Top 50 Most Important Things We Learned from the NFL's Week 5

I hate to be that guy, but first and foremost: Tim Tebow finally saw the field at quarterback for the Denver Broncos Sunday, in relief for the ineffective Kyle Orton. And let's be honest here, Tebow gave Denver some life—but we'll touch upon that later.

With that being said, each and every week, the NFL seems to be getting better and better. For starters, the Philadelphia Eagles keep losing, Cam Newton looks like a Pro Bowler and the 49ers look like a legitimate playoff contender. 

Now, here's a great way to start off your Monday morning: These are the 50 most important things that we learned from the NFL's Week 5. 

Ben Roethlisberger Dominated the Tennessee Titans

For the first time all season, Ben Roethlisberger threw more than one touchdown, as he threw five in Pittsburgh's 38-17 victory over the Tennessee Titans.

Big Ben completed 70.6 percent of his passes for 228 yards—he was simply dominant. 

Pittsburgh's Run Defense Appears To Be Back on Track

After letting Arian Foster run up and down the field a week ago, the Pittsburgh Steelers rose to the accusation against Chris Johnson and the Titans.

The Steelers only allowed CJ2K to run for 51 yards and one touchdown while averaging 3.6 yards per carry. 

Jonathan Dwyer Picked Up the Slack for the Injured Rashard Mendenhall

Jonathan Dwyer come into Week 5 averaging only 3.1 yards per carry but lit up the Tennessee Titans. 

Dwyer played well in replace of the injured Rashard Mendenhall, as he averaged 9.7 yards per carry while accumulating 107 yards. 

Overall, the Steelers ran for 174 total yards. 

The Tennessee Titans Still Have a Lot of Work To Do

The Tennessee Titans had a chance to improve to 3-1 on the season but were simply no match for the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday afternoon.

The Titans are now 3-2 but still tied for first place in the AFC South with the Houston Texans. 

Andy Dalton Is the Comeback Kid

Andy Dalton and the Cincinnati Bengals are now an impressive 3-2 on the season after their second consecutive come-from-behind victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Dalton rallied the Bengals offense as he threw for 179 yards and two touchdowns while being intercepted only once. 

Blaine Gabbert Continues To Improve for the Jaguars

Blaine Gabbert had arguably his best game as an NFL starter this season against the Cincinnati Bengals. 

Gabbert threw zero interceptions while throwing one touchdown and completing 15 of his 28 passes for 214 yards. 

A.J. Green Is a Legitimate No. 1 Wide Receiver

One of the more quiet stories in the NFL so far this season is the emergence of A.J. Green, the rookie out of Georgia.

Green played extremely well for Andy Dalton Sunday against the Jaguars as he caught five passes for 90 yards and one touchdown. 

Maurice Jones-Drew Cannot Carry the Jaguars by Himself

Granted Blaine Gabbert played very well for the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he still needs to contribute more as Maurice Jones-Drew cannot carry the team by himself.

MJD ran for 85 yards and a touchdown against the Bengals in the team's 30-20 loss. 

The Carolina Panthers Aren't as Bad as They Record Shows

The Carolina Panthers may be 1-4, but they're going to be a challenge every single week—they're not going to be a "cupcake" victory.

In all of Carolina's losses this season, the margin has only been a touchdown at most—they could easily be 5-0.

The Panthers fell just short against the New Orleans Saints, 30-27.

Cam Newton Is a Winner Despite a 1-4 Record

Cam Newton may be 1-4 on the season, but he was the reason why the Carolina Panthers were even in Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints.

Newton completed 16 of his 31 passes for 224 yards while throwing two touchdowns and being interception once. On the ground, Newton was just as effective as he ran for 27 yards and one touchdown.

His career is definitely young, but it's clear that he's a winner. 

Drew Brees Is Virtually Unstoppable

It appears that only one person can stop Drew Brees, and that's himself.

Brees threw only one interception against the Carolina Panthers as he completed 71.1 percent of his passes for 359 yards and two scores. 

DeAngelo Williams Can Be Productive for the Panthers

For the first time all season, DeAngelo Williams actually played like an elite running back.

The 28-year-old ran for 115 yards on only nine carries for one touchdown. 

This is the first time all season that a Carolina Panther running back scored a touchdown. 

Jimmy Graham May Be the Best Tight End in Football

A few weeks ago, I was saying that Rob Gronkowski was the best tight end in football, but it's clearly Jimmy Graham now.

Graham has been unstoppable for Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints. He caught eight passes for 129 yards against the Carolina Panthers in Week 5. 

The Oakland Raiders Could Win the AFC West

The Oakland Raiders rose to the occasion Sunday afternoon against the Houston Texans after losing to the New England Patriots last week and losing their owner, Al Davis—a true football man and an NFL legend, he will be missed.

Oakland held off of the Texans, 25-20. 

The Raiders Can Win When Jason Campbell Plays Terrible

Jason Campbell was putrid in Oakland's 25-20 victory over Houston as he completed only 42.9 percent of his passes.

However, on the bright side, Campbell did throw two touchdowns and was intercepted only once. 

Houston Can Stop the Run as They Contained Run DMC

Under Wade Phillips, the Houston Texans' defense has looked nothing short of impressive.

Despite losing against the Oakland Raiders, the Texans were able to shut down Darren McFadden, as he ran for only 51 yards. 

Matt Schaub Needs To Play Much Better If the Texans Want To Win the AFC South

Matt Schaub was simply awful against Oakland as he literally took a beaten from Oakland's pass rush.

Schaub went 24-of-51, completing only 47.1 percent of his passes for 416 yards while scoring touchdowns and being picked off twice.

Two interceptions and a 47.1 completion percentage is not going to get you into the playoffs. 

Arian Foster Struggles Returned Against the Oakland Raiders

Arian Foster dealt with a hamstring injury over the past few weeks, despite last week against the Steelers when he ran wild, but he was ineffective against Oakland.

Foster accumulated only 68 yards while averaging 3.1 yards per carry. 

The Philadelphia Eagles Are Frauds

The Philadelphia Eagles are well on their way to being labeled the biggest frauds in the entire history of all of sports—I am being serious.

The Eagles now have lost four games in a row, making their record a pitiful 1-4. 

Teams as talented as Philly do not lose four games in a row—they're frauds. 

The Buffalo Bills Are Contenders

The Buffalo Bills continue to impress as they rebounded very nicely after suffering their first loss of the season last week against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Bills had a nice showing against the Philadelphia Eagles as they ran Philly out of town, 31-24.

Buffalo now sits atop of the AFC East with the New England Patriots with a 4-1 record. 

Fred Jackson Is a Legitimate Candidate for League MVP

Fred Jackson is the juice that makes Buffalo's offense go—without Jackson, the Bills would be nowhere as good as they are right now.

Jackson ran for 111 yards against the Eagles Sunday while scoring one touchdown and reeling in six passes for 85 yards. 

Michael Vick Is Not the Same Quarterback That He Was a Year Ago

Each and every game I get more convinced that Michael Vick is slowly turning into the quarterback that he was back in Atlanta, a run first-quarterback that is very inaccurate.

Granted, Philly's offensive line is dreadful, but Vick was picked off four times against the Bills. 

Vick needs to be much better for the Eagles moving forward. 

Ryan Fitzpatrick Needs To Be More Aggressive Moving Forward

When I watch Ryan Fitzpatrick, I've noticed that it's like he's trying not to lose the game and isn't taking any chances down-field.

Fitzpatrick completed 77.8 percent of his passes for only 193 yards and one touchdown and one interception. 

Arizona Isn't as Good as We Thought They Were

The Cardinals aren't who we thought they were—or at least who I thought they were. I firmly believed that Arizona were the favorites to win the NFC West but were knocked off by the win-less Minnesota Vikings this past Sunday.

Arizona turned the ball over four times in their 34-10 loss. 

Adrian Peterson Is a Machine

Adrian Peterson took the Minnesota Vikings and threw them on his shoulders against the Arizona Cardinals.

Peterson ran for 122 yards and three touchdowns as the Vikings knocked out the Cardinals 34-10.

The Vikings are now 1-4. 

Kevin Kolb Still Has a Lot of Work To Do

Kevin Kolb was nothing but awful against the Vikings this weekend. 

Kolb completed only 50 percent of his passes while throwing no touchdowns and being intercepted twice and posting a dreadful 46.9 quarterback rating.

If the Cardinals want to compete in the lowly NFC West, then Kolb is going to have to play a whole lot better. 

Donovan McNabb Is Still a Terrible Quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings

Let's not all get caught up in how the Minnesota Vikings' offense looked impressive, as it was practically all Adrian Peterson.

It's pretty hard to complete 47.6 percent of your passes when you have a running game as effective as the one Sunday, but Donovan McNabb found a way to do it. 

The Indianapolis Colts Cannot Win without Peyton Manning

The Indianapolis Colts simply cannot win without Peyton Manning—it's amazing quite frankly.

The Colts could have three victories on the season now but lost close games against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and most recently the Kansas City Chiefs, 28-24.

Indianapolis is now 0-5 on the season. 

This is a season that all of Indianapolis will want to forget. 

Matt Cassel Has the Ability To Be a Great Quarterback

Sunday may have been Matt Cassel's best game as a starting quarterback over his career as he posted a 138.9 quarterback rating against the Indianapolis Colts.

Cassel threw for 257 yards while completing 72.4 percent of his passes and tossing four scores. 

The Chiefs improved to 2-3 on the year after their victory over Indy. 

Curtis Painter Isn't a Bad Starting Quarterback

Curtis Painter really played solid against Kansas City in just his second start in his career. 

Painter threw two touchdowns while completing 55.6 percent of his passes and accumulating 277 yards and throwing zero interceptions. 

Granted the Colts didn't win the game, but Painter looked promising. 

Pierre Garcon Is Curtis Painter's Favorite Receiver

Pierre Garcon tore it up for the second consecutive week with Curtis Painter as his quarterback.

Garcon reeled in five passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns.

Fantasy owners, take note. 

Dwayne Bowe Played Well in Back-to-Back Weeks

Dwayne Bowe really had a quiet start to the season for the Kansas City Chiefs but has turned it on as of late, especially in the team's victory over the Colts.

Bowe had seven receptions for 128 yards and two touchdowns, all were season highs. 

The Seattle Seahawks Are Legitimate Contenders in the NFC West

I know, I know, this isn't saying much but the Seattle Seahawks looked very impressive in their 36-25 victory over the 3-2 New York Giants.

Seattle now sits in second place in the lousy NFC West. 

Eli Manning Threw the Game Away for the New York Giants

Eli Manning and the New York Giants should have beat the Seattle Seahawks, but Manning did his part in playing Tony Romo's role this week of throwing the game away.

The Giants were up 25-22 with less than five minutes left until Manning threw two interceptionsone for a pick six. 

New York lost 36-25 and fell to 3-2.

Victor Cruz Is an Explosive Wide Receiver on the Rise

Victor Cruz continues to impress as he was Eli Manning's top target in New York's defeat against the Seahawks.

Cruz snagged a team-high eight balls for an incredible 161 yards and one touchdown.

Fantasy owners, seriously take note, this guy is for real. 

Charlie Whitehurst Played Well in Relief of Tarvaris Jackson

After Tarvaris Jackson left Sunday's game with a chest injury, Charlie Whitehurst came on and played pretty decent for the Seattle Seahawks.

Whitehurst threw for 149 yards on 11-of-19 passing and threw for one score and wasn't intercepted.

Could there be a quarterback controversy in Seattle? What do you think? 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Are Pretenders

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were absolutely awful in their 48-3 loss against the San Francisco 49ers.

The Bucs turned the ball over three times while producing only 272 yards of offense and simply proving to the entire NFL that they're pretenders rather than contenders.

Tampa Bay is now 3-2 on the season. 

The San Francisco 49ers Are Contenders

The San Francisco 49ers played like champions this week—that may be a bit of an overstatement, but the 49ers looked incredible against the Buccaneers.

San Fran had 418 yards of total offense and literally ran Tampa Bay off of the field. 

48-3 is nothing short of impressive. 

Alex Smith Is Finally Playing the Quarterback That He Should Have Been Years Ago

Alex Smith may have only completed 11 of his 19 passes and 170 yards, but he did throw three touchdowns while posting an incredible 127.2 quarterback rating.

Smith is finally playing like a quarterback who was drafted first overall in the NFL draft. 

Tim Tebow Needs To Be the Starter for the Denver Broncos

I'm not that crazy after all.

Prior to this weekend, I predicted that Tim Tebow would throw a pass this Sunday against the San Diego Chargers—and he actually did. 

Tebow relieved the ineffective Kyle Orton and picked the Broncos up and threw them on his back to bring them back into their game against the San Diego Chargers. 

Orton had an awful 21.0 quarterback rating at halftime with the Broncos down 23-10, but when Tebow came in, he led Denver to 14 points and made it a game again.

Tebow posted a 101.7 quarterback rating while throwing one touchdown and running the ball for 38 yards and one touchdown. 

Kyle Orton Is Not the Answer in Denver

There is nothing great about Kyle Orton—he's an average quarterback and should not be starting ahead of Tim Tebow. 

Orton left Sunday's game with an embarrassing 21.0 quarterback rating while completing 46.2 percent of his passes for 34 yards and was picked off once. 

The Denver Broncos Need To Start Tim Tebow Moving Forward

As I previously stated, Kyle Orton is nothing but an average quarterback. Granted, Tim Tebow may be below average right now, but he has the talent, ability and potential to be a very good quarterback, if not a great one.

Tebow brought life back into the team and the entire Broncos' fanbase when he stepped onto that field—the Broncos have to start Tebow; he's earned it. 

Ryan Mathews Was the Key to San Diego's Offense Against Denver

Without Ryan Mathews, the San Diego Chargers probably don't win their game against the Broncos.

Mathews ran for 125 yards while Philip Rivers posted a decent 86.9 quarterback rating. 

The New York Jets Cannot Stop the Run

Coming into Sunday's battle with the New England Patriots, the New York Jets had the fourth worst run defense in the entire league—isn't that hard to believe?

BenJarvus Green-Ellis simply tore apart New York's defense as he gashed them for 136 yards on 27 carries for two scores. 

Tom Brady Played Well Despite Being Knocked Around

The New York Jets certainly got to Tom Brady and knocked him around a lot as they recorded a total of four sacks on No. 12, but Brady did not back down.

Brady completed 72.7 percent of his passes for a solid 321 yards and one touchdown against the Jets—however Brady was intercepted once, but it was a tipped pass by Aaron Hernandez into the hands of Antonio Cromartie. 

The New York Jets Are in Big Trouble Moving Forward

Who would have thought that the New York Jets would be in third place in the division, behind the New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills.

Rex Ryan and his Jets have now lost three in a row, granted they were all road games, but a loss is a loss.

The Jets are in deep waters entering Week 6 with a battle against Miami. 

New England's Defense Shut Down the Jets on Third Downs

In last year's playoff game against the New York Jets, the Patriots simply were awful on third downs as they let New York complete six of their 13 third-down conversions. 

Sunday it was a different story: The Jets were held to 3-for-11 on third downs. 

Wes Welker Is the NFL's Best Wide Receiver

If Darrelle Revis and the New York Jets can't stop Wes Welker, then who can?

Welker snagged five passes for 124 yards against the Jets and opened up several opportunities for guys like Deion Branch, Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski. 

The Green Bay Packers Are the Team To Beat in the NFL, There's No Debate

I honestly don't think that there's a team that can stop the Green Bay Packers right now, maybe the Detroit Lions, but other than that, there's no one. 

The Packers knocked out the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football with a gutsy 25-14 road victory. 

Green Bay is now 5-0 on the season—things could not be any better for the Pack. 

The Atlanta Falcons Can Compete with the NFL's Best

If the Atlanta Falcons hadn't turned the ball over two times, one more than the Green Bay Packers, then they could have walked away with an impressive victory on national television.

The Falcons fell just short, 25-14. They're now 2-3 on the season.