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The fifth week of the NFL season delivered several exciting finishes and closely contested games, with a notable spotlight on former Oregon Ducks quarterbacks. Three such signal-callers started for their respective teams, and two of them went head-to-head: Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers and Bo Nix of the Denver Broncos.
In an AFC West battle at SoFi Stadium on Sunday, Nix got the better of Herbert as the Broncos emerged victorious with a 23-17 win. Surprisingly, both quarterbacks threw for fewer than 150 passing yards. Nix completed 16 of 27 passes for 123 yards and a touchdown, while Herbert's struggles persisted, finishing with 121 yards, one touchdown, and one interception on 14-of-24 passing.
Herbert has now thrown an interception in every game this season, bringing his total to 937 passing yards, five touchdowns, and seven interceptions through five games. The Chargers have fallen to a dismal 0-5 record, a shocking turn for a team that was considered a Super Bowl contender in the preseason and is now in contention for a top pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. Herbert's touchdown-to-interception ratio is particularly alarming, especially considering that just two seasons ago he threw only three interceptions all year. His current quarterback rating of 27.0 is the lowest among all NFL starting quarterbacks.
Herbert and the winless Chargers will now hit the road to face the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, a place where their troubles could worsen, before returning home to play the Los Angeles Rams. Meanwhile, Nix and the Broncos remain tied for second place in the AFC West with the Las Vegas Raiders. They will return to action on Thursday night against quarterback Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks, setting up a matchup between former Oregon and USC quarterbacks.
Key Analysis
Elsewhere, former Ducks quarterback Tyler Shough and the New Orleans Saints suffered a 23-13 home loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Shough struggled against a Vikings defense led by Brian Flores, as Minnesota remained undefeated in the NFC at 5-0, tied with the San Francisco 49ers. Shough completed 16 of 25 passes for 96 yards and two interceptions, marking his lowest passing yardage of the season and the second time he has thrown multiple interceptions; the first came in the Saints' 31-30 season-opening loss to the Detroit Lions on Sept. 13.
With the loss, Shough and the Saints are now tied for last place in the NFC South with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 1-4. The Buccaneers earned their first win of the season with a 24-16 upset over the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night.