2026 Week Five Scoring Report

Let's see...  In the Monday nighter alone:

• 23 penalties
• 35 points in the fourth quarter
• A five-bagger (3 Cliffhangers, 2 Last Chance Misses)
• And the third overtime game of the week.

So that leaves us with this for the week:

• 208 penalties for the 15 games, almost 14 a game.
• The Packers had only 4 in their BTA job on the Bears (that went completely against NFL history type), meaning now the Cleveland Browns lead the league in flags.
• 726 points this week, 48.4 a game
• Season:  3684 points for 79 games, 46.63 a game
• Bad week for the home teams.  Only 4-9-1 this week.  Season:  40-34-1.  (.540)
• Historic week in one sense:  The first known time that a division went winless in a week in which at least two teams within the division played each other.  (NFC (L)East)
• Along with the three overtime games, six games finished outside of one score.
• Of those six, four were non-competitive, making 48/79 games within one score.
• And now the fun part:  
• Eight Cliffhangers, but only in 4 games:  Double Cliffhangers in London and the Sunday nighter, Triple Cliffhanger Monday night.  Meaning, for the season:  29 Cliffhangers, but only in 17 games.
• Nine Last Chance Misses in six games.  Double in the Monday nighter with the Triple Cliffhanger, Triple in that debacle in Washington.  Meaning, of the 48 games finishing within one score, 17 have changed or tied 2 minute warning second half or later, but 34 have had at least one team fail to do so.
• Multiples:
• Double Cliffhanger in London.  Philly gets the lead at 17-16 with eight seconds left, promptly gives up another huge kickoff return -- this one stands) and gets kicked out at the gun.
• Four-bagger, including a Triple Last Chance miss in that draw in Washington.  Tying and last scoring touchdown for 27-27 at 1:43 for New York.  New York misses a field goal two minutes into the overtime, three and out punt, New York fumbles it away first down at the Washington 24 at 1:55 left, you know the rest.
• Double Cliffhanger in the Sunday nighter.  TD+2 to tie it for Baltimore at 40 seconds.  Atlanta can't quite get it to an LCM on regulation.  Seven minute touchdown drive wins it in the OT for Baltimore.  Pick at the Baltimore 40 seals it.
• Five-bagger -- Triple Cliffhanger, Double Last Chance Miss -- in the Monday nighter.  James Cook breaks the tie for Buffalo at 1:39 of regulation.  The Rams tie it back up with five seconds left.  Buffalo then gets the ball first in OT, and fumbles it at the Rams' 22.  The Rams then get a field goal to win it blocked, and THEN finally Buffalo wins it just after the overtime two-minute warning.

2026 Supplemental Discipline Blotter: Greenlaw should NOT use his head.

• San Francisco:  Dre Greenlaw, banned one game for that headbutt.  Will cost Greenlaw a little more than $140,000.

This is, in fact, the third time since 2022 Greenlaw has been ejected.  November 18, 2022 (for which he was additionally fined about $10,000) for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Justin Herbert.  And another sideline altercation (the famous Big Dom one) December 8, 2023 against Philadelphia (for which he was also fined about $10,000).

And this is his second suspension.  Separate to that, he was suspended in October of 2025 for abuse of officials.

Since the beginning of his career in 2019, this is his eighth disciplinary action in the NFL.

Side note:  Penalty count for the week so far (with one fewer game because of the first byes -- and it's two of the better early-season teams, KC and Carolina), 185.  A few fewer than has been, but still a bit.

After Further Review: And yep, they found the counterexample...

And what a shock, it's the Chiefs!!!

From this season!

Watch the second part of the replay, at the sideline.  Remember, they're telling you the ball spots where it crossed the plane of the boundary.

But the Chiefs got a first down here.

Okay I'm confused again. This play happened *this year* and was ruled a first down. How is this not the same situation with the ball breaking the plane of the sideline before crossing the line to gain? I need consistency one way or the other https://t.co/QBGtMVmU6U

— Seahawk Nerd (@SeahawkNerd) October 12, 2026

After Further Review: Another live one...

32-29 for undefeated San Francisco at 3-1 Seattle.

4th and 10 at midfield.  This catch by Cooper Kupp was ruled short, as rules analyst Dean Blandino tries to explain the screwjob:

Two great teams. It came down to this. https://t.co/RyJ1y4Nbnq

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 11, 2026

Don't believe me?  This angle might give you a better idea.

IT MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE HOW THIS WAS RULED SHORT OF A FIRST DOWN. COOPER KUPP NEVER STEPPED OUT OF BOUNDS BEFORE EXTENDING THE BALL PAST THE FIRST-DOWN MARKER: https://t.co/WSGnwqXpSf

— MLFootball (@MLFootball) October 11, 2026

Kupp never contacts the ground out of bounds before reaching a full yard over the line to gain.  And they even have that angle to establish irrefutable evidence that he got there.

Blandino is actually claiming the ball is out of bounds once it breaks the plane of the sideline -- much the same way as a ball breaking the plane of the end zone scores the touchdown.

And it turns out we found the rule he's quoting...  

Rule 3, Section 20, Article 4:

"If the ball is in player possession when that player goes out of bounds, the out of bounds spot is the forward point of the ball when the ball crosses the sideline, or, if the ball does not cross the sideline, the forward point of the ball at the instant the player is out of bounds."

BUT...

Rule 3, Section 7, Note 3 of the NFL Rulebook, 2026 Edition:

"If any part of the foot hits out of bounds during the normal continuous motion of taking a step (heel-toe or toe-heel), then the foot is out of bounds. A player is inbounds if he drags his foot, or if there is a delay between the heel-toe or toe-heel touching the ground."   

Rule 3, Section 20, Article 3:

"A ball that is in player possession is out of bounds when the runner is out of bounds, or when the ball touches a boundary line or anything that is on or outside such line, except another player or an official."

So am I to then conclude that any such reach is actually immaterial, and an airborne person could actually lose several feet or a couple yards because of this contradiction?

Welcome to another rulebook contradiction to rig games.

We have the officials' explanation now.  They're saying 3-20-4 supersedes 3-20-3 and 3-7-3 -- the ball is dead and out of bounds upon it crossing the plane of the sideline in that case...

An interesting side note:  The Greenlaw ejection came from New York.

OK, NOW I found a live one!!!

It is now clear that the NFL has an agenda for the New York Giants.

I do not, at this point, know how far this goes, etc. and so forth.

But THIS was the last play of the 27-27 tie between the Commanders and the Giants.  Explain to me THIS play call if there isn't something grander going on with the Giants this season...

Just...  saying...

THE COMMANDERS WERE IN FG RANGE AND RAN THE BALL WITH NO TIMEOUTS AND THE GAME ENDS IN A TIE. https://t.co/Tn9ZfaKNp9

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 11, 2026

That's a 41-yard field goal -- six longer than an extra point.

That is an arrestable offense for the coach, the offensive coordinator, and the quarterback.

"Whoever carries into effect, attempts to carry into effect, or conspires with any other person to carry into effect any scheme in commerce to influence, in any way, by bribery any sporting contest, with knowledge that the purpose of such scheme is to influence by bribery that contest, shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both."

Sports Bribery.  18 US Code 224.

After Further Review: Enjoy your meeting with the league, Minkah...

Minkah Fitzpatrick, at minimum, will be facing an NFL league meeting this week.

He could well get suspended for this Defenseless Player hit outright, but this will be Strike Two on Saturday after a hip-drop tackle last week at barest of minimum, which, under the new policy, triggers a league meeting with him and his coordinator coach.

Minkah Fitzpatrick should be out of the league @NFLOfficiating https://t.co/65LSNOmuA6

— McNeil (@REFLOG18) October 11, 2026

KC Concepcion is done for the day after that hit.

2026 Week 5 Megablog

• The NFL is going to have to step in on general indiscipline.  I don't know how with a lot of the other stuff than the Fine Blotter stuff, but it's clear that the NFL is sending a message and it didn't get through.
• Another 20-penalty game in a double Cliffhanger in London today, also featuring a 57-yard kickoff return between them that did stand.  (48-yard field goal for Philly for 17-16 at eight seconds, only to come back with the kickoff return for a 57-yard return shot at the gun.)
• Not counted in those 20 penalties was the opening kickoff.  That play, in and of itself, is probably a microcosm of this early season.  Josh Cameron took the opening kickoff 90 yards for a Jacksonville touchdown.
• There was a problem.  More correctly, three problems for four nullifying penalties and two ejections.  The formation Philadelphia had was illegal, a Jacksonville player committed holding, and then, after the play, Bryan Thomas of Jacksonville and Jeremiah Trotter of Philadelphia got in a fight and both were tossed.
• Elsewhere in England, going to their version of football for a second:  The virulent match took place today between Manchester City and Liverpool.  At least one Liverpool player got sent off, his second yellow for scissoring the Man City player's leg between his own for a dangerous tackle from behind (which no one other than the VAR and all the fans of City's (and me) believe).  Man City scored three goals a man up for a 3-0 win.
• Story from Thursday night:  After a game that I do believe Dallas threw, a team employee in the tunnel, as Dak Prescott walked past, called the performance embarrassing to his face.  Friday, the team employee was fired.  Only thing they could do, but I do wonder if the performance was seen as a reflection on the entire organization.   
• Oof.  I've got some early Dud candidates for this week and I think I have two winners.  One college, one pro.
• Well, I see I now have THREE 3-1 candidates, including the DeRapist Rapist Redemption Tour lasting one prime-time game... Oof.  That performance today makes Al Michaels and the Amazon crew from last week's Thursday game look REALLY BAD!!   
• Not really that much from the first slot of games that was identifiable that I couldn't quickly debunk.  Many saying the Fitzpatrick hit was clean...  HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...
• And a DRAW in Washington!!!  27-27 with the Giants...
• And many questioning the pass interference call on a Washington pick.  With replay clearly showing a hold and restrict on the person making the pick...  This is why I ask for video, people... 
• Apparently, someone decided to blow $2,820, thinking that, somehow, the Jacksonville Jaguars were going to get a score in eight seconds to beat Philadelphia.
• That person is now $125,000+ richer. 
• We have at least a third ejection.  Dre Greenlaw has been ejected for a late hit and then a headbutt to a Seattle player on the sideline fracas which resulted.  The NFL office is going to have a very busy Monday.