For the third consecutive week, the NFL began its Sunday slate in England. This time, it was the Ravens and Titans at Tottenham, with Baltimore bouncing back from a loss to Pittsburgh last week, beating the Titans, 24–16.
In the early Week 6 window, the Bengals and Seahawks clashed at Paycor Stadium, with the Bengals holding on with a red-zone stand to even their record at 3–3. Elsewhere, the Jaguars took control of the AFC South, albeit while quarterback Trevor Lawrence sustained a knee injury late against the Colts.
The latter window was a bit bereft of great games, but the Jets saved the slate by pulling off a stunning 20–14 upset against the Eagles, giving them their first win over Philadelphia in 13 tries.
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The latter window was a bit bereft of great games, but the Jets saved the slate by pulling off a stunning 20–14 upset against the Eagles, giving them their first win over Philadelphia in 13 tries. And the Bills held off the Giants in a shockingly thrilling game, which ultimately came down to a pair of goal-line stands to end each half.
More importantly, losses by the Eagles and 49ers mean the 1972 Dolphins will remain the only unbeaten team in NFL history for another year. Pop the corks!
SUNDAY
Jets 20, Eagles 14
- What it means for Eagles: Philadelphia (5–1), much like the Niners, found every imaginable way to lose. Jalen Hurts threw three interceptions. Jake Elliott missed a 37-yard field goal. Ultimately, the Eagles will win a ton of games, the NFC East and look back wondering how they fell in the Meadowlands against a Jets team without Sauce Gardner and Aaron Rodgers. That said, Hurts must play better. He’s already thrown more interceptions this year (seven) than all of 2022 (six).
- What it means for Jets: The season is suddenly hopeful after the Jets beat the Eagles for the first time ever in franchise history. New York (3–3) has played a gauntlet, including the Chiefs, Eagles, Bills and Cowboys without Rodgers, and yet enters the bye in good shape. The schedule lightens up moving forward, giving the Jets a real chance at the playoffs, led by a defense that has proven to be one of the league’s best for a second consecutive year.
Bills 14, Giants 9
- What it means for Giants: Another loss. Yes, New York kept it close with the benefit of two first-half takeaways and had a chance to win it on the final play of the game. But the offense continued to be brutal except for two consecutive plays where Saquon Barkley ran for 53 yards. Outside of that, New York totaled 316 yards on 73 plays. The Giants (1–5) have injuries and questions galore but no answers. It’ll take a miracle to pull out of this spiral for Big Blue.
- What it means for Bills: It’s an ugly win, but it’s a win. Good teams find ways to escape when they play a sub-par game. Josh Allen struggled, throwing for 169 yards on 5.6 yards per attempt with an interception. Yet when it mattered most, Allen led two touchdown drives, helping Buffalo (4–2) rally from a 6–0 deficit. The effort was far from ideal against a horrid team, but the Bills did what was needed. Nobody will remember the score come January.
Browns 19, 49ers 17
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- What it means for 49ers: San Francisco suffered its first loss of the season. The 49ers totaled 215 yards, took 12 penalties, committed a turnover and saw quarterback Brock Purdy go 12-of-27 for 125 yards on the road. They also lost receiver Deebo Samuel and running back Christian McCaffrey (oblique) to injuries. They were still within a 41-yard Jake Moody field goal of winning the game, but his kick went wide right with six seconds left. Provided McCaffrey and Samuel return quickly, San Francisco will look back at this as an anomaly, nothing more.
- What it means for Browns: Cleveland has one of the most challenging defenses to face in the NFL. The Browns have a great pass rush led by Myles Garrett, a hoard of quality corners, including Greg Newsome II and Denzel Ward, and an excellent, aggressive scheme under coordinator Jim Schwartz. The Browns are limited offensively, especially with Deshaun Watson out with an injured shoulder, but the defense could single-handedly get them to the playoffs.
Dolphins 42, Panthers 21
- What it means for Panthers: Carolina might seriously regret its decision to trade up in the offseason. Instead of having receiver DJ Moore and what might become the No. 1 pick for USC’s Caleb Williams, the Panthers don’t have their first-rounder or a top wideout. Coach Frank Reich is 0–6 without an early selection, while rookie quarterback Bryce Young continues to struggle behind a poor offensive line. After a great start, Young averaged 5.7 yards per attempt in the defeat.
- What it means for Dolphins: Miami’s offense is the best quick-strike attack in the league, and it turned the tide Sunday. Trailing 14–0 early, the Dolphins roared back with a 49-yard run by Raheem Mostert setting up the tying score, while a 48-yard touchdown toss to Tyreek Hill put Miami up for good. The lesson? The Dolphins are never out of any game. They now prepare for the Eagles in Philadelphia next Sunday night.
Raiders 21, Patriots 17
- What it means for Patriots: New England (1–5) needs to sell at the trade deadline. The Patriots can’t move the ball, can’t score and the defense will struggle against good teams without edge rusher Matthew Judon and corner Christian Gonzalez. The biggest names on the block should be running back Rhamondre Stevenson, tight end Hunter Henry, and receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Kendrick Bourne among others.
- What it means for Raiders: Las Vegas should be a factor in the playoff chase. At 3–3, the Raiders have the Bears next. After traveling to Detroit and the Giants, the Jets are next at home. It’s no guarantee, but Las Vegas could be 6–4 going into mid-November. The schedule gets much tougher from there, but the Raiders will have meaningful games after starting 1–3.
Jaguars 37, Colts 20
- What it means for Colts: With Anthony Richardson potentially having season-ending shoulder surgery, Gardner Minshew takes center stage. The good news? Minshew spent two years with coach Shane Steichen, so the whole playbook can be used. However, with the loss of Richardson’s mobility and play-making ability, running back Jonathan Taylor needs to be great immediately for the Colts to stay in the playoff chase.
- What it means for Jaguars: Jacksonville’s defense isn’t loaded with stars, but it’s playing opportunistic football under coordinator Mike Caldwell. Jacksonville entered Sunday ranking only 20th in yards per game against (12th in points) but with 11 takeaways, tied for second. Against the Colts, they notched four more, giving quarterback Trevor Lawrence more possessions.
Bengals 17, Seahawks 13
- What it means for Seahawks: It’s a tough loss, but not worth dwelling on. Seattle lost because it went 1-of-5 in the red zone, including a bad interception by Geno Smith. The Seahawks were terrific defensively, limiting Cincinnati to 214 yards on 4.0 yards per play. Essentially, clean up some situational football, limit the turnovers and everything should be fine.
- What it means for Bengals: With Joe Burrow still struggling, Lou Anarumo has his defense taking charge. Against a powerful Seahawks team, Cincinnati permitted 381 yards but only allowed one red-zone touchdown on five trips. With the Niners and Bills coming up after the Bengals’ bye, Cincinnati needs its defense to continue playing excellent football to climb back into the AFC North race.
Lions 20, Buccaneers 6
- What it means for Lions: Detroit (5–1) continues to show it’s a contender. The Lions typically win by dominating up front. That’s not what happened against the Buccaneers (3–2). Detroit ran for less than 2.0 yards per carry and allowed three sacks. However, Jared Goff threw for 353 yards and the defense didn’t allow a touchdown. Detroit has a well-rounded team, and it’s showing every week.
- What it means for Buccaneers: Tampa Bay isn’t as bad as some predicted, but it’s limited. The Buccaneers have played two games against above-.500 teams, and have been outscored 45–17 with both at home. Still, there’s good news. Tampa Bay has a staggering nine games remaining against teams either at or below .500.
Rams 26, Cardinals 9
- What it means for Cardinals: Arizona (1–5) doesn’t have anywhere near the defense needed to win with a middling offense. Since Week 2, the Cardinals have allowed at least 26 points in every game except for their surprise victory over the Cowboys. Coach Jonathan Gannon came to Arizona as a defensive coordinator. He’ll need to do whatever possible to scheme up some stops with a very suspect roster.
- What it means for Rams: Los Angeles (3–3) has an opportunity to be an intriguing team moving forward. The offense has playmakers in quarterback Matthew Stafford, receivers Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp, and running back Kyren Williams. Defensively, there’s Aaron Donald. It’s a squad with clear flaws, but also undeniable strengths. Los Angeles needs to find consistency, but in the NFC, its best might be enough to find the postseason.
Ravens 24, Titans 16
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- What it means for Ravens: Baltimore must find a killer instinct. Last week, the Ravens let the Steelers linger before losing a game they should have won. This week, Baltimore was victorious, but Tennessee was overwhelmed and yet viable most of the day because of penalties, a bad interception and being 1-of-6 in the red zone. The talent is there, but the Ravens have to stop beating themselves.
- What it means for Titans: It’s time to consider the future at quarterback. Ryan Tannehill has been awful three times in six weeks. He threw three interceptions against the Saints and then combined for 180 yards against the Ravens and Browns, giving him six interceptions with two touchdowns. Tennessee invested a pair of Day 2 picks over the past two years in Malik Willis and Will Levis. Are either the answer moving forward? The Titans need to find out.
Texans 20, Saints 13
- What it means for Saints: New Orleans needs more from Derek Carr. The Saints invested in Carr with a four-year deal, and while he threw for 353 yards Sunday, it came on 50 attempts and amounted to 13 points. Carr is averaging 6.4 yards per pass with five touchdown passes. The defense is good enough to win the mediocre NFC South, but the offense, and Carr in particular, isn’t doing enough to beat any decent team.
- What it means for Texans: Houston continues to show the mark of a good team … it wins in different ways. A few weeks ago, the Texans scored 30 points in a blowout win over Pittsburgh. This week, it was a victory over a talented Saints team. Coach DeMeco Ryans is showing Houston is multi-faceted, led by rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud. Stroud was middling by the box score (13-of-25 for 199 yards) but made a litany of tough throws. It was a day of many positives for the Texans.
Commanders 24, Falcons 16
- What it means for Commanders: At 3–3, Washington has a decision to make. Do they make a move or two to bolster the roster before the Oct. 31 trade deadline, or hold onto their draft picks? Under new ownership in Josh Harris, the Commanders might feel emboldened to make a push, hoping to win a postseason game for the first time since 2005. If they go that route, a corner would be useful.
- What it means for Falcons: Atlanta is 3–3, right in the midst of the NFC South race. However, save for one good game against the Texans, quarterback Desmond Ridder has been poor (6.3 yards per attempt, 5 TDs, 6 INTs). Taylor Heinicke isn’t great, but he’s an upgrade with more experience. The rest of the roster is good enough to make the playoffs. Smith can’t afford to waste the opportunity.
Vikings 19, Bears 13
- What it means for Vikings: Don’t completely bury Minnesota. While beating the Bears isn’t cause for celebration, the Vikings are 2–4 and alive. Although their next game is against the 49ers, the following six are with the Packers, Falcons, Saints, Broncos, Bears and Raiders. Even without All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson, those are all winnable.
- What it means for Bears: After two great games against Denver and Washington (617 passing yards, 8 TDs, 1 INT), Justin Fields had another horrid performance. On Sunday, he was 6-of-10 for 58 yards and an interception before leaving with an injured right hand. If Fields’s performances continue to resemble a rollercoaster, the Bears must move on with the slew of quarterbacks likely to enter the 2024 NFL draft.
