NFL Week Five Surprise: Eagles Fall to Broncos and Patriots Stun Bills

Football Game

The final pair of unbeaten squads in the NFL watched their flawless starts broken during week five as both the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills endured surprising home defeats.

The Denver Broncos evolved from underdogs to front-page news thanks to an spectacular rallying win against the current Super Bowl champions the Eagles, before hopping on a flight for Sunday's London contest.

New England's squad then traveled to Buffalo and halted the Bills' undefeated start with a statement win of their own in their initial national television game in a full year.

Baltimore's team experienced a third consecutive defeat - their defensive unit's struggles could be fatal for their play-off aspirations - while the Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis, and Detroit Lions enjoyed decisive victories on another eventful Sunday.

Denver Downs Champions

It wasn't just defeating the reigning title holders, but the manner of their 14-point comeback that made Denver's 21-17 victory in Philadelphia such a signature achievement.

Philadelphia had won 10 contests in a row, 12 in a row on home turf and 20 out of 21 overall before Denver's signal-caller Bo Nix orchestrated two scoring drives in five fourth-quarter minutes and a late three-pointer.

Philadelphia are currently 4-1 but there exists a big worry about their offensive unit, which sits among one of the worst in the NFL. Wideout DaVonta Smith stated they are not "in sync" 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 elite coach in Sean Payton, they possess all the components to mount a serious challenge.

The Broncos face New York's Jets at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.

Patriots on National TV Shock Buffalo

If Denver's win was almost half expected, few predicted the Patriots traveling to Buffalo and beating 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 directed a game-winning field goal drive in the final moments to secure victory 23-20.

The young QB was tough and made accurate passes at the right times, many to ex-Buffalo wideout Stefon Diggs, who had an outstanding performance for Mike Vrabel's side.

The head coach was anticipated to improve the situation in New England, but such a significant victory arrived earlier than many predicted.

Patriots Defense

New England's defensive squad bottled up Buffalo's offensive efforts during their surprising road victory.

Ravens Play-off Hopes Over?

This campaign is turning into a nightmare for the Ravens, who were without a host of defensive stars as they were hammered 44-10 by Houston's team.

It matched their largest home defeat, and falling to 1-4 for the season means among the preseason Super Bowl contenders have only a slim opportunity of reaching the play-offs.

The Ravens are currently 4-11 playing without superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson, who was hurt, but the real issue is a historically bad defensive unit that is the real problem - for a franchise that have been known for stout defense over the years.

The Texans coasted to the win as Baltimore became the initial squad in modern NFL history to allow at least 37 points in four of their first five contests. Their season is already in tatters.

Lions, Bucs and Colts Go 4-1

Detroit's backfield tandem Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery registered a touchdown in the same game for the fourteenth occasion - a joint NFL mark - as Detroit defeated Cincinnati 37-24.

Victory made it four victories in a row for the league's top scorers Detroit, but not one against teams with positive records.

A more surprising 4-1 team are the Indianapolis Colts. With Jonathan Taylor scoring three touchdowns in their decisive rout of the Las Vegas Raiders and quarterback Daniel Jones appearing as a new man, they will be a difficult opponent for any side.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers entered the 4-1 club with a mesmeric 38-35 victory in Seattle in which the sides traded nine scores in 10 impressive drives before the Seahawks faltered initially with a final-minute turnover.

The kicker kicked the game-winner with the final play of the game 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

The way New Orleans and Tennessee began the season, they required assistance to secure their first wins, and they received ample due to several comical errors from the New York Giants and Arizona.

Following a strong opening from New York rookie Jaxson Dart, the Giants made five turnovers - including one crucially taken back for six points - while additionally permitting Rashid Shaheed to find the end zone on a long reception as New Orleans prevailed 26-14.

The Cardinals were even worse as they squandered a substantial advantage mainly thanks to two huge blunders.

Initially, Emari Demercado unexplainably fumbled the football moments before reaching the end zone for a long score.

Worse was to come when the Cardinals intercepted Cam Ward near their end zone, then lost the football into the end zone for Tyler Lockett to recover as Tennessee snapped a ten-contest slide with a narrow victory.

Tyler Lockett

Tyler Lockett registered one of the most farcical scores we'll see this year.

That left New York's Jets as the only winless squad remaining in the NFL after their punishing 37-22 loss by the Cowboys.

The quarterback became the initial athlete in NFL history to eclipse 4K through the air and 1K on the ground in his initial twenty professional contests as he returned from being hurt to guide the Washington Commanders to an impressive 27-10 victory at the Los Angeles Chargers.

Rico Dowdle was the star man for Carolina 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)

Diane Cisneros
Diane Cisneros

A logistics expert with over a decade of experience in optimizing delivery networks and enhancing supply chain efficiency.