NFL Week 5 Performance Recap

San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams 

The 49ers stunned the Rams 26-23 in overtime despite being without Brock Purdy, Nick Bosa, George Kittle, and their top three receivers. Los Angeles opened as about −3.5 favorites with the total near 43.5; San Francisco covered while the game went over. Mac Jones delivered a gutsy performance, throwing for 342 yards and two touchdowns while playing through a leg injury, and kicker Eddy Piñeiro drilled four field goals—including the 41-yard game-winner in OT. Kendrick Bourne set career highs with 10 receptions for 142 yards, and Christian McCaffrey added 139 total yards. The Rams rallied from a 20-7 deficit behind Matthew Stafford’s 389 passing yards and three touchdowns, but a costly Kyren Williams fumble at the goal line in the final minute of regulation and a failed fourth-down run in overtime sealed their fate.

Minnesota Vikings at Cleveland Browns

The Vikings edged out the Browns 21-17, opening around −3.5 with an over/under near 35.5; Minnesota covered and the total stayed under. After falling behind 17-14, the Vikings struck late when Jordan Addison caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Carson Wentz with 25 seconds left. Earlier, Jordan Mason ran in for a score and Cam Akers threw a TD to Josh Oliver. Cleveland had jumped out early—Dillon Gabriel hit David Njoku for a 9-yard score and Harold Fannin caught a 1-yard pass to open the game—but couldn’t hold on in the fourth quarter.

Dallas Cowboys at New York JetsThe Cowboys rolled past the Jets 37-22, opening as around −6.5 favorites with the total near 44.5; Dallas covered while the game went over. Dak Prescott threw four touchdown passes—two to tight end Jake Ferguson—and finished 18 of 29 for 237 yards behind a patchwork offensive line missing four starters. Javonte Williams starred with 135 rushing yards, a rushing TD, and a receiving score, while George Pickens added a long touchdown catch. Dallas’ defense sacked Justin Fields five times and forced a key Breece Hall fumble that flipped momentum in the second quarter. Fields threw for 283 yards and two late touchdowns, but New York’s 0-5 start continued as they became the first team since 1933 to go five games without a takeaway.

New Orleans Saints at New York Giants

The Saints earned their first win of the season with a 26-14 victory over the Giants, opening as about −2.5 favorites with the total near 41.5; New Orleans covered while the total stayed under. Spencer Rattler threw for 225 yards and an 87-yard touchdown to Rashid Shaheed, while safety Jordan Howden returned a fumble 86 yards for another score. The Saints’ defense forced five turnovers, including three from rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, who threw two late interceptions to Kool-Aid McKinstry and lost a fumble on a scramble. Shaheed finished with 114 receiving yards, and Blake Grupe added two field goals as New Orleans snapped an eight-game losing streak dating back to last season.

Las Vegas Raiders at Indianapolis Colts

The Colts dominated the Raiders 40-6, opening as roughly −5.5 favorites with the total near 44; Indianapolis covered easily and the total stayed under. Jonathan Taylor scored three rushing touchdowns and a 2-point conversion, while Daniel Jones went 20 of 29 for 212 yards and two passing TDs in another efficient, turnover-free outing. Indy’s defense forced two interceptions and blocked a punt, all leading to touchdowns, as the Colts built a 20-3 halftime lead and cruised from there. Rookie Tyler Warren caught his first career touchdown, Michael Pittman Jr. added another, and the Colts’ special teams and defense overwhelmed a flat Las Vegas squad that failed to record a sack for the first time in 40 games.

Miami Dolphins at Carolina Panthers

The Panthers rallied from a 17-point deficit to stun the Dolphins 27-24, opening as about +4.5 home underdogs with the total near 46.5; Carolina covered and the total stayed just under. Bryce Young went 19 of 30 for 198 yards and two touchdowns, including a 4-yard go-ahead strike to tight end Mitchell Evans with 1:59 left, while Rico Dowdle powered the comeback with 206 rushing yards and a score—just five yards shy of the franchise single-game record. Carolina, missing three starting linemen, outgained Miami 237–19 on the ground. Tua Tagovailoa threw for 256 yards and three touchdowns but was sacked three times, including a key third-down takedown on Miami’s final drive. The comeback matched Carolina’s largest in team history and kept them unbeaten at home.

Denver Broncos at Philadelphia Eagles

The Broncos stunned the defending champion Eagles 21-17, opening as roughly +7.5 underdogs with a total around 45.5; Denver covered while the total stayed under. Bo Nix led a furious fourth-quarter comeback, completing 9 of 10 passes for 126 yards and an 11-yard touchdown to Evan Engram before hitting Troy Franklin for a successful two-point conversion to take the lead. J.K. Dobbins added a 2-yard rushing score, and kicker Wil Lutz sealed it with a late 36-yard field goal. Jalen Hurts threw for 280 yards and two touchdowns, but a crucial illegal shift penalty on Saquon Barkley erased a late fourth-down conversion, ending Philadelphia’s hopes. The win gave Sean Payton his 173rd career victory, passing mentor Bill Parcells on the all-time list.

Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens

The Texans demolished the shorthanded Ravens 44-10, opening as about −3.5 favorites with the total near 42; Houston covered with ease and the total went over. C.J. Stroud completed 23 of 27 passes for 244 yards and four touchdowns, leading Houston to score on all eight of his drives before exiting in the fourth quarter. Nick Chubb added a 27-yard rushing TD as the Texans outgained Baltimore 417–207 in one of the most dominant performances in franchise history. The 34-point margin tied the largest road win in Houston’s history and the worst home loss in Ravens history. Cooper Rush, starting in place of the injured Lamar Jackson, threw for 179 yards and three interceptions as Baltimore dropped to 1–4 while missing multiple defensive starters.

Tennessee Titans at Arizona Cardinals

The Titans rallied from a 15-point deficit to stun the Cardinals 22-21, opening as around +4.5 underdogs with a total near 43; Tennessee covered and the total stayed under. Cam Ward threw for a career-high 265 yards, including 193 in the fourth quarter, and Joey Slye hit a 29-yard game-winning field goal as time expired to snap the Titans’ 10-game losing streak. Calvin Ridley hauled in five catches for 131 yards, while Tennessee capitalized on two massive Arizona miscues—a premature fumble by Emari Demercado at the goal line and a pick-six fumble recovery in the end zone after an interception. Kyler Murray threw for 220 yards and a touchdown and ran for another, but the Cardinals blew a 21-6 lead and lost on a walk-off field goal for the third straight week, marking an NFL first.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Seattle Seahawks

The Buccaneers edged the Seahawks 38-35 in a thriller, opening as about +2.5 underdogs with the total near 44; Tampa Bay covered while the total soared over. Baker Mayfield was near-perfect, completing 29 of 33 passes for 379 yards and two touchdowns—an NFL season-high 87.9% completion rate—while hitting Sterling Shepard for the game-tying score with just over a minute left. Lavonte David then intercepted Sam Darnold with 58 seconds remaining, setting up Chase McLaughlin’s 39-yard game-winning field goal as time expired. Darnold threw for 341 yards and four touchdowns but also the costly late pick. Emeka Egbuka shined with seven catches for 163 yards and a TD, while Seattle’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba had 132 yards and a score in a back-and-forth offensive showcase that featured nearly 900 combined yards.

Detroit Lions at Cincinnati Bengals

The Lions defeated the Bengals 37-24, opening as around −3 favorites with a total near 44.5; Detroit covered and the total went over. David Montgomery had a storybook homecoming, rushing for 64 yards and a touchdown while also throwing a 3-yard scoring pass out of the wildcat formation. Jared Goff went 19 of 23 for 258 yards and three touchdowns, connecting with Amon-Ra St. Brown (100 yards) and Sam LaPorta (92 yards, 1 TD) as Detroit built a 28-3 lead by the third quarter. Jahmyr Gibbs added a receiving score, and the Lions’ defense recorded a late safety to seal their fourth straight win. Jake Browning threw for 251 yards and three touchdowns, including two to Ja’Marr Chase, but his three interceptions and a sluggish first half doomed the Bengals, who have now dropped three straight since Joe Burrow’s toe injury.

Washington Commanders at Los Angeles Chargers

The Commanders surged past the Chargers 27-10, opening as about +3 underdogs with a total near 44; Washington covered while the total stayed under. Jayden Daniels returned from injury and threw for 231 yards and a late touchdown to Deebo Samuel, while Jacory Croskey-Merritt powered the offense with two rushing scores. After trailing 10-0 early, Washington scored 27 unanswered points, aided by a key fumble recovery from Marshon Lattimore and four sacks on Justin Herbert. The Chargers committed 10 penalties and three turnovers, stalling multiple drives, while Daniels—playing near his hometown—became the fastest quarterback in NFL history to reach 1,000 rushing yards within 20 games. Herbert finished 22 of 29 for 166 yards with one touchdown and one interception, but Los Angeles’ mistakes proved costly in their second straight loss.

New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills (Sunday Night)

The Patriots upset the previously unbeaten Bills 23-20, opening as about +6.5 underdogs with the total near 45; New England covered while the total stayed under. Stefon Diggs shined in his return to Buffalo, hauling in 10 catches for 146 yards—119 of them in the second half—as rookie kicker Andy Borregales nailed a 52-yard game-winner with 15 seconds left. Drake Maye was sharp, completing 22 of 30 passes for 273 yards, while Rhamondre Stevenson ran for 87 yards and two touchdowns. Josh Allen threw for 253 yards and two scores but committed two costly turnovers as Buffalo’s 14-game home winning streak came to an end. The win marked New England’s second straight and pushed them above .500 for the first time since 2019, tightening the AFC East race.

Monday Night Preview: Kansas City Chiefs at Jacksonville Jaguars

The Chiefs enter Monday night as about −3.5 road favorites with the over/under set around 45.5. Kansas City has rebounded from a shaky start to the season with back-to-back wins, while Jacksonville looks to build on its recent defensive surge. Patrick Mahomes will aim to keep the Chiefs’ offense rolling against a Jaguars defense that ranks among the league leaders in takeaways and pressures. Travis Kelce remains Mahomes’ go-to target, but the Chiefs may need more production from their young receivers to stay balanced. For the Jaguars, Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne must sustain long drives and capitalize in the red zone to keep pace. With both teams trending upward, this matchup could have early playoff implications in the AFC picture.