Week 5 of the 2025 NFL season was full of offensive firepower, as six teams scored at least 35 points this week. Detroit Lions atop the Week 6 NFL Power Rankings after both undefeated teams dropped their first games of the season
The Detroit Lions’ Week 5 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals had all the makings of a trap game – a road contest against a desperate, reeling opponent.
Instead, it turned into a feel-good homecoming for two of Detroit’s own: running back David Montgomery and linebacker Derrick Barnes.
Both native sons of the greater Cincinnati area, Montgomery and Barnes delivered memorable performances that fueled the Lions’ 37-24 victory and helped Detroit remain among the NFC’s elite.
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For Montgomery, the trip to Paycor Stadium was nearly a decade in the making.
The veteran back, who starred at Cincinnati Mt. Healthy High School, hadn’t played a game in his hometown since 2015, when he was named Ohio’s Division III Player of the Year as a quarterback.
On Sunday, he made sure to leave a lasting mark.
Montgomery accounted for two touchdowns – one of both the rushing and passing variety – in a performance that showcased both his versatility and his emotional connection to the city that raised him.
In the second quarter, the seventh-year pro took a direct snap near the goal line, sold a hard run fake and then pulled up and tossed a short touchdown pass to tight end Brock Wright.
It wasn’t the first time Montgomery had both a passing and rushing touchdown in the same game — a rare feat for a running back — but it might have been his most meaningful.
“It’s super meaningful to come back home where it all started for me and being able to show my arm. It was a super special moment,” Montgomery said after the Week 5 win.
That sentiment carried extra weight given who was in attendance.
Montgomery had more than 20 friends and family members cheering him on, including his older sister, Kiki, who was paralyzed in a car accident in early 2024.
“My sister hadn’t seen me play in person since her accident. But, to be able to get her here was a very special moment for me,” Montgomery said. “I really appreciate the Cincinnati Bengals helping to make sure that she got on the field.”
Montgomery finished the day with 64 rushing yards on 18 carries, and added the memorable passing score.
Jahmyr Gibbs, Montgomery's backfield counterpart in Motown, also finished the contest with a touchdown. It marked the 14th time the third-year running back and Montgomery — nicknamed “Sonic” and "Knuckles" — have each produced a TD in the same game. It tied the Dallas Cowboys’ longtime duo of Emmitt Smith and Daryl Johnston for the most touchdowns by a backfield tandem in the same game in NFL history.
“Everybody respects David Montgomery,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell said after the team's victory over Cincinnati. “I think everybody roots for that guy. Because that guy will do anything for his teammates. He lays it on the line on Sundays, he lays it on the line in practice. ... He's going to do whatever it takes, he'll stick his face up there in protection, he'll run the dirty runs, he'll run downfield to make a block for a teammate in the pass game.
“He's all f------ team, excuse my language. Love the guy. We're fortunate to have him, and he's a stud.”
While Montgomery stole the show on offense, Barnes made his presence known on defense.
A native of Covington, Ky. — located just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati — Barnes also got his own homecoming moment.
The fifth-year linebacker delivered one of the game’s biggest defensive highlights: a fourth-quarter sack for a safety against Bengals backup quarterback Jake Browning. The play punctuated Detroit’s victory, and served as the final exclamation point in another dominant team effort.
Barnes, who played high school football at Covington Holy Cross, recorded eight total tackles, including a tackle for loss, and a quarterback hit.
Once viewed as a rotational player, Barnes has become an integral piece of Detroit’s linebacking corps alongside Jack Campbell and Alex Anzalone.
"I believe this kid (Barnes) can play four, five spots on the football field and do it at a high level,” Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard said earlier this season about the versatile defender.
For both Montgomery and Barnes, their performances Sunday went beyond football.
It was about pride and representing their hometowns on the biggest stage. Each took different paths to the NFL, but both have found a home and a purpose in Detroit, where toughness and a team-first mentality are core values of the Campbell-led locker room.
Their Week 5 showings perfectly encapsulated what this Lions team is all about: resilience, unity and selflessness.
Montgomery’s grit and leadership continue to set the tone for an offense that can beat teams in multiple ways, while Barnes’ energy and effort embody the defense’s hard-hitting, aggressive mindset.
The win not only solidified Detroit’s place atop the NFC North, but also reinforced the depth of its roster and the character of its leaders.
For Montgomery and Barnes, Sunday in Cincinnati was more than just another victory.
It was a return home, a celebration of perseverance and a reminder that hometown heroes have the ability to shine brightest when the lights are on.
Colts Show Interest in Former First-Rounder, Veteran Cornerback
The Indianapolis Colts' defense has played well through five weeks under coordinator Lou Anarumo, but has sustained many setbacks/injuries to the secondary, specifically the cornerback position.
After veteran Xavien Howard retired, and newly signed slot cornerback Mike Hilton sustained a shoulder injury against the Las Vegas Raiders, Indianapolis has worked out cornerback Kendall Fuller.
Along with Fuller, Indy also took a closer look at safety Lewis Cine.
Starting with Fuller, he was on the Colts' radar last season but ultimately signed with the Miami Dolphins. Fuller has played plenty of football and last season saw 11 starts in as many games.
Fuller put up 50 tackles and seven pass breakups for the Dolphins. For his NFL career (nine years), he's accumulated 536 tackles, 16 picks, two interceptions returned for touchdowns, 82 pass breakups, and 104 total starts.
If the Colts decide to bring Fuller to the squad, he will provide a veteran presence and might even be elevated to the active 53-man roster to play given the thin nature of Indy's cornerback room.
The other player is the three-year defender, safety Cine. After Daniel Scott was placed on injured reserve, it prompted Indianapolis to see what Cine might provide.
Despite being selected in the first round a few years ago (2022) out of the University of Georgia, Cine has hardly played or made any sort of impact defensively.
Indy's safety room includes Nick Cross, Cam Bynum, Rodney Thomas II, and Trey Washington, so there is potential for Cine to add to that depth. However, Ben Nikkel would likely get called up from the practice squad before Cine would get any real action for Anarumo's defense.
The Colts' defense put the brakes on the Raiders, allowing just six points, which is a season-best for Indianapolis. Everyone is talking about Shane Steichen, Daniel Jones, Jonathan Taylor, and the dynamic Colts offense, but the stop troops have been great in their roles.
After Kenny Moore II went down with an Achilles injury, the Colts brought in Hilton. But after Hilton's shoulder injury, it makes sense that the team wants to see what Fuller might provide if they need him.
As for the safety position, Anarumo appears happy with who he has in that regard, but it never hurts to kick the tires on a former first-rounder like Cine.
We'll see what the Colts coaching staff decides to do as they prepare for an Arizona Cardinals team that just dropped their third game of the year to the Tennessee Titans yesterday.
