Sunday, 18 October 2026

Overreaction Monday: Rams Will Miss The Playoffs? Are The Cowboys Cooked?

Week 6 brought many of the things we've grown accustomed to in the young 2026 season. However, Sunday might have given us the biggest surprise far this year. The Arizona Cardinals pulled off the biggest upset of the season with their 18-16 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. Arizona entered Sunday's game as a 12.5-point underdog, but was in control for much of the day as it picked up its second win at SoFi Stadium. As great a story as the victory was for the Cardinals, though, much of the focus will turn to the Rams. Can they dig themselves out of this 2-4 hole, or are they already too far behind? Are the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles set to join the Rams in the land of disappointments as well? Let's overreact to Sunday's Week 6 action. After a bad overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills on Monday, the Los Angeles Rams looked even worse in an 18-16 loss to one of the worst teams in the league, the Arizona Cardinals, on Sunday. Special teams was the culprit once again, as the Rams gave up another big kick return. And to make matters worse, new kicker Blake Grupe suffered a knee injury while attempting to make a tackle on the play and was done for the day. Grupe did make a 44-yard field goal before the injury, though. But because of the injury, the Rams attempted a two-point conversion after a touchdown reception by Blake Corum in the first half, which led to quarterback Matthew Stafford taking a vicious blindside hit on the play by Arizona edge rusher Josh Sweat. The conversion was no good as a result, keeping the Rams' streak of failing to convert a two-point conversion since 2023 alive. However, it wasn't just the special teams that failed the Rams on Sunday, as the hit Stafford took on the two-point try might have been a microcosm of their day. The Rams turned the ball over at inopportune moments, had head-scratching pre-snap penalties and a defense that still misses injured superstar and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett. Conclusion: Overreaction … for now You can blame Los Angeles' struggles on special teams gaffes, but the reality is the Rams do not look like the dangerous, dominant Super Team we expected to see at the start of the year. Facing an Arizona squad led by former Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, the Cardinals didn’t look intimidated or in awe of the Rams. Even though Sean McVay has had good success against the Cardinals over the years, the Rams struggled to move the ball against a bad Cardinals defense and allowed an offense led by Jacoby Brissett to go up and down the field for six scoring drives. Los Angeles does have a schedule easy enough for it to get wins in the coming weeks, which could allow it to control its own playoff destiny later in the regular season. But after losing games like they did on Sunday, not every win seems guaranteed for the Rams. McVay told his players they have to get back to work to solve their issues, and he’s correct. And while it’s still early, at 2-4, the games are starting to slip away. The Cowboys have been doing their best to support new defensive coordinator Christian Parker as he attempts to make the unit a more competitive, connected group. The latest change was hiring former long-time defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, who worked with Parker in Green Bay, as senior defensive assistant. Joey Porter Jr., who the Cowboys acquired in a trade earlier this month, helped buoy the secondary with his sticky coverage on the perimeter. The Cowboys also made changes to their starting lineup, as edge rusher Malachi Lawrence replaced Donovan Ezeiruaku, Markquese Bell moved to safety and rookie Caleb Downs played nickel defender. But none of the changes created a significant improvement for the Dallas defense, as the Green Bay Packers raced out to a 17-0 halftime lead and held on for a 23-13 victory that wasn't as close the score suggested. Conclusion: Not an overreaction Despite major changes to the coaching staff and personnel, the Cowboys still are ineffective on defense. And that’s unfortunate, considering Dallas has one of the most explosive offenses in the league, led by Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. However, even the offense didn’t show up for a second straight week following a lackluster showing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, putting up 303 total yards on Sunday. Add to that, the Cowboys play in one of the most winnable divisions in the NFL in the NFC East, and they could be competitive if they can just get average production from the defense. Despite the changes, that doesn’t appear to be happening, meaning the pressure will continue to intensify for head coach Brian Schottenheimer to fix the issue — or owner Jerry Jones will have to find a new head coach to fix it at the end of the year. Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson’s offense looked dangerous again with Caleb Williams back under center after he suffered a hamstring injury that sidelined him for three games. Williams sizzled, completing 30 of 36 passes (83%) for 305 yards and a touchdown. The Bears scored the most points this season since dropping 59 points in a season-opening win over the Carolina Panthers, hanging on to defeat the Atlanta Falcons 31-23. Williams was perfect from a clean pocket, completing all 24 passes for 248 yards, the most attempts without an incompletion from a clean pocket since 2018, according to Next Gen Stats. Conclusion: Not an overreaction Chicago is one of the most dangerous offenses in the league with Williams back, and that was apparent from the jump. The third-year quarterback completed his first 12 passes on Sunday, giving him a new career high for consecutive completions thrown to start a game. That helped Chicago get out to a quick 14-0 lead, as it also showed its balance on offense due to its ability to run the football with D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai when he’s healthy. Along with that, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen leads an improved defense that held an Atlanta offense that's been explosive as of late to 257 total yards and sacked Michael Penix Jr. five times. A good portion of those yards came after the Bears took a 31-7 lead, keeping the Falcons at bay for most of the day. While the Bears play in the most competitive division in football in the NFC North, Chicago could be the most balanced of the four. That should mean it's capable of making a deep postseason run, led by the arm and legs of Williams. Subbing for an ailing Jalen Hurts (out indefinitely with blood clots), backup quarterback Tanner McKee had trouble moving the Philadelphia Eagles' offense on Sunday. The Eagles managed just 14 points and had six negative plays at home in a 25-14 loss to the Carolina Panthers. McKee finished 25 of 46 for 217 yards, with a touchdown pass and no interceptions. He was sacked three times, posting a 77.5 passer rating. McKee’s longest pass completion was 19 yards, so the Eagles once again created very few explosive plays in the passing game. And Sunday's loss marked their fourth in a row as they prepare to play without Hurts for at least three more games due to his injured reserve placement. Conclusion: Not an overreaction Even with the Eagles' struggles, they still play in a winnable division, which my colleague Ralph Vacchiano aptly labeled the NFC Least last week. So, why not make a move to improve quarterback play and give a talented defense to compete and win the division? We've got a name in mind, too. Even after their upset win on Sunday, the Cardinals should be playing for draft position under first-year coach Mike LaFleur. A quarterback like Cardinals veteran Jacoby Brissett could be the stabilizing and steadying force that the Eagles need, and one they should consider. After Sunday's win, Brissett has thrown for 1,328 yards, nine touchdowns and six interceptions this season, ranking in the middle of the pack among quarterbacks in most notable stats. Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has been willing to take big swings in the past, including signing Saquon Barkley and trading for A.J. Brown. Making a move for a quarterback like Brissett does not compare to those blockbuster deals, but it also shows the locker room that the Eagles have not given up on this season. In his second NFL season, Hunter is finally emerging as a consistent playmaker for the Jaguars. Hunter played nine snaps on offense, 58 plays on defense and two on special teams in the team's buzzer-beater loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday, making standout plays on both sides of the ball. Offensively, Hunter finished with four receptions for 59 receiving yards on four targets, including a 7-yard catch out of the backfield for a score. He now has two career touchdowns, and, coincidentally, they’ve both happened at Wembley Stadium. Hunter's first touchdown grab came a year ago in the Jaguars' blowout loss to the Rams. Defensively, Hunter had three combined tackles and an interception of a C.J. Stroud pass intended for Xavier Hutchinson that he undercut in the end zone. That interception was pretty clutch, too. Jacksonville needed to keep Houston off the board in order to prevent the Texans from extending their 31-28 lead at the time. Conclusion: Overreaction Hunter became the first player to catch a touchdown pass and notch an interception in a game since Brian Dawkins in 2002, joining rarified air on Sunday. Even though it happened in a losing effort to the Texans, Hunter made the type of impact plays that the Jaguars believe justified their reasoning for giving up significant draft capital to move up in the draft to take the Colorado product with the second overall pick last year. However, after playing just seven games in his rookie year due to a season-ending knee injury, Hunter still has to show more. Last season, Hunter played mostly on offense, totaling 28 catches for 298 receiving yards and a score. He played in 156 defensive snaps, totaling 15 combined tackles and three pass breakups, leaving most people underwhelmed with his play. This year, the Jaguars have used Hunter as an every-down cornerback who plays as a part-time receiver. Prior to Sunday, Hunter had played in 79% of the Jaguars' defensive snaps and just 7% of their offensive snaps, finding some success in utilizing him that way. Still, Hunter needs to prove he can maintain the high level of play while staying on the field for the duration of an NFL season before we make any big claims about his stardom.

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NFL Fallout Week 6: The Giants Should Start QB J.J. McCarthy; The Bears Are Back

The New York Giants are not a very good football team. Their 34-27 home loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday exposed all of their flaws. They are lucky to be 3-2-1 and in first place in a terrible division. And if they want to stay there and make a real run at the playoffs, they have to give J.J. McCarthy their starting quarterback job. McCarthy, the 23-year-old former Vikings bust, replaced Jameis Winston on Sunday with New York in a 34-10 hole and 11:25 left in the game. Then all he did from there was very nearly pull off a Meadowlands miracle. He led three fourth-quarter scoring drives, threw for 243 yards and a touchdown, and almost hit tight end Isaiah Likely with a game-tying touchdown pass with six seconds left in the game. "I thought he came in there and did a heck of a job given the circumstances," Giants coach John Harbaugh said. "(It was) kind of desperation time. It’s different than normal football. But (he) made some plays and got us back, gives us a chance to win the game. And we’re throwing the ball in the end zone at the end, so that was good. You’ve got to compliment him on that." He didn’t complete that last pass into the end zone — the ball went through the well-covered Likely’s arms — and McCarthy’s overall performance was far from perfect. He completed only 11 of 21 passes and his first drive ended with an interception. But he gave life to a Giants offense that had stalled and struggled over the previous three-plus weeks with Winston despite not losing a game. And really, the Giants knew this day would come when they traded a fifth-round pick to Minnesota for McCarthy just a week after losing starting quarterback Jaxson Dart for the season. They knew that McCarthy was going to play at some point. And even though Harbaugh refused to commit to McCarthy as his starter for Week 7 in Houston, he has to know that's the only logical choice. And by the time he looks at the film, that will be obvious. Forget all the excuses about "desperation time" and the Saints’ soft and terrible defense. This is about what McCarthy did in that situation. He completed big passes (five for at least 20 yards and two for more than 45 yards). He stayed out of trouble (after getting picked on his fourth pass). And McCarthy did it all under duress, with both of the Giants' starting tackles sidelined and the pocket crumbling in front of him most of the time. He did what New York's brass liked about him when they traded for him back in September — at a time when I wrote Winston was the best of the Giants' terrible options to replace Dart. McCarthy reminded them of Dart. He moved around the pocket. He spun out of trouble and extended plays. And when the Giants got the ball back with just 57 seconds remaining and 71 yards to go, he kickstarted a potential game-tying drive by stepping away from the pass rush and taking off for a career-long 28-yard run. Winston, at age 32, has neither that kind of mobility nor playmaking ability. And while he’s got a bigger arm, he’s been the high-wire act everyone figured he’d be since Dart went down, completing just 57% of his passes with seven touchdowns and five interceptions in five games. Maybe McCarthy will prove to be risky, too. But at the very least, it's worth exploring whether he can manifest the upside he showed upon being the No. 10 overall pick of the 2024 draft. He’s earned the chance to prove that Sunday's performance wasn’t a fluke. Besides, it would be a terrible message if, after watching McCarthy’s near miracle, Harbaugh turned back to the quarterback who got him into the original mess. There’s too much at stake for that. The NFC East is a total mess. The door is wide open. And the Giants already have a lead. What they need are players who propel them forward, not ones who hold them back. The former is what McCarthy did on Sunday. He gave the Giants’ offense a bolt of energy they haven’t had since Week 1. And they’re going to need more of that because it’s going to be a fight for this flawed team every step of the way. They will need everything that McCarthy gave in those magical 11-plus minutes if they're going to make a real run at the playoffs. They need to give McCarthy a shot to see if he can do it again. It’s been 34 years since the 1992 San Diego Chargers became the only team in NFL history to start a season 0-4 and reach the playoffs. But the Texans are going to join that exclusive club. Yes, it was just a few weeks ago that many of us pronounced them dead. But this isn’t just an overreaction to a two-game winning streak and their 34-31 win over the Jaguars in London on Sunday. It’s an acknowledgment that they may have solved their biggest problem: QB C.J. Stroud. He was outstanding on Sunday against a strong Jaguars defense, completing 24 of 34 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns. In fact, over the past three weeks, he’s started to look like he did as a rookie in 2023 — a version the Texans have been waiting for three years to see. Over these three games, Stroud has averaged 313 passing yards. He’s got five touchdown passes in the past two games, too. But most impressive is how comfortable he looked against a blitz-heavy Jacksonville defense. He has been bludgeoned behind bad offensive lines in his career. (He’d been sacked 14 times through the first five games this season.) But he stood strong in the pocket on Sunday and just kept firing away. In the end, he was an impressive 10 of 11 for 118 yards and two touchdowns under pressure, according to NextGen stats. And for the first time this season, he wasn’t sacked once. Yes, he threw a costly interception on a lazy pass into the end zone which could’ve given the Texans a 10-point lead with 3:53 remaining. But it was also his first interception of the season, after a franchise-record 216 straight clean passes. And that was very reminiscent of 2023 when he set an NFL record with 191 straight passes without an interception to start his career. Stroud has weapons now, too, after the Texans took a flier on former first-round pick Marvin Harrison Jr. (3 catches, 34 yards), who joins go-to target Nico Collins (3-74) and impressive second-year receiver Jaylin Noel (4-107-1). In fact, Stroud had four completions of at least 20 yards on Sunday. That gives him 25 on the season — most in the NFL. He might not be able to solve all of Houston’s problems. The Texans’ running game was bad even before running back David Montgomery got hurt. And DeMeco Ryans’ defense sure isn’t what it used to be. The Texans have now given up 399 or more yards in three of their six games — including 412 to the Jaguars. It's a mark opponents had reached just once in the previous 38 games. But Houston's upcoming schedule is weak, Stroud is playing strong, and that could be enough to get this team back into contention. And that is remarkable, because just two weeks ago, the Texans didn’t have much hope at all. It was never going to be enough for QB Caleb Williams to just return to the field. He was going to have to look like his same old magical self to really give the Chicago Bears the jolt they needed. And that’s what he gave them on his first drive Sunday against the Falcons when he escaped a collapsing pocket, rolled to his right, contorted his body and zipped a pass through two defenders to tight end Colston Loveland for the first touchdown of the game. Plays like that are what keeps defenses on their heels and will keep the Bears (4-2) in Super Bowl contention all season long, as long as Williams really is fully recovered from the hamstring injury that kept him out the past three games. He looked pretty healthy in the Bears’ 31-23 win in Atlanta, completing 30 of 36 passes for 305 yards and a touchdown in what was a 31-7 rout with 10 minutes to go. Notably, Williams didn’t run the ball at all — he had just three carries for 2 yards before taking a knee on the last snap. That’s hardly unprecedented for him, but a big change from the 15 carries for 107 yards and two touchdowns he had in the first two games. Whether that was intentional or not, he used his legs enough to give Ben Johnson’s offense the explosiveness it lacked with Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum. Even without Williams, these Bears are probably a good team. But they have a chance to be a great team if they can keep him on the field. So, how long exactly is jet lag supposed to last? Because the Rams’ dumb idea to fly 15 hours to Melbourne and play their opening game 24 hours later was a convenient and easy excuse for their slow start to the season. But at this point, it’s Week 6 and their entire season has turned into an awful slog. It’s almost hard to believe that a team this talented could struggle as much as they have, or capable of gaining just 286 yards in a stunning 18-16 home loss to the Arizona Cardinals. That’s the 2-4 Cardinals, by the way, who now hold a tiebreaker over the last-place Rams (2-4) in the NFC West: an unfathomable truth even after L.A.'s  Week 1 disaster. But what we all failed to take into account is that the Rams are an old team, with an average age of 27 — one of the oldest in the league, in fact. They are capable of greatness in short bursts, such as their late-game comeback in Philadelphia two weeks ago, their fourth-quarter rally against the Bills last Sunday, and even on their final touchdown drive against the Cardinals. But sustaining the greatness everyone expected all season against a brutal schedule and an unprecedented travel itinerary was probably always going to take its toll. The Rams always thought they’d have a chance to get things right when they hit the soft spot in their schedule. But that five-week stretch just began with an unthinkable loss this weekend. That’s not to say the Rams are done. Probably far from it. But it’s probably time everyone considerably lowered their expectations. Because old and tired doesn’t usually improve over time. And these Rams have to face the Seahawks (twice), the 49ers and the Chiefs in December and January. If they don’t get back in the race soon, there’s just no way they’ll survive that. The Philadelphia Eagles are going to get a good look at life without Jalen Hurts over the next four weeks, at least. It should be enough to scare them into preparing for life without Hurts in a few years. Not that they didn’t have enough offensive problems before Hurts got hurt, but it sure isn’t going to get any better under backup Tanner McKee. He’s a fine backup, but he needed 45 passes to throw for 215 yards on Sunday in an ugly 25-14 loss at home to the Carolina Panthers that dropped Philly to 2-4 on the season. With its injury-riddled offense in shambles, McKee's just not good enough to get much done. Now don’t misunderstand this: Hurts’ time in Philadelphia is far from over, even with him out indefinitely because of a blood clot in his calf. He’s only 28. He’s under contract for two more seasons. And the Eagles couldn’t even think of getting rid of him until after the 2027 season given the cap ramifications. But now is the time to start planning for that possibility, because the hardest thing to do in pro sports is to transition from one successful franchise quarterback to another. Most teams, aside from the Green Bay Packers, only excel in finding ways to screw that up. That’s why GM Howie Roseman needs, more than ever, to take advantage of this opportunity, to sell off some players so he has ammunition in the next draft. Then he can select Hurts’ eventually successor, like the Packers did with Jordan Love when Aaron Rodgers was still their quarterback, and like they did with Rodgers when Brett Favre was still there. Roseman did that once as well, of course, using a second-round pick on Hurts in the 2020 draft when Philly still had then-27-year-old Carson Wentz. The Eagles were still Wentz’s team back then. But they made sure they were ready for when they weren’t anymore. Now they need to do it again.

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Bears Star Caleb Williams Plays Stellar Football In Return, Earning LFG Player Of The Game

The Iceman is back. Three weeks away from the field didn’t slow down Caleb Williams, who was named Tom Brady’s LFG Player of the Game after a strong return from a hamstring injury in the Chicago Bears’ 31-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons. The Bears quarterback completed 30 of 36 passes for 305 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions to help Chicago improve to 4-2 with its win over Atlanta. Williams, who hadn’t played since suffering a hamstring injury in Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings, completed his first 12 passes, the longest streak to start a game in his career. He went 6-for-6 on the opening drive, capping it with a 14-yard touchdown pass to tight end Colston Loveland for his 50th career touchdown pass. Brady, who called the game on FOX alongside Kevin Burkhardt, opened his conversation with Williams by saying he could see the quarterback was ready before the game even started. "Man, you were locked in from the very start," Brady said. "You were locked in pre-game warm-up when I saw you. So focused." Williams said the emotions were running high after sitting out, and he wanted to convert that momentum to winning football. "I wanted to kind of channel that energy of getting back out here with the guys. It’s what I love to do," Williams said. "I love being out here with my guys. They’re my brothers. I’ve told them that over and over again. Not being able to be out there was really frustrating for me, and being able to get back out here and perform… it's great to come out with a win." The Bears jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and led 31-7 in the fourth before Atlanta scored 16 straight points, including two touchdown catches by Kyle Pitts and two two-point conversions, to cut it to 31-23. Williams acknowledged that Chicago has to clean things up. "We’ve got to get better. We’ve got to get better with penalties and not allowing teams to come back and get close like that." Williams spread the ball around, and Brady asked about getting Loveland and wide receiver Luther Burden III involved. Burden had a big day with eight catches on eight targets for 95 yards. Brady asked how hard the offense is to stop when everyone is rolling. "We know who we got … we've got to be able to just put the ball in their hands, and that’s part of my job," Williams said. "That’s part of coach’s job, and we’re going to keep trying to do that for the rest of the year." Williams credited his playmakers one by one, calling them all "problem children," including a nod to a third-down catch by Rome Odunze, a sail-route catch by Burden and a check-down to Loveland that got Chicago close. "The big-time playmakers show up," Williams said, "I just got to do a good job of getting the ball in their hands." Williams has also had some of the best performances of his young career with Brady in the booth. "I always seem to perform when you’re here, man," Williams said to Brady afterwards. The performance was a welcome turnaround for the Bears, who were coming off a 31-7 loss at Green Bay in Week 5 and went 2-1 in Williams’ absence with Case Keenum and Tyson Bagent starting. Brady closed the conversation by wishing Williams well, with a quick turnaround on the schedule. "Keep it up, rest up," Brady said. "I know you got a short turnaround Thursday night. Good luck." Chicago hosts the New England Patriots on Thursday.

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Charles Woodson And Julian Edelman Tackle The Biggest NFL Questions In Week 6

Six weeks into the season, predictability is dead. With injuries piling up and underperforming teams running out of time to save their seasons, sweeping changes across the NFL feel inevitable. On "FOX NFL Kickoff," analysts Charles Woodson and Julian Edelman broke down where things stand across the league in their "Is It Time?" segment. Heading into Week 6, there are plenty of pretenders, contenders and quarterback questions, but the duo addressed whether it’s time to panic or start believing in each one. After signing a massive extension this offseason and returning from a season-ending Achilles injury, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones had significant adversity to overcome. However, his recent decline in play has been hard to overlook as the Colts sit at 2-3. Through five starts, Jones has thrown for 1,021 yards and three touchdowns with four interceptions. This begs the question: Is he fully healthy, or could a change at quarterback spark this offense? Edelman's Thoughts: "There's just so much unpredictability with this team as a whole. The defense is kind of in shambles right now. You look at the offense and sometimes Jonathan Taylor's running the ball very well. Sometimes Daniel Jones is hitting throws down the field. [Receiver Alec] Pierce isn't in the lineup still. There's just a lot of uncertainty and unpredictability with this whole team. I think it's kind of stale. They got to get something going." After a slow start derailed by injuries, the Green Bay Packers look to be putting it all together in the NFC North. Coming off a big division win over the Chicago Bears last week, the Packers are back over .500 with a 3-2 record. The Minnesota Vikings are on a bye at 5-0, but could the Packers be on the verge of becoming a real threat in the NFC and making a deep playoff run? Woodson's Thoughts: "Let's just calm down. Last week was an unbelievable game. The Bears came in hot, but the Packers peaked a weakness in the rap game and sold it. That secondary from the Bears were not very good, so [Green Bay] continued to go down the field. And then in the run game, the Packers … played physical up front as well. But listen, we got to make it two in a row. If they win today, I’m back." The San Francisco 49ers sit at 5-0 and look like one of the league's most complete teams. They’ve beaten top-tier competition, put together dominant offensive and defensive performances, and quarterback Brock Purdy is an MVP candidate. Is it time to call the 49ers the best team in football? Edelman's Thoughts: "Right now, after five weeks, they are the best team in football. Very mentally tough. They're taking the personality of their head coach, Kyle Shanahan. I mean, they're dealing with injuries just like everyone else. They find the next man up, and they always seem to perform. Brock Purdy's the MVP with whoever's in the lineup right now. … They're playing with a lot of excitement. They don't let outside noise bug them. I just hope they stay healthy."

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How to Watch Cardinals vs. Rams: TV Channel, Live Stream, Time

The Arizona Cardinals visit the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, October 18, 2026 at 4:05 p.m. ET from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA. The Rams are 2-3 and third in the NFC West, while the Cardinals are 1-4 and fourth. Los Angeles lost 37-34 in overtime to the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football in Week 5. Matthew Stafford threw for 383 yards and three touchdowns, and Puka Nacua was targeted 24 times. Arizona lost 45-21 to the Detroit Lions in Week 5. Trey McBride caught nine passes, and Marvin Harrison Jr. was traded to the Houston Texans after the game. The Rams are 13.5-point favorites over the Cardinals, with a total of 52.5 and a moneyline of -926 for the Rams and +610 for the Cardinals. Below, we’ll give you all the details you need to know about how to watch this game. How to Watch Cardinals vs. Rams Players To Watch Arizona has lost four straight since its only win, at the Chargers on Sept. 13, and Jacoby Brissett has been sacked 12 times in five games, a top-10 total in the NFL. He has 1,110 passing yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions. Los Angeles has 8.0 sacks, among the bottom 10 in the NFL, and Brissett has still taken 12, so the sack problem has been largely Arizona's own. A cleaner pocket is the first fix for a 1-4 team. Arizona has two of the NFL's top five in targets, Trey McBride with 56 and Michael Wilson with 51. Wilson has turned his 51 into 29 catches for 288 yards and one touchdown for a team that is 1-4. The Rams allow 156.8 passing yards per game, second in the NFL. Arizona's passing offense is in the bottom half of the league at 209.6 yards per game, and McBride's 308 receiving yards are the only total on the roster above Wilson's. The Rams are 2-3 even though Matthew Stafford leads the NFL with 1,572 passing yards, and they lost 37-34 to Buffalo on Oct. 12. He has nine touchdowns and six interceptions, the third most in the league. Arizona allows 236.8 passing yards per game, among the bottom 10 in the NFL, and has intercepted three passes, which gives Stafford room to work. Los Angeles converts 44.6 percent of its third downs, a top-10 mark, so the Rams can keep drives alive against that secondary. Kyren Williams has 27 catches, tied with Davante Adams for second on the Rams behind Puka Nacua, on top of 343 rushing yards and five total touchdowns. He has 70 carries and 33 targets in five games. Arizona allows 126.6 rushing yards per game, among the bottom 10 in the NFL, so Williams has room to run. Blake Corum adds 181 yards on 38 carries, and the Rams' 116.8 rushing yards per game rank in the top 15 in the league. Cardinals vs. Rams Odds Learn more about the Arizona Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Rams game and check the full schedule on FOX Sports! Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.

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NFL DFS Week 6: Best Picks, Lineup Advice and Value Plays

Welcome back to our Daily Fantasy Football picks. Last week, our Jared Goff pick finished as a top-three quarterback on the main slate. Aaron Jones delivered 20 points as our RB2, while Isaiah Likely was the top-scoring tight end at a bargain price, helping propel our lineups to another great week. Let’s carry that momentum into Week 6. On FanDuel, you’ll have $60,000 to fill out your lineup, with each player assigned a salary based on factors such as recent performance, matchup and expected production. The goal is to find the right mix of stars and value plays while staying under the cap. Here are our favorite DFS plays for Week 6’s main Sunday slate. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. Quarterback Shough is coming off one of the worst performances of his NFL career against the Vikings last week. However, Minnesota’s defense ranks first in most defensive categories, and he now faces a much easier matchup against a Giants defense that allows the ninth-most passing touchdowns. Before last week, Shough had thrown for over 250 yards in every game this season. He is primed for a big bounce-back game on Sunday. Running Back Yes, Bijan’s $9,300 salary is one of the highest on the entire slate, but in a dream matchup against the Bears, paying up is completely worth it. Chicago is allowing 4.40 yards per carry, the 11th-worst mark in the NFL, and hasn’t faced a back like Robinson yet. He leads the league with 580 rushing yards and is averaging 5.7 yards per carry, which ranks third in the NFL. A 200-plus-yard rushing game is well within reach. Ashton Jeanty has struggled on the ground this season, averaging just 3.3 yards per carry, which ranks 39th in the NFL. But he’s made up for it in the passing game, catching 22 passes for 215 yards. Now, Jeanty gets a great opportunity to get going on the ground against a Bills defense that allows 108.2 rushing yards per game and has given up the 12th-most rushing touchdowns. Wide Receiver Drake London is averaging 104.7 receiving yards per game with Michael Penix Jr. as the starting quarterback, compared to 58.3 with anyone else under center. He has posted 194, 96 and 118 receiving yards in his last three games. Now, he faces a Bears pass defense that allowed both Christian Watson and Matthew Golden to top 100 receiving yards last week. London is in a dream spot for another huge game. Michael Wilson was the highest-owned player on the DFS main slate last week in a dream matchup against the Lions. And he let everyone down. But that’s why we love him even more this week. The public won’t forget that dud, and now he comes at a lower price, remains in a good matchup and should be much less popular. The Rams are allowing the third-most touchdowns to wide receivers, and this matchup should be high-scoring. With the Cardinals likely needing to throw to keep pace, Wilson is in a great spot to bounce back. Tight End At this price, Tyler Higbee is a steal. The Rams tight end is coming off three straight weeks of at least five catches and 60-plus yards, including a season-high 83 yards against the Bills on Monday. Now, he gets to face a Cardinals' defense that has allowed the third-most receiving yards to tight ends so far this season. Defense We are four-for-five on our punt defense options paying off this season. Let’s do it again, shall we? At $3,200, the Buccaneers are a great option this week. The Bucs have forced seven turnovers, which ranks 10th in the NFL, and face a Steelers offense averaging over 14 fewer points per game on the road than at home this season.

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Friday, 16 October 2026

NFL Week 6 Schedule: How to Watch, TV Channels, Streaming, Game Previews

Week 6 of the NFL regular season runs from Thursday, Oct. 15 through Monday, Oct. 19, 2026, with 14 games on the schedule and an International Series game at Wembley Stadium in London. FOX carries five of them: four at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday and one at 4:05 p.m. ET. Below is the complete Week 6 schedule with kickoff times and TV networks, followed by previews of the biggest matchups and everything you need to know about how to watch. NFL Week 6 Schedule Thursday, Oct. 15 Sunday, Oct. 18 Monday, Oct. 19 Four FOX games share the 1 p.m. ET window, so most viewers will see one of them based on their market. The Cardinals-Rams game at 4:05 p.m. ET is the only FOX game in the late window. NFL Week 6 Game Previews Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns The Ravens are 4-1, while the Browns are 3-2. This AFC North game pairs two teams over .500 in the same division. Chicago Bears at Atlanta Falcons The Bears are 3-2 and visit the Falcons, who are 2-3. Atlanta looks to even its record at home. New Orleans Saints at New York Giants The Giants are 3-1-1, while the Saints are 1-4. New York hosts a New Orleans team looking for its second win of the season. Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts The Colts are 2-3, while the Titans are 0-5. Tennessee looks for its first win of the season in this AFC South game. Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams The Cardinals are 1-4 and visit the Rams in an NFC West game. The Rams are 2-3. Want to watch every FOX game the rest of the season? Sign up for FOX One to stream every FOX NFL broadcast, including all five Week 6 games above, right from your phone, tablet or connected TV. Seattle Seahawks at Denver Broncos The Broncos beat the Seahawks 17-14 in overtime on Thursday Night Football to improve to 4-2. Seattle fell to 3-3. Dallas Cowboys at Green Bay Packers The Packers are 3-2 and host the Cowboys, who are 2-3, on Sunday Night Football. Washington Commanders at San Francisco 49ers The 49ers are 5-0, the league's lone unbeaten team, and host the Commanders, who are 1-3-1, on Monday Night Football. How to Watch NFL Week 6 FOX has five games in Week 6, including a four-game window at 1 p.m. ET and a single game at 4:05 p.m. ET. Because four FOX games overlap at 1 p.m. ET, the matchup available in your market depends on your local broadcast map, so check local listings before kickoff. The Texans-Jaguars International Series game from London airs on NFL Network at 9:30 a.m. ET. CBS carries six Sunday games, including the Chargers-Chiefs and Bills-Raiders games at 4:25 p.m. ET. The Cowboys-Packers Sunday night game airs on NBC and streams on Peacock. The Monday night Commanders-49ers game airs on ABC and ESPN.

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