Over a quarter of the 2015 season is in the books. Week 5 provided some thrilling entertainment, keeping fans on their toes until the final moments of nearly every game, as eight contests were decided by seven or fewer points. The Arizona Cardinals and the New England Patriots both decimated their respective opponents in blowout victories. Only six visiting clubs clinched road wins. This week's Greatness on the Road candidates include two starting signal-callers and a veteran defensive back.
Greatness on the Road winner ...
Josh McCown
Browns quarterback Josh McCown silenced his critics (and the perpetual Johnny Football talk) with his record-setting performance against the Ravens on Sunday. McCown completed 36 of 51 passes with two touchdowns and 457 yards passing in a 33-30 overtime win, becoming the first quarterback in team history with three consecutive 300-yard games. In those three games, he's thrown for a total of 1,154 yards -- another team record.
Something else of note -- McCown is the first player in NFL history with more than 450 yards passing, two touchdowns, a rushing touchdown and no interceptions in the same game.
The Browns' gunslinger set Travis Coons up for the game-winning field goal.
Though McCown has shown flashes of greatness in the past, it's probably safe to assume no one expected this caliber of play from McCown -- especially on the road against the team's AFC North rival.
Runners up
Tyrod Taylor
No targets? No problem. Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor became a one-man show versus the Tennessee Titans. With running backs LeSean McCoy (hamstring) and Karlos Williams (concussion) sidelined along with wideout Sammy Watkins, Taylor took matters into his own hands, rushing for 76 yards in the Bills'Â 14-13 victory. The Bills' comeback commenced with Taylor's 22-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter, closing the deficit to three. Taylor capped off an 80-yard drive in the fourth quarter with a two-yard pass to Chris Hogan. (Hogan tossed a four-yard pass to Taylor, setting up the Bills for the winning touchdown.)
Chris Harris
It wasn't Peyton Manning who led the Broncos to victory over Oakland Raiders. Actually, it was the Broncos' defense that saved the team from falling to its AFC West rival on the road. Manning's shaky performance, including tossing two picks to fellow 1998 draftee Charles Woodson, set the Broncos in a bind.
Down by two, Derek Carr attempted to mount a massive fourth-quarter comeback. Carr's plan was foiled by Broncos cornerback Chris Harris Jr., when the fourth-year player returned an interception 74 yards for a touchdown, silencing the Raiders and setting Denver up by 11.
