NFL Week 5 breakdown: Bills clobber Chiefs at Arrowhead. Chargers win track meet vs. Browns.
Is there a changing of the guard in the AFC?
In a rematch of last season's AFC championship game, the Buffalo Bills went into Arrowhead Stadium and clobbered the Kansas City Chiefs, who fell to 2-3.
Have the Chiefs been replaced as the team to beat in the AFC West? The Los Angeles Chargers appear to be a legit contender, winning a wild 47-42 shootout against the Cleveland Browns.
NFL Week 5's biggest moments
- After Sunday's loss to the Packers, Bengals QB Joe Burrow was taken to the hospital for a possible throat contusion.
- Urban Meyer's postgame explanation of a questionable play call in the Jaguars' loss to the Titans was confusing.
- Giants QB Daniel Jones and RB Saquon Barkley were both injured against the Cowboys.
- Browns LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was taken to a hospital with a throat contusion.
- Kirk Cousins and Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer had a confusing celebration to the win over the Lions.
- Lions head coach Dan Campbell had a tearful postgame press conference after yet another difficult defeat.
- Jameis Winston and Marquez Callaway connected on a 49-yard Hail Mary touchdown to end the first half vs. Washington.
- The Eagles and the Panthers didn't have a prayer of picking up an errant snap over the head of Jalen Hurts that bounced out of the end zone for a safety.
- Bengals kicker Evan McPherson prematurely celebrated what he thought was a game-winning field goal.
- Hall of Famer Randy Moss got emotional on ESPN's "NFL Countdown" on Sunday morning when discussing the Jon Gruden email.
- After Sunday's loss to the Bears, Jon Gruden again said he is not a racist.
NFL Week 5 analysis
- Week 5 winners and losers: With each passing day, Urban Meyer is showing that the head coaching job of the Jaguars is too big for him.
- 32 things we learned: Chargers QB Justin Herbert is on the short list of MVP candidates. Two coaches who have severely undermined themselves watched their teams lose Sunday.
- Jameis Winston shows he's learned from past mistakes: Winston was once known for producing questionable interceptions just as easily as he threw dazzling TDs. But something has changed for the QB, Mike Jones writes.
- 'Superstar' Chargers QB in top form in wild win: Justin Herbert had another impressive game as the Chargers prevailed in a track meet against the Browns.
- Jon Gruden's racist email exposes his truth beyond 'Coach Chucky' image: Gruden's damage-control effort showed he's a moron, as well, Jarrett Bell writes.
NFL Week 5 rundown
- Bills 38, Chiefs 20: It rained and poured on the Chiefs in this AFC championship game rematch.
- Cardinals 17, 49ers 10: It wasn't pretty, but the Cardinals moved to 5-0 for the first time since the 1974 St. Louis Cardinals opened the season 7-0.
- Cowboys 44, Giants 20: The Cowboys pulled away as the Giants experienced a rash of injuries.
- Chargers 47, Browns 42: The Chargers out-scored the Browns in a wild, down-to-the-wire showdown at SoFi Stadium.
- Bears 20, Raiders 9: Justin Fields had his first NFL touchdown pass as Chicago cruised to victory.
- Steelers 27, Broncos 19: The Steelers ended their three-game skid with a balanced offensive attack featuring Ben Roethlisberger and Najee Harris.
- Packers 25, Bengals 22 (OT): Mason Crosby uncharacteristically missed an extra point and three field goals before finally making the winner in overtime.
- Buccaneers 45, Dolphins 17: This is hard to believe, but Tom Brady threw for more than 400 yards and five touchdowns for the first time in his 22-year career.
- Titans 37, Jaguars 19: The Jaguars have now lost 20 consecutive games, a streak that goes back to Week 2 of the 2020 season.
- Saints 33, Football Team 22: The Jameis Winston Experience was on full display in this wild win.
- Eagles 21, Panthers 18: After a horrendous first half, the Eagles rallied for an unlikely win.
- Vikings 19, Lions 17: Detroit was dealt more misery after a furious late-game rally.
- Patriots 25, Texans 22: The Patriots got a sloppy win against the struggling Texans.
- Falcons 27, Jets 20: The Jets couldn't build off of last week's win, instead floundering across the pond against the Falcons.
- Rams 26, Seahawks 17 (Thursday): It was a painful defeat for Seattle, which will be without Russell Wilson for at least a month.
Eyes on the (fantasy) prize
As injuries continued to mount for the Giants, rookie WR Kadarius Toney enjoyed his breakout game with 10 receptions for 189 yards. He even attempted one pass and rushed for seven yards on his one snap at quarterback. (His numbers could have been even better if he hadn’t been ejected with six minutes left for throwing a punch at an opponent.) Toney will be the most coveted waiver pickup of the week, but ... who’s going to be throwing him the ball?
The Giants’ Daniel Jones was one of several quarterbacks to exit early with injuries this week. If you’re looking for a short-term replacement, the best available could be rookie Davis Mills of the Texans. He threw for 312 yards and three touchdowns against the Patriots – and didn’t turn the ball over.
Among other receivers, the Texans’ Chris Moore (5-109-1) and Chris Conley (3-84-1) had good games and have a decent upcoming schedules. The Browns’ Donovan Peoples-Jones (5-70), Rashard Higgins (3-29-1) and tight end David Njoku (7-149-1) all looked great, but another 89-point shootout like Sunday’s vs. the Chargers is highly unlikely.
The Giants also lost RB Saquon Barkley to a sprained ankle. If he isn’t ready for next week, Devontae Booker is the next man up. Booker had 16 carries for 42 yards and a TD in Barkley’s place.
Meanwhile, Myles Gaskin of the Dolphins is back in the good graces of fantasy managers after rushing for 25 yards and catching 10 passes for 74 yards and two scores. If he’s been dropped, he’s now worth re-adding.
And the Bears are sharing the workload with starter David Montgomery out. Khalil Herbert may fly under the radar since he didn’t find the end zone, but he did see 18 carries for 75 yards.
Coming this week
Monday: Week 5 wraps up when the Baltimore Ravens host the Indianapolis Colts (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN). The Ravens can set an NFL record if they rush for more than 100 yards.
Tuesday: USA TODAY Sports offers its power rankings for all 32 NFL teams after Week 5.
Thursday: Week 6 kicks off with the Philadelphia Eagles hosting Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8:20 p.m. ET, NFL Network). Before the game, make sure to check out our expert picks for every Week 6 game.
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