Things are looking up for some players.
Week 5 of the 2024 NFL season had some brilliant games, and while some players continued their red-hot form, others once against disappointed. So, who’s hot? Who’s not?
Let’s start with the positives, shall we?
The only correct place to start is with Washington Commanders’ rookie QB, Jayden Daniels. CJ Stroud impressed us all as a rookie last season, but Daniels could go above and beyond.
Daniels is one of only three rookie quarterbacks to start and win four of his first five games in the NFL. The others, for you boffins, are Dak Prescott and Joe Ferguson – back in 1973 for the Bills.
The Commanders’ Week 5 win over the Cleveland Browns was another impressive outing from Daniels. The rookie is the first player in NFL history with over 1,000 passing yards and 250 rushing yards in his first five games.
Washington has a long list of failed QBs in recent history. That run looks like it could be at an end!
Who else impressed?
Daniels was not the only player to catch the eye in Week 5.
Jacksonville Jaguars’ second-year running back Tank Bigsby continued to eat into Travis Etienne’s workload on Sunday.
And Bigsby had a fourth quarter to remember, as the Jags finally got into the win column against the Colts.
The 22-year-old ripped off a 65-yard touchdown, which helped him on the way to a 13-101-2 line for the game.
Other honourable mentions go to Dallas Cowboys WR Jalen Tolbert and Atlanta Falcons WR Darnell Mooney.
Both players stepped up in their WR2 roles. Tolbert caught the game-winning touchdown on Sunday Night Football, while Mooney caught nine of 16 targets for 105 yards and two touchdowns.
Who struggled in Week 5?
When Isiah Pacheco went down to injury, the door crept open for rookie Carson Steele.
Steele made a name for himself during preseason, and impressed so much that he earned a spot on the Kansas City Chiefs’ 53-man regular season roster.
Things have not quite gone to plan since that point, however. And against the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football, Steele fumbled the ball for a third time in four games.
He has now been held to under three yards per carry across the last two games, totally just seven rush attempts. Unfortunately for the rookie, it is clear the backfield now belongs to Kareem Hunt – until Pacheco returns.
In the very same game, it was also a tough night for New Orleans Saints WR Chris Olave.
Yes, Olave was up against one of the league’s best corners in Trent McDuffie, but he caught just two passes for 10 yards in a game the Saints needed him to step up.
Olave will have better games, but this is the fourth time in five games he has had six or fewer catches, and he has scored just one touchdown this season.
Two other names to mention are a couple of the NFL’s very best running backs – Atlanta Falcons’ Bijan Robinson and New York Jets’ Breece Hall.
Like Olave, there is no doubt that these two have better days ahead, but Week 5 proved to be a struggle for both once again.
Hall has had back-to-back games with under 40 yards from scrimmage. And although Robinson had a more respectable 77 yards on Thursday Night Football, he has still only found the end zone once in 2024.
