Week 5 NFL: 5-0 teams and wild finishes

The NFL’s Week 5 delivered chaos from London to Atlanta, with the San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings becoming the first teams to start 5-0 this season ^[1]. The 49ers edged the Super Bowl champions Seattle 32-29, overcoming an early ejection of defensive star Dre Greenlaw for striking Ernest Jones in the head while Jones was off the field and not wearing a helmet. Despite the incident, San Francisco’s elite defence forced seven turnovers — the most Seattle have allowed in a decade — and Mike Evans’ 113-yard, touchdown performance sealed the win.

The Vikings continued their dominant form with a 23-13 win over the 1-4 New Orleans Saints, allowing just 13 points per game and now boasting a 5-0 record ^[1]. Meanwhile, the Washington Commanders and New York Giants played out a 27-27 tie after both failed to capitalise in the final moments — the Giants fumbled a game-winning run, and Washington ran out of time on a failed play call.

In Atlanta, backup quarterback Tyler Huntley led the Baltimore Ravens to a 30-23 OT victory over the Falcons, throwing a touchdown with 40 seconds left and scoring the game-winner in overtime ^[1]. The Ravens now sit at 4-1, with Lamar Jackson sidelined but his backup stepping up.

The Green Bay Packers dismantled the Chicago Bears 31-7, with Jordan Love throwing for 367 yards and two long touchdowns, as the Bears struggled without Caleb Williams ^[1]. The New England Patriots and Detroit Lions also posted 45-point victories, with Drake Maye and Jahmyr Gibbs shining in wins over the Raiders and Cardinals, respectively.

Aaron Rodgers moved past Peyton Manning into third on the all-time touchdown pass list with 582 career touchdowns, now trailing only Tom Brady and Drew Brees ^[1]. His Pittsburgh Steelers remain in contention at 3-2, while the Los Angeles Chargers, Tennessee Titans, and Miami Dolphins all remain winless at 0-5. The story was first reported by BBC News.