NFL Week 5: Cheers and tears
This week, a few players and teams earned our praise ... and others, our pity.
This Sunday was a bit weird, tonally, in the NFL. I guess that’s what happens when the Jets and Giants are both over .500, and the NFC East is suddenly the top division in the league.
Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria!
The games overall were not very good on Sunday, though at least it was an improvement over the slop we watched on Thursday night. It helped that the action was bookended by two of Week 5’s most exciting matchups of the week: the Giants’ comeback against the Packers in London, and the Ravens’ last-minute win over the Bengals on SNF.
And unfortunately, injuries — some of them scary — played a major role in the day’s events. Lions cornerback Saivion Smith was taken to the hospital (and later released, thankfully), Teddy Bridgewater maybe suffered a concussion, Chris Olave definitely did, Rashaad Penny is likely done for the year, and Baker Mayfield joined Russell Wilson’s “does he just suck or is he injured?” club.
There was plenty to lament this week, but there were moments to celebrate too. I’m going to look at both the highlights and lowlights from Sunday by focusing on who I’m feeling happy for and who I’m pitying this week. Let’s start on the positive side.
I have to praise you like I should
Dan Quinn, defensive mastermind
The Cowboys are 4-1, with all four wins coming after Dak Prescott’s injury. While we have to applaud Cooper Rush for steering the ship in Prescott’s absence, the real credit for the Cowboys’ success belongs to their defense.
Last year, Dan Quinn took over a defense that had been historically bad, at least by Cowboys standards, and turned them into a unit that finished No. 2 in DVOA and first in the league in takeaways. Not only is the Dallas D better this year, but it has a strong case to be called the tops in the entire NFL.
Still, a week ago, Quinn said he was waiting for his defense to deliver a “whoa” moment. Well, he only had to wait until the first drive of their game against the Rams. That’s when DeMarcus Lawrence scooped up a Matthew Stafford fumble and ran it back for a quick touchdown:
The early lead against the defending champs took the pressure off Rush, who threw for just 102 yards, and the rest of the offense. All they had to do was run the ball a lot and not turn it over, which they did — and the Rams most certainly did not.
The Dallas defense hounded Stafford all afternoon, sacking him five times and forcing three turnovers. LA, for the third time this season, could only muster 10 or fewer points. Meanwhile, this was the fifth game in a row that the Cowboys have allowed 20 points or fewer — something they hadn’t done since 1972.
Despite his issues as head coach for the Falcons, Quinn was always an easy guy to root for, and that has not changed now that he’s a DC again:
The way his defense is playing, though, Quinn will get a second chance as a head coach someday soon.
Quinnen Williams, getting the last laugh
Speaking of easy guys to root for, that’s been Quinnen Williams since he was drafted with the third overall pick in 2019. Williams has improved each year, and the Jets defensive lineman entered Sunday coming off the best game of his season.
Coincidentally (or not), that performance came after a strange comment from his defensive coordinator. This week, Williams had another big game and used someone else’s quote as motivation, intentionally or not.
In the offseason, Tyreek Hill took a jab at the Jets in his introductory presser with the Dolphins. On Sunday, Williams introduced Hill to his 303-pound body — and the MetLife turf — with a nasty stiff arm on a fumble recovery:
Williams’ teammates were delighted with his play against Hill, even if Williams himself was more diplomatic. Williams finished the day with half a sack, two quarterback hits, and the fumble recovery, and is on pace to shatter his career-high numbers.
The Texans and Ravens, who ended losing streaks
We’re five weeks into the season and there are no longer any winless teams. Yay! The Texans were the last ones remaining, and once again the Jaguars proved to be the cure to what ails them. Houston won its ninth straight game against Jacksonville, a streak that dates back to 2017 and includes some pretty bad Texans teams.
But, just as the Jags do to the Colts, the Texans must somehow get in their AFC South rival’s heads. Trevor Lawrence had his worst game of the season — zero touchdowns and two interceptions, including a critical turnover in the end zone that could’ve given Jacksonville the lead in the third quarter. On their next drive, the Jaguars were stuffed on fourth-and-1. Soon after, Travon Walker was hit with an unnecessary roughness penalty on third-and-20 that let the Texans extend their drive and eventually take the lead.
Even if the Jags kinda beat themselves, the Texans will gladly take home that first victory of the season.
The Ravens also ended a skid of sorts. Although it’s too early in the season to call any matchup a must-win, Baltimore really could’ve used a win, mentally, after blowing two double-digit leads in the previous three weeks. It was almost a third in four weeks, too.
With under two minutes to go, Joe Burrow gave the Bengals their first lead against the Ravens. This time, however, their opponent left too much time for Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore offense (well, mostly just Lamar). Jackson accounted for all but four yards of the Ravens’ final drive to set up Justin Tucker for a game-winning field goal attempt. No spoiler alert needed because he’s Justin Tucker: He made it, and the Ravens won for the first time in Baltimore since last November, breaking a five-game losing streak at home.
Hayden Hurst, with the greatest football spin
In his first showdown against his former team, Bengals tight end Hayden Hurst did not get the W. However, he put together his most productive game of his season so far, with six catches for a team-high 53 yards and a touchdown.
Less importantly for Hurst and the Bengals, but more importantly for entertainment purposes, CHECK OUT HIS AWESOME SPIN ON THIS FOOTBALL:
Don’t overlook his teammate Stanley Morgan, who pretends to use the football to warm his hands, in that clip. That’s the good stuff.
Ain’t that a shame
Justin Fields, who deserves better than this
I can’t imagine how frustrating the Bears’ loss to the Vikings was for Justin Fields. The coaching staff finally let him throw the ball, and guess what, he put up his best passing numbers of the season (especially in the second half): 15 of 21 for 208 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions. One of his receivers even made a jaw-dropping catch rather than just, well, a drop.
Fields was also the Bears’ leading rusher, recording eight carries for 47 yards. That does not include this incredible touchdown run that was negated by a penalty on Ihmir Smith-Marsette:
Chicago settled for the field goal a few plays later but still had a chance for a game-tying drive in the last two minutes. Around midfield, Fields found Smith-Marsette for a first down … and then the receiver fumbled the ball and it was game over.
I feel bad for Smith-Marsette, who was facing the Vikings for the first time since they released him and who made two costly errors. But I feel worse for Fields, who got to show a glimpse of what he can do when the Bears trust him, and yet, his team still managed to fail him.
The Browns and Chargers, who keep trading the witch skin hat
A recurring storyline in the nearly perfect TV show What We Do in the Shadows involves a cursed object. Specifically, a witch skin hat that brings bad luck to whoever possesses it, probably somewhere in NHEW YHORK CITAYYY.
In Cleveland on Sunday, it felt like, fittingly enough, the two most cursed NFL franchises kept trading the witch skin hat (or whatever its NFL equivalent is … witch pigskin football?) back and forth.
Here’s what happened after the Chargers took a 30-28 lead in the fourth quarter:
-Browns get intercepted in the end zone
-Chargers go for it on fourth-and-1 at their own 46-yard line and come up short
-Browns’ 54-yard field goal attempt is wide right
-Chargers win 30-28
Any of what happened to the Browns could’ve easily happened to the Chargers, and vice versa. The Browns ended up with the witch skin hat (aka the loss) this time, but I’m guessing it’ll find its way back to the Chargers soon.
The Cardinals’ fill-in kicker, who can’t catch a break
The Cardinals’ usual kicker, Matt Prater, was sidelined with a hip injury. They elevated Matt Ammendola, last seen missing two kicks in the Chiefs’ only loss of the season, from the practice squad to fill in for Prater against the Eagles.
Ammendola hadn’t missed for the Cardinals until the game’s most crucial moment. Arizona had rallied to possibly send things to overtime, except Ammendola’s 43-yard try with 22 seconds left was no good.
That’s a tough first (and probably last) appearance for Ammendola with the Cardinals, but at least his teammates had his back:
And Justin Pugh is right. Maybe if the Cardinals ever bothered to show up in the first quarter, then they wouldn’t have put this young kicker in such a difficult situation.
The Falcons, who dared to touch Tom Brady
Entering the week, Tom Brady was 10-0 in his career against the Falcons, with the most notable win coming in Super Bowl LI. Though the stakes were much, much lower, the Falcons had their shot at returning the favor and staging their own comeback against Brady’s team.
Down by six late in the game, Atlanta just needed to stop the Bucs on third down and force a punt.
Then this happened:
Grady Jarrett’s sack was wiped out due to the flimsiest roughing the passer call I’ve ever seen. Do you think Lamar Jackson is getting that call? Absolutely not. That was clearly a “I’m gonna throw this flag because it’s Tom Brady” move from the ref.
The Falcons never touched the ball again, felled by Brady for the 11th time, with an assist from the officials.
Anyway, #TeamGisele.