NFL Week 5: What Cowboys should note in win over Rams, plus more Sunday lessons (2024)

One of the things we love so much about pro football is the element of surprise. And as Week 5 in the NFL played out Sunday, the unexpected certainly transpired.

The Giants delivered a shocking win over the Packers. The Cowboys manhandled the Rams. The short-handed Patriots blew out the high-scoring Lions. Taysom Hill outdid a resurgent Geno Smith and his three-touchdown performance with four touchdowns of his own.

But we’ve also come to expect a standard of excellence from certain teams, and squads like Buffalo, San Francisco, Baltimore and Cincinnati, to name a few, did not disappoint.

Highlights of the week also included Jalen Hurts and his Eagles improving to 5-0, and the Houston Texans getting their first win of the season to give the NFL 32 teams with at least one victory. It’s only the third time since 1970 that all of the NFL’s teams have at least one victory through five weeks.

The Chiefs and Raiders will cap the action Monday night in Kansas City. But first, here’s a game-by-game, team-by-team look at some of the key lessons and performances from the Sunday slate.

Ravens 19, Bengals 17

Baltimore: This was the kind of rebound the Ravens needed after blowing a big opportunity last week against Buffalo. Once again, their defense blew a double-digit lead. But this time, they had time to recover, and Lamar Jackson and Justin Tucker delivered. It may not have been Jackson’s best passing day. In fact, Jackson missed open receivers on three shots downfield that would have likely produced touchdowns had he connected. But, with the game on the line, Jackson completed two clutch passes, and then scrambled four times to move his team into field-goal range. Tucker nailed the winning 43-yard field goal. But before that game-clinching drive, John Harbaugh found himself under scrutiny once again. Second-guessed last week for going for the touchdown rather than taking the points, he made the opposite decision versus Cincinnati and took the fourth-quarter points rather than attempting a touchdown that would have provided a more comfortable lead. Harbaugh may have received some criticism for the latter, but he did the right thing in my book — unlike last week.

RIGHT. DOWN. THE. MIDDLE. @jtuck9#CINvsBAL pic.twitter.com/fF5k53FI6P

— NFL (@NFL) October 10, 2022

Cincinnati: Joe Burrow entered the game with a 2-2 record against Jackson, but came up short despite directing a 13-play, 75-yard drive that gave his team a 17-16 lead with 1:58 left. And for the third time this season, the Bengals lost on a buzzer-beating field goal. A crushing feeling they’re no doubt getting sick of. … Despite falling to 2-3 and behind Baltimore in the division standings, Cincinnati did display some positives. The Bengals offense finally showed signs of regaining effectiveness in the run game. Joe Mixon averaged a season-best 5.6 yards per carry. He needed this. Mixon entered the game ranked last (50th) among qualified rushers with 2.73 yards per carry, despite 82 carries (second-most behind Saquon Barkley).

Eagles 20, Cardinals 17

Philadelphia: Sometimes the mark of a good team is its ability to win even when it’s not at its best, and that was the case Sunday for the Eagles. They had brushes with adversity, they had stretches of sloppy play and had to scratch and claw their way through the entire contest. But, they got what they needed when they needed (a pair of Hurts touchdown runs here, a defensive stop there, a boneheaded Kyler Murray play to top it off), and in the end, improved to 5-0 for the first time since 2004. There certainly are areas to address this week: abandonment of the run game, poor tackling, some shaky scrapes and a near pick six by Hurts. But there will be days like this. Philadelphia proved resilient once again, and proved it can win ugly.

Arizona: Why did Murray slide short of the first-down marker and in doing so, force his team to go for a 43-yard field goal with 22 seconds left? Why didn’t he just pick up 1 more yard to ensure four more downs and improved chances of a fill-in kicker making a game-winning field goal? Murray and everyone else on the Cardinals, now 2-3, are likely asking the same question.

49ers 37, Panthers 15

San Francisco: Injuries to Nick Bosa, Robbie Gould and Emmanuel Moseley cast a dark cloud over the 49ers. But with Jeff Wilson (120 rushing yards and a touchdown) and Jimmy Garoppolo (253 yards, two touchdowns, no picks) pacing the offense, and their defense racking up six sacks, the 49ers improve to 3-2 and lead the NFC West after this authoritative win.

Carolina: The Baker Mayfield experiment isn’t working (zero touchdowns, interception, 61.7 passer rating). The Matt Rhule experiment isn’t working (1-4 this season, losses in 11 of their last 12 games). The Panthers have the listless look of a one-win team in late December. How long before David Tepper makes a move?

Cowboys 22, Rams 10

Dallas: Micah Parsons continues to add to his legend, powering through a painful groin strain to rack up two sacks, a forced fumble and five tackles. He spearheaded a Dallas defensive attack that sacked Matthew Stafford five times and hit him 11 times, while causing him to fumble twice and throw an interception. Meanwhile, the Cowboys used an old-school recipe of 34 rushing attempts (including 22 for Ezekiel Elliott and eight for Tony Pollard) to gash the Rams’ defensive front for 163 yards. Cooper Rush remarkably improves to 5-0 as a starter for his career, and 4-0 this season. There’s a very valuable lesson here for Mike McCarthy and Kellen Moore. Yes, Dak Prescott is their best quarterback, and yes, he’s capable of throwing the ball 45 times a game. But the Cowboys offense is at its best when there’s a commitment to balance.

Los Angeles: The defending Super Bowl champs are a shell of themselves, and much of that has to do with their ailing offensive line. Injuries have forced the Rams to use five different offensive line combinations in five games. The patchwork line is no match for an elite front like the Cowboys’. They can’t protect their quarterback. They can’t pave the way for success in the run game, mustering only 38 yards. The Rams fall to 2-3 and below .500 for only the second time under Sean McVay.

Giants 27, Packers 22

New York: “Stop sleeping,” the 4-1 Giants tweeted after their stunner over Green Bay. We’re awake! We’re awake! With all eyes locked on Brian Daboll, who’s legit good. Masterful second-half adjustments included a heavy dose of motions and misdirection plays to knock a good Packers defense off balance. Daboll had Daniel Jones looking like Josh Allen, slinging the ball around (completing 13 of 14 second-half pass attempts) and scrambling for first downs while directing an offense that scored 17 unanswered points before intentionally yielding a safety to milk more time off the clock. Tip of the cap to Giants defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale, whose unit outmuscled the Packers the entire second half.

Green Bay: When was the last time the Packers’ offense went scoreless in a second half? That’s right, two weeks ago. But has the great Aaron Rodgers ever had TWO consecutive passes batted down at the line with the game on the line? Can’t blame the young wideouts for that, or for the Packers defense letting the Giants convert on four of five second-half third downs. The Packers have issues, and now might have to spend the rest of the season chasing the Vikings for the NFC North title.

Patriots 29, Lions 0

New England: We’ve killed them for their ineptitude thus far, so it’s only right that we give Matt Patricia and Joe Judge props for equipping rookie Bailey Zappe to deliver an efficient performance (17-for-21, 188 yards, one touchdown, one interception). He got fantastic support from running back Rhamondre Stevenson (161 yards on 25 carries) and a defense that forced two takeaways and held the highest-scoring offense in the league scoreless. Bill Belichick teams have now won 91 straight contests when leading by 10 or more at halftime. … One more note on Zappe: He became the fifth Belichick quarterback drafted outside of the first round to win his first career start (joining Tom Brady, Matt Cassel, Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett).

Detroit: Now that’s the Jared Goff we remember, completing just 54 percent of his passes while recording a fumble, an interception and a 62.7 passer rating. Goff came into this game with 11 touchdown passes (tied for first with Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson) and 1,126 yards (third-most), but old Super Bowl foe Belichick had his number again. But even more concerning was the way the Lions let a rookie quarterback-led offense carve them up for 364 yards. If ever Detroit needed help from its defense, today was it. But instead, Detroit (which entered the game allowing an average of 35.3 points, 444.8 yards and a 52.8 percent success rate on third downs) was probably the best possible opponent for Zappe to debut against.

Chargers 30, Browns 28

Los Angeles: Is the analytics-loving Brandon Staley aggressively gutsy or foolishly reckless? The decision to go for it on fourth-and-1 from his own 46 while clinging to a 30-28 lead with 1:14 left nearly backfired. Punting that ball and pinning your opponent deep would have been the right call. And the smart call. But instead, Staley went for it on fourth-and-1 and got stopped for a loss of downs. He’s lucky Cleveland moved the ball only 10 yards in five plays and had to settle for a 54-yard field-goal attempt. He’s also lucky that strong-legged rookie kicker Cade York missed wide right rather than nailing a game-winner.

Cleveland: Browns defenders called Staley’s decision “disrespectful.” Said Myles Garrett: “I expect him to go for it, but it’s still disrespectful to us. I know he has an offense that was doing very well the whole day and he expects them to get the first down. But to us, that’s telling us that he can take advantage of us and we don’t take that very kindly.” Dude, stop whining. Had you and your teammates not given up 465 yards (including 173 rushing to Austin Ekeler and 134 receiving to Mike Williams) and 30 points, maybe the game would’ve never come down to that.

Bills 38, Steelers 3

Buffalo: Three plays? That’s all it took for Josh Allen and the high-flying Bills to find the end zone, striking gold on a 98-yard catch-and-run by Gabe Davis. Too easy. By halftime, Allen had 348 passing yards and four touchdowns to give Buffalo a 31-3 lead. You have to wonder: How ugly could it have been had Sean McDermott not called off the dogs? … Allen finished with 424 yards despite not playing the final 10 minutes of the game. With his second 400-yard performance of the young season, the QB made another strong case for MVP honors.

98 YARDS! 🤯

📺: @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/P3rA4gbxYl

— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) October 9, 2022

Pittsburgh: Much has been made of the Steelers’ quarterback situation, but their issues extend well beyond Kenny Pickett and Mitch Trubisky. The Bills gouged the Steelers for 552 yards. Yeesh. Only once before Sunday in his 16-year career had Mike Tomlin seen his defense surrender 500 yards. As they dropped their fourth consecutive game, the Steelers find themselves on their longest losing stretch since 2013. After going 15 seasons without experiencing a losing season, Tomlin’s remarkable streak appears likely to come to an end.

Vikings 29, Bears 22

Minnesota: A win over Chicago and the Packers’ loss to the Giants means the Vikings (4-1) now hold sole possession of first place in the NFC North. And that Week 1 win over the Packers will come in handy. The Vikings found the cure for their red-zone struggles: the Bears’ defense. After entering this game with a feeble 46.7 percent success rate in this department (25th in the NFL), Minnesota was a perfect 4-for-4 inside the 20.

Chicago: Until Sunday, the Bears hadn’t surrendered a second-half touchdown, holding opponents to just 18 total points (all field goals). But a 1-yard Kirk Cousins run snapped the streak. … What’s this? Justin Fields tops the 200-yard passing mark for the first time all season, and records his first touchdown pass since Week 1? Baby steps for the second-year pro.

Jets 40, Dolphins 17

New York: Zach Wilson, Difference Maker? The Jets are now 2-0 with last year’s No. 2 pick at the helm, and more importantly, Wilson (14-for-21 for 210 passing yards and a touchdown run) and the Jets snapped a 12-game losing streak to AFC East opponents. Pretty remarkable how Wilson’s return has enabled Mike LaFleur to fully open up his playbook — the Jets on Sunday scored 40 points for the first time since Week 6 of the 2018 season.

Miami: You knew it would be tough sledding once Teddy Bridgewater went down and the Dolphins had to turn to rookie seventh-round pick Skylar Thompson. Mike McDaniel may be a mad scientist, but he’s not THAT good. … Bridgewater passed concussion tests, but still was ruled out for protocol precautionary reasons based on observations the booth spotter made while studying the quarterback’s post-hit movements. Fitting that we see the first example of the new and improved concussion protocol applied to the team whose gross neglect prompted the need for revisions in the first place.

Saints 39, Seahawks 32

New Orleans: The return of the Taysom Hill Show translated into a huge win for the Saints in a back-and-forth affair with the Seahawks. How’s this for a stat line: 112 rushing yards and three touchdowns (including the 60-yard game-winner with 5:22 left), a 22-yard touchdown pass, and a special teams fumble recovery. Somewhere, Sean Payton is smiling.

Seattle: Geno Smith’s impressive career renaissance continued with touchdown passes of 50, 35 and 40 yards. It was only the third three-touchdown day of his career, and his first since Week 16 of 2014. Smith’s defense let him down, though. Too intent on punching the ball out and not focused enough on tackling, a gang of Seahawks defenders let Hill break free for that 60-yard touchdown run.

Texans 13, Jaguars 6

Houston: Lovie Smith and the Texans got off the schneid thanks to a well-rounded effort. Their offense avoided turning the ball over for the first time all year, their defense forced two takeaways and Dameon Pierce continued his impressive rookie season with 99 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries. For Smith, it was his first win as a head coach since Dec. 6, 2015, with Tampa Bay. Meanwhile, the Texans have now beaten Jacksonville NINE straight times.

Jacksonville: This should’ve been a winnable game for Jacksonville, but it’s hard to win when you can’t score touchdowns. It’s kind of one step forward, two steps backward for Trevor Lawrence, who has recorded turnovers in three of five games. Lawrence, who now has eight touchdown passes and eight turnovers, threw a pick in the red zone and then another to seal the game. The Jaguars (2-3) continue to wait for the 2021 No. 1 pick to live up to his potential.

Buccaneers 21, Falcons 15

Tampa Bay: Does Tom Brady have the Falcons’ number or what? Career record: 11-0. TD/INT ratio: 29-4. Yards per game: 335.6. Super Bowl wins: 1. Late-game, drive-extending, phantom roughing the passer calls earned after whining to the officials: 1. … As a whole, however, this Bucs team looks less than dominant, especially while getting outscored 15-0 in the fourth quarter when it should have been putting the game away.

Atlanta: The Falcons definitely felt the absence of Cordarrelle Patterson (knee), who through four games ranked fourth in the NFL with 340 rushing yards and also had three rushing touchdowns. A committee of ball carriers (led by Marcus Mariota’s 61 yards) combined to outgain the Bucs 151-69. But Atlanta certainly could’ve used the explosiveness Patterson delivers.

Titans 21, Commanders 17

Tennessee: Heck of a defensive stand, or more mind-numbing ineptitude from Carson Wentz? Both? David Long Jr.’s goal-line interception with nine seconds left secured the win, and the Titans nearly picked off Wentz’s pass over the middle the play before. Tennessee’s defense may have let little-known rookie wideout Dyami Brown torch their secondary for 105 receiving yards and two touchdowns. But the Titans defense certainly dominated when it mattered, including denying Washington on 10 of 11 third downs. Tennessee now enters its bye on a three-game win streak. And, not to be overlooked, Derrick Henry posted his second straight 100-yard game.

Washington: Wentz and Ron Rivera needed a win here in the worst way. Instead, the pressure only continues to mount as Rivera’s squad has now started 1-4 for the second time in three seasons. Wentz turned the ball over an eighth time this season. To acquire Wentz, Washington gave up three draft picks and agreed to take on a $28 million cap hit for this season. But already, fans have started to call for rookie fifth-round pick Sam Howell.

(Top photo: Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)

Mike Jones joined The Athletic as a national NFL writer in 2022 after five years at USA Today, where he covered the NFL, and eight years at The Washington Post, where he covered the Washington Commanders. He previously covered the Washington Wizards for The Washington Times. Mike is a native of Warrenton, Va.