NFL Week 6 Results & Recaps: 7 Upsets, Walk-Off FGs, Titans Win
Epic Week Six Action: A Lot of Wake-Up Calls. Some NFL Teams Have to Accept the Reality That They’re Not Contenders This Season, No Matter How Much Money They’ve Spent, What They’ve Achieved, or Who They’re Playing.
Charlie Irsay-Gordon, the owner of the Colts, needs to get off the sidelines and back in the office and start signing off on severance checks, because everybody has to go. The Colts dropped a game to the 0-5 Titans, 26-20. The Colts had the game in the bag early, then committed several gaffes in the second half: multiple turnovers and a blocked-punt touchdown cost Indy a crucial division game. The Titans wrecked the Colts ' game plan: 3 turnovers, 6 sacks allowed, 2 for Jeffery Simmons, and two for Jermaine Johnson II. One could almost overlook how poorly Cam Ward played: Cam Ward 11/22, 102 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 59.3 rating, 186 total yards.
In Los Angeles, the protégé defeats the master as Mike LaFleur walks into SoFi against his former boss, Sean McVay, and leads the one-win Cardinals to a victory over Matthew Stafford and the super-team Rams. The Cardinals never sniffed the end zone, scoring six field goals in an 18-16 victory. Matthew Stafford had some glitch-like moments. In the second quarter, the Rams went for two after Stafford connected with running back Blake Corum. They went for two because of the math, and Stafford just held the ball, cocking it but not releasing a pass. Eventually, he took a sack. Stafford also fumbled on a short scramble in the fourth quarter after tripping while trying to escape pressure. The Rams really beat themselves in this matchup and fell to 2-4.
Panthers vs. Eagles
The Carolina offense needed a couple of drives to find its stride and got back to its pre-bye form against a talented Philly defense. The Panthers' first four drives ended in a punt, a punt, another punt, and a field goal. This offense rained explosives on the Lions a few weeks ago; instead, it looked like the Bryce Young-led offense. The Panthers finished the first half 1-for-6 on third down with just 13 points. Bryce Young looked like a worse version of himself and couldn’t keep his footing on many of his passes. The Eagles’ blitzes always seemed to get through at the right time, and the bye week left him looking like he’d run out of Super Serum. The Eagles’ defense smothered Panthers pass catchers for most of the game, but the Panthers broke free for just enough downfield plays as Young and the offense created separation on the scoreboard late in a 25–14 win.
Young completed 20 of 39 passing attempts, barely clearing 50 percent, but he made his completions count: 14.1 yards per completion and 281 passing yards, including 216 yards on 10 explosive pass plays. His completion percentage was 10.7% below expected. The Panthers thrive on explosive pass plays, and the Eagles worked to deter Young’s receivers from going deep. But they started blitzing late, opening the door for the Panthers to generate 416 yards of offense.
The Eagles’ offense, led by Tanner McKee, drew plenty of attention, and many spectators wanted to see it without Jalen Hurts at the helm. While McKee made some next-level throws, he placed his 19-yard touchdown strike to DeVonta Smith perfectly in the fourth quarter. However, the Eagles still couldn’t produce enough offense. Despite his lack of starts and seventh career game nod, the Eagles leaned heavily on Tanner McKee and their dropback offense: 49 total pass plays, 26 of 45 for 215 passing yards, one touchdown, a 77.5 passer rating, and a 67.9% air-yard share. He really had to create a lot of the Eagles’ limited offense. With the Eagles down to their fourth-string running back, Dameon Pierce, the team had just 12 total rushing attempts, one scramble by McKee, and 36 yards on the ground. DeVonta Smith, in his return, had 7 catches for 75 yards and one touchdown; tight end Dallas Goedert had 6 catches for 61 receiving yards.
The Panthers’ big outside threats were Jalen Coker, with six catches for 97 receiving yards, and Tet McMillian, with 6 catches for 86 yards and 14.3 yards per reception. Tight end Tommy Tremble caught four passes for 46 yards and two touchdowns. The Panthers got a big game from their rushing attack, with Chuba Hubbard recording 28 rushing attempts, 120 rushing yards, one touchdown, and 4.3 yards per rush. This game also showed the limitations of the Panthers' offense, which relies too heavily on explosive pass plays against defenses that will likely play more Cover 2 against them going forward.
Ravens vs. Browns
The Cleveland Browns entered Week Six with their faint first-place lead over the AFC North a distant memory after an eight-sack outing and a 17-12 upset at the hands of the Jets. The Jets had no chance heading into Sunday to face the divisional Ravens, even with a gimpy Lamar Jackson returning from an ankle injury. Still, the Ravens shook the football world when they ruled Jackson out. Without Jackson in Week Five, Snoop, with the help of Tua, delivered the win for the Falcons. The Browns, with just a sliver of hope, pulled off the upset in a defensive scrum, 13-10, over the Baltimore Ravens and retook the AFC North lead. The Browns had no business winning, or even having a shot at winning, this game, but their defense played a hell of a game. If you were introducing aliens to football, this matchup would have inspired a Martian invasion.
The Ravens got off to a quick ten-point lead in the first quarter, scoring touchdowns on each of their first two possessions. The first was an opening-drive touchdown pass from Snoop Huntley to Josh Guevas. The Ravens started the game with 111 yards in the first quarter before finishing with 235 yards of offense. The Ravens' next five drives ended with punts before they missed a fourth field goal. Tyler Huntley had his moments and generated some big plays to Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman, but it wasn't a quality performance. The Browns' defense dropped a few interception opportunities; cornerback Denzel Ward watched multiple passes he could have secured drop to the floor.
The Browns' offense and Deshaun Watson had no better success. Cleveland didn't manage a drive that gained more than 30 yards until the third quarter, when they scored a field goal with some success in the passing game. But sacks, penalties, and missed opportunities left the Browns in a familiar situation, hopelessly trying to scrap together some offense. Late in the fourth, their efforts paid dividends. The Ravens, who wanted to work the clock, tried rushing the ball with Derrick Henry, but he fumbled on the Ravens' second drive of the fourth quarter inside their own territory. Deshaun Watson led the Browns on a touchdown drive, with running back Audric Estime rushing in a two-yard score to cap off a seven-play, 35-yard drive and tie the game.
Neither team could break the gridlock. The Browns missed an easy field goal, but the Ravens couldn't manage another first down in their final two drives. Baltimore finished 6-for-16 on third down, and just one first down would have ended the game. Instead, the Browns struggled to drive, go, and kill the clock. Deshaun Watson, with three game-winning drives this season, failed to get one against the Jets. He led Cleveland downfield, and his 33-yard strike to Jerry Jeudy set up a 37-yard Alex Szmyth field goal to win it. Watson went 16-for-26 for 164 passing yards and took five sacks. He’s still playing poorly, but he made enough plays, and the Browns' defense created enough opportunities for the Browns' season to keep rolling. Watson has not played elite ball this year, but he played with nerve. Over the last two weeks, he's taken 13 sacks, threw for 319 yards, and threw 1 TD total, but he has three game-winning drives this year. I don't know how long he
COULD sustain This Level Of Play.
Huntley wasn't at his best imitation of Lamar Jackson, going 19-for-31 for 165 passing yards and just one touchdown, with not enough playmaking for the Ravens. The Browns' defense racked up seven tackles for loss, three sacks, more than ten pressures, and six pass breakups against the Ravens. If Cleveland’s defense sustains this level of play, any team in the AFC can get it.
Bears vs. Falcons
Caleb Williams returned to football after a three-game absence to deliver a brilliant performance as a passer, as the Bears made easy work of chewing up the Falcons for most of the game. The Falcons went on a late scoring binge, scoring two touchdowns through the air and converting two two-point conversions in a five-minute run in the fourth quarter. Still, a late sack-fumble forced by Michael Penix Jr. ended the Falcons’ touchdown run.
Chicago played well on both sides of the ball. Caleb Williams made a few questionable decisions late. With the Falcons surging, he ran out of bounds to stop the clock and forced a late pass with pressure barreling down on him. It fell to the turf, stopping the clock. However, the Falcons couldn’t capitalize with another touchdown. Instead, Penix saw the Bears blitz off his blind side, and Chicago moved to 4-2.
Williams went 30/35 for 306 passing yards and one touchdown, with a +12.8% completion percentage over expected. He demonstrated a great combination of long and short passes. He basically didn’t touch the intermediate zone; most of his passes landed five air yards or less away, or 15-plus air yards downfield, as the Bears demonstrated how to supplement the run game with the short passing game. Chicago controlled the clock once more, as they did against the Jets a few weeks back. To contain the Falcons’ explosive passing attack and avoid exposing his defense, Ben Johnson used the short pass instead of a running game that had little success (3.0 yards per carry) outside of short-yardage situations, eating up 40 minutes of game time. D’Andre Swift punched in two goal-line touchdowns, along with one touchdown by Roschon Johnson, but the Bears had just 98 yards on the ground, and Chicago still dominated.
The strategy worked again: before a few late drives, the Falcons had just 120 yards of offense, then finished with 257 total yards. That two-game revival for the Falcons seems like a long time ago now, after dropping two games in a row. Special teams had a rough day: returner Zach Branch fumbled and muffed two returns, both of which led to Bears points. One led to a second-quarter touchdown, pushing the lead to 21-7 before halftime after Chicago punted.
Another issue for the Falcons’ offense: Bijan had a non-Bijan game, with nine carries for 61 yards and two catches for -8 yards. Leading receiver Drake London also struggled: four catches on 10 targets for 62 yards. And the Falcons' play-caller, Kevin Stefanski, I think, reacted too slowly; the Falcons started getting Kyle Pitts and Jahan Dotson involved late in the fourth. Pitts caught two touchdowns in the fourth as part of his five-catch, 60-yard receiving game, as the Falcons tried to crawl back into the game.
The Bears got their peripheral pass catchers involved. Luther Burden III led the team with eight catches for 95 receiving yards. Tight end Colston Loveland had six catches for 65 receiving yards and one touchdown, as Ben Johnson took him off full-time blocking duty. It
Patriots vs. Jets
The Patriots’ offense has taken off over the past two games, scoring 74 points across the two contests. The offense averaged 12 points per game through the first two weeks and looked listless enough to start whispers about Josh McDaniels’s job security. The Patriots’ attack has spread the ball around in recent games. There’s no true No. 1 threat, just a plethora of options: five guys recorded at least 40 yards, four with 50 or more receiving yards.
The Patriots’ offense will embrace the return of A.J. Brown, the team’s top offseason acquisition, who will jump back into the action following a high ankle sprain. Brown’s osmium-heavy talent (and talent/ego) could elevate the Patriots’ offense into a force greater than the 2025 version, or his demand for targets could disrupt the offense's budding feng shui over the past two weeks. The Drake Maye-to-A.J. Brown combination still needs work: a couple of missed opportunities on the field and a few straight drops. But Maye kept rolling with his other targets.
Maye got the Patriots on the board first with a 42-yard downfield touchdown to Romeo Doubs. A new target who also struggled to connect early in the season, Doubs caught his third touchdown of the year. Maybe the most consistent pass catchers for the Patriots, Demario Douglas and tight end Hunter Henry, along with Brown, helped set up the Patriots’ second touchdown before halftime with chunk plays: a 10-yard and a 16-yard pass to Hunter Henry through the air, a 15-yard pass to wide receiver A.J. Brown, and an 11-yard catch by Douglas, which set up his 9-yard touchdown pass to close out a seven-play, 71-yard drive.
Everything seemed to lean the Patriots’ way before Geno Smith, in the third quarter, punched in the right combination for the launch codes and connected with rookie receiver Omar Cooper for 48 yards downfield. Geno has played brilliantly downfield with limited attempts this season, but he cut the Patriots’ two-score lead to one with his touchdown pass.
The Patriots suffered a rough start to the third quarter. They opened the second half with a turnover on downs after a drop by Brown, which led to the Smith touchdown on the Jets’ second drive. Running back TreVeyon Henderson fumbled this time, but New England’s defense didn’t buckle and forced a field goal. In two swift drives, the score shifted from 17-3 to 17-13. But Hunter Henry helped push the New England lead back to double digits with a 7-yard red-zone score, making it 23-13.
The Patriots topped the Jets 26-19 behind Drake Maye. It wasn’t his best game or an elite showing, but he went 18-for-32, just above 50% completion, with 235 passing yards, three touchdowns, a 110.8 passer rating, and -6.5% completion percentage over expected. This one never felt in doubt. Pop Douglas led the Patriots’ receivers with seven catches for 86 yards and a touchdown. Three Patriots caught a touchdown, none by A.J. Brown, but his presence and gravity drew plenty of defensive attention, directly leading to multiple catches for others, including Romeo Doubs’s touchdown. Brown also fumbled the onside kick, but the Pats recovered.
Garrett Wilson had an underwhelming game, catching four passes for 44 yards. Omar Cooper led the Jets with six catches for 103 yards and the big touchdown pass, leading the Jets in receiving. Geno Smith went 20-for-30 for 252 passing yards, including 131 yards on explosive pass plays. He threw a bad pick late, but kept the Jets in the game. He was sacked three times and had an 89.9 passer rating. The Jets dropped to 2-4.
Texans vs. Jaguars
After a 1-4 start to the season, the Houston Texans will face must-win games every week from here on out if they hope to keep their playoff streak alive. C.J. Stroud threw his first interception of the season, and the Jags' cornerback Travis Hunter blew the roof off Wimbledon Stadium with his performance—literally one for the record—but the Texans picked up the crucial upset, 34-31.
C.J. Stroud had another strong outing. He threw a pick at the end on a fake run that fooled the camera for a moment, but they found the ball in Travis Hunter’s hands. The Texans’ red-zone drives ended without points late in the fourth. The Jags answered with a game-tying field goal drive, and maybe they maintained their streak of outworking the odds late, tying it 31-31.
Stroud finished 24/34 for 312 passing yards and three touchdowns, leading the Texans to a field goal. Ka’imi Fairbairn knocked in a 49-yard field goal as the Texans secured the walk-off win, getting to 2-4 and inching closer to a place in the division race. Trevor Lawrence went 24/41 for 306 passing yards, four touchdowns, one pick, and a 104.3 passer rating. His receivers didn’t step up to make needed plays. He picked one in the red zone in the second quarter, with the Jags down 7-0.
Liam Coen basically had to swap out former rookie sensation Brian Thomas Jr. for Travis Hunter, who had a world of a game. He got beat early by Nico Collins but started playing on both sides of the ball late, catching four passes for 59 yards and generating a 56.3 passer rating when targeted. Lawrence and Stroud went dunk-contest-style on throws this game; both of their tight ends hauled in one-handed red-zone touchdowns. Stroud’s receivers made more plays on the ball in the end.
The Jags remain the front-runner in the division, but they may want to sift the market for another receiver and move on from Brian Thomas Jr. if they expect the passing offense to carry this team beyond this point.
