NFL Week 5 grades: Jaguars earn 'A-' for upset win over Chiefs; Ravens get a big 'F' for ugly loss to Texans
Here are the Week 5 grades for every team that played
By
John Breech
•
17 min read
The Jacksonville Jaguars and Kansas City Chiefs closed out Week 5 with a wild game on Monday night. On Trevor Lawrence's 26th birthday, the Jaguars celebrated by overcoming an early 14-0 deficit to stun the Chiefs 31-28. Lawrence celebrated his birthday by scoring two rushing touchdowns, including the game-winner from 1-yard out with just 23 seconds left to play.
LAWRENCE STUMBLES.
— NFL (@NFL) October 7, 2025
LAWRENCE SCORES.@JAGUARS LEAD!
KCvsJAX on ESPN/ABC
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The win marked the first time the Jaguars won a Monday night game since 2011.
It was a huge win for Jaguars first-year head coach Liam Coen, who now has his team tied with the Colts atop the AFC South after five weeks. Coen now has the Jaguars at 4-1 for the first time since 2007.
As for the Chiefs, they drop to 2-3 with the loss, and they're now starting up at both the Broncos (3-2) and Chargers (3-2) in the AFC West.
With that in mind, let's get to our Week 5 grades, starting with the Jaguars' win.
Jacksonville 31-28 over Kansas City
| B |  |
| The Chiefs piled up nearly 500 yards of offense, but it wasn't enough because they did what the Chiefs don't normally do: They made mistakes. Patrick Mahomes was on fire for most of the game, but he also threw a 99-yard pick-six in the second half. Steve Spagnulo's defense held the Jaguars in check for three quarters, but then gave up two scoring drives in the final five minutes. The Chiefs' special teams even struggled: Two kickoff returns got called back, and then Harrison Butker made a big mistake near the end of the game when he sent a kickoff out of bounds. The biggest concern for the Chiefs is that they're now 0-3 in one-score games this season after going 11-0 last year. | |
| A- |  |
| Trevor Lawerence celebrated his birthday by putting the Jags on his back and carrying them to the win. Lawrence wasn't perfect Monday, but he was the star of the show for Jacksonville. He totaled three touchdowns, including two on the ground. Defensively, the Jaguars gave up a lot of yards, but they also made several big plays -- none bigger than Devin Lloyd's 99-yard pick-six in the third quarter. The Jags have forced more turnovers than any team in the NFL this year, and their opportunistic defense has played a huge part in the team's 4-1 start. This was a statement win for Jaguars first-year head coach Liam Coen, and that statement is that Jacksonville is good enough to play with any team in the NFL. | |
Houston 44-10 over Baltimore
| A+ |  |
| With Houston going up against a bad Baltimore defense, this game was a chance for the Texans offense to prove that it's not broken and C.J. Stroud's group passed the test with flying colors. Stroud threw three touchdown passes during a nearly perfect first half and Houston coasted from there. The Texans defense held Derrick Henry to just 33 yards while beating up on a Ravens offense that didn't have Lamar Jackson. After starting 0-3, this team is finally starting to look dangerous. Don't count the Texans out of the division title race just yet. | |
| F |  |
| The Ravens might have the worst defense in football. They can't stop the run, they can't stop the pass and they can't get after the quarterback. Lamar Jackson didn't play in this game, but even if he did play, it might not have mattered because Baltimore's defense is that bad. With Cooper Rush running the offense, the Ravens never stood a chance. The Ravens have now surrendered at least 37 points in four of their five games this year. At 1-4, the Ravens' season is spiraling out of control. | |
New England 23-20 over Buffalo
| A- |  |
| The Patriots finally have a QB who can go toe to toe with Josh Allen and Drake Maye proved that on Sunday night. The Pats QB threw for 273 yards and made several spectacular throws during a perfect fourth quarter that saw him go 6 of 6 for 90 yards. Maye got a lot of help from Stefon Diggs, who seemed excited to be getting revenge on his old team. Diggs caught 10 passes for 146 yards and he's given Maye the type of top-tier target that he lacked last year. For the first time since Tom Brady was in New England, it feels like the Patriots actually have a shot to win the AFC East this year. | |
| B- |  |
| The Bills had gone an NFL-record 26 games without losing the turnover battle, but that streak finally came to an end on Sunday night and it's a big reason why they lost. Josh Allen uncharacteristically turned the ball over twice (with an interception and a lost fumble) and Keon Coleman also lost a fumble. The Patriots got 10 points off those turnovers and that was the difference in the game. With this loss, the Bills suddenly don't look so unbeatable and their five-year reign atop the AFC East could be in jeopardy. | |
Detroit 37-24 over Cincinnati
| A |  |
| The Lions gave the Bengals a beatdown on both sides of the ball. The defense limited Cincinnati to just 180 yards and three points through the first three quarters before the Bengals padded their stats in garbage time. Aidan Hutchinson had one of Detroit's two sacks, Derrick Barnes recorded a safety and the Lions also picked off Jake Browning three times. The Lions offense wasn't perfect, but David Montgomery showed why he's so valuable with a rushing TD and a passing TD. At times, it felt like the Lions took their foot off the gas -- they had two punts from Bengals territory, which is something Dan Campbell almost never does -- but they still coasted to an easy win. When you can take your foot off the gas and still coast to an easy win, that's when you know you're a good team. | |
| D |  |
| At some point, the Bengals are going to have to consider making a change at quarterback. Jake Browning started his third straight game and for the third straight game, the Bengals got blown out. Browning threw three interceptions through the first three quarters and that was a big reason why the Bengals fell behind 21-3. The Bengals keep digging themselves into a big hole at the start of every game and with the offense playing so poorly, there's no way for them to get out of it. They've now lost their last three games by a combined score of 113-37. This team just isn't playing competitive football right now. | |
Washington 27-10 over L.A. Chargers
| A |  |
| With Jayden Daniels back in the lineup after missing two weeks, the Commanders got off to a slow start, but once they got going, they were unstoppable. The offense got a big boost from Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who went off for 150 yards and a TD on just 16 touches. Daniels struggled some with his accuracy in the first half, completing just 46.1% of his passes, but he settled down in the second half and that's when the Commanders ran away with it (He was 9 of 13 over the final two quarters). Washington's defense, which has struggled at times this season, clamped down on Justin Herbert with four sacks (Von Miller had 1.5 of those). This was arguably Washington's most impressive win of the season and as long as Daniels stays healthy, this team is going to be a Super Bowl contender. | |
| D |  |
| The Chargers offensive line was banged up going into this game and it definitely showed. Justin Herbert was under pressure for nearly the entire game, which made it almost impossible for the Chargers to get anything going on offense. Herbert ended up being the team's leading rusher with 60 yards, but he only threw for 166 yards and he was sacked four times. After a promising 3-0 start, it's now hard to say if the Chargers will be serious contenders after watching them lose two straight games. | |
Tampa Bay 38-35 over Seattle
| B+ |  |
| Baker Mayfield might be the most clutch QB in the NFL right now. For the fourth time this season, Mayfield led the Bucs to a wild win and this might have been his most impressive performance yet. Mayfield, who threw for 379 yards and two touchdowns, became the first QB since 2000 with at least with 375 yards passing and four or fewer incompletions in a regular-season game. Mayfield's favorite new target was Emeka Egbuka, who is a budding superstar. The rookie caught seven passes for 163 yards. Good teams find a way to win close games and the Buccaneers have been doing that pretty much every week. | |
| B |  |
| This was a nightmare loss for the Seahawks, who let this game slip away. The biggest concern coming out of Sunday is that their defense got gashed up for 426 yards. The defense played well through the first four weeks, but had no answers for Baker Mayfield. Seattle also got crushed by several big mistakes with the biggest one coming from Sam Darnold, who threw an interception with under a minute left to play that set up Tampa Bay's game-winning field goal. The pick ruined an otherwise brilliant day by Darnold, who threw for 341 yards and four touchdowns. The Seahawks also lost a fumble in the first half (that led to a Buccaneers TD) and Jason Myers missed an early field goal. The Seahawks are definitely a good team, but it doesn't feel like they're in the top tier of contenders in the NFC just yet. | |
Tennessee 22-21 over Arizona
| A- |  |
| The Titans won their first game of the season and they did it in stunning fashion. With Tennessee trailing 21-6 going into the fourth quarter, Cam Ward went off. The No. 1 overall pick played like the No. 1 overall pick, throwing for 193 yards in the final quarter. He was calm, cool and collected under pressure, which is exactly what you want to see from your franchise QB. Ward was in-sync with Calvin Ridley, who caught five passes for 131 yards in the game. The Titans definitely needed some luck -- like when Tyler Lockett recovered the ball in the end zone after the Cardinals fumbled away an interception -- but sometimes, luck is exactly what you need to win in the NFL. No matter what happens this year, the Titans will be able to hang their hat on this shocking win. | |
| F |  |
| When you blow a 15-point lead to the worst team in the NFL, you get an "F." The Cardinals lost this game because of two inexcusable errors. The first one came from Emari Demercado, who appeared to have a surefire touchdown on a 76-yard run, but he let go of the football and fumbled out of the end zone after he started to celebrate the score a little too early. In the fourth quarter, Dadrion Taylor-Demerson appeared to seal the game when he picked off Cam Ward, but he fumbled the ball away after hitting the ground hard on the play and the Titans recovered the ball in the end zone for a Tennessee touchdown. That's two scores that shouldn't have happened, but they did, because the Cardinals forgot how to play football. The Cards have now lost three straight games on a field goal as time expired, which made NFL history. | |
Denver 21-17 over Philadelphia
| A- |  |
| The Broncos needed a magical fourth quarter to win this game and that's exactly what they got. Bo Nix went 9 of 10 for 127 yards and a touchdown in the game's final quarter to lead the Broncos to an upset win. The second-year QB has struggled at times this season, but with his clutch play during the closing quarter in Philadelphia, Sean Payton probably feels a lot better about the Broncos' ability to win big games going forward. Nix's nearly perfect fourth quarter overshadowed the play of a defense that sacked Jalen Hurt six times (Nik Bonitto had 2.5 of those). By beating the 4-0 Eagles on their home field, the Broncos have proven that they can beat anyone, anywhere, at any time. | |
| B- |  |
| After a week where A.J. Brown vented his frustrations, the Eagles did throw more in this game, but it came at the cost of Saquon Barkley. With the Eagles leading 17-3 in the second half, it would have made sense to give Barkley the ball, but he only got one carry over the final two quarters. The Eagles offense also struggled on third down (they went 2 of 11), which allowed the Broncos to stay in the game. The Eagles have been playing with fire all season with four one-score wins, and on Sunday, they finally got burnt. | |
Dallas 37-22 over N.Y. Jets
| A+ |  |
| It took five weeks, but the Cowboys finally put together their best all-around performance of the season and that happened because their defense finally played four solid quarters. Not only did the Cowboys keep Justin Fields bottled up, but they sacked him five times, with 1.5 of those coming from James Houston. On the offensive side of the ball, Dak Prescott had another impressive game, but the bigger story is that Dallas got its rushing attack going with Javonte Williams topping 100 yards. Ryan Flournoy also came out of nowhere to catch six passes for 114 yards. If the Cowboys keep playing like this, they could end up being a dark horse playoff contender this season. | |
| D |  |
| Aaron Glenn is a defensive-minded coach, so there was an expectation that the Jets defense would improve this year with him running the show, but that hasn't been the case. The defense seems to be getting worse every week and that continued in this game. The Jets surrendered multiple big plays, including three that went for more than 40 yards. As bad as the defense was, the offense might have been worse. The Jets only mustered 22 points against a Cowboys defense that had surrendered the second-most points in the NFL heading into Week 5. Everything seems broken right now for the Jets. With this loss, Glenn is now the first coach in Jets history to start 0-5 in his first year with the team. | |
Indianapolis 40-6 over Las Vegas
| F |  |
| The Raiders went all in on Geno Smith this year and after five weeks, that decision looks to be backfiring. One week after throwing three interceptions in a loss to the Bears, Smith threw two interceptions against the Colts and Indy ended up getting 14 points off those turnovers. The Raiders also gave up a blocked punt that Indy quickly turned into an touchdown. Every week, it seems to be the same thing with the Raiders: They can't get out of their own way. | |
| A |  |
| The Colts have been one of the best teams in the NFL this year and one reason that's happened is because they've played so well in all three phases of the game, and that was on display against the Raiders. On special teams, Segun Olubi came up with a blocked punt. Offensively, Daniel Jones (two TD passes) and Jonathan Taylor (3 TD runs) combined for five scores. And defensively, the Colts did a good job of pressuring Geno Smith, who got sacked four times while also throwing two interceptions. It might seem a little crazy to say, but the Colts might be one of the three best teams in the AFC. | |
Carolina 27-24 over Miami
| C |  |
| Mike McDaniel might be back on the hot seat. The Dolphins blew a 17-0 lead in this game and it's because their offense completely disappeared in the second half. The unit totaled just 103 yards and 46 of that came on a TD pass from Tua Tagovailoa to Jaylen Waddle in the fourth quarter. The defense forced two turnovers early in the game, but couldn't stop Rico Dowdle, who went off for 206 yards, with 133 of that coming in the second half. The Dolphins could have improved to 2-3 with a win, but instead, it seems like their season is all but over at 1-4. | |
| B |  |
| This will forever be known as the "Rico Dowdle game" for the Carolina Panthers. Dowdle, who was playing for an injured Chuba Hubbard, carried the Panthers offense on a day where he became the first NFL player of 2025 to top 200 rushing yards. The Panthers defense came alive in the second half, holding the Dolphins to just 103 yards, which allowed Carolina to claw its way back into the game after trailing 17-0. The 17-point comeback tied the record for biggest comeback in franchise history. There are still plenty of questions about whether Bryce Young is the future of this franchise, but those can wait for another week. | |
New Orleans 26-14 over N.Y. Giants
| C- |  |
| If you turn the ball over five times in the NFL, you're almost always going to lose and that's exactly what the Giants did in this game. This team simply isn't good enough to overcome that many turnovers and the ugly part is that New York's five turnovers came on FIVE STRAIGHT POSSESSIONS. Jaxson Dart accounted for three of those five turnovers with two interceptions and a lost fumble. Cam Skattebo also lost a fumble that was returned 86 yards for a touchdown. It was sloppy football by a team that can't afford to play sloppy football. | |
| A- |  |
| The Saints have finally entered the win column and they did it with a defensive performance for the ages. New Orleans forced five turnovers and none of those were bigger than Jordan Howden's 86-yard fumble return for a touchdown that iced the game for the Saints in the fourth quarter. The offense also showed signs of life and that was mostly thanks to Rashid Shaheed, who caught four passes for 114 yards, including an 87-yard score. The Saints aren't the most talented team in the NFL, but they've shown a lot of fight under Kellen Moore and if they keep playing like this, it won't be surprising if they win a few more games this season. | |
Minnesota 21-17 over Cleveland (in London)
| A- |  |
| There may not be a QB controversy in Minnesota, but Carson Wentz is certainly making things interesting. With the Vikings trailing in the fourth quarter, they needed Wentz to come up and big and that's exactly what he did. Wentz threw for more yards in the fourth quarter (123) than he did in the first three quarters combined (113). He also hit Jordan Addison for a game-winning TD. Brian Flores' defense also came up in the clutch in the fourth quarter by forcing the Browns to go three-and-out on three different drives. This was a huge win for a Vikings team that will now get to go into its Week 5 bye with a winning record. | |
| B+ |  |
| In his first career start, Dillon Gabriel came out and showed the Browns exactly what they wanted to see: He played smart football, he didn't turn the ball over and he made several spectacular throws on a day where he threw for 190 yards and two touchdowns. With a rookie starting at QB, the Browns knew they were going to have to lean on their defense and that worked for three quarters, but the defense got carved up by Carson Wentz on a 10-play, 80-yard game-winning drive that saw Minnesota score a TD with just 25 seconds left. The good news for the Browns is that they might have their QB of the future (and they also appear to have a budding star at running back in rookie Quinshon Judkins), the bad news is that they let another winnable game slip away. It's going to be a long flight back from London for the Browns. | |
San Francisco 26-23 over L.A. Rams (OT), Thursday
| A |  |
| If Brock Purdy has to miss any more time, it seems that the 49ers will definitely be in good hands with Mac Jones. The backup QB ran Kyle Shanahan's offense to perfection, throwing for 342 yards and two touchdowns and he did that while throwing to a receiving group that was missing Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings. Kendrick Bourne, who wasn't even on the team in Week 1, caught 10 passes for 142 yards from Jones, who used to be his teammate in New England. The 49ers defense came up with several clutch plays including a forced fumble at the 1-yard line in the fourth quarter and a fourth-down stop in overtime. With an injury-depleted roster, no one gave the 49ers much of a chance in this game, but Shanahan pulled out all the stops in what was a coaching masterpiece. The 49ers are now 3-0 in the NFC West and if they keep winning games when they're beat up like this, just wait to see what they can do when they're healthy. | |
| B- |  |
| The 49ers were missing their starting QB, their top two receivers and their top pass rusher, and somehow, the Rams still found a way to lose. This loss was mostly on a Rams defense that gave up more than 400 yards to an injury-ravaged 49ers team, but there is plenty of other blame to go around. There were two special teams gaffes: The 49ers blocked a Rams extra point that would have put L.A. up 21-20 in the fourth quarter. After that, Joshua Karty got penalized for not reaching the landing zone on the opening kickoff of overtime. Offensively, Matthew Stafford was on fire with 389 yards and three touchdowns, but Kyren Williams lost a fumble at the 1-yard line in the fourth quarter. The Rams simply made too many mistakes to win and this is a loss that could end up hurting them down the road. | |
