NFL Week 5 Overreactions and Underreactions: The Underrated Jaguars and 49ers

NFL Week 5 began and ended with tight games. Going into this season, no one could have anticipated the level of play in the AFC South. If someone told you that a team from that division shared a record with the Bills, you would have guessed the Houston Texans instead of the Jaguars and Colts. Also, if you had been told the Buffalo Bills had one loss through Week 5, you would have guessed they had lost to the Chiefs and not the New England Patriots. The NFL is marked by parity this season, leading to some significant overreactions and noticeable underreactions.

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NFL Week 5 Overreactions

Overreaction 1: The Bills Loss

The Buffalo Bills lost 24-31 to the New England Patriots. Yes, it is 2025 and not 2015. The Patriots managed to capitalize on three Buffalo turnovers, including two from Josh Allen. Buffalo's home loss will draw a lot of attention, but they're fine. The Bills' loss this week is similar to the Lions' loss in Week 1. It will draw headlines and panic, but when they win next week, everything will calm down. The other preseason favorites for the AFC, Baltimore, Kansas City, and Cincinnati, are all struggling. Buffalo only has one loss. Buffalo has the Atlanta Falcons and the Carolina Panthers up next on their schedule. They'll likely be 6-1 when they face off against Kansas City in November.

Overreaction 2: Jets 0-5 Start

Aaron Glenn took on a tough task when he accepted the head coaching position for the New York Jets. It was never going to be a quick turnaround, and the criticism was waiting around every corner. After all, this is New York. The same city that benched Russell Wilson after a 400-yard passing performance. It's either the coach or the quarterback in NYC, and since Justin Fields has combined for seven passing and rushing touchdowns with no interceptions, the criticism won't come for him in the way it will for Glenn. Just remember, Dan Campbell started 0-10-1 in Detroit. So, relax and see how the season progresses.

Overreaction 3: The Eagles Loss

The post-game coverage for the Philadelphia Eagles' 21-17 loss to the Denver Broncos would have made you think they had been blown out or had dropped to 1-4. Neither is true. They didn't play their best game, but for the fifth week in a row, they were in a one-score game. Being held to 45 rushing yards might trigger some alarms, but the Super Bowl champs should be fine. In a week-to-week league, it is easy to overreact to one loss like this one. The other 4-1 NFC teams are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (with one loss to Philly), the Detroit Lions (another example of overreacting to a single loss), and the San Francisco 49ers (who they might need to watch out for).

NFL Week 5 Underreactions

Underreaction 1: Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars haven't received the same attention for their 4-1 start as the Indianapolis Colts have for theirs. The Colts' start may be more surprising, but the Jaguars have taken down the 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs. Trevor Lawrence isn't lighting the world on fire like Daniel Jones, but he and the Jaguars are getting the job done. Liam Coen has his team atop the AFC South through five games.

Underreaction 2: Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos have improved to 3-2 before heading into a stretch of their schedule that features several very winnable games. Games against the Jets, Giants, Cowboys, Texans, and Raiders should allow them to keep pace with their division rivals (Chargers and Chiefs). Their early-season loss to the Colts is looking less alarming with each passing week. Bo Nix and J.K. Dobbins are getting the job done on offense, and their defense is slowing opponents down. After falling to 1-2 early, they look like they have a clear path to win their division for the first time since 2015.

Underreaction 3: San Francisco's Win

Thursday Night Football results tend to get lost by Monday night, but the 49ers won, improving to 4-1 and taking the division lead behind a gutsy performance from Mac Jones. They defeated the Rams in overtime, 26-23. Sean McVay has been unable to consistently beat Kyle Shanahan, falling to 7-11 after this game. They are both great coaches, but the work that Shanahan is doing in San Francisco this year, with the team's injuries and lowered expectations, is nothing short of incredible. The 49ers won't get the attention of the Super Bowl champion Eagles or the high-powered Lions, but they should be in that conversation.

Best Games

49ers 26-23 overtime win over the Rams

The 49ers have owned this rivalry for a while now. The Rams were thought to be a Super Bowl contender, but perhaps they are pretenders.

Jaguars 31-28 win over the Chiefs

The Jaguars aren't setting the world on fire, but they continue to win.

Patriots 23-20 upset over the Bills

The Patriots turned back the clock and found a way to win.

Broncos 21-17 win over the Eagles

The Broncos have continued to win despite their slow start.

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