2025 NFL Week 6 Winners and Losers and Top Takeaways

Drama circulated around the NFL as Week 6 approached and played out in real time throughout the slate.

The Philadelphia Eagles are still trying to figure out why the offense isn't firing on all cylinders. The Cleveland Browns traded their starting quarterback from just two weeks ago, and he became QB1 for an AFC North rival. On Monday night, the Buffalo Bills dropped their second straight, falling out of the AFC East lead in the process.

These stories and more highlight the top takeaways from the league's latest action, with B/R's quartet of NFL analysts—Brent Sobleski, Gary Davenport, Kris Knox and Moe Moton—identifying the top performers and disappointments from each contest.

Buffalo Bills vs. Atlanta Falcons

AP Photo/Mike Stewart

Falcons RB Bijan Robinson

Score: Falcons 24, Bills 14

Falcons Takeaway: Defensive Investments Are Paying Dividends

Most of the buzz coming into the Atlanta Falcons' 2025 season involved second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. However, Atlanta also invested heavily in defense, adding pieces like Leonard Floyd, Divine Deablo, James Pearce Jr., and Jalon Walker.

That investment paid off in a big way against Buffalo. Atlanta forced two turnovers, recorded four sacks, and held the vaunted Bills offense to just 14 points.

Winner: RB Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons

If the Falcons hope to be title contenders, they have to be able to make big plays on both sides of the ball. They did that on Monday night, thanks in no small part to the efforts of Bijan Robinson.

While Robinson didn't shoulder the load entirely by himself, Buffalo simply couldn't find an answer for him. He finished with 170 rushing yards, six catches, 68 receiving yards, and a touchdown. The third-year back can expect to receive at least one player-of-the-week award for this one.

Bills Takeaway: Buffalo Won't Be a Title Contender If It Can't Eliminate Mistakes

Though Buffalo was widely considered a Super Bowl contender coming into the season, it's looked like anything but over the last two weeks. Sloppy play—including 11 penalties—cost the Bills against the rival New England Patriots last week. More sloppy play cost them on Monday.

The Bills committed another eight penalties for 64 yards against Atlanta, turned it over twice, and missed far too many tackles. As a result, Buffalo is no longer leading the AFC East.

Loser: QB Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

There's no denying Buffalo's defense played poorly on Monday—though injuries played a part in that. However, Josh Allen is the reigning MVP because he's expected to carry the Bills when everything else isn't working.

Unfortunately, he was as much a liability as he was an asset in Week 6. He seemed to revert to his early-career habits of trying to do too much. He ended up taking some sacks he shouldn't have, throwing two ugly interceptions, missing open receivers with bad passes, and even causing a fumble with a bad handoff.

Allen will recover, but his chances of repeating as MVP took a massive hit this week.

Chicago Bears vs. Washington Commanders

AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough

Chicago Bears RB D'Andre Swift

Score: Bears 25, Commanders 24

Bears Takeaway: Ben Johnson Has Chicago Trending Up

The last two wins haven't been pretty, but the Chicago Bears have won three in a row to break the .500 barrier. They also just beat a good Washington Commanders team after the bye.

A year ago, Chicago came out of its bye and blew it against the Commanders on a Hail Mary that should never have been completed. That meltdown sparked a long losing streak that ultimately cost Matt Eberflus his job.

For the Bears and new head coach Ben Johnson, Monday's win represents progress.

Winner: K Jake Moody, Chicago Bears

The Bears' offense was up and down throughout the evening. It ultimately came through thanks to some big late runs from D'Andre Swift, who posted his first 100-yard game of the season.

While Swift deserves a shoutout, the big winner was kicker Jake Moody. Jettisoned by the San Francisco 49ers after Week 1, he was elevated from Chicago's practice squad to fill in for Cairo Santos (thigh). He responded by making four of five field-goal attempts, including the game-winner.

Moody will get more opportunities in 2025, in Chicago or elsewhere.

Commanders Takeaway: Washington Must Remember How to Finish

Last season, the Commanders marched all the way to the NFC title game by repeatedly winning one-score games. They won nine of them, including in the postseason, and felt like a team destined to go far.

That's not what the Commanders are this season. They made too many mistakes and played too poorly on defense on Monday to hold off Chicago at home. Washington is now 3-3 and has gone 0-2 in one-score games.

Loser: Commanders' Ball Security

It's hard to put Washington's loss on any one player, but it's fairly clear it would be 4-2 if it had managed to hold onto the ball on a rainy night in Maryland.

Jayden Daniels threw a pick on Washington's opening possession. Jacory Croskey-Merritt fumbled later in the first quarter, leading to Chicago's first touchdown of the game. A bad exchange late in the fourth—in Chicago territory—gave the Bears life and the opportunity to drive down for the walk-off field goal.

Expect Dan Quinn to stress ball security heading into next week's showdown with the Dallas Cowboys.

Detroit Lions vs. Kansas City Chiefs

AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann

Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Charles Omenihu (90)

Score: Chiefs 30, Lions 17

Chiefs Takeaway: Rashee Rice Will Fuel a Midseason Run

The Chiefs stumbled through the first six weeks of the season. They looked nothing like a team coming off three consecutive Super Bowl appearances. But on Sunday night, the Chiefs didn't commit a penalty or turn the ball over in a clean game.

Kansas City could use the victory over Detroit as a momentum builder. The club will welcome wideout Rice back to action from his six-game suspension, which can be a significant spark for the Chiefs' aerial attack. Patrick Mahomes threw or ran for all four of the Chiefs' touchdowns against the Lions. He could maintain peak performance with Rice back in the fold.

Winner: Kansas City Chiefs Defense

In Week 6, the Chiefs gave up 31 points to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the most they had allowed in a game this season. Kansas City's defense bounced back, slowing down the league's high-scoring offense entering Sunday's games. Kansas City's defense responded well to a prime-time road loss that dropped the club below .500.

Lions Takeaway: Offensive Play-Caller John Morton Still Has Something to Prove

Although the Chiefs deserve credit for their play on both sides of the ball, the Lions had their second-worst scoring output of the season.

Through six weeks, the Lions scored the most points, but they blew out the Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals, who were without Joe Burrow. None of those teams are top playoff contenders. Yet Detroit couldn't keep pace with the Green Bay Packers or Kansas City in double-digit losses. 

The Lions need a quality offensive outing against a top-tier opponent to prove they don't miss former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. That said, players made their share of mistakes.

Loser: Detroit Lions Offense

The Lions' key players failed to execute in critical situations. On the first drive of the game, quarterback Jared Goff drew a flag for illegal motion, wiping out a touchdown, which led to a field goal. Wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown dropped a pass on 4th-and-2, and the Chiefs capitalized on the short field with a touchdown drive.

In the first half, the Lions squandered opportunities to match up with the Chiefs offense and never rebounded from those miscues.

Tennessee Titans vs. Las Vegas Raiders

AP Photo/Rick Scuteri

Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Devin White

Score: Raiders 20, Titans 10

Raiders Takeaway: Geno Smith Must Operate in a Conservative Passing Offense

Through the first three quarters of Sunday's contest, Smith played a clean game, though he faced constant pressure in the pocket. The Raiders signal-caller seldom looked downfield for big plays and instead moved the ball on short completions. Still, Smith threw an interception in the fourth quarter on a throw to tight end Michael Mayer.

Smith is a turnover-prone quarterback. Realizing this, play-caller Chip Kelly went conservative by design, which mostly worked for the offense. Even though the Raiders' aerial attack lacked sizzle without the deep ball, it's more efficient in this approach with Smith under center.

Winner: Raiders LB Devin White

From the beginning of the game, White made a significant impact. In the first quarter, he forced a fumble deep in the Titans' territory that set up the Raiders for a touchdown. He logged an interception before halftime and finished with a team-leading eight tackles.

Early in the week, the Raiders released linebacker Germaine Pratt. White picked up his play as the team's best starting linebacker to lead the defense's dominant performance.

Titans Takeaway: Cam Ward Desperately Needs Receiver Help

Calvin Ridley struggled through the first five weeks of the season, battling knee and elbow injuries along the way. Last week, he caught five passes for 131 yards, a potential turning point in a down year, but the eighth-year pro exited early in Sunday's game because of a hamstring injury. 

Regardless of Ridley's status going forward, the Titans must add a receiver to aid Ward's growth in his rookie year. He's not going to show flashes with Tyler Lockett, Van Jefferson and rookie fourth-rounder Elic Ayomanor as his top targets.

Loser: Titans Offensive Line

The Raiders' defensive front overwhelmed the Titans' front line. Ward took four sacks and held the ball long enough for defensive tackle Jonah Laulu to tip a pass that resulted in an interception. Right tackle JC Latham missed four consecutive outings with a hip injury, but his return did little to help the Titans' offensive line in this matchup.

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Green Bay Packers

AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps

Green Bay Packers RB Josh Jacobs runs carries against the Cincinnati Bengals on Oct. 12

Score: Packers 27, Bengals 19

Packers Takeaway: Green Bay Still Has Issues to Clean Up

Coming out of the bye week and against a team that just added its quarterback a few days ago, this could have been a get-right game for the Green Bay Packers, but it sure didn't feel like one.

Green Bay had two weeks to prepare for the Cincinnati Bengals, yet still surrendered 20 first downs, turned the ball over, committed five penalties and struggled to put away one of the league's least-threatening teams.

Winner: RB Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers

It sure felt like the Packers should have pulled away from the Bengals early, due in no small part to the stellar play of running back Josh Jacobs.

After averaging less than 4.0 yards per carry in each of his first four games this season, Jacobs finally saw things open up. He averaged 5.2 yards per carry, caught five passes and gashed the Bengals for 150 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns.

When Jacobs is rolling, it opens up a lot of options for Jordan Love and the rest of the Packers offense. The Bengals defense isn't good, of course, but the Packers will welcome Jacobs' return to Pro Bowl form.

Bengals Takeaway: Cincinnati can be competitive with Joe Flacco

Joe Flacco was traded to Cincinnati in the middle of the week, but he had little trouble boosting the Bengals offense, which has struggled behind the guidance of Jake Browning.

Cincinnati didn't win, of course, but Flacco threw a pair of touchdowns without turning the ball over. Browning, by comparison, had thrown eight interceptions in his four appearances this season.

The Bengals certainly aren't as potent as they'd be with Joe Burrow behind center, but if they can avoid turnovers, find offensive balance and get some timely defensive stops, they can pick up some wins.

Loser: Head Coach Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati's offense did look better on Sunday, but if head coach Taylor doesn't adjust his game planning, Flacco is only going to be a temporary fix.

Running back Chase Brown averaged 4.7 yards per rush on Sunday but only received nine carries. Semaje Perine, who averaged just 2.7 yards per rush, received six, while Flacco threw it an absurd 45 times.

Taylor's approach simply isn't going to work against many playoff-caliber teams without Burrow running the offense—and he's not walking onto the field in the foreseeable future.

San Francisco 49ers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

AP Photo/Chris O'Meara

Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield

Score: Buccaneers 30, 49ers 19

Buccaneers Takeaway: Tampa's Hot Start Provides a Valuable Cushion

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers suffered another significant injury on Sunday when rookie wideout Emeka Egbuka exited with a hamstring injury. That left Tampa's offense without Egbuka, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Bucky Irving and Luke Goedeke for the remainder of the game.

Tampa still got the win, though, which is huge. The Bucs will face a brutally difficult game against the Lions in Detroit next week, face the Saints in New Orleans in Week 8 and then finally get the bye in Week 9.

The Buccaneers will have the chance to come out of the bye at close to full strength, and they're now guaranteed to be, at worst, 5-3 entering the second half of the season.

Winner: QB Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs keep finding ways to win because quarterback Baker Mayfield keeps finding ways to spark the offense. Down his top four skill players, Mayfield managed to do it again against the San Francisco 49ers.

A highlight-reel run on 3rd-and-14 and a couple of deep touchdown passes headlined Mayfield's afternoon, which, for the fifth time this season, didn't include an interception.

The supporting cast keeps changing. Mayfield has remained a constant and should be among the early front-runners for league MVP.

49ers Takeaway: San Francisco May Need the Trade Market to Stay in Contention

Injuries have been the story of the 49ers' season thus far. Through the first five weeks, San Francisco found ways to overcome. Now, though, it appears that the 49ers have lost their defensive leader, Fred Warner, for an extended period.

Warner was carted off with what appeared to be a severe lower-leg injury in the first quarter. According to The Athletic's DIanna Russini, he suffered a dislocated ankle.

The 49ers have found fill-ins at quarterback and receiver, but with both Warner and Nick Bosa sidelined, they may have to make additions to maintain a playoff-caliber defense.

Loser: The San Francisco 49ers

There's really no way to sugarcoat it. The Warner injury might make the 49ers the biggest losers of Week 6.

They'd have probably accepted a tough road loss in Tampa Bay if they had left the game mostly healthy. Losing arguably the NFL's best off-ball linebacker, though, is the sort of demoralizing development that feels like a handful of losses rolled into one.

Seattle Seahawks vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

AP Photo/John Raoux

Seahawks QB Sam Darnold

Score: Seahawks 20, Jaguars 12

Seahawks Takeaway: Seattle is for real in the NFC West

After losing a heartbreaker in last week's shootout with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it would have been somewhat understandable if the Seahawks had experienced a letdown in Week 6—the team had to travel thousands of miles to face a red-hot Jags team that just stunned the Kansas City Chiefs.

Instead, the Seahawks played a relatively mistake-free game and gutted out a win despite converting just one of 12 third downs.

It's what good teams do—find a way to gut out a win on the road.

Winner: Seahawks QB Sam Darnold

On a day where the Seahawks could get nothing going on the ground (26 carries for 60 yards), it fell to Darnold and the passing game to carry the offense.

Carry it Darnold did—295 passing yards, two scores and a passer rating over 120 for the third time in four games.

Apparently, Darnold's career resurgence in Minnesota last year was no fluke.

Jaguars Takeaway: There's still work to be done in Duval County

After Jacksonville beat the Chiefs at home last week, there was no shortage of buzz surrounding the Jaguars this week. A win over the Seahawks would have strengthened the case that Jacksonville (and not the Indianapolis Colts) was the class of the AFC South.

That didn't happen. Jacksonville lost this game in the trenches and with the inability to run the ball or protect Trevor Lawrence—Travis Etienne averaged less than 2.5 yards per carry, and the Jags had less than 60 yards on the ground as a team.

Loser: Jaguars Offensive Line

After a solid showing against the Chiefs, Jacksonville's offensive line had a "burn the tape" game against the Seahawks. In addition to that inability to run the ball, the Jaguars allowed a whopping seven sacks of Trevor Lawrence Sunday.

That's going to need to be cleaned up quickly—next week in London the Jaguars face one of the best front-sevens in the league in edge-rusher Byron Young and the Los Angeles Rams.

Los Angeles Rams vs. Baltimore Ravens

AP Photo/Kyusung Gong

Los Angeles Rams linebacker Nate Landman

Score: Rams 17, Ravens 3

Rams Takeaway: Defense Does More Than Play Complementary Football

The Los Angeles Rams are defined by the brilliant offensive mind of head coach Sean McVay, quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Puka Nacua. All the while, the Rams have built a ferocious defense that can pin its ears back and make life difficult on any and all opponents. 

The Baltimore Ravens may have been missing Lamar Jackson, but the Rams didn't run away with this contest despite the final score. Los Angeles struggled to move the ball and finish drives. Meanwhile, the Rams defense came to play by registering four sacks, 11 quarterback hits and three turnovers. 

Sunday's effort showed that Los Angeles has the pieces on defense to win games without the offense operating at peak efficiency. 

Winner: LB Nate Landman, Los Angeles Rams

For years, the Rams lacked the connective tissue at linebacker to tie together a talented defensive front to their secondary. The team itself doesn't invest heavily in its linebackers. However, the organization now has something special in Landman. 

Landman registered 17 tackles Sunday against the Ravens, which are the most by any Ram since at least the 2000 season. Over the last two weeks, Landman amassed 31 tackles. 

Ravens Takeaway: Lamar Jackson's Return Won't Fix Ravens

At 1-5, the Raven's postseason hopes are all but done. As ESPN's Jamison Hensley noted, only one team since 2000 has ever started as poorly and still made the playoffs. 

Jackson may be a difference-maker, but he hasn't been hurt all season. He only missed the last two games. Baltimore simply isn't a good team. 

While the Ravens defense played better against the Rams, it's still not good. Overall, too many penalties and turnovers are happening. These are things that weren't the case during previous season. Significant self-scouting is necessary during the bye to get this squad back on track. 

Loser: QB Cooper Rush, Baltimore Ravens

As the Ravens enter their off week, the organization does so without knowing whether Jackson will be fully healed to start in Week 8. If he doesn't, Tyler Huntley will almost certainly take over the offense. 

Huntley replaced Cooper Rush during Sunday's contest and helped move the offense far more efficiently, because he's a much better fit for the scheme. Even with Jackson's eventual return, Rush could have easily lost his job as QB2 with Huntley claiming the spot. 

Los Angeles Chargers vs. Miami Dolphins

AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell

Chargers QB Justin Herbert

Score: Chargers 29, Dolphins 27

Chargers Takeaway: Justin Herbert is an elite NFL quarterback

When people discuss the league's best quarterbacks, the usual suspects get mentioned. Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens. Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs. Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills.

Justin Herbert belongs in that conversation.

Despite an injury-ravaged backfield and the absence of wide receiver Quentin Johnston, Herbert had arguably his best game of the season against the Dolphins, completing 29 of 38 passes for 264 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Winner: Chargers WR Ladd McConkey

With both Johnston and Keenan Allen off to hot starts, McConkey's numbers have been way down relative to a year ago. But with Johnson out in Week 6 McConkey was Herbert's top target once again, reeling in seven passes for 100 yards and a score.

Dolphins Takeaway: Miami has a Tua Tagovailoa problem

The Dolphins have no shortage of issues this season. But the biggest is also the hardest to solve.

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa isn't playing consistently well—and there's very little Miami can do about it.

Tagovailoa was mostly awful against the Chargers, throwing three interceptions. But his $212 million contract makes moving on from the 27-year-old all but impossible until at least 2027.

Loser: Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel

The Dolphins may be stuck with Tagovailoa, but the same can't be said about the team's head coach. And after another soul-crushing loss in front of a half-empty stadium that booed the Dolphins lustily at the game's conclusion, the odds that McDaniel survives this season are all but non-existent.

Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

AP Photo/Matt Freed

Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers

Score: Steelers 23, Browns 9

Steelers Takeaway: Pittsburgh is the Class of the AFC North

Whether this Steelers team can do any damage in the AFC playoffs is a legitimate question—Pittsburgh entered Week 6 ranked in the NFL's bottom-five in both total offense and total defense.

But after handling the Browns, the Steelers are 4-1. Cleveland and Baltimore are one-win dumpster fires. The Cincinnati Bengals are starting Zombie Joe Flacco at quarterback.

This division "race" is over—in mid-October.

Winner: Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers may not be the player he once was. But five games into the season, he's exactly the quarterback the Steelers need.

With his 235 passing yards and two scores without an interception, Rodgers has posted a passer rating north of 95 in four of five games. Outside a four-touchdown game in the opener Rodgers' numbers haven't been gaudy. But he's been efficient and effective.

It appears Rodgers is going to get one last chance to make some noise in the postseason.

Browns Takeaway: Cleveland's offense is offensive

This isn't exactly news—the Browns entered Week 6 26th in total offense and 31st in scoring. But Sunday's offensive "effort" against Pittsburgh was particularly putrid.

Cleveland had 65 yards on the ground. Less than 250 yards of total offense. Went 6-for-17 on third-down. And were held out of the end zone.

The Browns are a bad team—with a terrible offense.

Loser: Browns QB Dillon Gabriel

It was never especially likely that Gabriel was going to be "the guy" under center for Cleveland. Franchise quarterbacks aren't easy to find in Round 3.

But while Gabriel didn't turn it over, he averaged a woeful 4.3 yards per attempt and was sacked six times.

Back to the old drawing board—again.

Dallas Cowboys vs. Carolina Panthers

AP Photo/Erik Verduzco

Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle

Score: Panthers 30, Cowboys 27

Panthers Takeaway: Rico Dowdle Becomes Focal Point of Carolina Offense

Chuba Hubbard has been Wally Pipped. Hubbard has been nursing a calf injury. In his stead, Dowdle blossomed into the NFL's best running back. The previous sentence isn't even hyperbolic.

Dowdle has been running wild, to the point where he should now be the Panthers' lead back even when Hubbard returns. Furthermore, Carolina is becoming an even more run-heavy squad, because that's what the talent dictates. 

Besides, a strong ground attack will only help in Bryce Young's development. 

Winner: RB Rico Dowdle, Carolina Panthers

Professional athletes often state that games aren't personal and they don't circle specific contests, but Dowdle clearly wanted to punish the Dallas Cowboys after running for over 1,000 yards last season then allowing him to walk in free agency. 

Dowdle set a Panthers franchise record with 239 yards from scrimmage, including 183 rushing yards. Over the last two games, the Panthers running back accumulated a whopping 473 yards from scrimmage. 

Cowboys Takeaway: Dallas' Run D Remains Terrible

Jerry Jones' cringe excuse that the Cowboys needed to get better against the run, which played a part in the Micah Parsons' trade, has been looked even worse in retrospect, because Dallas still stinks when trying to stop the run. 

The Cowboys now find themselves among the league's bottom five in run defense after being embarrassed by their former running back. 

Dallas' offense can throw haymakers all day long, but it doesn't matter if the defense doesn't do its part, while allowing the opponent to win the time of possession battle. 

Loser: Defensive coordinator Matter Eberflus

Coming out of Sunday's early slate, the Cowboys owned the league's worst defense, while being the only unit allowing over 400 yards per game. They're bad against the run and even worse against opposing aerial attacks.

Dallas allowed Carolina to march 71 yards down the field on 15 plays to chew up over six minutes of clock before the Panthers kicked the game-winning field goal as time expired. 

Arizona Cardinals vs. Indianapolis Colts

Photo by Jeff Haynes/AP Images for Panini

Score: Colts 31, Cardinals 27

Colts Takeaway: Indianapolis Finds Different Ways to Win

A team capable of winning in multiple different manners signals a quality organization. In the case of the Indianapolis Colts, they're now 5-1. On Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, the Colts had to come back in the fourth quarter, because Lou Anarumo's defense didn't play to its normal standard. 

The Colts leaned into their strengths by handing the ball to Jonathan Taylor six times during the team's game-winning nine-play drive. Obviously, Taylor closing out a game isn't anything new. However, the ability to respond because the defense had been flailing throughout the contest is something different this season. 

Indianapolis is no longer finding ways to lose. The Colts have finally turned the corner. 

Winner: LB Germaine Pratt

While the defense did struggle, Pratt experienced a turn of fortune this week by joining a far better squad than the one he left behind in the Las Vegas Raiders. Pratt decided to join the Colts after being released because of his previous experience playing for Anarumo with the Cincinnati Bengals. 

The Colts signed Pratt on Wednesday. He started on Sunday and registered a game-high 11 tackles. Now, he's playing for one of the AFC's best teams. 

Cardinals Takeaway: Jacoby Brissett Brings More To Offense Than Kyler Murray

Arizona averaged 288.4 yards per game with Murray as its starting quarterback. Brissett threw for 320 yards Sunday against the Colts and had the team in position to win late in the contest. 

The Cardinals did fall short, but the offense moved the ball nearly at will.

Anarumo had been one of the NFL's best coordinators at game-planning for opponents, but the Colts defense looked lost against Brissett and Co. The Cardinals finished the game with 400 yards of offense, which is even more impressive considering that Marvin Harrison Jr. left the game after entering the concussion protocol. 

Loser: QB Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals

It's never too early to question whether a quarterback controversy should start, with the Cardinals being the latest to drive conversation. 

If anything, Arizona's coaching staff can slow-play the process by making sure Kyler Murray gets ample time to recover from his foot injury. Brissett can start one more game before the Cardinals' bye, then a decision can be made. 

But the team's backup-turned-starter certainly orchestrated the offense more efficiently than Murray has this season. 

New England Patriots vs. New Orleans Saints

AP Photo/Butch Dill

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye

Score: Patriots 25, Saints 19

Patriots Takeaway: New England Is Ready to Contend for AFC East Title

Coming off a momentous win over the Buffalo Bills, some wondered if the Patriots would go through the motions on the road in a letdown game. On the contrary, New England looked sharp, particularly quarterback Drake Maye, who threw for 261 passing yards and three touchdowns.

Saying this in the offseason would sound blasphemous, but with a win over the Bills in Buffalo, the Patriots could challenge for the AFC East title. At 4-2, New England will face a couple of one-win teams in the next two weeks, the Tennessee Titans and the Cleveland Browns.

Winner: Patriots WR Kayshon Boutte

Boutte grew up in Louisiana and delivered a big game in New Orleans, hauling in five passes for 93 yards and two touchdowns, his first career multiscore performance. After racking up 103 receiving yards in the season opener, he had a string of modest outings, but the third-year pro re-emerged as a complement to Stefon Diggs on Sunday.

Saints Takeaway: Front Office Should Not Trade Young Assets in Developmental Rebuild

For most of the season, the Saints have been competitive. Quarterback Spencer Rattler isn't making critical mistakes, but the team comes up short, which is exactly what happened against the Patriots.

New Orleans should stay on course, though. As teams below .500 trade players for future draft capital, the Saints can continue to build with the young players currently on the roster. Rattler looks solid. Even though the Saints have youth and inexperience in their secondary, they came into Sunday's game ranked ninth in pass defense, a testament to defensive coordinator Brandon Staley's coaching acumen. General manager Mickey Loomis needs to let this developmental rebuild play out for the remainder of the season.

Loser: Saints TE Juwan Johnson

Johnson had a quiet outing, catching two passes for 15 yards, and he lost a fumble on a critical possession midway through the fourth quarter. The Patriots didn't score off the turnover, but his giveaway halted the team's offensive momentum as it tried to reach the end zone on a go-ahead score.

Denver Broncos at New York Jets

AP Photo/Kin Cheung

Denver Broncos defensive tackle Malcolm Roach (97) and Denver Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto (15).

Score: Broncos 13, Jets 11

Broncos Takeaway: Offense Needs a Spark

The Broncos narrowly escaped London with a victory over the winless Jets, and they only scored one touchdown against Gang Green's 31st-ranked scoring defense. Denver's offense struggled from the opening drive. Troy Franklin lost a fumble on the team's first possession. The Broncos finished with 246 total yards. 

Head coach Sean Payton must get his team ready for a resurgent New York Giants squad that scored 34 points against the Philadelphia Eagles last Thursday. The Broncos have scored more than 20 points twice in six games. They need to get rookie running back RJ Harvey more involved in the offense with his pass-catching ability out of the backfield or find a way to unlock big plays in the passing game. 

Winner: Denver Broncos Defense

The Broncos can thank their defense for the win in a low-scoring battle. The unit sacked Justin Fields nine times and allowed just 82 total yards and an impressive 1.4 yards per play. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph leads one of the stingiest units across the league.

Jets Takeaway: It's Time to Trade Breece Hall, Other Roster Assets

The Jets fell to 0-6 and have shown little improvement through the first six weeks. General manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn had little chance of turning this team around in one year after a 5-12 campaign. At this point, team brass knows what it has on the roster, and it's not good enough to get a win midway through October. 

Gang Green should look to rebuild through the 2026 draft, which means dealing players Hall, guard John Simpson, and safety Andre Cisco, who are on expiring contracts. 

Loser: Jets HC Aaron Glenn

The Jets made a baffling call to fake a punt to convert on fourth down and then chose to run 37 seconds of clock time on 4th-and-1 without an attempt to get in field-goal range for three points. Wide receiver Garrett Wilson gave Glenn an earful after the Jets essentially punted on a scoring opportunity to gain momentum.

Glenn smirked as he walked to the locker room, but Wilson should've been upset. The Jets could've scored on back-to-back possessions with the ball to start the third quarter. Ironically, Gang Green lost by two points, so another field goal would've changed the complexion of the final minutes of regulation.

Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Giants

AP Photo/Seth Wenig

New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo

Score: Giants 34, Eagles 17

Giants Takeaway: Young Backfield Creates Long-Term Excitement

The New York Giants have something special brewing with quarterback Jaxson Dart and running back Cam Skattebo in the same backfield. The energy both bring to the field is infectious. This Giants squad looks reinvigorated compared to the same group less than three weeks ago when Russell Wilson was getting booed off the field.

However, the Giants are now 2-1 with Dart as their starter. He's making plays with his arm and legs. Skattebo sets a different physical tone. Even an often-maligned offensive line is now winning at the point of attack and playing hard for the two rookies. The arrow is pointing up for Big Blue.

Winner: RB Cam Skattebo

Skattebo's ruggedness as a runner and competitor was well-known prior to his NFL arrival. It's translated well and helped provide the Giants with an identity in their run game. New York's coaching staff must lean on him more as the season progress.

During Thursday's contest, the fourth-round ball-carrier set career-highs with 98 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He can be the hammer to take pressure off Dart and keep defenses honest.

Eagles Takeaway: Offense Still Isn't on Same Page

All week, the discussion surrounding the Eagles centered on the offense not playing well and its top performers meeting to hash out why the unit isn't clicking. Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and AJ Brown apparently didn't figure things out, because the Eagles offensive once again disappeared for an extended period.

Philadelphia didn't score a single second-half point after trailing by only three at halftime.

Loser: Offensive Coordinator Kevin Patullo

Plenty of finger-pointing will occur this week after another disappointing performance by the Eagles. Since the same issues continue to occur, Philadelphia's offensive coordinator will receive the brunt of the vitriol.

It's deserved, though. If every position group is misfiring at points, then the coaching staff isn't doing a good enough job making sure the entire unit is prepared.

During Thursday's contest, the Eagles punted three straight times coming out of halftime, with two turnovers to end the contest. It's the second straight game the group went M.I.A. for some or all of the second half.