NFL Week 5 Winners, Losers: 49ers Fade Again vs. Cardinals originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The first football Sunday of October has arrived.
With four teams in their bye week and the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings playing in London, the early slate was the lightest of the entire season so far. There were only six games at 1:00 PM ET, but there was plenty of action.
The four late-period games also had no shortage of content and produced unexpected results, including a collapse in the Bay Area.
These are the winners and losers of the Sunday promotion in week 5:
WINNER: Anyone who watched the Bengals vs. Ravens looked
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 threw his fifth touchdown. The Ravens stormed back with 10 points in the final 5:24 to force overtime. In OT, Lamar Jackson’s fumble set the Bengals up for the win, but Evan McPherson missed a 53-yarder as they played it safe offensively.
On the very next play after McPherson’s miss, Derrick Henry provided a 51-yard rush to set up an easy 24-yard punt 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 the rest of the way for Cincinnati, while the Ravens’ offense has unlocked a new dimension with Henry.
LOSER: Bills collapse in the closing moments
The Buffalo Bills were ready to force overtime after previously trailing the Houston Texans 20-3. Then it all fell apart.
An intentional grounding penalty pushed the Texans out of field goal range with 40 seconds left, and the Bills took over on a punt on their own 3-yard line. Josh Allen, who left briefly with a head injury, threw three incompletions in a row and Buffalo had to punt the ball from its own end zone with 16 seconds left. The field position gave Houston a 59-yard field goal, which Ka’imi Fairbairn promptly scored to seal the victory.
Allen’s health was obviously a concern, but his decision-making on the final drive was baffling. The match was destined for extra time and instead ended with a regular defeat. This is the Bills’ second straight loss to 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 on 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 victory over the Carolina Panthers, the team that ironically gave Williams to the Bears with the Bryce Young trade. While Young was on Carolina’s bench, Williams had his best game as a pro, going 20 of 29 for 304 yards and two touchdowns. DJ Moore, who was also in the trade, scored twice against his former team.
Daniels, meanwhile, kept things moving in Week 5. The No. 2 overall pick picked up another win to move the Washington Commanders to 4-1, this time defeating 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 a standout season.
LOSER: Anyone who watched Patriots vs. Dolphins watched
If you didn’t watch the game between the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins, don’t worry about it.
Miami came away with the 15-10 win and improved 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 more than 34 minutes as Tyler Huntley scored his first win as the Dolphins’ starter.
Then there are the Patriots, who are putting up a dismal offensive performance. Jacoby Brissett couldn’t move the ball (18 of 34 for 160 yards), and you have to wonder when Drake Maye, No. 3 overall, will take over.
WINNER: Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars, finally
They nearly gave up a 14-point lead in the final minutes, but the Jacksonville Jaguars held on for their first win of the season on a late Cam Little field goal. 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 last winless team this season, so every NFL team now has a win in 2024. The win also snapped Lawrence’s nine-game losing streak as a starter, with his last win before Sunday coming on November 26, 2023.
LOSER: 49ers Kyle Shanahan has second double-digit lead
To think that the San Francisco 49ers could feel comfortable at 4-1 despite their injury woes…but that’s far from reality. After blowing a double-digit lead and losing to the Los Angeles Rams, the 49ers did it again just two weeks later, blowing another at home against the Arizona Cardinals to fall to 2-3.
Self-inflicted wounds from lame play calling, 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 led Arizona’s offense in the second half as the 49ers’ defense showed more and more red flags. Kyle Shanahan’s window may close sooner or later, and it will be his own demise regardless of the injury’s return to deck.
WINNER: Broncos end five-year division skid
Eight games and five years later, Denver finally overcame the challenge 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 victory. He rushed one in too.
Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce benched struggling Gardner Minshew for second-year signal caller Aidan O’Connell, but the performance was no different.
While neither team is expected to make any real noise this season, it’s a positive note for Denver to potentially turn the tide against its AFC West foes.
LOSER: The Seahawks’ contending status
Seattle made a lot 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, sputtering at home against Daniel Jones and the New York Giants 29-20 after a potential tying field goal was blocked late and returned for a touchdown.
Tyrone Tracy Jr. shined on the ground for New York, rushing for 129 yards and 18 attempts despite not recording 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.
