo's offensive efforts during their upset road victory.
Baltimore Postseason Dreams Dashed?
The season is becoming a disaster for the Ravens, who were without a host of defensive stars as they were dominated 44-10 by the Houston Texans.
It equaled their largest home defeat, and falling to 1-4 for this year means one of the pre-season Super Bowl favourites have only a slim opportunity of reaching the postseason.
The Ravens are currently 4-11 playing without star QB Lamar Jackson, who was hurt, but it is a historically bad defense that is the primary concern - for a team that have been synonymous with defensive toughness over the years.
The Texans strolled to the win as Baltimore became the first team in modern NFL history to allow at least 37 points in four of their first five contests. Their campaign is already in tatters.
Lions, Bucs and Colts Go 4-1
The Lions' backfield tandem Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery registered a touchdown in one contest for the fourteenth occasion - a shared NFL mark - as Detroit put away the Cincinnati Bengals 37-24.
Victory 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 their star running back scoring three touchdowns in their decisive rout of the Las Vegas Raiders and signal-caller Daniel Jones appearing as a transformed player, they will be a tough match for any side.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers entered the 4-1 club with a mesmeric 38-35 win in Seattle in which both teams traded nine scores in 10 impressive possessions before the Seahawks faltered initially with a late interception.
The kicker kicked the winner with the last kick of the contest for the second time this season. All four of the Bucs' wins have been clinched in the last minute.
Saints and Titans Receive Assistance for Initial Victories
Given how the New Orleans Saints and Tennessee Titans began the season, they needed help to secure their initial victories, and they got plenty due to some farcical mistakes from the New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals.
Following a good start from first-year player Jaxson Dart, New York made five giveaways - one was crucially taken back for six points - while additionally permitting Rashid Shaheed to score on a long reception as the Saints prevailed 26-14.
The Cardinals were more disastrous as they squandered a substantial advantage mainly due to two huge mistakes.
First, Emari Demercado unexplainably fumbled the ball moments before reaching the end zone for a long touchdown.
More disastrous followed when Arizona intercepted Cam Ward near their own goal line, then fumbled the ball into the end zone for Tyler Lockett to recover as Tennessee snapped a 10-game slide with a narrow victory.
The receiver scored one of the most farcical scores witnessed this season.
This left the Jets as the only winless team left in the NFL after their punishing 37-22 loss by Dallas.
The quarterback became the initial athlete in NFL history to surpass 4K through the air and 1K on the ground in his initial twenty professional contests as he returned from injury to guide Washington to a notable 27-10 victory at Los Angeles.
The running back was the star man for the Carolina Panthers with over 200 yards on the ground in their exciting 27-24 victory 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)