5 minSports
NFL Week 5: Rodgers Defies Age as Coen, 49ers Escape With Wins
Aaron Rodgers continued his resurgence with another three-touchdown performance, while Liam Coen's questionable coaching was bailed out by special teams and the 49ers survived a sloppy outing. Elsewhere, Drake Maye righted the ship for New England, and the Dolphins' tanking season hit a new low.
Aaron Rodgers is defying Father Time. The 42-year-old quarterback delivered another three-touchdown performance in the Pittsburgh Steelers' Week 5 victory, continuing a three-week stretch in which he has thrown for 826 yards and nine touchdowns. After a shaky start to the season that raised doubts about his future, Rodgers has steadied the Steelers, who now sit at 3-2 and in a three-way tie with the Browns and Bengals in the AFC North, one game behind the 4-1 Ravens.
Rodgers' resurgence comes as some of the NFL's other storylines are still taking shape. In London, Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen survived one of the worst coaching performances of his career, thanks largely to his special teams. Coen twice went for it on fourth-and-goal and failed, and his play calling — including a jet sweep on fourth-and-goal from the 1 and a wildcat formation that led to a false start — drew scrutiny. He also opted to kick an extra point after a go-ahead touchdown, which was missed due to a bad snap. But a big kick return, aided by a questionable decision from Eagles coach Nick Sirianni to allow a return, set up a walk-off field goal that bailed out Coen and the Jaguars.
In New England, quarterback Drake Maye appears to have righted the ship. After committing nine turnovers in the first four games, Maye carved up the Las Vegas defense for 374 passing yards, four touchdown passes and a rushing touchdown — without turning the ball over. The performance followed an upset win over Buffalo in Week 4 and has the Patriots back on track. With upcoming games against the Jets, Bears and Dolphins, Maye and New England have a favorable stretch to build on.
The Miami Dolphins, meanwhile, continue to sink. In full tank mode and already looking ahead to the 2027 NFL Draft, Miami's offense is a complete disaster. The 24 points scored against Cincinnati represented a season high, with 14 coming in the fourth quarter after the Bengals had taken control. An 0-17 season is not out of the question, which would make the Dolphins the only franchise in NFL history to complete both a 17-0 and an 0-17 season.
In Chicago, the magic ran out for head coach Ben Johnson. After winning back-to-back games with backup quarterbacks Case Keenum and Tyson Bagent, Johnson's offense collapsed. Bagent completed just 12 of 21 passes for 87 yards and two interceptions before being benched, and Keenum threw an interception of his own. The Bears turned the ball over five times in a lopsided loss.
The Minnesota Vikings improved to 5-0, though their schedule has been favorable. Their past three opponents have a combined record of 2-13, but as the saying goes, you can only beat the teams on your schedule. The Vikings have done exactly that.
In Cleveland, the Browns and Jets delivered an ugly game with an ugly ending. Geno Smith fumbled with New York down two and just over four minutes left, but the Browns responded with a botched punt snap that lost 29 yards. Cleveland then inexplicably allowed a 22-yard touchdown run by Braelon Allen on third-and-9, handing the Jets a win that felt appropriate for such a sloppy contest.
Elsewhere, the Houston Texans coasted to a win over the Tennessee Titans in a battle of 0-4 AFC South teams, keeping their faint postseason hopes alive. And in a wild finish, Jameis Winston erased a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit for the Giants, leading two touchdown drives of 70-plus yards in the final 11 minutes. But Cam Skattebo fumbled in overtime with the Giants already in field-goal range, costing them a chance to win. The Commanders had scored a touchdown earlier, but the Giants never should have been in that position.
Five weeks into the season, the NFL has already delivered its share of surprises. Rodgers looks ageless, Coen got lucky, and the Dolphins remain the league's worst team. As the season wears on, those storylines will only grow more compelling.
6
