The Hammer Monday Week 5/6 - Takeaways, Injuries and Early Leans

Suuma's Takeaways from Week 5
By: Suuma, NFL Originator

1. Justin Herbert, balling out alone

The Chargers’ season is starting to feel like a bad rerun: Justin Herbert playing hero while everything around him collapses. Sunday was another clinic in what it looks like when one quarterback carries a broken operation.
The box score won’t show it, but the self-inflicted wounds were relentless: a Quentin Johnston fumble with the Chargers driving to go up 17-0; a roughing-the-punter penalty that erased a touchdown, turning a potential 17-7 lead into 10-10; a deflected interception; Hampton injured just short of the goal line; and ten penalties, several wiping out first downs — including conversions on 2nd-and-19 and 2nd-and-28 that Herbert created out of thin air.

He’s been let down again and again. Even his four interceptions this year barely belong to him:
• Tipped pass vs Broncos
• Tipped pass vs Giants
• McConkey tripped by Tyler Conklin
• Tipped pass vs Commanders

It’s the same story: Herbert making absurd throws, dragging a disjointed roster, and watching it unravel in slow motion.

2. Brian Schottenheimer — the hidden star of 2025

Dallas’ offense should be unwatchable on paper. They signed Javonte Williams for just $3 million to be the lead back. CeeDee Lamb went down in Week 3. Four of five starting linemen have already missed games. Cooper Beebe is on IR, Tyler Booker has missed two straight, and both Tyler Smith and Tyler Guyton were out against the Jets. On Sunday, their starting offensive line looked like a training-camp depth chart:

• LT – 7th-round pick
• LG – 6th-round pick
• C – UDFA
• RG – UDFA
• RT – UDFA

Despite that, Dallas - who closed as a 2-point underdog — still moved the ball at will. They did it the same way they’ve almost beaten the Packers: structure, sequencing, and a plan that protects the QB. Schottenheimer’s offense has Dak Prescott playing some of his most efficient football, and the run game is the engine.

Here’s the crazy part: the Cowboys lead the NFL in rushing success rate, even behind that patchwork line. Everything they do — the play-action, the quick game, the shot plays — builds off that foundation. The Jets’ defense bit on play-fakes like it was the free samples aisle at Costco. Brian Schottenheimer won’t win any awards, but right now he’s the quiet MVP of the Cowboys’ season.

3. Drew Petzing is coaching his way out of a job

It’s year three of the Jonathan Gannon era, and the Cardinals’ offense still looks lost. Last season, the run game was their strength — top-8 in rushing efficiency — but they couldn’t build consistent drives or generate explosive plays through the air. This year, even that strength is gone. Arizona ranks dead last in rushing success rate (29.7%), worse than the 2024 Raiders, who finished at 33.2%.

The problem isn’t just talent — it’s approach. Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing keeps calling games as if he still has a dominant run game to lean on. Against the Saints, Panthers, and Titans, Arizona repeatedly took its foot off the gas in second halves, trying to “grind out” wins that required a passing spark. Instead, they ran straight into brick walls.

They still haven’t figured out how to feature Marvin Harrison Jr. as a true WR1, either. The passing offense is two parts Trey McBride YAC, one part Kyler Murray hero ball, and no real plan behind it. It’s stale, predictable football — and it’s wasting Murray’s improvisational gifts.

At this point, it’s hard to identify what Gannon really brings as a head coach. But one thing feels certain: if this continues, Drew Petzing will be the first to go. When that happens, Gannon will need to find a miracle play-caller just to save both the season and his own job.

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Rob and Clive's Early Leans for Week 6

Rob:
New England/New Orleans Over 45.5 (-110)
Chicago +4.5 (-110) vs. Washington

Clive:
Tennessee/Las Vegas Under 41.5 (-105)
Chicago/Washington Under 50.5 (-120)

Both:
Philadelphia/NY Giants Under 42.5 (-110)
LA Chargers/Miami Under 45.5 (-110)

To watch their game by game analysis of Week 6 Click Here: 

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Injuries We are Watching for Week 6
*Note for teams returning from bye, the list is made up of the injuries they had going into the bye week.

Arizona - QB Kyler Murray (Banged up/Returned), CB Max Melton (Injured Inactive), OG Evan Brown (Injured Inactive), DT Darius Robinson (Injured Inactive)
Atlanta (Return from Bye) - CB A.J. Terrell, WR Darnell Mooney
Baltimore - QB Lamar Jackson (Injured Inactive), OT Ronnie Stanley (Injured Inactive), S Kyle Hamilton (Injured Inactive), LB Roquan Smith (Injured Inactive), CB Marlon Humphrey (Injured Inactive), CB Chidobe Awuzie (Injured Inactive), FB Patrick Ricard (Injured Inactive)
Buffalo - DT Ed Oliver (Injured Inactive), DT T.J. Sanders (Injured Inactive), LB Matt Milano (Left Game), LB Dorian Williams (Injured Inactive)
Carolina - RB Chuba Hubbard (Injured Inactive), RB Rico Dowdle (Left Game), DT Tershawn Wharton (Injured Inactive), CB Chau Smith-Wade (Injured Inactive), TE Ja'Tavion Sanders (Injured Inactive)
Chicago (Return from Bye) - CB Kyler Gordon, LB T.J. Edwards, DT Grady Jarrett, OT Darnell Wright, TE Colston Loveland
Cincinnati - EDGE Shemar Stewart (Injured Inactive)
Cleveland - Nothing of Note
Dallas - WR CeeDee Lamb (Injured Inactive), OT Tyler Guyton (Injured Inactive), OG Tyler Smith (Dressed/Unavailable), OG Tyler Booker (Injured Inactive), TE Jake Ferguson (Left Game), WR KaVontae Turpin (Injured Inactive), EDGE Marshawn Kneeland (Injured Inactive), LB Jack Sanborn (Left Game)
Denver - OG Ben Powers (Left Game)
Detroit - OT Taylor Decker (Injured Inactive), CB Terrion Arnold (Left Game), CB Rock Ya-Sin (Banged up/Left Twice), WR Kalif Raymond (Left Game)
Green Bay (Return from Bye) - OT Zach Tom, OG Aaron Banks, OT Anthony Belton, DT Devonte Wyatt, CB Nate Hobbs
Houston (Bye Week) - Nothing of Note
Indianapolis - CB Kenny Moore II (Injured Inactive), DT Grover Stewart (Left Game), WR Alec Pierce (Injured Inactive), CB Mike Hilton (Left Game), K Spencer Shrader (Left Game)
Jacksonville - TBD (Playing Tonight)
Kansas City - TBD (Playing Tonight)
Las Vegas - TE Brock Bowers (Injured Inactive), TE Michael Mayer (Injured Inactive), CB Eric Stokes (Injured Inactive), LB Germaine Pratt (Injured Inactive)
L.A Chargers - OT Joe Alt (Injured Inactive), OT Trey Pipkins (Left Game), OG Mekhi Becton (Left Game), RB Omarion Hampton (Left Game), DT Da'Shawn Hand (Left Game), TE Will Dissly (Injured Inactive)
L.A Rams - OT Rob Havenstein (Injured Inactive), TE Tyler Higbee (Injured Inactive)
Miami - CB Storm Duck (Injured Inactive), LB Tyrel Dodson (Left Game)
Minnesota (Bye Week) - QB Carson Wentz (Banged up/Returned), QB J.J. McCarthy (Injured Inactive), EDGE Andrew Van Ginkel (Injured Inactive), OT Brian O'Neill (Injured Inactive), OG Donovan Jackson (Injured Inactive), C Michael Jurgens (Injured Inactive)
New England - EDGE K'Lavon Chaisson (Injured Inactive), EDGE Keion White (Left Game), RB Antonio Gibson (Left Game)
New Orleans - OG Cesar Ruiz (Injured Inactive), EDGE Chase Young (Injured Inactive), CB Isaac Yiadom (Injured Inactive), S Justin Reid (Left Game)
New York Giants - RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (Injured Inactive),  WR Darius Slayton (Left Game)
New York Jets - EDGE Jermaine Johnson II (Injured Inactive), CB Michael Carter II (Injured Inactive)
Philadelphia - OG Landon Dickerson (Left Game)
Pittsburgh (Return from Bye) - EDGE Alex Highsmith, CB Joey Porter Jr., RB Jaylen Warren, WR Calvin Austin III, CB Jalen Ramsey, CB Brandin Echols
San Francisco - QB Brock Purdy (Injured Inactive), WR Ricky Pearsall (Injured Inactive), WR Jauan Jennings (Injured Inactive), EDGE Yetur Gross-Matos (Left Game), LB Dee Winters (Left Game), DT Kalia Davis (Left Game), DT Afred Collins (Left Game)
Seattle - CB Devon Witherspoon (Injured Inactive), CB Tariq Woolen (Left Game), S Julian Love (Injured Inactive), S Nick Emmanwori (Banged up/Returned), EDGE Derick Hall (Left Game), EDGE Demarcus Lawrence (Injured Inactive)
Tampa Bay - WR Mike Evans (Injured Inactive), RB Bucky Irving (Injured Inactive), CB Jamel Dean (Injured Inactive), CB Benjamin Morrison (Injured Inactive)
Tennessee - OT JC Latham (Injured Inactive), OT Blake Hance (Injured Inactive), EDGE Arden Key (Left Game)
Washington - WR Terry McLaurin (Injured Inactive), WR Noah Brown (Injured Inactive)
 

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