The NFL Roundup 2017: Week 5 - What We Learned

Written by John Edward Betancourt

(Associated Press)

Another week of football, another week filled to the brim with surprises and stunning finishes. Over the course of the weekend, we saw teams challenge titans, only to fall short in the waning moments of the game. We saw rookie heroes rise and fall and we even saw a solid veteran, who rarely falters, succumb to momentum and perhaps something more. Either way, it was another thrilling weekend of football, one that taught us plenty about our favorite teams and players and here is what we learned from Week 5 in the NFL. 

​Sunday's performance may have signaled the beginning of the end for Ben Roethlisberger.
It goes without saying that Big Ben is an elite quarterback and has accomplished wonders in this league, but every single player in this league unfortunately has a shelf life and one has to wonder, has Ben reached his expiration date? After all, his play on Sunday was downright atrocious as he threw for five interceptions, several of which were returned for touchdowns. But while quarterbacks can have bad days, there was something strange about Ben's collapse. He seemed lost on the field and lethargic in his play and he even fired off a glib remark about 'not having it anymore' in his press conference, something he quickly backtracked on and well...one has to wonder if he's right. Is his heart in the game anymore? Does he still have the physical skills to perform at a high level? Sadly only time will answer those questions, but Sunday's loss to the Jaguars was supremely ominous when it comes to Ben's career.

It's time for another ride on the Cleveland Browns Quarterback Carousel.
What's sad about the Browns, is that deep down, I want to see this team succeed. It's just pitiful to see them lose game after game, year after year and try so hard to improve the roster to finally put together some success and this year, I honestly had an inkling of hope that maybe, just maybe, the arrival of DeShone Kizer might be the start of something special. Yet, here we are again. The Browns are 0-5 and the savior under center saw himself benched on Sunday in favor of Kevin Hogan and well, who knows where they go from here. It really seemed as though Head Coach Hue Jackson was going to stick with the kid, let him take his lumps and hopefully seem him grow but with his job no doubt on the line soon, he did what he had to do and at this point, until ownership is willing to be patient, and willing to invest in top tier talent at all levels, football fans everywhere might as well settle in and enjoy the circus that is the Browns and watch as their Quarterback Carousel just keeps on spinning.

The time has come for the Miami Dolphins to bench Jay Cutler. 
Look, I get it. Cutler felt he had something left in the tank and wanted to prove to the football world they made a mistake in not signing him to a team in the offseason as their starter. But sometimes the football world gets things right, they believed Cutler was done and his play so far this season proves that he is. Sure he had some last minute heroics in Sunday's game, but for the most part in that matchup, he was awful and prior to that game, he's been awful and at this point, it's time to sit him down, let him collect his ten million dollars and start Matt Moore and let's be honest, Matt really is the better option at QB. He's proven himself to be solid off the bench, he has a wonderful grasp of Adam Gase's playbook, and he's a far more inspiring leader than a QB who stood on the field and did nothing during a wildcat play a few weeks ago.

Where do the New York Giants go from here? 
When you're 0-5 as a franchise, things are basically at their lowest. But believe it or not, it's possible for things to go from bad to worse in the NFL and for proof, look no further than the New York Giants. Because not only have they suffered heartbreaking loss after heartbreaking loss, they're now facing a medical crisis on the field since their top two receivers, Brandon Marshall and Odell Beckham Jr., are headed to injured reserve with ankle injuries, ending their season and decimating the offense and at this point, I think everyone is wondering how the Giants will recover from this kind of disaster. After all, the free agent market is thin this time of year so really...it's up to the backups and whomever else the Giants bring in to set up to the plate if New York wants to salvage their season and if the new guys can't perform, well, expect the Giants to target a big time receiver in the offseason by way of the draft, free agency or a trade, or all three so they can get back to their winning ways in 2018 and beyond.

The Kansas City Chiefs, are the real deal.
Around this time every year, we are left wondering as to whether or not the current undefeated teams are really as good as advertised and for proof as to why people doubt said teams, look no further than the 2016 Minnesota Vikings. But this year, well this year I'm quickly coming to realize that the Kansas City Chiefs are a damn good football team and they're going to be very hard to beat as the season rolls on. After all, great teams answer adversity and never crumble under pressure and that's the Chiefs in nutshell, because the Texans challenged them hard on Sunday Night Football and Kansas City remained calm throughout the game, and executed their game plan and the end result, is another win, a wonderful record and the knowledge that they can handle whatever their opponents throw at them.

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