Niners move to 5-0 as Giants and Commanders play out 27-27 tie in NFL Week five
The San Francisco 49ers improved to 5-0 and the New York Giants were held to a 27-27 draw by the Washington Commanders in Week five of the NFL on Sunday, a weekend of games that began in London and finished with overtime in Atlanta 14 hours later.
The day opened at Tottenham with a disallowed touchdown and two players ejected on the first play, and the theme of chaotic finishes continued throughout the schedule, including two field goals in the final eight seconds that decided Jacksonville’s win over Philadelphia. Frantic endings and unusual plays punctuated the week, while heavy victories for Green Bay, New England and Detroit moved each of those teams to 3-2. San Francisco and the Minnesota Vikings emerged as the first teams to reach 5-0.
San Francisco beat Seattle 32-29 in a physical divisional game that saw linebacker Dre Greenlaw ejected early for a headbutt on Ernest Jones, who was not wearing a helmet, on the sidelines. Both defences forced a season-high seven turnovers, with the 49ers converting three of those takeaways into touchdowns and scoring 21 points off turnovers — the most Seattle have conceded in a decade. Brock Purdy closed out the win with help from new receiver Mike Evans, who finished with 113 receiving yards and a touchdown, and San Francisco remain the only team with a top-five scoring offence and defence.
The Minnesota Vikings recorded a 23-13 victory at the New Orleans Saints behind another strong performance from Brian Flores’ defence. Their schedule includes wins over the Saints (1-4), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-4) and Miami Dolphins (0-5), and the report noted: "we will know more about the Vikings after their bye." Minnesota are allowing only 13 points per game.
The Washington Commanders and New York Giants produced a farcical overtime finish in a 27-27 tie, with the Giants scoring two late touchdowns to force extra time but then losing a fumble by Cam Skattebo when in range for a potential game-winning field goal. Washington later had the chance to kick for victory in the dying seconds but ran a play instead and ran out of time; the report concluded: "With play-calling like that, neither team deserved to win."
The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Atlanta Falcons 30-23 in overtime with backup Tyler Huntley, who threw a touchdown with 40 seconds remaining in regulation before rushing for the extra-period winner, moving Baltimore to 4-1. In New York, the Jets beat the Cleveland Browns 17-12 after Cleveland missed an extra point and punter Corey Bojorquez fumbled a late kick that the Jets converted into the decisive touchdown; the Jets also recorded eight sacks on Deshaun Watson in the victory.
Jordan Love passed for 367 yards as the Green Bay Packers routed the Chicago Bears 31-7, with touchdowns of 42 and 53 yards to Christian Watson, while Chicago, without starter Caleb Williams, relied on Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum. New England thumped Las Vegas 45-17 and Drake Maye produced 374 yards, four touchdown passes and one rushing score against a Raiders defence that had been allowing 21 points a game. Detroit scored 45 points against the Arizona Cardinals as Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 207 yards and two touchdowns. Aaron Rodgers threw three touchdown passes in Pittsburgh’s 34-22 win over the Indianapolis Colts to reach 582 career touchdown passes, moving above Peyton Manning into third on the all-time list behind Tom Brady (737) and Drew Brees (608); Rodgers’ 166 regular-season wins place him fifth on that list.
Three teams sit at 0-5 after Week five: the Los Angeles Chargers, Tennessee Titans and Miami Dolphins. The Chargers’ defeat at Denver left them 0-5 for the first time in 23 years, the Dolphins were outclassed by Cincinnati, and the Titans managed only three points in a loss to the previously winless Houston Texans.