Sunday Scene, Week 5: Branden Oliver gets his shot, punishes the Jets

No matter what else went awry for the New York Jets, at least we always knew that Rex Ryan's team would stop the run. New York entered Week 5 with the NFL's top-ranked rushing defense, a unit allowing just 3.0 yards per carry and 63.3 per game.

And then the Jets met San Diego rookie back Branden Oliver. New York's run defense suddenly seems vulnerable. Oliver exploded for 182 total yards and two TDs on Sunday as the Chargers obliterated Gang Green, 31-0. By himself, he actually out-gained the entire Jets offense (182 to 151). He was a quick-cutting wrecking ball, decisive and shifty and powerful. His first touchdown was a 15-yard run into the teeth of New York's feared front. His second was a nine-yard receiving score. Oliver produced a pair of 50-plus yard plays against the Jets, one on the ground and another via the air.

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All things considered, it was a stellar performance against a top-shelf opponent — not bad for an undrafted first-year back. Oliver was a hugely productive college runner at the University of Buffalo, but he's a smallish player (5-foot-8) who came into the league with unspectacular measurables, so nothing has been handed to him. If he wasn't on your fantasy radar in August, it's entirely forgivable. Oliver had an excellent preseason for San Diego, drawing a few Sproles comps — because he's a short dude with No. 43 on his jersey — but he opened the year buried on the depth chart.

When Donald Brown suffered a concussion in the first-half on Sunday, Oliver made the absolute most of an unexpected opportunity. Ryan Mathews is still recovering from an MCL sprain, you'll recall, so Oliver has a shot at another serious workload in Week 6, in a friendly matchup at Oakland. He's a priority add this week. Let's see where this story goes.

• Another week, another huge performance by a quarterback against the Philadelphia Eagles. Late in the third quarter at the Linc on Sunday, the Eagles were cruising. They led the Rams in a laugher, 34-7. Philly had scored on defense and special teams (as they seem to do each week), and Nick Foles had tossed a pair of TD passes — one to Riley Cooper, another to Jeremy Maclin. But then Philadelphia began giving away yards and points and more yards. Because that team can't find the easy way to do anything.

St. Louis quarterback Austin Davis directed a touchdown drive to end the third, then two more to begin the fourth. Brian Quick, Kenny Britt and Jared Cook made plays, repeatedly. Somehow, what began as garbage-time production for Davis quickly became a near-heroic come-from-behind assault on the Eagles secondary. In the game's final minutes, Davis actually found himself leading a potential go-ahead drive. If Austin Pettis would have corralled either of two balls that were within his reach, the Rams might have fully recovered from a 27-point second-half deficit. Which is, of course, crazy.

But Pettis caught nothin' when it mattered most, and Davis' final pass sailed beyond Quick. And that was the ballgame. The Eagles' official Twitter account gave us this rosy spin...

...which maybe gave too much credit to a defense that had recently been shredded. Davis finished the game with 375 passing yards, three TDs, no picks and 30 rushing yards.

Here's your fantasy takeaway: Any QB who faces Philly is on the radar. We're now five weeks into the season, and so far every quarterback who's faced the Eagles D has thrown for multiple scores. Check out the full lineup of passers who've carved up Philadelphia:

Chad Henne, 266 yards, 2 TDs
Andrew Luck, 172 yards, 3 TDs, INT
Kirk Cousins, 427 yards, 3 TDs, INT
Colin Kaepernick, 218 yards, 2 TDs, INT, 58 rush
Austin Davis, 375 yards, 3 TDs

With apologies to Luck, that's not exactly a murderer's row. Basically, the Eagles secondary is delivering a respectable fantasy QB each week, no matter who they face. As of this writing, Davis is Sunday's No. 2 scorer at his position, behind only Peyton Manning. Davis will be the third quarterback this season to deliver a top-five fantasy rank against Philadelphia. For those of you who like to plan ahead (which should be all of you), here's the Eagles' upcoming schedule through Week 16: NYG, bye, at ARI, at HOU, CAR, at GB, TEN, at DAL, SEA, DAL, at WAS.

As for Davis' future value, I'd say there's no urgent need to add him — not because he isn't talented, but because the upcoming matchups are just miserable. The Rams face the Niners next Monday, then host the Seahawks in Week 7. After that, it's three games on the road: at KC, at SF, at ARI. Realistically, Davis isn't a great bet for another 300-plus yardage performance anytime soon. But again, no one around here is calling him a bum. Davis had a terrific collegiate career at Southern Mississippi, breaking a few of Brett Favre's old records. The kid has thrown six touchdown passes over the past two weeks, and he's completing 67.8 percent of his passes for the year. I've got no complaints. It's just a shame that he'll see so much of the NFC West over the next five weeks.

• The Santa Clara Phil Dawsons beat the Chiefs on Sunday, thanks to five made field goals and 107 rushing yards from Frank Gore. I cannot explain why that team ever got away from leaning on Gore, but he's been rediscovered. The Carlos Hyde era is not yet upon us. Gore should be a strong play at St. Louis next week.

• Drew Brees didn't play the cleanest game for the Saints, tossing three picks at home against the Bucs. It didn't help, obviously, that New Orleans lost Jimmy Graham to a shoulder injury (not considered serious at this point. Don't panic.) Despite the sloppiness, Brees still managed to rally his team to an overtime win, passing for 371 yards on 57 attempts(!), targeting 10 different receivers along the way. The Saints backfield was tremendous, as Khiry Robinson rushed 21 times for 89 yards and the game-winning TD and Pierre Thomas delivered 112 scrimmage yards and a pair of scores. Mark Ingram is expected to return after the Saints' Week 6 bye, however, so this might be a nice time to toss Khiry and /or PT on the trade block.

• Jay Cutler gave us yet another useful fantasy performance marred by two or three horrendous real-life plays. If you're not a Bears fan, of course, then you don't mind the giveaways. That's just what you sign up for when you draft Cutty. He finished with 289 passing yards, two TDs and two picks, adding another score via the ground. Cutler also lost a fumble when he was sacked (and nearly destroyed) by DT Kawann Short, effectively ending the game. Matt Forte had a huge day for Chicago in terms of yardage (166, TD), but he also lost a critical fumble. Not a pleasant afternoon for the Bears.

Ex-Bears, however, weren't so bad. Greg Olsen caught a pair of TD passes against his former employer, finishing with a 6-72-2 line and shrugging off an early ankle tweak. Kelvin Benjamin had a messy day for the Panthers, we should note, securing only three of 11 targets. He had a bunch of drops and semi-drops; a more polished receiver might have produced significant numbers on the same opportunities.

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• Three weeks after you benched him and two weeks after you dropped him, Justin Hunter finally had a game for the Titans. He hauled in three balls for 99 yards, including a 75-yard score against the Browns on Sunday. Kendall Wright had an even better day, delivering 90 scrimmage yards and two TDs. And still, Tennessee couldn't get a win. And Jake Locker is injured, again (thumb). Cleveland staged an insane comeback at home, surging back after falling behind 28-3. There may have been a moment there when the Johnny Manziel threat level was elevated, but Brian Hoyer shut it down. Hoyer finished with 292 passing yards and three TDs on 37 attempts. Ben Tate dominated the rushing workload for the Browns, gaining 123 yards on 22 totes. For now, Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West are back to serving as rotational runners.

• Barry Church's ankles are dead, you guys. Arian Foster killed them, right here on this touchdown run. That was pure evil. Foster had a tremendous day for the Texans in a tight, tense overtime defeat. He finished with 172 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns on 25 touches, putting to rest (for now) concerns about his hamstring. If for some reason you're no longer interested in his carnival ride of injury risk, he should be easy enough to sell coming off a monster performance.

• Blake Bortles threw pair of interceptions on Sunday, with a pick-six included, finishing with just 191 yards. It's not always going to be a clinic with the unfinished rookie, but he's still clearly the right choice at QB. If there's a right choice for Jacksonville at RB right now ... well, I have no idea who that might be. (Natrone? Tavian Banks? No idea.) Storm Johnson led the team in rushing against Pittsburgh in Week 5, with 27 yards on four carries.

• As expected, the backfield committee for Baltimore was a three-man monster in Week 5, with Justin Forsett, Bernard Piece and Lorenzo Taliaferro all seeing work. Forsett led the way with six carries for 42 yards and a score, adding seven receptions for 55 yards on eight targets. He's the guy to own here, if for some reason you absolutely have to own a Ravens RB.

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Atlanta running back Antone Smith continues to only see 3-4 touches per week, yet somehow he always converts one of 'em into a long, highlight-quality TD. So it was on Sunday, when he delivered a 74-yard touchdown reception against the Giants. You'd think the Falcons might see what he could do with, say, seven or eight touches, but it hasn't happened yet this season.

New York scored the final 20 points in a win over Atlanta on Sunday, as rookie Odell Beckham Jr. made a house call, as did Rueben Randle. Rashad Jennings suffered a knee injury, but he's apparently thinking the issue isn't severe. So that's good. But in the NFL, things can go from not-too-serious to expected-to-miss-four-weeks in a blink, so we'll be anxiously awaiting the post-MRI reports. Andre Williams is the clear handcuff to Jennings, and he delivered 83 total yards and one TD on Sunday.

• Speaking of damaged backs, Denver's Montee Ball is expected to be "out for a while" with a groin injury, suffered in a win over Arizona. Tough break for a second-year player who was off to a slow start, but still well-positioned to eventually assist fantasy owners. Now, we wait for updates. CJ Anderson was inactive on Sunday, leaving Ronnie Hillman (15-64-0) and Juwan Thompson (3-15-1) to handle the backfield responsibilities. This clearly has a committee feel, with Hillman as the probable chairman. The Broncos' upcoming schedule isn't particularly RB-friendly (at NYJ, vs. SF), so I can't view this as a break-the-bank situation, FAAB-wise.

Peyton Manning and Demaryius Thomas did the things that they do, brilliantly. Peyton passed for 479 yards, which is obscene, and Demaryius was on the receiving end for 226 and two touchdowns. Julius Thomas added two additional touchdowns, including the 500th of Manning's career (which is also obscene). Julius' day was complicated, however...

You can find the clip right here. Worst play in 37 years might be a stretch, but it wasn't great, not at all.

Drew Stanton was concussed in the loss at Denver, so here's hoping the Cards get Carson Palmer back for Week 6. The most recent reports on Palmer's nerve issue have been somewhat hopeful.

• Our work here would not be complete without a salute to Kyle Orton, who threw touchdown passes to both the Lions and Bills on Sunday, leading a comeback win at Detroit. Orton finished with 308 passing yards on 43 attempts, and he peppered Sammy Watkins with targets (12). We're only talking about one game's worth of tape, but Kyle definitely appears capable of completing downfield throws that rarely ended well for EJ Manuel. This is a good thing, Watkins owners.

Detroit really had a lousy day in many ways, we should note, as Calvin Johnson aggravated his ankle issue, and Reggie Bush tweaked an ankle as well. And yet another kicker struggled for the Lions, going 0-for-3.

EARLY ADDS FOR WEEK 6

QB Carson Palmer, Ari (vs. Was)
QB Blake Bortles, Jac (at Ten)
QB Teddy Bridgewater, Min (vs. Det)
RB Branden Oliver, SD (at Oak)
RB Andre Williams, NYG (at Phi)
RB Ronnie Hillman, Den (at NYJ)
RB Benny Cunningham, STL (vs. SF)
WR Odell Beckham Jr., NYG (at Phi)
WR Kenny Britt, STL (vs. SF)
WR Marvin Jones, Cin (vs. Car)
TE Dwayne Allen, Ind (at Hou)
DEF Green Bay (at Mia)
K Matt Prater, soon to be hired by Detroit, we're guessing (at Min)
K Brandon McManus, Den (at NYJ)