by The NFL truly is the gift that keeps on giving. While twists and turns are expected every week, there are still other events that end up blowing our minds. This year, we saw a double-doink field goal that decided the outcome of a contest, we saw an NFL game delayed by a drone, we saw a protester get destroyed by Los Angeles Rams linebacker Bobby Wagner, and we saw an epic butt-punt.
We saw plenty of wild moments in Week 5 of the 2022 NFL regular season as well. Darnell Mooney of the Chicago Bears hit the Hall of Fame, Daniel Jones took down Aaron Rodgers in London and Cooper Rush won another game for the Dallas Cowboys. While all of these moments are legitimate headlines, they didn’t make the list of the wildest things we saw on Sunday. What did you do? Let’s take a look.
You may know who Amon-Ra St. Brown from this point. The second-year wide receiver for the Detroit Lions is a legitimate rising star, and he was so offensive that 16 wide receivers were selected in the 2021 NFL Draft that he memorized their names. A few weeks ago, he cried Dyami Brown for not being good enough to play while his Lions got a win over the Washington Commanders. However, Brown had a breakout game on Sunday.
The third round pick out of North Carolina caught just two passes against the Tennessee Titans, but those two catches went for 105 yards and two touchdowns! Brown didn’t have a single receiving touchdown in that game. You have to wonder if he will play a bigger role in the offense moving forward.
4. Lions Get “Zappe’d”
Did you find it strange that the New England Patriots were favored over the Detroit Lions in Week 5? I mean, third-string rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe was making his first career start and was tasked with running what was statistically one of the best offenses in the NFL in the Lions. Well, Vegas was right again, as the Patriots won 29-0. The rookie QB completed 17 of 21 passes for 188 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
Really, this was one of the biggest surprises of Sunday as the Lions were held to 312 total yards and zero points! We all knew Detroit’s defense was bad, but the offense had to be able to keep up the scoring. The Lions went 4 of 12 on third down and 0 of 6 on fourth down.
The Arizona Cardinals didn’t get off to a good start to the 2022 season, falling to 2-3 with a Week 5 loss to the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles. The Cards had a chance to send this game into overtime, but a series of unfortunate events prevented it.
Down by three points, Cardinals star Kyler Murray orchestrated a 50-yard, 10-play drive that took the offense into enemy territory. With no timeouts to work with, things got a little hairy as the clock ticked down to under a minute in the fourth quarter. On second and 10, Murray saw an opening and rushed up the middle. However, he slipped before the spades and had to use third down to field the ball! With the Cardinals now facing fourth-and-1 with 22 seconds left and no timeouts, they were forced to bring in freshman Matt Ammendola to attempt a 43-yard field goal. All that clock mismanagement could have been forgiven if Ammendola had tied the game, but he missed his kick!
Was Murray just not in control of the situation? That was a HARD way to lose.
Taysom Hill is an interesting player. Sean Payton was convinced he could be a franchise quarterback — something we all had a hard time believing — but there’s no denying he’s a baller. Whether he’s running, tackling or catching, Hill can contribute to the New Orleans Saints and was really the reason they beat the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
Hill threw a 22-yard touchdown, led the Saints in rushing with 112 yards and also knocked in THREE touchdowns. He also recovered a fumble and returned three kicks for 69 yards! Hill was an absolute legend on Sunday and without a doubt the Week 5 NFL MVP.
1. Tom Brady is not allowed to be touched
The Atlanta Falcons are the only undefeated NFL team this year. Invincible against the spread that is. The Falcons covered the spread against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, but maybe they could have had a legitimate straight-up win.
On third-and-5 with three minutes left in the game, Tom Brady was sacked by Grady Jarrett. Down by just six points, it looked like the Falcons were going to get the ball back and have a chance to win the game. BUT… Jarrett was flagged for roughing the passer on the sack.
Watch the game. What do you think;
PFWA Pool Reporter Greg Auman spoke to the head officer Jerome Boger after the game, and Boger said he saw Jarrett “throw him to the ground for no reason.”
I’m trying to understand Boger. Did he throw away the yellow laundry because Jarrett ended up on Brady? Or did he throw the flag just because it was Brady? Either way it was ridiculous. This penalty allowed the Buccaneers to maintain possession and eventually run out the clock and win the game.
