NFL Week 6 Performance Recap
Seattle Seahawks at Denver Broncos
Denver won outright as a 3-point home underdog and the game stayed under the 40.5 total, beating Seattle 17-14 in overtime to improve to 4-2. The Broncos led 14-0 at halftime on touchdown drives of 16 and 9 plays, with Nik Bonitto forcing a fumble on Rashid Shaheed to end one Seattle threat, and a depleted Denver defense sacked Sam Darnold five times and hit him 17 times. Seattle scored just three points on its first eight drives before George Holani ran in from the 1 and Darnold found Shaheed on a two-point try to make it 14-11, and Jason Myers tied it with a 34-yard field goal with three seconds left in regulation. Kris Abrams-Draine intercepted Darnold at the Denver 30 with 1:25 to play, but the Broncos could only burn 15 seconds before punting. In overtime Ja'Quan McMillian picked off Darnold's pass for Shaheed, and four plays later Wil Lutz hit a 53-yard field goal to win it. Denver did it without Patrick Surtain II and Talanoa Hufanga, both out with ankle injuries, and Tyler Badie hurt his thumb. Seattle falls to 3-3 with its second loss in five days, and tight end Elijah Arroyo left with a shoulder injury.
Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars (London)
Houston won outright as a 2.5-point underdog and the game flew over the 42.5 total, with the Texans beating Jacksonville 34-31 on a 49-yard Ka'imi Fairbairn field goal. C.J. Stroud went 24 of 34 for 312 yards and three touchdowns, and Houston ran for 114 yards behind Woody Marks and Jawhar Jordan. Marvin Harrison Jr. made his Texans debut after the trade from Arizona. Travis Hunter had a career-high eight catches for 101 yards and a touchdown and also intercepted Stroud in the end zone, and Cam Little hit a 60-yard field goal for the Jaguars, but it was not enough to hold off the Texans. Houston improves to 2-4, while Jacksonville falls to 4-2 in a game that raised fair questions about how real this contender is.
Chicago Bears at Atlanta Falcons
Chicago covered as a 3.5-point road favorite and the game cleared the 49 total in a 31-23 win that was far closer than it should have been. Caleb Williams returned from his hamstring injury to go 30 of 36 for 305 yards and a touchdown, an 83 percent completion rate, with Luther Burden III catching eight passes for 95 yards and Colston Loveland adding six for 65 and a score. Kyler Gordon, back from a calf injury, had three of the Bears' sacks of Michael Penix Jr., who was taken down five times and lost a fumble. Chicago led by 24 with about 12 minutes left, then went three-and-out or turned it over on three straight possessions as Atlanta scored two quick touchdowns and two two-point conversions, including a 91-yard drive that took 2:38. The Bears also committed 12 penalties for 133 yards. Bijan Robinson managed just 61 yards on nine carries. Chicago moves to 4-2, and Atlanta falls to 2-4.
Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns
Cleveland won outright as a 4.5-point home underdog (some books had the Ravens at 3) and the game stayed well under the 41 total in a 13-10 grinder. The Browns held Baltimore to 235 yards and 6 of 16 on third down, and Carson Schwesinger was everywhere with 13 tackles, nine defensive stops and a forced fumble on Derrick Henry. Deshaun Watson threw for 164 yards and led the game-winning drive, and Jerry Jeudy led Cleveland with 69 receiving yards. Josh Cuevas scored the Ravens' lone touchdown early, and Baltimore never found a rhythm without Lamar Jackson. The win puts the Browns at 4-2, which leaves them tied with Baltimore and Pittsburgh atop the AFC North, while the Ravens drop to the same record.
Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts
Tennessee won outright as a 7-point road underdog and the game cleared the 44 total, as the Titans beat the Colts 26-20 for their first win of the season. It was a strange one, because Indianapolis led 13-0 at halftime and outgained Tennessee by 213 yards, but Daniel Jones threw two interceptions, was sacked six times and completed just 52.4 percent of his passes. Cam Ward was only 11 of 22 for 102 yards, a touchdown and an interception, yet Carnell Tate caught his first career touchdown, Chimere Dike returned a punt 58 yards, and Tennessee blocked a punt for a score. Amani Hooker had 13 tackles and an interception, Jeffery Simmons and Jermaine Johnson II each had two sacks, and Jonathan Taylor lost a fumble for the Colts. Tennessee moves to 1-5, Indianapolis falls to 2-4, and the questions about Shane Steichen's job security are getting louder.
New York Jets at New England Patriots
New England beat the Jets 26-19, a seven-point win that was a push against the 7-point spread at most books and a Jets cover at the 7.5 some had. The total of 43.5 went over. Drake Maye threw for 383 yards and three touchdowns with 22 first downs, and the Patriots won despite two costly fumbles and a rough day for A.J. Brown, who caught three of ten targets for 27 yards in his return from injury. Geno Smith threw his first interception of the season but also hit Omar Cooper Jr. on a 48-yard pass, and New York gained 324 yards while going 3 of 10 on third down and 0 of 2 on fourth down. Corey Kiner added 57 rushing yards on 11 carries. New England lost offensive linemen Morgan Moses, Alijah Vera-Tucker and Ben Brown during the game, a concern for a team that has now won three straight. The Patriots improve to 4-2, and the Jets fall to 2-4.
New Orleans Saints at New York Giants
New Orleans won outright as a road underdog of less than a point and the game soared over the 45.5 total in a 34-27 Saints win. Tyler Shough threw four touchdown passes with no interceptions, Alvin Kamara had 69 yards and a score on nine touches, and Bryce Lance caught his first career touchdown. The Saints forced four turnovers, sacked the quarterback five times, and Daniel Carlson hit a 58-yard field goal. New Orleans led 34-10 before the Giants rallied, a comeback that began after Jameis Winston, who went 14 of 26 for 152 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions, was benched. J.J. McCarthy came in, threw an interception of his own, then led three straight scoring drives and finished with 243 yards and a touchdown, and the Giants reached the Saints' 14-yard line on their final possession before time ran out. Cam Skattebo played only six snaps with no carries. New York drops to 3-2-1, and the Saints improve to 2-4.
Carolina Panthers at Philadelphia Eagles
Carolina covered as a small road favorite (anywhere from 0.5 to 3 points depending on the book) and the game stayed under the 41.5 total in a 25-14 win that handed Philadelphia its fourth straight loss. Bryce Young went 20 of 39 for 281 yards and two touchdowns, and Chuba Hubbard ran 28 times for 120 yards and a score as the Panthers piled up 399 yards, even though they were only 7 of 17 on third down. Philadelphia had no answer on the ground, rushing for 35 yards total while missing multiple running backs and shuffling its offensive line. Tanner McKee went 26 of 45 for 215 yards and a touchdown to DeVonta Smith, who had seven catches for 75 yards, but he was sacked three times, and Bobby Okereke had five pressures for the Panthers. The bigger news is that Jalen Hurts was placed on injured reserve with a superficial blood clot in his calf and will miss at least four games. Philadelphia scored 14 points against a Carolina defense that had allowed 59 earlier in the year. The Eagles fall to 2-4, and the Panthers move to 3-2.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Pittsburgh covered as a 2.5-point road favorite and the game cleared the 40.5 total in a 26-19 overtime win that took a rally from 13 points down entering the fourth quarter. Jalon Daniels threw two fourth-quarter interceptions, to Daylen Everette and Jamel Dean, and Pittsburgh took advantage, with Germie Bernard catching a season-high 11 passes for 87 yards and the overtime touchdown. Tampa Bay kicked off to start the extra period, and the Steelers then ran nearly seven minutes off the clock before scoring. Jalen Ramsey was a force with 10 tackles and two sacks, including a fourth-down sack of Daniels in overtime. Pittsburgh moves to 4-2 and sits in a three-way tie atop the AFC North, while Tampa Bay falls to 1-5 after letting a game get away that looked won for most of the afternoon.
Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams
Arizona won outright as a 12.5-point road underdog, a huge upset, and the game stayed far under the 52 total in an 18-16 Cardinals win. Chad Ryland made all six of his field goal attempts, including the game-winner, to account for all of Arizona's scoring, and the Cardinals went 0 for 5 in the red zone yet still outgained Los Angeles 338-286. The defense did the real work, generating 18 pressures and two sacks, and the Rams scored on only three of ten drives while averaging 5.1 yards per play. Matthew Stafford struggled when pressured, the offensive line was a problem all day, and a questionable officiating call drew plenty of complaints. Los Angeles also lost kicker Blake Grupe to a knee injury in the first quarter. Both teams are now 2-4, and Los Angeles has now followed its Monday night loss to Buffalo with another defeat.
Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City covered as an 8.5-point home favorite (some books had it at 7.5) and the game stayed under the 42.5 total in a 22-6 win. Kenneth Walker III ran for 128 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries, and the Chiefs sacked the Chargers four times and held them to 73 net rushing yards, 26 of them from Justin Herbert. Wind was a factor, and Harrison Butker missed an extra point and a field goal and had another near-miss. Los Angeles played with a heavily banged-up offensive line and never threatened. The Chiefs move to 5-0 coming off their bye, while the Chargers fall to 0-6, extending their losing streak to nine games including last year's playoff loss. Jim Harbaugh is now 22-18 in the regular season with no playoff wins in Los Angeles.
Buffalo Bills at Las Vegas Raiders
Las Vegas covered as a 5-point home underdog and the game flew over the 53.5 total, though Buffalo held on for a 33-30 win to move to 5-1. Josh Allen went 23 of 33 for 255 yards and two touchdowns, including one to Keon Coleman, and James Cook had 153 scrimmage yards and a score on 25 touches. Kirk Cousins threw for 313 yards and two touchdowns with an interception, and Tre Tucker caught two of those scores, while Ashton Jeanty ran for just 22 yards and a touchdown on ten carries. Christian Benford held Brock Bowers to two catches for 23 yards on five targets, and Las Vegas managed only 65 rushing yards and went 2 of 5 in the red zone. The Raiders' onside kick failed at the end. The win completes a two-game western trip that included the victory over the Rams, and Buffalo leads the AFC East, while Las Vegas falls to 3-3.
Dallas Cowboys at Green Bay Packers
Green Bay covered as a 1.5-point home favorite and the game stayed well under the 53 total in a 23-13 win. Jordan Love threw for 276 yards and a 9-yard touchdown to Matthew Golden, who had six catches for 106 yards, with Christian Watson adding three for 64. The Packers ran for only 57 yards on 26 carries but did not need more, with Lukas Van Ness collecting a sack and five pressures even with several defensive starters out. Dak Prescott threw two interceptions, one of which was wiped out by a penalty, and Dallas went 4 of 11 on third down and has now scored 13 points two weeks in a row. The game was sloppy, with 22 combined penalties, and Micah Parsons did not play as he continues to recover from knee surgery. Josh Jacobs is eligible to return to the Cowboys from the exempt list. Green Bay improves to 4-2, while Dallas falls to 2-4 with its second straight loss.
Monday Night Preview: Washington Commanders at San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco is a 7.5-point home favorite (moneyline around -420) with the total at 50.5 as the undefeated 49ers host a Commanders team that is 1-3-1 and coming off the 27-27 tie with the Giants. The 49ers are 5-0 after the road win in Seattle, rank near the top of the league in net yards per play and EPA, and Brock Purdy has completed 69 percent of his passes for 1,196 yards, 13 touchdowns and two interceptions. Washington blew a 27-13 fourth-quarter lead last week, its defense has allowed 27 or more points in four straight games, and Jayden Daniels is playing through an elbow injury after taking five sacks. San Francisco lists Nick Bosa, James Thompson Jr. and Kyle Juszczyk as questionable, while Washington has Charles Omenihu, Tyler Owens and Nick Cross questionable and backup quarterback Marcus Mariota doubtful. The 49ers are 4-1 against the spread and the Commanders 2-3, and the Over is 4-1 in Washington's games. The series history leans under (6-3 in the last nine meetings), but with Washington's defense struggling and the 49ers' offense humming, this shapes up as a game where San Francisco winning and the over both have a case, with the hook at 7.5 the only thing giving some bettors pause.
