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We’re already a month into the NFL season—crazy, right? With five weeks in the books, we are starting to understand which teams are contenders and which are pretenders. There’s still a long way to go in the season, but some have stood out so far, such as the Buffalo Bills and teams that have been disappointing, like the Cincinnati Bengals. Week 5 is crucial for some teams to keep their postseason hopes alive.
Let’s dive into my NFL Week 5 Takeaways.
Burrow’s Bengals Buried?
Albert Cesare/The Enquirer
To put it nicely, the Bengals have been disappointing through the first month of the season (1-3), with their only win coming against a dysfunctional Carolina Panthers franchise in Week 4. That’s surprising, considering their franchise quarterback, Joe Burrow, is back in the mix, coming off a surgically repaired wrist that caused reason to be concerned. Burrow has dispelled those worries with his play on the field, throwing for 978 yards through the first four games for seven touchdowns and one interception with a QBR rating of 70.6 (the highest of his career).
The problem hasn’t been the Bengals' offense, which ranked ninth in points per game (25.5) and seventh in passing yards per game (236) through the first four weeks, according to Team Rankings. Their running game is nonexistent, ranking 23rd in rushing yards per game (102.3) after Week 4. Coupled with a middle-of-the-pack defense (15th in points allowed), this has dug them into a (1-3) hole.
Despite these setbacks, the Bengals have shown resilience. They’ve lost some close games, such as the one against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2 with a pass interference call on rookie safety Daijahn Anthony on Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice. These little plays have hurt the Bengals as they look to garner wins.
How would they respond in Week 5 against a Baltimore Ravens team coming off back-to-back wins against the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills? The Ravens, led by their dynamic quarterback Lamar Jackson, have been in top form, especially after their convincing win against the Bills. On the other hand, the Bengals have been struggling to find their rhythm, with their only win coming against the Panthers. Well, they came out slow in the first, being held scoreless by the Ravens' defense. Still, they started getting things clicking offensively, highlighted by a Burrow 41-yard touchdown to Ja’Marr Chase on a post route to give them a one-point lead before the half before converting on the two-point conversion to make it 17-14.
In the second half, both teams put on an offensive clinic led by Burrow and Lamar Jackson in an absolute showdown. When one team scored, the other answered like it was a basketball shootout. Burrow was astounding, throwing for 392 yards and five touchdowns on 27-of-34 completions. Burrow seemingly made no mistakes (aside from that interception late in the 4th) in one of the best games of his career, being the king of accuracy he is.
For the Ravens, Jackson continues to dazzle fans every game, with at least one play every game, which makes you wonder if this guy is human. That scramble on a broken play to find Isaiah Likely in the endzone was Houdini-like that would even make Houdini proud… It seemed impossible. But that’s the reigning league MVP, so we shouldn’t be surprised.
It was an ultimate showdown between two AFC North rivals in the highest combined scoring game between the two organizations historically. The Bengals' run defense was excellent, slowing down the NFL’s rushing leader, Derrick Henry, who leads the league in rushing yards per game (120) through the first four weeks. Despite Henry catching a touchdown from Jackson, the Bengals' defense held him to just 40 rushing yards on 14 attempts and 2.9 yards per carry, a commendable feat.
After struggling for a big breakaway all game, the All-Pro running back came up big with his final carry of the game for a 51-yard rush into the Bengals' red zone to set up Justin Tucker for an easy 24-yard field goal in overtime to give the Ravens the 41-38 victory and their third straight win.
Meanwhile, the Bengals are now 1-4 after a heartbreaking loss to the Ravens. This loss is particularly significant as it further dims their playoff hopes. With a 1-4 record, the Bengals must significantly improve their performance in the coming weeks to keep their postseason dreams alive.
Commanders Have Found Their Leader
Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
In the 2024 NFL Draft, there were concerns about star rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and how his body would hold up in the NFL. However, the Washington Commanders saw past these concerns and drafted him. And now, in Week 5, we're seeing why. Daniels has shown exceptional promise, leading the team with his elusive style and solid throwing mechanics. His performance is a beacon of hope for the Commanders' future.
In Weeks 3 and 4 against the Bengals and Arizona Cardinals, he combined 487 passing yards for three touchdowns and one interception. Daniels doesn’t look rushed when playing. He displays a rare combination of precision in the pocket and agility in the open field, and his poise with pressure coming at him is something you rarely see in rookie quarterbacks.
Through his first five games, Daniels has been historic. He became the first rookie in NFL history to throw for over 1,000 passing yards and rush for over 250+ yards in his first five career games. He has the most rushing yards amongst any rookie quarterback in NFL history since the 1970 merger. Daniels continued his prowess as the leader in their Week 5 34-13 rout over the Cleveland Browns for 238 yards, a touchdown, and an interception, completing 56% of his passes.
His performance has been instrumental in the Commanders' (4-1) record through five weeks, placing them atop the NFC South, a position no one foreshadowed coming into the season. Daniels' impact on the Commanders' season cannot be overstated, as his exceptional play has been a critical factor in their surprising success.
Daniel's ability to escape pressure makes you think of Jackson on the Ravens. He makes it look effortless, but he has a more accurate, stronger arm than his predecessor. You’ll see that here in his 66-yard bomb to Terry McLaurin. Or, as you see here in this touchdown, to continue pushing the Commanders' lead, reading the single high coverage the Browns were playing and seeing Dyami Brown able to beat it for a 41-yard touchdown.
Daniel's start to the season has the Commanders (4-1) through five weeks atop the NFC East, something no one foreshadowed coming into the season—his only competition for Offensive Rookie of the Year may be New York Giants receiver, Malik Nabers. But, Daniel's impact on winning for the Commanders will not only have that award secured if he stays healthy and keeps performing like this but also as a dark horse MVP candidate, similar to what we saw in CJ Stroud at one point in his rookie season last year.
New York Giants Stun Seahawks
Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
The Giants came into Week 5 with a (1-3) record in some games, but they could be over .500 if a couple of plays went their way against the Cowboys and Commanders. The Giants desperately needed a win to stay in the playoff hunt. They got that over the Seahawks in a hard-fought 29-20 game that was secured by an epic blocked field goal by Isaiah Simmons returned for a touchdown by Bryce Ford-Wheaton to cushion their lead over the Seahawks and secure the win without their top receiver in Nabers and running back Devin Singletary.
And what about Daniel Jones? He is someone who’s taken a lot of criticism throughout his career but has played some exceptional football as of late, throwing for 257 yards and two touchdowns on 23-of-34 completions as he seems to be finding his confidence in the offense again and a rhythm since coming back from his ACL injury throwing for six touchdowns and one interception in the last four games. The Giants will want to see Jones continue progressing this way, along with Darius Slayton, who was the lead receiver for the Giants on eight receptions for 122 yards and one receiving touchdown as the primary target with Nabers out.
Jones improved play isn’t the only reason for the Giant's success, as their defense has stepped up and has not allowed more than 25 points scored by an opponent this season besides their season-opening game against the best well-rounded team in football in the Minnesota Vikings who are undefeated at 5-0 after defeating the New York Jets in London.
With Nabers in the NFL’s concussion protocol and Singletary (groin) out, the Giants will need guys like Slayton and Tyrone Travis Jr. to continue stepping up offensively like they did today to take less pressure off their defensive front. If they can build off this game heading home to face a struggling Bengals team in Week 6 and their NFC East rivals in the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 7 and stay afloat until their top guys are healthy, we could be looking at a playoff team.
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