NFL Week 5: Top 3 Defenders

Week 5 saw several eye-popping games from established defensive stars. Here are the top three defenders who decimated opposing offenses with huge plays and crunching hits.

Bradley Chubb, Denver Broncos

Thursday Night Football may have been a 12-9 slog between the Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts, but it certainly featured its fair share of stellar defensive performances. Edge rusher Bradley Chubb exploded for 2.5 sacks, one tackle-for-loss, and a forced fumble, dominating for a Broncos defensive line that sacked opposing quarterback Matt Ryan six times and held him to 4.26 net yards per attempt. If only Russell Wilson and the offense had held up their end of the bargain.
DeForest Buckner, Indianapolis Colts

It should come as no surprise that Thursday Night Football's 12-9 debacle between the Broncos and Colts had defensive players showing out on both teams. Colts defensive lineman DeForest Buckner was unstoppable, tallying 2.0 sacks, eight total tackles, and a pass deflection for a defense that harrassed the Broncos offense relentlessly, forcing two turnovers and a heinous 2/15 conversion rate on third down.
Matt Judon, New England Patriots

No defensive performance in Week 5 was quite so impressive as the New England Patriots' 29-0 thrashing of the Detroit Lions, the league's top-scoring offense through four weeks. Edge rusher Matt Judon distinguished himself with a 2.0 sack performance that included a forced fumble returned 59 yards for a touchdown. Judon has proven an absolute stud since signing with the Patriots in 2021, notching 18.5 sacks in his 22 appearances and leading the league in sacks through five games this year with 6.0.

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