Best and worst of NFL Week 6
Chris Bumbaca
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BALTIMORE — As I wrote a couple of Sundays ago, being out in the field and covering games is one of my favorite parts of this job. Especially when I level-up logistically. I was at Eagles-Giants for "Thursday Night Football," hit the Ravens vs. Rams on Sunday and will be on hand at Bears at Commanders on "Monday Night Football." Ball is life.
Some assignments are like mine on Thursday – fun, with storylines easily presenting themselves and a voracious audience.
Other assignments are like mine on Sunday – a bit boring, with two teams drastically underachieving (to put it politely).
Welcome to the Best (and Worst) of Week 6. First up, essential reads from USA TODAY Sports and the USA TODAY Network:
- 32 things we learned from NFL Week 6
- Biggest winners and losers from NFL Week 6
- The Los Angeles Rams could be undefeated?
- Fantasy football Week 6 takeaways
Next up: quick "Sunday Night Football" recap. Weird Lions plays near the goal line? Check. Another solid Patrick Mahomes performance? Another check. Taylor Swift onhand? More checks. Postgame skirmish? Unfortunately, check. Me being the only USA TODAY Sports "expert" to pick the Chiefs? Also check. 😏
📷 Cheerleaders, celebrities, fans and mascots at NFL games during 2025 season
DID YOU SEE THAT? 👀
Three stats from Week 6 that will blow your mind:
1️⃣ Broncos sack Jets back across Atlantic: Over at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Denver Broncos racked up nine sacks in their 13-11 victory over the New York Jets, who fell to 0-6. (The Jets finished with -10 net passing yards.) The Broncos are the third team since 1990 with at least five sacks in four of their first six games of the season (2019 New England Patriots and 2000 Tampa Bay Buccaneers). Denver's 30 sacks leads the league and is tied with the 2013 Kansas City Chiefs for the most sacks by a team in its first six games of a season (also since 1990).
2️⃣ Ja'Marr joins big company: Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase registered 10 catches for 94 yards and his 50th career touchdown reception in Week 6. Chase, who will be 25 for the entire season, has 50 career touchdown receptions and is the third player with at least 50 touchdown receptions prior to his 26th birthday in NFL history, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss (60 touchdown receptions) and Rob Gronkowski (54). Chase caught all 5 of his targets against Keisean Nixon for 52 yards and a TD on 12 matchups in Week 6, per Next Gen Stats. Entering Sunday, Nixon had not allowed 40-plus yards to a single player in any game since the start of 2024.
3️⃣ Drake Maye dominates the blitz: At halftime, the New England Patriots' second-year quarterback was 11-for-13 passing for 185 yards and three touchdowns. All three scoring throws came facing a blitz and went more than 20 air yards downfield. Per Next Gen Stats, Maye was 7 of 8 for 144 yards against pressure from the New Orleans Saints in the first half as the Patriots moved to 4-2 with a 25-19 win.
HOT READS 🎯
The best NFL reads from USA TODAY and our Sports Network:
🏈 For debates about the best teams, or which second-year quarterback is the best, "32 things" is your font of information.
🏈 Rico Dowdle told the Dallas Cowboys to "buckle up." They didn't listen and he made his former team pay.
🏈 The London game this week had a litany of losers ... and maybe one or two winners.
🏈 The best broadcasting moments of Week 6.
🏈 The vibes in Baltimore are bad. The bye week could not be more needed.
🏈 The Rams woke up for five minutes against the Ravens. That's all they needed. But they also lost Puka Nacua.
KEY INJURIES 🤕
The scene surrounding San Francisco 49ers linerbacker Fred Warner was particularly brutal. He left the field in an air cast and San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan said he had a dislocated and broken ankle. Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua limped heavily off the field but returned – his status will be one to monitor before Los Angeles plays the Jacksonville Jaguars in London next Sunday. Rookie sensation Emeka Egbuka departed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' victory with a hamstring injury.
ONE THING THAT BLEW MY MIND 🤯
At 11:30 a.m., the Indianapolis Colts announced quarterback Anthony Richardson as inactive. Odd, because Richardson – despite losing the starting job to Daniel Jones, who has flourished for the 5-1 Colts – had been the backup for the first five games of the season.
Minutes later, however, NFL insiders were reporting that Richardson wasn't a healthy scratch. He apparently injured his eye while warming up with a band. ESPN's Adam Schefter later reported the injury as a fractured orbital bone.
Then cornerback Charvarius Ward suffered a concussion when he collided with a teammate during warmups. The video is jolting, honestly.
Whatever the Colts were doing before the game ... please stop.
WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?! 🤔
Jets head coach Aaron Glenn, still seeking his first win as a head coach, had this to say when asked if Justin Fields will be the team's quarterback in light of their horrendous offensive performance across the pond.
"Come on, man," Glenn replied. "What kind of question is that?"
A good one! A question that he might be wise to consider! Fields was sacked nine times. He had nine completions.
And speaking of interesting postgame tactics, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa called out teammates for not attending players-only meetings and for being generally tardy. Is he sure it's a good idea to air the dirty laundry like that?
RUN IT BACK 🔂
Tez Johnson's first NFL touchdown was a 45-yard detonation from Baker Mayfield to the rookie from Oregon (via Troy) that ended in style. The seventh-round draft pick streaked past the spine of the 49ers defense and extended to haul in Mayfield's pass, and he dove into the end zone in one smooth motion. He then did his best Simone Biles floor routine impression and perfectly landed his frontflip.
FANTASY PLAYER OF THE WEEK 🏆
⭐ For the second straight week, we are using this space to honor "Uncle" Rico Dowdle of the Carolina Panthers.
The running back went off once again with the best fantasy performance (per ESPN full-point PPR scoring) of the week. Facing his former team, Dowdle told the Cowboys, to "buckle up." They did not heed the warning, apparently. Dowdle toted the rock 30 times for 184 rushing yards and added four catches for 56 yards and a touchdown.
Dowdle also set the single-game franchise record for yards from scrimmage with 239.
Be sure to check out Steve Gardner's fantasy football winners and losers from Week 6. It's not too late to save your season.
MNF BETTING LOCK 🔐
Two games, two picks. In the early one, we'll keep it rolling with Bills -4 – give me the angry road favorite. For the nightcap, we'll go with a player prop: Jacorey "Bill" Croskey-Merritt to score a touchdown, -125 over at BetMGM.
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