Perfection ended for the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers as they fell on the road for the Jets and Browns, respectively. Imperfection, per se, remained intact as the Carolina Panthers remained the only winless team in the league this season.
There wasn't a lot of offense around the league. The Dolphins (42) and Jaguars (37) were the only teams to reach the 30-point mark in Week 6. Meanwhile, the Giants, Buccaneers, and Cardinals each failed to score touchdowns on Sunday.
It's safe to say there was a little upheaval at the top of the NFL Power Rankings. Not surprisingly, there's a new number one this week.
The Panthers entered Sunday as the lone winless team in the league. They figured to have their hands full with the explosive Dolphins in South Florida. However, Frank Reich's club had no problems early on and owned a surprising 14-0 lead after one quarter. The Panthers had scored a combined 13 first-quarter points in their first five games.
Miami took over from there and responded with 35 consecutive points. By the game's end, Carolina's defense gave up 424 total yards. Carolina played turnover-free football but rookie quarterback Bryce Young was sacked four times.
The Broncos were at Kansas City on Thursday night looking to snap a 15-game losing streak to the Chiefs. Denver's defense gave up a lot of yards but tightened up when it counted most of the game. Sean Payton's offense struggled throughout the evening, even with a ground game that averaged 5.0 yards per carry (23 attempts for 115 yards).
Quarterback Russell Wilson threw for only 95 yards and a score but was picked off twice and sacked four times. Payton's team managed only 197 yards of total offense. The Broncos are 1-5 for the first time since 1994.
Outscored a combined 72-3 in two straight games, the Patriots looked to get back on the winning track at Las Vegas. Bill Belichick's club was down 13-3 in the second quarter and were never able to forge a tie. Quarterback Mac Jones had another rough outing, sacked three times while throwing for only 200 yards with an interception.
Jones has gone three straight games without a TD pass while he's been picked off at least once in five of his six outings. He put a pass right on the hands of DeVante Parker in the fourth quarter before being sacked for a safety.
The Giants' woeful season continued last Sunday in Miami. This week, Brian Daboll's team faced another AFC East foe in Orchard Park. Daboll was the Buffalo Bills' offensive coordinator before being hired by the Giants. Would that be an advantage on Sunday night? It certainly looked like it as New York was pitching a shutout after three quarters.
New York was outscored 14-3 in the fourth quarter. Tyrod Taylor led a late drive and had the ball on the Bills' one-yard-line with no time left. Darren Waller appeared to be interfered with in the end zone -- after a PI call on the previous play gave the Giants a final play with zeroes on the clock -- but no call was made.
Matt Eberflus's team was coming off its first win of 2023. They clashed with the rival Vikings at Soldier Field. The Bears had dropped their last three home games in this longtime rivalry. That streak of misery continued on Sunday and was made worse by the fact that quarterback Justin Fields suffered a dislocated right thumb in the third quarter.
It was a rough outing for the Chicago offense. Fields (4) and backup Tyson Bagent (1) were sacked five times and committed all three of the team's three turnovers, including a Bagent fumble that was returned for a touchdown.
The Cardinals' defense was pushed around in back-to-back weeks by the 49ers and Bengals and looked to rebound against the Rams in Los Angeles. Jonathan Gannon's defense hung tough in the first half but Arizona wound up surrendering 382 total yards, 259 in the second half. The Cards were gashed on the ground for 179 yards.
Gannon's team was limited to three Matt Prater field goals and was shut out in the second half. Quarterback Josh Dobbs was sacked twice and committed a pair of turnovers. The Cardinals dropped their third straight game.
The Titans were the designated home team in London as they faced off against John Harbaugh's Ravens. Mike Vrabel's sluggish team dug itself a double-digit deficit as Tennessee managed a mere 66 yards of total offense in the first two quarters. Meanwhile, the Ravens rolled up 242 total yards and owned an 18-3 lead at intermission.
Ryan Tannehill threw for only 76 yards and was picked off late in the third quarter. He suffered a high ankle sprain and was replaced by Malik Willis. The second-year pro was sacked four times in the fourth quarter in the loss.
Kevin O'Connell's club had already lost as many regular-season games as it did a year ago when they faced the Bears on Sunday at Soldier Field. Of course, Chicago also brought a 1-4 record into this match-up. Neither the Vikings (220) nor the Bears (275) managed 300 yards of total offense. Minnesota ran for only 46 yards,
Brian Flores's defense finished the game with five sacks (2 by Danielle Hunter) and forced three turnovers. One of those miscues was a fumble by Bears' quarterback Tyson Bagent, returned 42 yards for a TD by Jordan Hicks.
The Raiders squeezed out a win on Monday night against the Packers. They hosted the struggling New England Patriots in a rematch of one of the wildest finishes of 2022. Of course, Jakobi Meyers is now a member of the Silver and Black and Chandler Jones is no longer with the organization. This team still came down to the final minute.
Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 162 yards and one score with one interception but left the game with a back injury. Las Vegas led 19-17 in the final minutes, but Patriots' quarterback Mac Jones was sacked for a safety by Maxx Crosby.
It shaped up as an intriguing interconference clash in the Queen City as the Bengals hosted the well-rested Seahawks. Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow was coming off a great performance in a win at Arizona. That wasn't the case on Sunday, but the Bengals' defense was the difference as the team reached the .500 mark.
Burrow threw for only 185 yards, was sacked three times and intercepted once. He also came up with a pair of TD passes. More significantly, Cincinnati defenders came up with four sacks of Geno Smith and picked him off twice.
Ron Rivera's Commanders took a three-game losing streak to Atlanta. The team was also looking to get back on track on defense as the team had allowed at least 33 points in each of its past four outings. Jack Del Rio's unit gave up 402 yards. However, they also harassed Falcons' quarterback Desmond Ridder into three interceptions.
Commanders' quarterback Sam Howell was sacked five times and the Washington offense totaled a mere 193 yards. However, he also threw three touchdown passes and Rivera's team played turnover-free football.
Five games into their season and somehow Mike Tomlin's team is one game above the .500 mark. That's hard to believe given the Steelers' performances in lopsided losses to the 49ers (30-7) and Texans (30-6). Meanwhile, a talented but erratic defense was the biggest factor in narrow wins over the Browns, Raiders and Ravens.
Offensive coordinator Matt Canada has been under fire for most of his tenure with the team. The Steelers could have wide receiver Diontae Johnson and tight end Pat Freiermuth back on the field when they take on the Rams.
After a promising start to the season, quarterback Jordan Love has had his issues as of late. In their first two weeks, he threw for a combined six scores without an interception vs. the Bears (won) and Falcons (loss). In his last three games, Love is hitting on just 55.5 percent of his throws, good for two touchdowns while being picked off six times.
Green Bay's defense continues to be a sore spot. Only four teams in the league are giving up more yards per game on the ground (143.4). Matt LaFleur's team has been outscored a combined 69-26 in the first half this season.
The Rams were in the midst of a three-game homestand and welcomed the rival Cardinals to SoFi Stadium. The first half featured a battle of field goals, with Sean McVay's team on the short end of a 9-6 score. It was a totally different story after intermission as the Rams gained 259 total yards and outscored their guests, 20-0.
The team got big outings from second-year running back Kyren Williams and wide receiver Cooper Kupp. The latter caught seven passes for 148 yards and one score. Williams totaled 20 carries for 158 yards and a touchdown.
In Week 1, the Colts had the Jaguars on the ropes but let them get away. The team made its way to Jacksonville looking to avenge that setback. Veteran Gardner Minshew would make his second start of the season and had a miserable outing. The one-time Jaguars' quarterback had all four of the team's turnovers on the afternoon.
Minshew did throw for 329 yards and a touchdown via 55 attempts. He was also sacked three times. Down 21-3 in the second quarter, Jacksonville basically abandoned the running game and finished with 44 yards on 17 carries.
The Saints' defense continues to be the star of the show in New Orleans. Dennis Allen's team was in Houston to take on the improving Texans. The Saints limited their hosts to just 297 total yards and were the first team this season to intercept rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud. That wasn't enough for the team to come up with a road win.
Derek Carr connected on 32 of his 50 throws for 353 yards and one score, but it was the team's only touchdown of the game. Carr was sacked twice and the club finished with 430 total yards, but there were two costly turnovers.
The Jets were not only hoping to get back to the .500 mark at home vs. the Eagles, the franchise was looking for its first-ever victory vs. this NFC East club. It turned out to be a lucky 13th meeting with the team from the City of Brotherly Love as Robert Saleh's opportunistic squad handed the defending NFC champions their first loss of 2023.
New York was limited to only 244 total yards. Zach Wilson was sacked five times and threw for only 186 yards. However, Saleh's club played turnover-free football, while his defensive unit came up with four takeaways.
Thanks to a 31-21 victory in Week 1 at Indianapolis, Doug Pederson's team was in position to sweep the Colts for the first time since 2017. The Jaguars spotted their AFC South rivals a 3-0 first-quarter edge but responded with three straight touchdowns to take a 21-3 lead. The Jaguars finished the game with only 233 yards of total offense.
Of course, four takeaways helped Pederson's cause. Jacksonville has forced an NFL-high 15 turnovers after six weeks of play. Travis Etienne ran 18 times for 55 yards and scored the team's first two touchdowns in the victory.
The improving Texans lost a heartbreaker last Sunday at Atlanta. They hosted the New Orleans Saints looking to get back to the .500 mark. The bad news was that rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud connected on less than half of his passes (13-of-27) and threw his first interception of his career. The good news was a pair of touchdown passes.
The Saints rolled up 430 total yards but settled for 13 points. Houston forced two turnovers, giving them nine takeaways. Winners of three of their last four games, the Texans have already equaled their 2022 win total.
Arthur Smith's team won a nailbiter at home last week against the Texans. The Falcons hosted the struggling Commanders and were hoping to take advantage of a Washington team that had allowed a combined 144 points in its previous four contests. Smith's team moved the football to the tune of 402 yards but scored only two TDs.
Desmond Ridder connected on 28-of-47 passes for 307 yards and scores to tight ends Kyle Pitts and Jonnu Smith. However, he threw three second-half interceptions. Atlanta has scored a combined 29 points in their three losses.
Brandon Staley's club had Week 5 off and now look for its third straight win as they took on the perplexing Dallas Cowboys. It was a back-and forth affair that saw the game tied three times. Brandon Staley's club overcame a 17-10 deficit as Justin Herbert found tight end Gerald Everett for a one-yard score with 7:11 remaining in the contest.
Dallas took a 20-17 lead with 2:19 to play and the Chargers got the ball back. They never made it out of their own territory as Herbert was sacked by Micah Parsons and was picked off by Stephon Gilmore on the following play.
The Seahawks had last week off and headed east to the Queen City to take on the disappointing Bengals. Pete Carroll's club had few problems moving the football on the defending AFC North champions. Seattle's offense finished the afternoon with 381 total yards, but the Seahawks shot themselves in the cleats too many times.
Geno Smith threw for 323 yards, but led the club on only one touchdown drive and served up two interceptions. Seattle had the ball on the Bengals' 11-yard-line with 55 seconds to play, but couldn't put the ball in the end zone.
Todd Bowles' club returned from its midseason vacation and hosted the Detroit Lions in a battle of first-place teams. It was a rough afternoon for the Buccaneers' offense, which managed only 251 total yards on 54 plays. Bowles' team was just 2-of-12 on third down (1-of-2 on fourth down) and held the football for only 23:30.
Baker Mayfield barely completed 50 percent of his throws (19-of-37) and did throw for 206 yards. However, the Buccaneers were limited to only three field goals. Mayfield was sacked just once and threw one interception.
The Browns had an extra week to prepare for the league's powerhouse from San Francisco. Deshaun Watson remained out so Kevin Stefanski started his third different quarterback in as many games in P.J. Walker.
Early in the second quarter, Cleveland was down, 10-0, to the undefeated 49ers. Walker threw for only 106 yards but 58 of those came on a second-quarter pass to Amari Cooper that eventually led to a touchdown. The Browns hung tough, limiting the Niners to 215 total yards while their own ground attack amassed 160 yards.
The Cowboys were manhandled last Sunday night at San Francisco. They were back out west once again for a Monday night affair with the Chargers. The Bolts struck first and took an early 7-0 lead but Dak Prescott responded with an 18-yard TD run on fourth down and the teams were even. Dallas would own a 10-7 advantage at the half.
Prescott overcame five sacks and threw for 272 yards, including a TD strike to Brandin Cooks early in fourth quarter. Dallas held on for a three-point win when Stephon Gilmore picked off Justin Herbert late in the game.
The Ravens were in London to take on the Titans in a battle of teams that were each coming off divisional losses. John Harbaugh's team did score 24 points but managed only one touchdown as Lamar Jackson connected with rookie wideout Zay Flowers for a 10-yard score. Meanwhile, veteran kicker Justin Tucker added six field goals.
Baltimore's defense limited Tennessee to 233 total yards and finished the game with six sacks and two takeaways. Four of those were at the expense of Malik Willis, who replaced an injured Ryan Tannehill in the fourth quarter.
Buffalo's defense was a no-show last week in London against the Jaguars. Sean McDermott's team looked to bounce back on Sunday night against the visiting Giants. Buffalo's offense had its issues from the get-go, committing a pair of first-half turnovers, including a Josh Allen interception, while totaling only 142 yards.
Buffalo trailed 6-0 in the fourth quarter. Allen connected with Deonte Harty for a three-yard score, but trailed soon afterward, 9-7. Quintin Morris hauled in a 15-yard TD pass from Allen with 3:48 that proved to be the difference.
Nick Sirianni's team made the first of their two trips to the MetLife Stadium this season as the Eagles took on the Jets. The Birds took a 12-0 lifetime record in the series into this match-up. Philadelphia owned a 14-3 lead in the second quarter and appeared on its way to remaining unbeaten. The Eagles were done scoring for the afternoon.
The Jets responded with 17 unanswered points. Sirianni's team finished with four turnovers, including three interceptions by Jalen Hurts. The Birds gave up the football just five times in winning their first five games.
The surging Lions took a three-game winning streak into Tampa to take on the Buccaneers in a clash of first-place teams. Coordinator Aaron Glenn's emerging defensive unit stifled Baker Mayfield and the Bucs' offense to the tune of 251 total yards, including just 46 yards on the ground. They held Todd Bowlers' team to three field goals.
Quarterback Jared Goff had another solid showing, throwing for 353 yards and two scores. He overcame three sacks and Dan Campbell's team needed for the eight-year pro to be at his best as Detroit ran for only 40 yards.
For the second straight week, the Dolphins hosted an NFC opponent as they took on the winless Carolina Panthers. Things didn't look good early on as Mike McDaniel's squad was down 14-0 after one quarter of play. However, Miami owned a 21-14 lead at intermission, part of 35 consecutive points scored by the AFC East leaders.
Tua Tagovailoa was not sacked, throwing for 262 yards and three scores. Tyreek Hill caught six passes for 163 yards and one touchdown. Raheem Mostert ran for 115 yards and two TDs. Miami amassed 424 total yards in the win.
The 49ers took a 15-game regular-season winning streak into Cleveland. Kyle Shanahan's team got off a fast start as Christian McCaffrey capped off a five-play, 84-yard drive with a 13-yard TD reception from Brock Purdy. The Niners would gain only 131 yards the rest of the game and lost McCaffrey and wideout Deebo Samuel to injuries.
San Francisco found itself down, 19-17, with 1:40 to play. Purdy drove the club and rookie Jake Moody lined up for a 41-yard goal but he failed on the attempt. San Francisco's defensive unit did surrender 160 yards on the ground.
Andy Reid's team had won four straight games entering Thursday night's clash with the rival Broncos. The Chiefs also took a 15-game winning streak vs. Denver into the game. That success was extended in prime time despite the fact that Kansas City had success moving the ball but only punched it into the end zone just once by game's end.
Harrison Butker nailed a 60-yard field goal on the final play of the first half to give the Chiefs a 13-0 lead. It was the second of four successful kicks that night. Kansas City limited the Broncos to 197 yards and forced three turnovers.
