On same day Alex Smith made his NFL return, Dak Prescott suffered a gruesome leg injury of his own. Here's our Week 5 breakdown
On a day when one quarterback (Alex Smith) played for the first time since suffering a horrific leg injury during the 2018 season, a quarterback who was on pace for a record-setting season (Dak Prescott) had to endure a scary injury of his own.
Prescott's injury was a devastating development for Dallas. Prescott suffered a compound fracture and dislocation of his right ankle. He now faces a long road to physical recovery.
Elsewhere in Week 5 in the NFL, the Raiders pulled off one of young season's most surprising results, upsetting the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs. The best division in football? Maybe it's the AFC North, where the unbeaten Steelers, Ravens and Browns (yes, the Browns!) all look like legit playoff contenders.
Quick hits: Catch up on Sunday's best
- The NFL world was devastated for Cowboys QB Dak Prescott after his gruesome leg injury.
- What does a compound fracture mean for Dak Prescott?
- Former Dallas coach and current Giants offensive coordinator Jason Garrett stood alongside new Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy to console Dak Prescott after his leg injury.
- NFL fans were especially upset with Jerry Jones after Dak Prescott's leg injury.
- Dak Prescott's brother shared an uplifting photo and message from the hospital.
- Cowboys fans were angry on Twitter after Jason Garrett called a flea-flicker on his team's first drive.
- Patrick Mahomes pulled off another throw that's impossible for basically every other NFL QB.
- Alex Smith made his long-anticipated return to action Sunday, almost two years after suffering a gruesome leg injury.
- The Saints ruled out receiver Michael Thomas for Monday night's game against the Chargers because he had an altercation with a teammate in practice.
- Jimmy Garoppolo's return from a sprained ankle was short-lived, as the QB was benched at halftime with the 49ers down by 23 points.
- Steelers WR Chase Claypool makes perfect use of a Tom Brady meme after scoring four touchdowns against the Eagles.
- J.J. Watt appeared to take a swipe at Bill O'Brien after the Texans' first win of the season.
- Twitter mocked the Jaguars for an awful fourth-down conversion attempt against the Texans.
- Vic Fangio doesn’t want to hear about how the Broncos are getting suckered by the NFL after their game at New England was postponed for a second time Sunday.
- The Lions might be on bye this week, but that didn't stop Fox analyst Terry Bradshaw from calling for Matt Patricia's job again.
Key Week 5 story lines
- 32 things we learned in Week 5: While it seems the Raiders have found the right formula to compete against the Chiefs, the Jets and Giants are a combined 0-10 for the first time.
- Week 5 winners and losers: Could this finally be the year that the Browns are contenders? Also, how much will COVID-19 wreak havoc on the season?
- 'We are all heartbroken': Dak Prescott's gruesome ankle injury leaves Cowboys with much to process.
- Alex Smith's return from injury was a triumph: Returning to the field two years after a gruesome injury, Smith proved triumphant even in the Washington Football Team's loss, Mike Jones writes.
- Big Ben should know better: Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger has no reason to whine about COVID-19 disruptions, Jarrett Bell writes.
- Browns are looking legit: After a convincing win over the Colts, it might be time to believe in Cleveland, Marla Ridenour writes.
- Falcons fire head coach, GM: Dan Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff were fired Sunday after the Falcons fell to 0-5 with a loss to the Panthers.
- NFL reshuffles schedule: Eight NFL teams' schedules were reconfigured in some fashion on Sunday in light of multiple recent positive tests for COVID-19.
Week 5 rundown
- Seahawks 27, Vikings 26: Russell Wilson and DK Metcalf provided the late-game heroics as Seattle remained unbeaten.
- Browns 32, Colts 23: The Browns improved to 4-1 for the first time since 1994, when they produced a 6-1 start to the season under coach Bill Belichick.
- Cowboys 37, Giants 34: Playing in place of injured Dak Prescott, Andy Dalton put the Cowboys in place to win on a game-ending field goal.
- Dolphins 43, 49ers 17: The Dolphins dropping a 40-burger on the reigning NFC champs was one of the more surprising results of Week 5.
- Rams 30, Washington 10: The Rams spoiled Alex Smith's return after a gruesome leg injury in 2018.
- Steelers 38, Eagles 29: This fun fact might come as a surprise: Pittsburgh is 4-0 for the first time in 41 years.
- Cardinals 30, Jets 10: Kyler Murray had a career day as the Jets fell to 0-5.
- Raiders 40, Chiefs 32: The Raiders pulled off a stunner at Arrowhead, and ended the Chiefs' franchise-record winning streak at 13 games.
- Panthers 23, Falcons 16: While the Panthers won their third in a row, the Falcons dropped to 0-5 for the first time since 1997.
- Ravens 27, Bengals 3: The Ravens defense made life miserable for Joe Burrow, who was sacked seven times in the rout.
- Texans 30, Jaguars 14: The Texans are undefeated with interim head coach Romeo Crennel.
- Bears 20, Buccaneers 19 (Thurs.): Nick Foles got the best of Tom Brady, again.
Eyes on the (fantasy) prize
Several wide receivers jump out as this week’s top targets on the fantasy waiver wire.
The Steelers’ Chase Claypool will certainly be the prize pickup after his four-TD explosion against the Eagles. With a bye week in the rearview and several favorable matchups coming up, he’s worth using the No. 1 waiver priority or spending 50% (or more) of your free agent budget.
The Eagles also got a breakout performance from a young wideout as second-year pro Travis Fulgham caught 10 passes for 152 yards and a touchdown. He hadn’t played a single snap in 2020 until last week, when he also found the end zone. Perhaps Carson Wentz has finally found a go-to receiver.
Raiders rookie Henry Ruggs has been limited by a knee injury, but he showed big-play ability with a pair of receptions -- including a 72-yard touchdown. Las Vegas has a bye in Week 6, making Ruggs a sneaky stash for future weeks.
And the Dolphins’ Preston Williams had his best game of the season, with four catches for 196 yards and a score.
Finally, a devastating injury cut short what was shaping up to be a record-setting season for Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. While backup Andy Dalton can’t possibly live up to the standard Prescott set, the great receiving corps is still intact. It’s not a stretch to see Dalton stepping in an putting up QB1 numbers.
Coming this week
Monday: Week 5 continues with the New Orleans Saints hosting the Los Angeles Chargers (8:15 p.m., ESPN) as rookie quarterback Justin Herbert faces the veteran passer, Drew Brees.
Tuesday: Despite another positive COVID-19 test, the Tennessee Titans will host the Buffalo Bills in a rare Tuesday NFL game (7 p.m. ET, CBS). If the game is played as scheduled, it will be just the second NFL game since 1946 to be played on a Tuesday.
Wednesday: Paste BN Sports offers its power rankings for all 32 NFL teams after Week 5.
Thursday: Be sure to check Paste BN Sports for its expert picks for Week 6.
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