NFL The Final Word: Roger Goodell looks to Spain and Brazil while the San Francisco 49ers look like Super Bowl favourites
Sky Sports' Neil Reynolds has the final word on Week Five in the NFL, picking out his five big takeaways, player of the week and more; watch the Baltimore Ravens against the Tennessee Titans from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium live on Sky this Sunday, with coverage from 1pm
Tuesday 10 October 2023 12:45, UK
Week Five was filled with talking points on and off the field and we will start in London, where there were plenty of both as the Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Buffalo Bills.
1) Etienne shines in London
Let's start in London and the game itself, where the Jags delighted their out-numbered fans - there was a lot of travelling support for Buffalo at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
I thought Travis Etienne was excellent with 136 yards and two touchdowns on the ground and 48 through the air. There was a lot to like about this Jags performance; they had to dig deep, they had to play well on defense and they did that again. They have been really good on defense over their two weeks in London.
Trevor Lawrence was sacked five times but threw for 315 yards and a touchdown. This was the kind of win the Jags needed to find to show they are ready to be considered among the top teams in the AFC. I thought it was quite the statement, and it's been quite the week and a bit for the Jaguars in London.
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2) NFL ready to spread its wings
I was very fortunate to host an NFL live with commissioner Roger Goodell on Saturday, it was interesting to note he talked about new markets being in town to see how the London games operate.
I know from reports that they are looking at Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and Madrid in Spain, it was notable that the commissioner said they are looking at that as soon as next year.
We aren't going to lose out on games in the UK, we'll have three each season with two at Tottenham and one at Wembley, while the Germany games will still exist, but the NFL is looking to spread its wings even further internationally.
As Peter King reminded me later in the evening, the European division and franchise talk is not off the table, so there are two approaches. The Formula One style of playing games around the world and also franchises in Europe are very much on the table. The NFL is looking to grow this game globally.
3) 49ers are Super Bowl favourites
I thought the 49ers sent a real message to the rest of the NFL on Sunday Night Football as they beat Dallas 42-10.
There's been a lot of excitement around the Cowboys over the first month of the season but they were emphatically handled by the Niners, who move to 5-0.
Brock Purdy was excellent with four touchdown passes and no interceptions, and all the stars showed up. Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, Nick Bosa, Fred Warner; the depth of their talent is incredible.
They need and deserve to stay healthy after how last season ended for them. If they do that they are the Super Bowl favourites.
4) Eagles dominant in the trenches
The Eagles are the other undefeated team in the NFL, we got a good look at them on Sunday night in their 23-14 win over the Los Angeles Rams. It was a dominant performance on both lines and that is really where the Eagles are so strong and so consistent every week.
It doesn't matter how your skill position players come in and out, go up and down, if your base is so good. Their skill position players are excellent anyway!
Their offensive line only gave up one sack and paved the way for 159 rushing yards, the Eagles had the ball for close to 38 minutes and on defense they had four sacks and didn't allow a point in the second half.
A complete performance, not flashy, nothing has been flashy yet but they are 5-0 and that is not to be sniffed at.
5) Is Burrow back?
It was good to see Joe Burrow looking more like his old self as the Cincinnati Bengals beat the Arizona Cardinals 34-20.
Burrow looked the healthiest he has looked all season as he threw for 317 yards and three touchdowns.
His connection with Ja'Marr Chase was excellent and if that continues, the Bengals, who are 2-3, are very much in contention in an AFC North that nobody is running away with. It was just nice to see Burrow remind us why he is one of the biggest stars in the NFL today, and I think the Bengals will be just fine.
Player of the Week - Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
Sticking with the Bengals, I am going Ja'Marr Chase for Player of the Week. He compared himself to a 7-Eleven store because he's always open.
This is what we want to see out of the Cincinnati Bengals: the explosiveness, the ability to score at will and from anywhere on the field. Chase had a club record 15 catches, 192 yards and three touchdowns.
Burrow to Chase is going to drive the Bengals this season.
Play of the Week - Achane's 76-yard TD
I'm going to go with De'Von Achane's 76-yard touchdown run in Miami's 31-16 win over the New York Giants. It wasn't overly flashy in terms of movement, apart from the sheer unadulterated straight-line speed that cannot be defended.
Achane destroys angles with his speed, can take any football to the house and is now the first player in the Super Bowl era to score seven touchdowns in his first four NFL games.
The fascinating thing about that is in his first game against New England in Week Two, he never touched the football. He's setting all these records in just three games. He's the epitome of what Mike McDaniel wants in his speed demon Dolphins.
Coach of the Week - Doug Pederson, Jacksonville Jaguars
Not only did Doug Pederson mastermind a big win for the Jags over the Buffalo Bills, but he guided his team through back-to-back games in London for the first time ever and they produced two wins in two stadiums having stayed in two hotels. There was never an issue with his players, he embraced the whole London adventure and I think he will have to do that, because I think Shad Khan is going to want to play two games per year here for the foreseeable future.
On my radar... Bill Belichick
Last week I put Mac Jones, the quarterback of the New England Patriots on my radar. And he still is, he was benched again in Sunday's loss to the New Orleans Saints. But now there is some heat building on the greatest head coach in NFL history, Bill Belichick.
He has followed up his worst loss ever, which was a 38-3 defeat to the Cowboys, with the second-worst loss of his career, 34-0 at home to the Saints. In the last two games, the Patriots have been out-scored 72-3.
In certain situations you could feel sorry for Belichick and say he doesn't have any skill position players, he doesn't have elite talent, but he is the General Manager and he buys the groceries with which he does the cooking, and this is an expansion level roster.
When you see expansion teams enter the NFL every 20 or 30 years and they pick up veterans from teams that nobody wants anymore, for the most part, I think that's what these Patriots are.
Belichick is definitely on a warming seat, because the Patriots live by a philosophy of 'you put the team first and it's all about winning'. Reputations don't matter, and Belichick himself has moved on many great players when he feels he has got the best out of them, he casts them aside.
He might be the one cast aside next in New England.
Watch the Baltimore Ravens against the Tennessee Titans from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium live on Sky this Sunday, with coverage from 1pm ahead of kickoff at 2.30pm.
