NFL Week 5 cheat sheet: Will Eagles unleash A.J. Brown? Browns rookie QB to debut in London vs. Vikings

The calendar has officially flipped to October, and the second month of the 2025 NFL season is on deck. The league is coming off an incredible slate in Week 4, and Week 5 promises to carry the baton, with several intriguing games/storylines that we’re monitoring. For instance, we have another international game to begin the Sunday slate, which includes the debut of a rookie quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. Stateside, both the Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles will look to remain undefeated after a perfect opening month, while a trio of other clubs are still hunting for their first win of 2025. 

As we await kickoff for the full Sunday slate, let’s make sure you’re caught up on all the major talking points heading into Week 5. Below, this cheat sheet will be your one-stop shop for everything you need to know surrounding Week 5, ranging from the top storylines, game of the week, and some betting and fantasy advice.

Notable Week 5 storylines

London games begin 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 

Don’t put away your passport yet, because the international games are just getting started. After the Vikings and Steelers went toe-to-toe in Dublin, Ireland, last week, it’s now London’s turn for some NFL action. Sunday marks the beginning of a three-week period during which the league will play in England. First up will be the Vikings taking on the Browns. Minnesota is the first team to play international games in different countries in back-to-back weeks. 

Here’s a look at the upcoming London games: 

Later this year, the NFL will also have international games in Berlin, Germany (Week 10) and Madrid, Spain (Week 11). 

Dillon Gabriel named the Browns starting QB

Another fascinating layer to Sunday’s London game is that the Cleveland Browns will be trotting out a new starting quarterback. This week, coach Kevin Stefanski announced that veteran Joe Flacco will be benched in favor of rookie Dillon Gabriel. 

Gabriel’s ascension atop the depth chart doesn’t come as too much of a shock after seeing Flacco through the first month. The 40-year-old signal-caller ranked bottom two among qualified quarterbacks in completion percentage (58%), yards per attempt (5.1), touchdown-to-interception ratio (2:6) and passer rating (60.3). Given those numbers, it makes sense for Cleveland to see what they have in Gabriel, but the spot is rough for the rookie as the Vikings boast one of the best defenses in the NFL. 

Here are some nuggets about Gabriel and his first start for the Browns:

• Third round pick (No. 94 overall) at the 2025 NFL Draft.
• Played his final collegiate season at Oregon.
• Big Ten Most Valuable Player in 2024
• 41st different starting quarterback for the Browns since 1991
• Browns QBs are 0-16 in their first career start since 1991
• Gabriel will be the first quarterback in NFL history to make his first start outside of the United States.

Will A.J. Brown be more involved in Eagles offense?

It’s been a weird first month of the season for A.J. Brown. On the one hand, he’s starting for the defending Super Bowl champions, who have begun their title defense with a perfect 4-0 record. On the other hand, the wideout has barely been involved in the offense, and frustrations are starting to boil over. After last week’s win over the Buccaneers, where he caught two passes (nine targets) for seven yards, Brown took to social media with a cryptic message that said, in part, “If you’re not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw.” 

This week, Brown addressed that post and admitted that his frustrations got the better of him while also telling reporters, “This is my home. I love it here.” While things may have simmered for Brown, the next question is whether he can return to being a prolific piece of this offense. 

We’ve never seen a superstar WR get ghosted quite like what the Eagles are doing to A.J. Brown

Douglas Clawson

At the moment, Brown has 151 receiving yards this season, which is tied for 66th in the NFL entering Week 5. The bulk of those totals (109) came in the second half of Week 3. As noted by CBS Sports Research, there have been two stretches this season where Brown has essentially gone four quarters without a catch. 

Jayden Daniels set to return after two-game absence

The Washington Commanders are set to welcome back their franchise quarterback, Jayden Daniels, in Week 5. The second-year quarterback had been sidelined for the previous two games due to a sprained left knee he suffered in Week 2 against the Green Bay Packers. Coach Dan Quinn told reporters this week that Daniels has been medically cleared to return, and the quarterback said this week, “I plan on going out there on Sunday.”

Washington went 1-1 in Daniels’ absence and will now take on the Los Angeles Chargers on the road in Week 5. 

Lamar Jackson dealing with hamstring injury

The Baltimore Ravens have been hit hard by injuries, none more notable than the situation surrounding Lamar Jackson. The MVP quarterback exited last Sunday’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs with a hamstring injury, and reportedly could miss multiple weeks because of the ailment. He has yet to practice this week (Wednesday and Thursday), so his availability for Week 5’s matchup against the Houston Texans is very much in doubt. If he is sidelined, backup Cooper Rush would get the start. 

Bye weeks 😴 

For the first time this season, teams will be on the bye in Week 5. Here’s a look at who will not be playing this week:

Still winless

Still undefeated

• Buffalo Bills (Week 5 opponent: vs. New England Patriots)
• Philadelphia Eagles (Week 5 opponent: vs. Denver Broncos)

Gambling window

Game of the Week: Patriots vs. Bills

We have an AFC East showdown on “Sunday Night Football” when the New England Patriots head into Highmark Stadium to face the Buffalo Bills. Of course, Buffalo is the runaway favorite to win this division, but their next-biggest rival is a New England squad that appears to be on the doorstep of a breakout. The club has been up-and-down through the first month, but flashed its potential in Week 4 with a 42-13 win over Carolina. Specifically, Drake Maye‘s emergence in Year 2 has been noteworthy. The former No. 3 overall pick comes into this game leading the league with a 74% completion rate to go along with 247 yards passing and a 109.4 passer rating. He’s thrown for seven touchdowns and two interceptions, while adding two more touchdowns on the ground. 

This will be Maye’s toughest task of the young season as the Bills are jumping out as the team to beat in the entire AFC. They are a perfect 4-0 coming into Week 5 and have dropped at least 30 points in each of those contests. Buffalo’s offense is second in the NFL in points per game (33.3) and total yards per game (404.0). They also lead the league in rushing yards per game (163.5). Josh Allen, the NFL’s defending MVP, is just one of two quarterbacks to have 10 total touchdowns so far this season. 

Another notable aspect of this game is that it’ll be Stefon Diggs‘ first game back in Buffalo since the team traded him to Houston in April 2024. As a member of the Texans last season, Diggs, who spent four seasons with the Bills, did face them in Week 5, but that game was at NRG Stadium. In that game, Diggs caught six of his eight targets for 82 yards.