The NFL Sunday Review: Week 5

Back to our regularly scheduled programming here on the Sunday Review. Week 5 started with such abject misery on Thursday night that I think we all contemplated the decisions we’ve made in being fans of this sport.

That said, Sunday gave us a few surprises that made up for Thursday just a little. We started early doors in London with a big upset, followed it up with a couple of impressive performances from teams attempting to be SuperBowl contenders, and had an AFC North slugfest as a nightcap. Let’s dive into it!

Daboll's Revolution In NY Continues In LDN

Strange things always seem to happen in London games, don’t they? One week removed from the 2nd most famous “Double Doink” we got the first ever matchup in London between two teams above .500! Miraculous. And yet, this was a matchup between the questionable 3-1 New York Giants, who had been helped by a kind schedule and some fortunate breaks in getting their first 3 wins this year, up against the two-time defending MVP, who’s still trying to gel with his new receivers in Green Bay.

To be completely honest, the first half was exactly what I expected the whole game to be. Green Bay in control, New York struggling to move the ball, and heading towards a fairly expected Packers win. But this was a true story of two halves. We have to give so much credit to Brian Daboll. Daniel Jones still has his clear deficiencies, but Daboll appears to have calmed him down, and despite having almost no healthy wide receivers, Jones was able to move the ball in the second half, and complete a comeback that looked highly unlikely with the 20-10 half time score. Darius Slayton deserves special recognition for his 6 catch, 79 yard performance, without which the Giants would have been stuffed.

Daboll’s adjustments helped the G-Men shut out the Packers’ offense in the second half, with their only points coming on the “let’s waste time and take the safety” play that is becoming all the rage in these late game scenarios. Week on week we see even more clearly that above all else, time is the currency you really need to control to win in this league. New York have been one of the true surprise packages of the early season, and whilst I don’t think 4-1 tells the story of what this team is, they have those wins and we can’t take them away.

Credit where it’s due. Daboll has made a huge difference to the entire feel of this franchise. I still see the NFC East coming down to Dallas vs Philadelphia, but New York won’t go quietly into the night. I still can’t believe fully in this incarnation of the Giants, but I do firmly believe Brian Daboll is the guy to restore them to their former glory. You want a test of if the Giants are for real? Sure, they have the Ravens next week. That’ll tell us a lot.

For the Packers, this feels like a bad loss. Jones was hobbled last week, you knew pretty much all the offense would flow through Saquon Barkley, and yet you couldn’t cover Darius Slayton when you needed to, and to be held scoreless in the 2nd half is pretty embarrassing. Not a great look, especially in front of a rabid Pro-Rodgers crowd at Tottenham Hotspur stadium.

AJ Dillon – who I expected to be a huge focus of the offense this year – was again held in check, and despite Aaron Jones explosiveness, and Randall Cobb playing like he’s Benjamin Button, the Packers never looked comfortable. It was all a bit dink-and-dunk, and not at all methodical, which is what I’m sure they were aiming for. Green Bay head back to Lambeau and welcome the other New York team next week. It’ll be interesting to hear what Rodgers has to say about this loss on Pat McAfee’s show on Tuesday…

Cowboys Stun Rams To Go 4-1

No Dak? No Problem! That’s how it’s been for Dallas ever since Week 1! Who would’ve thought it? Cooper freakin’ Rush. Admittedly, Rush’s stat-lines are rarely ever things of beauty, but the most important thing has been how well he has protected the ball for Dallas. I mean, 10-16 for 102yds is about as “Josh Rosen” as it gets… and yet, zero INTs and zero fumbles lost in his 4 starts this season. If you’d told Jerry Jones that the Cowboys were going to be 4-1 following this injury to Dak Prescott in the season-opening defeat to Tampa Bay, I think Jerry might have broken his own arm to guarantee that.

Dallas’ running game is so intriguing. Ezekiel Elliott is not what he once was, but he’s still a thundering bruiser who has the potential to punish linebackers, whilst Tony Pollard is the greased lightning that can break a game open, as seen on his 57 yard touchdown scamper in the first half. With Michael Gallup back in the lineup, and CeeDee Lamb always able to make a huge play and break things open, the Cowboys offense still flirts with game-changing plays, despite the limitations Rush possesses at QB.

And at the other end of the field? Their defense deserves all the plaudits in the world. Through 5 games… nobody has scored 20pts against the Cowboys. That’s legitimate championship-level defense. Micah Parsons limping around and yet still able to make the play that finally closed the door on Matt Stafford? He’s the realest of deals. The Cowboys have a real decision to make as regards to when we see Dak next. If it ain’t broken…

Speaking of broken… The Rams – and I’m not gonna sugar coat this – appear to be in serious trouble. Who would have thought after 5 games that Seattle and LA would have the same record in the NFC West? Not me, and not you either, you liar. Cooper Kupp is still going to do his thing no matter what chaos is happening around him, but Akers and Henderson are not contributing frequently from the backfield, Higbee and Skowronek gave them a bit, but Allen Robinson is still anonymous and you wonder why Odell Beckham Jr.’s phone hasn’t rung yet.

Sean McVay has lost his air of invincibility and the offense has stagnated. If it’s not being thrown to Cooper Kupp, is anyone really worried? Not that I’ve seen. This Rams team needs to re-find their defensive ferocity. Two years ago, this team would have eaten Jimmy G & Cooper Rush alive in back to back weeks. This year, they’ve lost both games without ever looking like winning. There’s obviously a lot of season left, but you’d be hard pushed to find many backing the Rams to return to the SuperBowl come February.

PrimeTime Tucker Delivers Again For Baltimore

This week’s clear marquee matchup was saved for our nightcap, as Joe Burrow and the Bengals travelled to Baltimore looking to take down Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. Having trailed for just 14 seconds of their opening 4 games, it felt baffling that the Ravens came into this game at 2-2, and they started with an urgency that suggested they were not going to allow a similar fate to befall them as had done against Miami and Buffalo.

Mark Andrews continued his ascent into the very top echelons of receiving Tight Ends, with another impressive PrimeTime showing, but spare a thought for his former Ravens teammate Hayden Hurst, who himself got into the endzone to get the Bengals on the board in the 2nd quarter. Whilst the Tight Ends were putting on a show, it’s probably fair to say that neither QB was at the height of their powers, as both Burrow and Jackson looked flustered early, as the respective defenses brought pressure well, and Cincy forced Jackson into a disappointing interception that somewhat helped flip the momentum a bit. By the time we entered the 4th quarter, it was clear this one was going to the wire.

Burrow managed to force his way in for the game tying TD to make it 16-16, pending the extra point. Evan McPherson managed to just slide the conversion OVER the top of the upright and Cincy had a lead, with less than two minutes to play. But, as we’ve seen so often this year, the clock is King. The Ravens knew they only needed a Field Goal, and made sure to play it just right to get that shot.

McPherson is without a doubt one of the best young kickers in the game, but he’s got a long way to go to match the game-winner, Justin Tucker. Tucker is beyond unflappable. 25-26 in his career in go-ahead FGs in the 4th Quarter or OverTime. Unbelievable consistency from him. In a league where kicking issues plague teams week in, week out, Tucker is an island floating adrift from the chaos of the mainland. There was not one iota of doubt that he was going to win the game when presented with a chance to do so. Tucker’s kick helped Baltimore eradicate a modicum of frustration from the Dolphins and Bills defeats, and really emphasised just how important specialists are in the success of a team in this league. In a loaded AFC, a player like Tucker is worth his weight in Diamonds, let alone gold.

The Ravens now sit atop the division at 3-2, with the Bengals and Browns both at 2-3, and the Steelers now an afterthought at 1-4. Lamar vs Joey B feels like what the AFC North is going to be about, at least until we know what he-who-should-not-be-playing will do in Cleveland come November. Baltimore took act one of what could end up being a trilogy between these two this year. Certainly, both will be right there when it comes to Playoff time in January. And what’s more, is we have more Burrow vs Jackson to look forward to for another decade to come (hopefully).

Thursday Night Throwback:

Ugh. Do we have to?! Fine… Okay, I’ll be completely honest. After 3 quarters of the Colts @ Broncos on Thursday night, I was miserable and angry. Why on earth are these two teams in PrimeTime and WHY have I watched so much of this putrid Broncos offense so far this season? That said, by the end of the 4th, I was fully invested in OverTime and actively cheering for the game to end in a tie, which was exactly what that embarrassment deserved.

Whatever the opposite of a slugfest is, this was that. Painful, boring, shambolic, atrocious… all apt words to describe this game. I wish we had the Men in Black memory stick thingy and could just wipe the memory of this entire game from the history of our planet. That said… fine, it was still NFL Football, and come March we’ll be crying out for even a game as bad as this.

Matt Ryan got his second win as a Colt in strange circumstances, but this could be a pivotal moment for a Colts team shorn of its best player as Jonathan Taylor was ruled out with an ankle injury. Nyheim Hines went down early with a concussion, and yet Indy still managed to eke out a win. Credit has to go to Stephon Gilmore for his game-extending and then game-winning plays with the pick late in the 4th, and the pass break-up to seal it in OT. This win gives the Colts a little momentum, as they head into a winnable (or rather, must-win) stretch of games against Jacksonville, Tennessee, Washington, New England, & Las Vegas. If Indy can find a way to go 3-2 or better in that run, their playoff dreams will remain a possibility.

Russell Wilson… What happened?! KJ Hamler’s exasperation at the end of the game was only matching that of the Broncos fans streaming out of the stadium BEFORE the start of OT. Wow. How quickly the Hackett x Wilson honeymoon is over. Where do Denver go now? Right back into PrimeTime! NOOOOOO. At least in this one, we have the LA Chargers on the other sideline, so we might see some points. Then, they host the Jets before travelling to face the Jaguars in London. Could Denver be 3-5? It’s certainly a realistic prospect when you consider how awful they’ve been to this point.

Quick Hits

It should come as no surprise that a game between the Chargers and the Browns was weird, back-and-forth throughout, had some questionable play calling, and ended in dramatic fashion. Before Sunday, Browns Rookie kicker Cade York had been a perfect 8-8 on FG tries, but that streak came to and end in spectacular fashion as he missed two chances to give Cleveland the lead and the victory, despite Brandon Staley’s best efforts to go full-Chargers and bottle this one. I love analytics, and rolling the dice, but not punting inside your own half with a little over a minute left and a two point lead was weird. I get going for the killshot, but don’t neglect the flip side. Either way, Cleveland continue to lose games it looks like they should win, and the Chargers continue to be must-see, for better or for worse.
Well, Dan Campbell’s magical Lions ran out of juice this week. This will surely be Detroit’s biggest defeat of the season, and was a good win for a Pats team starting Bailey Zappe for the first time. Amon-Ra St. Brown was clearly not 100%, but with the Lions having their Bye next week, you understand why he tried to tough it out. Rhamondre Stevenson had a good day for the Patriots. Do we see him become the number 1 RB now that Damien Harris is banged up? New England face the Browns next week.
Remember when the Jaguars were all of a sudden contenders in the AFC two weeks ago? Nope. They’re moving in the right direction with Doug Pederson, but Trevor Lawrence has more to learn yet. Texans! Congratulations! Nobody is going entirely defeated this season. Dameon Pierce is making a play for Offensive Rookie of the Year contention.
Roughing the passer you say? I’m not so sure. The Falcons were robbed of an attempt at a remarkable comeback against the Buccaneers, who themselves had Leonard Fournette’s big game to thank for this victory. Atlanta continues to be scrappy above their station, and have a Lions-like quality about them in how they’re never quite dead, especially without their two best players (Pitts & Patterson) yesterday. The Bucs are fortunate to have as many wins as they do. They’ve been very underwhelming so far this year.
Josh Allen is so much fun. So so so much fun. Gabriel Davis caught two absolute moonshots from the MVP candidate, as the Bills made short work of the Steelers. It wasn’t Kenny Pickett’s fault, but this was a clear case of the entire Pittsburgh organisation being outgunned by Buffalo. The Bills are clearly a Top 3 team in this league, and would be undefeated if not for the heat exhaustion and injuries that plagued them in Miami a few weeks ago.
The fact that the Minnesota Vikings made hard work of beating this Chicago Bears team only goes to further my inherent mistrust of this franchise and what they’re trying to do this season. Justin Jefferson and Dalvin Cook did their thing, and Cousins started the game immaculately, but you can’t let an offense as anaemic as Chicago’s to stage a comeback on you. Poor. This is still Green Bay’s division to lose. Minnesota will find a way to blow it.
The 2022 Miami Dolphins and the curse of concussions. Ugh. The incredibly promising 3-0 record of two weeks ago is now a thing of the distant past, as Miami were unable to overcome the loss of Teddy Bridgewater to the “eye in the sky, who ruled him out after mere seconds of this game. Skylar Thompson gave his all, but the Dolphins couldn’t overcome the struggle of having their 3rd string QB play 99% of the game. Really harsh on Miami, who now find themselves 3-2 and back in the scrap for a wildcard spot… IF they can get a QB healthy and able to stay in the game.
Give credit where it’s due… Robert Saleh’s Jets made sure to capitalise on the situation presented to them. Sauce Gardner flashed the playmaking ability that made him a top 5 draft pick, and Breece Hall showed why he was the consensus top running back also. The Jets are far from the finished article, but they’re scrappy and have some playmakers. Zach Wilson just needs to be safe – as he was – and this team will scupper some better one (like Miami) as the season goes on.
Taysom Hill… what a performance. Annoyingly, for all Alvin Kamara fantasy owners (of which I am one…) Hill went for 112 rush yds and 3 rushing TDs on just 9 carries, whilst also throwing a touchdown pass to Adam Trautman. Geno Smith continues to impress for Seattle, giving both DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett big games. The Saints really needed this win, and will maybe give us the Andy Dalton homecoming back to Cincinnati next week when they face the Bengals.
The Titans beat the Commanders to move into 1st place in the extremely strange AFC South. Tennessee made this far closer than it should have been, but it was good to see Derrick Henry rumbling to the endzone a couple of times. The Carson Wentz rollercoaster continues to plague Washington. The big plays are fun, and the backbreaking interceptions to seal the game are not. Such is the hand that was dealt.
It’s looking bleak out here for Matt Rhule, Baker Mayfield and the Carolina Panthers. They were soundly beaten by Kyle Shanahan’s revitalised San Francisco 49ers in a game that was never really close. I will continue to be vocal that Jimmy Garoppolo can only take San Fran so far, but they’re all of a sudden in 1st place in the NFC West, and right in the thick of things in the NFC on the whole. Their run game has found it’s legs, even if the passing game still leaves much to be desired. However, the Panthers look lost. Christian McCaffrey can still do “RUN C-M-C” things, but there’s little more in this offense to have hope for. DJ Moore hasn’t gone over 60 receiving yards in his first 5 games. Ouch. Rhule’s seat only grows hotter.
Kickers man… Matt Amendola robbed us of what would have been a pretty exciting overtime period, by screwballing his game-tying FG attempt wide right. The bad luck of the Cardinals not having Matt Prater, and Kyler sliding just short of the 1st down marker killed Arizona here. Philly, on the other hand, are mightily impressive. It’s not been a gauntlet of a first five games, but to be the lone remaining undefeated team at 5-0 IS as special as it sounds. Cowboys @ Eagles next week… mouthwatering.

MNF Prediction: (Season Record: 3-2)

An unforgivably poor performance from the Los Angeles Rams last Monday ended my 3 game winning streak, so we’re back to one game above .500, trying to stay above that line.

Thankfully, after a fairly mediocre Week 5 slate, we finish with a great AFC West matchup on Monday Night. After demolishing the Buccaneers last Sunday, the Chiefs appear to have reverted back to their norm of obliterating opposing defenses. Mahomes is Mahomes, Kelce is Kelce, and Andy Reid is still the guy who knows exactly how to pick even the toughest lock.

This week, the Chiefs face the reeling Raiders, who finally got Josh McDaniels’ first win as Raiders Head Coach against Denver last week. This Raiders team were hyped up during the off-season, and you can understand that with the huge addition of Davante Adams joining Hunter Renfrow, Darren Waller & Josh Jacobs as weapons for Derek Carr to target. That said, it’s been EXTREMELY underwhelming so far. The offense has stuttered, as Carr continues to be Kirk Cousins’ long-lost … Cousin… in being extremely unpredictable and usually wilting when the lights shine the brightest.

Basically, this is a simple case of trust. Mahomes playing? Kelce Playing? Reid Coaching? Derek Carr in PrimeTime on the other sideline? I therefore trust completely that the Chiefs will win.

Week 6 Preview

Week 6 is headlined by the game of the season so far… the rematch of arguably the greatest game in NFL history? Yup… it’s time once again for Chiefs vs Bills. It’s the crown jewel in an average week 6 slate, which begins with the abomination of Commanders vs Bears on Thursday Night Football. The early Sunday window gives us Ravens vs Giants, Dolphins vs Vikings (Teddy Bridgewater Revenge Game?!), and the Colts ONCE AGAIN trying to find a way to beat the Jaguars.

Sunday Night sees a great NFC East rivalry game, as 5-0 Philadelphia hosts 4-1 Dallas. Will Dak be back? Maybe. Is that a good thing? Also maybe?! Strange times. Jalen Hurts and his guys hung on (a little fortunately) to beat Arizona and remain undefeated. Nothing they would like more than beating the Cowboys and getting to 6-0. What a game to end Sunday. Then, on Monday Night Football, it’s Russell Wilson’s reeling Denver Broncos travelling to SoFi Stadium to face off against Justin Herbert and the Chargers. You wonder if the Broncos will be able to keep up with the Chargers…

As always, thanks for taking the time to read this article. I’m @CallumJDSquires on Twitter & Instagram. Come say hey. Hope you all have a great week. Cheers.

CALLUM IS FROM LONDON, BUT PLAYED COLLEGE SOCCER AT TRINITY UNIVERSITY IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, WHERE HE LEARNED NEVER TO CHEER FOR THE COWBOYS. CALLUM IS A LONG-SUFFERING DOLPHINS FAN WHO BELIEVES THE TUA HYPE. NOW BACK STATESIDE, HIT HIM UP ON TWITTER @CALLUMJDSQUIRES!

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