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NFL Week 5 Sunday review: Ravens claim wild overtime win, Texans grab victory in last second and Jayden Daniels keeps rolling:
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NFL Week 5 Sunday review: Ravens claim wild overtime win, Texans grab victory in last second and Jayden Daniels keeps rolling:



CNN

Week 5 in the NFL had it all: late drama, historic performance and a game across the Atlantic in London.

Sunday’s action kicked off with the Minnesota Vikings’ victory over the New York Jets at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, a win that maintains Minnesota’s undefeated start to the season.

Here are the main storylines from Sunday’s games.

The Cincinnati Bengals thought they were righting the ship. After a back-and-forth meeting with the Baltimore Ravens, they got a 53-yard field goal in overtime to earn their second win of the season.

But after a dramatic day of football there was another twist in the story when Evan McPherson’s effort sailed wide left and the match continued.

And Baltimore made Cincinnati regret that mistake on the very next play, with Derrick Henry galloping 51 yards downfield to set up a 24-yard field goal by Justin Tucker to seal a 41-38 victory for the Ravens .

It was a typically exciting end to a match full of twists and turns at Paul Brown Stadium.

The two AFC North rivals traded offensive blows throughout, whether it was Henry rumbling for scores or explosive touchdown throws from Bengals QB Joe Burrow to Ja’Marr Chase. The former LSU teammates first connected on a 41-yard pass before a 70-yard bomb extended Cincinatti’s lead to 10 midway through the fourth quarter.

However, the Ravens – led by reigning MVP Lamar Jackson, who had four touchdowns that day – were not to be denied, orchestrating a 13-play, 60-yard drive that ended in a touchdown pass to Isaiah that would likely pull within three. A Tucker field goal after a Burrow interception sent the game into overtime before late drama saw the Ravens win their third straight game and improve to 3-2, while the Bengals fell to 1-4.

Henry’s late heroics were crucial in the Ravens’ late comeback on what was a historic day for the running back.

A five-yard run in the second quarter meant he joined the 10,000-yard rushing club, becoming the 32nd player in NFL history to do so and the first since 2017, according to the NFL. His first-quarter touchdown also made him the 14th running back ever with 100 career scrimmage touchdowns.

Henry's 51-yard run in overtime set up the game-winning kick against the Bengals.

The 30-year-old has had a notable impact since joining the Ravens this offseason, leading the NFL in passing in five games. But after the dramatic victory, Henry didn’t think about his personal accolades.

“This victory is big because of what happened today,” he said. “It puts us in two places in the division, so we definitely needed this one. It was as important to us as it was to them. Glad we got the win. With everything that’s happened, it’s just to show you the resilience of this team, and we’ll keep fighting until the end.

The disappointing result for Cincinnati overshadowed what was an especially impressive performance by quarterback Burrow, who passed for 392 yards, five touchdowns and one interception.

It was a disappointing start to the season for the Bengals, and Burrow explained that improvements must be a team-wide move.

“Difficult conversations have been had,” he told reporters. “I think our coaches are handling it the right way. And when you’re 1-4 – when you’re in a tough situation – there are going to be tough conversations that guys aren’t going to like.

“Those conversations have been had. So I’m happy with how we’re going about it. We obviously need to win more. That is no secret, but I think people deal with it in the right way.”

Burrow threw for five touchdowns in the overtime loss to the Ravens.

Sunday saw another clash of AFC heavyweights that also ended in late drama, this time in Houston.

A 59-yard field goal by Ka’imi Fairbairn as time expired sealed the Houston Texans’ 23-20 victory over the Buffalo Bills at NRG Stadium.

It came after a meeting in which both teams’ defense was the dominant force throughout.

The Bills managed to hold Houston to just two touchdowns while the Texans piled up the yardage. On the other hand, Houston limited Buffalo to just 276 yards, with QB Josh Allen struggling with the pressure he saw all day, throwing for just 131 yards and a touchdown.

However, late in the fourth quarter the Bills had a chance to leave Texas with a win when they got the ball back on their three-yard line with just over 30 seconds left and the scores tied at 20-20.

But three straight incompletions — all of which stopped the clock and allowed Houston to mount its own game-winning drive — ended those hopes. If the Bills had run the ball just once, they could have run out the clock and forced the game into overtime.

As it turned out, Sam Martin’s kick went to Houston’s 41-yard line and was returned to Buffalo’s 46 to give Houston a chance. And CJ Stroud completed a short pass to set up Fairbairn for the long field goal, sparking jubilant celebrations as players stormed the field to lift the kicker.

Fairbairn is lifted up by teammates after kicking the winning field goal against the Bills.

Second-year Houston head coach DeMeco Ryans talked about his team’s ability to win close games afterward.

“These are the kind of games where you discover who you are as a team,” Ryans told reporters. “Buffalo is an excellent team. They are a well-coached team. All their players, the way they play, nothing but respect for them. Difficult opponent.

“To beat a team like that, you ultimately want to score more points than the other team. It doesn’t matter how you get it done. I’m proud of our guys for pulling it out. Again, it wasn’t all pretty. That’s how games go. It’s all about how you finish at the end, and I’m proud of the way our guys finished.

The win moves the Texans to 4-1, while the loss is the second in a row for the Bills as they fall to 3-2.

After suffering a tough loss to the Ravens last time out, Bills head coach Sean McDermott said his team was “down” in the locker room after the loss to Houston.

“There are no moral victories. I liked how they fought. To fight back after we crashed, like we did,” he said. “We have a lot of young guys, especially on the defensive side, competing and giving us great efforts in all three phases.

“Margins are small in the NFL and we have to keep working to improve and get some guys healthy at some point. I think that would help, but that’s no excuse. We have to find ways to get these out.”

Jayden Daniels has arguably been the star of the 2024 season so far, and the rookie quarterback continued his breakout year on Sunday.

The No. 2 overall pick threw for 238 yards, a touchdown and an interception as his Washington Commanders comfortably defeated the Cleveland Browns 34-13.

The combination of his accurate throwing and mobility — he ran 11 times for 82 yards against Cleveland — remains a tough task for opposing defenses to stop as he blossoms into a star in his first year in the league.

Against Cleveland, Washington’s balanced offensive performance helped keep the Browns’ defense scrambling, throwing for 219 yards and rushing for 215 yards on the ground. Running back Brian Robinson Jr. ran for two scores, while Jeremy McNichols added another.

And Sunday’s game continued Daniels’ historic start in professional football.

Daniels has had a great start to his rookie season in the NFL.

He is now the first player in NFL history to pass for at least 1,000 yards and rush for at least 250 yards in his first five career games, according to the NFL.

Washington’s offense is also on historic pace, becoming the first team since 1970 to score 150 or more points in the first five games of a season while featuring a starting quarterback.

Terry McLaurin, the Commanders’ star wide receiver, finished with 112 yards, but also a lost fumble and a missed catch for a touchdown against the Browns. And he said afterwards that his bond with Daniels is getting better every week.

“The great thing about him is we’re always in constant communication,” the 2022 Pro Bowler told reporters. “So when I make a mistake, he always has my back and makes sure I stay focused and stay with him.

“I just try to encourage him when things aren’t going well. But you can definitely see that our connection is growing every week. And I just want to be the guy who can help him continue to develop and be a great teammate for him.

Daniels and the Commanders are 4-1 after beating the Browns.

It was another disappointing offensive performance for the Browns as pressure mounts on starting quarterback Deshaun Watson.

Watson had just 125 yards passing and one touchdown while looking panicky against Washington’s previously porous defense.

But despite his team’s offensive woes, head coach Kevin Stefanski says he won’t be benching Watson anytime soon.

“We don’t change quarterbacks,” Stefanski said. “We have to play better, I have to coach better. That’s really what it is.”

Away vs. home (winners in bold)

New York Jets 17-23 Minnesota Vikings

Carolina Panthers 10-36 Chicago bears

Baltimore Ravens 41-38 OT Cincinnati Bengals

Buffalo notes 20-23 Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts 34-37 Jacksonville Jaguars

Miami Dolphins 15-10 New England Patriots

Cleveland Browns 13-34 Washington commanders

Las Vegas Raiders 18-34 Denver Broncos

Arizona Cardinals 24-23 San Francisco 49ers

Green Bay Packers 24-19 Los Angeles Rams

New York Giants 29-20 Seattle Seahawks

Dallas Cowboys 20-17 Pittsburg Steelers