One Second Left in London

This Week

Jake Elliott's 48-yard field goal put Philadelphia ahead 17-16 with eight seconds left at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Eagles had survived ejections, a macgyvered offensive line, two Jacksonville trips to the 1-yard line that produced nothing, and a long snapper injury that turned defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton into an emergency specialist. All they needed was a kickoff that ended the game. Instead Elliott's line drive forced a return. Ameer Abdullah took it at the 8, found a lane, and fell at the Philadelphia 39 with one second showing. Cam Little, who grew up on Premier League weekends and wore a Manchester United jersey to his postgame news conference, drilled a 57-yarder as time expired. Jacksonville 19, Philadelphia 17. Little sprinted into the opposite end zone and threw his arms wide like Jude Bellingham. "It was the coolest moment of my career," he said.

That finish is the spine of Week 5, and it was earned in the mess that preceded it. Trevor Lawrence threw for 331 yards and two touchdowns, both to Parker Washington, including a one-handed grab on fourth-and-5 that briefly put the Jaguars ahead late. Washington finished with six catches for 124 yards. The Jaguars also piled up 13 penalties for 100 yards, became the first team since the 2011 Seahawks to win consecutive games with 13-plus penalties in each, and went 0-for-2 from the 1 when gimmick packages and delay-of-game flags left them empty. Long snapper Ross Matiscik left with a shoulder injury; Hamilton's snap on the extra point after Washington's late score was off, Little missed, and Elliott's answer made it 17-16. Nick Sirianni owned the kickoff decision afterward: "I didn't make the right decision, and I lost us that game."

Philadelphia fell to 2-3 for the first time since 2021 and lost its third straight. The Eagles played without Lane Johnson (retired), Cam Jurgens (traded to Baltimore), Drew Kendall (injury), Saquon Barkley, and DeVonta Smith, then lost Will Shipley and Jalyx Hunt during the game. They rushed for 22 yards -- fewest since 2015 -- and snapped a streak of 124 straight games with at least 40 rushing yards. Jalen Carter had two strip-sacks; Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Jacksonville's Bryan Thomas Jr. were ejected after a midfield scrum on the opening kick. Jacksonville is 4-1, winners of three straight, alone atop the AFC South, and stays in London next week to host Houston at Wembley.

The rest of the league moved around that chaos. San Francisco and Minnesota are 5-0. Kansas City is 4-0 on a bye. Baltimore and Jacksonville are 4-1. The entire NFC East went winless this weekend -- the Giants tied Washington, Dallas lost Thursday, Philadelphia lost Sunday. Buffalo and the Rams play tonight at SoFi; both sit provisional in the rankings until that one is decided. Here's the rest of the week.

Niners survive Seattle. San Francisco won 32-29 on the road to stay perfect, with Brock Purdy and Mike Evans owning the fourth quarter after three quarters of turnovers and short fields. Evans caught seven passes for 113 yards and a touchdown, five of them in tight windows, on a day when no other Niners receiver topped 24 yards. Renardo Green intercepted Sam Darnold twice. The Seahawks turned it over four times, went 3-of-12 on third down, and came up half a yard short on the final possession when Jaxon Smith-Njigba couldn't secure a catch that would have set up at least a tying field goal. San Francisco is 5-0; Seattle is 2.5 games back in the NFC West.

Huntley and Henry steal Atlanta. Tyler Huntley started for Lamar Jackson and looked stuck for three-plus quarters before going 11-of-11 for 80 yards on the game-tying drive and in overtime. He threw a 7-yard touchdown to Devontez Walker, sneaked for the overtime winner after a 14-play, 68-yard march, and Derrick Henry ran for 102 yards plus an 18-yard receiving touchdown and the tying two-point conversion. Michael Penix Jr. left late after a hit from Tavius Robinson; Tua Tagovailoa entered and threw the game-ending interception to Kyle Hamilton. Ravens 30, Falcons 23 in OT. Baltimore is 4-1 atop the AFC North. Atlanta is 2-3 and waiting on Penix for Week 6.

Maye's heater continues. Drake Maye threw four touchdown passes and ran for another in a 45-17 rout of Las Vegas, New England's most points in five years and nine more than the Patriots scored in their first three games combined. In the six quarters since the Jacksonville blowout, Maye has a 6-to-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio with no lost fumbles. Kirk Cousins and the Raiders managed 38 rushing yards; first-overall pick Fernando Mendoza debuted late and completed 6 of 8 for 48 yards on a drive that ended on downs. The Patriots are 3-2 and banged up -- Will Campbell (knee) and TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) left -- but the quarterback conversation in Foxborough has flipped.

Love goes deep on Chicago. Jordan Love completed 25 of 31 for 367 yards and two touchdowns, including six completions of 30-plus yards and bombs of 53 and 43 to Christian Watson, in a 31-7 demolition of the Bears. Green Bay generated five takeaways, its first game with five or more since 2016. Tyson Bagent threw two interceptions and was yanked for Case Keenum; Chicago turned it over five times and managed 3.6 yards per play. Both teams sit 3-2. Caleb Williams' return timeline is now the hinge for a Bears offense that cratered against its rival.

Goff's historic start. Jared Goff has 12 touchdown passes and zero giveaways through five games -- the first player in NFL history to hit that mark through a team's first five. Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 151 yards and two scores as Detroit buried Arizona 45-21, and the Lions' defense finally bottled an opponent in the first half. The Cardinals are 1-4 and leaning on Trey McBride while the rest of the offense spins. Detroit is 3-2 and looking like the team that was supposed to show up in September.

Burrow and Chase avoid the bye nightmare. Joe Burrow threw four touchdown passes, three of them under pressure, and Ja'Marr Chase returned from concussion protocol with six catches for 77 yards including a 45-yard score. Cincinnati beat Miami 31-24 and hits the bye at 3-2 for the first time since 2022. The Dolphins ran for 217 yards -- Malik Willis set a franchise quarterback rushing record with 74 -- and still fell to 0-5. Chase Brown has 49 yards on 22 carries the last two weeks; that is Zac Taylor's bye-week problem.

Rodgers and Warren reset Pittsburgh. Aaron Rodgers threw three touchdown passes for the third straight game, and Jaylen Warren became the first player since Herschel Walker in 1986 with an 80-yard receiving touchdown and a 50-plus-yard rushing touchdown in the same game. Steelers 34, Colts 22. Indianapolis settled for five Spencer Shrader field goals, including two from the Steelers' 10, and Jonathan Taylor was held to 45 yards on 15 carries. Pittsburgh is 3-2; Indy is 2-3 and sliding in the wild-card picture.

Stroud's first win of 2026. C.J. Stroud went 26-of-34 for 260 yards and a touchdown as Houston finally won, 26-3 over Tennessee. Will Anderson Jr. had three sacks; Danielle Hunter generated seven pressures. The Titans managed 187 yards and Cam Ward completed two passes of 10-plus air yards all day. Houston is 1-4; Tennessee is 0-5 and still searching for an offense that can stretch a defense.

NFC East chaos. The Giants and Commanders tied 27-27 in overtime after Jayden Daniels returned from an elbow dislocation with 109 rushing yards and two scores, then mismanaged the final seconds of overtime without a timeout and couldn't spike it. Jameis Winston engineered a fourth-quarter comeback leaning on Isaiah Likely (11 catches, two touchdowns) and Malik Nabers (11 for 121). On Thursday, Bucky Irving ran for 165 yards and two touchdowns -- including a 72-yarder -- as Tampa Bay got its first win, 24-16 in Dallas, with rookie Jalon Daniels starting for Baker Mayfield (19-of-25, 189 yards, one touchdown). The Cowboys are 2-3. Every NFC East team failed to win this weekend.

MNF thoughts (not played). Buffalo (3-1) at Los Angeles Rams (2-2), 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN/ABC at SoFi Stadium. The Rams are favored by 3 with an over/under of 53.5. Kansas City and Carolina are on bye. Both the Bills and Rams are provisional in the rankings below until tonight is decided; treat those slots as placeholders, not verdicts.

The 32 Rank

1. 1

   San Francisco 49ers (5-0)

   Won a messy NFC West slugfest on the road, with Purdy and Evans taking over the fourth quarter after the defenses traded turnovers for three. Renardo Green's two interceptions and five sacks without Nick Bosa say the secondary and front are carrying the bruises. The hinge is receiver health around Evans and whether this group can keep winning when the short fields dry up.

2. 2

   Minnesota Vikings (5-0)

   Kyler Murray's cleanest game as a Viking -- 24-of-30 for 229 yards, a touchdown, zero giveaways, plus 51 rush yards -- came with Justin Jefferson back and Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson out. Brian Flores blitzed on 61.5% of snaps and held Tyler Shough to 96 yards. Will Reichard is 15-for-15 on field goals and has made 34 straight. Unbeaten is real; finishing drives remains the ask.

3. 3

   Kansas City Chiefs (4-0)

   Bye week hold after winning the only unbeaten-on-unbeaten game of Week 4. Kenneth Walker's emergence gives them a run game defenses have to respect. The hinge is whether Mahomes gets easier looks once that threat settles in for a full month.

4. 4

   Jacksonville Jaguars (4-1)

   Won the wildest game of the year in London despite 100 penalty yards, two failed goal-line trips from the 1, and a backup long snapper. Lawrence and Parker Washington created the scores before the red zone could kill them; Little finished it from 57. Three straight wins and first in the AFC South. Clean it up or a cleaner opponent will.

5. 5

   Baltimore Ravens (4-1)

   Came from 23-15 down in Atlanta with Huntley completing his last 11 passes and Henry grinding 102 on the ground plus a receiving touchdown and a two-point conversion. Kyle Hamilton's overtime interception ended it. Lamar Jackson's status still defines the ceiling; Huntley's last three starts say the floor is higher than people want to admit.

6. 6

   Buffalo Bills (3-1) -- provisional, MNF pending

   Sitting on last week's loss in New England while waiting for SoFi tonight. Still the AFC's most complete roster on paper. Rank moves with the result against the Rams; treat this slot as a placeholder until kickoff ends.

7. 7

   Green Bay Packers (3-2)

   Love's 367 yards and six completions of 30-plus yards shredded Chicago, and the defense generated five takeaways without several starters. Christian Watson has two games this season with 140-plus yards and multiple touchdowns. The hinge is whether the deep shots keep landing when the secondary isn't this generous.

8. 8

   Detroit Lions (3-2)

   Goff's 12 touchdowns and zero giveaways through five games is an NFL first. Gibbs ran through Arizona, the defense finally held in the first half, and a 45-21 win looked like the Lions of the blueprint. Sustaining that complementary football is the test.

9. 9

   Seattle Seahawks (3-2)

   Lost a division slugfest they led late enough to taste, undone by four turnovers and a final incomplete that should have been a catch. The run game averaged 2.8 yards per carry. San Francisco is now 2.5 games clear; Seattle has to stop giving games away.

10. 10

    New England Patriots (3-2)

    Maye has six touchdowns and zero interceptions in six quarters since the Jacksonville low. Forty-five points on Vegas resets the month. Injuries on the line and at corner are stacking up before the bye.

11. 11

    Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2)

    Rodgers' third straight three-touchdown game and Warren's historic 80-and-50 day buried Indy. Shorthanded at receiver and still producing. The AFC North is crowded; this version of Pittsburgh belongs in it.

12. 12

    Denver Broncos (3-2)

    Another fourth-quarter takeover -- 10 points through three, then defensive takeaways and Wil Lutz field goals to finish the Chargers 23-17. Sean Payton calling plays did not fix the early offense. Winning ugly works until it doesn't.

13. 13

    Cincinnati Bengals (3-2)

    Burrow's four touchdowns and Chase's return from protocol avoided a third straight loss heading into the bye. The run game is stuck; Chase Brown's last two weeks are a problem Taylor has two weeks to solve before Baltimore.

14. 14

    New York Giants (3-1-1)

    Winston's fourth-quarter magic got them to overtime against Washington; Skattebo's fumble and the tie kept them from a fourth win. Leading the NFC East with a backup quarterback and a roller coaster is still leading the NFC East.

15. 15

    Los Angeles Rams (2-2) -- provisional, MNF pending

    Waiting on Buffalo tonight at SoFi. Last week's escape in Philadelphia showed the close-game gear; Stafford's interception rate is still the drag. Rank is a placeholder until the final tonight.

16. 16

    Chicago Bears (3-2)

    Three weeks of stout defense met a Love deep-ball clinic and five turnovers. Bagent got yanked. Caleb Williams' return is the entire next chapter.

17. 17

    Las Vegas Raiders (3-2)

    Got dominated in New England after a near-miss against Kansas City. Thirty-eight rushing yards and Ashton Jeanty playing through ankle and plantar issues. Mendoza's debut was a footnote on a 45-17 day. Buffalo and the Rams are next.

18. 18

    Cleveland Browns (3-2)

    Eight sacks allowed to the Jets, drops from Isaiah Bond, and a snap over the punter's head after a strip-sack that should have iced it. Deshaun Watson's mobility couldn't outrun David Bailey. A bitter 17-12 loss after sitting alone atop the North.

19. 19

    Carolina Panthers (2-2)

    Bye after the Sunday-night statement against Detroit. Bryce Young and Tetairoa McMillan gave them a ceiling look; cornerback health decides whether it sticks.

20. 20

    Philadelphia Eagles (2-3)

    Third straight loss, 22 rush yards, a kickoff decision Sirianni owned, and a roster missing half its skill and line identity. Jalen Carter and two goal-line stands kept it close. Health has to return before the panic becomes permanent.

21. 21

    Atlanta Falcons (2-3)

    Led late on Sunday night, then Huntley caught fire, Penix got hurt, and Tua's interception ended it. Bijan Robinson and Drake London each had 118 scrimmage yards. A third straight prime-time win was there; now they're 2-3 and sorting the quarterback.

22. 22

    Dallas Cowboys (2-3)

    Lost Thursday to a Bucs team starting a rookie, giving up 165 rush yards to Bucky Irving. The 28-point second half against Houston feels like a month ago.

23. 23

    New York Jets (2-3)

    David Bailey's three sacks and nine pressures announced the No. 2 pick. Eight sacks as a team, Braelon Allen's late touchdown, and finally a win that matched how they'd been playing. Still messy -- four fumbles, 10 penalties -- but 2-3 beats the alternative.

24. 24

    Indianapolis Colts (2-3)

    Five field goals and a quiet Jonathan Taylor day in Pittsburgh. Moving the ball without finishing drives is how you fall behind Jacksonville and the wild-card pack.

25. 25

    Houston Texans (1-4)

    Stroud's first win of the year, Anderson's three sacks, and a 26-3 statement against Tennessee. One win doesn't fix four weeks of late collapses, but the defense looked like the unit that was drafted.

26. 26

    Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-4)

    Irving's 165 yards and Daniels' efficient start got the first win in Dallas. Mayfield's thumb timeline still caps the ceiling; the run game just bought them time.

27. 27

    New Orleans Saints (1-4)

    Held to 142 yards by Flores' blitz and Shough's two interceptions to Byron Murphy Jr. Travis Etienne is on IR. The NFC South is open; New Orleans isn't playing like it.

28. 28

    Arizona Cardinals (1-4)

    Brissett threw into a Lions defense that finally showed up, and the offense remains McBride and hope. Marvin Harrison Jr. is in Houston. This rebuild is loud.

29. 29

    Washington Commanders (1-3-1)

    Daniels' 109 rush yards and two touchdowns deserved a win; the overtime spike that never came turned it into a tie that feels like a loss. Still searching for a second victory.

30. 30

    Miami Dolphins (0-5)

    Season-high 24 points and 217 rush yards weren't enough after falling behind 28-10. Willis set a franchise QB rushing mark and still threw two picks. Rebuilding looks like this.

31. 31

    Los Angeles Chargers (0-5)

    Herbert's 100th start came with four rookies on the line and no top receivers. A third-quarter surge died in a 19-yard fourth quarter. Eight straight losses counting last year's playoffs. Kansas City is next.

32. 32

    Tennessee Titans (0-5)

    Three points and two first downs across five middle drives against Houston. Ward can't stretch the field and won't get the ball out fast. The schedule doesn't soften soon enough.

I Think I Think

1. 1

   Sirianni owning the kickoff was the right postgame move and also the only move left. Elliott's line drive turned a win into a return, Abdullah reached the 39, and Little had seen that angle a thousand times on English television. Coaches get paid for the last 10 seconds as much as the first 59 minutes. Philadelphia fought with half a roster; the decision still decided it.

2. 2

   Parker Washington's one-handed touchdown on fourth-and-5 is the kind of play that rewrites a contract winter. Six catches, 124 yards, two scores, and the Jaguars' answer every time the red zone refused to cooperate. Jacksonville scored before the 1-yard line could ruin them. That is a feature until it becomes a habit they can't break.

3. 3

   The NFC East went 0-3-1 this weekend. Giants tied, Cowboys lost Thursday, Eagles lost in London, Commanders tied. Division leads built on Winston comebacks and opponent injuries are real until somebody in the East wins a clean game. Nobody did.

4. 4

   A note on backup quarterbacks earning their keep:

   a) Huntley just stole a prime-time road game the Ravens were losing with Lamar out. Eleven straight completions when it mattered is not caretaker football. b) Winston has a 6-to-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio in his last two games and has the Giants atop the East. The ride is violent; the record is not. c) Bagent got the Bears through a stretch and then threw two picks in a rivalry blowout. Depth charts are temporary. Results are not.

5. 5

   Jared Goff's 12 touchdowns and zero giveaways through five games is the quietest historic line of the young season. No celebration required -- just notice that Detroit's offense is doing the part it was built to do, and the defense finally helped for one afternoon.

6. 6

   David Bailey's three sacks and nine pressures were the coming-out party the No. 2 pick had been building toward. The Jets needed every one of those eight team sacks because the offense still lives on the edge. Bailey is the reason New York can win ugly.

7. 7

   Will Reichard is 15-for-15 with a 34-straight streak. That is MVP chatter for a kicker and also a weekly reminder that Minnesota keeps settling for three. Murray's clean day in New Orleans was the first real counterargument. Keep asking for touchdowns.

8. 8

   Christian Watson with two games of 140-plus yards and multiple touchdowns already puts him in Hutson company in Green Bay lore for the first five weeks. Love trusting the deep ball six times for 30-plus is the identity the Packers have been chasing. Chicago was the victim; better secondaries are next.

9. 9

   Houston's defense finally looked like DeMeco Ryans' unit -- Anderson with three sacks, Hunter with seven pressures, Titans stuck at 3.2 yards per play. One win over Tennessee doesn't erase four weeks of late failures. It does mean the Texans aren't dead if that front keeps showing up.

10. 10

    The Chargers are 0-5 with a quarterback doing everything and a roster that can't protect or catch. Four rookies on the line in Herbert's 100th start is a construction problem, not a quarterback problem. Kansas City in Week 6 will not be gentle about it.

11. 11

    Bucky Irving's 165 yards on Thursday were the reminder that Tampa Bay's identity runs through the backfield even when Mayfield is in a walking boot. Jalon Daniels was efficient; Irving was the game. First wins built that way tend to stick longer than first wins built on broken coverages.

12. 12

    Tonight at SoFi is the first real measuring stick for both Buffalo and the Rams. One of them leaves with a statement; one leaves provisional for a reason. The rankings above wait on the final like everybody else.