Week five in the NFL had a lot of thrills, surprises and hair-pulling moments. Audiences are finding out which teams could be contenders and which ones could be one and done if they reach the playoffs. Despite a lot of storylines off the field with some coaches and players, Sunday’s games revealed what to expect from next week to even next year.
Winners: David Montgomery
Before week one, many viewers wondered why the Lions got rid of runningback duo Jamaal Williams and D’Andre Swift for David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. Those moves by general manager Brad Holmes are paying off.
Montgomery had another dominant performance, running 19 times for 109 yards and one touchdown. His almost six yards a carry was a big reason Detroit had an easy home win against the winless Panthers. The FOX broadcast informed audiences he’s the first Lions player to have a rushing touchdown in each of his first four games in franchise history.
The Lions have a lot of playmakers on offense who get a lot of attention due to how the NFL loves teams that throw the ball, but David Montgomery might have more value for the franchise. The offensive line is at their best when he runs and embodies the aggression head coach Dan Campbell looks for in the offense. However Detroit wins, there’s a good chance Montgomery’s leading the charge.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars left week three with an embarrassing home loss to Houston, a team many believed they’d beat by double digits. After two weeks in Europe, Jacksonville’s the top team in the AFC South.
The Jaguars know London well and play every game as a home advantage. Most viewers weren’t surprised they dominated Atlanta last week, but not many expected an all-out defensive assault against Buffalo Sunday (due to the game being in Europe, times of when audiences tuned in could range from late Sunday night to early Sunday morning). The Bills’ first mistake was arriving Friday afternoon. It led to slow and disorganized play versus a team that trained the past six days. Jacksonville entered the second quarter with an eleven point lead.
While quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the offense did turn the ball over at times, Buffalo’s offense was stumped by the Josh Allen-led Jaguars defense. 13 of the Bills’ 20 points came within the last four minutes of play when Jacksonville sealed the win.
Even better news for the Jaguars is the two week chaos from the rest of their division. Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson may have a serious injury in his throwing shoulder. Tennessee is inconsistent on offense and the Texans are under .500 again. If Jacksonville wants to capture the division title, they have to be the most consistent team. Coming back to the U.S. after two straight wins in London is a great starting point.
Nathaniel Hackett
There wasn’t a more criticized head coach or coordinator in 2022 than Nathaniel Hackett. Many believed the tandem of Hackett and Russell Wilson would counter Kansas City’s dominance. It was so bad that Hackett’s successor Sean Payton called it, “one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL.” Payton will be eating those words all week after a home loss to Hackett’s Jets.
There was no doubt Sunday afternoon New York had the better offense. Runningback Breece Hall ran 22 times for 177 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Zach Wilson had another solid performance, building more confidence as a possible franchise starting quarterback. While the Jets offense couldn’t finish drives in the endzone, the team played hard for the new offensive coordinator who’s had to adapt week-to-week.
The biggest feel-good with the win is Hackett’s vindication after last season’s debacle in Denver. New coach Sean Payton is faring worse than his predecessor. The offense is just as anemic as it was in 2022. The defense is non-existent and Payton is a polarizing figure with his players. It’s possible when 2024 approaches, most will want the Walton family to implement a full re-build by giving everyone in the organization the boot.
Losers: Mac Jones
Head coach Bill Belichick will deservedly be the main topic whenever New England comes up in conversation this week. The bigger glare is the play of quarterback Mac Jones. The third year signal caller has led the Patriots to a damning three points in their last two games.
Jones followed up week four’s horrid performance with a home shutout loss to a reeling Saints team. His interception to Tyrann Mathieu was returned for a touchdown mid-way through the first quarter and New Orleans only added to the lead. While his 110 passing yards in three quarters is terrible, it isn’t stressed enough how awful his leadership and knowledge of the offense is.
Many want to say New England doesn’t have the same levels of talent as their division rivals but that’s an hollow excuse because Jones was a coveted quarterback in the 2021 NFL draft. His carelessness and indifference to extend offensive possessions leaves one to wonder when Belichick will have to bench him.
Arizona Cardinals
Cincinnati went into State Farm Stadium Sunday with one win and Tyler Boyd as the number two receiver behind Ja’Marr Chase. Arizona was favored to leave week five with their second win of the season. Well, the Cardinals are in the losers section, so you know how that turned out.
Arizona’s terrible defensive coverages led to a career day for Chase, who had 15 catches for 192 yards and three touchdowns. Two of the three were scored in the second half and the Cardinals never got the lead back after Chase’s second touchdown.
On offense, enough mistakes were made to seal the Bengals’ second win of the season. Down four late in the third quarter, Arizona’s offense went for it on 4th & 1 to extend their drive and try to score a touchdown. Quarterback Joshua Dobbs was stuffed for a one yard loss and the Bengals got the ball back. The ensuing possession was a nine minute, 15 play drive that gave Ja’Marr Chase his third and final scoring catch of the day and cemented Cincinnati’s win. Dobbs also through an interception to Cam Taylor-Britt that was returned for a touchdown.
The Cardinals are a feisty team that want to win, but they’re in trouble of being eliminated from playoff contention early because the rest of the NFC west has more veteran coaches and deeper talent. Being last in a division where everyone else has at least two wins can damage a team’s confidence. That’s why losing by 14 to a team averaging 12 points a game was the worst case scenario for Arizona.
Mike McCarthy and the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy went into Sunday night hoping his team would go blow-for-blow with San Francisco. That didn’t happen.
The Cowboys trailed by double digits most of the game. Their defense was reckless and gave up three critical penalties in the first half that ended two 49er touchdowns. Linebacker Leighton Vander Esch left with an injury and pass-rushing phenom Micah Parsons was held to four tackles and one hurry.
The offense gave up four turnovers, three of which were interceptions by quarterback Dak Prescott. The 49ers dominated on all three sides of the ball and coach Mike McCarthy had no answers from start to finish.
The Cowboys previously played four teams that are far away from playoff contention and the press has gone bananas over the results. Viewers branded Parsons as the second coming of defensive great Lawrence Taylor and are comparing the defense to the 2000s Ravens. The first postseason heavyweight Dallas faced thrashed them for 60 minutes. They looked leaderless in the second half and showed national audiences they don’t have enough determination to make a deep playoff run. Until Mike McCarthy can lead this team to a quality win against a Super Bowl contending favorite, this team is stuck at good, but not great. That’s not what the Super Bowl winning coach was brought in for.
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