The NFL calendar is starting to tighten, and Week 5 already has the feel of a turning point. Three teams remain unbeaten - the 49ers, Vikings and Chiefs - while a handful of others are still searching for that first win. But the loudest story from Sunday may have belonged to Jacksonville, which survived a mess of its own making and still walked out with a win.
The Jaguars did just about everything the hard way against Philadelphia. Liam Coen’s team was flagged 13 times for 100 yards, turned it over on downs twice inside the Eagles’ 10-yard line and watched a bad snap throw off the timing of an extra point, sending Cam Little’s kick wide left. Trevor Lawrence also tossed an interception in plus territory.
And yet Jacksonville found a way.
Philadelphia, outgained 408-232, converted only 6 of 15 third downs but somehow grabbed a 17-16 lead with eight seconds left after the Jaguars went three-and-out while trying to finish the game. Jake Elliott then drilled a 48-yard field goal to put the Eagles up one. Nick Sirianni chose to kick deep despite Jacksonville having no timeouts, and Ameer Abdullah made him pay by fielding the ball and returning it 53 yards to set up Little’s 57-yard game-winner.
The final sequence turned what could have been an ugly loss into a 4-1 start and the AFC South lead for Jacksonville, which now trails the idle Chiefs by just a half-game for the AFC’s top spot. The Jaguars still have one more London game left, against the Texans, and they leave this one with a result that mattered more than the sloppiness that nearly sank them.
Winning ugly is still winning. In Jacksonville’s case, that was the whole point.
Dallas, on the other hand, got the kind of reminder that shows up whenever expectations start to creep in. After putting up 34 points against a Texans defense loaded with talent, the Cowboys were supposed to handle a Tampa Bay team that was 0-4 and starting a backup quarterback on a short week.
They didn’t come close to looking like it.
The Cowboys committed three turnovers and still lost to the Buccaneers, who were penalized 14 times but made their plays when it counted. Dak Prescott threw two interceptions inside Tampa Bay’s 30-yard line - one directly his fault and the other off the hands of Jake Ferguson.
Dallas’ defense also had no answer, giving up 419 yards and allowing undrafted rookie free agent quarterback Jalon Daniels to go 19-of-25 for 189 yards and a touchdown in his first NFL win. Tampa Bay also ran for 241 yards at 6.2 yards per carry.
Now 2-3, Dallas is still in a manageable spot in the weak NFC East and remains in position to chase the division and a home playoff game. But the bigger picture hasn’t changed much.
The Cowboys have spent years as one of the league’s most talked-about teams, only to fall short of that billing over and over again. They haven’t reached an NFC championship game or won back-to-back NFC East titles since 1996, and they haven’t been a top seed since 2007.
The next two weeks should say plenty. Dallas goes to Green Bay and then to Philadelphia in prime time. After that, the picture should be clearer on where the Cowboys really stand.
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Ravens Primetime Stakes Suddenly Feel Bigger Than Just Beating Atlanta
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For the Eagles, the interest goes beyond the box score in Baltimore and Atlanta. The NFL slate rolls on through a full Sunday and into Monday night, and the teams near the top of the NFC are already watching how those nationally televised games affect the broader race. Even before Philadelphia takes the field, the implications from elsewhere are starting to pile up. [Read more 🡒]