The 2020 NFL season is continuing to deliver. Week 5 was filled with incredible highs and heartbreaking lows. Let’s break down one of the wildest weeks in recent memory.
Bears 20-19 Buccaneers 
For the first time in… history, perhaps, Tom Brady had a complete lapse on the football field. The Bucs QB not knowing it was 4th down on the game’s deciding play was the culmination of a night filled with mistakes, anger, and poor play from Tampa Bay. The Bucs got off to a 13-0 start, but two TDs in the last 2 minutes of the first half from Chicago (thanks to a questionable fumble call) put the Bears right back in it. The second half was fairly back and forth as the game became a battle of field goals. Tampa’s offense looked very sluggish in the absence of WR Chris Godwin and RB Leonard Fournette, and the offensive line looked overwhelmed by a fantastic Bears front. Star LB Khalil Mack had his way with the Bucs’ tackles, much to the dismay of Tom Brady, who was barking at his offensive linemen all night long. The Bears offense and QB Nick Foles did what they needed to do when it mattered most, leading to the game-winning field goal from Cairo Santos with 73 seconds left. It was an ugly game for both sides, but it showed us a lot about these teams, especially as they head into some tough upcoming games. I’ll get into that more tomorrow.
Panthers 23-16 Falcons 
The Atlanta Falcons are finally cleaning house. After their 5th loss in 5 tries, both HC Dan Quinn and GM Thomas Dimitroff were fired. It was a move that was a long time coming as the Falcons have never been able to get their franchise back on track after 28-3. Outside of an early touchdown, it felt like Atlanta was never truly in this game, as the Panthers controlled the tempo from start to finish thanks to more great play from their offense, led by QB Teddy Bridgewater. Behind 313 yards passing and 2 touchdowns, the Panthers cruised to a close, but seemingly easy win in Atlanta. The Panthers are now on a 3 game win streak, despite being without RB Christian McCaffrey in each of those games. It has been a very impressive stretch that is a testament to the coaching of HC Matt Rhule and experience of this offense, which has come together quite nicely. The Falcons now turn to Raheem Morris as interim HC for the rest of 2020 as they try to right the ship. Or, perhaps Atlanta will tank for a QB in this year’s draft. It’s safe to say that they are firmly in the Trevor Lawrence Sweepstakes™ as one of the league’s 3 winless teams.
Raiders 40-32 Chiefs 
For the first time in his career, Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes has lost a game by more than 7 points. The Raiders walked into Arrowhead on Sunday and put on an offensive clinic. The game was a shootout from the jump, as both teams traded big play after big play en route to a 24-24 halftime score. After a scoreless 3rd quarter, the Raiders came out firing in the 4th, scoring 16 unanswered to all but ice the game. They were helped out by Mahomes throwing his first interception of the season to S Jeff Heath, who almost returned it for 6. Kansas City almost mounted an improbable comeback, but the Raiders run game picked up huge first downs to put the game away late. In the end, QB Derek Carr threw for 347 yards and 3 touchdowns, including a 72 yard bomb to 2020 1st round pick WR Henry Ruggs III. RB Josh Jacobs also added 77 yards and 2 TDs of his own. This was a return trip to Earth for the Chiefs, who had won their previous 13 games dating back to last year, including the playoffs. These are the Kansas City Chiefs, so they will be fine, but this defense did not look good at all, and the offense was struggling mightily for almost the whole second half. Meanwhile, the enigma that is the Las Vegas Raiders finally got their signature win under HC Jon Gruden. If they can keep the momentum from this game going forward this season, then the silver and black will be right in the thick of the AFC playoff race.
Cardinals 30-10 Jets 
Not much to talk about here. New York Jets very bad. Adam Gase very bad. Joe Flacco very bad. The Cardinals got back on track, as I predicted, and got good performances out of all their star players. QB Kyler Murray had another good game that was not in vain as he threw for 380 yards and a score to WR DeAndre Hopkins, who had 131 yards of his own. The Jets never had a chance in this game, as their abysmal offense could barely move at all. Perhaps they could have done more had QB Sam Darnold played, but I seriously doubt it. This is the worst team in football by a wiiiiiiiide margin, and they are seemingly getting worse by the week. Now there are talks of RB Le’Veon Bell being traded, which I’m sure Bell is dying for. The team is terrible, the culture is terrible, the coaching is terrible, and the fans are miserable. They’re probably dreaming of Trevor Lawrence more than they’re dreaming for a win.
Steelers 38-29 Eagles 
The Keystone State battle did not disappoint. There is a ton of stuff to get into from this game. Let’s start with the losing side, who put up a much better fight than I anticipated. The Eagles were often down but never out on Sunday. Each time Pittsburgh retook the lead, they were met with resistance from the Birds. RB Miles Sanders had a somewhat weird game with 80 yards and 2 TDs, with 74 of those yards and 1 of those touchdowns coming on a 74 yard touchdown in the 1st quarter. QB Carson Wentz had another one of those Carson Wentz games where he played just well enough to keep his team in the game, but still made mistakes that ended up costing his team the game. He had 2 more interceptions, with one of them leading to a Steelers touchdown that gave them a very comfortable cushion. He still threw for 258 yards and 2 touchdowns, with the once no-name WR Travis Fulgham catching 10 balls for 152 yards and a score, but it was not enough. The Steelers were too much to handle on offense, as rookie WR Chase Claypool caught 7 passes for 110 yards and 3 touchdowns, in addition to scoring another TD on the ground. QB Ben Roethlisberger had himself a game with 239 yards and 3 TDs on 80% completion. Pittsburgh’s offense, which was a major question mark for me, finally showed up to play, but their defense looked a bit suspect against a team that had no business moving the ball as well as they did. They still showed up when they needed to, but it was questionable. The Steelers are now 4-0, bit their opponents are an abysmal combined 3-15-1. Their next 2 games are against Cleveland and Baltimore. It’s time to see if this team is truly a contender or a team that beats up on the league’s worst.
Rams 30-10 Washington 
It’s official: Dwayne Haskins was not the problem. The Washington Football Team finished Sunday’s contest with 108 total yards, the 3rd lowest mark in a game in 50 years. The coaching staff, especially OC Scott Turner, is that bad. QB Kyle Allen made his first start for Washington and, quite predictably, the offense looked horrible. Allen did lead a 1st quarter TD drive that was capped with an impressive TD run, but that was about it. The story of the game was Allen being knocked out of the game with a shoulder injury after a big hit from Rams CB Jalen Ramsey, allowing Alex Smith to enter the game at QB. It was Smith’s first action since his gruesome leg injury 693 days beforehand. It was absolutely incredible to see him back on a football field, and it is a testament to how hard of a worker and how much of a fighter he is. I wasn’t the biggest fan of him as our QB, but I love him for who he is and how he never gives up. I am so happy that he was back out there, and even happier that his family got to see it live. That being said, I was holding my breath on every play. It doesn’t help at all that his offensive line decided they didn’t want to play, allowing Smith to be sacked 6 times. The team gave up a total of 8 sacks on the day in an absolutely shambolic performance by both the offense and the defense. But Dwayne Haskins was the problem. Sure. On the other side of the ball, the Rams offense looked pretty good, as it has so many times this season. They weren’t met with much resistance from the Washington defense, but I will still give them credit. QB Jared Goff had a nice, efficient game, outside of a poor interception to Washington CB Kendall Fuller. LA’s defense dominated the game for 4 quarters to help keep the game locked for the Rams. The game ended up being ugly in the second half thanks to a downpour of rain, but it was never in doubt. Rams HC Sean McVay returned to Landover and stuck it to his old team with authority, because as he knows all too well, the Washington Football Team is far too predictable.
Ravens 27-3 Bengals 
We need to get Joe Burrow an offensive line for the greater good. The Bengals rookie QB was getting battered for 60 minutes on Sunday thanks to his offensive line continuing to play like the worst in football. Burrow was sacked 7 times, and the offense could not do a thing. The Bengals were scoreless for the first 59 minutes and 28 seconds of this game for crying out loud. Cincinnati better start drafting some tackles if they want to protect Burrow, otherwise he’s in for a long career with the Bengals. Sunday’s performance was a masterful one by the Ravens defense, which is getting back into a groove. They locked up the Bengals offense all game long, including a 53 yard fumble return TD by rookie LB Patrick Queen. The Baltimore offense did its job as well, despite only 180 passing yards from QB Lamar Jackson. This team’s passing offense is arguably its biggest concern, but if the defense can keep playing at this level, then it might not matter.
Texans 30-14 Jaguars 
As I predicted, the first game without Bill O’Brien was a win for the Houston Texans. Good for them, and interim HC Romeo Crennel, who became the oldest man to ever be a HC on Sunday. Houston was in control for a large majority of the game, despite a decent outing by the Jacksonville offense. QB Gardner Minshew II had another 300 yard game with 301 and added 2 TDs. But Jacksonville could not overcome two things: the Texans passing game, and themselves. QB Deshaun Watson threw for 359 yards and 3 TDs, with 161 yards and a score going to WR Brandin Cooks. RB David Johnson also had a nice game on the ground with 96 yards on 17 carries. But more importantly, the Jaguars couldn’t get out of their own way. On an imperative 4th down late in the game, with a chance to get back into it, Jacksonville called a ridiculous trick play in which they snapped the ball directly to RB James Robinson, who fumbled the football and turned it over. I’m not sure if HC Doug Marrone or OC Jay Gruden was responsible for that, but regardless, it was inexcusable, and it costed the Jags a shot at coming back. Jacksonville has now lost their last 4 games, and coaching has been a large factor in all 4. Perhaps they should follow in the Texans’ footsteps.
Dolphins 43-17 49ers 
This one was… shocking. The Dolphins absolutely boatraced the 49ers all afternoon long on Sunday in one of the more unexpected outcomes of 2020 so far. Miami came out of the gate firing and didn’t look back for a second, leading by 14 at the end of the 1st quarter, 23 at the end of the 2nd, and winning by 26. The offense looked fantastic as QB Ryan Fitzpatrick put together another impressive performance with 350 yards and 3 touchdowns on 78.5% completion. They got whatever they wanted against a 49ers defense that played absolutely awful football. But as bad as San Francisco’s defense was, it was not nearly as bad as their offense. QB Jimmy Garoppolo played perhaps the worst game of his life with 77 yards, 2 REALLY bad INTs and 0 TDs on 7/17 passing for a whopping 15.7 passer rating. Jimmy G ended up getting benched for C.J. Beathard, who played a much better game, although it didn’t end up meaning anything. The Niners struggles are still going strong against teams not from New York, and it appears as though it might be time to make some decisions. If Garoppolo continues to play poorly and not perform like the QB that took this team to the Super Bowl just one year ago, and that this team is paying over $100 million dollars, then it might be time to move on.
Browns 32-23 Colts 
Perhaps the best game on paper in Week 5 did not disappoint. It was a fun, classic feeling game on Sunday afternoon in Cleveland. I felt that the Indianapolis defense would keep them in this game, but the Browns’ overpowering offense was the story in this game. Thanks to a great first half, the Browns were in control for a large majority of the game, despite a couple of interceptions from QB Baker Mayfield. Even the Cleveland defense showed up in a big way, picking off Colts QB Philip Rivers for a touchdown in the 3rd quarter, forcing a safety, and only allowing one offensive touchdown. We already know that the Colts offense is a bit sluggish thanks to the lack of ability that Rivers brings to the table, but Sunday showed us that this team could be so much more dangerous with a better QB. They had so many drives that ended up deep in Browns territory, but ended with 3 points due to the lack of ability to move the ball any further. The defense also played its worst game of the year, but I truly think that says more about the Cleveland offense, which has cemented itself as one of the league’s best. If this game did anything, it’s that it furthered the narratives that we already had on these teams.
Cowboys 37-34 Giants 
This was a spectacular game in Arlington on Sunday which was unfortunately highlighted by a horrific moment in recent NFL memory. Cowboys QB Dak Prescott was rolled up on after a short run and suffered a compound fracture and dislocation of his ankle in a gruesome injury that broke the hearts of players, media, and fans all across the country. I was personally very emotional for Dak, who has been through so much in his NFL career, and was so close to getting paid in a big way. Seeing him getting carted off the field in tears was just heartbreaking. We’re all praying for you, 4. At the time of the injury, the Cowboys were losing thanks to some impressive play from the Giants on both sides of the ball, highlighted by a 46 yard pick six of Prescott. Dak lead his team back from 14 down, including a wild trick play in which he caught a touchdown from WR Cedrick Wilson. Backup QB and former Cincinnati Bengal Andy Dalton came in for Dallas, and struggled for a while as the Giants retook the lead with less than 9 minutes to play. The Cowboys got a late field goal to tie the game, stopped the Giants with less than a minute to play, and the Red Rifle hit WR Michael Gallup on back to back amazing throws to set up the game-winning field goal. It was an inspiring win by a team that was absolutely devastated by the loss of their franchise QB. Dallas now sits atop the NFC East at 2-3, and I think they’re in very good hands with Dalton. The Giants are now 0-5 and still very much a contender in the Trevor Lawrence Sweepstakes™. It was their best game of the year, but it still wasn’t enough. Next up for them is Washington, in what might be one of the worst games you will ever see.
Seahawks 27-26 Vikings 
Russell Wilson did it again. As if there were any doubt. The Seahawks looked absolutely lethargic for over a half of football as they could barely move the football against a Vikings team that was not scared of the challenge. The Minnesota offense was churning on both the ground and through the air as they jumped out to a 13-0 lead. The Seahawks drove for a touchdown for their first points of the game, then were gifted a short field on a fumble, scored another touchdown, and then were gifted another short field on a spectacular INT of Cousins by LB K.J. Wright, and scored another touchdown to take a 21-13 lead in the blink of an eye. Three TDs in two minutes from a team that couldn’t buy a point in the first half got them right back into it. Cousins responded with an impressive drive ending in a TD to Adam Thielen, then hit Thielen for another touchdown with 7 minutes left in the game to put the Vikings in the driver’s seat. The ball was back in Wilson’s hands, and everyone expected the Seahawks to take the lead right back led by the most clutch player in football. But shockingly, Russ threw a sloppy interception to seemingly seal Seattle’s fate. All Minnesota needed was a few first downs. The Vikings got inside the redzone and were stopped short of the line to gain, and facing 4th and inches, had two choices: go for it and end the game with a first down or kick a field goal to take an 8 point lead with less than 2 minutes to play. HC Mike Zimmer preposterously chose the former, and the Vikings were stopped. Russell Wilson had a chance at redemption, and did not make the same mistakes twice. On a 4th and 10 with his back to his own endzone, he hit WR D.K. Metcalf on a beautiful deep ball down the left sideline. He drove his team all the way down to the goal line with about 30 seconds to play, but Seattle couldn’t punch it in on 3 straight plays. Facing 4th down with 15 seconds left, Wilson found Metcalf again for the game-winning touchdown. It was another game-winning drive led by Wilson, who is always built for the moment. The Seahawks were outplayed all night long, but Russ somehow managed to snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat to lead his team to 5-0. He is firmly in the lead for this season’s MVP. It’s not even close.
Saints 30-27 Chargers 
For the first time in 2020, I got the exact score of a game right in a prediction! I definitely didn’t expect the game to go the way it went in terms of how badly the Chargers blew it, but still, it feels nice to be exactly right. The Chargers came out firing on all cylinders led by rookie QB Justin Herbert, who threw 3 first half TDs to lead his team to a 20-3 lead. Herbert looked as mobile and as strong as ever, and his arm was dropping jaws all across America. New Orleans’ offense looked lifeless as QB Drew Brees struggled for almost the entire first half, highlighted by a very poor interception that led to a touchdown for LA. The Saints reached the endzone right at the end of the half to cut the lead to 10, and cut it to 7 in the 3rd. Brees found TE Jared Cook on a beautiful deep ball in the 4th to tie the game, and the Chargers’ lead was officially blown (again). Both defenses held up for almost the rest of the quarter, but on a pivotal 3rd down with less than 4 minutes left, the Saints secondary blew their coverage on Chargers WR Mike Williams who was wide open and walked into the endzone for a go-ahead touchdown with 3:40 left. The rookie delivered again as he did all night for his 4th touchdown of the game. But, this is the Chargers, so of course they had to blow it. The Saints drove right down the field and tied the game on a Taysom Hill touchdown run with 52 seconds left. But even then, the former Oregon QB didn’t give up. Herbert led his team down the field and set up a potential game-winning field goal, but kicker Michael Badgley doinked it off the right upright, and the game went to overtime. In OT, the Saints took the lead on a field goal, and after a big drop by Chargers rookie WR K.J. Hill, stopped LA on 4th down to win it. It was another blown lead by LA, who has now lost their last 4 games despite deserving to win each game. Herbert is still winless as a starter, but should be undefeated. The rookie shut up any and all doubters with 264 yards and 4 touchdowns, but even he isn’t good enough to stop the Chargers from being the Chargers.
Titans 42-16 Bills 
Tuesday night’s battle of undefeateds showed us quite a bit about each of these teams. The Tennessee Titans aren’t the flashiest or the most exciting, but they just win games. Everyone on the team does their job and it works to perfection. Tennessee was in control from start to finish as both their offense and defense executed from start to finish. CB Malcolm Butler picked off Bills QB Josh Allen twice, RB Derrick Henry was running people over and throwing people off him like they were JV players, and QB Ryan Tannehill put up another efficient and dominant game. HC Mike Vrabel’s squad does their job week in and week out, winning games and shutting down great teams, even dating back to last year. Even with their COVID-19 issues, they put together a masterclass against a Bills team that is very good. This Titans team is certainly one of the league’s best, and now they have put the NFL on notice with this huge win in primetime. This isn’t the end of the world for Buffalo, but they definitely need to tighten up as they take on the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday evening.
All stats taken from ESPN.
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