New York Giants def Philadelphia 34-17
Cam Skattebo ran for 3 TDs as the Giants pulled off the shocking upset. Jaxson Dart threw for 195 yards and a TD and also ran for 58 yards and a TD, and continues to show a maturity under center that is rare for a rookie. The Giants defense pressured Jalen Hurts all game, with Brian Burns sacking him twice. One quick note is that the Giants are under fire for players being in the medical tent when Dart left the game with a possible concussion. The NFL is determining soon whether there will be further repercussions, including losing a draft pick.
Philadelphia could not establish its running attack as the Eagles rushed for only 73 yards. Jalen Hurts was forced out of his comfort zone as he had 33 passing attempts, which is typically more than the Eagles prefer. The Eagles have a lot of soul-searching to do as they need to go back to their run-first identity soon before they lose more ground in the NFC.
Denver Broncos def New York Jets 13-11
Denver’s defense was the real star in this game, sacking Justin Fields 9 times. Sadly, Denver’s offense couldn’t get started as Bo Nix only threw for 174 yards and a TD. Sauce Gardner suffocated Courtland Sutton, holding him to 1 catch for 17 yards.
Once again, the Jets could not find any offense as Justin Fields only completed 9 passes for 45 yards. Even worse was Breece Hall only getting 59 yards on 22 carries. Jets Head Coach Aaron Glenn is going to need to do something this week, and it would not be surprising to see the OC get fired.
Los Angeles Chargers def Miami Dolphins 29-27
With Quentin Johnston inactive, Justin Herbert focused his attention on Oronde Gadsden, who had 1 catch for 68 yards, and Ladd McConkey, who had 7 catches for 100 yards and a TD. Kimani Vidal was stellar, gaining 124 yards on 18 carries. He was clearly the bell cow back and should hold the job moving forward.
Miami could not get its passing game in line with Tua Tagovailoa throwing for only 205 yards and a TD. De’Von Achane was the bright spot for Miami’s offense, rushing for 128 yards and 2 TDs. The biggest problem seems to be that Miami has not been able to establish a clear WR2 since Tyreek Hill was injured.
New England Patriots def New Orleans Saints 25-19
Drake Maye was sensational, finishing with 261 passing yards and 3 TDs. Maye led the Patriots in rushing with 28 yards, which speaks to how well the Saints DL played. Kayshon Boutte was sensational in his return to Louisiana (he played at LSU), catching 5 passes for 93 yards and 2 TDs.
New Orleans started out hot but could not get their running game going all game long as they only mustered 73 yards on 23 carries. Spencer Rattler played well, throwing for 227 yards, and Chris Olave led the Saints with 6 catches for 98 yards. However, when the Saints needed a big play, they were forced to settle for field goals, which is always a sign of trouble.
Los Angeles Rams def Baltimore Ravens 17-3
In perhaps the biggest shock of the day, Los Angeles could not find their offensive footing as they won on the road. Matthew Stafford threw for 181 yards and a TD, but the wind was a factor, as was a foot injury to Puka Nacua, who left the game. He is unlikely to play in Week 7. Stafford looked off for much of the game, missing Davante Adams on numerous occasions, and the Rams escaped mainly due to Baltimore’s complete ineptitude.
Baltimore’s offense was so bad that they were forced to bench backup QB Cooper Rush in the second half for ineffectiveness. Derrick Henry was the lone bright spot, rushing for 122 yards on 24 carries. Zay Flowers had some big plays, but fumbled twice in the game, which really hurt as the Ravens were driving on both occasions.
Indianapolis Colts def Arizona Cardinals 31-27
Daniel Jones threw for 212 yards and 2 TDs and ran for another TD to lead the Colts to a home victory. Jonathan Taylor had 123 yards and a TD, and his strong second-half running was key to sustaining drives at critical junctures in the game. Tyler Warren and Josh Downs both had 6 catches and TDs to lead the Colts passing attack.
Jacoby Brissett got the start at QB for Arizona and almost led the Cardinals to an upset. Brissett finished with 320 passing yards and 2 TD, including 1 to Trey McBride. Bam Knight got the start over Michael Carter and had the lone rushing TD, but the biggest loss was Marvin Harrison leaving the game with a concussion. Zay Jones took his place and had 6 catches for 79 yards, and looked good.
Seattle Seahawks def Jacksonville Jaguars 20-12
Seattle continued to dominate on the road, holding the Jaguars offense to 12 points. Sam Darnold had 295 yards passing and 2 TDs, including 1 to Jaxson Smith-Njigba and 1 to Cooper Kupp. JSN might be the most dominant receiver in the NFL–he finished with 8 catches for 162 yards and a TD. Seattle’s rushing attack did not look good as the team only averaged 2.3 YPC.
Brian Thomas Jr finally had the breakout game, catching 8 passes for 90 yards and a TD. Seattle’s tough run defense was smothering, holding Travis Etienne to 27 yards on 12 carries. Trevor Lawrence was very inconsistent, once again missing open receivers and looking flustered at times.
Carolina Panthers def Dallas Cowboys 30-27
Rico Dowdle got his revenge against his old team with 239 yards from scrimmage and a TD. Dowdle found every gap in the Dallas defense and might be the new starter even when Chuba Hubbard returns from injury. Tetairoa McMillan caught the first 2 TDs of his career, and Bryce Young threw 3 TD passes on the day.
Dallas was dominant on offense behind Dak Prescott, who threw for 261 yards and 3 TD passes. George Pickens was sensational, catching 9 passes for 168 yards and a TD. Pickens excels against the Cover 3 defense and looked open on almost every route. Javonte Williams struggled for the first time this season, rushing for 29 yards on 13 carries. Dallas’ offense looked very one-dimensional, which hurt them when they needed to get crucial yards in the second half.
Pittsburgh Steelers def Cleveland Browns 23-9
Aaron Rodgers threw for 235 yards and 2 TDs to lead the Steelers to a victory against their division rival. DK Metcalf was the Steelers best offensive player, catching 4 passes for 95 yards and a TD. Jaylen Warren returned from injury and had 63 yards from scrimmage, but Kenneth Gainwell was still a big part of the offense, which might be an issue moving forward for Warren’s fantasy managers.
After playing exceptionally well the last two weeks, Browns RB Quinshon Judkins disappeared, only rushing for 36 yards on 12 carries. Dillon Gabriel threw for 221 yards and once again showed a propensity for throwing to his tight ends as Harold Fannin Jr led the team in both receptions and receiving yards. Jerry Jeudy had some opportunities (13 targets) but could not break off any major plays.
Las Vegas def Tennessee 20-10
Las Vegas’ defense dominated, sacking Cam Ward 6 times, which helped seal the game. Ashton Jeanty couldn’t find a ton of running room but still had 75 yards and a TD. More impressive was Michael Mayer, who filled in for the injured Brock Bowers and had 5 catches for 50 yards and a TD. Geno Smith once again played poorly, as did Jakobi Meyers.
Tennessee was outplayed for most of the game, unable to stop the Raiders DL from getting to Cam Ward. Calvin Ridley left the game with an injured hamstring and is in danger of being out multiple weeks. Van Jefferson led the Titans with 4 catches for 75 yards. On a bright note, Tyjae Spears was finally more involved on offense as he had 50 yards from scrimmage and showed a lot of juice.
Tampa Bay def San Francisco 30-19
If the season ended right now, there’s a good chance that Baker Mayfield would be named the MVP. Mayfield threw for 256 yards and 2 TDs and had an incredible 15-yard scramble to save a drive. Rachaad White had 65 rushing yards and a TD replacing Bucky Irving, but the real story is that potential OROY Emeka Egbuka left the game with an injured hamstring. Kameron Johnson and Tez Johnson played well once Egbuka left the game, but right now Tampa is without Bucky Irving, Mike Evans, and Emeka Egbuka, which might be too much for them to overcome. They have a BYE in Week 9 so expect their stars to miss the next two weeks to be ready for a playoff push.
San Francisco’s chances to win the game went up in smoke after All-Pro LB Fred Warner left the game with a horrific lower leg injury. Warner will be out for the season, and now the 49ers are without Bosa and Warner. Kendrick Bourne played well, catching 5 passes for 142 yards and Mac Jones threw for 347 yards in the loss.
Green Bay def Cincinnati 27-18
Green Bay played well enough to win, but they were far from dominant against Cincinnati. Jordan Love threw for 259 yards and 1 TD, and Josh Jacobs had 150 total yards from scrimmage and a TD. Rookie Matthew Golden led the team in receiving yards with 86. Rookies often play better right after BYE weeks, as the practice time gives them more time to process the playbook.
Joe Flacco played about as well as could be expected, considering he joined Cincinnati last week. Flacco kept the game close and threw for 219 yards and 2 TDs, including one to Ja’Marr Chase. To their credit, Cincinnati’s defense played well, and if they can keep up this effort all season, they might have a chance to win some games before Joe Burrow returns from his injury.
Kansas City def Detroit 30-17
Kansas City finally looked like a Super Bowl team again as they crushed the Lions at home. Patrick Mahomes threw for 257 yards and 3 TD, including two to Hollywood Brown. Kansas City still needs to improve its running game, as Isiah Pacheco is not getting it done. The good news is that Rashee Rice is expected back in Week 7, which will make the offense even more potent.
Detroit’s vaunted running game could barely find its footing as the Lions ran for less than 100 yards on the day. Amon-Ra St. Brown was held to 45 yards receiving, and the only bit of good news was that Jameson Williams finally found the end zone after being MIA for the first five weeks.
