San Francisco 49ers 36, Seattle Seahawks 24
Brock threw three touchdowns as he led the 49ers to a road divisional win and a lead atop the NFC West over the rival Seahawks. Purdy would finish with 255 yards to go along with those three touchdowns. Two of those touchdowns went to tight end George Kittle who finished with five catches for 58 and two scores. Deebo Samuel caught the other touchdown, one that went for 76 yards and involved Samuel making a few Seahawk defenders miss along the way. The 49ers were again without star running back Christian McCaffery for the sixth consecutive game and it didn’t help that backup running back: Jordan Mason left in the second quarter with a shoulder injury and was replaced by rookie running back Isaac Guerendo. Guerendo would finish with a career-high 99 yards on 10 carries. Another bright spot for San Francisco was kicker Matthew Wright, who joined San Francisco earlier this week to replace injured kicker Jake Moody, had a trio of first half-field goals from 25, 41, and 35 yards. Geno Smith passed for 312 yards and a touchdown but was intercepted twice, and the Seahawks lost their third straight after a 3-0 start to the season.
Chicago Bears 35, Jacksonville Jaguars 16
In his first career international game, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams threw for four touchdowns as he led the Bears to a stomping of the Jaguars in London. Williams finished with 226 yards, four touchdowns, a pick and also had 46 yards rushing. Cole Kmet and Keenan Allen each hauled in two touchdowns and D’Andre Swift rushed for 91 yards and a score, and hauled in four passes for 28 yards in the win to move the Bears to 4-2 on the season headed into their bye week. Self inflicted wounds cost the Jaguars as Trevor Lawrence had an interception and Evan Engram had a costly fumble at the start of the third quarter that led to Keenan Allen’s first touchdown. Lawrence finished with 234 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Engram had 10 catches for 102 yards and Gabe Davis hauled in 5 passes for 45 yards and two scores but it wasn’t enough as the lowly Jaguars fall to 1-5 and continue to have won only one game in the entirety of the 2024 calendar dating back to the end of last year.
Green Bay Packers 34, Arizona Cardinals 13
Following a one game suspension, Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs hauled in two touchdowns and helped lead the Packers to a blowout win over the Cardinals who had upset on their minds again one week after upsetting the 49ers. Doubs’ first two touchdowns of the season included a 10-yard score to open the second quarter and a 20-yard reception in the third quarter. Jordan Love had another very nice game, his third game since returning from injury, finishing with 258 yards, four touchdowns and a pick. Besides the two touchdowns to Doubs, Love also threw touchdown passes of five yards to Jayden Reed and 44 yards to Watson, he completed throws to nine players and his four touchdown passes matched a career high. Arizona played losing football while showing an uncharacteristic lack of discipline. The Cardinals had been averaging a league-low 3.8 penalties per game, but they were penalized 13 times for 100 yards Sunday. They also committed three turnovers and lost star rookie wide receiver, Marvin Harrison Jr to a concussion.
Indianapolis Colts 20, Tennessee Titans 17
Joe Flacco continues his Linsanity run, as he led the Colts to a 20-17 victory over AFC South rival Titans. Flacco is now 2-1 for the Colts a year after going 4-1 and leading the Browns to the playoffs a year ago. Flacco finished with 189 yards, two touchdowns and a pick as a hobbled Colts team went into Tennessee and came away with the win. Josh Downs hauled in seven catches for 66 yards and a score as he continues to be a favorite target of Flacco when he’s under center. The Titans now have lost three straight to their division rival. They will have to wait until November to try and win their first home game this season under first-year coach Brian Callahan. Tony Pollard put Tennessee up 17-10 with a 23-yard TD run on a drive that used up more than half of the third quarter. Flacco answered by driving the Colts to 10 straight points and the lead they never lost. Pollard finished with 93 yards and a score but it wasn’t enough.
Houston Texans 41, New England Patriots 21
C.J. Stroud tossed three touchdown passes and Joe Mixon returned to the field as the Texans went into Foxborough and spoiled Drake Maye’s first career NFL start. Stroud finished with 192 yards, three touchdowns, and had a pick. Joe Mixon returned to the Texans lineup after being absent for three games after sustaining an ankle sprain in the Texans week 2 matchup vs the Bears. He finished with 102 rushing yards, 30 receiving yards and two total touchdowns. Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell stepped up for Houston in the absence of Nico Collins who was placed on IR earlier in the week. Diggs finished with six catches for 77 yards and a score, Dell hauled in seven passes for 57 yards and a score of his own. In his first NFL start, Drake Maye finished with 241 yards, three touchdowns, and two picks. However, Maye also ran for 38 yards but was sacked four times, one resulting in a lost fumble deep in New England territory that led to a Houston touchdown. The Patriots went three-and-out on their first possession, and on their next series, Maye overthrew his intended target and was intercepted by Calen Bullock, one of four turnovers by New England, which has lost five straight and fell to 0-3 at home this season. Demario Douglas had a solid game for New England catching six passes for 92 yards and a score in the loss.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 51, New Orleans Saints 27
In what was a game of runs down in New Orleans, Baker Mayfield eventually led the Buccaneers to a big win over Spencer Rattler and the Saints who were making his NFL debut. Mayfield threw for 325, four touchdowns, and three picks. Mayfield’s favorite target on the day was Chris Godwin who continues to have a stellar season as he finished with 11 catches for 125 yards and two scores, including a 55-yard touchdown catch after catching the ball in the flat and making a few Saints defenders miss. The Buccaneers overcame an abysmal second quarter that saw there 17-0 lead evaporate and found themselves down 27-24 at halftime. Spencer Rattler got the start for the Saints in replacement of injured Derek Carr. Rattler finished his first career start with 243 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions. However, the Buccaneers defense stepped up in the second half and shut out the Saints while their offense dominated and scored 27 unanswered points. The Buccaneers racked up all kinds of gaudy stats and highlights in the Superdome, which was mostly empty before the game ended. A smattering of happy fans in Bucs colors remained when Sean Tucker scored for the second time in the final margin. Tucker finished the game with 136 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Bucky Irving also chipped in for the Buccaneers offense rushing for 81 yards and a score in the win. Tampa Bay became just the fifth team in NFL history to have at least 300 yards passing and 275 yards rushing in a game. The Bucs’ 594 total offensive yards were the second-most ever yielded by the Saints.
Philadelphia Eagles 20, Cleveland Browns 16
Finally fully healthy again, the Eagles were able to win a close 20-16 game against the Browns despite the “boos” rained down by the Philly fans for much of the game. Jalen Hurts tossed two touchdowns in the win, one went to A.J. Brown, who returned from a hamstring injury and caught six passes for 116 yards and a score. Devonta Smith also returned after sustaining a concussion and had three catches for 64 yards and a score. However, this was what you could qualify as a bad win for the Eagles, so bad that head coach Nick Siriani was seen yelling at the home fans near the end of the game. The Browns on the other hand continue to be a mess and are the first in 10 years not to score 20 points in their first six games. They have only scored an offensive touchdown in their last 29 drives, as their only touchdown on Sunday was courtesy of a Myles Garrett blocked field goal. Deshaun Watson’s dismal play did not nothing to quiet the calls that the team’s $230 million quarterback should be benched. He finished with a measly 168 yards in a pretty garbage performance.
Baltimore Ravens 30, Washington Commanders 23
In a matchup of electric young quarterbacks, Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, and the Ravens got the best of up-and-coming superstar, Jayden Daniels, and the Washington Commander. Jackson had 323 yards passing, a touchdown, a pick, and added another 40 yards on the ground. Henry finished with 132 yards and two touchdowns. He now leads the NFL in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, carriers, and rush yards per attempt. Zay Flowers had a career game hauling in nine passes for a career-best 132 yards, all coming in the first half and wasn’t targeted the rest of the game. Jackson also moved into second on the career rushing list among QBs. Baltimore mixed and matched the pass and run to near perfection and now find themselves tied atop the NFC North with the Steelers at 4-2. However, they had to fight to get their as Jayden Daniels and co. did everything in their power to not allow that to happen. Daniels finished with 269 yards passing, 22 yards rushing, and two passing touchdowns. Both went to star wideout Terry McLaurin who finished with six catches for 53 yards and those two scores. However, with Brian Robinson Jr. out because of a knee injury, Washington got just 52 yards on the ground. The Commanders’ defense struggled to contain Jackson and Henry, allowing Baltimore to rack up 484 yards, and their winning streak ended at four with a loss at the hands of an opponent that is starting to look like the legitimate Super Bowl contender it was expected to be. The masterclass by the Ravens included scoring drives of 93 and 94 yards, the second of which became the difference in the game when Henry scored from 7 yards out late in the third quarter.
Los Angeles Chargers 23, Denver Broncos 16
Fresh off a bye week Justin Herbert and the Chargers went up to Mile High beat the Broncos to the tune of a 23-16 win snapping Denver’s three-game win streak. After a late scare from head coach Jim Harbaugh who was seen headed to the locker room with a case of atrial flutter, but was able to return to the field before the first half ended. While gone, his team built up a nice 20-0 against the Broncos defense who sadly had to watch star corner, Pat Surtain II leave due to a concussion and Justin Herbert took advantage. Herbert finished the game with 237 yards and a touchdown. J.K. Dobbins ran the ball 25 times for 96 yards and a score allowing the Chargers to have long drawn out drives and keep Bo Nix and the Broncos off the field. After two turnovers and five punts, the Broncos’ offense came to life as Bo Nix directed the Broncos on a 95-yard scoring drive capped by his two-yard pass to fellow Oregon alum Troy Franklin, then found Courtland Sutton for a diving 15-yard TD grab with 5:22 remaining. A failed two-point try left the double-digit deficit in place, however. The Broncos forced a punt and reached the Chargers 32 on their next possession and Wil Lutz’s 40-yard field goal on first down made it 23-16 with 59 seconds left. But they weren’t able to recover the onside kick and the Chargers escaped with the win.
Pittsburgh Steelers 32, Las Vegas Raiders 13
Najee Harris had himself his first 100-yard game of the season as the Steelers went across the country and beat the Raiders soundly in Vegas. Harris finished with 106 yards and two touchdowns on the ground to compliment quarterback Justin Fields who remained the starter even though Russell Wilson was healthy and ready to go for Pittsburgh. Fields finished with 145 passing yards, 59 rushing yards, and two rushing touchdowns. The Pittsburgh defense, which gave up 803 yards in losses the past two weeks, returned to early-season form when their first three opponents gained just 687 yards combined. Pittsburgh held the Raiders to 275 yards, and four-time All-Pro T.J. Watt forced two fumbles and had two tackles for loss. As for the Raiders, nothing much went right for them on the day but rookie tight end, Brock Bowers had another nice game finishing with nine catches for 71 yards. Star wide receiver, Davante Adams missed another game as the Raiders continue to look for viable trade partners for the 31 year old.
Detroit Lions 47, Dallas Cowboys 9
The Lions ripped the Cowboys to pieces on national television on Sunday afternoon. Jared Goff and the Lions had their way with the Cowboys defense and marched up and down the field time and time again and offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson, pulled out all the stops including: trying to throw it offensive lineman Taylor Decker in the end zone for a TD, have fellow offensive lineman Dan Skipper line up out wide at WR, run a hook and lateral play to starting tackle Penei Sewell and run a flea flicker for a touchdown to tight end Sam Laporta. However, the sweet revenge didn’t come easy for Detroit as they lost star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson to a broken tibia after his left leg collided with a teammate’s shin while Hutchinson was sacking Dak Prescott. Hutchinson did, however, have successful surgery to repair his tibia but is done for the season. Jared Goff finished the game with 315 yards and three touchdowns in pretty much a perfect game from the Lions quarterback. Goff now has finished back-to-back games with a passer rating over 150 for the first time since Drew Brees did it back in 2018. David Montgomery, fresh off signing a contract extension earlier this week rushed for 80 yards and two touchdowns. Jameson Williams hauled in three passes for 76 yards and a score. A score that saw Williams dust Cowboys corner Trevon Diggs for an easy 37-yard score. The Lions led comfortably 27-6 at the break and kept pouring it on before relieving their starters with a commanding 47-9 lead in the 4th quarter. Dak Prescott threw two interceptions in the worst home loss since 1988 for the Cowboys, who became the first team since at least 2000 to trail by 14 or more points at halftime in four consecutive games on their home field, playoffs included. The current skid followed a 16-game home winning streak that was the second-longest in franchise history, and the 167 points allowed by Dallas are the third most in a four-game home stretch in NFL history. The Cowboys were without star pass rushers: Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence but they wouldn’t have made a difference as the Cowboys were embarrassed and booed off their home field by the end of the game.
Atlanta Falcons 38, Carolina Panthers 20
Bijan Robinson had a breakout game as the Falcons were able to head up to Charlotte and easily beat the Panthers 38-20. Robinson finished the game with 95 yards and two scores as fellow running back Tyler Allgeier chipped in with 105 yards and a score on the ground. Quarterback Kirk Cousins threw for 225 yards and a score as the win was the third straight vs an NFC South rival for the Falcons. Drake London hauled in the one touchdown pass from Cousins to go along with six catches for 74 yards. In Sunday’s game Cousins only had to throw the ball 30 times compared to their last game that saw Cousins throw it 58 times in a wild Thursday night game vs the Buccaneers. The Falcons were the latest team to feast on an injury-filled Panthers defense, which has allowed a league-high 203 points in six games, the ninth most in the Super Bowl era and most since the 2020 Dallas Cowboys. Carolina has allowed 34 or more points in four games this season. Andy Dalton had 221 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions as the Panthers dropped their third straight game.
Cincinnati Bengals 17, New York Giants 7
In what was a snooze fest of a Sunday Night Football game a 30-yard Chase Brown rushing touchdown with 1:52 left sealed a Bengals 17-7 win to improve to 2-4 and stay in the hunt for the playoffs this season. Joe Burrow also made enough plays including a career-long 43-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter. Cincinnati was led defensively by Trey Hendrickson, who had two sacks, and linebacker Germaine Pratt, who intercepted Daniel Jones near the goal line in the first quarter after former Giant B.J. Hill hit Jones while throwing. The Bengals defense came into the game ranked near the bottom in the NFL in terms of defense but were able to get right against a Giants offense who were without star wideout Malik Nabers and starting running back Devin Singeltary. The Giants offense was pretty lethargic all night as they punted four times in the first half. In the second half, they turned it over on downs twice and Greg Joseph missed two field goal attempts. Tyrone Tracy Jr, a rookie running back out of Purdue, tried to will the Giants to victory as he finished with 50 yards and the only touchdown scored by the Giants but it wasn’t enough for New York.
Buffalo Bills 23, New York Jets 20
22 penalties, 4 missed kicks, a vintage Aaron Rodgers Hail Mary, and a clutch Taron Johnson interception late in the 4th quarter were all the Bills needed to squeak out a win against the Jets on Monday Night Football. Josh Allen led the Bills despite being down his best running back, James Cook, and finished with 215 passing yards, 18 rushing yards, two passing touchdowns, and a rushing touchdown. Fill-in running back Ray Davis, a rookie out of Kentucky, had 97 yards on 20 carries in his first start as a professional. He also hauled in three passes for 55 yards. Tyler Bass kicked a go-ahead field goal with 3:43 to seal the Bills win and snap their two-game losing streak. In the Josh Allen era, the Bills have yet to lose three games in a row. As for the Jets, coming off a week that saw head coach Robert Salah get fired the offense looked competent for most of the game despite the two doinked field goals by Greg Zuerlein. Aaron Rodgers finished with 294 yards, two touchdowns, and a pick. Breece Hall had 113 yards on the ground and five catches for 56 yards through the air. And star wide receiver Garrett Wilson had eight catches for 107 yards and a score. Allen Lazard also chipped in with six catches for 114 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown came on a Hail Mary pass from Rodgers on the last play of the first half. The Hail Mary was Rodgers fourth of his career and his first in a Jets uniform. However, it wasn’t enough as Greg Zuerlein missed two kicks and Aaron Rodgers was intercepted on the Jets final drive to seal their fate.
Week seven kicks off on Thursday Night when the Denver Broncos led by rookie quarterback Bo Nix head down to New Orleans to play the Saints and finishes up with the third Monday Night Football doubleheader of the year. First, we’ll see the Baltimore Ravens take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers followed by Justin Herbert and the Chargers heading out to Arizona to play Kyler Murray and the Cardinals.
