2024 NFL season, Week 5: What We Learned from Sunday's games

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• RE-WATCH: Jets-Vikings on NFL+
• READ: 60K club: Rodgers becomes ninth player to reach career yards mark
• READ: Rodgers after second loss in a row: Just must 'stick together'

Jeremy Bergman's takeaways:

1. Rodgers rallies Jets but comes up just short. Aaron Rodgers and the jet-lagged Jets looked lost in London for much of Sunday's proceedings. Rodgers resembled the banged-up 40-year-old he is and was a step slow on the Tottenham turf early on against a familiar opponent in Minnesota. He threw two picks in the first half -- one an awful read on a short crosser that led to an Andrew Van Ginkel pick-six and the other a lazy overthrow of his preferred target, Allen Lazard, downfield. The QB looked down for the count after getting twisted underneath a slew of Vikings defender in the third quarter -- he got checked out in the injury tent -- but valiantly returned and oversaw a comeback attempt. Rodgers leaned on his much-dissected connection with Garrett Wilson, who paced New York with 101 yards on 13 catches and 22(!) targets. Their touchdown connection with six minutes left in the game cut what was once a 17-point Minnesota lead to three. After holding the Vikings to a field goal, Rodgers led New York down just outside Minnesota's red zone with under a minute to go. But that's where Gang Green stalled. Rodgers launched two incompletions before testing Mike Williams against Stephon Gilmore down the right sideline. Williams didn't see the veteran QB's back-shoulder pass coming, but Gilmore did, securing Rodgers' third interception of the afternoon and sending New York back across the Atlantic with a third loss. Does Davante Adams await them upon their return?
2. Minnesota's magic running out? The Vikings improved to 5-0 with Sunday's nail-biting victory over the Jets, but it was their diciest duel of the season so far. An MVP candidate through four weeks, Sam Darnold was harried and harassed against his former team, completing just 14 of 31 passes for 179 yards and taking four sacks, including one right in the ribs. Darnold returned after Nick Mullens came in for one play, but wasn't the same after the knock. Also banged up was Aaron Jones, who came out of the game in the first quarter with a hip injury and never returned. Ty Chandler, Myles Gaskin and C.J. Ham didn't have nearly the same burst. The Vikings offense reached the end zone just once against New York after scoring eight times in the previous two weeks. Thankfully for Minnesota, Week 6 brings a bye and a time to reset and refuel. A win is a win, and no team will have more than Minnesota through Sunday.
3. Jets' issues with penalties persist. In New York's sloppy loss to the Broncos in Week 4, the Jets were flagged 13 times for 90 yards, many of the penalties coming before the snap. Gang Green didn't have quite the same issue overseas in Week 5 but continued to get in its own way. Tasked with having to shut down the top receiver in the league in Justin Jefferson, New York was flagged five times going up against the gritty Griddier. Pass interference, holding and illegal contact calls on Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed led to five Minnesota first downs and kept a number of scoring drives alive. Jefferson finished with 92 receiving yards -- and 61 yards picked up via penalty. On a day when the defense was otherwise giving Minnesota fits, holding one of the top offenses in the league to 4 of 13 on third down and 3.8 yards per play, the Jets' lack of discipline in the secondary extended possessions for the Vikings and set the team back. For a coaching staff in its fourth year, it's inexcusable that persistent penalties remain a recurring narrative.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Jets-Vikings (via NFL Pro): The Jets generated pressure on 15 of the Vikings' 37 dropbacks (40.5%), sacking Sam Darnold four times in the process. Eight different players generated at least one pressure for the Jets.

NFL Research: With the Jets at 2-3, this is the first time Aaron Rodgers is under .500 through five starts since 2012 (finished 11-5, made playoffs with Packers).

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• RE-WATCH: Panthers-Bears on NFL+

Eric Edholm's takeaways:

1. Bears offense finally gets going early. After the Bears went out meagerly on their opening three-and-out drive, including a near pick-six on the opening pass, it continued a familiar theme. In five opening drives this season, Chicago has a total of six first downs. But that trend was quashed quickly as the Bears scored touchdowns on four of their next five possessions in the first half. Caleb Williams found an early groove, and DJ Moore caught two first-half touchdowns, eating up his former team. D'Andre Swift continued his Week 4 production with more than 100 first-half yards from scrimmage and a rushing score, and the Bears were on their way to their best offensive performance in the Williams era. The second half wasn’t as pretty, but the Bears led comfortably and never were a threat to lose. This is the kind of building-block game Williams and the Bears’ offense needed, even if it came against the Panthers.
2. Panthers’ defense in shambles after another tough game. After earning an opening three-and-out stop, the Panthers’ defense had few answers for a Bears offense that entered the game in the developmental stage. It’s hard to say this was surprising, considering the Panthers entered the game as a bottom-five unit in several categories. Making matters worse was Carolina’s health. The Panthers already were without both starting inside linebackers (Shaq Thompson on injured reserve, Josey Jewell inactive), a starting safety (Jordan Fuller) and their Pro Bowl defensive tackle (Derrick Brown). Then, during the game, one of their few reliable pass rushers, Jadeveon Clowney left the game with a shoulder injury. Carolina played almost exclusively zone defense, but the Bears kept finding holes. It was concerning that Caleb Williams was able to buy as much time and scramble as frequently and as effectively as he did. Late in the game, cornerback Jaycee Horn was ejected when he and other Panthers defenders lost their cool on a Bears TD. It was a tense game on that side of the ball, and they’ll have to find some defensive answers with more explosive offenses coming up on the schedule.
3. Bears’ defense smothered Andy Dalton, Panthers. Chuba Hubbard ran 38 yards untouched for the game’s opening touchdown, but it was one of the few big mistakes from a Bears defense that held Andy Dalton to 8 passing yards in the first half and forced three Carolina turnovers. The Panthers hit on some big plays in the second half in garbage time, but the Bears’ defense turned in its best effort as a unit since Week 1. If you’re looking for an unsung standout, it should be Bears defensive tackle Gervon Dexter, who had a sack, five pressures and a fumble recovery on 30 snaps. He’s been terrific this season, especially at Soldier Field – that’s four straight home games with a sack. What stands out is how much ground he covers; his motor is always running, and it was hustle and awareness that led him to falling on Tommy Tremble’s fumble near midfield in a 14-7 game. The Bears scored twice more before the half was over, but Dexter’s recovery was a big turning point.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Panthers-Bears (via NFL Pro): Chuba Hubbard reached a top speed of 20.68 mph on his 38-yard TD run, his fastest speed as a ball carrier of his career. Hubbard gained +31 rushing yards over expected on the play (0.3% TD probability).

NFL Research: The Panthers have allowed 165 points this season, the worst total in franchise history through their first five games of a season. 

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• RE-WATCH: Ravens-Bengals on NFL+

Analysis to come from Kevin Patra

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• RE-WATCH: Bills-Texans on NFL+

Analysis to come from Kevin Patra

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• RE-WATCH: Colts-Jaguars on NFL+

Eric Edholm's takeaways:

1. Lawrence delivered on his birthday in Jaguars’ first W. Maybe all Trevor Lawrence wanted for his birthday was a victory. The Jaguars were the lone remaining winless team, and Lawrence’s winless streak dated back to Week 12 last year – nine losses in games he started. Both of those came to an end Sunday on Lawrence’s 25th birthday, as he played his best game of the season, finishing off a victory that was way tougher than it should have been. The Jags’ defense made Lawrence earn the win by allowing 24 fourth-quarter points, including 17 in a wild four-minute span that erased the Jags’ two-TD lead. It was tied with three minutes left when Lawrence led the Jaguars calmly on a 39-yard field-goal drive to finish it off. Lawrence had one interception on a pass he forced into traffic, but he completed 28 of 34 passes for a career-high 371 yards and two TD passes. The first one was a much-needed 85-yard bomb to Brian Thomas Jr., who quickly has become Lawrence’s best target. It wasn’t all roses as Lawrence and Gabe Davis were seen having a heated exchange on the sideline in the first quarter, but Lawrence kept his cool and played his best game in recent memory.
2. Flacco nearly led the shorthanded Colts back, but it wasn’t enough. The Colts likely didn’t expect to roll to 34 points and nearly 450 yards on Sunday, missing quarterback Anthony Richardson, running back Jonathan Taylor and center Ryan Kelly. Yet that’s exactly what happened, even if a lot of it came in catch-up mode and in a loss. You can blame the Colts’ defense on that, as they had few answers for the Jaguars, missing cornerback Kenny Moore and edge Kwity Paye . Joe Flacco did his best in Richardson’s place, throwing for 359 yards and three TD passes on 33-of-44 passing. He threw for 183 yards and two of those TDs in the fourth quarter alone, leading the Colts to tie the game at 34 after trailing 34-20 with five minutes left. Flacco had a 21-yard scramble and should have had another fourth-quarter TD pass, but Mo Alie-Cox couldn’t haul in an over-the-shoulder throw midway through the quarter, settling for a field goal. This still should be Richardson’s team, but it’s hard not to notice how much more effectively the operation runs on a snap-to-snap basis when Flacco is at QB. Now the Colts just need some defensive help and they might win games such as this.
3. Walker, Hines-Allen stepped up for Jaguars defensively. The Jags’ defense was carved up a few times early by Flacco and the Colts, and they were put in a tough spot after Gabe Davis fumbled near the end of the half. That’s when the pass-rush duo stepped up for a game-changing play. Travon Walker strip-sacked Flacco, and Josh Hines-Allen picked it up and nearly scored, taking it to the Indy 12-yard line. The Jaguars kicked a field goal to go up 13-10 at the half. Walker finished the game with three sacks (for minus-31 yards), five tackles, the forced fumble and a pass deflected. Hines-Allen had a sack of his own, plus three tackles. Together they combined for 13 of the Jaguars’ 17 pressures on Flacco, keeping the defense afloat for long stretches, even while Jacksonville looked to be on the verge of breaking. The Colts got the ball back for one last-gasp chance to tie the game late, but Walker’s walk-off sack ended it. Walker and Hines-Allen combined for three sacks coming into the game, so this was the kind of performance this talented duo needed to get the Jaguars in the win column. 

Next Gen Stats Insight for Colts-Jaguars (via NFL Pro): Colts WR Alec Pierce entered the fourth quarter without a target on 29 routes run, but he hauled in all three of his targets after that point against the Jaguars, totaling 134 yards and a touchdown. All three of Pierce’s targets and receptions came 20-plus yards downfield. Pierce has accumulated 295 receiving yards on deep targets this season, most in the NFL entering Sunday afternoon.

NFL Research: Trevor Lawrence improved to 5-2 against the Colts in his career. In the seven games in which Lawrence is credited with a go-ahead drive in the fourth quarter, the Colts are the only team against whom he has accomplished the feat twice.

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• RE-WATCH: Dolphins-Patriots on NFL+

Analysis to come from Nick Shook

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• RE-WATCH: Browns-Commanders on NFL+

Nick Shook's takeaways:

1. Daniels continues to roll. Another week, and another example of how Jayden Daniels is quickly transforming Washington from a woeful franchise into one of the most hopeful in the NFL. Daniels is special and proved it time and time again, taking off for big gains on scrambles (six for 65 yards) and throwing on the run effortlessly (three scramble pass attempts for 88 yards, including a beautiful early deep shot to Terry McLaurin). Third down became a nightmare for Cleveland's defense because of Daniels, who helped Washington convert 8 of 17 attempts. Daniels finished with 238 yards and a majestic touchdown pass to Dyami Brown, and led the Commanders' potent rushing attack with 82 yards on 11 attempts. He was the riddle that was impossible for the Browns to solve, and although his completion percentage was lower than he'd posted through his first month as a pro, he once again made it look effortless in an easy win.
2. It's time to bench Deshaun. Cleveland's offense is bad. The Browns' offensive line doesn't protect well, they rarely find reliable success on the ground, they continue to commit too many penalties and they even struggle to get the play called and lined up in time. But it doesn't take even a full game's worth of tape to understand how Deshaun Watson is holding this team back. He misses open throws, holds on to the ball too long (he averaged a time of throw of 3.24 seconds Sunday) and five weeks of unrelenting pressure have caused him to pull his eyes down as soon as he senses the heat, making for the easiest third-down decisions for opposing defenses (hint: send the house). The final score doesn't suggest it, but Cleveland wasted an encouraging defensive start because its offense couldn't locate the shifter to move out of park. Watson isn't solely to blame -- the Browns' route patterns on third down leave plenty to be desired -- but it's not difficult to imagine a capable veteran (Joe Flacco , Jacoby Brissett and perhaps Jameis Winston, to name a few) executing more consistently than he is in 2024. And at 1-4, desperation is going to take hold quickly.
3. Dan Quinn's defense is starting to come together. The narrative surrounding Washington has been rightfully centered on its phenom quarterback, and in the first few weeks, the Commanders needed Daniels to power them to victory because they couldn't get many stops. That's changed in the last two weeks. Washington held Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals to 14 points in a blowout win on the road in Week 4, then returned home to shut down the Browns in another runaway victory. Cleveland didn't clear 100 total yards of offense until midway through the third quarter, and convert a third down (the Browns finished 1 for 13) until a meaningless final drive of the game. Washington sacked Watson seven times, forced a turnover and gave the Browns no hope they'd be able to sustain drives if they found themselves off schedule after first down. Frankie Luvu is a stud and led the Commanders with seven tackles and 2.5 sacks, and veteran Bobby Wagner finished right behind him with six tackles and 1.5 sacks. This unit is playing fast, especially up front and against the overmatched Browns, they feasted.

Next Gen Stats insight from Browns-Commanders (via NFL Pro): After recording eight sacks combined between Weeks 1-4, Washington generated QB pressures at a rate of 43.6%, producing seven sacks.

NFL Research: The Commanders are the first team since the 1970 merger to score 150-plus points in their first five games of the season while starting a rookie quarterback.

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Analysis to come from Coral Smith

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Analysis to come from Nick Shook

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Analysis to come from Eric Edholm

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Analysis to come from Kevin Patra

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Analysis to come from Grant Gordon