NFL 2026 RECAP: WEEK FIVE

So, are you tired of the NFL season yet? Nope? Good. Because there were a lot of shocks and surprises this week. The Chiefs and Panthers got to kick back and watch all the chaos on their bye week. Everyone else was ready to duke it out. Let’s do a deep dive and watch more than just Seven Wonders from this week (huh, early Stevie Nicks reference this week, but it’s also a Fleetwood Mac reference, too, so…bonus!).

BUCCANEERS 24 – COWBOYS 16

Didn’t think I’d do this early either, but…HOLY MOLE HOLES! I don’t know how, but with an undrafted rookie quarterback, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Dallas Cowboys for their first win of the season. So, now we have to take a look at this rookie from nowhere. Jalon Daniels, a rookie from Lawndale, CA and went to Kansas for school completed 19 of 25 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown. Daniels’ arm also came alive with the deep ball — something we’ve seldom seen this season from him or Mayfield — connecting with wide receiver Tez Johnson on a corner route for a 64-yard reception. Now, obviously the Buccaneers face long odds to even get to .500, but getting that first win of the season is always great to get and it gives them the opportunity to actually do it. The Buccaneers host the Steelers next week. As for the Cowboys, they have no one to blame but themselves. Thursday’s loss to the Buccaneers is one of the worst in recent memory in part because the Buccaneers entered the game 0-4, starting an undrafted rookie quarterback and missing one of their best defenders. I don’t know what to make of the Cowboys. One week they are coming from behind against the Texans, and the next they flounder against a middling team like the Commanders. Unless something changes, the Cowboys are going nowhere in a hurry. The Cowboys go on the road next week against the Packers on Sunday Night Football.

EAGLES 17 – JAGUARS 19

Two games in a row…HOLY MOLE HOLES! What a wild way to end our second week in London. In one of the wildest endings I’ve ever seen, the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are quickly become a favorite team in London because of their annual trips there, squeaked out a win against the Philadelphia Eagles on a walk-off 57-yard field goal. Kicker Cam Little was the hero in kicking that monster field goal to break the Eagle’s hearts. Little sprinted from midfield into the opposite end zone with his teammates in pursuit and struck a Jude Bellingham-style arms wide celebration in tribute to the England and Real Madrid star. Now, let’s slow the roll here, because the Jaguars could have easily shot themselves in the foot and lost this game. Thirteen penalties, failing to score despite having the ball at the 1-yard line, dropping a touchdown pass, missing a PAT because of a bad snap…you try and win any game making those self-inflicted mistakes. Hard, isn’t it? The Jaguars weren’t that sloppy in the first three weeks and had two blowout wins. It must stop or their success will. The Jaguars aren’t going anywhere as they will play in the final London game against the Texans. As for the Eagles, should they let their defense do more to carry this team? It might not have a choice. The Eagles were working with primarily backups on the offensive line for most of the day and are dealing with injuries to a number of playmakers, including Saquon Barkley, DeVonta Smith and Tank Bigsby. The Eagles are banged up and in a 2-3 hole to start the season. These are bad odds, and the Eagles need something to get the cards to flip back in their favor or prepare for another disappointing season. The Eagles return home to the US of A to host the red-hot Panthers, who are fresh off their bye and off one of the best performances from a wide receiver, Tetairoa McMillan, this year.

CHARGERS 17 – BRONCOS 23

This is getting old for a lot of LA fans, but the Los Angeles Chargers are still winless after falling to the Denver Broncos. If the Chargers were going to turn things around, this was the week to do it as the Broncos went into this game facing similar offensive problems and a tendency to have pitifully slow starts. But with a sputtering offense, star quarterback Justin Herbert doesn’t have much to work with. Before the game, Broncos head coach Sean Payton announced he would take over as playcaller. Did it make any difference? I’m going to have to be brutally honest and say no. Payton’s return as the playcaller was a choppy affair at best. The Broncos still struggled on third down, converting on one of their first 11 attempts. The run game was abysmal, and quarterback Bo Nix still looks unsettled much of the time. Wide receiver Jaylen Waddle slamming his helmet on the bench in the fourth quarter after yet another three-and-out really summed up the afternoon. And if more time is what the Broncos want to figure it all out, they won’t get it as they play on Thursday Night Football, hosting the defending champion Seahawks who have a major chip on their shoulder. Okay, I’ve procrastinated long enough, let’s cover the Chargers. Four rookies started on the offensive line: Jake Slaughter, Alex Harkey, Logan Taylor and Travis Burke. There were some highs from the group, but there were far more lows. They struggled to open many gaps in the run game, with the Chargers’ RBs getting stuffed on nine of 28 rushing attempts. Justin Herbert was sacked just once in the first half before being taken down four times in the second half — including on the game’s final drive. This season has been an unmitigated failure for the Chargers. It’s pretty clear to me…the front office is on a major hot seat. The Chargers go on the road to face the Chiefs next week.

VIKINGS 23 – SAINTS 13

Wow, how about them Vikings? The Minnesota Vikings won again to stay perfect over the New Orleans Saints. There are many who never imagined the Vikings starting 5-0, myself included. Now the Vikings have forced themselves into the Super Bowl conversation. And the Vikings were relieved to have Justin Jefferson back, catching 6 of his 7 targets for 79 yards and a touchdown. Their offense continues to mystify, losing two red-zone fumbles Sunday. But their defense has locked down opponents all season; the Saints managed just 142 total yards. Whatever the Vikings are doing…it’s working, and at the end of the day…that’s all that matters. The Vikings have a bye next week, but they’ll be back after that to face the Colts. But I do have to ask…what happened to the Saints? The Saints put together their a third sloppy game on offense this season. Fourth-quarter turnovers doomed them against the Raiders in Week 3, while running backs rushed for only 50 yards and had a fumble against the Falcons in Week 4. Things didn’t get better against the Vikings’ dominant defense, with Tyler Shough throwing two interceptions and the run game practically nonexistent again. This is an offense that came roaring out of the gate and has now come to a screeching halt. They need to figure out how to win again, and fast. The Saints go on the road next week to face the Giants.

BEARS 7 – PACKERS 31

I had a feeling the Chicago Bears were in trouble against the Green Bay Packers without Caleb Williams, but this was ridiculous. The Bears, in mourning for the loss of former coach Mike Ditka, were utterly destroyed by the Packers. This won’t make up for last season’s playoff loss, but the Packers put together their best performance of 2026. They have their first winning streak of the season and are now tied with the Bears for second in the NFC North at 3-2. It’s a good thing the Packers’ passing game is so good, because they still don’t have a run game. Nevertheless, the Packers needed this win badly against one of their most hated rivals. However, the two will face each other again on Christmas, and Williams should be back by then. For now, the Packers play on Sunday Night Football next week when they host the Cowboys. As for the Bears, they have a quarterback problem. Tyson Bagent went 12-of-21 for 87 yards and two interceptions before he was benched in the fourth quarter. It didn’t seem like the Bears trusted him to throw downfield, as he averaged 6.3 air yards per attempt and 2.4 air yards per completion. Keenum wasn’t much better, throwing a red zone interception and losing a fumble. There is only one cure for this putrid offense: they need Caleb Williams back. He has returned to practice, but we don’t know how long until he starts playing again. The Bears will hold their breath as they go on the road next week to face the Falcons.

RAIDERS 17 – PATRIOTS 45

I’m not sure what happened to the Raiders, but now they’re on a losing streak. The Las Vegas Raiders were routed this week by the New England Patriots. As badly as the Raiders wanted to rebound against that controversial loss last week, the Patriots needed a win just as badly. So, what turned around for the turnover-prone Drake Maye. Well, Maye had plenty of protection this week, as the Raiders pressured Maye on only two of his 17 dropbacks (17%). However, the Patriots shouldn’t get too excited as the Raiders’ defense clearly leaves a lot to be desired. Another thing to watch is the Patriots are dealing with an injury bug. RB TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) and starting LT Will Campbell (right knee) were knocked out of the game in a span of three plays in the second quarter. The Patriots already entered the game without four CBs and have placed a total of 19 players on injured reserve this season. It’s a trend to watch as the Patriots host the Jets next week. Record-wise, the Raiders are still in good shape (3-2). But their upcoming schedule isn’t kind. Las Vegas’ next two games are at home, but those matchups are against the Bills and Rams. That’s why a win on Sunday was so important. With a victory, the Raiders would at least have an above-.500 record by Week 8. Now, the Raiders’ season could take a downward turn. If the Raiders are to get out of these next two games alive, they need both their offensive and defensive linemen to step up. The bright spot is that we finally saw rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza in a game. The No. 1 pick’s NFL debut didn’t come at the prettiest time, but he did some good things during his first career drive. Mendoza completed 6 of 8 passes for 48 yards. He led the offense to the red zone, where he was stopped short of the first-down marker on fourth-and-3. The Raiders’ gauntlet starts next week hosting the Bills.

BENGALS 31 – DOLPHINS 24

Well, it wasn’t a pretty win for the Cincinnati Bengals, but a win is a win. It was a good try by the Miami Dolphins, but that first win of the season remains elusive. The Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase connection never seems to fail for the Cincinnati Bengals. Chase missed practice time this week after suffering a concussion last Sunday against Jacksonville, but that didn’t stop the All-Pro receiver from coming down with a highlight-reel, one-handed touchdown on a 45-yard throw from Burrow. When these two are firing on all cylinders, the Bengals’ offense is as good as any other in the league. Did the Bengals find something in the run game? It sure looks like it. Much like in 2022, when the Bengals ripped up their running scheme to be more straightforward and downhill. And the direct approach worked. Samaje Perine spearheaded the rushing attack with 14 carries for 68 yards. Chase Brown also found some success after a rough couple of weeks. Granted, they could use some tweaks and maybe the lines on both sides of the ball could use some slight reinforcement, but the foundations are there to make a truly great offense. The Bengals have a week off next week for their bye, but they’ll be back to face the Ravens on the road after that. Looking at the Dolphins, who is to blame for QB Malik Willis’ early struggles? There’s a multitude of reasons. First, Sunday was his 11th career start and he’s still developing at this level. There were flashes throughout the game, but his first half was ugly, and his biggest flaw might be his willingness to extend every play for as long as he can. At the same time, his receivers struggled to create separation, and the offense doesn’t seem comfortable when Willis is buying time. So, the answer is like the third ending of the 1985 movie Clue: it’s nearly everyone’s fault. Like the Bengals, the Dolphins have a bye next week. They need it if they are going to figure out how to get their first win of the season. When the Dolphins return, they will be on the road against the Jets.

TEXANS 26 – TITANS 3

Going into this game, both the Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans were winless at 0-4. Something had to give…someone had to get their first win of the season. Fortunately, someone did…because no one wants a tie. The Texans found the offensive and defensive groove that had been missing all season to rout the Titans. Interestingly, this is the second straight season that the Texans’ first win of the year comes at the Titans’ expense. The Texans are approaching a pretty favorable part of their schedule, which means they could go on a run. They face the Giants, who are down to a backup quarterback, have a bye, and then they get a sputtering Chargers team. That’s two games closer to the top than where they were going into this game. But first things first. Before that three-week span, the Texans fly across the pond to face the red-hot Jaguars in London next week. What about the Titans? Is there any hope for this team? Well, coming into Sunday, the Titans’ offense ranked 31st in points per game (13.8) and last in yards (261.3). Those numbers dropped even further against the Texans, as Tennessee scored three points and gained 187 yards. The offense continues to lack an identity, which puts the defense in bad positions. Two turnovers in the second quarter gave Houston the ball in plus territory, leading to six points. So, is there hope? Well…I never want to be a downer, but it’s hard for anyone to see the Titans getting themselves out of this situation. The Titans will be on the road next week against the Colts.

COLTS 22 – STEELERS 34

I am not sure what lit the fire under running back Jaylen Warren in this game, but the Pittsburg Steelers are grateful for it. The Steelers defeated the Indianapolis Colts to stay above .500 with a 3-2 record. Let’s break down Warren’s incredible game. The Steelers’ running back had 15 carries for 101 rushing yards and a touchdown. But that’s not all! Warren also caught all 6 of his targets for 87 receiving yards and yet another touchdown. But this raises an interesting question: how will the Steelers use RB Rico Dowdle when he returns? Coach Mike McCarthy has been clear: He wants a two-back system. But during Dowdle’s three-game injury absence, Jaylen Warren has been on fire as the team’s lead back, and this game was proof of that. McCarthy can say he wants a balanced workload all he wants, but he would be a fool not to ride the hot hand here. The Steelers will look to continue their momentum on the road next week against the Buccaneers. Looking at the Colts, those problems on defense came back to bite them again. The Colts might have felt a false sense of security after facing a struggling Texans offense two weeks ago and a third-string quarterback against the Commanders last Sunday. This performance against the Steelers suggests the defensive issues that plagued the Colts early in the season remain unaddressed: defending passes in the middle of the field and an alarming number of missed tackles. The Colts are far from getting everything under control, and they need fixing ASAP. Next week, the Colts will host the Titans for a chance to right the ship.

BROWNS 12 – JETS 17

HOLY MOLE HOLES! In a stunning upset, the New York Jets got a close win over the Cleveland Browns. It was a win the Jets needed, and they really don’t care how ugly this win was. With his hot seat getting hotter, the Jets’ second-year coach needed this one badly. It snapped a three-game losing streak and provided his first win over an opponent with a winning record. Previously, he was 0-8 in those games. As hard as they tried to give it away…with two turnovers and 10 penalties (yikes!)…the Jets managed to pull it out, thanks to the Browns’ botched punt late in the game. Now the Jets will try for two wins in a row with a road game next week against the division rival Patriots. As for the Browns…what happened? They went into this game 3-1 with some impressive wins on their resume. Then they go into a free fall and end up shut down by the Jets. If the Browns want to field a consistent offense to complement their sturdy defense, they must run the ball more consistently. Quarterback Deshaun Watson’s rushing yardage (40) nearly matched that of running back Quinshon Judkins (44), who averaged just 3.1 yards per carry. The struggles on the ground led to too many third-and-long situations, where the Browns struggled with the Jets’ pressure looks. The next game for the Browns is next week when they host their bitter rivals, the Ravens.

GIANTS 27 – COMMANDERS 27

Oh my god, I literally just said earlier in this article: no one wants a tie! That’s why the NFL got rid of them long ago. The New York Giants and Washington Commanders’ failures on both sides of the ball resulted in our first tie of the season. Jayden Daniels’ return to the lineup, for just under 70 minutes of game time, looked to be exactly what the Commanders were hoping for. Then came overtime. Daniels took off on an ill-advised scramble in the closing seconds that led to terrible clock management that cost the Commanders the game. You see, the Commanders had no timeouts left and couldn’t spike the ball to stop the clock before it hit zero. Don’t get me wrong, the Giants could have lost this game, too. They had to rally from a 14-point deficit to even force the game into overtime. Giants running back Cam Skattebo had a crucial fumble with less than two minutes remaining in overtime when the Giants were in field-goal range. My final verdict…neither team deserved to win this game, and that’s just sad. The Giants host the Saints next week, while the Commanders go on the road to face the undefeated (and banged up) 49ers.

LIONS 45 – CARDINALS 21

The Detroit Lions were on the brink of a possible lost season. So, forgive them if they felt the need to utterly obliterate the Arizona Cardinals. Going into this, the Lions were probably one of the worst 2-2 teams in the league after four straight shaky performances. Jared Goff threw three touchdown passes, Jahmyr Gibbs added 151 yards rushing and two more scores. The Lions’ defense rose to the occasion after entering the week with a league-worst 31.8 points allowed per game and defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard under fire. After giving up a touchdown on the Cardinals’ opening drive, the defense adjusted and allowed just 14 points before a late touchdown when the game had already been decided. The Lions have a bye next week to see what went right and wrong in this game, and then they’ll be back to host the Packers. As for the Cardinals, I fail to see how the Cardinals can afford to keep giving up 30 or so points per game. They were lucky to face a worse-than-expected Chargers team in Week One, otherwise the Cardinals might be 0-5 right now. But with the stretch of schedule coming up that includes games against the Rams (twice), Broncos, Cowboys, Seahawks and the Chiefs, the Cardinals can’t keep putting up this type of performance. As stated above, the Cardinals face the Rams on the road next week as part of that intimidating gauntlet.

49ERS 32 – SEAHAWKS 29

Man, this might be the best game of the year so far. In a game filled with fireworks, the San Francisco 49ers kept their perfect streak alive against the defending champion Seattle Seahawks. In a game this great, the question becomes: where do you start to tell this story? This was a long time coming, since the 49ers wanted payback after the Seahawks bounced them out of the playoffs last year in a 41-6 rout. This was another case of a bitter rivalry between two divisional foes as things got heated. San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw was ejected after head-butting Seattle’s Ernest Jones IV. The infraction came in the second quarter on Sunday, when Sam Darnold scrambled and was hit late by Greenlaw after going out of bounds, leading to a personal foul. Several Seahawks defenders immediately confronted Greenlaw after the hit and Greenlaw responded by head-butting Jones, who wasn’t wearing a helmet. Jones was bleeding after the hit and Greenlaw was ejected. But the 49ers needed someone to come up clutch and boy did Mike Evans deliver. Perhaps Evans is the man to take the 49ers over the top. The 49ers get an easy matchup next week hosting the Commanders on Monday Night Football. As for the Seahawks, we got a big problem in this title defense run. For the second week in a row, Sam Darnold was picked on the opening possession. He threw another interception in the second half, as the Seahawks committed four turnovers that led to 21 points for the 49ers. These turnovers need to stop, or else they won’t get the chance to defend their title this year. The Seahawks have a stingy matchup next week on the road against the Broncos on Thursday Night Football.

RAVENS 30 – FALCONS 23 (OT)

HOLY MOLE HOLES! I may have to take back what I said about the 49ers-Seahawks game being the best game of the year so far. The Baltimore Ravens managed to hold on in overtime to beat the Atlanta Falcons. The Ravens held their breath as Tyler Huntley filled in for Lamar Jackson at quarterback. Huntley led the Ravens to a tying touchdown and 2-point conversion in the last minute of regulation and then scored on a 1-yard sneak in overtime to seal the win. Huntley ended up with 201 passing yards and two touchdowns. Is the win streak without Lamar Jackson sustainable? Tyler Huntley has led the Ravens to three straight wins without Jackson dating to last season, but none as dramatic as Sunday night. Thanks to Huntley’s effort, the Ravens are 4-1 for the first time in five years and hold a one-game lead atop the AFC North. We will see what happens next week when they host their bitter rivals, the Browns. Now, the Falcons have a reason to panic. This offense is nothing without Michael Penix Jr. at the helm, and the turnover by backup Tua Tagovailoa that cost the Falcons the game proved that. However, the Falcons have optimism that Penix’s rib injury isn’t overly serious and that he’ll be available to play Sunday according to several reports. That’s good, because the Falcons can’t win on just Bijan Robinson alone, who was bottled up in this matchup and only rushed for 86 yards. The Falcons will host the Bears next week, but only time will tell if Penix is healthy enough to go in a matchup that might see both teams rely on backup quarterbacks.

RAMS 34 – BILLS 37 (OT)

Well, this was a weekend that the city of LA will always forget. The Dodgers blew the first two games of the NLCS, the Chargers remain winless, and now this. The Los Angeles Rams fell in overtime to the Buffalo Bills. The special teams once again doomed the Rams and saved the Bills from a potentially damaging loss in overtime. It wasn’t a pretty game for Bills quarterback Josh Allen, but it helps when you have your wife and future Avenger, Hailee Steinfeld, in the stands rooting for you (Hailee was there not only to support her husband, but to also potentially promote the upcoming Disney film Hexed). Still, the Bills are going to need more than the support of the current Hawkeye to win these close games. Eventually, the Bills’ defense needs to step up better, because they can’t just keep outgunning every opponent. Don’t believe me? Ask the Seahawks. The Bills have a matchup on the road next week against a less stiff defense in the Raiders. As for the Rams, I have nothing else to say except disappointment. The changes happened swiftly as the Rams released their kicker the morning after the game. We’ll have to keep an eye on other changes as the Rams are in a very deep hole. The Rams host the Cardinals next week. This is a must win or their season may be done.