NFL NationOct 5, 2025, 04:55 PM ETCloseNFL Nation is made up of 32 team-specific reporters who cover the NFL year-round across ESPN.com, ESPN television shows, ESPN Radio, ESPN+ and social media platforms. It was established ahead of the 2013 season.
play0:54Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Jets Game HighlightsDallas Cowboys vs. New York Jets Game Highlights
play0:33Saints get 86-yard defensive TD off Cam Skattebo’s fumbleJordan Howden picks up Cam Skattebo’s fumble and returns it 86 yards the other way for a Saints touchdown.
play0:29Jonathan Taylor dances to celebrate his 3rd TD of the gameJonathan Taylor finds the end zone for the third time vs. the Raiders and dances with his teammates in celebration.
play1:03Vikings spoil Dillon Gabriel’s first start with win in LondonCarson Wentz comes up clutch in the end as the Vikings take down the Browns 21-17 in London.
Broncos go ahead on TD and 2-pt conversion in the fourth quarter (1:16)Evan Engram finds pay dirt then Troy Franklin snags a dime from Bo Nix to give the Broncos the lead on a successful 2-point conversion. (1:16)
Saints get 86-yard defensive TD off Cam Skattebo’s fumbleJordan Howden picks up Cam Skattebo’s fumble and returns it 86 yards the other way for a Saints touchdown.
Jordan Howden picks up Cam Skattebo’s fumble and returns it 86 yards the other way for a Saints touchdown.
Jonathan Taylor dances to celebrate his 3rd TD of the gameJonathan Taylor finds the end zone for the third time vs. the Raiders and dances with his teammates in celebration.
Jonathan Taylor finds the end zone for the third time vs. the Raiders and dances with his teammates in celebration.
Vikings spoil Dillon Gabriel’s first start with win in LondonCarson Wentz comes up clutch in the end as the Vikings take down the Browns 21-17 in London.
Week 5 of the 2025 NFL season kicked off with an overtime showdown between the 49ers and Rams on Thursday night. San Francisco secured the 26-23 win after stopping Los Angeles running back Kyren Williams on fourth-and-1 on the 11-yard line.
Sunday’s action began in London, as the Vikings salvaged their road trip thanks to a 12-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter that lifted Minnesota to a 21-17 win against the Browns. Later, the Texans got revenge from last Christmas against the Ravens, beating them by 34 points. The Saints grabbed their first victory of the season, beating the Giants 26-14. And the Eagles suffered their first loss of the season, falling 21-17 to the Broncos.
Our NFL Nation reporters reacted to all the action, answering lingering questions coming out of each game and detailing everything else you need to know for every team. Let’s get to it.
Did QB Bryce Young save his job? Young had two turnovers for the third time this season and trailed 17-0 — it looked like Andy Dalton time. Then Young led a drive that he finished with one of his best throws of the season for a touchdown, a 7-yard pass to WR Xavier Legette. Then with 1:59 to play, he had a 4-yard pass to TE Mitchell Evans for the game-winning touchdown. Young finished 19-of-30 with 198 yards and two TDs. He saved his job and potentially saved the Panthers’ (2-3) season.
Most surprising performance: Running back controversy? Rico Dowdle had 83 yards on 28 carries coming into this game. He started for RB Chuba Hubbard (quad) and responded with a career-high 206 yards on 23 carries and a touchdown. His 53-yard run in the third quarter was Carolina’s longest play from scrimmage this season. He was explosive. — David Newton
Trend to watch: The Dolphins owned the league’s ninth-best run defense last season, but it hasn’t transferred over to 2025. Miami allowed a season-high 239 rushing yards. This defense has allowed at least 150 rushing yards in four of its five games this season — a stat that will create job openings in Miami if it continues. — Marcel Louis-Jacques
Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Jets Game HighlightsDallas Cowboys vs. New York Jets Game Highlights
Trend to watch: The Jets made history, becoming the first team since 1933 (when turnovers became an official stat) to record zero takeaways in the first five games of a season. How is that possible? Their defense isn’t devoid of talent, but it’s playing like an expansion unit. At their current pace (31.7 points per game), they would set the franchise record for most points allowed in a season. — Rich Cimini
Most surprising performance: The secondary, particularly the young safeties. Rookie Jonas Sanker has had an impressive start to the season, and Jordan Howden was able to fill in nicely for an injured Justin Reid on Sunday. The duo had a takeaway each, with Sanker recovering a fumble forced by LB Demario Davis, and Howden scooping up a ball punched out by DT Bryan Bresee before running it back for an 86-yard touchdown. CB Kool-Aid McKinstry also had two interceptions. — Katherine Terrell
Saints get 86-yard defensive TD off Cam Skattebo’s fumble
Biggest hole in the game plan: What the heck is going on with the Giants’ secondary? It was a mess in this contest, committing penalties and allowing receivers to run wide open. There was plenty of blame to go around, too. CBs Deonte Banks, Paulson Adebo and Dru Phillips committed costly penalties. S Tyler Nubin lost his leverage, which resulted in an 87-yard touchdown for Saints WR Rashid Shaheed. Rough afternoon for this group. — Jordan Raanan
Trend to watch: Rookie TE Tyler Warren has done it all this season, just as the Colts promised. He had previously lined up and run the ball as a fullback and taken a direct snap under center. But on Sunday, he tried his hand at actually throwing a pass. The goal-line play was well defended and the pass was incomplete, but keep an eye out for the variety of ways the Colts plan to use Warren — something they plan to lean into. — Stephen Holder
Jonathan Taylor dances to celebrate his 3rd TD of the game
Stat to know: Geno Smith’s nine interceptions (two on Sunday) are the most by any Raiders QB in the team’s first five games of a season since Jim Plunkett in 1982 (nine). The last NFL quarterback to record nine picks in his team’s first five games was Zach Wilson in 2021 (also nine). — Ryan McFadden
What to make of the QB performance: Stroud quieted some of the critics after a four-touchdown outing, the second most in his career. He now has thrown for six touchdowns over his past two games, and finished the day completing 85% of his passes (23-of-27) for 244 yards and no interceptions. Stroud looked decisive throughout, taking what the defense gave him, and when it was time to push it down the field, he took his shots. — DJ Bien-Aime
Trend to watch: The Ravens fall to 4-11 (.266) (which includes the playoffs) without two-time MVP QB Lamar Jackson. Baltimore has lost its past five games when Jackson hasn’t played. There’s a good chance that Jackson doesn’t play Sunday against the Rams because Baltimore has a bye the following week. In his first start for the Ravens, QB Cooper Rush failed to consistently move the ball, finishing with four three-and-outs and three interceptions. — Jamison Hensley
Vikings spoil Dillon Gabriel’s first start with win in London
Carson Wentz comes up clutch in the end as the Vikings take down the Browns 21-17 in London.
Key stat to know: With 110 rushing and 18 receiving yards Sunday, running back Quinshon Judkins is the first Browns rookie with 100 scrimmage yards in consecutive games since Nick Chubb in 2018. — Daniel Oyefusi
Most surprising performance: WR Kendrick Bourne. Given all the injuries at receiver, Bourne came up huge. He had a couple of hiccups, including a third-down drop in the first half, but he bounced back strong after his three-drop performance against Jacksonville on Sunday. Bourne emerged as Mac Jones’ top option in the passing game, finishing with 10 catches for 142 yards, a career high, and only his second time reaching triple-digit yardage in a game.
Trend to watch: Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua continued his torrid start, catching 10 of 12 targets for 76 yards and a touchdown. With 50 catches this season, he passed former teammate Cooper Kupp (49 in 2022) for the most receptions by a player in his team’s first five games of a season in NFL history, according to ESPN Research.
Best quote from the locker room: Running back Kyren Williams said he felt he let his team down with his fourth-quarter fumble. “I just got to hold onto the ball,” Williams said. “I feel like I let the team down at the 1-yard line, not securing the one thing that matters and scoring the touchdown. So for me, I put this all on me, honestly.” According to ESPN Research, Williams’ seven fumbles lost since the start of 2023 are the most among running backs over that span. — Sarah Barshop
Did their win over the Eagles prove the Broncos are playoff worthy? After last-play losses to the Colts and the Chargers in the first three weeks of the season, coach Sean Payton has maintained “those are good teams and we’re a good team.” The Broncos proved it Sunday with perhaps the best win of Payton’s tenure in Denver. The Broncos, who trailed 17-3 in the fourth quarter, overcame penalties (12), their own offensive sluggishness for much of the day (5-of-15 on third down) and two more plays of 40 or more yards allowed on defense. Payton’s bold call for a two-point conversion — QB Bo Nix to WR Troy Franklin with 7:36 left — turned out to be the difference, as the Broncos head to London at 3-2.
What to make of the QB performance: Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has made a career out of testing quarterbacks’ patience, and for three quarters Nix was 1-for-10 for 20 yards on throws 10 or more yards downfield. But Nix eventually found the composure to get the win — going 4-for-4 for 82 yards on such throws in the fourth, finishing the game 24-of-39 for 242 yards and a touchdown. It was probably no accident that Nix settled down when the Broncos committed to some better work in the run game in the second half. Nix found his rhythm on the game-winning drive midway through the fourth quarter, as well as on a field goal drive over the final three minutes of the game. — Jeff Legwold