There were plenty of lower-scoring games in Week 5 with about half producing 22 points or fewer. But there were a few big games and the Texans finally got off the losing track with their first win. The Eagles remain the last unbeaten team and will wear that target on their jersey this week against the Cowboys and every week until someone beats them.
NY Giants 27, Green Bay 22
The London games are still far too early for the fantasy football world, but at least they’ve been more exciting and competitive this year. The Giants are playing above expectations this year even though their passing game situation just gets worse. Daniel Jones threw for 217 yards and no scores with Darius Slayton (6-97) as the top receiver and no one else gained more than 36 receiving yards. Saquon Barkley was the best part of the offense and he ran just 13 times to gain 70 yards and a touchdown, plus 36 yards on three catches. They let Gary Brightwell (2-5, TD) and Daniel Bellinger (1-2, TD) also bull in short scores to the dismay of every Barkley owner. The 4-1 Giants host the Ravens this week.
What’s up with the Packers? They ran the ball effectively with Aaron Jones (13-63) and AJ Dillon (6-34) but didn’t stick with the run despite leading until the fourth quarter. Aaron Rodgers passed for 222 yards and two scores. Randall Cobb (7-99) and Allen Lazard (4-35, TD) but Rodgers had little success connecting with any of the receivers including Romeo Doubs (3-29). London games often have one team playing flat and that was the 3-2 Packers that host the Jets this week.
Pittsburgh 3, Buffalo 38
This game was maybe not the way that Kenny Pickett wanted his first start to end. Najee Harris ran for 20 yards on eleven carries and added three catches for 16 yards while he embraced his sophomore slump. Pickett only ran once for ten yards and threw for 327 yards and one interception. His new BFF George Pickens (6-83) and Diontae Johnson (5-60) were the top receivers though Johnson led the team in targets (13). Pickens (8) was only third in passes thrown to him. Pat Freiermuth left with a concussion. The 1-4 Steelers had a few positives in Pickett’s first start, but none of them happened in the end zone. The Steelers host the Buccaneers on Sunday.
The Bills squeaked past the Ravens in Week 4. This week – they bulldozed the Steelers. Josh Allen passed for 424 yards and four touchdowns but did not score, somehow, during his five runs for 42 yards. Gabe Davis (3-171, 2 TDs) is finally healthy and back to form, while Stefon Diggs (8-102, TD) and Khalil Shakir (3-75, TD) were the next best receivers. Devin Singletary totaled only 46 yards and James Cook (4-31, TD) mopped up with a 24-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter. It all worked in a home game and the 4-1 Bills head to Kansas City where they lost in the Divisional Round last January.
LA Chargers 30, Cleveland 28
The Chargers fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter but battled back after holding the Browns to only one score in the second half. Austin Ekeler ran for 173 yards and one score, plus caught four passes for 26 yards and another touchdown. Even Joshua Kelley (10-49, TD) scored against a surprisingly soft Browns defense. Justin Herbert only passed for 228 yards and one touchdown that almost entirely ended up with Mike Williams (10-134, TD). No other receiver totaled more than 24 yards. The 3-2 Chargers host the Broncos on Monday night.
The Browns had the lead at halftime but couldn’t get much going in the second half. Nick Chubb (17-134, 2 TD) and Kareem Hunt (11-47, TD) were both effective if not slightly under-used. Jacoby Brissett passed for 230 yards and one touchdown to Amari Cooper (7-76, TD). David Njoku (6-88) was the top receiver but the others didn’t help much. Donovan Peoples-Jones (4-50) was the only other receiver with more than ten yards. The loss drops the Browns to only 2-3 and they host the Patriots on Sunday.
Chicago 22, Minnesota 29
The Vikings led 21-3 in the second quarter and the Bears battled back with 19 straight points before the Vikings scored a touchdown with about two minutes left to play to secure the win. David Montgomery was active and ran for 20 yards and a score on 12 runs, plus was the top receiver with four catches for 62 yards. Khalil Herbert all but disappeared with only four runs for 11 yards. Justin Fields rushed for 47 yards and threw a season-high 208 yards and one score to the rookie Velus Jones (1-9, TD). Darnell Mooney (2-52) and Cole Kmet (4-45) were marginally better than past weeks. The loss drops the Bears to 2-3 and they play the Commanders on Thursday night.
Dalvin Cook (18-94, 2 TD) also added two receptions for 27 yards but they still gave Alexander Mattison (9-19) plenty of work despite being less effective. He added three catches for 21 yards. Kirk Cousins ran in the rare touchdown and passed for 296 yards and one score. Justin Jefferson (12-154) was the only receiver with more than 42 yards though Jalen Reagor caught his first touchdown as a Viking on his only catch in the game. The win lifts the Vikings to 4-1 and they play in Miami on Sunday.
Detroit 0, New England 29
The Patriots may have problems at quarterback but they don’t show up in a home game against the Lions. Damien Harris left early with a hamstring strain and Rhamondre Stevenson took full advantage with 161 yards on 25 carries and a couple of catches for 14 yards. Bailey Zappe threw for 188 yards and one score to Jakobi Meyers (7-111, TD) and even used Hunter Henry for four catches and 54 yards with both producing their best showings of the year. Not bad for a third-string rookie quarterback. The Patriots’ defense made this a laugher and it didn’t matter who the quarterback or starting running back was. The Pats rise to 2-3 and head to Cleveland for Sunday.
Not a lot worked for the Lions. Jared Goff passed for 229 yards and no scores while completing just 19 of 35 passes. Josh Reynolds (6-92) and Craig Reynolds (3-68) led the receivers while Amon-Ra St. Brown was active but held to only 18 yards on four receptions. T.J. Hockerson was held to just one catch for six yards as the Pats shut down the Lion’s two best receivers. D’Andre Swift was out, of course, and Jamaal Williams was held to only 56 yards on 15 rushes. The Lions couldn’t generate any consistent drives and the Pats were just too much on defense. The loss drops the Lions to a familiar 1-4 and they head onto their bye looking for answers.
Miami 17, NY Jets 40
Quarterbacks matter. The Dolphins discovered that all too soon when Teddy Bridgewater was immediately knocked out of the game with a concussion and they dropped down to their seventh-round rookie Skylar Thompson. He only passed for 166 yards and one interception, but at least connected with Tyreek Hill (7-47) while Jaylen Waddle was left with only three catches for 23 yards. Raheem Mostert (18-113, TD) has taken over the backfield while Chase Edmonds only ran once for one yard. The Dolphins’ defense was softer, but they were constantly battling poor field position. The loss drops the Fins to 3-2 and they host the Vikings for Week 6.
The Jets just ran all over the Dolphins. Breece Hall (18-97, TD) was the top rusher and added a team-high two catches for 100 yards. Michael Carter (10-21, 2 TD) stole two scores while Braxton Berrios ran for a 15-yard touchdown and even Zach Wilson scored on his four rushes for two yards. Wilson only threw 21 passes and Corey Davis (2-38) was the best receiver after Hall. This was a solid win by the Jets who benefitted by the Dolphins losing quarterbacks. And Breece Hall’s breakout though Michael Carter is a troublesome TD vulture. The 3-2 Jets head to Green Bay on Sunday.
Atlanta 15, Tampa Bay 21
Not a lot of points here and the Buccaneers led 21-0 midway through the third quarter and coasted for the win. Marcus Mariota threw for just 147 yards and a score to Olamide Zaccheaus (2-39, TD) while Drake London was held to only 25 yards on four catches as the next-best receiver. Kyle Pitts was out, but that hardly accounts for low passing stats. Tyler Allgeier (13-45) and Caleb Huntley (8-34) split the rushing load and never had any passes thrown to them. The Falcons managed two fourth-quarter scores to make it look respectable but lacked the firepower to mount a successful comeback. The 2-3 Falcons host the 49ers on Sunday.
Tom Brady passed for 351 yards and one score to Leonard Fournette (10-83, TD) who was the lead receiver. Mike Evans (4-81) and Chris Godwin (6-61) were the top wideouts. Fournette also ran for 56 yards and a second touchdown on 14 carries. He scored all the touchdowns and was the only Buccaneer with more than moderate production. The win raises the Bucs to 3-2 and they play at the Steelers this week.
Tennessee 21, Washington 17
The Titans finally got back to basics and followed Derrick Henry (28-102, 2 TD) to the victory. Henry would also add two catches for 30 yards while Ryan Tannehill only threw 25 passes and completed 15 for 181 yards and one score to Dalton Hilliard (4-23). Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (2-72) was the top receiver thanks to a 61-yard catch, but no other receivers gained more than 37 yards. The game was close throughout and Henry’s second touchdown came late in the third quarter as the final score by either team. Robert Woods ended with four catches for 37 yards and had eight targets as the primary receiver. The 3-2 Titans head onto their bye this week.
The Commanders saw success with the passing effort. Carson Wentz threw for 359 yards and two scores that both ended up with Dyami Brown (2-105, 2 TD) on his only catches. Terry McLaurin (5-76) and Curtis Samuel (6-62) were both productive but never found the endzone. The rushing offense saw the shift away from Antonio Gibson (3-6) to Brian Robinson (9-22) though neither were productive and Gibson added three catches for 33 yards. The Commanders reached the Titans’ 2-yard line with a first down, but after two incompletions, Wentz threw an interception on third down to lose the game. The 1-4 Commanders play on Thursday night in Chicago.
Houston 13, Jacksonville 6
This matchup produced at least 46 points in their two meetings of 2021, but this one proved to be brutally slow and low scoring. Dameon Pierce was a high point, running for 99 yards and one score on 26 carries and catching three passes for 14 yards. But Davis Mills only threw for 140 yards with Nico Collins (4-65) and Brandin Cooks (4-20) marginally effective. The difference maker in this was that the Texans made no mistakes or turnovers. Pierce has quickly become the biggest part of the offense and shares almost nothing with Rex Burkhead. The 1-3-1 Texans finally get their first win and go on their bye.
The strong start to the NFL season took a big step backward in Week 6. James Robinson was held to only 27 yards on ten carries while Travis Etienne gained 71 yards on his ten rushes and caught three passes for 43 yards for the best game of his young career. Trevor Lawrence threw for 286 yards but no scores and two interceptions. Christian Kirk only caught one pass for 11 yards while Marvin Jones led the team with seven receptions for 104 yards. Evan Engram landed six catches for 69 yards as well but the Jags couldn’t punch in any scores even at home against a team that had no prior wins. Are the Jags good enough now to underestimate an opponent? They drop to 2-3 and play at the Colts on Sunday.
San Francisco 37, Carolina 15
The 49ers opened the scoring with a touchdown by Tevin Coleman and never looked back. Jeff Wilson ran for 120 yards and a score on 17 carries while Coleman ran eight times for 23 yards and the score. Deebo Samuel only ran twice for 12 yards and caught two passes for 20 yards and one touchdown. Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 253 yards and two scores but Brandon Aiyuk (3-58) and George Kittle (5-47) were the best receivers with marginal yardage and no scores. Coleman also caught three passes for 44 yards and a second touchdown in his first appearance as a 49er this year. The 3-2 49ers head to Atlanta this weekend.
Baker Mayfield only threw for 215 yards and one interception and PJ Walker took over for the final series. D.J. Moore (4-59) and Robbie Anderson (1-32) continue to be fantasy disappointments. Christian McCaffrey offers the only reliable production from this entire offense. He ran for 54 yards and a score on 14 carries plus caught seven passes for 50 yards. But all this game offered was three field goals and Christian McCaffrey. And that lost to the 49ers by 22 points. The 1-4 Panthers play at the Rams this week while HC Matt Rhule starts to fear the ringing phone.
Dallas 22, LA Rams 10
It doesn’t take a lot of offense to beat the Rams these days, long as you have a good defense. The Cowboys didn’t do that much offensively with only ten first downs and five-of-fifteen on third down. Cooper Rush remains unbeaten in that “yes, I was there” sort of way. He passed for 102 yards and lost a yard on his four rushes. CeeDee Lamb led the team with only five catches for 53 yards and Michael Gallup (4-44) was the only other receiver that mattered. Dalton Schultz continues to kill fantasy teams with another game with zero catches though he left with a sprained knee. But Tony Pollard bounced back and with eight runs for 86 yards that included a 57-yard touchdown jaunt. Ezekiel Elliott ran for 78 yards on 22 carries though neither back had any receptions. The Cowboys defense scored one of their touchdowns and set up one of the field goals. The 4-1 Cowboys get their biggest test of the year when they play in Philly next week.
The Rams ‘ defense did well enough, but the offense continues to struggle in all facets not named Kupp. Cam Akers took every carry for the backfield and only gained 33 yards on 13 runs. Matt Stafford passed for 308 yards and one score but one interception. He also lost two fumbles and was sacked five times. Cooper Kupp (7-125, TD) accounted for the most production, of course, and Tyler Higbee (7-46) remains an outlet as well but the passing effort appears to be stuck oh “Kupp + nothing.” The Super Bowl champs fall to 2-3 and host the Panthers. The Rams appear to be just another example of how tough the season after the Super Bowl usually is on the winner.
Philadelphia 20, Arizona 17
The Eagles remain the lone undefeated team, but the Cardinals tied them in the fourth quarter until the Eagles kicked the winning field goal with 1:45 left to play. Jalen Hurts passed for 239 yards and ran for 61 yards on 15 rushes with two scores. Dallas Goedert (8-95) and DeVonta Smith (10-87) were the leading receivers while AJ Brown settled for just three receptions for 32 yards. Miles Sanders gained 58 yards on 15 runs and caught two passes for six yards but never scored. The 5-0 Eagles get their biggest game of the year when they host the Cowboys on Sunday.
The Cardinals made a game of it and could have tied it but the 43-yard field goal attempt by Matt Ammendola went wide right with 22 seconds left to play. Kyler Murray passed for 250 yards and one score with 42 yard gained on four runs. Marquise Brown (8-78, TD) and Ronald Moore (7-68) were effective but no one else gained more than 48 yards. James Conner (9-55) was effective but left with injured ribs. Eno Benjamin (8-25, TD) filled in and even gained 28 yards on three catches. The Cards brought them to the final minute but couldn’t connect on that field goal to tie. The 2-3 Cardinals play in Seattle for Week 6.
Cincinnati 17, Baltimore 19
Not the shootout that we all wanted. Joe Burrow threw for 217 yards and one score to Hayden Hurst (6-53, TD) while Ja’Marr Chase (7-50) was the only wideout with more than 33 yards. Tee Higgins re-aggravated his ankle injury and left. Joe Mixon (14-78) almost scored a touchdown but Burrow ended up taking the one-yard score. The Bengals’ offense is still stunted from how well it played last year and the offensive line is no help. They fall to 2-3 and head to New Orleans for Week 6.
The winning equation was pretty much he same from 2021. Just the many facets of Lamar Jackson plus Mark Andrews = victory. Jackson ran for 58 yards and threw for 174 yards and one score to, of course, Mark Andrews (8-89, TD). Add in four field goals by Justin Tucker and the Ravens took the win when Tucker kicked a 43-yarder as time expired. J.K. Dobbins ran for 44 yards on eight runs and Devin Duvernay totaled 78 yards between his five catches and three rushes. The game could have gone either way, but the 3-2 Ravens squeaked past the Bengals and head to New York to face the Giants.
Game-O-The-Week: Seattle 32, New Orleans 39
The Seahawks trailed 31-19 and scored twice in the fourth quarter to take a 32-31 lead but Taysom Hill ran 60 yards for his third touchdown to put the game out of reach. Rashaad Penny ran for 54 yards on eight runs but left with an ankle injury. You knew this was coming. Ken Walker was mostly ineffective, at least until he broke a 69-yard touchdown run. Geno Smith passed for 268 yards and three scores between Tyler Lockett (5-104, 2 TD) and DK Metcalf (5-88, TD). The Seahawks could have won this game if they only had an answer for Taysom Hill. Instead, they lost Rashaad Penny yet again and drop to 2-3 and host the Cardinals this week.
The Saints had a healthy Alvin Kamara (23-103) that also was the lead receiver with six catches for 91 yards. Yeah, where has this been? The Saints were without Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry, but employed a very effective committee backfield. Andy Dalton threw for 187 yards and a touchdown to Chris Olave (4-54, TD) who was concussed on the play. But Taysom Hill went from no more than five runs for 21 yards these last two weeks to running nine times for 112 yards and three touchdowns, plus threw one pass for a 22-yard touchdown to Adam Trautman (2-32, TD). Hill was as dangerous as was feared by defensive coordinators and has to have bought more usage in coming matchups. The win raised the Saints to 2-3 and they host the Bengals on Sunday.
