NFL Week 5 top plays: Cowboys suffocate Rams, Ravens beat Bengals on Tucker kick
Week 5 of the NFL season opened abroad, as the New York Giants upset the Green Bay Packers in London.
Then, the Buffalo Bills hammered Kenny Pickett and the Pittsburgh Steelers, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers held on to beat the Atlanta Falcons.
In the late afternoon window, the Cowboys took down the Rams in America's Game of the Week, while the Ravens beat the Bengals on Sunday Night Football.
Here are the top plays from Sunday's action.
Baltimore Ravens 19, Cincinnati Bengals 17
8-89
Lamar Jackson hooked up with his main man, tight end Mark Andrews, on an 11-yard touchdown pass. Baltimore took a 10-0 lead.
Bengals strike back
The Ravens quickly got the ball back, but Vonn Bell picked off Jackson four plays into the drive. Cincinnati capitalized on the turnover with a drive capped off by Burrow hitting tight end Hayden Hurst for a 19-yard touchdown pass. Baltimore's lead was cut to 10-7, and the two teams went into halftime tied at 10 apiece.
Goal line stand
Coming off an interception of Burrow, Tucker drained a 58-yard field goal for the Ravens. Baltimore stopped Cincinnati at the goal line on fourth down of the ensuing possession, as shown below. Tucker later hit another field goal, putting the Ravens up 16-10.
Bengals on top
A 13-play drive, that took 7:44 off the clock for the Bengals, ended with Burrow getting pushed into the end zone on a quarterback sneak. Cincinnati took the lead, 17-16. The PAT went directly above the right upright.
That's game
Baltimore took the ball down the field and put the game in the right foot of Tucker, who drilled a 43-yarder as time expired for the win.
Dallas Cowboys 22, Los Angeles Rams 10
Armored up!
Dallas' defense got to Matthew Stafford early. Dorance Armstrong collected the sack on L.A.'s first third-down snap, and Demarcus Lawrence picked up the fumble to rumble 19 yards for an early TD.
Fill up the Kupp
Covering Cooper Kupp in the slot in a tough task, and Trevon Diggs found out the hard way when Kupp torched him for a 75-yard TD following a superb one-handed grab.
TD for TP!
Cowboys fans have been clamoring for Tony Pollard to receive more carries, and he showed his game-breaking speed on a 57-yard turbo boost to put Dallas up 16-10.
That's a wrap
After picking off Stafford on the Rams' previous possession, the Cowboys put the finishing touches on their fourth consecutive victory. Micah Parsons strip-sacked the Rams quarterback and Sam Williams recovered the loose ball.
Philadelphia Eagles 20, Arizona Cardinals 17
Get griddy
Jalen Hurts has a nose for the end zone, and he sniffed it out again in the first quarter for Philly to conclude an 11-play, 64-yard opening drive.
Hurts continued his hot stretch with another short-yard rushing scamper to put Philly up 14-0.
In behind the big guy
Arizona delayed its own offensive proficiency. While its defense went to work keeping Philly out of the end zone, Kyler Murray & Co. began putting points of their own on the board.
Eno Benjamin's 11-yard scurry brought Arizona back even with the Eagles at 17 all, closing out a 12-play, 90-yard effort.
Ouch
After Murray slid and spiked the ball with 0:23 seconds remaining in regulation, Arizona was forced to attempt a game-tying field goal. Kicker Matt Ammendola missed the 43-yard attempt, wrapping up a Philadelphia victory. The Eagles (5-0) remain the only unbeaten.
San Francisco 49ers 37, Carolina Panthers 15
Tight end U
You can't teach a class on something you haven't mastered, and George Kittle knows how to play tight end. Case and point:
The strong snag keyed San Francisco's first TD on a seven-play, 75-yard drive. Tevin Coleman was the hot target for Jimmy G on the scoring play.
Pump it up!
It was only a matter of time before the 49ers' top-ranked defense made its mark. This pick-six from Emmanuel Moseley was exciting in every sense. DC Demeco Ryans certainly thought so.
Putting it away
Coleman ran in San Francisco's fifth touchdown of the game in the closing minutes, sealing the victory.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21, Atlanta Falcons 15
Lenny!
Need a short-yardage TD? Dial up Leonard Fournette. The guy's thighs were built for the goal line, and he showed why on Tampa's first score, closing a well-crafted 13-play, 88-yard drive.
Favorite target
Mike Evans had numerous drives without a reception to open play, but at some point, we knew Tom Brady was going to go his way for a big play. That's just what happened as Evans made magic happen on this 40-yard grab to help Tampa score its second TD.
Atlanta got within six following a TD and ensuing two-point conversion, and had a chance to get the ball back after Grady Jarrett got to Brady for a timely sack. But the play was called back after a controversial roughing the passer call, allowing Tampa to run out the clock.
Buffalo Bills 38, Pittsburgh Steelers 3
Need a breather?
Much has been made of Bills' receiver Gabriel Davis' lack of targets this season after his eye-popping playoff performance, but when he does get the ball, magic's likely. That's what happened on Buffalo's first drive.
A muffed kickoff put the team on its own 2-yard line, but Josh Allen and Davis rendered that field position meaningless.
Stellar snag!
Gabriel Davis averaged 80 yards per catch after making two (!) grabs in to open the matchup. And his second TD catch was indubitably better than the first. Minkah Fitzpatrick probably will tell you the same.
You can't be serious
Josh Allen may be leading the odds-race for MVP after Sunday. He finished his team's 38-3 romp of the Steelers with 424 yards (20-of-31) and four TD, one of which was a flattering gift for rookie Khalil Shakir. It was Shakir's first of his career.
Los Angeles Chargers 30, Cleveland Browns 28
On a swivel
You must have a laser focus as a defender to take down Nick Chubb, and even if you do hone in on him, you may still fail. Chubb's elusive 41-yard run pushed Cleveland ahead 7-0 early.
Keep the wheels turning
The Browns went up 14-0 after a nasty route from Amari Cooper, but the Chargers responded quickly. Austin Ekeler made more fantasy owners happy this week with a mammoth 71-yard jet that led to a FG.
Ekeler gave the Bolts a 17-14 lead after taking a 12-yard screen pass into the end zone, but Chubb added his second TD of the day to reclaim the edge for Cleveland.
Ekeler struck gold for his third TD of the outing to give L.A. a 24-21 edge.
Aloha!
That means hello in Hawaii, and Alohi Gilman gave Cleveland's offense a warm introduction with a magnificent game-saving pick.
Minnesota Vikings 29, Chicago Bears 22
Up the gut
The Vikings have a slew of lethal receivers, but don't forget about three-time Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook. He notched the team's first TD on a 1-yard run, capping Minnesota's 12-play, 86-yard drive.
Cook posted another short TD on the first play of the second quarter to extend the Vikes' advantage.
First time's the charm
Jalen Reagor's Philly tenure was relatively uneventful. He's hoping to flip the script in Minnesota, and began his new story with his first TD on a scamper around the edge.
Meanwhile, Kirk Cousins set a Vikings record by completing his first 17 passes of the game (176 yards), the most consecutive pass completions in team history. So did Justin Jefferson, recording the most catches (nine) for a Vikings receiver in a half since 1995.
Money Mooney!
Two hands for safety. One hand for a spectacle. That's what Darnell Mooney gave us as he plucked a 39-yard pass out of the air to set up Chicago's first TD from David Montgomery.
V for Velus
Velus Jones, that is. Jones hauled in a nine-yard pass and took care of the rest to record his first career TD, and close the gap for Chicago.
Skol!
Cousins can get it done on the ground, too. After a historic passing half in the first, he finished off a 17-play, 75-yard drive spanning seven minutes long with a QB sneak. That short run gave Minnesota a 29-22 edge.
New York Jets 41, Miami Dolphins 17
Pour some Sauce on me
Jets fans and Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner. They go together like mustard on a hot dog. And Sauce is showing why the Jets took him with their first pick, collecting another big play with a momentum-seizing safety.
Teddy Bridgewater was forced to exit the game for Miami following its first drive. He was replaced by rookie 7th-rounder Skylar Thompson.
Brace yourself
For Jets' running back Breece Hall! He hit Miami's secondary with a resounding force as he torpedoed 79 yards to the 1-yard line. The play set up an easy score for Michael Carter.
Elevation
Gardner's maturation early on has been special. After his safety, the Jets' corner slid in front of a shaky pass to make off with his first career INT.
New York turned Gardner's takeaway into points with a subsequent nine-play, 53-yard drive, which Zach Wilson put a bow on with a diving vie for the end zone.
New Orleans Saints 39, Seattle Seahawks 32
Geno to the end zone
Geno Smith has been absolutely balling as of late: Just ask his trophy case. The reigning NFC Offensive Player of the Week started off scorching against New Orleans, giving Seattle an early edge with a beautiful 50-yard teardrop to DK Metcalf.
Do-it-all man
Saints *quarterback* Taysom Hill is more than a QB. He bolted for an 8-yard rush to tie things at 10.
Specialty!
Hill has been everywhere! He pounced on a dislodged punt try, which got his squad into plus territory, then added another rushing TD to push his squad ahead 17-10 as the first half wound down.
Did you miss me?
No biggie, just Geno doing more Geno things on a dime to Tyler Lockett. Enter Seattle's defense, who got a crucial stop on its ensuing chance, which opened the door for Kenneth Walker's barreling 69-yard score.
Taste this
Says Hill. This game was back-and-forth as they come, but Hill drove momentum back to his squad's side with another rushing TD, his third of the day. This one was the most spectacular, as Hill showed off his speedy wheels en route to a 60-yard score.
Tennessee Titans 21, Washington Commanders 17
Artsy craftsmanship
Sometimes coaches don't get enough credit for their efforts. But Titans' OC Todd Downing will certainly be sniffing his flowers after this creative call to key Tennessee's first TD.
Downtown Brown
The Commanders haven't had many big plays this season, but perhaps this is what the doctor ordered. Ron Rivera wanted Carson Wentz for his cannon of a right arm, and he unveiled it on this 75-yard TD heave to Dyami Brown.
Dynamite!
After zero receiving TD before today's game, Brown kicked his production into high gear. And he upped his style points as well.
The machine
Derrick Henry is a human being. But it's easy to forget that, especially when he scores TDs with the frequency – and voracity – that he does. This short bulldoze marked his fourth straight game with a score.
And he wasn't done. The king said "crown me" again with another short burst to push the Titans ahead 21-17.
We get the last laugh
Washington got close to pay dirt after a 17-play drive that spanned 87 yards, but when it seemed like it was primed to take the lead, David Long made off with a Wentz pass attempt and took it 46 yards the other way to close the curtains.
New England Patriots 29, Detroit Lions 0
Make 'em pay
Detroit was desperate for points after a scoreless first quarter, but its gamble on a fourth-and-9 at midfield resulted in a huge loss. New England forced a fumble from Jared Goff, and Kyle Dugger scooped it up for a 59-yard TD return.
Zzzzz
Zapped! Bailey Zappe is a pretty good relief pitcher, and he dialed up the heat on this throw to give New England a commanding 26-0 lead.
Houston Texans 13 Jacksonville Jaguars 6
Field goal fest
Despite Jacksonville's tallying 240 yards of offense, neither team scored a TD in the first half. Texans kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn made some personal headway, hitting a pair of 50+ yard FGs, as things remained even at six after one half.
That stings
Derek Stingley Jr. has that natural predatory instinct, and utilized his cerebral ability to pick off a Trevor Lawrence pass near the end zone to keep Jacksonville at bay.
Rumblin', bumblin', stumblin'
One, two … we'll let you count the rest. Dameon Pierce just manhandled these unfortunate defenders as he helped Houston net its first TD of the day.
New York Giants 27, Green Bay Packers 22
International A-Rod
Aaron Rodgers kicked off the matchup by doing what he does best: throwing TD passes. He notched his historic 500th TD throw last week, and started his Sunday morning with two more pretty throws to push G.B. ahead 17-3.
Megatron Saquon
Giants' running back Saquon Barkley is a constant catalyst for his offense. He entered the game with three straight games of more than 100 total yards, and helped keep the G-men in the affair with exciting plays like this.
His long scamper helped propel the Giants to their first TD of the day, on a nifty double-reverse.
Agent 26
Backup RB Gary Brightwell plowed a path to the pylon for his first career TD early in the fourth, a crucial score that tied the game at 20.
And on New York's next drive, the Barkley show took center stage.
Stand tall!
The Giants took the lead on Barkley's spurt, but its defense came away with two pivotal stops in the red zone after Rodgers brought his pack down the field, securing its victory.