Another Sunday, another full slate of NFL action nearly in the books. And boy has Week 5 been chock-full of drama. The reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles were upset at home for their first loss of the 2025 season. The Baltimore Ravens stood no chance in a matchup of AFC foes while star quarterback Lamar Jackson sat out due to injury. And the Minnesota Vikings survived a hard-fought matchup with the Cleveland Browns in London, kicking off Sunday festivities that also included Jaxson Dart’s second career NFL start.
Dart had a rougher go of it Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, but he was hardly the face of disappointment during Week 5 action. Quite a few others, including his NFC East rival Eagles, arguably suffered more dispiriting defeats during the latest round of regular-season showdowns. Meanwhile others, including a trio of running backs (some more recognizable than others), ran wild to propel their respective teams to victory.
Here are some of Sunday’s biggest Week 5 winners and losers:
Winner: Jonathan Taylor’s award chances
Daniel Jones may be the most surprising face of the Colts’ resurgent offense, but the man carrying the ball behind him has been just as, if not more, impressive all year. That continued Sunday in Indianapolis’ blowout win over the Raiders, in which Taylor scored not once, not twice but three times. That brings his 2025 touchdown total to seven through five games, and he also entered Week 5 as the NFL’s rushing leader. A running back may not have great odds to claim NFL MVP honors, but Taylor is on a solid track to securing an Offensive Player of the Year nod.
Loser: Ravens fans
If you count yourself among Baltimore faithful, Sunday was about as ugly as it gets: Not only was Lamar Jackson not available to carry the Ravens offense with his dual-threat magic, but John Harbaugh had basically no answers otherwise. The opposing Texans looked totally lifeless not long ago, but C.J. Stroud was dealing like an MVP candidate against the Ravens defense. Granted, key pieces like Roquan Smith and Nnamdi Madubuike were also missing, but that’s part of the problem: The Ravens just don’t have the depth to withstand even a few notable losses. All of a sudden this is a 1-4 team with maybe even less immediate hope than the Cleveland Browns.
Winner: Cowboys (and ex-Cowboys) RBs
Remember during the offseason, when everyone poked fun at Dallas for investing in a pile of retreads at the running back spot? The jabs at Jerry Jones for his past disinterest in paying big bucks to land Derrick Henry? Well, Javonte Williams has since taken the top job and run with it, literally. He feasted against the Jets to the tune of 135 yards and two scores, putting him among the NFL’s top rushers of 2025 and setting up Dak Prescott’s pretty day through the air. Meanwhile, in Carolina, former Cowboys reserve Rico Dowdle had a field day against the Dolphins, eclipsing 200 yards as the improbable star of the Panthers’ comeback against Miami.
Loser: Nick Sirianni and his pass catchers
The Eagles were unbeaten playing Jalen Hurts’ not-pretty but efficient brand of football, and then, after a week of tiptoeing around A.J. Brown’s passive-aggressive social-media venting about the club’s scattershot passing attack, Sirianni and his staff decided to … ignore Saquon Barkley? Brown and DeVonta Smith got their targets (18 combined), and while Smith was a true weapon against Denver, it was also fitting the two wideouts ended Sunday lying helpless atop each other in the end zone: Philly blowing a 14-point lead to fall to the Broncos was a near-direct result of forcing the ball through the air. Hopefully, for the Eagles’ sake, it’s a wake-up call for all.
Winner: Carson Wentz
The first half of Sunday morning’s overseas bout with the Browns was a rough one for Wentz, both literally and figuratively; he showed fight but put his body at risk in the process, leaving just before halftime due to a shoulder injury suffered on a hard-fought scramble. Then the Vikings’ emergency starter showed up in a big way near the finish line, continuously feeding Justin Jefferson before threading a perfect last-minute score to Jordan Addison and preventing Minnesota from returning to the States with an 0-2 international mark. Even on the off chance young J.J. McCarthy returns to full health during the Vikings’ bye, Wentz might warrant another start under center.
Loser: Mark Davis