The NFL certainly did not disappoint in Week 5, one of the wildest weeks of the young year. In five games, the winning goal was decided either in the final two minutes of the game or in overtime, and in eight games, the deciding goal was decided by one goal.
It was also the first day in NFL history that the league had two defensive touchdowns of 100 yards or more on the same day, while also having the league’s most total points (79) and total yards (962) in one game this season. The Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals had nine passing touchdowns. The Washington Commanders have scored 30 or more points in three consecutive games and are second in the NFL in scoring (31.0 points per game).
A frenzied Sunday in the NFL is full of overreactions. Which one will stick?
Overreaction or Reality: Reality
Playing defense for Brian Flores doesn’t do any quarterback any favors (just ask CJ Stroud how it went in Week 3), but Aaron Rodgers is a 40-year-old quarterback returning from a torn Achilles tendon. It looks like. In the Jets’ loss to the Vikings, Rodgers went 29-of-54 for 244 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions (54.9 rating). He averaged 4.5 yards per attempt and went 6-of-14 for 81 yards, including one touchdown and three interceptions on third and fourth downs.
Rodgers and the Jets are 2-3 and will score the same number of points in 2024 as they did in 2023 (93 points). Rodgers has just 1,093 passing yards, 6.0 yards per attempt, and an 81.6 passer rating, all of which are abysmal through the first five games of his career.
Perhaps “Father Time” has caught up with Rogers. This is certainly not the Rodgers we are used to seeing.
Coaches will win the NFC East
Overreaction or Reality: Overreaction
For another week, the Commanders continued their strong run, this time crushing the Browns in a game that wasn’t as close as the score indicated. Jaden Daniels threw for 238 yards and ran for 82, becoming the third quarterback in NFL history to reach 1,000 passing yards and 300 rushing yards in five team games (Michael Vick and Lamar Jackson are the others) ).
The managers have already won as many games as last season, are second in the league in points (31.0 PPG), and the defense has held three of five opponents to 20 or fewer points this season. It is kept to a minimum. Why can’t Washington win the NFC East?
Washington is also in the discussion, but let’s see how the managers fare against Philadelphia and Dallas. The future fate of the commanders may not matter.
Overreaction or Reality: Overreaction
Trevor Lawrence’s performance on Sunday was nothing short of spectacular, as he threw for a career-high 371 yards and two touchdowns to give Jacksonville its first win of the year. The Jaguars quarterback threw an 85-yard touchdown pass to rookie Brian Thomas Jr. and led Jacksonville to scores on 7 of 12 possessions.
In Lawrence’s first four games, he completed 53.3 percent of his passes and had a passer rating of 78.9. He completed 82.4% of his passes and had a passer rating of 110.9. Does this mean he is cured?
The Colts entered the game Sunday with 25 passing yards allowed, and that’s only going to increase. While this was encouraging for Lawrence, the sample size needs to be larger than games against bottom-10 pass defenses.
Brock Bowers is the best rookie pass catcher.
Overreaction or Reality: Overreaction
Malik Nabors is still around, but his not playing on Sunday brings Brock Bowers into the conversation. In the Raiders’ blowout loss to the Broncos, Bowers had eight catches for 97 yards and a touchdown. Bowers has been a bright spot in the Raiders offense, with two games of at least 90 yards and 161 yards after the catch.
Bowers leads all tight ends with 28 catches for 313 yards through five games. Perhaps the conversation will be whether Bowers is already the best tight end in the league? He’s pretty close to that too.
Bengals will miss the playoffs
Overreaction or Reality: Reality
Sunday’s loss to the Ravens hurt the Bengals’ playoff chances, as they fell to 1-4 on the season. It seems impossible to overcome an 0-3 start, especially in a game that Joe Burrow threw for five touchdowns and Cincinnati lost.
The Bengals are 0-3 in conference play and 0-4 in one-score games. Even though they don’t play a team with a winning record (Ravens) until Week 10, this is not a recipe for the playoffs.
The schedule will be easier, but playing the Ravens twice and the Steelers twice in Baltimore doesn’t help. The Bengals will likely need to finish 9-3, as they need to go 10-7. It’s difficult to ask from this team at the moment.
49ers will miss the playoffs
Overreaction or Reality: Overreaction
The loss to the Cardinals in Week 5 doesn’t look good for the 49ers, who are 0-2 against opponents in the NFC West and 0-3 in conference play. The 49ers are in a tight race, but the NFC West is not out of reach. San Francisco is just one game behind Seattle, and the 49ers can play the Seahawks twice (including a short week in Week 6).
San Francisco faces a difficult schedule with Seattle (road), Kansas City (home), Dallas (home), Tampa Bay (road), Seattle (home), Green Bay (road) and Buffalo (road). This is a situation where the 49ers have to go 4-3, and they have the talent to do it.
The 49ers have had slow starts before. Let’s give them the benefit of the doubt, but having Christian McCaffrey back would help.
Ravens have the best rushing duo in the league
Overreaction or Reality: Reality
Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson are two of the top seven rushers in the league. Henry has 572 yards and an average of 6.0 yards per carry through five games, while Jackson has 363 yards and an average of 6.8 yards per carry. Both players rank in the top five in yards per carry, with Henry gaining 1,945 yards and Jackson gaining 1,234.
Jackson is the best running quarterback in the league. The Ravens had 150 or more rushing yards in all five games and 175 or more in four of the five games.
Jackson and Henry have 935 rushing yards this season, the most by a QB/RB duo in NFL history through five-team games. No matter what position Jackson plays, they are the best rushing duo in the league.
