The Week 5 NFL slate has treated us to a couple gems. The Pittsburgh Steelers' come-from-behind victory to tie the Baltimore Ravens atop the AFC North standings? The Atlanta Falcons' game-winning field goal as time expired? That's what football is all about.
Of course, it wasn't all pretty. The New Orleans Saints ran roughshod over the New England Patriots, who may or may not be the worst team in the NFL. Probably not, but... it feels like it sometimes. Oh, and let's not even talk about the NFL's last-standing zero-win team in Carolina.
Let's search far and wide to pinpoint the individual winners and losers from a jam-packed week of NFL football.
NFL Week 5 winner: Jaguars' schedule
The Jacksonville Jaguars played host to the Buffalo Bills in London, the team's second straight week in the British capital. If you're thinking "Hmm, that's a bit strange, letting Jacksonville post up in London while the Bills deal with travel fatigue," you would be correct. It is a bit strange.
Jacksonville has a talented young QB and enough dudes to field a competitive team, but the Bills entered this week scorching hot after a 48-20 win over the Miami Dolphins. On one hand, this was a classic trap game for the Bills. A natural comedown from a soaring high. On the other hand, it feels a bit strange to watch such an explosive offense suddenly go turgid.
The turf is a factor — it's soccer turf, not football grass, and the Bills are not used to it — as are the simple mechanics of time. The Jags have had two weeks to adjust to the London time zone. There's no way the Bills, who arrived two days before the game, weren't dealing with severe jet lag. It's a five-hour shift.
It's such a blatant circumstantial advantage for the Jags that goes well beyond the standard home-field boost. It's something the league should look to avoid in future years.
NFL Week 5 loser: Mac Jones
Mac Jones has been benched twice in two weeks. He was absolutely terrible in the Patriots' 34-0 loss to the New Orleans Saints, completing 12-of-22 passes for 110 yards and two INTs before handing the reins to second-year QB Bailey Zappe. It's getting to the point where Zappe should probably get QB1 honors for at least a week. Jones doesn't have it right now.
New England drops to 1-4 despite a solid defense and the coaching wisdom of Bill Belichick. The issues extend far beyond Jones, but it's hard to win in the NFL without a half-decent QB. Jones has been at or near the bottom of the positional standings this season. He's about to lose his job, and a lot of Patriots fans are watching USC games with a special interest on Saturdays.
NFL Week 5 winner: Desmond Ridder
Speaking of young QBs on the hot seat, Desmond Ridder turned in the best performance of his NFL career to silence the doubters (for a week, at least). He confidently led multiple key second-half scoring drives to help Atlanta escape with a 21-19 win over the Houston Texans. On the whole, he completed 28-of-37 passes for 329 yards and one touchdown.
Poise was Ridder's biggest selling point coming out of Cincinnati. He led the Bearcats from obscurity to a College Football Playoff berth. He was the mistake-free QB, that dude under pressure. When Ridder doesn't get sped up in the pocket and takes a few chances with his star receivers, such as Drake London or Kyle Pitts, good things tend to happen. The Falcons have every manner of weapon at his disposal — he just has to use them.
Atlanta moves back above .500 to 3-2 in a very winnable NFC South.
NFL Week 5 loser: Lamar Jackson
The Steelers authored a late fourth-quarter comeback to topple the Ravens 17-10. It wasn't the best showing from Lamar Jackson. The MVP completed 22-of-38 passes for 236 yards and an interception. After the game, he had a few choice words for his receivers.
It's a loss on multiple fronts for Jackson. The Ravens lost the game, he definitely damaged the locker room with these comments, and yes, he didn't get much support from the WRs. Zay Flowers caught five of 11 targets. Mark Andrews hauled in six of 10. Those aren't great ratios, and it supports the idea that Baltimore should be on the prowl for high-end WR help.
The Ravens are still tied for first place in the winnable AFC North at 3-2, but Jackson fumbled with a minute left to secure the Steelers' victory (and Pittsburgh's stalemate in the standings). It was a rough day all around for the Louisville product.
NFL Week 5 winner: Matt Canada
Loser: Steelers?
Pittsburgh may have won the battle but lost the war on Sunday, as the offense's late push to win the game, which featured a 41-yard TD dart from Kenny Pickett to George Pickens, may have saved OC Matt Canada from the unemployment line.
That's tremendous news for Canada, of course. He has been a source of controversy all season, with the Steelers' offense still struggling to get past first gear. A 17-point game doesn't exactly absolve Canada of criticism, but to watch Pittsburgh execute a perfect two-minute drill after Canada's strange comments regarding late-game offense is a win for the QB-focused coach.
We will see if Pittsburgh can sustain this momentum or if next week sends the fanbase right back into a feverish spiral.
NFL Week 5 loser: Daniel Jones
Another QB who deserves a (negative) shout. Daniel Jones has backed up his $160 million contract with truly terrible play. He completed 14-of-20 passes for 119 yards before exiting Sunday's game early in the fourth quarter with a neck injury.
Obviously, the hope is that Jones is back quickly and he suffers no serious ill-effects from the hard hit he took. On the football side of things, however, the Giants have to begin considering alternatives — or, at the very least, a way to improve the roster around Jones to give him a better shot at success.
New York doesn't have a strong foundation of playmakers, especially with Saquon Barkley's wavering reliability. After a magical 2022 season, the Giants are staring down the barrel of another long, losing season. There's not much time left to right the ship. Miami is a contender and the Giants weren't anywhere close to the same level.
NFL Week 5 winner: Justin Fields
Oh, how the tables turn. The Chicago Bears were the laughingstock of the NFL a couple of weeks ago. That hasn't 100 percent flipped, but Justin Fields put together a rather masterful 282-yard, four-touchdown performance (with 57 rushing yards) in Thursday's win over the Washington Commanders.
Fields remains a tier-one athlete for his position. Even with the league's increasing emphasis on versatility at QB, there aren't many who can scramble and generate opportunities with sheer athleticism like Fields. Chicago fans are cautiously getting optimistic here, and it's hard to blame them. Consistency is a huge hurdle he needs to overcome, but Fields clearly has the potential to succeed on a full-time basis.
