NFL Week 5 Recap

By Mateo Siman

Philadelphia Eagles, from left, quarterback Jalen Hurts, running back Saquon Barkley and wide receiver A.J. Brown. (Yong Kim/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS)

Week 5 saw many surprises, from rookie heroes to unbeaten teams finally toppled. 

Titans Rally Behind Cam Ward

Rookie quarterback Cam Ward and his Tennessee Titans pulled out a comeback win on Sunday vs the Arizona Cardinals to secure their first victory of the season. During the 4th quarter the Cardinals were once ahead by as much as 15. Early in the 4th Quarter, Cardinals running back Emeri Demercardo pulled off an impressive 70 yard run, showing off his break away speed. This touchdown would've put them up 28-6 and iced this game. Before he reached the end zone he dropped the ball at the half yard line resulting in a touchback. 

The Titans took advantage of this and ended up pulling off the upset in Arizona. The Titans, led by Cam Ward, pulled off the victory behind his game-leading 265 passing yards. The first overall pick finally looks like he’s putting it together, and the team’s chemistry is starting to show on the field.

And Then There Were None

On Sunday, the last of the undefeated teams in the NFL have fallen in the span of just a few hours. The Philadelphia Eagles started off the season 4-0 and kept the momentum going with a 14 point lead against the Denver Broncos. The Broncos, commanded by sophomore quarterback Bo Nix, scored 18 unanswered points to complete the comeback victory with a final score of 21-17. 

That same night, the Buffalo Bills, who also started off the season 4-0, hosted the New England Patriots during Sunday Night Football. The Patriots and their mesh of young promising players and veteran leadership left Highmark Stadium speechless after they came into Buffalo and pulled off a road, Primetime win. Stefon Diggs led the way against his former team, hauling in 10 balls for 146 yards.

These stunning victories leave the NFL without any unbeaten teams remaining in the league. This opens the floor for new teams to become standouts in other ways. 

Trouble in Baltimore

The Baltimore Ravens came into their game on Sunday sitting 1-3, very desperately in need of a victory. This start for the Ravens is unusual under head coach John Harbaugh. During his tenure, the Ravens have only finished with a losing record twice. 

Going into this Week 5 against the Houston Texans, the Ravens were missing key defensive players as well as two-time MVP Lamar Jackson. That being said, they faced a tough challenge and ultimately came up short, losing to a struggling Texans team with a shocking score of 44-10. This 1-4 start is starting to make NFL fans wonder whether this team can turn around and come back to their normal form. In order to flip this disastrous start, major adjustments are going to have to be made.

Questions for Philadelphia

Coming off an ‘Offensive Player of the Year’ season, Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley has actually had a shaky start to the season. The coaching staff led by head coach Nick Sirianni and offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo have made some questionable decisions. 

One of those decisions is the underutilization of Saquon Barkley. In Sunday's loss, Barkley totaled only 6 carries for 30 yards. For a player of his caliber, it’s extremely unusual that he is getting such a small amount of touches. It’s unclear whether the coaching staff is trying to preserve Barkley for the more important part of the season or if it's a matter of trusting the passing game more. 

Some speculate that the eagles could be hiding injuries from the rest of the league. If the Eagles continue to limit Barkley’s touches, they risk wasting one of the league’s most dynamic offensive weapons.