Week six of the NFL season had lots to offer for fans across the league. There were three games that needed overtime to crown a winner, some blowouts and a thrilling Monday Night finale to cap off an exciting week of football. Let’s take an in-depth look at each game.
Thursday Night Football: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 28, Philadelphia Eagles 22
Tom Brady and the Bucs escaped Philadelphia with a 28-22 victory over Jalen Hurts’ Eagles squad. Philadelphia was able to make it a one score game late in the fourth quarter, but their effort was not enough to upset the reigning Super Bowl champs. Brady completed 34 of his 42 pass attempts and threw for 297 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Leonard Fournette was busy in the run game, tallying 22 carries for 81 yards and found the endzone twice in the contest. Hurts threw for 115 yards and added 44 on the ground, and added three total touchdowns. Tampa Bay extends its division lead to two games and sits at 5-1 while Philadelphia slides to third in the NFC East at 2-4.
Miami Dolphins 20, Jacksonville Jaguars 23
NFL fans across the pond in London were treated to a thrilling finish in a battle of young quarterbacks. Jacksonville kicker put the game on ice in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter as Matt Wright drilled a 53 yard field goal to give Urban Meyer and the Jaguars their first win of the season. Tua Tagovailoa returned from injured reserve and threw for 329 yards and two touchdowns, both going to rookie wideout Jaylen Waddle, rekindling their Crimson Tide chemistry. Number one overall pick in this year’s draft, Trevor Lawrence, threw for 319 yards and a touchdown while James Robinson rushed for 73 yards and a score.
Los Angeles Chargers 6, Baltimore Ravens 34
Lamar Jackson and the Ravens continue to be dominant and appear as a serious threat in the AFC. The Ravens defense held a high-powered Chargers offense to six points and allowed just 208 yards. The running back trio of Devonta Freeman, Latavius Murray and Le’veon Bell all found the endzone. Jackson threw for 167 yards and a touchdown pass to Mark Andrews. Rashod Bateman, their first round pick from Minnesota, made his debut and was tied for the team-high in targets. Los Angeles slides to 4-2 and will look to improve as they have their bye week coming gup. Baltimore advances to 5-1, good for first in the AFC North.
Cincinnati Bengals 34, Detroit Lions 11
Joe Burrow has the look of a true franchise quarterback. Last year’s number one overall pick from LSU torched the Lions defense for three touchdowns on 271 yards. Joe Mixon carried the ball 18 times for 94 yards, and added five receptions for 59 yards and a touchdown. Burrow’s LSU teammate Ja’marr Chase had 97 receiving yards, and the two haven’t missed a beat since they left LSU. Deandre Swift was the lone touchdown scorer for Detroit, who are still seeking their first win on the season. Cincinnati sits only one game behind Baltimore in the AFC North.
Houston Texans 3, Indianapolis Colts 31
Coming off a tough loss to the Ravens last Monday Night, the Colts were happy to see the 1-5 Texans come to Lucas Oil Stadium. The Indianapolis defense never gave David Culley’s Texans team a chance as they trailed for the entirety of the game. Carson Wentz recorded two touchdown passes to Parris Campbell and Mo Alie-Cox, while Jonathan Taylor totaled two scores of his own on 145 rushing yards. The Colts pick up their second win on the season and Houston is still looking for answers.
Green Bay Packers 24, Chicago Bears 14
There are three guarantees in life: death, taxes and Aaron Rodgers beating the Bears. Following a six yard touchdown run, Rodgers told the Chicago faithful “I still own you,” and it would be hard to disagree with him. The Packers climb to 5-1 while the Bears are tied for second in the NFC North at 3-3. Rodgers only threw for 195 yards but connected with Aaron Jones and Allen Lazard for his two touchdowns. Khalil Herbert led the Bears offense with 97 yards and a touchdown.
Los Angeles Rams 38, New York Giants 11
Sean McVay’s Rams team came to Metlife Stadium ready to handle business. After the Giants struck first with a Graham Gano 27 yard field goal, the Rams offense went off for 38 points and didn’t surrender a touchdown until midway through the fourth. Matt Stafford continues to build an MVP caliber season with four touchdown passes, two of which went to his favorite target Cooker Kupp, and totaled 251 passing yards. Kupp led the Rams pass catchers in yardage with 130, and Darrell Henderson had 78 yards and two total touchdowns. The Rams left the Meadowlands at 5-1, one game back of the division leading Cardinals.
Kansas City Chiefs 31, Washington Football Team 13
The only thing Washington fans had to enjoy on Sunday was the jersey retirement of the late Sean Taylor, one of the greatest safeties in league history. Patrick Mahomes totaled 397 yards and two touchdowns, but also had two interceptions. Mahomes has thrown eight picks so far this season, an alarming number considering he only threw 11 in 2019 and 2020 combined. Darrel Williams tallied two scores on the ground, and Tyreek Hill and Demarcus Robsinson were on the receiving end of Mahomes’ touchdown passes. The Chiefs end their losing skid, but currently hold the last place spot in a tough AFC West division.
Minnesota Vikings 34, Carolina Panthers 28 (OT)
Kirk Cousins and the Vikings defeated Matt Rhule’s Panthers on a 27 yard touchdown pass to K.J. Osborn. Minnesota led 28-17 early in the fourth quarter, but the Panthers were able to force overtime on a Sam Darnold scoring pass to his former Jets teammate Robby Anderson. They successfully converted the two point attempt to even the game, but the defense couldn’t hold up in overtime. Sam Darnold has yet to win a game without star running back Christian McCaffrey.
Arizona Cardinals 37, Cleveland Browns 14
The Arizona Cardinals already surpassed their win total from last season, and sit atop the NFC West at a perfect 6-0. Kyler Murray is emerging as a superstar in the league, and is more than worthy of being in the MVP discussion. Murray threw four touchdown passes with 229 yards, finding his star teammate Deandre Hopkins for two of them. Cleveland struggled to get anything going offensively against a stout Cardinals defense.
Las Vegas Raiders 34, Denver Broncos 24
Just a week removed from head coach Jon Gruden’s resignation for hateful comments that recently surfaced, the Raiders looked as if they have put the issue aside as they beat their division rival by ten points. Derek Carr has been a bright spot for the Vegas offense, tallying 341 yards and two touchdown passes. Josh Jacobs and Henry Ruggs found the endzone, and Kenyan Drake had both a rushing and receiving touchdown. The Raiders move to second in the AFC West and Denver is tied with the Chiefs at 3-3.
Dallas Cowboys 35, New England Patriots 29 (OT)
Dak Prescott saved the day for the Cowboys as he connected with CeeDee Lamb on a 35 yard touchdown pass to give Dallas the win in overtime following a back-and-forth final quarter. Prescott threw three touchdowns, two to Lamb and an impressive 445 yards against Bill Belichick’s Patriots. Mac Jones had 229 yards on the day in a losing effort, adding two touchdowns and an interception. Trevon Diggs continues to be a menace on the defensive side of the ball, intercepting his seventh pass of the season, and has returned two for touchdowns. Dallas gets its fifth straight win and sits atop a weak NFC East at 5-1.
Seattle Seahawks 20, Pittsburgh Steelers 23 (OT)
Geno Smith’s attempt at a comeback victory fell just short as Chris Boswell gave the Steelers the win on a 37 yard field goal in overtime. T.J. Watt proved he is worth every penny of his contract that made him the highest paid defensive player in the league. Watt had six solo tackles, three tackles for a loss, two sacks and a forced fumble that proved to be the difference in the game. The rookie Najee Harris from Alabama led the Steelers offense with 81 yards rushing, 46 receiving on six catches and a touchdown. Seattle can only hope their franchise quarterback Russell Wilson can get back on the field soon.
Buffalo Bills 31, Tennessee Titans 34
They call him King Henry for a reason. Derrick Henry continues his monster season and would be the Offensive Player of the Year were the season to end today. Henry ran for 143 yards and three touchdowns, adding to his lead as this year’s rushing leader. Josh Allen finally connected with Stefon Diggs for a 14 yard score, and threw for 353 yards, three touchdowns and a pick. The Bills had the chance to tie the game in the closing minutes of the fourth, but were unable to convert the deciding fourth down attempt. Buffalo slides to 4-2 but still sits atop the AFC East, while Tennessee claims the same record and are atop of the AFC South.
Teams on a BYE week: New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints
