Judging largest overreactions for NFL Week 5 video games

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — I finished by MetLife Stadium on Sunday to cowl Cowboys-Jets, and I do not suppose it is an overreaction to say the 2025 Jets in all probability aren’t going to contend for a playoff spot. “Work in progress” might be essentially the most charitable strategy to describe coach Aaron Glenn’s bunch. But the Cowboys will take the win, and it is not an overreaction to say that Dallas’ protection performed its greatest sport of the season to this point. Or that quarterback Dak Prescott is taking part in at a particularly excessive stage.

But that is sufficient from that sport. This is Week 5, and the outlines of the overreactions are beginning to get slightly bit clearer. By now it is secure to consider the Colts are good, the Lions are nonetheless a prime contender and the Ravens are in a heap of bother. We have sufficient proof now that we are able to discuss with some confidence about what these groups are and what they are not.

With that in thoughts, let’s begin the Week 5 overreactions column — the place we kind by means of the weekly overreactions to attempt to determine which of them would possibly maintain up and which of them are mirages — with the primary sport of the week, an exhilarating additional time NFC West matchup from Thursday night time.

Jump to:
Are 49ers true NFC contenders?
Is Nik Bonitto the DPOY favourite?
A.J. Brown will pressure a midseason commerce?
Baker Mayfield within the MVP combine?
Patriots a playoff group?
Fantasy overreactions!

The 49ers are a prime NFC contender as soon as once more

If you spent Thursday afternoon and early night questioning whether or not the 49ers would have the ability to provide you with 11 gamers to swimsuit up towards the Rams that night time, you in all probability weren’t alone. San Francisco rolled into Week 5 as overwhelmed up as any group within the league, lacking its beginning quarterback, prime three receivers, Pro Bowl tight finish and star edge rusher, to call a couple of.

Backup quarterback Mac Jones was beginning to appear to be the Black Knight from “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” as the sport went alongside, however he saved placing himself again collectively and going again into the sport. The Niners received in additional time to enhance to 4-1, dropping the Rams to 3-2, and now are in first place of their division with victories over every of the opposite three division contenders.

play

Why Shanahan, Saleh deserve credit score for 49ers’ win over Rams

Tom Pelissero joins “The Rich Eisen Show” to recap the 49ers’ gritty win over the Rams on Thursday night time.

Verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION

Nick Bosa being out for the season could be what retains the Niners from being the kind of elite Super Bowl contender they had been a few years in the past, after they held a lead in additional time of Super Bowl LVIII earlier than shedding to Kansas City. But apart from that, they’re just about assured to get more healthy, and their schedule doesn’t seem to get more durable. They have a tricky street sport at Tampa Bay subsequent weekend, however after that they play solely two extra video games towards groups that made final 12 months’s playoffs, and the final of these video games is Nov. 9.

San Francisco’s street to the playoffs seems to be as easy as anybody’s, and if it will get a few of these key gamers again, it has an actual probability to contend for the NFC’s prime seed. Again, the Niners are in first place in what could be the league’s hardest division, they usually have already got wins over the Seahawks and Rams on the street. The 49ers have had a brutally tough begin to the season by way of what has occurred to them. But to this point they have been in a position to overcome it, which units them up properly the remainder of the best way.

Nik Bonitto goes to win Defensive Player of the Year

The largest win of Sunday’s early window was the Broncos’ comeback from 14 down within the fourth quarter at hand the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles their first lack of the season. The Denver protection was an enormous a part of it, and Bonitto led the best way with 2.5 sacks. He now has six sacks in his previous three video games and 7 for the season because the Denver protection is rounding into the shape that was anticipated of it earlier than the marketing campaign began.

Bonitto completed ninth within the Defensive Player of the Year voting final season, when his teammate, cornerback Pat Surtain II, received the award. And proper now Bonitto is on tempo to simply surpass his 2024 complete of 13.5 sacks — to not point out the single-season NFL file of twenty-two.5 sacks.

Verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION

Denver’s protection seems to be like an elite unit, and the following couple of weeks current it with potential stat-padding video games towards the Jets and Giants. The Broncos have stumbled slightly bit within the early going and are simply 3-2. But they had been a playoff group final season and have causes to consider they will get on a roll and contend once more this season, even within the robust AFC West.

If they push the Chiefs for the division title and even win it, voters can be searching for awards candidates from the Broncos’ roster. Bonitto is off to the kind of begin that awards front-runners have.

A.J. Brown will pressure Eagles to deal him by commerce deadline

The flip facet of the Broncos’ large win was a bitter loss for the Eagles, who carried a 17-3 lead into the fourth quarter at dwelling and could not add to it or maintain on. Philly’s offense has been inconsistent at greatest this season, and Brown has let his frustrations be recognized — professionally and respectfully, after all, however all the identical.

Sunday noticed teammate DeVonta Smith catch eight passes for 114 yards, however Brown had solely 5 catches for 43 yards on eight targets. Brown is being paid like one of many prime receivers within the league however is not getting used like one, and he has made it clear he’d prefer to be extra concerned — to not pad his stats, however as a result of he thinks he might help make the offense higher and extra constant. He’s not fallacious, however proper now Philly nonetheless is not on monitor on that facet of the ball.

Verdict: OVERREACTION

The Eagles aren’t buying and selling Brown, and from what I perceive he does not need them to commerce him. This is a group that received the Super Bowl eight months in the past and is aware of find out how to climate early-season points and are available out on prime. It would possibly really feel slightly tough proper now, however any time there was a flicker of discontent round Brown, he has taken possession of his frustrations and made it clear, internally and externally, that he is all about no matter it takes to assist the group win.

The Eagles did not win Sunday, and final 12 months’s famous person, operating again Saquon Barkley, had solely 30 dashing yards on six carries (although he had three catches for 58 yards and a landing). So clearly issues have to be tweaked if this Eagles offense goes to do what it must do. Maybe not being undefeated anymore will assist persuade Eagles coaches that one thing wants to vary earlier than this season begins wanting extra like their 2023 collapse than their 2024 triumph.

Baker Mayfield goes to be within the MVP combine

The 4-1 Buccaneers are essentially the most thrilling group within the NFL. In every of their 4 wins, they scored the successful factors within the remaining minute of the sport, and of their solely loss they had been driving in a two-minute drill that got here up quick.

Mayfield was unbelievable Sunday, finishing 29-of-33 passes for 379 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a back-and-forth, thrilling victory over Seattle. He has 10 landing passes and one interception in 5 video games. It’s additionally price noting that Mayfield, in his third season in Tampa Bay, is already on his third offense coordinator as a result of the earlier two are actually head coaches elsewhere.

Verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION

Josh Allen possible could have one thing to say about this, as might gamers reminiscent of Matthew Stafford, Justin Herbert, Jonathan Taylor, Daniel Jones (significantly!), and Prescott if the Cowboys make the playoffs. It’s clearly manner too early to forecast an MVP, however it’d be ridiculous to not embody Mayfield within the dialogue.

The Bucs have a brutal record of accidents for a 4-1 group. They have two beginning offensive linemen out with accidents, one other (left sort out Tristan Wirfs) who missed the primary three video games of the season and one other (Mike Jordan) who was filling in admirably earlier than he bought damage. Top receiver Mike Evans has missed the previous two video games with a hamstring damage. Fellow wideout Chris Godwin missed the primary three weeks getting back from final 12 months’s season-ending ankle damage. Wide receiver Jalen McMillan, so promising as a rookie in 2024, is out till not less than late within the season. Starting operating again Bucky Irving missed Sunday’s sport with an damage. The protection is down three starters.

The Bucs don’t have any enterprise being 4-1. But their infrastructure and tradition are as strong as any group’s, and Mayfield is a big a part of that. He has gone from journeyman to stabilizing pressure in three years in Tampa, the place the group is pushing for a fifth straight division title and (it hopes) much more this time.

The Patriots are going to be a playoff group

Mike Vrabel’s bunch went into Buffalo for a Sunday night time “white out” sport and was not intimidated within the slightest. The Patriots took it to the first-place Bills from the opening kickoff to seize a 23-20 victory. New England took the ball away from Buffalo 3 times, which could be very uncommon. The Patriots are 3-2, only one sport behind a five-time defending division champion that had overwhelmed them eight occasions of their earlier 11 probabilities. This was the form of victory that should construct the boldness of a younger group studying find out how to win round second-year QB Drake Maye.

Verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION

Don’t look now, however the AFC has some open postseason spots we did not essentially anticipate it to have. Baltimore is 1-4 and in huge bother. Cincinnati is 2-3 and spiraling with out injured QB Joe Burrow. The Chiefs are in all probability going to be high quality, however they’re nonetheless simply 2-2 heading into Monday night time’s sport and do not really feel just like the certain factor they normally are. The Chargers began out nice however have misplaced each beginning tackles to damage and dropped their previous two video games after a 3-0 begin. The Texans are 2-3.

There are paths to the playoffs for this Patriots group, and once more, successful in Buffalo tells them they will win just about wherever. Don’t be shocked to see New England nonetheless taking part in in January.

Fantasy Overreactions!

You should decide up Rico Dowdle: NOT AN OVERREACTION. With Carolina beginning operating again Chuba Hubbard lacking the sport due to damage, Dowdle rushed for 206 yards and a landing on 23 carries within the Panthers’ victory over Miami. Hubbard can be again, and the group gave him a giant contract extension final 12 months, however it additionally signed Dowdle in free company this 12 months, and Hubbard’s contract has no assured cash previous 2025. If you’ve gotten Hubbard in your roster, Dowdle is a must-stash even when Hubbard returns. If you do not, decide up Dowdle anyway since you by no means know. Maybe the Hubbard supervisor in your league will overpay for Dowdle in a commerce.

You should decide up Ryan Flournoy: OVERREACTION. Flournoy had a giant sport for the Cowboys with CeeDee Lamb and KaVontae Turpin out with accidents, racking up 114 yards on six catches in Dallas’ victory over the Jets. That’s superior for his confidence and the Cowboys’ depth. But that function is not going to carry up as soon as these guys get again. And even when they are not again subsequent week, Flournoy continues to be third in line behind George Pickens and Jalen Tolbert, to not point out tight finish Jake Ferguson. You can go away Flournoy on waivers in standard-size leagues.

Derrick Henry is just not an RB1 if Lamar Jackson is out: NOT AN OVERREACTION. If you’ve gotten Henry, you are still taking part in him, and you may’t commerce him at his present worth. But clearly the specter of Jackson as a runner makes issues simpler on Henry, and never having Jackson means groups can key on the veteran operating again. But apart from Week 1, Henry hasn’t been an RB1 this season even with Jackson within the lineup. Adjust expectations. This season is slipping away from the Ravens in a rush.

Quinshon Judkins can be a first-round fantasy decide in 2026: NOT AN OVERREACTION. Judkins is a significantly robust runner, which he confirmed Sunday in London towards a tricky Vikings protection. He did not signal his rookie contract till the beginning of the season due to off-field authorized points stemming from an allegation of home violence in July. And whereas these might nonetheless end in him being suspended sooner or later this season or subsequent, Judkins is a man you are going to need in your lineup when he is in Cleveland’s. He’ll solely get higher.

Fantasy managers ought to money in on Emeka Egbuka’s max commerce worth: OVERREACTION. If you are promoting, I need in. This child is just not a flash within the pan, and I do not suppose his function goes to shrink very a lot as soon as Evans is again from damage. Egbuka is a first-round decide who scores a landing each week. The group loves him. The quarterback loves him. He can play any of the WR positions in Tampa Bay’s offense, and he is a constructing block for his or her future. Hold or attempt to receive.