2023 NFL Week 5: Top Takeaways for Every Team from Sunday's Games
In Week 5, the Miami Dolphins went into the record books and eclipsed one of the most iconic offenses in NFL history. Meanwhile, we may be watching the beginning of the end for one of the league's most accomplished head coaches.
The Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills kicked off the Sunday slate. Following their 25-20 win over the Bills, the Jaguars may officially be London's team.
In the 1 p.m. ET window, we saw a few division battles go down to the final minutes as a couple of underdogs pulled out unexpected victories.
In one of the early games, a rookie quarterback showed a ton of promise even in defeat. The team that beat him has something that many say often wins championships.
Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski and Moe Moton provide insight from Sunday's action.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Buffalo Bills
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Jaguars should continue to be a physical team going forward
The Jacksonville Jaguars picked up a couple of wins in London over the Atlanta Falcons and Buffalo Bills. In their first victory, the Jaguars unleashed an aggressive defense that sacked Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder four times. On Sunday, Jacksonville racked up 196 yards (4.9 yards per carry) and two touchdowns on the ground.
Perhaps the Jaguars found their winning formula overseas.
While quarterback Trevor Lawrence took a major leap in his first year under head coach Doug Pederson, Jacksonville should try to get running back Travis Etienne Jr. going early in games, especially with left tackle Cam Robinson back from a four-game suspension. Etienne ran for a season-high 136 yards and two scores against the Bills, which may be the start of a strong rushing stretch.
Defensively, the Jaguars must do whatever it takes to generate pocket pressure to help a pass defense that ranked 21st in passing yards allowed coming into Week 5.
Bills' defensive depth will be tested in the next few weeks
Buffalo went into Sunday's game without defensive end Greg Rousseau (foot), and cornerback Tre'Davious White, who's out for the rest of the season with a torn Achilles.
During Sunday's game against the Jaguars, linebacker Matt Milano suffered a fractured leg and will likely miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Defensive tackle Daquan Jones also exited the contest with a pectoral injury.
Edge-rusher Von Miller, who made his season debut after ACL rehab, didn't play a full workload and stood on the sideline as a spectator in the second half as Jacksonville eroded Buffalo's defense.
The Bills won't play any high-scoring teams for the remainder of October (New York Giants, New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers), but those clubs will inevitably see how the Jaguars ran for nearly 200 yards on Buffalo's injury-riddled defense. Head coach and defensive play-caller Sean McDermott can't allow opponents to outmuscle his front seven at the line of scrimmage.
New Orleans Saints at New England Patriots
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Derek Carr has something to build on with Alvin Kamara active and Michael Thomas healthy
The New Orleans Saints offense should continue to improve now that Derek Carr has recovered a bit from the AC joint sprain in his right shoulder. After an abysmal performance last week, he bounced back against the New England Patriots, completing 18 out of 26 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns.
While Carr has had help from a stingy defense, he should post stronger passing numbers with running back Alvin Kamara back in game shape following a three-game suspension and wideout Michael Thomas healthy. Thomas hasn't played through a full season since his last Pro Bowl/All-Pro year in 2019.
With Chris Olave and Thomas on the outside, Carr has a solid receiver duo. He can also rely on Kamara's pass-catching skills if one of his wideouts goes down with an injury.
Despite Carr's modest statistical start to the season, he's primed for an uptick in production.
Time is officially ticking on Bill Belichick's and Mac Jones' tenure in New England
During the offseason, NBC Sports' Tom Curran appeared on the Rich Eisen Show and said Patriots head coach Bill Belichick headed into the 2023 season on the hot seat. He added that Belichick had "been there at different levels of warmth since 2019."
Well, Belichick should feel the flames on the seat of his pants right now. After their 34-0 losss to the Saints, the Patriots have now been outscored 72-3 in back-to-back contests.
Let's look deeper than the low-hanging fruit, which is Mac Jones' poor play. Although he's thrown a pick-six and gone to the bench in consecutive outings, Belichick has to accept a large portion of the blame for the team's inability to compete over the past two weeks.
New England's defense, though injury-riddled without Matthew Judon (biceps) and cornerback Christian Gonzalez (labrum), ranked 21st in scoring through four weeks.
The Patriots haven't scored a touchdown since Week 3 against the New York Jets, and they have a defense that's not as stout compared to years past. With issues on both sides of the ball, New England has to look at the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach and de facto general manager with scrutiny.
New England is at its lowest point in the Belichick era.
Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts
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Two-headed backfield now leads Colts after Anthony Richardson injury
The football gods giveth, then they taketh away.
Excitement built around the Indianapolis Colts this weekend after running back Jonathan Taylor signed a new three-year, $42 million contract extension. The thought of Taylor and rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson on the field at the same time had teammates giddy.
"I dream about it," linebacker Zaire Franklin told reporters.
Well, the excitement lasted less than two quarters before Richardson suffered a shoulder injury and didn't return to the contest. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, X-rays on Richardson's throwing shoulder were negative, but he could miss some time after clearly being in pain while coming off the field.
Without Richardson, the Colts should shift to a heavy ground-and-pound attack with Taylor being worked in more each week and Zack Moss still getting his carries.
Moss showed out in Sunday's win over the Tennessee Titans. He had 23 carries for 165 yards and two scores against a Titans defense that entered Week 5 as the league's No. 1-ranked run defense by allowing only 2.9 yards per carry.
Gardner Minshew is a capable backup. He made some plays to help the Colts to capture a 23-16 victory. But he doesn't have the ability to challenge defenses deep or with his legs like Richardson.
Instead, the 3-2 Colts should play to their strengths and bludgeon opponents by relying on one of the league's best running back tandems.
Tennessee Titans' run defense proves to be fool's gold
Quite simply, the Colts exposed the Titans defense.
The Colts were able to run against Tennessee's statistically dominant defense because they're talented in the backfield, solid along their offensive front and, well, stats lie. The Titans' average of 2.9 yards per carry allowed looks great on paper, but it lacks context.
The Titans played the New Orleans Saints, Los Angeles Chargers and Cleveland Browns without Alvin Kamara, Austin Ekeler and Nick Chubb, respectively. The Cincinnati Bengals, meanwhile, were down three touchdowns at halftime and ran the ball a total of 18 times (including three scrambles for quarterback Joe Burrow).
When facing a committed ground attack, the Titans fell short.
"Guys were out of their gaps too often on run defense," head coach Mike Vrabel said after the game.
The next three contests won't be much easier, either. Tennessee hosts Baltimore next weekend to face Lamar Jackson and Co. The Atlanta Falcons will be waiting after the bye, and Falcons head coach Arthur Smith knows the Titans as well as anyone. Finally, the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are struggling offensively, do feature capable backs in Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren.
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Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers
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Steelers must rely on gritty performances to win games in 2023
Can we be honest about the 2023 Pittsburgh Steelers for a moment?
They've underachieved offensively when you consider the offseason buzz around quarterback Kenny Pickett. But the defense has played a critical role in why they're 3-2 through five weeks.
Pittsburgh has scored only five offensive touchdowns in as many games, while its defense has reached paydirt twice and registered a safety against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.
No matter how much Steelers fans want to see it, the team isn't likely to fire offensive coordinator Matt Canada anytime soon. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter (h/t Alex Kozora of Steelers Depot), Tomlin "stands by" his offensive play-caller.
Assuming Pittsburgh maintains the status quo with its coaching staff, Steelers fans better get comfortable with winning low-scoring games in which the defense has to turn in top-notch performances.
Ravens' turnover-prone offense enters territory for concern
Te Ravens need time to iron out the wrinkles in their offense with new play-caller Todd Monken, but they've struggled to take care of the football, which is a fundamental issue.
Forget wideouts Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor dropping passes Sunday. They can fix that issue with a little more concentration.
However, the Ravens have established a troubling pattern with giveaways. They've already turned the ball over eight times, and in three out of five games, they've committed at least two turnovers.
While most Ravens critics will point to the change in their offensive scheme, they should be more worried about turnovers. If the Ravens continue to give the ball away, they'll be mediocre regardless of their offensive production.
Carolina Panthers at Detroit Lions
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Lions' multidimensional offense won't be hindered by injuries
On Sunday, the Detroit Lions played one of the league's better pass defenses without their top wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (abdomen). Lions pass-catching running back Jahmyr Gibbs (hamstring), who has 14 receptions for 70 yards, also missed the game.
Yet quarterback Jared Goff still carved up the Carolina Panthers' sixth-ranked pass defense. Carolina had only allowed four touchdowns through the air going into the game, but it surrendered three to Detroit.
As 2022 first-round wideout Jameson Williams worked his way back into game shape following a four-game suspension, Goff connected with wideout Josh Reynolds (four receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown) and rookie tight end Sam LaPorta (three catches for 47 yards and two touchdowns) en route to a 42-24 win.
The Lions also ran for 159 yards (5.3 yards per carry) and three scores with David Montgomery and Craig Reynolds handling the majority of the load on the ground.
Even short-handed, the Lions have a powerhouse offense that will score in flurries through the air or on the ground most weeks.
Panthers need to reduce workload for dud free-agent signing Miles Sanders
Miles Sanders has plenty of time to turn his season around, but he's been a big disappointment so far. After signing a four-year, $25.4 million contract this offseason, he's averaging only 3.1 yards per carry with two lost fumbles.
Until further notice, the Panthers should feed running back Chuba Hubbard, who's averaging 4.4 yards per carry and has yet to fumble.
Hubbard has also served as a more efficient pass-catching target than Sanders. The former has hauled in 12 out of 14 targets for 57 yards and three first downs, while the latter has caught 15 out of his 24 targets for 81 yards and four first downs.
Quarterback Bryce Young has gone through his rookie struggles, but if the Panthers want to help him with the run game, Hubbard looks like the better option to handle the lion's share of the touches right now.
Houston Texans at Atlanta Falcons
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Falcons defense will help them win plenty more games this season
We can't take anything away from second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder, who made three consecutive clutch throws to set up the Atlanta Falcons for a game-winning field goal against the Houston Texans. But the defense deserves a ton of credit as well.
The Falcons defense limited the Texans to field goals in two of their three red-zone trips. Houston kicked its other two field goals within 25 yards of the goal line.
Atlanta's revamped defense has looked strong right out of the gate, ranking fifth in passing yards allowed through four weeks and giving up only one rushing touchdown (to Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff) for the season.
The Falcons spent heavily on their defense this offseason, signing safety Jessie Bates III, defensive tackle David Onyemata, outside linebacker Kaden Eliss, defensive end Calais Campbell, cornerback Mike Hughes and edge-rusher Bud Dupree. It's paid off thus far.
Texans can trust C.J. Stroud as the face of their franchise
In the Texans' 21-19 loss to the Falcons, rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud once again showed why he's a franchise player.
First off, Stroud now holds the record for most completions by a rookie quarterback without an interception, topping Dallas Cowboys signal-caller Dak Prescott. The coaching staff can clearly trust him with the ball in his hands in the final minutes of a game, and that's what the Texans did Sunday.
Stroud led a late-game scoring drive that tied the game at 18 before the extra point, but the defense couldn't keep the Falcons out of field-goal range.
Even in defeat, the Texans offense has a bright future with Stroud under center.
New York Giants at Miami Dolphins
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Dolphins have the fastest offensive show on (Bermuda) grass
On Sunday, the Miami Dolphins surpassed the 2000 St. Louis Rams' "Greatest Show on Turf" offense in total yards over the first five games of a season, per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk.
It's unclear whether the Dolphins can sustain this historic output, but they have the most electric set of playmakers in the NFL. Wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle and rookie running back De'Von Achane can all burn defenders for big gains on any given play.
Against the New York Giants, Achane ripped off a 76-yard touchdown run, while Hill had a 69-yard touchdown catch. However, the Dolphins don't need to solely rely on their speedsters to run track meets. Wideout Cedrick Wilson Jr. and running back Raheem Mostert also had 23-yard gains against the Giants, which speaks to head coach Mike McDaniel and his staff's schematic acumen.
After a bump in the road in Buffalo last week, the Dolphins' high-powered offense doesn't look like it's going to slow down anytime soon. Between their playmakers with supersonic speed and weekly game plans, they're going to force future opponents to tap out before halftime.
Giants must completely overhaul their offense in the 2024 offseason
The Giants have dropped three consecutive games, and they're likely staring down a 1-5 record with a matchup against the Bills on the slate for Week 6. Over that three-game losing streak, they've scored only 31 points.
Running back Saquon Barkley has missed the last three games with a high ankle sprain. Though tight end Darren Waller caught a season-high eight passes for 86 yards on Sunday, he's struggled to establish any sort of consistency in Big Blue's passing attack. Quarterback Daniel Jones has taken 28 sacks for the season, and he left in the fourth quarter of Sunday's contest with a neck injury.
Barkley's return isn't going to fix all the Giants' offensive issues, and Big Blue may be hesitant to commit to him long-term after another season with multiple injury-related absences. Barkley has missed at least three games in four out of six seasons.
While New York's offensive struggles might seem like a reason to pay Barkley in the offseason, the Giants should instead have their eyes on a reset. Even though they signed Jones to a four-year, $160 million extension in March, they need a new quarterback, another running back regardless of Barkley's future, a high-end wide receiver and help for their porous, injury-riddled offensive line.
In other words, the Giants need help at just about every offensive position right now.
Philadelphia Eagles at Los Angeles Rams
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Eagles finally incorporate TE Dallas Goedert into offense
With each passing week, the Philadelphia Eagles are becoming more dangerous.
Last weekend, wide receiver A.J. Brown exploded with a two-touchdown performance against the rival Washington Commanders. Seven days later, tight end Dallas Goedert finally had his name called for the first time this season.
Through the first four weeks of the season, Goedert had only 13 receptions for 88 yards. During Sunday's 23-14 victory over the Los Angeles Rams, quarterback Jalen Hurts targeted him nine times, which resulted in eight receptions for 117 yards and a score.
All the while, the Eagles continue to win. Already considered one of the favorites in the NFC, they're off to a 5-0 start despite slowly incorporating all of the aspects of the offense because they have talent everywhere throughout the roster and the group adapts well.
As a result of better distribution and execution, Hurts has now put together back-to-back 300-yard passing games.
Philadelphia is as well-balanced as any NFL offense. The Eagles are physical in the trenches. They run the ball well. With Brown and Goedert now getting theirs, they'll be almost impossible to stop.
Aside from the San Francisco 49ers, every other team in the conference should be worried, because the Eagles have found themselves.
Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua coexist in Los Angeles Rams offense
Rookie Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua already showed he isn't a flash in the pan after hauling in an NFL-record 39 receptions for 501 yards in his first four games. He did all of that with Cooper Kupp sidelined by a hamstring, though.
If Sunday's performance is any indication, ball distribution won't be a problem. The two combined to make 15 catches for 189 yards and a touchdown. More importantly, their targets were almost split evenly, with Kupp getting 12 and Nacua getting 11.
The Rams expected to ease Kupp into the lineup, but the game remained within reach well into the fourth quarter. Although the Rams still lost, there's no shame in losing to arguably the NFL's best or second-best team.
However, Los Angeles' potential on offense is tantalizing with two elite wide receivers on the field, Kyren Williams proving to be a solid running back and left tackle Joe Noteboom expected back in the lineup at some point in the next few weeks.
"We missed on some opportunities," head coach Sean McVay said after the game. "I'm excited about how the hell we are going to get this stuff fixed"
Cincinnati Bengals at Arizona Cardinals
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Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals offense is back in action
Throughout their 1-3 start to the season, the Cincinnati Bengals never looked quite right. Momentum finally began to swing in their favor Sunday during a 34-20 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
Quarterback Joe Burrow, who's been battling through a calf injury, started to look more and more like himself. His favorite target, Ja'Marr Chase, became the biggest beneficiary.
Some frustration started to emanate from the Bengals locker room based on the offense's slow start. Last week, Chase responded that he's "always open" when asked about the unit's continuing problems.
He was right.
Against the Rams, Chase caught 15 passes for 192 yards and three touchdowns. In doing so, he became only the fifth wide receiver in NFL history with 15 receptions and three touchdowns in a single game, per ESPN.
"It felt fun," Chase told reporters. "We definitely needed this."
Burrow moved better. He even extended some plays. The quarterback also drove through the football better as well. If he's slowly improving, the entire Bengals team will as well, starting with Chase and how often he helps make plays in the passing game.
Kyler Murray's Pending Return to Arizona Cardinals Lineup Can't Come Soon Enough
The plucky Cardinals handing the Dallas Cowboys a 28-16 loss in Week 3 was great. But sometimes, unexplainable outcomes just happen throughout an NFL season.
Case in point, the Cardinals lost their next two games and surrendered 69 points along the way, with the latest coming to the Rams.
Stopgap quarterback Joshua Dobbs is doing just enough to keep his team in games, but not enough to matter. Arizona is now 1-4 and back on the path most expected for this squad.
New head coach Jonathan Gannon and offensive coordinator Drew Petzing have pieced together impressive game plans and adjustments. They seem to be the right hires for the job. But the Cardinals were always operating at a disadvantage because of a lack of overall talent. This season was always about seeing what the team really has in quarterback Kyler Murray and building toward the 2024 offseason.
The team didn't designate Murray to return from the physically unable to perform list this past week. But his return from last season's ACL injury may not be too far away.
"These last couple weeks, I've seen some extra bounce in his step," Gannon told reporters.
The Cardinals don't need to rush anything. However, they eventually need to see Murray on the field and how he performs since they're potentially in line for two high first-round picks, which will be critical to their long-term future. Another quarterback could be the solution.
New York Jets at Denver Broncos
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New York Jets must build offense around RB Breece Hall
The resistible force met the movable object, and the former won. The New York Jets' floundering offense with Zach Wilson leading the way actually managed 407 yards, albeit against the Denver Broncos' 32nd-ranked defense.
Instead of trying to take flight, a small-ball approach will best serve the Jets offense since Aaron Rodgers isn't returning anytime soon. By running the football, limiting turnovers and playing good defense, the Jets can grind out victories.
Zach Wilson threw an interception and fumbled twice during Sunday's 31-21 win over the Denver Broncos. Still, the formula is present, especially with Breece Hall leading the way.
Hall amassed 177 rushing yards and a touchdown on 22 carries against the Broncos. Even without his 72-yard touchdown scamper, the second-year ball-carrier still averaged 5.0 yards per carry. He has tremendous burst and the type of long speed that can help create chunk plays for an offense that limited because of who's behind center.
"He's pretty good, isn't he?" head coach Robert Saleh said when asked about the back's performance.
A rotation of Hall, Dalvin Cook and Michael Carter can keep the ball moving. It may be slow going at some points, but that approach is better than asking Wilson to win games.
Karma destroys Denver Broncos, head coach Sean Payton
Broncos head coach Sean Payton broke an unwritten rule when he publicly lambasted the franchise's previous head coach, Nathaniel Hackett, for the horrific job his staff did in 2022.
Well, Payton isn't doing much better, and Hackett's new team just beat his.
"I don't know Hackett," Payton said at the time. "A lot of people had dirt on their hands. It wasn't just Russell. He didn't just flip. He still has it. This B.S. that he hit a wall? Shoot, they couldn't get a play in. They were 29th in the league in pre-snap penalties on both sides of the ball."
Saleh couldn't seem to help himself after Sunday's game when asked about the Jets' in-game adjustments. New York wanted to "make him [Russell Wilson] play quarterback, felt like the way they were calling it, it wasn't letting him play quarterback, but anyway."
Clearly, the Jets used Payton's words as bulletin-board material, and it worked.
"Their coach made this s--t personal," tight end C.J. Uzomah said during his pregame speech. "Well f--k him and f--k them. ... Let's win this b---h for Hackett."
Maybe the Broncos' problem wasn't entirely Hackett after all. Their 1-4 start to the season indicates it wasn't.
Kansas City Chiefs at Minnesota Vikings
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Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs need a secondary target to emerge
A collective gasp could be heard around the NFL when Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce crumbled to the turf with an apparent right ankle or foot injury. As Kelce limped into the locker room, the question of which target would fill the void quickly came to the forefront.
Fortunately, Kelce played in the second half with a heavily taped right foot. However, the situation placed a bigger spotlight on an already glaring problem: The Chiefs don't have a clear No. 2 target.
Kelce is a future Hall of Famer. He's the best tight end ever when it comes to finding space and creating opportunities for his quarterback. He's always the No. 1 guy whenever quarterback Patrick Mahomes just needs to make a play. However, the rest of the Chiefs' targets must show more.
Even banged up, Kelce still led Kansas City with 10 receptions and 67 yards. Kadarius Toney and rookie Rashee Rice combined for nine catches, but they averaged only 6.6 yards per reception. Justin Watson serves as a downfield threat, yet he's basically good for two or three catches per game. Justyn Ross is the most intriguing option, as the Chiefs are slowing work him into the lineup.
Kelce is great. Past that, Kansas City must find a JuJu Smith-Schuster-like weapon for its offense to maintain the highest standard.
Minnesota Vikings offense suffers major setback with Justin Jefferson injury
Forget the fact that Justin Jefferson is the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year. Concentrate on what his presence means to the Minnesota Vikings offense and what the unit would look like without him in the lineup.
Unfortunately, the Vikings may get to find out in the near future. Jefferson suffered a hamstring injury Sunday and didn't return to the contest against the Chiefs.
"It will be something we have to work through," Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said. "But I also have a lot of confidence in our offensive unit to make sure we're where we want to be when Justin gets back."
Rookie Jordan Addison is next in line. Quarterback Kirk Cousins targeted the first-round pick a career-high nine times, and Addison caught six of those passes for 64 yards and a touchdown. K.J. Osborn picked up more of the slack with nine targets as well.
The Vikings can't rush a soft-tissue injury. Jefferson needs time to rest and heal. But a 1-4 start coupled with his current health scare likely signal where this season is trending.
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