Week 5 of the NFL had it all: late-game drama, historic success and a transatlantic match in London. Sunday's action began with a Minnesota Vikings win over the New York Jets at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium,
keeping Minnesota's unbeaten start to the season. Here are the main storylines from Sunday's action:Ravens beat Bengals in overtime The Cincinnati Bengals thought they could turn things around. After a back-and-forth game with the Baltimore Ravens, they converted a 53-yard field goal in overtime to secure their second win of the season. But after a day of drama, there was more to the story as Evan McPherson's shot missed wide left and the game continued. And Baltimore made Cincinnati blame it on the next play, when Derrick Henry sprinted 51 yards down the field and Justin Tucker scored a 24-yard field goal to give the Ravens a 41-38 victory. It was a typically exciting ending to a game full of twists and turns at Paul Brown Stadium. The two AFC North rivals traded offensive blows throughout, including a Henry run for the score and an explosive touchdown throw from Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow to Ja'Marr Chase. The former LSU teammates first completed a 41-yard pass and then a 70-yard bomb to extend Cincinnati's lead to 10 points midway through the fourth quarter. But the Ravens, led by reigning MVP Lamar Jackson, who scored four touchdowns that day, were undeterred and orchestrated a 13-play, 60-yard run that ended with a touchdown pass to Isaiah. They likely would be within three points of the lead. A Tucker field goal after a Burrow interception sent the game into overtime, but late drama gave the Ravens their third straight win to move to 3-2 while the Bengals fell to 1-4. Henry's late heroics were crucial to the Ravens' late comeback on what was a historic day for running backs. His 5-yard run in the second quarter earned him entry into the 10,000-yard rushing club, according to the NFL, becoming the 32nd player in NFL history and the first since 2017. He is the 14th running back in history to score 100 scrimmage touchdowns in his career.
The 30-year-old has made an impressive impact since joining the Ravens in the offseason, and is the NFL's leading rusher through five games. But after the dramatic win, Henry didn't think about his own personal success. "This win is great because of what happened today," he said. "We definitely needed this win because it puts us two points back in the division. He was as important to us as he was to them." "It's good to get the win. After everything that's happened, this shows how resilient this team is, and we'll keep fighting until the end." Cincinnati's disappointing result was topped by a particularly impressive performance from quarterback Burrow, who ran for 392 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. It's been a disappointing start to the season for the Bengals, and Burrow explained that improvement needs to be a team-wide movement. "There have been some difficult conversations," he told reporters. "I think our coaches are handling it the right way." And when you're 1-4 and you're in a difficult situation, there's going to be some tough conversations that boys don't like. "Those conversations have been had, so I'm happy with the way we're approaching it. Of course we have to win more. That's no secret, but I think people are handling it the right way." Texans beat Bills with last-second field goal On Sunday, two AFC powerhouses met, this time in Houston, with another dramatic final. Ka'imi Fairbairn's 59-yard field goal as time expired gave the Houston Texans a 23-20 win over the Buffalo Bills at NRG Stadium. This came after a game in which both teams were dominant defensively. While the Texans piled up yards, the Bills managed to hold Houston to just two touchdowns. Meanwhile, Houston held Buffalo to just 276 yards, with QB Josh Allen throwing for just 131 yards and one touchdown despite withstanding pressure all day. But late in the fourth quarter, the Bills got the ball back at their own 3-yard line with just over 30 seconds left in the game and the score tied at 20-20, giving the Texans a chance to pull out the win. But three consecutive incomplete passes, all of which stopped the clock and gave Houston the win on its own merits, dashed that hope. If the Bills had run the ball even once, they might have been able to push the game into overtime. After all, Sam Martin's punt went all the way to the Houston 41-yard line and was returned to the Buffalo 46-yard line to give Houston a chance. Then C.J. Stroud completed a short pass to set up Fairburn's long field goal, and cheers erupted as players ran across the field to get the kicker up.
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