NFL Best And Worst: Josh Allen Puts On A Show; The Rams Hit A New Low

Josh Allen did what?! The Bears are back?! And have the Rams and Chargers finally hit rock bottom?! As I do every Monday night, I’m here to break down the best and worst from the week's NFL action. Coming out of Week 6, let’s focus on plays, team developments and offenses: Josh Allen gives us constant reminders that he’s equal parts Superman and magician. Late in the third quarter of the Bills’ victory over the Raiders, Buffalo faced a third-and-long in the red zone. Allen dropped back, stepped up in the pocket, rolled to his left, juked a defender who tried to sack him from behind and, with four Raiders closing in on him, flipped (!) a 12-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Keon Coleman. Just an unbelievable play. The touchdown pass was the 258th of Allen's career, tying him with Hall of Famer Jim Kelly for the franchise record. And there are many more to come for the 30-year-old Allen. There’s nothing I can say about him that hasn’t already been said. On the shortlist of best quarterbacks on earth, Allen has shown time and time again that he can put the Bills on his shoulders. The former league MVP can kill a defense through the air or on the ground. He can overwhelm you with his rare strength and power as a quarterback or with the kind of creativity we saw Sunday against the Raiders. But this question persists: Does Allen finally have enough help around him to reach a Super Bowl? As the 5-1 Bills enter their bye week, they face concerns about their defense and receiver production. Buffalo ranks second-worst in total defense and 28th in points allowed, while none of its pass-catchers are averaging more than tight end Dalton Kincaid’s 52.5 receiving yards per game. Wideout DJ Moore, who’s missed two games due to injury, hasn’t been the WR1 that the Bills had hoped for when they gave up a second-round pick for him in March. The Bills are in great shape as the AFC’s No. 2 seed, but I’m not buying that they’re any more equipped to get over the Super Bowl hump. On a fourth-and-8 in plus territory trailing 15-9 to the Cardinals late in the fourth quarter, Rams coach Sean McVay called a screen pass for running back Kyren Williams. It didn’t work. Matthew Stafford’s pass was a bit behind Williams, who wouldn’t have had room to do much of anything even if he caught the pass because it was poorly blocked. But it was a baffling play call in the first place. In a got-to-have-it, fourth-and-long situation, why was the best choice to throw to a running back sitting behind the line of scrimmage? Yes, it was tough sledding in the pass game for the Rams, who had just one reception longer than 16 yards. But it seemed like a no-brainer scenario to trust your MVP quarterback to find something downfield. In many ways, McVay’s play call there has been a microcosm of the Rams' disappointing 2-4 season. Despite having all the coaching and personnel talent in the world, they’ve regressed just enough in multiple areas. McVay hasn’t been as sharp as usual. Stafford hasn’t been as sharp. The run game hasn’t been as sharp. Wide receiver Davante Adams will be out six-to-10 weeks with a hamstring injury. Special teams issues have lingered from last season. Star edge rusher Myles Garrett’s absence has hurt, but the defense’s lack of finish in the pass rush has been alarming as well. The Rams rank sixth in pressure rate, but tied for 27th in sacks. Their season isn’t over. But no team has a higher sense of urgency right now relative to preseason expectations. Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, who missed the past three weeks with a hamstring injury, didn’t miss a beat in his return for Week 6. He completed 83.3% of his passes for 305 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions in Sunday’s win over the Falcons. After winning back-to-back games in the immediate aftermath of Williams’ injury, Chicago clearly started to miss him in a 31-7 whooping by the Packers in Week 5, a game in which backup quarterbacks Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum combined for four turnovers. So Williams’ return was a welcome sight for the Bears. Don’t sleep on Kyler Gordon being back in the lineup as well. The standout nickel corner began the year on the physically unable to perform list, and there were questions about his future with the team. But he made his season debut Sunday and had one of the best pass-rushing performances by a defensive back of all time: three sacks, three tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. The talk entering the season with the Bears was that they had a juggernaut offense. Truth is, they’re much more than that. Their defense relative to the rest of the league has actually been better than their offense (Chicago ranks sixth in points allowed, 12th in scoring). Of course, that’s been impacted by Williams’ absence. But if Gordon can stay healthy — he’s missed 19 games dating to the start of last season — he’s a force multiplier for an already solid defense. So Chicago has one of the NFL’s best overall teams. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, who was placed on injured reserve last week due to a blood clot in his leg, has now been ruled out for the rest of the 2026 season after the discovery of multiple blood clots in his lungs. A joint statement between the Eagles and Hurts’ agent, Nicole Lynn, said the quarterback has deep vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli. He is said to be clinically stable and has no significant functional limitations but won’t be able to participate in any contact activities while on blood thinners for the foreseeable future. "Jalen’s prognosis is very good, and we expect a full recovery," the statement read, in part. "In the meantime, he will remain active around the team and continue to condition. More importantly, we anticipate that he will have no long-term effects." There are plenty of unanswered questions regarding the handling of Hurts’ condition, including the process that led to him playing and traveling for Week 5 in London, where he was initially diagnosed with superficial vein thrombosis in his left calf. But for the time being, Hurts’ health is the No. 1 priority. Football takes a back seat. The Texans aren’t getting the nod here just because they scored 34 points. It’s because they scored 34 points on the Jaguars’ defense, one of the very best in the league. Quarterback C.J. Stroud completed 70.6% of his passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns against one interception vs. Jacksonville. Six different Houston receivers had receptions of at least 10 yards, including two who had catches over 40 yards (Nico Collins, Jaylin Noel). Even the Texans’ inconsistent run game found success. Houston went over 100 rushing yards for just the second time this season — and did so against the Jaguars’ No. 1-rated run defense. The Texans had season-highs in points (34) and total yards (426) against the Jags, averaging 7.2 yards per play. If the Texans were better than 2-4, Stroud would probably be in the MVP conversation. Not leading it — Allen and Brock Purdy are a step above everyone else right now — but definitely a dark-horse candidate. He’s been that good. If Stroud can keep it up and Houston’s defense gets back to the level it played at last season, when it ranked first in yards allowed and second in opponent scoring, the Texans will have one of the scariest teams in the NFL. Even where things stand right now, with Houston riding a two-game winning streak after an 0-4 start, the Texans are a team to watch later this season. If you thought it couldn’t get any worse for the Chargers, they scored a season-low six points in Sunday’s loss to the Chiefs. They only had 259 net yards of offense, their second-worst mark this season, and quarterback Justin Herbert’s nightmare season continued. He threw his league-high eighth interception, having thrown at least one pick in each of the Chargers’ six games this season. We already knew L.A.’s offense was broken under new OC Mike McDaniel. What we’re learning is that it may not be repairable. Herbert is a shell of himself, operating an offense that doesn’t fit him while having to play Superman with the team’s injury concerns on the offensive line and at wide receiver. Six games is a large enough sample size in the NFL for patience to wear out. The Chargers can’t come out of their bye week without having made a significant change on offense. Both McDaniel's and Jim Harbaugh’s job security should be in question. The Chargers are just the second team in NFL history to start 0-6 after winning 11 or more games in the previous season, according to NFL on FOX Research. Just one other NFL team is winless, the 0-5 Dolphins, who entered the season with nowhere near the expectations that the Chargers did. L.A. could be barreling toward a fire sale ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline and a rebuild this offseason.

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The Week 6 Plays That Stood Out: The Rams' Subpar Defense To C.J. Stroud's Heroics

Welcome to The Plays that Stood Out, where we take a deep dive into the moments that shaped the past week of NFL games and try to figure out what they could mean for the teams and players going forward. This week, we’re looking at how the Rams blew a late lead to Arizona, exposing a long-standing problem. We’ll give the Packers defense its flowers after putting Dak Prescott through the wringer on Sunday night. We’ll also break down the small detail that helped the Texans steal a key AFC South game. Alright, now it’s officially time to panic. After Sunday’s shocking loss to the Cardinals, the Rams are last in the NFC West and would need to leapfrog four teams to sneak into the playoffs as the last seed. Forget the whole "super team" thing; at this rate, Los Angeles will have to fight just to make the postseason. The loss to Arizona was especially troubling. Sean McVay said there were no positives to take from the game, and I’m inclined to agree. The offense is getting worse every week, and Matthew Stafford isn’t beating the "washed up" allegations. Even if you want to give McVay and Stafford the benefit of the doubt, the defense still has holes that getting Myles Garrett back on the field won't patch—unless the Rams plan to deploy him at middle linebacker or safety. L.A.’s defense is weak up the spine, and the Cardinals exploited it on the play that essentially won them the game. After a vintage Stafford two-minute drill gave the Rams a late one-point lead, Arizona had 47 seconds to gain about 40 yards and get into field-goal range. Jacoby Brissett needed only one play to do it. A facemask penalty added 15 yards to Jalen Brooks' 21-yard reception, and in an instant, the Cardinals had the ball at the Los Angeles 29-yard line. I don’t want to take anything away from Brissett, who made a great throw to get his team into field goal range, but the defense offered little resistance. Take a look at the wide angle when Brissett hits the back of his drop. With the safeties retreating back like it’s a Hail Mary situation, there is A LOT of air in the coverage. Per Next Gen Stats, there’s a 12.1-yard gap between safety Kam Curl and nickelback Quentin Lake, and a 13.6-yard gap separates Kamren Kinchens and linebacker Nate Landman. That leaves acres of space for Brooks to run into. With Landman’s hips turned toward the right sideline, Brissett can make the throw without worrying about the Rams linebacker making a play on the ball. These soft zone coverages seem to be defensive coordinator Chris Shula's default strategy whenever the Rams need a stop in obvious passing situations. It’s not a bad strategy in a vacuum, but Los Angeles doesn’t have safeties or linebackers who can close those windows quickly enough to make it work. Brooks made what should have been a tough, contested catch with little resistance. These crunch-time defensive breakdowns have become routine for the Rams over the past couple of years, since the team adopted this shell coverage philosophy. Since 2022, they rank dead last in stop rate on "clutch drives," per YUNO Sports. This was the most shocking result of the day, but nobody should have been surprised at how it ended. The takeaway: The Rams can’t bank on Garrett’s return to solve all their issues. General manager Les Snead should be working the phones, asking about linebackers and safeties who can solidify the middle of the defense. With three weeks left before the NFL trade deadline, he still has time to swing a deal or two. And with teams starting to fall out of the playoff race—including the one the Rams share a stadium with—plenty of suitors should be willing to pick up the phone. If Snead can’t find reinforcements, a change in defensive philosophy may be in order. Dak Prescott put up a stinker on Sunday night, but Packers defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon deserves the bulk of the credit for crossing his wires all night. Prescott is one of the NFL’s sharpest quarterbacks before and after the snap, but Gannon threw some looks at him that would have left Tom Brady and Peyton Manning scratching their heads. The red-zone interception early in the second quarter was the shining example and set the tone for the rest of the evening. Green Bay starts with seven defenders crowding the line of scrimmage. The Cowboys run a "levels" concept that looks promising before the snap. With only two defenders over three receivers, it looks like CeeDee Lamb will have to beat the deep safety inside to get open for the touchdown. Evan Williams, the other safety, is on the line to the offense’s left, so he surely wouldn’t be tasked with helping on Lamb’s route, right? Welp, that’s exactly what Gannon asked him to do. That’s a diabolical defensive call. Prescott sees Williams bail at the snap and assumes the Packers are playing Cover 2, with the safety dropping to the deep half. That would have left the deep middle vacant for Lamb's route. But the Packers are playing a form of "Quarters" where the backside safety will "poach" any deep over route by the No. 3 receiver (Lamb in this case), leaving the cornerback on that side locked in one-on-one coverage. These "poach" coverages are becoming more common, but you rarely see them run out of that kind of pre-snap look. Gannon threw a nasty curveball at Prescott. The takeaway: I dismissed the Packers as a playoff contender after that ugly Thursday night showing against the Falcons, but I’m willing to take the L on that opinion. Jordan Love is playing his way into the MVP conversation, and Gannon has the defense punching well above its weight thanks to his X’s and O’s. With Micah Parsons back in a few weeks, the unit could reach another level down the stretch. C.J. Stroud has had to drag the Texans offense to competence all season, but on at least one play on Sunday, his job was pretty darn easy. Fortunately for Houston, it was the play that won the game: Woody Marks’ 19-yard catch-and-run that got the Texans into range for Ka'imi Fairbairn’s game-winning kick. No Jaguars defender was within five yards of Marks, and while it’s easy to blame crappy defense, I’m giving most of the credit to the Texans. Specifically, Marks, whose little jab step at the start of the play created the confusion that left him wide open. The Jaguars were playing a specific form of man coverage where the two linebackers worked in tandem to cover the running back. If Marks goes right, the linebacker to that side picks him up in man coverage; if he goes left, the linebacker to that side takes him. Marks ends up going right, leaving Foyesade Oluokun responsible for the coverage. But the former Yale Bulldog processes the play too quickly. He sees Marks take his first step left and shifts his eyes to his next key. By the time Marks takes his first step to the right, Oluokun is looking the other way. You can see Branson Combs pass Marks off to Oluokun, but he’s already got his eyes on Jaylin Noel. Combs realizes what’s going on, but Houston’s play design creates too much traffic for him to navigate, leaving Marks wide open in the flat. It’s easier to parse through everything frame by frame, but watching it in real time shows how quickly NFL defenders have to process information. One little slip-up can cost you a game. The takeaway: I’m still holding onto my Texans stock after their woeful start to the season, and I suggest you do the same. Stroud is playing the best football of his career, and he is finally getting some help. Wide receiver Nico Collins’ return from injury has given him a go-to guy in obvious passing situations, and second-year offensive coordinator Nick Caley is showing promise as a play-caller after an up-and-down 2025 campaign. Caley still needs to figure out the run game, but he’s giving Stroud answers against whatever defenses throw at him. The play that sprung Marks open was just the latest example. If head coach Demeco Ryans’ defense holds up, the Texans will climb back into the AFC South race. 1. The Ravens offense is predictably struggling without Lamar Jackson, but I’ve still been impressed with Declan Doyle’s creativity. Even in the low-scoring loss to Cleveland, the first-year offensive coordinator impressed with two wildly creative calls. This red-zone formation shift left the Browns defense scrambling. Doyle wasn’t finished. Later in the game, the Ravens ran a play I have never seen before. Doyle had tight end Josh Cuevas line up at left guard. Cuevas was an eligible receiver, but the Browns didn’t have time to sort out their assignments, leaving him wide open for a big gain. 2. Not to be outdone by his former assistant Doyle, Ben Johnson broke out the strangest pre-snap motion I’ve ever seen. Tackle Theo Benedet did jumping jacks as he shifted to the other side of the formation, then Caleb Williams ran a successful QB sneak. Johnson also had receiver Zavion Thomas run a jet motion to add another layer of distraction. This is the type of play you’d draw up on the playground in grade school, but you can’t argue with the result. 3. I don’t have words to describe what Josh Allen did on this third-quarter touchdown pass in Buffalo’s win in Las Vegas on Sunday, so let's just watch the clip. This is why the Bills coaching staff puts up with Allen’s silly mistakes and the "arm punts." His creativity is a net positive for the offense. As long as he keeps pulling plays like this out of his you-know-what, defenses will have to respect it, which makes it easier for his teammates. Look at how much attention Allen commands once he goes into scramble mode.

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Jameis Winston's Super Surprise For Breast Cancer Survivors: 'Nothing Short Of Amazing'

When the American Cancer Society offered Vina Morris a ticket to a New York Giants game, she figured that was the extent of it. She’s a breast cancer survivor and founded a non-profit to help promote breast cancer awareness. This seemed like a nice, small reward. What she didn’t know was what came next. When she got to MetLife Stadium, she was quickly escorted to the field, where she posed for photos with other breast cancer survivors. That’s when Giants quarterback Jameis Winston snuck up from behind the group. And then he gave Morris two tickets to Super Bowl LXI. "I had no clue," Morris, who founded AfroPink, told me on Monday. "I was just asked, as a survivor, if I wanted to go to a Giants game. That was all. I was completely surprised. Oh my God, did you see me? I was jumping up and down like a little girl. I was so giddy and happy and excited." That’s just part of the joy the 32-year-old Winston tries to bring with his yearly gathering of breast cancer survivors at one of his games during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This year, in partnership with the NFL and the American Cancer Society, he invited a group of 10 survivors to watch the Giants’ game on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. Once there, they were given blue Giants T-shirts with Winston’s No. 19 in pink on the front. They also got tickets for a suite and pre-game passes for down on the field. That’s when Winston showed up for photos, to present Morris with her Super Bowl tickets, and to thank the survivors for their ability to "still rise every single day, no matter those circumstances, and put on that smile and shine bright like the sun we have today." "It’s one of the most rewarding things I get to do," Winston told me. "We want to give these women a special experience, but every year I feel like I’m the one walking away blessed. Hearing their stories, sharing some laughs and just spending time together means so much. Football is a game we love, but opportunities like this remind me that our purpose goes far beyond what happens on the field." Helping breast cancer survivors has become a passion for Winston, who has held an annual event at games since he was with the New Orleans Saints in the early 2020s. He was inspired by the stories of his Aunt Lois in Birmingham, Alabama, and his Aunt De-De and cousin Tonda in Louisville, Kentucky, who are all survivors of the terrible disease. "Seeing what they’ve gone through and how they’ve continued to fight really puts things into perspective," Winston told me. "It started with wanting to honor them, but God has blessed me with a platform to encourage so many other women and families going through that same battle." That encouragement and recognition mean a lot, and so does the awareness Winston brings with his actions. It’s a disease that affects one in eight women, according to the American Cancer Society, which estimates that 321.910 women will be diagnosed with it in 2026 alone, and 42,140 will die. And for the many, many survivors, there is no escape from their diagnosis. "We never stop thinking about it," Morris told me. "We might not talk about it a lot, but trust me, it’s on our minds constantly. "And it’s gestures like that, that can brighten someone’s day to know our lives matter, our stories matter. But it also brings to the national stage that people are surviving this. It doesn’t have to be a death sentence. You have support." That support is the primary reason Winston holds this event. He knows, from his own experiences with his family members, that it’s important that women with breast cancer know they’re not alone. "What people don’t understand is that as breast cancer survivors, it’s a very lonely journey for some of us, if you don’t have any support," Morris told me. "So it means a lot when you have a celebrity, a quarterback of the New York Giants, who wants to do something nice for you and brighten your day. (Breast cancer) changes you forever. So to know someone who is willing to do something to help celebrate the trials and tribulations that we go through as survivors, is nothing short of amazing." Winston feels the same way about the survivors. He was inspired to do this by the way his aunts and cousin fought. But he finds more inspiration in every woman he meets who’s fought that battle, too. "These women are the definition of strength and resilience," Winston said. "They’ve faced challenges that most people can’t even imagine, and they continue to show up with courage, faith and a positive spirit. That’s inspiring to me. They remind me to be grateful, to keep fighting through adversity and to never take a single day for granted. "If I can encourage them even half as much as they encourage me, that’s a win." That’s why, when he handed the Super Bowl tickets to Morris, he called it a "small" gesture, especially "compared to what you’re doing and what you’re achieving." She earned the tickets not only through her own battle, but for founding AfroPink in 2020 — a non-profit she told me is about "awareness, access and action" (AfroPink.org). She used her own story to make sure people have access to "factual information" about breast cancer, as well as knowledge of how they can take action about their health, and how they can survive. "Vina has an incredible story," Winston told me. "To overcome breast cancer twice and then dedicate herself to helping other women through AfroPink says so much about who she is. She’s using her experience to make a difference in other people’s lives, and that’s exactly the kind of impact we want to celebrate." Morris believes Winston should be celebrated, too. "First of all, anyone that wants to work to help others, when you have the means to do so, is a great human being to me," she told me. "And he’s just an amazing human being. That’s just a really nice thing to do."

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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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