The Eagles aren’t performing as efficiently as last season, but they continue to find ways to win games. Philadelphia improved to 5–0 after defeating the Rams on the road Sunday.
Once again, the Eagles showed us they’re not looking for style points, and they appear to be a team determined to return to the Super Bowl. But we also learned Sunday that the Eagles and the rest of the NFC contenders will likely need to deal with the Lions in the postseason.
The Lions are on track to win their first NFC North title, but how far can they go after extending their winning streak to three games? The Bengals could also be a playoff team, especially if Joe Burrow continues to heal from his calf injury.
We also learned plenty about two quarterbacks who reside in the NFC South: Derek Carr guided the Saints to a shutout win against the Patriots, and Desmond Ridder had late-game heroics to help the Falcons rally vs. the Texans. The two teams might contend for the division crown, but we can’t forget about the Buccaneers, who had a bye week.
Here’s what we learned about the Bengals, Eagles, Lions, Saints and Falcons during Week 5 of the NFL regular season.
Burrow shows off mobility in win vs. Cardinals
The Bengals’ star quarterback had a 63-yard touchdown bomb to wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase during the win against the Cardinals. But the team’s favorite play from Burrow on Sunday might be the 10-yard run he had in the second half to pick up a first down. I’m obviously no doctor, but it appeared Burrow’s calf injury didn’t give him much fits vs. the Cardinals. If that’s the case, the Bengals could climb out of the 1–3 hole they dug themselves during the first quarter of the season. But the Bengals (now 2–3) still have a daunting schedule ahead, with their next three games against the Seahawks, 49ers and Bills. Burrow will get more time to heal when the Bengals have their bye week in Week 7.
