With Jalen Hurts starting and finishing a game, the Philadelphia Eagles had not lost a game since Week 4 of the 2024 season. That year-long streak came to a close when they faced off against the Denver Broncos. For the first three quarters, it looked like the first truly dominant win of the season was incoming for Philadelphia.
Leading 17-3, it didn’t seem like Denver had any chance against them. However, a miraculous rally in the fourth quarter allowed the Broncos to go 18-0 and secure an improbable 21-17 victory. It brought to an end an outstanding streak — one of two unbeaten teams that suffered their first loss of the 2025 NFL season in Week 5.
Have the Philadelphia Eagles Met Their Match?
Even though they started the season 4-0, the Eagles did not look like a juggernaut by any means. The offense didn’t function with the same fluidity as last season, and Saquon Barkley struggled to break loose.
Also, their defense, which had been among the best units in football last year, had taken a major step back, particularly against the passing game. Heading into Week 5, the Eagles had the 13th-best defense in the league based on PFSN’s Defense Impact metric. However, their experience and pedigree guided Philly to victory each time out.
That luck ended brutally against the Broncos in Week 5, as the team’s offensive struggles were on full display. As Hurts tried to heave it into the end zone on a Hail Mary, the Eagles star could not connect, and Denver walked away with the win.
Goedert looks like he gets pulled down by the Broncos defenders but the refs don’t throw a flag. pic.twitter.com/944sXuzlDI
— Rate the Refs (@Rate_the_Refs) October 5, 2025
The Eagles weren’t the only team to lose thier first game in Week 5, as the Buffalo Bills also ruined their perfect record with a 23-20 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday Night Football. Josh Allen didn’t look like himself, throwing an interception and losing a fumble in the tough loss. Buffalo turned the ball over three times in the game, as Keon Coleman also lost a fumble.
The biggest difference between Buffalo’s 4-0 start and Philly’s was the level of competition. The Bills faced just one opponent that made the playoffs last season, and through four weeks, their opponents combined for a 2-14 record.
The Eagles, on the other hand, had a challenging start to the season, going against the Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Three of those teams made the playoffs last year, and after four weeks, the quarter held a combined record of 9-6-1.
Now, both the Eagles and Bills are sitting at 4-1, and they will look to bounce back next week when Philly plays the New York Giants (on Thursday Night Football) and the Bills square off against the Atlanta Falcons (on Monday Night Football).