The Chicago Bears capitalized on a fumbled handoff on a rainy Monday night to beat the Washington Commanders 25-24 to close Week 6 in the NFL.
Chicago scored 13 points after three Washington turnovers – the final one a missed connection between quarterback Jayden Daniels and running back Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt that the Bears recovered at the Chicago 44-yard line with 3:07 to play. After the Commanders had blocked a field-goal attempt and stopped a 2-conversion pass to keep the lead in the fourth quarter, backup kicker Jake Moody hit a 38-yard field goal on the final snap of the game.
In Monday night’s other game, the Atlanta Falcons beat the Buffalo Bills 24-14 with a strong first half.
Atlanta led Buffalo 21-7 at halftime as wide receiver Drake London had nine receptions for 147 yards and one touchdown and running back Bijan Robinson gained 138 yards on 12 rushing attempts, including an 81-yard TD run, in the first 30 minutes of play.
Both Buffalo and Washington were 4.5-point favorites to win.
Three players from Alabama high schools and colleges got on the field during the Buffalo-Atlanta game:
Falcons cornerback Cobee Bryant (Hillcrest-Evergreen) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
Bills offensive tackle Tylan Grable (Jacksonville State) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
Falcons inside linebacker Ronnie Harrison (Alabama) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play
Falcons safety DeMarcco Hellams (Alabama) made one tackle on special teams.
Bills defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis (Alabama) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
Bills wide receiver Tyrell Shavers (Alabama) had three receptions for 27 yards. Shavers entered Monday night’s game with three receptions in his eight NFL games.
Bills defensive end Javon Solomon (Troy) recorded one sack. The third sack for Solomon in his 20 NFL regular-season games also was his first of the 2025 season.
Buffalo (4-2) enters its bye week. The Bills return to the field against the Carolina Panthers at noon CDT Oct. 26 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Atlanta (3-2) will stay in prime time for its next game. The Falcons play the San Francisco 49ers at 7:20 p.m. Sunday at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE
Seven players from Alabama high schools and colleges got on the field during the Chicago-Washington game:
Trey Amos (Alabama) started at cornerback for the Commanders. Amos made seven tackles and broke up one pass.
Ja’Corey Brooks (Alabama) did not record any stats in his NFL debut. Washington elevated Brooks from its practice squad to make him eligible to play.
Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt (Sidney Lanier, Alabama State) started at running back for the Commanders. Croskey-Merritt ran for 61 yards on 17 carries and caught a 7-yard pass. Croskey-Merritt lost a fumble at the Washington 35-yard line with 1:59 left in the first quarter that set up a Chicago field goal as the Bears took a 13-0 lead.
Commanders cornerback Noah Igbinoghene (Hewitt-Trussville, Auburn) did not record any stats.
Commanders cornerback Jonathan Jones (Auburn) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
Commanders linebacker Ale Kaho (Alabama) was designated as a game-day inactive.
Daron Payne (Shades Valley, Alabama) started at defensive tackle for the Commanders. Payne made five tackles and blocked a field-goal attempt. Payne blocked a 48-yard field-goal attempt on the first snap of the fourth quarter to preserve Washington’s 17-16 lead.
Jeremy Reaves (South Alabama) started at safety for the Commanders. Reaves made five tackles and recorded his second NFL sack. The first came in 2020.
Trent Scott (Lee-Huntsville) started as a sixth offensive lineman for the Commanders.
Chicago (3-2) plays the New Orleans Saints at noon Sunday at Soldier Field in Chicago.
Washington (3-3) plays the Dallas Cowboys at 3:25 p.m. Sunday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Week 6 of the NFL season came and went in the blink of an eye. While it wasn’t as thrilling as Week 5, which featured multiple double-digit comebacks, there were still quite a few entertaining games and upsets.
We learned a lot this week, so it’s time to power rank all 32 NFL teams and see how they stack up against last week’s rankings.
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32. New York Jets (0-6)
Last Week’s Ranking: 32
Week 6 Result: 13-11 loss to Broncos
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PFF Rankings: Offense 27th, Defense 19th
Week 7 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm vs Panthers
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The New York Jets are really bad at offense and pretty bad at defense. Still, there’s hope Aaron Glenn can turn things around…Just maybe not this year.
31. Tennessee Titans (1-5)
Last Week’s Ranking: 31
Week 6 Result: 20-10 loss to Raiders
PFF Rankings: Offense 30th, Defense 17th
Week 7 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm vs Patriots
The Tennessee Titans lost to one of the worst teams in the league by 10, and promptly fired their head coach. They’re about to turn over a new leaf, but there isn’t much hope for major change this year.
30. Cleveland Browns (1-5)
Last Week’s Ranking: 28
Week 6 Result: 23-9 loss to Steelers
PFF Rankings: Offense 32nd, Defense 1st
Week 7 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm vs Dolphins
Imagine if the Jets were really good defensively. They’d be the Cleveland Browns. Dillon Gabriel hasn’t played badly, but he’s playing scared, which at times can be worse. Is it time to see what Shedeur Sanders has? At least there’d be some sort of excitement in Cleveland.
29. Miami Dolphins (1-5)
Last Week’s Ranking: 30
Week 6 Result: 29-27 loss to Chargers
PFF Rankings: Offense 25th, Defense 31st
Week 7 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm vs Browns
The Miami Dolphins showed some signs of life in their 29-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Their offense played well, but defensively, they’re just awful. They should’ve won this game, but they couldn’t get a stop late when they needed it.
28. Cincinnati Bengals (2-4)
Last Week’s Ranking: 25
Week 6 Result: 27-18 loss to Packers
PFF Rankings: Offense 31st, Defense 29th
Week 7 Matchup: Thursday, 8:15 pm vs Steelers
Joe Flacco did some good things in his first game with the Cincinnati Bengals. They showed signs of life on offense, but their defense still can’t get a stop in critical situations. Flacco may win them a few games, but making the playoffs is going to be tough.
27. Las Vegas Raiders (2-4)
Last Week’s Ranking: 29
Week 6 Result: 20-10 win over Titans
PFF Rankings: Offense 17th, Defense 30th
Week 7 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm vs Chiefs
The Las Vegas Raiders got their second win of the season, but it came against the Titans, so does it really even count? All it’ll do is drop them a couple of spots in the draft order and potentially make them miss out on a top quarterback.
26. New Orleans Saints (1-5)
Last Week’s Ranking: 26
Week 6 Result: 25-19 loss to Patriots
PFF Rankings: Offense 28th, Defense 21st
Week 7 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm vs Bears
The New Orleans Saints are the feistiest 1-5 teams I’ve ever seen. They’re not going to win many games, but they’re going to upset somebody at some point. You’re probably going to win, but it’s never going to be a comfortable game against the Saints.
25. Arizona Cardinals (2-4)
Last Week’s Ranking: 26
Week 6 Result: 31-27 loss to Colts
PFF Rankings: Offense 23rd, Defense 26th
Week 7 Matchup: Sunday, 4:25 pm vs Packers
I was pleasantly surprised by the Arizona Cardinals this week. They took it to the Indianapolis Colts with Jacoby Brissett at quarterback. Maybe it is time to kick Kyler Murray out the door.
24. Baltimore Ravens (1-5)
Last Week’s Ranking: 22
Week 6 Result: 17-3 loss to Rams
PFF Rankings: Offense 22nd, Defense 28th
Week 7 Matchup: Bye
The Baltimore Ravens looked more or less how I thought they would look this weekend. The offense was horrible, and while the defense held the Los Angeles Rams to 17 points, the weather and Puka Nacua’s injury played a role in that.
23. Dallas Cowboys (2-3-1)
Last Week’s Ranking: 20
Week 6 Result: 30-27 loss to Panthers
PFF Rankings: Offense 6th, Defense 32nd
Week 7 Matchup: Sunday, 4:25 pm vs Commanders
Imagine the exact opposite of the Browns. That’s the Dallas Cowboys. Their offense is so good, but man, that defense is horrendous. And before you say it, no, Micah Parsons would not make it much better.
22. New York Giants (2-4)
Last Week’s Ranking: 27
Week 6 Result: 34-17 win over Eagles
PFF Rankings: Offense 26th, Defense 12th
Week 7 Matchup: Sunday, 4:05 pm vs Broncos
The New York Giants are an interesting team. They just took down the Philadelphia Eagles. On the other hand, they just lost to the Saints. At their peak, they’re a good team, but when they’re not 100 percent, they’re not all that threatening.
21. Carolina Panthers (3-3)
Last Week’s Ranking: 24
Week 6 Result: 30-27 win over Cowboys
PFF Rankings: Offense 13th, Defense 24th
Week 7 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm at Jets
Ever since that Carolina Panthers podcast quit because they couldn’t justify spending their time on a losing team, the Panthers have won two straight games. They just outscored the Cowboys, and they looked sharp. I don’t think they’re a playoff team, but they’re on the rise, for sure.
20. Minnesota Vikings (3-2)
Last Week’s Ranking: 19
Week 6 Result: Bye
PFF Rankings: Offense 24th, Defense 15th
Week 7 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm vs Eagles
The Minnesota Vikings were on a bye in Week 6, so there’s not much to report about. Big game coming up against the Eagles, which will tell us a lot about where they stand for the rest of the year.
19. Houston Texans (2-3)
Last Week’s Ranking: 17
Week 6 Result: Bye
PFF Rankings: Offense 16th, Defense 10th
Week 7 Matchup: Monday, 10 pm vs Seahawks
The Houston Texans were also on a bye this week, but have a big game coming up against the Seattle Seahawks. A win could propel them into the playoff hunt, but a loss would put them at 2-4, and they’d have to play catch-up for the rest of the year.
18. Washington Commanders (3-3)
Last Week’s Ranking: 13
Week 6 Result: 25-24 loss to Bears
PFF Rankings: Offense 10th, Defense 16th
Week 7 Matchup: Sunday, 4:25 pm vs Cowboys
The Commanders let one slip away against the Bears. They had that game in their grasp; all they needed to do was milk the clock, but with some rain falling, Jayden Daniels couldn’t handle the snap, and the exchange with Jacory Croskey-Merritt was fumbled. It’s funny how a 60-minute game can come down to one play, but that’s what happened on Monday.
17. Chicago Bears (3-2)
Last Week’s Ranking: 21
Week 6 Result: 25-24 win over Commanders
PFF Rankings: Offense 18th, Defense 27th
Week 7 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm vs Saints
While the Bears were a bit fortunate on Monday night, you have to give credit where it’s due. They did what they needed to do to win the game, and sometimes that’s all that matters. I still want to see more from that offense, but they’re 3-2 and feeling decent about themselves in year one under Ben Johnson.
16. Los Angeles Chargers (4-2)
Last Week’s Ranking: 14
Week 6 Result: 29-27 win over Dolphins
PFF Rankings: Offense 19th, Defense 6th
Week 7 Matchup: Sunday, 4:05 pm vs Colts
The Chargers beat the Dolphins, but it wasn’t very convincing. Their defense was suspect at best, but I liked what I saw from their offense – specifically the run game – with all their injuries.
15. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-2)
Last Week’s Ranking: 6
Week 6 Result: 20-12 loss to Seahawks
PFF Rankings: Offense 21st, Defense 8th
Week 7 Matchup: Sunday, 9:30 am vs Rams (London)
The Jacksonville Jaguars fall pretty far in our power rankings because I think the Seahawks exposed some glaring weaknesses in this team. First is the pass game, which is still figuring itself out. Trevor Lawrence has looked good at times, but overall, he’s just been average. I also think the secondary has some big issues that need ironing out.
14. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-1)
Last Week’s Ranking: 12
Week 6 Result: 23-9 win over Browns
PFF Rankings: Offense 29th, Defense 5th
Week 7 Matchup: Thursday, 8:15 pm vs Bengals
The Pittsburgh Steelers did exactly what they needed to do against the Browns. It was a convincing win, but a couple of teams that were behind them made significant jumps, so they fall two spots this week.
13. Atlanta Falcons (3-2)
Last Week’s Ranking: 18
Week 6 Result: 24-14 win over Bills
PFF Rankings: Offense 13th, Defense 18th
Week 7 Matchup: Sunday, 5:20 pm vs 49ers
The Falcons picked up a major win against the Bills on Monday night. They now have three quality wins, but that 30-0 loss to the Panthers still looks really bad. They’re an up-and-coming team, and should keep on rising if they stay hot.
12. Green Bay Packers (3-1-1)
Last Week’s Ranking: 11
Week 6 Result: 27-18 win over Bengals
PFF Rankings: Offense 7th, Defense 3rd
Week 7 Matchup: Sunday, 4:25 pm vs Cardinals
The Green Bay Packers looked solid coming off their bye week, beating the Bengals by nine. I would’ve liked to see more from their defense, but overall, nothing too big to complain about.
11. New England Patriots (4-2)
Last Week’s Ranking: 16
Week 6 Result: 25-19 win over Saints
PFF Rankings: Offense 9th, Defense 22nd
Week 7 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm vs Titans
Drake Maye continues to be the best second-year quarterback in the NFL, and it’s not particularly close at the moment. He’s playing at an unreal level right now, and they should continue to roll with games against the Titans and Browns coming up.
10. Philadelphia Eagles (4-2)
Last Week’s Ranking: 3
Week 6 Result: 34-17 loss to Giants
PFF Rankings: Offense 12th, Defense 9th
Week 7 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm at Vikings
I still believe the Eagles have the top two most talented rosters in the NFL, but they just can’t put it together this year. They’re 4-2, but have lost two straight and have a date with the Vikings coming up before a bye. I just don’t feel great about the direction of this team right now.
9. Denver Broncos (4-2)
Last Week’s Ranking: 8
Week 6 Result: 13-11 win over Jets
PFF Rankings: Offense 20th, Defense 7th
Week 7 Matchup: Sunday, 4:05 pm vs Giants
The Denver Broncos were a hard team to rank. They narrowly beat the worst team in the NFL. On the other hand, their defense proved they’re the best unit in football (in my opinion), and winning in London is hard, so I’m not knocking them for their poor performance offensively.
8. San Francisco 49ers (4-2)
Last Week’s Ranking: 7
Week 6 Result: 30-19 loss to Buccaneers
PFF Rankings: Offense 11th, Defense 25th
Week 7 Matchup: Sunday, 5:20 pm vs Falcons
Losing to one of the top teams in the league shouldn’t hurt you too much. The 49ers are still a very good team that deserves to be in the top 10. They’re very banged up at the moment, so they could start to pick up a couple of losses, but when they’re healthy, they’re as talented as anyone.
7. Buffalo Bills (4-2)
Last Week’s Ranking: 2
Week 6 Result: 24-14 loss to Falcons
PFF Rankings: Offense 4th, Defense 23rd
Week 7 Matchup: Bye
The Bills looked lost for much of the game on Monday night. Their defense couldn’t get a stop in the first half, their offense constantly stalled out, and even though the Falcons scored just three second-half points, they never really came close to coming back. To make matters worse, the four teams the Bills have beaten have a combined record of 3-21.
6. Los Angeles Rams (4-2)
Last Week’s Ranking: 9
Week 6 Result: 17-3 win over Ravens
PFF Rankings: Offense 2nd, Defense 2nd
Week 7 Matchup: Sunday, 9:30 am vs Jaguars (London)
The Rams didn’t look amazing in their win over the Ravens, but they did what they needed to do with some questionable weather and a big injury to Puka Nacua. I’m excited to see how they play against the Jaguars, because if they win convincingly, they’ll be a top-five team next week.
5. Detroit Lions (4-2)
Last Week’s Ranking: 1
Week 6 Result: 30-17 loss to Chiefs
PFF Rankings: Offense 5th, Defense 4th
Week 7 Matchup: Monday, 7 pm vs Buccaneers
The Chiefs are a really, really good football team, I don’t care what the record says. Typically, a loss to a team like that on the road wouldn’t drop you five spots, but the Detroit Lions just didn’t look great. They were fine in the first half, but they couldn’t get anything going in the second half. I’d love to see this game played again on a neutral field (and we might in February).
4. Kansas City Chiefs (3-3)
Last Week’s Ranking: 15
Week 6 Result: 30-17 win over Lions
PFF Rankings: Offense 8th, Defense 14th
Week 7 Matchup: Sunday, 1 pm vs Raiders
I never really lost faith in the Chiefs; I just couldn’t justify putting them any higher than 15th because of their results. They were 2-3, but their win over the Lions has me convinced they’re still the team to beat in the AFC. There are just a couple of teams that have earned a higher spot because of their resume.
3. Seattle Seahawks (4-2)
Last Week’s Ranking: 10
Week 6 Result: 20-12 win over Jaguars
PFF Rankings: Offense 1st, Defense 11th
Week 7 Matchup: Monday, 10 pm vs Texans
I really like what Mike Macdonald has going on in Seattle. They proved they’re a legit threat with their win over the Jaguars. I’m probably higher on the Seahawks than most people (I may be wrong), but these are my power rankings, and I think they’re the second-best team in the NFC as of today.
2. Indianapolis Colts (5-1)
Last Week’s Ranking: 5
Week 6 Result: 31-27 win over Cardinals
PFF Rankings: Offense 3rd, Defense 20th
Week 7 Matchup: Sunday, 4:05 pm vs Chargers
The Colts’ offense looked as good as it has all year, but their defense was exposed for one of the first times this year. Still, a win is a win, and right now, the Colts look like they’re going to be tough to beat.
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-1)
Last Week’s Ranking: 4
Week 6 Result: 30-19 win over 49ers
PFF Rankings: Offense 15th, Defense 13th
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Week 7 Matchup: Monday, 7 pm vs Lions

The Chiefs might’ve snagged the win over the Lions in Week 6, but the postgame headlines had nothing to do with the sporting aspects of the game. Instead, all eyes were on the chaos that broke out after the final whistle when Lions safety Brian Branch straight-up smacked JuJu Smith-Schuster in the head. The league handed him a punishment, but Branch isn’t taking it lying down.
The league didn’t waste time handing out punishment, slapping Branch with a one-game suspension that’ll cost him a cool $76,624, per Spotrac and Ian Rapoport. But Brian Branch will be appealing the decision.
Stay here. More updates are coming soon…

ATLANTA — Bijan Robinson matched a career high with 170 rushing yards and gave Atlanta an early two-touchdown lead with the NFL’s longest run of the season, and the Falcons denied Josh Allen’s comeback attempt to beat the Buffalo Bills 24-14 on Monday night.
Robinson’s career-long 81-yard touchdown run in the second quarter put Atlanta (3-2) ahead 21-7. Allen threw two touchdown passes, including a 16-yarder to Ray Davis to open the second half.
Allen and the Bills (4-2) were stopped on fourth down near midfield late in the third quarter but were provided another opportunity when Greg Rousseau blocked Parker Romo’s 37-yard field-goal attempt early in the fourth.
Allen and the Bills again failed to capitalize. The Falcons secured the win with a 14-play, 5-minute drive that included Michael Penix Jr.’s 23-yard pass to Robinson. Romo’s 33-yard field goal extended the lead to 10 points, and the Bills were left with 1:47 on the clock and no timeouts.
Atlanta linebacker DeAngelo Malone intercepted Allen’s last throw with 41 seconds remaining. Allen completed 15 of 26 passes for 180 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, giving him four interceptions in his last three games. Last season’s MVP had only one pick in his previous 12 games, including the playoffs.
The Falcons (3-2) leaned on Penix, Robinson and Drake London, who had 10 catches for 158 yards and a touchdown.
Robinson got his 170 yards on 19 carries. He added six catches for 68 yards for a career-best 238 yards from scrimmage. Penix threw for 250 yards, including a 9-yard TD to London. Tyler Allgeier scored the Falcons’ first touchdown on a 21-yard run.
Allen had the support of a strong contingent of Buffalo fans who were so loud that Penix was forced to use a silent count on an early possession.
The Bills’ loss added more reasons to doubt their 4-0 start. Those wins came against teams that are now a combined 3-21: Baltimore (1-5), the New York Jets (0-6), Miami (1-5) and New Orleans (1-5).

ATLANTA (AP) — Bijan Robinson matched a career high with 170 rushing yards and gave Atlanta an early two-touchdown lead with the NFL’s longest run of the season, and the Falcons denied Josh Allen’s comeback attempt to beat the Buffalo Bills 24-14 on Monday night.
Robinson’s career-long 81-yard touchdown run in the second quarter put Atlanta (3-2) ahead 21-7.
“We’ve been waiting for that moment,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said of the long run.
Robinson got his 170 yards on 19 carries. He added six catches for 68 yards for a career-best 238 yards from scrimmage. Morris said Robinson “is the best player in football; I’ve said it multiple times.”
For Robinson’s big game to come against Allen, last season’s MVP, was meaningful because he paid the same compliment to the Bills quarterback.
“I think he’s the best football player in the NFL,” Robinson said. “Shout out to our defense. They made him uncomfortable the whole day.”
Allen threw two touchdown passes, including a 16-yarder to Ray Davis to open the second half.
Allen and the Bills (4-2) were stopped on fourth down near midfield late in the third quarter but were provided another opportunity when Greg Rousseau blocker Parker Romo’s 37-yard field-goal attempt early in the fourth.
Allen and the Bills again failed to capitalize. The Falcons secured the win with a 14-play, 5-minute drive that included Michael Penix Jr.’s 23-yard pass to Robinson. Romo’s 33-yard field goal extended the lead to 10 points, and the Bills were left with 1:47 on the clock and no timeouts.
“They had a good plan,” Allen said of the Falcons. “Looks like they came off the bye week and got to game-plan us quite a bit. Again, I’ve got to be better in seeing the things they’re trying to do to us and make adjustments accordingly.”
Atlanta linebacker DeAngelo Malone intercepted Allen’s last throw with 41 seconds remaining. Allen completed 15 of 26 passes for 180 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, giving him four interceptions in his last three games. He had only one pick in his previous 12 games, including the playoffs.
The Falcons (3-2) leaned on Penix, Robinson and Drake London, who had 10 catches for 158 yards and a touchdown.
Penix threw for 250 yards, including a 9-yard TD to London. Tyler Allgeier scored the Falcons’ first touchdown on a 21-yard run.
Allen had the support of a strong contingent of Buffalo fans who were so loud that Penix was forced to use a silent count on an early possession.
From 4-0 to 4-2
The Bills’ loss added more reasons to doubt their 4-0 start. Those wins came against teams that are now a combined 3-21: Baltimore (1-5), the New York Jets (0-6), Miami (1-5) and New Orleans (1-5).
No Ray-Ray McCloud
In a surprise, Falcons wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud III, normally a starter, was a healthy scratch and was on the sideline in street clothes. The move came despite another starter, Darnell Mooney (hamstring), getting ruled out on Saturday.
Morris called the move “a coaches’ decision” and said McCloud will “be back out competing next week.”
Injuries
Bills: WR Joshua Palmer (left ankle) was ruled out early in the second half. … LB Terrel Bernard left with a right ankle injury. … TE Dalton Kincaid was inactive with an oblique injury. The decision was made after he participated in pregame warmups. Kincaid leads the team 287 receiving yards and three touchdowns and had a career-best 108 yards in his last game. DT DaQuan Jones, a starter, was held out after suffering a calf injury in pregame warmups.
Falcons: LT Jake Matthews (ankle) was escorted to the locker room late in the first half and ruled out. … Starting nickel back Billy Bowman Jr. (knee, hamstring) was inactive.
Up next
Bills: After a bye, Buffalo plays another NFC South team when it visits Carolina on Oct. 26.
Falcons: In another prime-time game, Atlanta visits San Francisco on Sunday night.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Copyright © 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

Bijan Robinson igualó su récord personal con 170 yardas por tierra y le dio a Atlanta una ventaja temprana de dos touchdowns con la carrera más larga de la temporada en la NFL, y los Falcons negaron el intento de remontada de Josh Allen para vencer 24-14 a los Bills de Buffalo el lunes por la noche.
La escapada de touchdown de 81 yardas, la más larga en la carrera de Robinson, puso a Atlanta (3-2) adelante 21-7 en el segundo cuarto. Allen lanzó dos pases de anotación, incluido uno de 16 yardas a Ray Davis para abrir la segunda mitad.
Allen y los Bills (4-2) fueron detenidos en cuarto down cerca del medio campo al final del tercer cuarto, pero se les dio otra oportunidad cuando Greg Rousseau bloqueó el intento de gol de campo de 37 yardas de Parker Romo al inicio del período.
Allen y los Bills nuevamente no lograron capitalizar. Los Falcons aseguraron la victoria con una serie de 14 jugadas y cinco minutos que incluyó un pase de 23 yardas de Michael Penix Jr. a Robinson. El gol de campo de 33 yardas de Romo extendió la ventaja a diez puntos, y los Bills se quedaron con 1:47 en el reloj y sin tiempos muertos.
El linebacker de Atlanta, DeAngelo Malone, interceptó el último lanzamiento de Allen con 41 segundos restantes. Allen completó 15 de 26 pases para 180 yardas con dos touchdowns y dos intercepciones, sumando cuatro intercepciones en sus últimos tres juegos. El MVP de la temporada pasada solo había tenido una en sus 12 juegos anteriores, incluidos los playoffs.
Los Falcons (3-2) se apoyaron en Penix, Robinson y Drake London, quien tuvo diez recepciones para 158 yardas y un touchdown.
Robinson consiguió sus 170 yardas en 19 acarreos. Añadió seis recepciones para 68 yardas, logrando un récord personal de 238 yardas desde la línea de golpeo. Penix lanzó para 250 yardas, incluyendo un touchdown de nueve yardas a London. Tyler Allgeier logró la primera anotación de los Falcons con una carrera de 21 yardas.
___
Deportes en español AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes

Thirty-four days after being cut by the San Francisco 49ers, Jake Moody won a game for another NFL team.
The former Michigan kicker drilled a last-second 38-yard field goal to give the Chicago Bears a 25-24 victory over the Washington Commanders during a misty and windy Monday night in Landover, Maryland.
Moody was elevated to the Bears’ active roster before the game and finished 4 of 5 in field-goal attempts. He connected on tries of 47, 48, 41 and 38 yards and had a 48-yarder blocked early in the fourth quarter.
The 2023 third-round pick of the 49ers had a tough finish to the 2024 season and missed two field goals in San Francisco’s 2025 opener. It waived him on Sept. 9, and he signed with Chicago’s practice squad three days later.
Monday was his first appearance with the Bears.
“To get all that support after the game from all my teammates – I got here not too long ago, but for everybody to embrace me and take me in as one of their own, it’s an amazing feeling,” Moody told ESPN on the field immediately after the game.
Chicago’s starting kicker, Cairo Santos, wasn’t on the injury report on Saturday but suffered a setback before Monday. Moody entered the game making 46 of 62 career field-goal attempts, although he was only 16 of 29 from 40-plus yards.
He was the first kicker selected in 2023 after a stellar career at Michigan. The Northville native is the only Wolverine to ever win the Lou Groza Award as the nation’s top kicker, going 23 of 25 with a long of 52. Moody hit a program-record 59-yarder in 2022 and finished his career 69 of 84 over five seasons.

Six weeks into the NFL season and playoffs — yes playoffs — are being discussed. The NFL is a third of the way through its 18-week slate after this week’s games, and there are already a few surprises.
The Indianapolis Colts lead the AFC South through a third of the season and the Jacksonville Jaguars are a playoff team. The New England Patriots have taken over the division lead in the AFC East with the Buffalo Bills suffering their second straight loss.
The NFC West currently has three teams in the playoff picture through six weeks, while the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles are still contenders for the top seed — even with the Eagles losing two in a row. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the first team in the conference with a 5-1 record!
Below is a breakdown of the conference standings after Week 6.
AFC playoff picture
SeedTeamWLTPCT1
Colts
5
1
0
.833
2
Steelers
4
1
0
.800
3Chargers
4
2
0
.667
4Patriots
4
2
0
.667
5Bills420.6676Jaguars420.6677Broncos420.6678Chiefs330.5009Texans230.40010Bengals240.333
11Raiders240.33312Ravens150.16713Dolphins150.16714Browns150.16715Titans150.16716Jets060.000
1. Indianapolis Colts (5-1)
The Colts are the only team in the AFC with five wins and hold the No. 1 seed after six weeks. They lead the Jaguars by a game in the AFC South.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-1)
The Steelers are in command of the AFC North, leading the division by three games in the loss column over the Bengals. They face the Bengals on the road next week. Pittsburgh holds the tiebreaker over Buffalo based on conference record as the Steelers are 3-0 and Bills are 3-1.
3. Los Angeles Chargers (4-2)
The Chargers have the lead in the AFC West over the Broncos based on their head-to-head win earlier this season. Both teams are 4-2 in the division. The Chargers are 4-0 in conference games, giving them that tiebreaker over the Patriots.
4. New England Patriots (4-2)
The Patriots have the AFC East lead via the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Bills.
5. Buffalo Bills (4-2)
The Bills fell out of the AFC East lead after losing to the Falcons, as they lose the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Patriots. The Bills are 3-1 in conference games, so they have the tiebreaker over the Jaguars (2-1) and Broncos (3-2) for the No. 5 seed.
6. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-2)
The Jaguars have the No. 6 seed in the AFC, holding a tiebreaker over the Broncos based on having a better conference win percentage in conference games. Jacksonville is 2-1 in conference play (.667), while Denver is 3-2 (.600).
7. Denver Broncos (4-2)
The Broncos are the No. 7 seed in the AFC, losing the head-to-head tiebreaker to the Chargers for the AFC West lead. They lead the Chiefs by a game for the final playoff spot.
8. Kansas City Chiefs (3-3)
The Chiefs sit one game in the loss column behind the Chargers and Broncos for the AFC West lead. They are one game out of the final playoff spot as well after Sunday’s win over the Lions.
9. Houston Texans (2-3)
The Texans are off this week and play the Seahawks next week. They are two games behind the Colts in the loss column for the AFC South.
10. Cincinnati Bengals (2-4)
The Bengals hold a conference win percentage tiebreaker over the Raiders, as they are 2-1 in the AFC (.667) while the Raiders are 2-2 (.500).
11. Las Vegas Raiders (2-4)
The Raiders sit in last place in the AFC West, two games in the loss column out of a playoff spot.
12. Baltimore Ravens (1-5)
The Ravens are the No. 12 seed in the AFC. Baltimore has the tiebreaker over Tennessee and Miami based on having a better win percentage in conference games. Baltimore is 1-3 in the AFC (.250), while Miami is 1-4 (.200). Cleveland (0-3) and Tennessee (0-4) don’t have a conference win. The division tiebreaker for third in the AFC North was initially used to eliminate Cleveland as Baltimore wins the tiebreaker based on head-to-head win percentage.
13. Miami Dolphins (1-5)
The Dolphins are the No. 13 seed in the AFC based on their lone conference win (over the Jets). They are three games in the loss column out of a playoff spot.
14. Cleveland Browns (1-5)
The Browns have a better strength of victory over the Titans, which is how they get the tiebreaker for the No. 14 seed in the conference standings. Cleveland has a .700 strength of victory while Tennessee is .333.
15. Tennessee Titans (1-5)
The Titans are the No. 15 seed in the AFC, three games in the loss column out of a playoff spot.
16. New York Jets (0-6)
The Jets are the only winless team in the NFL. They are four games in the loss column out of a playoff spot and last in the AFC East.
NFC playoff picture
RankTeamWLTPCT1
Buccaneers
5
1
0
.833
2Packers311.700349ers420.6674
Eagles
4
2
0
.667
5Seahawks420.6676Lions420.6677Rams420.6678Falcons320.6009Vikings320.60010Bears320.60011Panthers330.50012Commanders330.50013Cowboys231.41714Cardinals240.33315Giants240.33316Saints150.167
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-1)
The Buccaneers are the No. 1 seed in the NFC and lead the NFC South. They play the Lions next week.
2. Green Bay Packers (3-1-1)
The Packers take over the NFC North lead with the Lions loss Sunday night. They lead teh NFC North by one game in the loss column.
3. San Francisco 49ers (4-2)
The 49ers lead the NFC West based on having a better divisional record (3-0) than the Rams (1-1) and Seahawks (0-1). They also beat the Rams and Seahawks head to head. The 49ers have a better conference win percentage (4-1, .800) than the Eagles (3-1, .750).
4. Philadelphia Eagles (4-2)
The Eagles lead the NFC East by a half game over the Commanders. Philadelphia has lost two straight.
5. Seattle Seahawks (4-2)
The Seahawks are the No. 5 seed in the NFC, holding a strength of victory tiebreaker (.478) over the Lions (.273). The Seahawks also hold the tiebreaker over the Rams for the No. 6 seed based on having a better division record than Los Angeles. Seattle is 1-1 in the NFC West while Los Angeles is 0-1.
6. Detroit Lions (4-2)
The Lions fall out of the NFC North lead with their loss to the Chiefs. They own the No. 6 seed based on having a better conference win percentage (1-1, .500) than the Rams (0-2, .000).
7. Los Angeles Rams (4-2)
The Rams hold the final playoff spot in the NFC, leading the Vikings and Commanders by a half game for the final playoff spot.
8. Atlanta Falcons (3-2)
The Falcons hold the tiebreaker over the Vikings based on their head-to-head victory earlier this season. The Vikings beat the Bears, so they have the head-to-head tiebreaker there.
9. Minnesota Vikings (3-2)
The Vikings had a bye this week and will face the Eagles in Week 7.
10. Chicago Bears (3-2)
The Bears are one game out in the loss column in the NFC North thanks to their win over the Commanders.
11. Carolina Panthers (3-3)
The Panthers are 2-1 in the conference and the Commanders are 1-3, so they hold the conference record tiebreaker for the No. 11 seed.
12. Washington Commanders (3-3)
The Commanders lost to the Bears, failing to force a tie for first place in the NFC East.
13. Dallas Cowboys (2-3-1)
The Cowboys are the No. 13 seed in the NFC, one game behind the Eagles in the loss column for the division lead.
14. Arizona Cardinals (2-4)
The Cardinals sit in last place in the NFC West, two games in the loss column behind the 49ers for first place. They have a better conference win percentage (2-2, .500) than the Giants (1-3, .250) for the No. 14 seed.
15. New York Giants (2-4)
The Giants have won two of their last three games, and sit two games out of the NFC East lead.
16. New Orleans Saints (1-5)
The Saints have the worst record in the NFC and are four games in the loss column out of the division lead.

We are in the middle of the NFL bye weeks, injuries are piling up, and selecting the right players for your fantasy football roster can be difficult if you aren’t looking in the right place.
Most people simply look at what happened last week and pick players who scored the most points, regardless of context. They are the point-chasers, and they make their decision on what was. The savvy managers have a deeper knowledge of the game, understand the matchups and make their decisions based on what will be. It can be a fine line, but if you stay on the right side, you’ll come out on top.
If Chargers running back Kimani Vidal is available in your league, he is sure to be the most popular waiver claim. He surprised everyone by outperforming teammate Hassan Haskins and carved up the Dolphins for 124 yards on 18 carries. He also added three catches for 14 yards and a touchdown, and the numbers left everyone drooling over the possibilities. But can he repeat them? It seems unlikely.
Not only is the Miami run defense the worst in the NFL, but the Chargers’ upcoming schedule features games against the Colts, Vikings, Steelers and Jaguars — all of whom do a good job stifling the run. They aren’t going to lay down the way the Dolphins did, and with the Chargers offensive line concerns — they now are missing three starters — winning the battle in the trenches is going to be incredibly difficult. Not to mention, we should be seeing the return of Omarion Hampton in a few weeks anyway, so Vidal is actually running on borrowed time.
If you’re looking to make a splash in waivers this week, then now is the time to add Browns tight end Harold Fannin Jr. He was a hot commodity after Week, but has been dropped in numerous leagues, as David Njoku has been seeing more snaps and more targets.
Unfortunately, Njoku left Sunday’s game with a knee injury, and recent reports say he could miss a few games. Those games come against the Dolphins, Patriots, Jets and Ravens — all four ranking in the bottom 10 in fantasy points allowed to the tight end. With the way Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel leans on his tight end, Fannin is due for a heavy increase in both snaps and targets. That, in turn, leads to much better fantasy production.
Within the fantasy community, we refer to players as good chalk and bad chalk. Good chalk means the player is extremely popular and for good reason. You want to play him. Bad chalk means the player is popular but should not be leaned on for quality or consistent production. With regard to Vidal and Fannin, you should know which is which. Don’t be a point-chaser and fall for the bad chalk.

The Seattle Seahawks‘ defense had a bounce-back performance in the 20-12 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 6. After giving up 38 points in the shootout loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 5, the Seahawks’ defense responded with an impressive performance.
Furthermore, the group made life difficult for Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence. The Seattle defense sacked Lawrence seven times in the game as they wouldn’t allow a repeat of Week 5, where an offense did whatever they wanted.
NFL Next Gen Stats (h/t Seahawks.com) shows the Seahawks pressured Lawrence on 25 of his 50 dropbacks, marking the highest rate of pressure he has faced this season. Seattle’s defense sacked him seven times—already surpassing his total sacks over the first five games (6)—and added 17 quarterback hits.
On the October 13 edition of “NFL Live,” ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes gave the Seahawks’ defense their flowers for how they performed against the Jaguars, which was something she didn’t expect to start the game.
“Early on there were a couple busted coverages,” Kimes said. “I’m thinking this is going to be another shootout like the Tampa game. And then the Seahawks defensive line said, ‘Nah.’ This was a feeding frenzy at the line of scrimmage. Seven sacks, 17 quarterback hits, 25 pressures. Going back and watching all the sacks.”
Mina Kimes Talks Seahawks Coach Mike Macdonald
Moreover, Kimes spotlighted the defensive play calling from head coach Mike Macdonald and how he never allowed Lawrence to get comfortable with the constant pressure that Seattle was generating.
“It really is amazing to watch Mike Macdonald,” Kimes added. “He’s a mad scientist at work with some of the overloads. He was using the defensive linemen like chessmen, the games they were running [and] some of the simulated pressures. And while if this was a group project, I would frankly give everyone on that defensive line an A.
“Leonard Williams is the best defensive lineman in football that people don’t talk about. He was borderline unblockable in this game. He dominates week after week, but he is a truly special player and part of a truly special defensive line.”
Seahawks Defense Came Up Big Late
Nonetheless, while the Seahawks had an impressive performance, Macdonald noted that the team’s ability to shut the door on the Jaguars after giving up a touchdown to make the scoreline 20-12 was just as outstanding.
“That’s been an emphasis for us,” Macdonald said of the defense’s finish (h/t Seahawks.com). “We weren’t shying away from it, and our guys were awesome. I think you could sense it on the sideline that they wanted the opportunity to go out there and play, and that’s all you can ask for as a coach.
“It’s not like—there’s no secret play calls that you hide on your play sheet until the fourth quarter then all of a sudden you just start waving the magic wand. We’re executing our defense and our guys did it at a high level, and that’s what it’s going to take.
“But I think the mentality was the driving force behind how we finished the game out, and that starts with our leaders on defense, our coaches—AD (defensive coordinator Aden Durde) did a tremendous job all week getting our guys ready to go. It was a fun group to be around as the fourth quarter started to unfold.”

In the second game of a

Last week, this list was dominated by quarterbacks. Three guys made the cut, and it could’ve been more, but I wanted to have some diversity among the position groups. This week, though, it was the running backs, receivers and defenders who stood out.
There were a ton of great individual performances this week, and it was very hard to narrow this list down to 10, but I did my best. Here are the top 10 performers from Week 6 of the NFL season.
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Cam Skattebo, RB, New York Giants
Kicking off our top 10 performers of Week 6 is none other than Cam Skattebo. The New York Giants rookie running back had a massive game against NFC East rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles, rushing for 98 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries (5.2 yards per carry).
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If you include Skattebo’s 12 receiving yards, it was his second career 100-yard game, the other coming in Week 3 when he had 60 rushing and 61 receiving yards.
The 23-year-old went off on Thursday night, and was a big reason the Giants were able to upset the Eagles.
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Stat Line: 19 carries, 98 yards, 2 receptions, 12 receiving yards, 3 TD
Brian Burns, DE, New York Giants
Another Giant who had a big game on Thursday Night Football was Brian Burns. The Giants star defensive end got after Jalen Hurts all night, sacking him twice, but he also played a big role in the run game, recording two tackles for loss and four run stops. He helped the Giants’ defense shut Hurt and Saquon Barkley down all night long, and was a big reason they won this game.
Stat Line: 2 sacks, 3 TFL, 4 Run Stops
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is going to find himself on this list plenty of times this year if he keeps playing the way he has through six weeks. He is on pace to lead the league in receiving yards after today’s games are over, and I think it’s time we start talking about him as one of the best receivers in the league.
On Sunday, Smith-Njigba caught seven passes for 150 yards and a touchdown in the Seattle Seahawks‘ win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. At one point in the second quarter, JSN had all 117 of the Seahawks’ receiving yards. He’s been nothing short of amazing this year.
Stat Line: 7 receptions, 150 yards, TD
Rico Dowdle, RB, Carolina Panthers
Another guy who makes his second consecutive appearance on this list is Rico Dowdle, who torched the Dallas Cowboys‘ defense on Sunday. With Chuba Hubbard out for the second straight week, Dowdle got the start against his former team and totaled 249 yards and a touchdown. This came just a week after he ran for 206 yards the week prior.
I know he hasn’t done it against the best competition, but you don’t stumble upon back-to-back 200-yard games. There’s going to be a running back controversy in Carolina once Hubbard is healthy.
Stat Line: 30 carries, 183 yards, 4 receptions, 56 receiving yards, TD
George Pickens, WR, Dallas Cowboys
With CeeDee Lamb still out, George Pickens continues to shine as Dallas’ WR1. Coming into the game, Pickens had 23 receptions for 357 yards and five touchdowns. He’s been a deep ball threat for the Cowboys, and it feels like every time they need him in the red zone, he’s come through.
Sunday was no exception. Pickens went off, catching nine passes for 168 yards and a touchdown in the Cowboys’ loss to the Carolina Panthers. Unfortunately, since the Cowboys lost, this performance will fly under the radar, but it was another big day for Pickens.
Stat Line: 9 receptions, 168 yards, TD
De’Von Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins upset the Los Angeles Chargers in the early window, and that was largely due to their star running back De’Von Achane.
The 24-year-old has been one of the few bright spots on the Dolphins this season, but today was his best performance yet. Achane carried the ball 16 times for 128 yards and two touchdowns while adding another 22 yards through the air. He had his way with the Chargers’ defense, which provided no resistance to anything the Dolphins did all day long.
Despite the Dolphins’ struggles this year, Achane has consistently been one of the top running backs week after week.
Stat Line: 16 carries, 128 yards, 4 catches, 22 receiving yards, 2 TD
Drake Maye, QB, New England Patriots
Drake Maye is the first quarterback to make our list this week. The New England Patriots’ QB1 had himself a day against the New Orleans Saints, throwing for 261 yards and three touchdowns in the win. If you watched the game, though, you know it could’ve been a lot more.
Maye had over 70 yards and a touchdown called back because of offensive pass interference, both of which were suspect calls. He easily could’ve had 350+ yards and four touchdowns on Sunday, but even with those penalties and negated yards, he put up one of the best stat lines of the day.
Stat Line: 18-for-26, 261 yards, 3 TD
Maxx Crosby, DE, Las Vegas Raiders
I’m sure not many of you watched the Tennessee Titans and Las Vegas Raiders duke it out on Sunday afternoon (and if you did, you’re a sicko), but if you did, you certainly felt Maxx Crosby’s presence.
The Raiders’ star defensive end was all over the Titans’ backfield on Sunday, racking up two sacks, two tackles for loss and three QB hits. I don’t have the exact pressure numbers yet, but it felt like every time Cam Ward dropped back to pass, Crosby was in his face.
Stat Line: 3 QB hits, 2 sacks, 2 TFL
Jalen Ramsey, CB, Pittsburgh Steelers
It’s not often that a cornerback will make this list for his sack total, but here we are. The Pittsburgh Steelers used Jalen Ramsey in a plethora of different ways on Sunday. Not only was he lockdown in coverage, but he was blitzing, and having success doing so, finishing with two sacks.
The Steelers haven’t sent Ramsey on a lot of blitzes this year, but maybe this is a sign to keep doing so. It helped that he came off the blindside of the left-handed Dillon Gabriel, but still, two sacks for a corner is impressive.
Stat Line: 6 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 TFL, 2 QB hits
Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes has been playing at an MVP level, but because the Chiefs lost three of their first five games, not many people have been talking about it. Coming into tonight, Mahomes had 1,257 passing yards and eight passing touchdowns, along with 190 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. Tonight, he maintained that MVP pace and became the second quarterback to make our top 10 list.
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Mahomes was in full command of the Chiefs’ offense on Sunday night, completing 22 of his 30 attempts for 257 yards and three touchdowns while adding 31 yards and a score on the ground. The Chiefs defense played their part, and Mahomes thanked them with his best game of the season.

KANSAS CITY, MO — The Detroit Lions couldn’t match a desperate Kansas City Chiefs team in Week 6 at Arrowhead Stadium, losing 30-17 on Sunday, Oct. 12.
At the end of the game, Lions safety Brian Branch shoved Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster in the head and the teams got into a short fight before referees and teammates separated everyone.
It was a Sunday Night Football matchup that was circled right from when the 2025 schedule was announced, a rematch of an epic 2023 Week 1 game that the Lions came out on top in. This time it was the Chiefs who emerged victorious, taking advantage of a beat-up Lions secondary to get back to .500 as the Lions fell to 4-2.
The Lions opened the game with an impressive drive that nearly lasted 10 minutes but ended with just three points because of a late call that took a Jared Goff touchdown catch off the board when he came in motion on a trick play and didn’t get set. After the penalty moved the Lions back 5 yards, the Lions ultimately decided to not go for it and settled for a field goal. The four points proved to be crucial for the game flow.
The Chiefs then responded with a good drive of their own, taking a 7-3 lead on an Xavier Worth touchdown, which was again met with a scoring drive from the Lions, this time finding the end zone on 22-yard catch from Jameson Williams, who had a big day. But that was when the Lions loss the momentum for a while.
Kansas City scored one more touchdown in the first half for a 13-10 lead at the break, and added to their lead with an eight-play, 81-yard opening drive in the third quarter for a 20-10 lead to fully take control.
The Lions finally showed some life again on offense with an 81-yard drive to make it a 20-17 game just a few seconds into the fourth quarter, but the Lions just couldn’t slow down the Chiefs offense pretty much all night and couldn’t hold serve on offense.
The Chiefs added two more scores to make it 30-17 and made the necessary plays to ice the game over the course of the fourth quarter.
Kansas City outgained the Lions by a wide margin, 354-297, as star quarterback Patrick Mahomes looked comfortable in an offense that suddenly is looking a lot more potent.
The schedule won’t get any easier from the Lions from here as Dan Campbell’s squad returns to Ford Field for Week 7 to host a red-hot Tampa Bay Buccaneers team on Monday Night Football.
This story will be updated.

Dallas Cowboys fans should be basking in the exceptional play of quarterback Dak Prescott over the past three weeks. However, the Cowboys wrapped up the last three weeks with a 1-1-1 record, which includes a lone victory over the winless New York Jets and a loss to the previously sub-.500 Carolina Panthers.
Over that span, Prescott has reeled off a staggering 10 touchdown passes and zero interceptions while rushing for one additional score. It’s a record-setting three-game span for Prescott, but not in the way the Cowboys, their struggling defense and frustrated fanbase would like.
As ESPN’s Todd Archer highlighted, according to ESPN Research, Prescott is the first quarterback to account for 11 or more passing/rushing touchdowns with no turnovers, and hold a non-winning record in a three-game stretch.
What Cowboys’ issues does this Dak Prescott feat highlight?
This highlights an issue that was almost expected after the team traded Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers. Unfortunately, it’s unknown if Parsons would have even been able to factor in enough to impact the results.
The Cowboys gave up 40 points in their overtime tie against the Green Bay Packers, but it was the porous effort against the Carolina Panthers in Week 6 that highlighted all of the struggles.
In Dallas’ 30-27 loss to quarterback Bryce Young and their former starting running back Rico Dowdle, the defense simply had no answers. Young threw three touchdown passes while Dowdle tormented the Cowboys’ defense. While owner Jerry Jones said the trade of Parsons addressed the team’s run defense, it’s hard to envision that he expected Dowdle to rip off 183 rushing yards on 30 carries.
For good measure, Dowdle also led the Panthers in receiving, catching four passes for 56 yards and one touchdown. It was an incredible revenge game from Dowdle, and an even worse performance from the Cowboys’ defense.
Prescott is playing at an elite level, and maybe more than any year in his career, his exceptional play is being wasted by a woeful defense. Prescott is being dealt the same hand Tony Romo received throughout his career, and Jones refuses to acknowledge it.

Tempers flared at the end of Sunday night’s game at Arrowhead Stadium, which could result in a key Detroit Lions defender receiving another fine from the NFL.
Following their 30-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Lions safety Brian Branch was involved in a brief postgame scuffle with Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, leading to both teams stepping in to separate the two.
As the clock expired, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes approached Branch for what appeared to be a routine handshake. Instead, Branch brushed him off and walked away.
Seeing the exchange, Smith-Schuster went over to confront Branch, which ended with Branch shoving the Chiefs receiver to the ground with an open-hand “pie face.” Players and coaches from both teams quickly moved in to break up the altercation.
“I mean, we play the game in-between the whistles,” Mahomes said regarding the altercation in a postgame interview. “They can do all the extracurricular stuff they want to do. But we play the game in-between the whistles and we thought we played a great game today.”
This incident isn’t the first time Branch has drawn attention from the league office. The second-year safety has already been fined multiple times this season, including twice in Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers — two $11,593 penalties for facemasking and taunting. He was later fined $11,598 for a low block during the Week 3 win over the Baltimore Ravens.
While the NFL typically announces fines on the Saturday before its Sunday slate of games, Branch’s recent history suggests another penalty could be coming his way for instigating the postgame confrontation.
With the loss to the Chiefs, the Lions dropped to 4-2 on the season.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Patrick Mahomes threw for 257 yards and three touchdowns, scrambled for another score, and led the Kansas City Chiefs to a 30-17 victory over the ailing Detroit Lions on Sunday night in a game that ended with a fistfight among players.
Mahomes had tried to give Brian Branch a high-five after the final whistle, and the Lions safety walked right by him. Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster took umbrage and had words with Branch, who delivered a punch to set off the brief melee.
It took players and coaches from both teams to break up the skirmish and clear the field.
Marquise Brown had two touchdown receptions and Xavier Worthy had another for the Chiefs (3-3), who played a near-flawless game — no penalties, no turnovers — one week after a mistake-strewn, last-second loss at Jacksonville.
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Kansas City also managed to hold in check the NFL’s highest-scoring offense to snap Detroit’s four-game winning streak.
Jared Goff finished with 203 yards passing for the Lions (4-2), though he did connect with Jameson Williams and Sam LaPorta for scores. Amon-Ra St. Brown was held to 45 yards receiving and Jahmyr Gibbs needed 17 carries to gain just 65 yards.
Detroit was intent on trying to grind down the Chiefs’ defense and keep their potent offense off the field.
The Lions did a good job on the opening drive, too. They ran 15 plays over a span of 9 minutes, 39 seconds, chewing up so much clock that Mahomes and company looked downright bored on the sideline. And it looked as if it would pay off when David Montgomery took a direct snap and threw to Goff, who powered into the end zone from 1-yard out for a touchdown.
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But the officials came together to discuss the play, and even though nobody had thrown a flag, they eventually said Goff was not set — an illegal motion penalty. After a delay of game, the Lions had to settle for Jake Bates’s chip-shot field goal.
Kansas City wasted no time answering, marching 70 yards in eight plays. Mahomes hit three different targets on the drive, and Worthy hauled in a 6-yard touchdown pass on fourth and goal to give the Chiefs the lead.
The back-and-forth continued throughout the first half. The Lions went the other way with Williams grabbing a 22-yard pass to give them the lead back, and the Chiefs answered with Mahomes scoring on a keeper for a 13-10 edge at halftime.
But a banged-up Lions defense missing cornerbacks D.J. Reed, Terrion Arnold, and Avonte Maddox couldn’t slow down the Chiefs, who are finding their offensive mojo again just in time to get suspended wide receiver Rashee Rice back next week.
They roared downfield on the opening drive of the second half, this time with Brown hauling in the touchdown catch to extend the lead. And when the Lions finally answered behind a flurry of passes to St. Brown and a nifty toss to LaPorta in the end zone, Kansas City rolled right back downfield as Brown pulled in another touchdown reception for a 27-17 lead.
Detroit proceeded to go three-and-out, and the Chiefs put the game away from there.

After a sluggish start to the season, the Kansas City Chiefs just beat the best offensive team this season, the Detroit Lions, 30-17. But the biggest highlight was from the sidelines when the Lions’ Brian Branch appeared to slap the Chiefs’ WR JuJu Smith-Schuster in the face after the game was just over.
While there was no penalty as the incident happened after the game was over, can we expect that the NFL might step in to fine Branch? According to the league’s rules, Branch’s action will come under the category of “Striking/kicking” with a fine of $12,172.
But only time will tell if the NFL is involved in this. However, Cris Collinsworth believes, “The league’s gonna take action on that one against (Brian) Branch.”

The Kansas City Chiefs got their season back on track with an emphatic 30-17 Week 6 win over the Detroit Lions on “Sunday Night Football.”
But as the teams were leaving the field, Lions defensive back Brian Branch seemed intent on ruffling some feathers before he went to the locker room.
As he walked past Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Branch blew off his attempt to shake hands, prompting Mahomes to tap his shoulder pads as they went their separate ways.
Then as Chiefs receiver Juju Smith-Schuster extended his hand to exchange pleasantries, Branch reached out and struck him in the head, knocking the veteran WR to his knees.
Smith-Schuster got up and bolted after Branch, who was being restrained by Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco. Branch and Smith-Schuster began wrestling on the turf as players from both sidelines flocked to the field.
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Though Smith-Schuster retaliated, Branch’s head strike was seemingly too egregious to not warrant some sort of penalty from the NFL. “Sunday Night Football” commentators Cris Collinsworth and Mike Tirico agreed.
“The league’s going to take action on that one against Branch,” Collinsworth stated.
“Especially Branch, who has a history of multiple fines — three times this year, seven times last year,” Tirico added.
Branch has been fined a total of $118,391 over the last two seasons, with his most recent offense coming in Week 3 when he was hit with an $11,598 fine for a low block against the Baltimore Ravens.
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The league typically fines players for striking opposing players $12,172 on the first offense and $17,968 on the second offense. But former Washington Commanders quarterback Robert Griffin III believes the NFL should take it a step further and suspend Branch for his violent actions.
“Brian Branch started the fight in the field,” Griffin III wrote. “Brian Branch threw a punch and knocked JuJu Smith-Schuster down. Brian Branch should be suspended. THERE IS NO PLACE IN SPORTS FOR THAT.”
The NFL can skip the fines and go straight to suspending players for fighting after a game ends, and given Branch’s history for racking up fines and his aggressive nature, he could be a prime candidate to be suspended.
Mahomes addressed the situation moments after the game ended during an interview with NBC Sports.
“We play the game in between the whistles,” he stated. “They can do all the extracurricular stuff in between the whistles. I thought we played a great game today. And we’ll keep this momentum moving forward.”

It had to happen. The Lions were coming off a strong start to the season, and just when the Chiefs put the brakes on their offense, DB Brian Branch could not control his anger. His actions after the game started a huge fight on the sidelines. However, the Lions’ head coach, Dan Campbell, tried to make things right.
During the post-game conference, the coach said that what happened after the game was inexcusable and unacceptable, and also apologized to the Chiefs.
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Former NFL receiver Cris Collinsworth also gave his hard take on the situation. “The league’s gonna take action on that one against (Brian) Branch,” he said.
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We’ve almost wrapped up Week 6, and like clockwork, the injury bug bit again. This week’s list isn’t short of big names, but two stand out: Emeka Egbuka and Puka Nacua. Both playmakers went down at what could be crucial moments for their teams. So let’s look at their situation.
According to Fox Sports’ Greg Auman, head coach Todd Bowles had no update on wide receiver Egbuka after the game, saying it was a hamstring injury but didn’t know the severity. “It’s rare you leave a game with a hamstring and don’t miss at least the following game as a result,” Bowles said.
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That’s a tough sign for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In the second half against the San Francisco 49ers, the rookie suffered the injury. It wasn’t clear when it happened, but it was bad enough to rule him out for the rest of the contest. Egbuka Egbuka had 2 catches for 24 yards before the injury. The Bucs will send him for more tests to figure out how serious it is.
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Now switching coasts, let’s talk about Puka Nacua.
Puka Nacua’s scare shakes Rams’ offense
The Los Angeles Rams’ wide receiver 1 scared everyone in the City of Angels after a nasty fall. While trying for a touchdown on a jump ball, he hit the ground awkwardly. But soon after that, he tried to stand up but eventually went down again. And then trainers helped him and took straight to the locker room.
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However, despite being questionable, he returned in the second half. But even with that return, things didn’t look right.
He had two catches for 28 yards in Week 6’s game against the Baltimore Ravens, but nothing after halftime. Even head coach Sean McVay is unsure about Nacua’s availability in Week 7 despite his late return. So if Nacua misses time, the Rams’ offense could lose its rhythm and explosiveness.
He leads the team with 52 receptions for 588 yards and 2 touchdowns through Week 6, ranking first in the NFL in catches and receiving yards. Without him, the Rams would rely more heavily on secondary options like Tutu Atwell and Tyler Higbee, who haven’t matched his production or versatility.
Nacua’s ability to win contested catches, stretch the field, and block in the run game makes him central to Sean McVay’s scheme. His absence would likely reduce third-down efficiency and limit deep-threat opportunities, forcing the Rams into a more conservative, less dynamic approach.
More stars sidelined: Week 6 injury toll grows
Apart from Emeka Egbuka and Puka Nacua, the injury list is long. So let’s explore 4 more important injuries happened in Week 6.
First up is Calvin Ridley. The Tennessee Titans’ WR1 grabbed an 18-yard reception early in the first quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders, but that was it. After that, he was out with a hamstring injury and never made it back on the field. That’s a bad sign for the Titans, who can’t afford to lose another weapon in an already struggling offense.
And the Arizona Cardinals also just can’t catch a break. Their backfield, already thin after Trey Benson hit injured reserve, took another blow in Week 6. RB Emari Demercado went down with an ankle injury against the Indianapolis Colts. He had stepped up as part of a committee backfield, but now the Cards might be down to scraps.
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And there is Marvin Harrison Jr. The Arizona Cardinals WR1 left the same game in the second quarter with a concussion and never returned. That’s tough to watch because Harrison was finally finding his rhythm. Over the last two weeks, he had racked up 164 receiving yards and a touchdown. Just when he was heating up, the Cardinals lost him.

Week 6 of the NFL season was nothing short of a bang, with the New York Giants taking down the defending champs Philadelphia Eagles, on Thursday Night Football. While this week may not have ended up being as thrilling as last week, there were still some close matchups that came down to the wire.
We learned a lot in Week 6, and here are my 10 takeaways from Week 6 of the NFL season.
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Eagles are in serious trouble
Yes, Philadelphia is 4-2, but they have one of the best overall rosters in the sport, and yet they make everything look so hard whenever they are playing.
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Offensively, Jalen Hurts and his receivers have looked completely out of sync. His stat line never looks bad, but he just keeps on missing so many big throws. It would take at least two hands to count how many times he’s missed one of his receivers for a big play downfield.
Defensively, the Eagles look like a shell of what they were last year. They have held just one of their opponents to under 20 points this season (which oddly enough was the Kansas City Chiefs), and just gave up 34 to Jaxson Dart and the Giants, who only scored 14 last week against the New Orleans Saints.
Something’s wrong in Philly, and they need to figure it out soon.
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Jaxson Dart is the real deal
Have the NY Giants finally found their franchise QB? Well, it seems so. Through three games, Dart has thrown for 508 yards and four touchdowns with two interceptions while adding another 167 yards and two scores on the ground. Yes, he had a really bad game against the Saints, where he threw two picks and fumbled once, but I actually thought he didn’t look that bad outside of those mistakes.
One of the key traits of being an NFL quarterback is remaining calm under pressure, and Dart never looks rushed. He’s fine with taking a hit while delivering the ball, but he can also take off and run if he needs to.
Dart’s composure is going to pay dividends in the future. If he can continue to develop and keep that same coolness in the pocket, he’ll be a quarterback in this league for a long time.
The Cowboys could miss the playoffs despite having one of the best offenses
The Dallas Cowboys have one of the best offenses in football. There’s no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Dak Prescott is an MVP candidate, George Pickens is playing to his potential with CeeDee Lamb out, and even though they weren’t great this week, owner Jerry Jones would be happy with their run game.
Still, the Cowboys are in danger of missing the playoffs.
The fact of the matter is, their defense is horrible. They’re giving up an average of 30 points per game this season, and that’s with teams like the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers on their schedule (no disrespect to them). They can’t get pressure on the quarterback consistently, they can’t stop the run, and they can’t cover.
Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong for them defensively, so despite having a top-five offense, do not be surprised if they do not make it to the playoffs.
The Broncos’ defense is something else
I’ll preface this by saying I know it’s the Jets, but come on, you can’t watch that game and tell me you don’t think the Denver Broncos have one of the best defenses in football right now.
The Broncos held the Jets to NEGATIVE 10 net passing yards. Justin Fields threw for 45 yards, and the Broncos had 55 yards worth of sacks. I don’t recall that happening in my lifetime, but even if it has, it’s very, very rare. They also held the Jets to a 3.0 rushing average, and if you take away Field’s rushing yards, that average drops to 2.5.
It’s not like it was just one guy wrecking everything. It was a concerted effort. Eight players recorded at least 0.5 sacks, and even when Fields had time, nobody was open downfield.
The Broncos’ offense looked bad, but it didn’t matter because their defense was so great.
Aaron Glenn had a similar start to Dan Campbell
Aaron Glenn is having a very similar start to his head coaching career as his former boss, Dan Campbell. In his first year with the Detroit Lions, Campbell started 0-8. His first non-loss wasn’t even a win; it was a tie. After that, they’d lose two more games (0-10-1) before finally getting their first win.
One thing about the 2021 Lions is that they never gave up. They fought hard until the final whistle every single game, no matter how much they were trailing. The same can be said about the Jets. No matter how much they’re down, they’re going to fight for every yard, and that’s the sign of a team that believes in their head coach.
HC Glenn even gets under the media’s skin a little bit, which Campbell did plenty of early in his tenure. When asked about Justin Fields’ play and whether he could be benched, Glenn responded with, “what kind of question is that? Come on, you know better.”
That didn’t sit well with the media. I understand being frustrated, but it was a perfectly reasonable question after Fields’ performance.
I’m not trying to say he’s the next Dan Campbell, because he’s not. I’m just saying the two had similar starts, so you can’t just count him out because he inherited a bad team that is playing bad football. Hopefully, the Jets give him time and don’t cut the cord too early.
I think we just saw a Super Bowl preview
The Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions met on Sunday Night Football, and man, was it a good game. I know the Chiefs are off to a slow start and all that good stuff, but with their win tonight, I still believe they’re the favorites in the AFC, and this could’ve been a Super Bowl preview.
In my opinion, as good as the Indianapolis Colts and some of the other AFC teams have been, the only team that’s a real threat to the Chiefs in the AFC is the Buffalo Bills. But they haven’t proven that they can beat the Chiefs in January. Right now, I’d take the Bills, but there’s something about Mahomes in the playoffs that’s hard to pick against.
In the NFC, I think there are a lot of teams that could make it to the Super Bowl. The Eagles, Buccaneers, Packers, and Seahawks are all threats, but as of today, the Lions are still my pick to represent the NFC.
I know nobody wants to see the Chiefs in the Super Bowl again, but if we got to see this game played on a neutral field, I wouldn’t have too many complaints.
Yeah, this Drake Maye kid is pretty good
The New England Patriots have their guy. All the talk last season was about Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels (rightfully so), but the best second-year quarterback this year has been Drake Maye.
If you just look at Maye’s stat line, you’d think he played really well. He threw for 261 yards and three scores on just 18 completions, but it could’ve been so much more. He had two deep passes called back for offensive pass interference, and one was a 50+ yard touchdown that, to be quite frank, was not a penalty (and that’s coming from a Saints fan).
This easily could’ve been a 300+ yard, 4+ touchdown game for Maye. He is the real deal, and he’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
The Buccaneers are 100 percent NFC contenders
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a somewhat fluky start to the season. They won each of their first four games with last-minute scores, but after seeing how they played tonight, I’m convinced they’re contenders in the NFC.
Baker Mayfield just seems to have that “it” factor that someone like Tom Brady had. Even when things are going horribly wrong, he finds ways to win games. Today, Emeka Egbuka went out early, leaving him without his top three receivers. And what did he do? Threw for 256 yards and two touchdowns as he led the Bucs to 30 points.
Defensively, I thought the Buccaneers played really well, too. They held the 49ers to 19 points, sacked Mac Jones six times, and held San Fran to 3.0 yards per carry. I know they were injured (so were the Bucs), but the 49ers looked like a shell of themselves on Sunday.
This team has what it takes to contend with everyone in the NFC. They may not be as good as the Detroit Lions, but I guarantee you, Detroit does not want to see Tampa in January.
The Ravens’ 1-5 record doesn’t really matter
Obviously, nobody wants to start 1-5. You put yourself on the back foot in the playoff race, but when you really look at it, the Baltimore Ravens still have a realistic shot at the playoffs.
Both the Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers have one win in the AFC North. The Ravens are three games behind overall, but with two head-to-head matchups against the Steelers still to come, anything can happen. If they can win both of those games, all they need to do is out-play the Steelers by one game the rest of the way, and the automatic AFC North bid is theirs.
With a bye week coming up, the Ravens are hoping they can get a lot of players back for Week 8. Then, all they need to do is win, and they’ve done a lot of that with Lamar Jackson under center. Nothing is off the table for Baltimore right now, but they do need to clean up a lot of things defensively.
Plus, despite the three-game deficit to the Steelers, the Ravens still have +140 odds to win the division. And we all know Vegas knows things nobody else does.
Add Kimani Vidal in fantasy
For my final takeaway, let’s talk some fantasy. If Kimani Vidal is still available in your league (45 percent rostered in Sleeper), pick him up right now.
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It’s rivalry week in Utah, as No. 15 BYU prepares to host No. 23 Utah at LaVell Edwards Stadium next weekend.
Sunday was also a good day from a scoring standpoint for a former Ute and a former Cougar.
Tim Patrick, who starred at Utah, caught a 26-yard touchdown pass for his first touchdown with Jacksonville after being traded to the Jaguars this offseason. That TD grab came in a 20-12 loss to Seattle.
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Joe Flacco will once again wear a different uniform when he takes the field this Sunday. Just a few days ago, the Cleveland Browns traded the veteran quarterback to the in-state rival Cincinnati Bengals.
Cincinnati received Flacco and a sixth-round draft pick in next year’s draft, while Cleveland picked up a fifth-round pick in the trade, multiple outlets reported on Tuesday.
On Friday, Flacco spoke to the media for the first time since his arrival in Cincinnati. At one point during the wide-ranging news conference, the Super Bowl winner revealed what keeps him motivated to continue competing in the NFL.
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La NFL continúa su estrategia de expansión global y, a partir del 12 de octubre, se convertirá en uno de los deportes más televisados en abierto en España. Mediaset España confirmó un acuerdo con la National Football League que permitirá transmitir 37 partidos, entre ellos el esperado NFL Madrid Game 2025, que enfrentará a los Miami Dolphins y Washington Commanders el 16 de noviembre en el estadio Santiago Bernabéu.
Del total de juegos, 18 serán emitidos por Cuatro y 19 por Mediaset Infinity, además de una cobertura integral en los espacios deportivos de ElDesmarque, que incluirán un segmento especial dedicado al fútbol americano. Este acuerdo, según el grupo audiovisual, busca acercar “uno de los eventos más seguidos del planeta” al público español.
Cuatro estrenará su programación con una doble jornada el domingo 12 de octubre, transmitiendo los duelos Detroit Lions vs. Kansas City Chiefs (2:15 h) y Denver Broncos vs. New York Jets (15:30 h), este último desde el Tottenham Stadium de Londres. Desde esa fecha y hasta el 4 de enero, el canal emitirá cada domingo el tradicional Sunday Night Football, el partido estelar de cada jornada.
España se suma a los mercados clave de la NFL
La temporada regular culminará con tres juegos de playoffs y la Super Bowl LX, programada para el 8 de febrero de 2026 en el Levi’s Stadium de Santa Clara (California), con Bad Bunny como artista principal del espectáculo del medio tiempo.
España se suma así a la lista de países donde la NFL ha ganado gran terreno. Actualmente cuenta con 11.3 millones de aficionados, ubicándose como el cuarto mercado europeo detrás de Alemania (20.9 millones), Reino Unido (17.3) y Francia (14.2), según cifras reveladas por la agencia EFE.
En América Latina, México encabeza la lista con 39.9 millones de seguidores, seguido de Brasil (26.1) y Canadá (15.6). México, además, es el país fuera de Estados Unidos que más partidos de temporada regular ha albergado —cinco en total—, aunque el estadio Azteca se encuentra actualmente en remodelación de cara al Mundial 2026.
El impacto económico de estos encuentros internacionales es significativo. Londres, que ha sido sede de 40 juegos desde 2007, ha generado más de 2.669 millones de dólares. Brasil también ha entrado en escena con partidos en la Arena Corinthians de São Paulo y un acuerdo para llevar tres duelos más al legendario Maracaná de Río de Janeiro a partir de 2026.
Con este nuevo impulso en España, la NFL refuerza su presencia global y da un paso más en su objetivo de consolidarse como un fenómeno deportivo verdaderamente mundial.
Sigue leyendo:
Tres jugadores muertos en un mes: El crimen organizado se apodera del futbol en Ecuador
Mark Sánchez y los momentos después de ser presuntamente acuchillado (video)
–

Before the start of the 2025 season, many considered Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen to be in the hot seat entering his third year with the organization.
Steichen led the team to a 9-8 record in his first season and an 8-9 record in his second.
Now in his third season at the helm of the franchise, Steichen has led the Colts to an impressive 4-1 record. The Los Angeles Rams gave the Colts their first loss of the season in a single-score loss, with the game possibly going in Indy’s favor if not for a couple of mistakes the Rams took advantage of to win.
The Colts are one of the better teams in the NFL, despite many expecting another down year for the team. Now, Steichen finds himself as a candidate to win an award after turning Indy around this season.
Shane Steichen COTY Winner?
There were many questions with the Colts entering the 2025 season, mainly the questionable signing of quarterback Daniel Jones.
Jones had to compete for his starting spot with Indianapolis against third-year QB Anthony Richardson,
SB Nation’s Bill Williamson names Colts’ Shane Steichen as an early favorite to win the Coach of the Year award after five weeks.
“He is the current FanDuel betting favorite to win the award at +260. That shouldn’t be a surprise. The Colts are 4-1 and look like they’re for real. A big reason for the Colts’ early season success, of course, is the stunning success of free-agent quarterback Daniel Jones. He is an early MVP candidate. No one saw that coming. If Jones and the Colts keep this up, Steichen could walk away with the award,” Williamson wrote.
Jones is in the top 3 in passing yards this season with the Colts, helping the team to their 4-1 record.
Daniel Jones On Being With Indianapolis
Daniel Jones said earlier in the offseason that he signed with the Indianapolis Colts as it gave him the best chance to win the starting job. He won it and is now looking revitalized under Shane Steichen and offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter.
After the dominant win in Week 5 against the Las Vegas Raiders, Jones was asked about his time in Indy with how the season is going for them so far. Here’s what he had to say:
“It’s been fun. It’s been a good start for us. We’re excited, we’re confident as a group, confident on offense on what he can do.”
“We’ve been good throwing it, we’ve been good running it. It starts with a lot of guys up front and how well they’ve played. We got to continue to grow, continue to progress, but we’re excited about our start.
Many viewed the Jones signing as questionable, but under Steichen, he is showing that he is worth the $14 million signing as a possible MVP winner

Streaming quarterbacks in fantasy football is often a necessary tactic when the NFL hands us a week when 4-6 teams are on a bye.
Though just two teams are off in Week 6, many are still turning to potential waiver wire additions due to the rash of injuries combined with the overall decline in scoring production.
Pass attempts from year-to-year remain the same, but receptions and receiving yards are down, and those who drafted Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow or Brock Purdy probably didn’t think their season would come to this.
Nor did those who drafted Justin Herbert or Kyler Murray, yet here we all are looking for available options.
Fortunately, help is more than available.
Before you run out and start believing Joe Flacco is the savior of the Bengals or that Geno Smith versus Tennessee will be a positive experience, take a moment to understand they are not.
The Bengals’ offensive line has been atrocious, and a flat-footed 40-year-old with the mobility of a refrigerator is not going to be gunslinging to Ja’Marr Chase downfield all day.
Smith’s play has not only been subpar, but with how soft the Titans’ run defense is, Ashton Jeanty should be the Raider eating most often. There are much better options available.
Start with Matthew Stafford.
He has two of the most gifted receivers in the game, and he is facing a Ravens defense that has had 40 points dropped on it twice already and is allowing an average of 35.4 points per game.
On top of that, much of their secondary remains questionable for the week.
Despite the travel concerns many have with West Coast teams heading east, Stafford is more than experienced enough to handle this.
Beyond Stafford, Sam Darnold and Mac Jones stand head and shoulders above quarterbacks like Smith or Flacco.
Darnold is coming off a spectacular performance against the Buccaneers and now faces a Jaguars team that is “feeling itself” coming off a big upset of the Chiefs, yet still allows the sixth-most passing yards per game.
With a strong rushing attack to support him and one of the most prolific wide receivers in Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Darnold is in a place where he doesn’t even need to overproduce to return strong value.
And Jones gets to face that same Buccaneers secondary that just allowed Darnold to throw for 341 yards and four touchdowns.
He has worked beautifully in Kyle Shanahan’s system doing everything Purdy does and has averaged over 300 yards per game thus far.
Add to it the possible returns of Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall, and you’re all set.
Should every one of those options remain unavailable, then Carolina’s Bryce Young is your next target.
The Dallas pass defense ranks dead last, its pass rush is minimal, and given how prolific its offense can be, this one might turn into a shootout.
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Young also has a supportive ground game and is adding Jalen Coker to a receiving corps that already boasts assets like Tetairoa McMillan and Xavier Legette.
The depth at the quarterback position is cited year after year, and 2025 is no different.
Obviously, you would prefer to have your top starter available, but not having them shouldn’t cost you your week.
Play the right matchups and your fantasy team won’t miss a beat.

The Pittsburgh Steelers found their quarterback in NFL star Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers is playing in his first season with the Steelers after spending most of his career with the Green Bay Packers and having a short stint with the New York Jets.
In his first season with the Steelers, Rodgers has led Pittsburgh to a 3-1 record.
The Steelers have defeated the Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots and New York Jets. They suffered their only loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Pittsburgh is set to play its first division game in Week 6. The Steelers will face the Cleveland Browns after enjoying their bye week.
Ahead of the matchup against the Browns, Aaron Rodgers and his team suffered a blow to the lineup. Rodgers will be playing without an electric playmaker, who continues to be sidelined despite the extra time.
Calvin Austin did not practice on Friday due to a shoulder injury. He has been ruled out for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ matchup against the Browns in Week 6.
Calvin Austin began the season with a bang. Austin posted one touchdown and four receptions on 70 yards in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Week 1 matchup against the New York Jets.
So far this season, Austin has posted 139 yards on 10 receptions and two touchdowns.
Calvin Austin was the only scratch on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ injury report before the matchup against the Cleveland Browns.
It’s a loss for Aaron Rodgers, who will be missing one of the Steelers’ best receivers and certainly their best speedster while playing against one of the top defenses in the NFL.

Former Fox Sports analyst Mark Sanchez is caught up in a mess, facing a felony battery charge after things reportedly got heated with a truck driver. At this point, everything’s up in the air, from what happens next in court to whether he’ll ever be back in the Fox Sports booth. But for now, Sanchez just picked up a small win.
On Thursday, he filed a motion asking to travel outside Indiana while he waits for his pretrial conference on November 5. And on Friday, Judge Jennifer Prinz Harrison gave him the green light. But she made it clear that Sanchez will need to be fingerprinted and processed before he can pack his bags.

Tom Brady has entered his second season with Fox Sports after signing a 10-year, $375 million deal to join the lead team, joining Kevin Burkhardt and sideline reporter Erin Andrews. In his first year with the network, he called the Super Bowl LIX matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. Now, he prepares for his assignment in Week 6 of the 2025 NFL season when the Baltimore Ravens host the Los Angeles Rams.
But Brady has done much more than call games since his seven Super Bowl career with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After retiring, he began investing in sports franchises, purchasing a 5% minority stake in the Las Vegas Raiders. And in 2023, he also acquired a minority stake in the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces.
On Friday, the Aces defeated the Phoenix Mercury 97-86 in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals, securing the sweep to win the franchise’s third championship in four years, and the second since Brady bought the team. Aces star A’ja Wilson, the 2025 WNBA MVP, tallied 31 points, nine rebounds and four assists, securing the 2025 WNBA Finals MVP as well. For the series, Wilson averaged 28.5 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists.
Brady expressed his excitement for the Aces’ championship run, sharing a photo of the team on his Instagram Story with the caption:
“What a TEAM!!!!!!!!” Brady wrote. “2025 WNBA CHAMPIONS LAS VEGAS ACES”
Brady also added a separate story to celebrate Wilson’s Finals MVP win: “AURA,” he wrote with a photo of Wilson.
Wilson and the Aces had an incredible run to the finals. After starting the season 14-14, they won 16 straight to secure the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. They proceeded to take down the No. 7 seed Seattle Storm and the No. 6 seed Indiana Fever, without Caitlin Clark, on their way to the title.
Brady, on the other hand, prepares for his sixth NFL game of the season, calling the Ravens vs. Rams on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET.

The Geno Smith era with the Las Vegas Raiders is beginning to turn sour, if it hasn’t already. With the veteran leading the league in interceptions and the Silver and Black at 1-4 while riding a four-game losing streak, this 2025 NFL season could be a nightmare if the team doesn’t turn the situation around.
Las Vegas have the perfect opportunity to snap their losing skid when they face the Tennessee Titans in Week 6. The Titans are in the same boat as the Raiders, but nothing in the NFL is guaranteed, and a loss to Cam Ward and Co. would be a significant blow.
Ahead of Week 6, NFL Insider Tom Pelissero shared his thoughts on the Smith situation, and while the Raiders are dealing with injuries, a lot of the fault should be on the signal-caller.
“It’s bad right now,” Pelissero told Suzy Shuster on “The Rich Eisen Show.” “He’s really struggling, which you know, so I was at the Week 1 game in Foxborough, where it was bumpy in the first half, but Geno stepped up and made a bunch of big-time throws in the second half to guys like Tre Tucker and other players that I don’t think the average fan has heard of.
“Not having Brock Bowers is a big deal — that’s the straw that stirs the drink. He got banged up, I think, in the fourth quarter of that game. He’s played several games but wasn’t himself, then missed last week’s game. No sign he’ll be back…. But a lot of this just boils down to Geno — whether it’s decision-making or accuracy, he’s just not playing like we’ve seen Geno at his best.”
Could the Raiders Move On From Geno Smith?
If the situation doesn’t turn around, Pelissero believes that Las Vegas will jump back into the quarterback market in the offseason, which is hard to hear for any fan knowing that Year 1 under head coach Pete Carroll could be a waste.
“You go back to all those years with Russell Wilson,“ Pelissero added. “As much as people wanted to ‘Let Russ cook,‘ a big part of the reason they were successful was that they were the best running team in the NFL for a large portion of that time. They didn’t need Russ to go out and throw the ball all over the yard for the first three quarters of the game until, hey, fourth quarter — we’re down. ‘All right, Russ, now do your magic.’
“It’s kind of the same thing with Geno Smith, who was in that same type of structure here. Right now, for whatever reason, they don’t really have that balance. Bowers’ absence is a huge part of it. But certainly, the longer the struggles go on for Geno Smith, the more we’re talking about whether the Raiders are back in the quarterback market in 2026.”
How Much Would Geno Smith’s Exit Cost?
While Carroll continues to back Smith, it’s unclear if the same confidence exists in Las Vegas’ front office. ESPN’s Dan Graziano recently broke down how much it would cost the Raiders financially if they decide to move on from him.
“What’s interesting to me is that the contract Smith signed with the Raiders after the trade doesn’t really tie them to him beyond this year,“ Graziano wrote in an article published on October 8. “He has an $18.5 million salary guarantee for 2026, after making $40 million this year.
“If the Raiders cut him after this season, they’d have paid him $58.5 million for one (presumably disappointing) year. That’s a lot, but as Jeremy said, this team wants to win soon. If absorbing $18.5 million in dead money next year to move on helps them do that, I doubt it would stand in the Raiders’ way.”

Joe Flacco may not be having a great season yet, but the 18-year NFL veteran is not willing to give up just yet. After switching his bases from Cleveland to Cincinnati, Flacco does not see his age as a factor that should stop him from playing the game, where the average retirement age is not more than 28 years.
Ahead of his Week 6 matchup as the Bengals’ QB1 against the Packers, the veteran confirmed his stance on playing a premium position at 40. “I just feel like I have a lot to offer to a football team,” Flacco said to the media on Friday when asked about his motivation to play at 40. “I feel like I’ve put in a lot of work my whole life to get to this point. And I hopefully will have a long life when I’m done.”
The season, the Bengals are relying on the veteran to steer their sinking ship. After 5 weeks, they are 2-3 while the starter Joe Burrow struggles with a grade 3 toe injury. A few days back, Burrow posted a photo of healing stones, indicating he is trying hard to come back soon. But a grade 3 tear means his ligaments have completely torn off, and he is expected to be out of the game at least until Week 16.
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As for the Bengals vs. Packers matchup, it’s a game that will serve both parties in a friendly manner. Flacco wants to prove his worth, and the team needs wins.
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“I feel like I’ve worked really hard to be a guy that gets to play in the NFL, and I don’t want to take that for granted,” the veteran explained. However, he then also revealed a personal reason that keeps him going. “I still feel like I can play the game at a high level, and I want to be able to look at myself in the mirror when I’m 50 years old and be able to say that I gave it everything I had,” the Bengals’ QB added.
Well, playing at 40 is not something the NFL is unfamiliar with. Tom Brady retired at 45, while Aaron Rodgers is still going strong at 42. But to achieve that, Flacco needs to stay at the top level. And as we head into Week 6 football, Flacco has one fine opportunity to etch his name in the record books.
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Can Joe Flacco break the record?
Joe Flacco is about to become only the seventh quarterback in NFL history to start against the same team twice in one season while playing for two different teams. It’s something that rarely happens, and only one player, Jack Kemp, back in 1962, has ever won both of those games. Now, Flacco has a chance to match that record.
If Cincinnati beats the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, he’ll become the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era to defeat the same team twice in one season with two different franchises.
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Just three weeks ago, Flacco faced the Packers as the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. The Browns beat the Packers 13–10. Joe Flacco made key throws in the final moments to help set up the game-winning field goal. He finished with 21 completions for 142 yards and one interception, but most importantly, he led his team to victory.
Now, as he is set to face the Packers again this weekend, do you think Flacco will lead his team to victory once again? Well, if he does, it would be another special milestone in a long and surprising career.

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (knee) has been ruled out for the second straight week and will miss Sunday’s Week 6 matchup against the Tennessee Titans.
Without Bowers, the Raiders’ passing game takes a hit, which they have done so since he injured his knee in Week 1. Although the second-year tight end played after that with a brace, it was clear he wasn’t the same player.
Now that Bowers is out for a second straight week, former Raiders offensive lineman Lincoln Kennedy outlined what the game plan should be against the Titans as he made a surprising admission.
“I still think you can open it up [the passing game],” Kennedy said on the latest episode of “The Silver and Black Show.” “You’ve got other playmakers who can [find a way to] get the football. But I think at this particular point, because they’re struggling in all three phases, it’s a coaching point where you go back to the basics. Let’s get back to what makes us work on all phases of the ball — offense, defense, and special teams — and [focus on executing] from there.
“The Raiders are going up this weekend against the Tennessee Titans. I wouldn’t necessarily call them a great team, but the Raiders have had their fair share of struggles too. I’m sure Tennessee is probably saying the same thing about Las Vegas. They’ve just got to get back to basics, put some confidence out there by winning football games, scoring touchdowns, and taking it one game at a time — [starting with] this weekend.”
How Will the Raiders Replace Brock Bowers?
The reason for the decision on Bowers is because he hasn’t taken part in practice this week, with coach Pete Carroll noting the All-Pro receiver is “not quite there yet.” Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly added that Bowers’ absence “changes everybody’s job.”
“You lose the premier tight end in the NFL, and play calling is different,” Kelly said (h/t Ryan McFadden of ESPN). “…You have to be able to make adjustments when you lose players like that, and you’ve got to move on, because no one’s feeling sorry for you when you have a guy down.
“So, that’s just the nature of the game, and we’re hopeful we’ll get Brock back soon here. He’s working his tail off to get back in the rehab process, so we’ll see how that goes.”
Raiders Get Good News at the Tight End Position
Even with Bowers sidelined again, the Raiders are set to have tight end Michael Mayer back in action against the Titans, per ESPN. Mayer cleared concussion protocol and fully participated in practice this week after missing the past two games.
Mayer suffered a concussion in Week 3 during the loss to the Washington Commanders. The injury occurred when he took a hit to the head while tackling wide receiver Jaylin Lane on a 25-yard punt return, leaving him in the fencing position.
The second-round pick in 2023 said he’s “ecstatic” to be back on the field and has been practicing as if he will start at tight end. This season, Mayer has recorded six catches for 47 yards.