NFL Week 5 Takeaways: Commanders accept tie after expensive mistake

With 12 seconds remaining in time beyond regulation, the Washington Commanders had been within the New York Giants’ territory after they snapped the ball to achieve just a few extra yards and ease the stress for the would-be game-winning kick.

The solely downside? No one had communicated to the offence that they didn’t have a timeout and so they needed to rapidly spike the ball to cease the bleeding clock. A final-second scramble ensued but it surely was far too late. 

The scoreboard learn triple zeros and, extra importantly, 27-27 to present the NFL its first tie because the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys ended at 40-40 in Week 4 of 2025.

New York was left as shocked as everybody else — they’d simply watched working again Cam Skattebo fumble the ball and what appeared to be the sport on the earlier possession after preventing to drive an additional body with two late touchdowns.

Commanders head coach Dan Quinn finally took accountability after the sport, stating they need to have simply “clocked” the ball on the earlier play as they had been already properly inside field-goal vary.

To completely sum up the debacle, minority proprietor Magic Johnson chimed in on X: “I’m in total disbelief my Commanders had such poor clock management in today’s overtime game against the Giants. All we had to do was kick the field goal and we would have won the game!”

International video games have produced back-to-back unbelievable finishes after a tricky begin to the NFL’s international marketing campaign with a slog fest Down Under in Week 1.

An early damage to the Jacksonville Jaguars lengthy snapper influenced a missed further level on their go-ahead landing late within the fourth quarter, leaving the door open for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Jake Elliott punched in a area purpose to take the 17-16 lead with simply eight seconds on the clock and the shorthanded Eagles appeared to have prevented their third straight loss taking part in with out stars Saquon Barkley or DeVonta Smith.

Jaguars return specialist Ameer Abdullah had different plans and delivered a lightning fast 53-yard sprint on the following kickoff in simply six seconds of clock time to arrange a Cam Little 57-yard try.

The shaky snapper delivered and the Eagles had been left shocked with an extended flight house.

There have solely been two video games in NFL historical past to characteristic lead-changing area objectives within the remaining 20 seconds of a sport — the Baltimore Ravens defeating the Cowboys 34-31 Week 4 in Rio and this stunner on the house of the Tottenham Hotspur.

Next up, the Houston Texans will be part of the Jaguars in London for a conflict at Wembley Stadium in Week 6.

It was a forgettable week for your complete NFC East.

Not solely did the Commanders, Giants and Eagles discover new methods to lose however the Cowboys additionally failed to point out up on Thursday evening.

They managed to squander a halftime result in the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers, taking part in with a backup rookie quarterback, on the highway, as almost double-digit underdogs.

This marks the primary time in NFL historical past that every one 4 groups in a division didn’t file a win in per week that included a divisional matchup.

The division “race” stays wide-open with the quarterback-less Giants presently main the way in which at 3-1-1.

49ers takedown Seahawks to stay undefeated 

Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers rolled into the house of the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks and put their 4-0 file to the last word take a look at.

Despite shedding one other large receiver to damage when Deebo Samuel hit the turf as he fumbled a working play, Mike Evans stepped as much as end with a season-high 113 yards together with a landing and a two-point conversion.

The contest noticed an NFL season-high seven mixed turnovers however the 49ers prevailed 32-29 after Eddy Pineiro drilled a area purpose with just below two minutes remaining. It wasn’t with out extra drama, as a fourth-down play to Cooper Kupp was dominated brief to place an finish to the Seahawks last-minute push.

The NFC West is a wholly completely different story than the aforementioned East. The 49ers now sit atop the stacked division and have appeared just like the workforce to beat — however nobody is crowning division winners in Week 5.

Seattle can relaxation realizing they weren’t at their finest as Sam Darnold threw a pair of interceptions into the fingers of Renardo Green and now has 5 in his three video games since getting back from a lower-body damage.

With their Super Bowl MVP-winning working again Kenneth Walker III thriving as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs and Zach Charbonnet nonetheless sitting on the shelf, they’ll want their offence to wash up the turnovers to chase down a championship repeat.

Maye-be we judged the Patriots offence too rapidly

Drake Maye’s third season started as horribly as Patriots followers might have probably imagined. After getting into the MVP dialog and shedding within the Super Bowl, the 24 year-old had his coaches and teammates answering questions on your complete operation.

In a moderately fast turnaround, Maye erupted for 374 yards and 4 touchdowns of their 45-17 thrashing of the Las Vegas Raiders to again up final week’s strung-together win over the Buffalo Bills.

That provides the North Carolina product seven touchdowns to at least one interception with a depleted offence within the two weeks since alarm bells had been formally rung.

A house take a look at in opposition to the Jets in Week 6 ought to set them as much as proceed in the best route.

Notably on the opposite facet of the blowout, Las Vegas turned to 2026 No. 1 general choose quarterback Fernando Mendoza late within the fourth quarter as NFL followers caught their first glimpse of the 2026 National Champion with the Indiana Hoosiers. He accomplished 6-of-8 passes for 48 yards on his solely drive.

This wasn’t an official benching of Kirk Cousins however extra of an opportunity to present a rookie some snaps in a sport scenario regardless of the rating. However, if the Raiders’ shocking begin turns into extra blowout losses they could look at hand over the keys.

Grading new (previous) playcallers

Two head coaches took over their play calling duties heading into Week 5 after poor begins left their franchises trying to find solutions.

Heading into 2026, Denver Broncos boss Sean Payton handed the reins of the offence to Davis Webb in an try to hold the highly-sought after younger coach with the workforce.

But with poor showings on the offensive facet of the ball in 4 consecutive weeks with Payton’s protégé calling his personal offence, they had been left with no selection however to confess it wasn’t working.

The change paid off ultimately, because the Broncos defeated the winless Los Angeles Chargers 23-17, however even Payton admitted himself post-game he has some extra work to do shaking off the rust.

In Houston, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans snatched the play sheet again from defensive coordinator Matt Burke and whereas his first take a look at was the lowly Tennessee Titans, he handed with flying colors. 

The Texans appeared extra just like the dominant group they had been in 2025 as they dealt with Cam Ward’s punchless offence.

Perhaps Ryans’ finest name of the day was asserting the Texans had acquired receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. in a commerce with the Arizona Cardinals at his post-game availability.

Speaking of Ward, Titans followers are starting to query whether or not he’s a respectable NFL quarterback. While he hasn’t had one of the best surroundings to develop, the Titans will quickly be compelled to make a real resolution on the previous No. 1 general choose within the midst of his second season.

After Ben Johnson took over as head coach of the Chicago Bears to start final season, a remark throughout his introductory press convention twisted the knife deeper into rivalry with the Packers — and extra particularly head coach Matt LaFleur.

When requested about his prior success within the NFC North as offensive coordinator with the Detroit Lions he quipped: “And to be quite frank with you, I kind of enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year.”

Well, after Johnson loved a 2-1 file in opposition to the Packers in Year 1, together with a win within the NFC wild card, LaFleur acquired some revenge.

The Packers trounced the Bears 31-7 thanks to 2 lengthy landing catches from Christian Watson to gas a second straight win after powerful losses to the Minnesota Vikings and the Atlanta Falcons.

Chicago continues to be lacking quarterback Caleb Williams, who sat his third straight contest with a hamstring damage. They hope to welcome him again Week 6 in Atlanta.

As for the handshake? Not as dismissive because the earlier conferences but it surely was definitely not a pleasant one.

North America awakened with a wild begin to the proceedings in London. On the opening kickoff, Josh Cameron appeared to return the ball 90 yards for a landing just for it to be referred to as again by a holding penalty. 

But on the identical play, Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Brian Thomas Jr. had been ejected for preventing at midfield — all technically earlier than one second got here off the clock.

Later within the day, round 7,720 kilometres east in Seattle, 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw determined to head-butt a helmet-less participant (whereas nonetheless carrying his) after he was flagged and confronted for shoving Darnold late as he was working out of bounds. He was instantly ejected and will face additional self-discipline.

This isn’t the primary time Greenlaw has been below scrutiny by the NFL, he was suspended for one sport after he “chased down” referee Brad Allen following a sport in 2025 when he was a member of the Broncos.