Joe's Final Drive: Week 5

The last unbeaten team in the NFL falls from the ranks, another top QB goes down with a concussion and a former division favorite drops a heart-breaker at home. Here are the top stories from week five in the NFL!

(3-1) Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24
(2-3) Cincinnati Bengals 21 

So what's going on in Cincinnati? Everyone's AFC "Dark Horse" pick for the Super Bowl has fallen off the map in the AFC North, losing to a young Tampa squad. The offense's struggles have been well documented, with Carson Palmer tossing a pick-six in the second quarter of this loss. If the offense gives up points, it doesn't matter how good the defense is. Raheem Morris has his Bucs in the NFC South race, a place no one expected them to be.

(3-2) Indianapolis Colts 19
(3-1) Kansas City Chiefs 9

So the last unbeaten team has fallen, giving those '72 Dolphins an early and quiet celebration. They played tremendous defense against Peyton Manning thanks to Romeo Crennel's schemes, but Matt Cassel is starting to look like a liability at quarterback. That hefty contract is starting to look awfully cumbersome. Still, KC can have moderate success in the AFC West and contend for the division. Jim Caldwell's Colts haven't looked all that mighty, but they're locked down for a 4-6 game win streak any day now.

(3-2) Washington Redskins 16
(3-2) Green Bay Packers 13

Not only do the Packers lose in overtime to the Skins, but the injuries are starting to pile up in a hurry. Top tight ends Jermichael Finley and Donald Lee both left the game with injuries as did defensive tackle Ryan Pickett. As hot as the Pack looked in the preseason, their play has dropped off significantly in the past few weeks. Aaron Rodgers suffered a concussion late, putting his status for next week in question. The 'Skins held this supposedly top offense to just 13 points, getting the much-needed win to stay even with the Giants and Eagles.

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(4-1) Baltimore Ravens 31
(2-3) Denver Broncos 17

What a surprise. The Ravens pounded down the Broncos. Did not see that one coming. At all. Seriously. The Ravens are undeniably legitimate AFC contender with quality wins on their resume. Kyle Orton continued his 300-yard passing streak, but he doesn't have much of a choice when his team runs for only 39 yards. Ouch.

(3-2) New York Giants 34
(3-2) Houston Texans 10

After dropping to the depths, the New York Giants have rebounded to stake their claim on the NFC East with an impressive win over the intimidating Texans. They built on their performance against the Bears by shutting down Matt Schaub and the Houston offense. For all the criticism Tom Coughlin received during their tough start, he should be getting a lot of credit now. His team has settled down and has tightened the clamps on defense.

(3-2) Arizona Cardinals 30
(3-2) New Orleans Saints 20

This was the "WTF" outcome of the weekend, without question. The Cardinals couldn't even mount an offensive touchdown but they managed to rack up 30 points and stun the Saints, who are clearly not the same team from a year ago. You let an undrafted rookie QB beat you in his first start? For shame. Now you're even further behind the Atlanta Falcons.

(3-2) Tennessee Titans 34
(1-3) Dallas Cowboys 27

Let's be clear, this loss isn't all Tony Romo's fault. I mean, the guy did pass for over 400 yards. Maybe the Cowboy special teams shouldn't give up a near touchdown late in the fourth? Or perhaps the defense could have decided to hold the Titans to a field goal on just ONE of those touchdowns. Giving up over 150 yards on the ground isn't a recipe for success. And for an awfully predictable Titans offense, they're finding ways to win.

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(2-3) Oakland Raiders 35
(2-3) San Diego Chargers 27

Just like Miami's dismissal of their special teams coach thanks to last Monday night's debacle, San Diego needs to make a move this week. Two blocked punts are just the latest slip-ups in a series of blunders that have cost the Chargers games they were supposed to win. Norv Turner's offense can load up on statistics as much as they want, they still aren't avoiding these slow starts and they can't win in the playoffs. What else is new? Maybe this win gives Tom Cable to actually stick with Jason Campbell at quarterback instead of jumping off the ship two games in. Ridiculous.

(3-2) Philadelphia Eagles 27
(0-5) San Francisco 49ers 24

Something tells me the Niners aren't winning their division. At 0-5, Mike Singletary can't ride Alex Smith any further. The first overall pick shows glimpses of progress as he did last night to close the gap, but then he'll turn right back around and make horrible mistakes that derail the team's momentum. For Andy Reid, the Kevin Kolb he expected all along showed up last night, backed by the running game we never see emerge from Reid's playbook.

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(4-1) New York Jets 29
(1-3) Minnesota Vikings 20

On a night when Brett Favre's off the field sexting drew the attention from the boastful Jets, age again reared its ugly head. Sacked four times, intercepted once and fumbling twice, Favre and his aching elbow just couldn't complete the comeback against Rex Ryan's defense, even with Randy Moss. Now the Vikings are deep in a hole and staring up at the Packers and Bears. Mark Sanchez wasn't dynamic under center, but he avoided the big mistakes and made enough throws when they needed him to. Rushing for 155 yards on the ground, the Jet offense took advantage of a Viking defense that simply wore down. Good times.

On to week six!