Week 5 of the 2025 NFL season kicked off with an overtime showdown between the 49ers and Rams on Thursday night. San Francisco secured the 26-23 win after stopping Los Angeles running back Kyren Williams on fourth-and-1 on the 11-yard line.
Sunday's action began in London, as the Vikings salvaged their road trip thanks to a 12-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter that lifted Minnesota to a 21-17 win against the Browns. Later, the Texans got revenge from last Christmas against the Ravens, beating them by 34 points. The Saints grabbed their first win of the season over the Giants, 26-14. And the Eagles suffered their first loss of the season to the Broncos, 21-17.
Our NFL Nation reporters reacted to all the action, answering lingering questions coming out of each game and detailing everything else you need to know for every team. Let's get to it.
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MIA-CAR | DEN-PHI
Denver 21, Philadelphia 17
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Broncos
Did Broncos' win over Eagles prove they are playoff worthy? After last-play losses to the Colts and the Chargers in the first three weeks of the season, coach Sean Payton has maintained "those are good teams and we're a good team.'' The Broncos proved it Sunday with perhaps the best win of Payton's tenure in Denver. The Broncos, who trailed 17-3 in the fourth quarter, overcame penalties (12), their own offensive sluggishness for much of the day (5-of-15 on third down) and two more plays of 40 or more yards allowed on defense. Payton's bold call for a two-point conversion -- QB Bo Nix to WR Troy Franklin with 7:36 left -- turned out to be the difference, as the Broncos head to London at 3-2.
What to make of the QB performance: Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has made a career out of testing quarterbacks' patience, and for three quarters Nix was 1-for-10 for 20 yards on throws 10 or more yards downfield. But Nix eventually found the composure to get the win -- going 4-for-4 for 82 yards on such throws in the fourth, finishing the game 24-of-39 for 242 yards and a touchdown. It was probably no accident that Nix settled down when the Broncos committed to some better work in the run game in the second half. Nix found his rhythm on what turned out to be the game-winning drive midway through the fourth quarter, as well as on a field goal drive over the final three minutes of the game. -- Jeff Legwold
Next game: vs. Jets in London (Sunday, 9:30 a.m. p.m. ET)
Eagles
Is the passing game back on track? It looked like it for a while there. QB Jalen Hurts set a season high in passing yards and hit on some long pass attempts, including a 52-yarder to WR DeVonta Smith to set up a second-quarter score and a 47-yard touchdown throw to RB Saquon Barkley early in the third quarter. Frustrations surrounding the aerial attack were most publicly expressed by WR A.J. Brown, who wrote a cryptic message on social media following the Week 4 win and later emphasized that he wants to be called upon in big moments and to get the offense going. Brown grinded out a solid performance despite being shadowed by Broncos CB Pat Surtain II for much of the day, while Smith went over 100 receiving yards for the first time this season. The offense went cold for a long stretch in the second half, however, with Philadelphia forced to punt on four consecutive possessions as Denver mounted a comeback.
Most surprising performance: Edge rusher Azeez Ojulari was active for the first time all season due to injuries at the position and made the most of it. He registered a pressure, a stuff and three tackles and forced a key Nix incompletion on third down late in the first half. Ojulari was widely expected to be the No. 3 edge after being signed to a one-year deal during the offseason, but had a slow summer and got buried on the depth chart. His opportunity comes at an intriguing time with the Eagles set to face his old squad (the Giants) in two of their next three games. -- Tim McManus
Next game: at Giants (Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET)
Carolina 27, Miami 24
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Panthers
Did QB Bryce Young save his job? Young had two turnovers for the third time this season and trailed 17-0 -- it looked like Andy Dalton time. Then Young led a drive that he finished with one of his best throws of the season for a touchdown, a 7-yard pass to WR Xavier Legette. Then with 1:59 to play, he had a 4-yard pass to TE Mitchell Evans for the game-winning touchdown. Young finished 19-for-30 with 198 yards and two TDs. He saved his job and may have saved the Panthers' (2-3) season.
Most surprising performance: Running back controversy? Rico Dowdle had 83 yards on 28 carries coming into this game. He started for RB Chuba Hubbard (quad) and responded with a career-high 206 yards on 23 carries and a touchdown. His 53-yard run in the third quarter was Carolina's longest play from scrimmage this season. He was explosive. -- David Newton
Next game: vs. Cowboys (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Dolphins
What did we learn about the post-Tyreek Hill Dolphins offense? The Dolphins will stress balance, balance, balance. Six players touched the ball on Miami's opening drive, and all six of those players finished with multiple catches. Replacing Hill's production will not fall on one single player but will be addressed by committee -- which is what players and coaches said throughout this past week. TE Darren Waller was a huge part of the game plan in limited snaps, recording 78 yards and a touchdown in the first half.
Trend to watch: The Dolphins owned the league's ninth-best run defense last season, but it hasn't transferred over to 2025. Miami allowed a season-high 239 rushing yards. This defense has allowed at least 150 rushing yards in four of its five games this season -- a stat that will create job openings in Miami if it continues. -- Marcel Louis-Jacques
Next game: vs. Chargers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Dallas 37, N.Y. Jets 22
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Cowboys
Did the Cowboys defense turn a corner? You don't want to get carried away because of the ineptness of the Jets offense, but this was a Cowboys defense that was shredded by the normally offensively challenged Giants and the Bears, and gave up 40 points to the Packers -- all in their three previous games. The key play: a forced fumble by LB Marist Liufau at the Dallas 9-yard line with the score 10-3 in the second quarter. But add in five sacks and two fourth-down stops, and this was the type of outing the Cowboys were hoping for when the season started, despite the Jets adding 16 points late with the game out of reach. Can Dallas do it again next week against the Panthers?
Most surprising performance: Three starters on the offensive line -- LT Tyler Guyton (concussion), RG Tyler Booker (ankle) and C Cooper Beebe (foot) -- did not make the trip. A fourth, LG Tyler Smith, was at least a reserve but was not going to play because of a knee injury. And yet, by the time the first half ended, the Cowboys had a 100-yard rusher (Javonte Williams), a 100-yard receiver (Ryan Flournoy) and QB Dak Prescott had two touchdown passes to TE Jake Ferguson. Besides Nate Thomas making his first start at LT and LG Hakeem Adeniji making his first start as a Cowboy, other moving pieces included Brock Hoffman and T.J. Bass as starters at C and RG, with only RT Terence Steele in his normal spot. -- Todd Archer
Next game: at Panthers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Jets Game Highlights
Jets
Is coach Aaron Glenn's message falling to get through? It sure seems that way. The Jets, who dropped to 0-5 for the third time in the past 30 years, continued to regress in all the key areas that Glenn has emphasized since Day 1 -- tackling (14 missed), penalties (10), ball security (another fumble) and situational football. Glenn keeps saying, "We're not the 'Same Old Jets'," but there's no evidence to support his claim. The Jets were outplayed and outcoached by a flawed Dallas team. Glenn became the first coach in Jets history to start 0-5 in Year 1. It's as bad as it ever was.
Trend to watch: The Jets made history, becoming the first team since 1933 (when turnovers became an official stat) to record zero takeaways in the first five games of a season. How is that possible? Their defense isn't devoid of talent, but it's playing like an expansion unit. At their current pace (31.7 points per game), they would set the franchise record for most points allowed in a season. -- Rich Cimini
Next game: vs. Broncos in London (Sunday, 9:30 a.m. p.m. ET)
New Orleans 26, N.Y. Giants 14
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Saints
How can the Saints build off their first win of the season? The Saints ended an eight-game losing streak, winning their first game since Dec. 8, 2024. There were still mistakes, including red zone issues, two missed field goals and plenty of pressure allowed on QB Spencer Rattler. But the Saints were able to capitalize on every mistake the Giants made, getting a takeaway on five straight New York possessions. With the Patriots up next at home, the Saints need to keep figuring out ways to improve on both sides of the ball.
Most surprising performance: The secondary, particularly the young safeties. Rookie Jonas Sanker has had an impressive start to the season, and Jordan Howden was able to fill in nicely for an injured Justin Reid on Sunday. The duo had a takeaway each, with Sanker recovering a fumble forced by LB Demario Davis, and Howden scooping up a ball punched out by DT Bryan Bresee before running it back for an 86-yard touchdown. CB Kool-Aid McKinstry also had two interceptions. -- Katherine Terrell
Next game: vs. Patriots (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Jordan Howden picks up Cam Skattebo's fumble and returns it 86 yards the other way for a Saints touchdown.
Giants
What did we learn about QB Jaxson Dart in this loss? The rookie did some good things, such as hitting TE Theo Johnson for a pair of touchdown passes. But this is still his first season, and he can't carry a team at this point. The Giants had way too many losing plays, including Dart's fumble near midfield to cut short the opening drive of the second half and a pair of interceptions. Rookie RB Cam Skattebo also had a fumble in the red zone returned for a touchdown, and the Giants had five turnovers overall. Dart went 26-of-39 for 202 yards with two touchdown passes and two interceptions. The Giants will have to deal with the rookie's growing pains.
Biggest hole in the game plan: What the heck is going on with the Giants' secondary? It was a mess in this contest, committing penalties and allowing receivers to run wide open. There was plenty of blame to go around, too. CBs Deonte Banks, Paulson Adebo and Dru Phillips committed costly penalties. S Tyler Nubin lost his leverage, which resulted in an 87-yard touchdown for Saints WR Rashid Shaheed. Rough afternoon for this group. -- Jordan Raanan
Next game: vs. Eagles (Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET)
Indianapolis 40, Las Vegas 6
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Colts
Is this Colts offense for real? Everyone keeps waiting for the old Daniel Jones to reappear, but five weeks in, there's no sign of the QB who was underwhelming with the New York Giants. Jones completed 20 of 29 attempts for 212 yards on Sunday -- hardly eye-popping numbers, but certainly efficient. The Colts have continually maximized their offense this season, with Jones making the most of the short passing game and the production of RB Jonathan Taylor. Taylor has seven total touchdowns this season, including three rushing scores on Sunday. The Colts' offensive balance and versatility has made them tough to defend.
Trend to watch: Rookie TE Tyler Warren has done it all this season, just as the Colts promised. He had previously lined up and run the ball as a fullback and taken a direct snap under center. But on Sunday, he tried his hand at actually throwing a pass. The goal-line play was well defended and the pass was incomplete, but keep an eye out for the variety of ways the Colts plan to use Warren -- something they plan to lean into. -- Stephen Holder
Next game: vs. Cardinals (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Jonathan Taylor finds the end zone for the third time vs. the Raiders and dances with his teammates in celebration.
Raiders
How much blame should be placed on the coaching staff? Pete Carroll and the Raiders' coaching staff deserve plenty of blame for the disastrous performance that took place in their fourth straight loss. Sure, the Raiders were down four starters. That's still not an excuse for another week of special team struggles -- namely a blocked punt in the second quarter -- in addition to missed tackles, mental errors and an inability to execute in the red zone. Carroll was meant to change the culture in Las Vegas. However, he might've underestimated the challenge of doing so in Year 1; this team is a reflection of those from years past.
Stat to know: Geno Smith's nine interceptions (two on Sunday) are the most by any Raiders QB in the team's first five games of a season since Jim Plunkett in 1982 (nine). The last NFL quarterback to record nine picks in his team's first five games was Zach Wilson in 2021 (also nine). -- Ryan McFadden
Next game: vs. Titans (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET)
Houston 44, Baltimore 10
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Texans
Has the offense finally broken through? The Texans offense had its first 40-point outing of the season, scoring a season-high 44 points in Sunday's win. Everything was working for Houston: QB C.J. Stroud threw four touchdowns with three in the first half (a career first), and the running game totaled 167 yards, led by RB Nick Chubb, who also hit a season-high 61 yards on the day. Even though the Ravens defense was missing multiple Pro Bowl starters, it's always a good thing to see the offense put up big numbers as the Texans did Sunday.
What to make of the QB performance: Stroud quieted some of the critics after a four-touchdown outing, the second most in his career. He now has thrown for six touchdowns over his past two games, and finished the day completing 85% of his passes (23-of-27) for 244 yards and no interceptions. Stroud looked decisive throughout, taking what the defense gave him, and when it was time to push it down the field, he took his shots. -- DJ Bien-Aime
Next game: at Seahawks (Oct. 20, 10 p.m. ET)
Ravens
Have the Ravens hit rock bottom? Baltimore certainly has on defense, which carries most of the blame for the Ravens falling to 1-4 for the second time in the franchise's 30-year history. It's also the biggest reason why the Ravens lost by 34 points, which is tied for the second-worst margin of defeat in coach John Harbaugh's 18 seasons. With three Pro Bowl defenders sidelined by injury (S Kyle Hamilton, LB Roquan Smith and CB Marlon Humphrey), it didn't seem like a fair fight. But the Ravens defense didn't show much fight either, even after defensive coordinator Zach Orr called for more physicality this week. Baltimore allowed five touchdowns to a Texans team that had only six touchdowns total on the season. That marks the first time in team history Baltimore has allowed 40 or more points in multiple games in a single season, which will put pressure on Harbaugh to make a change at defensive coordinator.
Trend to watch: The Ravens fall to 4-11 (.266) (which includes the playoffs) without two-time MVP QB Lamar Jackson. Baltimore has lost its past five games when Jackson hasn't played. There's a good chance that Jackson doesn't play Sunday against the Rams because Baltimore has a bye the following week. In his first start for the Ravens, QB Cooper Rush failed to consistently move the ball, finishing with four three-and-outs and three interceptions. -- Jamison Hensley
Next game: vs. Rams (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Minnesota 21, Cleveland 17
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Vikings
Would the Vikings do a trip like this again? The team was eager to accept the NFL's offer to become the first team in NFL history to play consecutive international games in different countries, believing it would neutralize the home-field advantage of what would otherwise have been two AFC North road games. They also were confident that their internal infrastructure could plan well for the challenge. In the end, after losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin, they salvaged the trip with a touchdown with 25 seconds remaining to beat the Browns. But given the challenges they faced overseas with an injury-ravaged offensive line, among other issues, it's fair to assume the Vikings won't be signing up for another 10-day road trip anytime soon.
Most surprising performance: Receiver Jordan Addison didn't play in the first quarter, missing all 14 of the Vikings' plays over two series, before taking his first snap on the first possession of the second quarter. The team attributed his absence to a coach's decision. Addison played nearly all of the Vikings' 24-21 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 4, his first game back from a three-game suspension. Addison is one of the team's best playmakers, and having him sidelined for any part of a game has an impact on the Vikings' offense. His three consecutive catches in the fourth quarter, capped by a 12-yard touchdown for the win, was more than enough proof. -- Kevin Seifert
Next game: vs. Eagles (Oct. 19, 1 p.m. ET)
Carson Wentz comes up clutch in the end as the Vikings take down the Browns 21-17 in London.
Browns
What's next for Dillon Gabriel after his first NFL start? Though his first start ended in a loss, Gabriel was decisive and composed. He got the ball out quickly (2.54 seconds average time to throw) and tossed two touchdowns. Most importantly, he didn't turn the ball over like Joe Flacco did in his first four starts. Combined with a strong running effort (140 yards) and a stingy defense (two takeaways), the Browns have something to build around, albeit in a defeat, as Gabriel gets more comfortable running the offense.
Key stat to know: With 110 rushing and 18 receiving yards Sunday, running back Quinshon Judkins is the first Browns rookie with 100 scrimmage yards in consecutive games since Nick Chubb in 2018. -- Daniel Oyefusi
Next game: at Steelers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
San Francisco 23, L.A. Rams 20
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49ers
At 4-1 and 3-0 in the division, how good can these 49ers be? The reality is the 49ers will never be "fully" healthy this season, but it's not hard to envision this team playing meaningful football late in the season. It's a big if, but if the 49ers do have a bit better injury luck, get their stars (tight end George Kittle, quarterback Brock Purdy, as well as receivers Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall) back, and the young talent on defense continues to ascend at a rapid pace, there's no reason they shouldn't be positioned to return to the postseason field.
Most surprising performance: WR Kendrick Bourne. Given all the injuries at receiver, Bourne came up huge. He had a couple of hiccups, including a third-down drop in the first half, but he bounced back strong after his three-drop performance against Jacksonville on Sunday. Bourne emerged as Mac Jones' top option in the passing game, finishing with 10 catches for 142 yards, a career high, and only his second time reaching triple-digit yardage in a game.
Best quote from the locker room: 49ers linebacker Fred Warner said a win like Thursday's is a credit to Kyle Shanahan, Robert Saleh and the coaching staff for getting an undermanned team ready to play and compete regardless of who is available. "They're the best in the game," Warner said. "A game like [Thursday] speaks to that completely, right? You're on a short week, you're wounded, you're down a bunch of guys, and to get your players prepared enough to go out there and compete at the level that we did, I think the intensity was there from the first snap." -- Nick Wagoner
Next game: at Buccaneers (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Rams
How concerned should the Rams be about their kicking unit? With a missed field goal and a blocked extra point attempt Thursday, it's definitely a concern for a Rams team whose other loss this season came in a game with two blocked field goals. Rams kicker Joshua Karty has five missed kicks this season. According to ESPN Research, that is tied with the Chiefs' Harrison Butker for the most in the NFL. Four of the kicks by Karty have been blocked, the most for any kicker.
Trend to watch: Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua continued his torrid start, catching 10 of 12 targets for 76 yards and a touchdown. With 50 catches this season, he passed former teammate Cooper Kupp (49 in 2022) for the most receptions by a player in his team's first five games of a season in NFL history, according to ESPN Research.
Best quote from the locker room: Running back Kyren Williams said he felt he let his team down with his fourth-quarter fumble. "I just got to hold onto the ball," Williams said. "I feel like I let the team down at the 1-yard line, not securing the one thing that matters and scoring the touchdown. So for me, I put this all on me, honestly." According to ESPN Research, Williams' seven fumbles lost since the start of 2023 are the most among running backs over that span. -- Sarah Barshop
Next game: at Ravens (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)