# NFL 2024-25: Week 5
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2024-25-week-5/1008343
**Category:** The Game Room
**Tags:** football-nfl
**Created:** [October 1, 2024, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2024-25-week-5/1008343 "2024-10-01T17:27:21Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2024, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2024-25-week-5/1008343/1 "2024-10-01T17:27:21Z")
Last week the Bengals and Titans got their first wins, while the Steelers, Seahawks, and Bills suffered their first losses. The surprising Commanders are 3-1, and the Broncos beat the Jets in the rain while passing for only 60 yards. The Chiefs won another one-score game to remain undefeated, and the Vikings are also still unbeaten. Joe Flacco (Joe Flacco?) came off the bench to pilot the Colts to their win over Pittsburgh. The Jags are now the only team without a win.
This week, the Jets will try to slow down the Vikings in London, and the Bucs and Falcons meet in a divisional game on Thursday. Bills and Texans have a matchup of 3-1 AFC divisional leaders, and the Cowboys play the Steelers on Sunday night. The struggling Fins are underdogs at New England, while the winless Jaguars are favored at home over the Colts.
This week’s games. All spreads taken from FanDuel on Tuesday, October 1 at 12:30 pm CT.
Thursday:
Bucs @ Falcons (-1.5)
Sunday morning:
Jets @ Vikings (-2.5) (Game played in London)
Sunday early:
Ravens @ Bengals (+2.5)
Dolphins @ Patriots (+1.5)
Bills @ Texans (+1.5)
Colts @ Jaguars (-2.5)
Browns @ Commanders (-3)
Panthers @ Bears (-3.5)
Sunday late:
Cardinals @ 49ers (-7.5)
Raiders @ Broncos (-2.5)
Packers @ Rams (+3.5)
Giants @ Seahawks (-6.5)
Sunday night:
Cowboys @ Steelers (-1.5)
Monday night:
Saints @ Chiefs (-5.5)
Byes:
Lions, Titans, Eagles, Chargers
---
### Author:  [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2024, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2024-25-week-5/1008343/2 "2024-10-01T17:39:25Z")
Browns at Commanders -3 is a weird line given that the Browns are awful and the Commanders are at home and seem at least not awful. I don’t think I’ve ever bet against the Browns before but I think I may go make a wager – might as well get something out of this shit show.
Are we done with the double Monday night games? I didn’t know why they were doing doubles all the way into week 4 but I was actually kind of enjoying it and hoped it’d continue.
---
### Author:  [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2024, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2024-25-week-5/1008343/3 "2024-10-01T17:50:21Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#):
>
> Are we done with the double Monday night games?
Weeks 1 and 2 were single MNF games; weeks 3 and 4 were doubles. According to this article from yesterday, we will have doubles again in week 7 and week 15.
> **[There are two ‘Monday Night Football’ games again today: Why, and how to watch](https://sports.yahoo.com/two-monday-night-football-games-144849852.html)**
>
> NFL fans are in for another doubleheader on a Monday tonight.
---
### Author:  [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2024, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2024-25-week-5/1008343/4 "2024-10-01T18:29:54Z")
I’ll be watching the Chiefs to see if Kelce can catch up to Jared Goff’s receiving TD numbers.
---
### Author:  [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2024, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2024-25-week-5/1008343/5 "2024-10-01T20:11:04Z")
> [@Railer13](#):
>
> The struggling Fins are underdogs at New England
That seems like the oddsmakers have not watched a Patriots game in the last 3 weeks. I know Miami is struggling without Tua, but at least they have other playmakers on the team. Patriots have one good player on offense and he keeps fumbling every week, and they have an offensive line made of tissue paper, and I’m talking one-ply.
---
### Author:  [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2024, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2024-25-week-5/1008343/6 "2024-10-01T20:37:51Z")
I’m disappointed we won’t be getting Caleb v. Bryce this week as originally planned. And not only because the game got a lot harder for the Bears.
---
### Author:  [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)
#### Post date: [October 1, 2024, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2024-25-week-5/1008343/7 "2024-10-01T20:40:08Z")
> [@ShadowFacts](#):
>
> That seems like the oddsmakers have not watched a Patriots game in the last 3 weeks. I know Miami is struggling without Tua, but at least they have other playmakers on the team. Patriots have one good player on offense and he keeps fumbling every week, and they have an offensive line made of tissue paper, and I’m talking one-ply.
I think you maybe aren’t watching the Dolphins without Tua. That offense is abysmal, and that’s coming from a Bears fan. Every passing play is basically a 50-50 ball.
---
### Author:  [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)
#### Post date: [October 3, 2024, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2024-25-week-5/1008343/8 "2024-10-03T13:27:05Z")
As if things couldn’t get worse for the Patriots, they’ve lost C David Andrews for the season. He’s the only good player on the O-Line, the veteran captain who set all the protections, etc. The line was a leaky sieve even with him in there. Without him, it’s going to be a massacre. I hope Jacoby Brissett has good life insurance…
---
### Author:  [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)
#### Post date: [October 3, 2024, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2024-25-week-5/1008343/9 "2024-10-03T13:36:14Z")
If I’m Indy, I have to feel a little disrespected about not being favored against a winless team.
---
### Author:  [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)
#### Post date: [October 3, 2024, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2024-25-week-5/1008343/10 "2024-10-03T15:11:01Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#):
>
> Browns at Commanders -3 is a weird line given that the Browns are awful and the Commanders are at home and seem at least not awful.
People don’t think Washington has beaten anybody worthwhile, and they’re not totally wrong, but to be fair, they squeaked by the Giants but they crushed the Bengals and absolutely destroyed the Cardinals. We’ll see how JD does against a defense in the top half of the league.
---
### Author:  [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2024, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2024-25-week-5/1008343/11 "2024-10-06T18:29:40Z")
Jeezus the Browns’ O-line may as well not even be there.
---
### Author:  [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2024, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2024-25-week-5/1008343/12 "2024-10-06T19:04:08Z")
I think Deshaun just quit. That look on his face, that’s total defeat.
---
### Author:  [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2024, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2024-25-week-5/1008343/13 "2024-10-06T19:04:21Z")
Oof, I’m not sure about Rodgers. He definitely still shows flashes, but he’s broken down so can’t move well and is sometimes erratic with his throws. His awareness and decision making still seem pretty solid but I’m starting to wonder if that is enough. Slippery field conditions in London certainly didn’t help.
On the other side of the ball Darnold looked solid in the first half but then shaky as hell in the second. He has to be seriously relieved to escape London with a win and has plenty of stuff to work on this week.
---
### Author:  [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2024, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2024-25-week-5/1008343/14 "2024-10-06T19:12:56Z")
Yep, Watson just like… gave up in the middle of the game. Kind of amazing. It’s like we’re experiencing an extreme hypothetical in the sunk cost fallacy and how much Jimmy Haslam will suffer actual embarrassment and a trashing of his franchise to avoid admitting he was wrong and allow Watson to be benched.
The Browns are not nearly as bad as they apparently seem. I think Watson is so toxic it’s making the whole team play worse. They still have some huge problems, but get Winston in there and the rest of the team plays harder. This is pathetic.
---
### Author:  [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2024, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2024-25-week-5/1008343/15 "2024-10-06T19:40:47Z")
So I’m going to admit how very wrong I was about Sam Darnold. Apparently it’s just the Jets that suck.
---
### Author:  [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2024, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2024-25-week-5/1008343/16 "2024-10-06T19:50:35Z")
Funny thing about ego, saving face, and being a stubborn dumbass. Jimmy Haslam is forcing them to play Watson because to bench a healthy Watson would be an admission that he made one of the greatest mistakes in sporting history and he’s not willing to admit that.
But… it’s plainly obvious to everyone. It’s wrecking your multi-billion dollar franchise. It makes you look like an idiot anyway. Are you really saving face if everyone thinks you’re even dumber for not admitting your mistake?
But weak minded people often do this - they will refuse to admit they were wrong even when doing so actually makes them look much worse in a paradoxical and ineffective effort to save face.
---
### Author:  [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2024, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2024-25-week-5/1008343/17 "2024-10-06T20:14:16Z")
Buffalo’s play calling was pretty strange there. Tie game, on their own 3 yard line or so, 25 seconds left on the clock… threw three times in a row. I think Houston had all their TDs, but a run or two still gives Houston the ball back with almost no clock. Instead, they had like 20 seconds to work with and were able to complete a pass and score a FG.
---
### Author:  [@Jegpeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jegpeg)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2024, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2024-25-week-5/1008343/18 "2024-10-06T20:18:58Z")
Agreed, very odd.
If they had grounded the ball on each down that would use all the Texans TOs so they would not have to get OOB on 1st down.
---
### Author:  [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2024, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2024-25-week-5/1008343/19 "2024-10-06T20:32:03Z")
Could Watson just…quit?
---
### Author:  [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2024, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2024-25-week-5/1008343/20 "2024-10-06T20:36:24Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#):
>
> Buffalo’s play calling was pretty strange there. Tie game, on their own 3 yard line or so, 25 seconds left on the clock… threw three times in a row. I think Houston had all their TDs, but a run or two still gives Houston the ball back with almost no clock. Instead, they had like 20 seconds to work with and were able to complete a pass and score a FG.
I was stunned by the bad coaching by both teams at the end of that game. The Texans couldnt drive it far enough, and didnt manage the clock well, so that an intentional grounding call took them out of field goal range. But they get saved by the Bills inexplicably giving them the ball back with time on the clock.
Dumb, dumb, dumb.
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2024-25-week-5/1008343.md?page=2)