NFL Week 5 disappointments

NFL coaches always like to talk about how film of the prior game is the ultimate source of truth. Certain players and coaches aren’t going to like what the footage displays for them after Week 5’s games. We’ll take a look at performances that failed to live up to expectations, while highlighting who needs to go back to the drawing board.

It’s never a good thing when Hall of Fame athlete Magic Johnson calls out your effort. That’s what happened after the Commanders were stymied by the Chicago Bears at home on Thursday Night Football. Washington had no answers for a Chicago offense that had sputtered for much of September.

The Miami Dolphins won their fourth game of the season in a contest that wasn’t particularly close, but head coach Mike McDaniel will have items to point out for improvement heading into Week 6. Tagovailoa tossed two interceptions that could have been easily avoided with better judgment. He’ll need to protect the ball better if Miami wants to get where they’re trying to go.

For the second straight week, an opponent thrashed New England, and things are looking awfully bleak. It’s becoming apparent that Mac Jones is not the quarterback of the future, and that maybe the issues that the Patriots had at offensive coordinator last year were overblown. Bill Belichick is going to have a hard time eclipsing Don Shula’s win record at this rate.

One of the most explosive comments of the offseason came from Denver’s new head coach, who blasted former Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett without provocation. Hackett is now the offensive coordinator of the New York Jets, who beat Denver on the road in Week 5. It’s not a good look for Payton to lose to the “inept” coach he smeared this summer.

Many fans were looking forward to the Kansas City vs Minnesota game in Week 5, and it largely didn’t disappoint. However, Travis Kelce and Justin Jefferson suffered ankle and hamstring injuries respectively, which disrupted the momentum of the contest. We’ll find out in the coming days how both players’ health outlook appears moving forward.

Sunday night’s result had to be a debilitating harsh look at reality for the Cowboys. They’re one of the better teams in the NFC, but just can’t seem to get the past the San Francisco 49ers. Dallas was lambasted by their nemesis by a final score of 42-10, when their team was largely healthy heading into the tilt.

Anthony Richardson put his athletic talents on display from the minute he lined up under center, but now he might be sidelined for the next few games. The exciting rookie suffered an injury to his throwing shoulder that may keep him out until November. The early punishment he is taking might lead Indianapolis to invest in better offensive line play this offseason.

The Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers were locked in a slugfest for 60 minutes, and Baltimore has to be shaking their head at how things ended. The Steelers only really had one explosive play all day, while Baltimore consistently moved the ball up and down the field. However, the Ravens couldn’t put points on the board when it mattered most.