Occasionally, regular-season victories are sweeter than others. And sometimes regular-season losses sting more than others.
The Jets didn’t clinch a playoff spot, and the Cowboys weren’t eliminated from postseason contention in early October. But their outcomes in Week 5 were more emotional than most games for very different reasons.
The Cowboys again lost to the 49ers in a game that might have convinced them they can’t hang with their NFC rivals. As for the Jets, they lined up to hug offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett after they defeated Hackett’s former team, the Broncos.
Here are our winners and losers from this past week.
Winners
Bengals
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So it was a bad week for pretend doctors who specialize in calf strains.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow delivered his best performance of the season (36-of-46, 317 yards, three TDs) during the win against the Cardinals, displaying mobility in the pocket, and even had a memorable 10-yard run. Burrow’s injured calf didn’t appear to give him fits in Arizona, allowing him to push the ball downfield, throwing three touchdowns to Ja’Marr Chase.
Turns out, the Bengals and Burrow had the right plan for how to operate with the star quarterback’s calf strain, which he first injured in the summer. For the past few weeks, the Bengals received unsolicited advice that they should sit Burrow to allow his calf to fully heal.
The Bengals (2–3) are playing catchup in the standings, but they can climb out of their hole if Burrow continues to play at a high level.
Nathaniel Hackett
Initially, I thought I heard Jets coach Robert Saleh tell Broncos coach Sean Payton to “stay humble,” as the two shook hands after New York’s win against Denver.
But that’s just what I wanted to hear, because I’m obsessed with TV drama. (Have you seen the latest season of Love Is Blind? Must-watch drama!) Anyway, back to Saleh, who clearly told Payton to “stay healthy.”
Saleh was right to take the high road. Sunday’s win should be and is all about Hackett, the former Broncos coach whom Payton was critical of in a candid interview before the season. The Jets were thrilled to get some payback for their beloved offensive coordinator. It was a sweet victory, but it was also another step in the right direction for Hackett’s offense, which has now received back-to-back impressive performances from quarterback Zach Wilson, the third-year player filling in for Aaron Rodgers.
We didn’t get a war of words between opposing coaches Sunday, but at least the Jets’ social media team had some fun at Payton’s expense. Perhaps this emotional win could be a turning point for the Jets (2–3).
Colts
I almost placed the Colts on the losers’ side because they’ll be without Anthony Richardson for the foreseeable future, but that shouldn’t diminish their memorable weekend.
On Saturday, the Colts surprised many by announcing a contract extension with star running back Jonathan Taylor—a three-year deal that’s reportedly worth $42 million, including $26.5 million guaranteed. A day later, the Colts defeated the Titans to improve to 3–2 and are tied with the Jaguars for first in the AFC South (Indianapolis travels to Jacksonville this week).
The Colts won big in Week 5 because they found a resolution for a messy situation involving Taylor, who requested a trade in the summer. Taylor is a premier player at his position, but he could also be instrumental in the development of Richardson, the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NFL draft.
The Colts will be without their standout rookie quarterback for “some time” due to a shoulder injury he sustained against the Titans. But backup QB Gardner Minshew and the running back duo of Taylor and Zack Moss could keep the Colts afloat while they learn more about Richardson’s injury.
Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence and his offense finally woke up after sleepwalking through most of the first month of the season. The trio of Lawrence, Calvin Ridley and Travis Etienne Jr. did the heavy lifting during their upset win against the Bills in London.
But the Jacksonville defense shouldn’t be overlooked. Not too many teams can hold Josh Allen and the Bills’ offense to 20 points and fewer than 400 total yards. Outside of the ugly loss to the Texans, the Jaguars’ defense kept the team afloat, while the offense adjusted to playing with Ridley and a few moving parts on the offensive line. But the Jaguars are going to need their offense to play the way they did last week to win the AFC South and possibly contend with the elite teams in the conference.
Losers
Giants
It’s gotten ugly for the Giants, who have been outscored by 91 points through five games.
They fell 31–16 to the Dolphins in Week 5. The 15-point loss is somehow their best loss in terms of total margin. The Giants lost to the Cowboys by 40 points in the season opener, they had an 18-point loss against the 49ers in Week 3 and fell by 21 points in the ugly Monday Night Football performance against the Seahawks in Week 4.
To make matters worse, quarterback Daniel Jones is dealing with a neck injury, but coach Brian Daboll expressed optimism Monday about Jones’s possibly playing against the Bills. Yes, you read that correctly. The Giants (1–4) now get to play the angry Bills, who are coming off a surprising loss against the Jaguars.
Bills
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Speaking of the Bills, they again showed why they can’t be trusted in the playoffs.
Some weeks the Bills are crushing teams with one of the best rosters in the NFL, and other weeks Stefon Diggs is frustrated on the sideline due to another sluggish performance from the offense. I’m not going to dwell too much on the one loss because the Bills will likely find a way to win the AFC East. But this performance was a reminder of the Bills’ inconsistencies the past few seasons, including the playoff losses.
For bigger, immediate concerns: Linebacker Matt Milano and defensive tackle DaQuan Jones are sidelined indefinitely with injuries they sustained against the Jaguars.
Vikings
It might be time to fork the Vikings as playoff contenders after the loss to the Chiefs dropped their record to 1–4.
We probably could have forked them after they started the season 0–3, but they were clicking offensively with Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson, the defense showed improvement under defensive coordinator Brian Flores, and they lost the three games by six points or fewer.
But now the Vikings will be without Jefferson, who was placed on injured reserve Tuesday due to a hamstring injury. Minnesota has depth at wide receiver, but this offense will likely take a few steps back without the 2022 Offensive Player of the Year.
Cowboys
Dak Prescott referred to the blowout loss to the 49ers as “the most humbling game” he’s played in.
The Cowboys might have accepted the reality that they can’t beat the 49ers. Micah Parsons can speak confidently about wanting to play the 49ers again, but plenty needs to change from now until January. That’s if the Cowboys make the postseason. Injuries are piling up, and wide receivers CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks have had quiet performances to start the season.
Dallas’s upcoming schedule features the Chargers, Rams and Eagles.
Commanders: Washington’s 2–0 start feels like a distant memory.
The Commanders’ flat performance against the Bears gave them their third consecutive loss. They also have the honor of being the third NFC East team listed in the losers’ category.
The Commanders are at least applying consistent pressure for opposing quarterbacks, but that hasn’t helped much with one of the worst secondaries in the league. Bears wide receiver DJ Moore torched them for eight catches, 230 yards, three touchdowns and two catches that went for more than 50 yards.
Packers
Jordan Love had a forgetful three-interception performance in the loss against the Raiders on Monday night.
For the third interception, Love forced a ball in the end zone to Christian Watson that was picked off by the Raiders to seal the Packers’ fate in Las Vegas. After a fast start, the Packers’ first-year starting quarterback has now had two consecutive poor performances, including the Week 4 loss to the Lions.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur will need to figure out what has gone wrong with Love during this two-game losing streak.
