We are officially five weeks into the NFL season. It seems like the 2026 campaign started yesterday. We have seen teams separate themselves from the rest of the pack and others off to a slower start than expected. Let’s jump into Week 5 of the NFL season!
Buccaneers Run Cowboys Out of Town
You want to talk about a letdown; last Thursday was the epitome of the phrase. Rookie QB Jalon Daniels made the second start of his career and showed extreme poise while Dak Prescott’s timing appeared to be off all night long. Despite that, the Cowboys found themselves down with just under four minutes left.
Dak would march Dallas down the field, but a pass would bounce off TE Jake Ferguson’s hands, and it was picked off by Alex Anzalone. Despite a valiant effort to come back in the 4th quarter, the Bucs would run the clock out and pull off one of the biggest upsets of the NFL season.
Jags Complete London Heist
From one of the more shocking turns of events in the NFL year to the Jaguars stealing the win late. Trevor Lawrence connected with Parker Washington for the go-ahead touchdown with 3:20 remaining. Cam Little would miss the extra point, which was massive considering that the Eagles could go down the field and kick a game-winning field goal.
Philly would march right down the field and take a 17-16 lead with only eight seconds remaining. One of the ageless wonders, Ameer Abdullah, would return the ensuing kickoff down to the Eagles’ 39-yard line with a single second remaining. The strongest-legged kicker in the NFL would drill the game-winning 57-yard field goal, and the Jags remain in the mix for one of the best records in the league.
Packers Stomp Bears
In terms of an embarrassing performance, I was extremely disappointed in the Chicago Bears this past weekend. After the passing of NFL legend Mike Ditka, I expected “Da Bears” to come out and show heart against a team that has been soft all season long. That was not the case.
Jordan Love dominated and was throwing heat all game long. He ended by going 25/31 passing for 367 passing and two touchdowns. Having two receivers go for 120+ yards, Christian Watson and Matthew Golden, doesn’t happen too often but against the Bears’ defense, nothing is out of the question. Green Bay demolished the Bears 31-7.
Aaron Rodgers’ Extended Heater
Aaron Rodgers continued his heater in the Steelers‘ Week 5 win over the Colts. Sunday marked the first time since his 2021 MVP campaign that he threw three or more passing TDs in three straight games. Pittsburgh’s defense shut down Jonathan Taylor, 45 rushing yards on 15 carries, and held Indy to a 1/3 red zone % and 4/15 3rd down %. Jaylen Warren was the superstar of the day with 188 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns.
Dumbest Decision in NFL History
This game will make me look at Jayden Daniels differently for the rest of his career. This isn’t about his play, durability, or his ceiling. This is about his decision-making. After the Commanders recovered a Cam Skattebo fumble in overtime, he’d work the ball down the field to the Giants’ 24-yard line. What came next was shocking.
Instead of kicking a 41-yard field goal to win the game, with no timeouts, they decided to try to run a play. Daniels would take a two-yard sack, and time would expire, and the game would end in a 27-27 tie. It is the most boneheaded decision by Dan Quinn and the coaching staff, as well as their quarterback. It’s not like he’s making a freshman mistake. You are an NFL-level quarterback, and you allow this to happen. I wouldn’t be shocked if this raises major question marks around the potential of him reaching his ceiling.
Texans Save Season
This was a make-or-break game for the Houston Texans and CJ Stroud. Not only did they beat the Titans, but they won in convincing fashion. Offensively, they were efficient, with a 50% conversion rate on 3rd down, and their defense finally showed up like the elite unit they are. Now it is the Titans that they pummeled, so I am taking it with a grain of salt.
Jets Overcome Monsoon
Just as it appeared the Browns were squeaking out tight wins left and right, the New York Jets said not so fast. Right after Deshaun Watson connected with Denzel Boston for the go-ahead touchdown with 6:21 remaining, two possessions later, the Browns’ punter would let a snap go through his arms as the rain began to worsen.
After the fumbled snap, the Jets would score the game-winning touchdown via a Braelon Allen 22-yard run. Both teams would trade punts until New York’s pass rush would sack Watson for the 7th time on the day, force another fumble, and Geno Smith would kneel the rest of the time away. David Bailey was the star of the game with his first “Sack-Trick” (three sacks in a game). The rookie is showing flashes of what’s to come in the Big Apple.
Vikings Party in NOLA
Are the Minnesota Vikings one of the sneakiest 5-0 teams the NFL has ever seen? Well, their offense hasn’t been impressive, but they are playing complementary football on all phases. Minnesota held the Saints to just 151 yards of total offense, their lowest mark in five years. The Purple and White controlled the second half and continued their winning ways.
Patriots Not Calling Mayday Yet
Are the Patriots back? Hosting the impressive 3-1 Las Vegas Raiders, they had an impressive showing in Week 5. Drake Maye looked like the MVP level he played at most of last season with four passing touchdowns and 374 passing yards. The Pats offense had more than 500 yards of offense in their 45-17 win.
Bengals Beach the Dolphins
This was the definition of a “corner TV game.” Not much interest, as the NFL world believed that the Bengals would jump out to a massive lead and hold on. That’s exactly what happened. Cincy would jump out to a 28-10 lead entering the final frame. Joe Burrow lit up the end zone with four touchdowns on only 190 passing yards. They took their foot off the gas and held on to a 31-24 win in Miami.
Another Chargers Dud
It’s time to accept the fact that the Chargers are bad. Every season, the NFL media and many pundits anoint them as the babyface of the league. Justin Herbert will finally climb the mountain and win the division and multiple playoff games, but that is not the case at all. The Denver Broncos scored 13 unanswered points in the 4th quarter to essentially bury the Chargers’ season.
Two Best Teams in the NFL
Sunday’s game between the 49ers and the Seahawks proved to me that these are the two best teams in the NFL. The fact that there were so many turnovers and miscues from both teams, and it came down to literal inches. Whenever these two NFC West rivals go to war, the NFL world knows it has the possibility of being the game of the year. Was this foreshadowing for the NFC Championship Game? Only time will tell.
Lions Offense Returns to Life
After a tough loss in Week 4 to the Carolina Panthers, the Lions’ offense exploded against the Arizona Cardinals. They trailed 7-0 after the opening Cardinal possession, then fireworks happen. Jared Goff would lead Detroit to scoring 31 straight points. Goff would score four total TDs, three in the air and one on the ground. Trey McBride would score a garbage time touchdown off a circus catch that many will consider the catch of the year but still fall short 45-21.
Can’t Make it up for Atlanta
Just when you think the Falcons are turning their season around, untimely injuries rear their ugly head. After giving up the game-tying touchdown and two point conversion, starting QB Michael Penix Jr. would get hurt before overtime. You know what that means,Tua Tagovailoa time! The Ravens would get the ball first, work their way down the field, and punch it in via a Tyler Huntley QB sneak. Two plays later, Tua would lose the game for the Falcons. That interception would set the NFL world in a blaze on social media.
Rams Miss Golden Opportunity
After the Rams went 63 yards and scored the game-tying touchdown with just eight seconds remaining, they had the chance of a lifetime to steal a win away from the Buffalo Bills. Josh Allen would get the ball first in OT, connect with Khalil Shakir for a 57-yard gain, but Nate Landman would force James Cook’s second fumble of the night and put it in sudden death for Monday Night Football.
Matthew Stafford would set LA up in field goal range for Harrison Mevis, a 48-yard attempt. Only to have it blocked by Greg Rousseau. Allen would take the game into his hands with 31 rushing yards on the ensuing drive to put Tyler Bass in prime position to hit the 45-yard game-winning field goal. That loss ruins another Stafford masterclass.
Final Thoughts
They say time flies when you’re having fun, and man, were they right. It’s almost crazy to think that we are a little over a month into the NFL season. Week 6 will begin this Thursday with the Seattle Seahawks taking on the Denver Broncos! What were some of your biggest takeaways from Week 5?
As always, thank you so much for checking out my thoughts and recap of Week 5 of the NFL season! Be sure to check out our other amazing content here at New Leaf News! Thank you for making us part of your day, and look forward to seeing you again soon.
