Dak Prescott Staking Early MVP Claim, and What Else We’re Learning in Week 5

The Sunday of Week 5 began in London, where Browns QB Dillon Gabriel’s two touchdown passes in his first NFL start weren’t enough for Cleveland. Stateside, the standout games featured the Commanders dealing the Chargers a second straight loss and another last-minute victory for the Bucs, who edged the Seahawks 38-35. In the early window, the Broncos upset the defending-champion Eagles in Philadelphia, leaving the Bills as the NFL’s last unbeaten team. 

We’ve got you covered across the league. FOX Sports’ NFL experts provide the lessons we’re learning from every Sunday game and what they mean for each team going forward.

Vikings: Carson Wentz can still sling it, if needed.

Maybe it’s just the system in Minnesota, where discarded quarterbacks seem to regularly find success, but veteran Carson Wentz — formerly of the Eagles, Colts, Commanders, Rams and Chiefs — has found some the past two weeks. Against a tough Cleveland defense, he went 25-of-34 for 236 yards and a touchdown on Sunday and engineered an impressive, 80-yard touchdown drive in just 2:40 to give the Vikings the win in the final minute in London. 

Wentz has now thrown for 586 yards and three touchdowns over the past two weeks. And he’s doing it despite a leaky offensive line that’s given up 21 sacks in five games, and a very inconsistent rushing attack that accounted for just 97 yards on Sunday. 

J.J. McCarthy could return from his ankle sprain next week, but he has struggled so far this season. If that continues, at least coach Kevin O’Connell now knows he’s got a viable option in Wentz waiting in the wings.

Browns: Dillon Gabriel managed just fine in his first career start.

The Browns certainly didn’t ask their rookie starter to do much, and they supported him with a strong defense and a really good rushing attack (110 rushing yards from rookie Quinshon Judkins). But Gabriel proved to be a very efficient game manager, completing 19 of 33 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns. Most importantly, he controlled the football and didn’t turn it over once. 

That’s a huge development considering Joe Flacco, the veteran Gabriel replaced, had thrown six interceptions in the first four games. The Browns aren’t loaded with offensive firepower, but they have a really good defense. The key to them staying in games — as they did until the final minute on Sunday — is making sure their quarterback doesn’t throw the game away. 

For one game, at least, Gabriel did that. Growth will come. But if he’s beginning from a place of no turnovers and general efficiency, there are definitely worse places for a rookie quarterback to start. – Ralph Vacchiano

Cowboys: QB Dak Prescott is staking an early claim to NFL MVP.

Take away the No. 1 receiver from any quarterback in the NFL and what are you left with? Usually nothing good. But Prescott is somehow making it work. In two weeks without WR CeeDee Lamb, Prescott has thrown for 556 yards and seven touchdowns, and the Cowboys have put up a total of 77 points. Prescott has done that by being a remarkable combination of efficient and explosive, spreading the ball around to unlikely heroes. 

On Sunday, with Jets CB Sauce Gardner mostly clamping down on WR George Pickens, Prescott (18-of-29, 237 yards) leaned into WR Ryan Flournoy, who had six catches for 114 yards. The Cowboys’ offense right now is the best in the NFL. If their defense could stop being the worst, they could actually go on a run.

Jets: Justin Fields is clearly not the answer for the Jets’ QB problems.

The Jets really thought they had something when they signed Fields in the offseason. They thought he was a raw talent that they could mold into an efficient, even dangerous quarterback. Boy, were they wrong. After a terrific opening day, he’s been mostly terrible. 

And on Sunday against the Cowboys, he helped turn the Jets’ offense into a disaster. Don’t be fooled by his 283 passing yards, which was mostly the result of a garbage-time surge. The Jets got 113 rushing yards from RB Breece Hall (on just 14 carries) and still fell into a 30-6 hole before getting two too-little, too-late touchdowns. Fields killed their passing attack with off-target throws and holding the ball way too long. The Cowboys league-worst defense came into the game with four sacks, but they got to the supposedly mobile Fields five times. 

There’s not a lot the Jets can do. Veteran Tyrod Taylor is a capable backup, but not a long-term solution. Maybe they’ll get lucky in the draft next April, though they have a long history working against them. – Ralph Vacchiano

Broncos: Denver has one of the toughest defenses in the league when it counts.

For most of their game against the Eagles, the Broncos got middling production out of their own offense and a really shaky performance from second-year QB Bo Nix. But eventually, they leaned on what kickstarted their unlikely playoff run last season — their defense. Simply put, that tough D gave the offense space to figure out its issues. 

After a 47-yard pass from Eagles QB Jalen Hurts to Saquon Barkley, the Denver defense stopped Philadelphia cold in the second half. On five drives to end the game, the Broncos allowed three first downs — two on the final drive in the final minute. In fact, over the final 28:23 of the game, they only allowed Philly to hold the ball for 8:56. That’s how quickly they kept forcing the Eagles off the field. 

And eventually, Nix and the offense got it right, scoring two late touchdowns to pull off an 18-17 win. It will look like a Nix-led comeback. But it’s the defense that got it done.

Eagles: Philadelphia has built a seriously dysfunctional offense.

This is a team that’s giving off some bad 2023 vibes. Remember that team that started 10-1, but never really looked good? That’s what this team has been all season, and it finally caught up with the Eagles in a bad loss on Sunday. They are loaded with offensive weapons, yet new OC Kevin Patullo doesn’t seem to know how to use them. 

The frustration has already boiled over in recent weeks with underused WR A.J. Brown, and who knows how happy he’ll be with just five catches for 43 yards on Sunday. And just six total carries for Saquon Barkley — only one in the second half? The Eagles remember he was a 2,000-yard rusher last season, right? That’s how this team shut down in the second half, gaining just 128 total yards, scoring no points over the final 28½ minutes, and totaling 54 yards on their final five possessions. It’s also how they blew a 17-3 lead. — Ralph Vacchiano

Raiders: Embarrassing loss should lead to changes in Las Vegas.

A week after suffering a heartbreaking loss at home to the Bears, the Raiders were humiliated on the road by the Colts. After a season-opening win at New England, the Raiders have lost four straight — Pete Carroll’s first four-game losing streak since 2023. Geno Smith struggled to take care of the ball again by throwing two interceptions, which should lead Carroll to shake things up with the Raiders scuffling. That could mean a change at quarterback from the turnover-prone Smith to Kenny Pickett.

Special teams also remain an issue. Kicker Daniel Carlson had a blocked 53-yard field goal a week ago that could have won the game against Chicago. Against the Colts, Carlson missed a 57-yard field goal and Raiders punter A.J. Cole had a punt blocked. Carlson had to handle punting duties because Cole suffered an ankle injury on the block. Along with solving his team’s QB woes, Carroll should take a closer look at the special teams.

Colts: Jonathan Taylor to the rescue in bounce-back win over Raiders.

While Daniel Jones has rightly earned MVP consideration with his impressive play to start the year, Taylor remains the engine of the offense for Indianapolis. A week after turnovers and head-scratching plays led to a disappointing loss in a game the Colts should have won on the road against the Rams, the steady Taylor led the way on offense, finishing with 86 scrimmage yards and three scores. Jones posted 212 passing yards and two scores. Even backup quarterback Anthony Richardson played in the fourth quarter. But Taylor’s ability to create balance and big plays in the running game will serve Indianapolis well as it competes for the top spot in the AFC South. – Eric D. Williams

Dolphins: Miami moves closer to selling off assets.

If you’d said Tua Tagovailoa throws for three touchdowns and no turnovers against a one-win team, that should be enough for victory, right? But Miami’s defense allowed the Panthers to rush for 242 yards — most of them from Rico Dowdle — and that was enough for Carolina to pull out a wild 27-24 win in Charlotte. 

With no Tyreek Hill, much of the concern was whether Miami could find their downfield passing game, and Jaylen Waddle had 110 yards, including a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter, but Miami’s defense couldn’t close it out against a team with its backup running back pressed into duty. Each loss like this pushes the Dolphins closer to trading off assets at the deadline next month. 

Panthers: Rico Dowdle breaks out of the cupboard for Hubbard.

Rico Dowdle rushed for more than 1,000 yards last year in Dallas, so it shouldn’t be that surprising, but with Chuba Hubbard sidelined with injury, Dowdle stepped up in a huge way Sunday against Miami. He rushed for 201 yards – third-most in Carolina history – and paved the way for a furious fourth-quarter comeback.

Bryce Young came up with big plays down the stretch, but Dowdle moved the chains all day, getting the Panthers back to the ground-and-pound offense they had the last time they were a competitive team a few years back. Dowdle had a lukewarm market in free agency, but a spot start like Sunday, after totaling 83 yards in four games as a backup, serves as a reminder of what he’s capable of doing at his best. – Greg Auman

Texans: Houston got its groove back on offense.

You can’t necessarily draw too many “football” takeaways from the Texans beating up on the Ravens’ reeling (and injury-depleted) defense. Apart from the Browns, everyone has been able to put up big numbers on Baltimore. But Houston’s growing confidence offensively is noticeable. 

A week after (finally) finding a switch late against Tennessee, Houston took another big step forward this week on the road. C.J. Stroud, who had four touchdown passes (second most of his career), had a persistent smile on his face for the first time in what feels like ages. First-time offensive playcaller Nick Calley seems to have settled in after a bumpy start to the year. The Texans’ young receivers continue to show progress (second-year pro Xavier Hutchinson and rookie Jaylin Noel combined for three touchdowns). Houston also had a season-high 167 rushing yards. 

The Texans will have a bigger challenge coming out of their bye, when they face Mike MacDonald’s Seahawks defense, but Houston’s offense couldn’t be in a better place heading into that game.  

Ravens: Baltimore needs a new defensive playcaller.

Yes, Baltimore is hurting on defense. We know all the All-Pro and Pro Bowl talent the Ravens have out, including defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, middle linebacker Roquan Smith and safety Kyle Hamilton. But they were whooped at home by the Texans. The lack of star talent aside, the Ravens were completely overwhelmed from a scheme and competitive standpoint. The adjustments didn’t come. 

The Texans — who were terrible offensively this season up until the fourth quarter last week against the Titans — were able to do whatever they wanted in the passing game in the first half, and they continued to do whatever they wanted in the passing game in the second half. Through the first four games, coach John Harbaugh expressed faith in defensive coordinator Zach Orr’s ability to get the job done. After this performance, there has to be a change. We’re in the second quarter of the season and the Ravens’ defense hasn’t shown any progress. – Ben Arthur

Giants: Promising start for Jaxson Dart, but turnovers tell the tale.

Two touchdowns for rookie QB Jaxson Dart was exciting, but the Giants know they cannot commit five turnovers and have any chance to beat even the worst teams in the NFL. Dart threw two interceptions and lost a fumble, and that’s how you go from a 14-3 lead to a double-digit loss. New York is trying to grind out wins with an all-rookie backfield, but Cam Skattebo’s fumble was the turning point in the game, and offset a hard day of tough runs. 

Beating the Chargers last week felt like a fortunate break for the Giants, and they follow that with a bad loss to fall to 1-4. Two of their next three are against the Eagles and Saquon Barkley, so good luck with those.

Saints: Two huge touchdowns, one long-awaited win.

Two touchdowns of 86 yards and longer will go a long way toward winning, and the Saints pulled that off to finally get their first win of the season. Spencer Rattler, who was 0-10 as a starter to open his NFL career, finally got his first victory, the biggest play being an 87-yard touchdown pass to receiver Rashid Shaheed.

The game turned on another huge play — just as the Giants were closer to going in for a go-ahead touchdown, the Saints forced a Cam Skattebo fumble and safety Jordan Howden returned it 86 yards for a touchdown. Not much has gone right for the Saints in 2025, but this was a hard-earned win in front of the home fans. – Greg Auman

Buccaneers: Another week, another last-minute win for Tampa.

To sum it up: Tampa Bay’s defense gave up touchdowns on five straight drives, but the Bucs got an interception in the final minute and escaped with a 38-35 win on a Chase McLaughlin field goal as time expired. The cardiac Bucs have all four of their wins this way. 

Baker Mayfield threw for 379 and two touchdowns, answering each time Sam Darnold led the Seahawks to a score. The story still might be Bucs rookie Emeka Egbuka, who had 163 receiving yards and a touchdown, giving him five scores in his first five NFL games. He manages to exceed the high expectations every week. Lavonte David had a rough day, but got the pick in the final minute on a carom off a teammate’s helmet. A little luck never hurt.

Seahawks: Sam Darnold is great, but somehow not enough.

Sam Darnold has validated all of last year’s success in Minnesota, stepping in with a new coordinator and playing at such a high level. He threw an interception in the final minute — on a slight carom off a defensive lineman’s helmet of all things — but he was incredible for 59 minutes, going 24-for-28 for 341 yards with four touchdowns. The Seahawks scored on five straight touchdown drives, the last going 99 yards. 

Seattle’s defense had won with takeaways in the first four weeks, and the Bucs found a way to reverse that, getting two turnovers and not committing any. The Seahawks’ next three will be telling — at Jacksonville, vs. Houston, at Washington. Go 2-1 in those and they’re a solid playoff team. – Greg Auman

Titans: Tennessee hasn’t given up on the season.

The Titans are in the win column for the first time in 2025, snapping a 10-game losing streak that dates back to Week 10 last season. But this is really about how they won. Early on, Sunday’s game against the Cardinals was taking the same shape as Tennessee’s four games prior. The Titans were down three scores at the start of the second quarter, at 21-3. 

But down the stretch, when we’ve become so used to them folding, they rose to the occasion. The defense got stops in the fourth quarter. No. 1 pick Cam Ward led his first game-winning drive. None of this changes the fact that the Titans are still a bad team. Head coach Brian Callahan is still very much on the hot seat, too. But the Titans aren’t hopeless like many league observers were led to believe.

Cardinals: Arizona coach Jonathan Gannon might be on the hot seat.

It’s one thing to lose to the Titans, one of the NFL’s worst teams. It’s another to lose the way Arizona did to one of the NFL’s worst teams — allowing a 19-0 run in the final 35 minutes, and having a 72-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter overturned by a touchback. 

These Cardinals are taking a big step back under Jonathan Gannon, at a time when it should start to click, considering he’s in Year 3 as coach. Their talented offense is incredibly inconsistent. Gannon is 14-25 overall, including three straight losses. Certainly, there are coaches around the league who should be on hotter seats (Callahan, Brian Daboll, etc.), but the Cardinals’ situation is worth monitoring moving forward. — Ben Arthur

Lions: Only the Lions can stop themselves. 

The Lions put up 37 points in Sunday’s win over the Bengals in large part due to their defense, which had three takeaways in plus territory (two turned into touchdowns). Cornerback Amik Robertson, safety Kerby Joseph and linebacker Alex Anzalone had one apiece. For as much credit as Detroit’s high-powered offense deserves so far this season, the defense holds its end of the bargain — even if it doesn’t always look pretty.

It’s why these Lions are so tough to beat. They’ll be tested in these next two weeks — they have back-to-back prime-time showdowns against the Chiefs and Bucs, respectively — but they have looked like a team that is their own biggest competitor since the season-opening loss to Green Bay.  

Bengals: This season can’t be saved for Cincinnati.

Bengals coach Zac Taylor finally opened the crack on benching Jake Browning, who’s now up to eight interceptions since stepping in for Joe Burrow. But where does that leave Cincinnati? The in-house quarterback options are Brett Rypien and Mike White (practice squad). Even if they look to acquire a veteran passer ahead of the deadline, it’s very difficult to get one to step in and effectively run the operation midseason, considering the complexity of the position. The Bengals also don’t have a run game or a defense to support whoever the quarterback is. 

It’s hard to see how this can get better for the Bengals, even if Burrow returns at the end of the season. They’ll be fighting an uphill battle like they were at the end of 2024 — only this time, the hole is shaping to be much worse. — Ben Arthur

Commanders: Washington looks like a contender again with Jayden Daniels back.

The Commanders gave the Chargers a 10-point head start and then left them in the dust, scoring 27 unanswered points for the victory. Playing his first game back since missing two games due to a sprained knee, Daniels appeared rusty early but then got into a rhythm and finished with 231 passing yards, along with a touchdown pass to Deebo Samuel to close things out. Washington also got a breakout performance from rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who rushed for 111 yards and a score.

Commanders head coach Dan Quinn brought his team out West a day early, practicing at the nearby Coliseum to create some bonding time on the road. And while Quinn was concerned when his team fell behind early, his Commanders showed the type of fight and resiliency that helped them reach the NFC Championship Game in Daniels’ rookie season last year.

Chargers: Injuries, failure to protect Justin Herbert could derail their season.

Jim Harbaugh’s Bolts have reached a crossroads, losing two more offensive linemen to injury, right tackle Trey Pipkins and right guard Mekhi Becton, along with rookie running back Omarion Hampton, who was seen leaving the locker room with a walking boot protecting an injured left ankle. The Chargers already had starting offensive tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt unavailable due to injuries and struggled to protect franchise quarterback Justin Herbert, who was sacked four times and hit nine times. 

After a promising 3-0 start, the Chargers have lost two straight and did not look competitive against the Commanders. While it’s still early, Harbaugh must make some moves to right the ship if the Chargers are expected to compete for an AFC West title in his second season with the team. – Eric D. Williams

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