Welcome to the Week 6 grades!
You know the NFL season has been turned upside down when the Cleveland Browns are in first place, and that's exactly what we have after their wild comeback win over the Ravens. It was a wild week in the AFC North, which is suddenly looking like the best division in the NFL.
- The Browns used a fourth-quarter comeback to beat the Ravens 13-10, and thanks to the win, Cleveland is now in first place. This marks the first time in 12 YEARS that the Browns have been in first place after Week 6.
- Pittsburgh also pulled out a wild comeback. The Steelers were down by 13 points against the Buccaneers before surging back to beat Tampa Bay in overtime. It was the Steelers' largest fourth-quarter comeback since 2002.
- As for the Ravens, their loss to the Browns marked the 15th time since 2020 that they've blown a fourth-quarter lead of seven points or more. Not only is that the most blown leads in the NFL in that span, but no other team even has 10. Yikes.
How rough is the AFC North? The Bengals (3-2) were tied for second place going into their Week 6 bye, and after everything that happened on Sunday, they're now in last place.
Let's get to the Week 6 grades, starting with Cleveland's win over Baltimore.
Browns 13-10 over Ravens
| B- |
|
| When you don't have Lamar Jackson, you have to play nearly perfect football to win, and the Ravens simply didn't do that here. Baltimore essentially gave this game away in the fourth quarter with a missed field goal by Tyler Loop and a fumble by Derrick Henry on back-to-back possessions. The fumble set up a short TD drive for Cleveland, tying the game at 10. The Ravens defense also struggled in the fourth quarter. Baltimore held Cleveland to just 237 yards of offense for the game, but 130 of that came in the final quarter. The problem for the Ravens is that this was another blown fourth-quarter lead. The blown leads were one reason why John Harbaugh got fired and Jesse Minter hasn't quite figured out how to fix the problem. Going 1-1 without Lamar Jackson isn't the worst thing, but the Ravens were a few mistakes away from going 2-0 without their starting QB, and they'll certainly kick themselves for this divisional loss. |
| B+ |
|
| If you've seen one Browns' game this season, you've seen them all: Cleveland's defense keeps the game close until the fourth quarter and then the offense wins it with a miracle drive. And that's exactly what happened here. After surrendering 10 quick points in the first quarter, the Browns only gave up 123 yards over the final three quarters combined. Not even Derrick Henry could get going against this defense. In the fourth quarter, Deshaun Watson took over. He only threw for 164 yards in this game, but 94 of that came in the final quarter. Jerry Jeudy, who's been an afterthought this year, had his biggest game of the season with four catches for 69 yards, including a 33-yard catch that helped set up Andre Szmyt. The miracle Browns might be for real. |
Bills (5-1) 33-30 over Raiders (3-3)
| B+ |
|
| The Bills only punted twice and that tells you all you need to know. After throwing just 19 passes in Week 6, the Bills uncorked Josh Allen in this game. Allen threw 33 passes and the impressive part is that EIGHT different receivers caught at least one pass and six of those players finished with at least 20 yards. Allen kept the Raiders guessing all game. Defensively, the Bills did get torched for 378 yards, but they certainly deserve some credit for holding Brock Bowers without a catch through the game's first three quarters. The scary part is that the Bills were missing some key players -- like DJ Moore and Ed Oliver -- and this team will likely be closer to fully healthy following their Week 7 bye. |
| B- |
|
| This wasn't a bad game by the Raiders. They just ran into a buzzsaw. If you want to beat the Bills, it helps to have a good rushing attack so you can control the clock and keep Josh Allen off the field, but the Raiders don't have that and that was apparent in this game. They totaled just 65 yards on the ground against a Bills defense that was given up more than 105 per game. The Raiders defense had no answers for a Bills offense that scored on six of its first seven possessions. And the defense has now become a major liability, giving at least 30 points in three straight games (All losses). The Raiders have the offensive firepower to win games, but this defense will have to play better if Vegas is going to knock off the top teams in the NFL. |
Chiefs (5-0) 22-6 over Chargers (0-6)
| D- |
|
| If the Chargers weren't at rock bottom before, they are now. They have no wins, their offense looks lost under Mike McDaniel and their defense doesn't do anything exceptionally well. October isn't even over yet, but this season already feels like a total failure for the Chargers. |
| A- |
|
| The Chiefs offense has turned into "The Kenneth Walker Show." Yes, Patrick Mahomes is still a key part of the offense, but Walker currently looks unstoppable. He bulldozed the Chargers for 128 yards and two touchdowns on just 19 carries. That's 6.7 yards per carry. On the other side of the ball, this felt like a breakthrough game for a Chiefs defense that recorded its first sack since Week 1. Over the past three weeks, the Chiefs' pass-rush was non-existent, but George Karlaftis, Chamarri Conner and others brought it back with four sacks on Justin Herbert. The Chiefs continue to look like the best team in the AFC and possibly the NFL. |
Cardinals (2-4) 18-16 over Rams (2-4)
| B |
|
| The Cardinals beat the Rams without scoring a touchdown and they did it because their defense played its best game of the season. After surrendering at least 36 points in three straight games, the Cardinals clamped down against the Rams, holding them under 300 yards of offense. The Cards went blitz happy and it worked because it kept Matthew Stafford from throwing the ball downfield. Holding the Rams to just 16 points was a stunning performance for a defense that had surrendered at least 30 points in four straight games. With the defense playing so well, Chad Ryland's six field goals were enough to pull out the win. The Cards used defense and special teams to rule the day, and thanks to this win, they're now tied with the Rams in the AFC West standings. |
| D |
|
| The Rams had to play this game without starting left tackle Alaric Jackson and it certainly showed. Jackson was suspended after throwing a punch at Bradley Chubb in Week 5, and with him out, the Rams offensive line got run over. The Cardinals put some serious pressure on Matthew Stafford, who generally looked uncomfortable on a day when he was sacked three times. Last year, the Rams' offense made everything look easy, but this year, it's been the opposite. They have to fight tooth and nail for every single yard. The Rams could have taken pressure off Stafford by running the ball, but they refused to do that. They called just eight running plays in the second half despite Blake Corum and Kyren Williams averaging 4.8 yards per carry in the game. This team also can't seem to win close games. This is their third straight loss that has come by four points or fewer. This team has quite a few problems, and if they don't get them turned around soon, the season might just get away from them. |
Bears (4-2) 31-23 over Falcons (2-4)
| B+ |
|
| There was no rust for Caleb Williams. After missing the past three games due to injury, Williams came out on fire in his return. He opened the game by completing his first 12 passes for 142 yards and a touchdown. By the time he threw his first incompletion, the Bears were up 14-0, and at that point, it felt like the game was over. The Bears did win two games without Williams, but it's pretty clear the offense runs MUCH more efficiently when he's running the show. Let's forget about Williams for a second, though, because the Bears also benefited from the return of a player on the defensive side of the ball. In this case, it was Kyler Gordon, who had three sacks and two forced fumbles in what was his first action of the 2026 season. The Bears almost choked this one away and you can bet that Ben Johnson won't ever be taking his foot off the gas ever again. |
| C |
|
| This game got ugly in the early going thanks to a Falcons' secondary that just couldn't figure out how to slow down the Bears' offense, especially during a first half in which Caleb Williams threw for 197 yards. The Falcons usually have the offensive firepower to keep up in a potential shootout, but the offense couldn't get out of its own way during the first three quarters. One problem for Atlanta is that Michael Penix melted down while facing constant pressure. For the Bears, Williams did a good job of extending plays, but Penix couldn't do the same for Atlanta, and that's a big difference between the two quarterbacks. The Falcons also melted down on special teams with Zachariah Branch losing two fumbles -- one on a muffed punt and one on a kickoff -- that led to 10 points for Chicago. The Falcons got a reality check from the Bears on Sunday and it will be interesting to see how they rebound with the 49ers on deck in Week 7. |
Panthers (3-2) 25-14 over Eagles (2-4)
| B |
|
| With the Eagles missing several key players, including Jalen Hurts, this was a game the Panthers couldn't afford to lose and they passed the test. It helped that Chubba Hubbard took over in the second half by rushing for 96 of his 120 yards over the final two quarters. It also helped that the Panthers' passing game suddenly looks dangerous. Bryce Young is playing with more confidence than ever and you can see it every time he drops back to pass. The Panthers had a well-rounded passing attack, with three different players finishing with at least four receptions, including Tommy Tremble, who had two TD catches. This wasn't pretty, but it was a solid win for a Carolina team coming out of the bye. |
| C+ |
|
| The Eagles actually deserve some credit for making this a one-score game going into the fourth quarter. This team is battered; they don't have their starting QB, and they had 24 players on the injury report this week. With Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley both out, the Eagles offense basically limped through this game. If the Eagles are going to look like this while Hurts is out, it might make sense for this team to have a fire sale before the trade deadline. |
Steelers (4-2) 26-19 (OT) over Buccaneers (1-5)
| B |
|
| It's been a shaky season for the Steelers' defense, but they came to play in the second half. With the Steelers trailing 16-3 going into the fourth quarter, the defense opened the door for a comeback by picking off Jalon Daniels twice and sacking him once. The defense also sealed the win in overtime when Jalen Ramsey sacked Daniels on fourth down for Pittsburgh's fifth sack of the game. The Steelers harassed Daniels all game and the undrafted rookie looked unsure of himself for a good chunk of the game due to the pressure. This was the type of performance that could spur the defense to greater things going forward. Offensively, Germie Bernard is suddenly looking like a star. And let's not forget about DK Metcalf (11 catches for 93 yards) who came up with a clutch 20-yard catch on third-and-13 in overtime. Most people were sleeping on this team going into the season, but you might want to wake up now, because Pittsburgh is tied for first place heading into Week 7. |
| B- |
|
| The Buccaneers simply let this game slip away. The Bucs defense bullied the Steelers during a first half in which Pittsburgh totaled just 116 yards. Tampa Bay appeared to be in control of this game until the fourth quarter, when Jalon Daniels threw two interceptions, including one that went to former Buccaneers corner Jamel Dean. Of course, that's what happens when you put the ball in the hands of your rookie QB. Asking your rookie QB to throw the ball 43 times is almost always going to lead to a loss and that's what the Bucs did here. |
Saints (2-4) 34-27 Giants (3-2-1)
| B |
|
| The Saints defense went out and stole this game for New Orleans. The defense had Jameis Winston under siege and their heavy pass-rush led to four sacks and three interceptions. Martin Emerson Jr. had two of the Saints' three picks, which all came in the second half. Offensively, the Saints couldn't convert a third down, Tyler Shough struggled with his accuracy, but this team was unstoppable in the red zone, scoring a TD on all three trips. Shough did shine in crunch time with two TD passes and a TD run in the second half. The Saints won this game in large part by taking advantage of New York's mistakes, and sometimes, that's how you have to win games in the NFL. |
| C- |
|
| The Giants didn't win the game, but they might have found a new starting quarterback. After watching Jameis Winston throw multiple interceptions, John Harbaugh finally sent him to the bench in favor of J.J. McCarthy. Even though he didn't enter the game until the fourth quarter, McCarthy still managed to total 269 yards (243 passing and 26 rushing). That seems like something they might be able to build on going forward. One positive for the Giants is that Malik Nabers is suddenly looking like the most uncoverable receiver in the NFL. After going off for 112 yards in Week 4 and 121 in Week 5, he exploded for 165 against the Saints. The Giants' biggest problem in this game was turnovers. They turned it over four times and the Saints came away with 17 points. That's a losing formula in the NFL. |
Patriots (4-2) 26-19 over Jets (2-4)
| C |
|
| The Jets lost this game because they couldn't get one yard. On two different drives in the second quarter, the Jets faced a fourth-and-1, and on both drives, they got stuffed. The second time it happened, the Jets actually had second-and-1 and they got stuffed on three straight plays, including an ill-conceived QB sneak. When you can't gain one yard, you don't deserve to win. The Jets defense played reasonably well, except on third down. The Patriots went 8 of 15 on third down and had a huge conversion on third-and-10 in the second half (They also got a TD on third-and-goal from the nine just before halftime). This would have been a statement win for the Jets, but instead it's starting to feel like another season when they won't make the playoffs. |
| B |
|
| If you love complimentary football, then just watch the Patriots play. Mike Vrabel takes pride in all three phases of the game, and you can tell in wins like this. Drake Maye is continuing to play at a high level: He threw three TD passes, including a 42-yard score to Romeo Doubs that put the Patriots up for good in the first quarter. Defensively, Gabe Jacas stuffed a fourth-and-1 in the first half, Charles Woods came up with a pick in the second half and the defense sacked Geno Smith three times. This was a solid team win for a team that's suddenly starting to play like the 2025 Patriots. |
Titans (1-5) 26-20 over Colts (2-4)
| A- |
|
| The Titans finally got their first win of the season and it was no thanks to their offense. The credit here goes to a defense that beat up on Daniel Jones and a special teams unit that blocked a big punt, which Oluwafemi Oladejo returned for a TD in the fourth quarter. Jeffrey Simmons (two sacks) and Jermaine Johnson (two sacks) combined for four of Tennessee's six sacks. Jones faced a barrage of pressure in the game, which led to two interceptions, plus six sacks. The Titans' offense once again sputtered, and they're going to need to get that figured out if they want to win any more games this season, but at least they have something to celebrate this week. |
| F |
|
| When you lose a game like this, you automatically get an 'F.' The Colts shot out to a 13-0 lead against a winless team and should have coasted from there, but instead, they choked the game away. You can blame Jonathan Taylor (he had a third-quarter fumble), you can blame Daniel Jones (He threw a fourth-quarter interception), or you can blame Indy's special teams (The unit gave up a blocked punt that got returned for a TD in the fourth quarter). The point is that there's plenty of blame to go around. This was total self-destruction by a Colts team that out-gained the Titans 399-186. Last year's 8-1 start officially feels like a distant memory. |
Texans (2-4) 34-31 over Jaguars (4-2) in London
| B |
|
| After taking a small step back in each of the past two years, C.J. Stroud looks like a quarterback who's finally ready to take a huge step forward. With the Texans' defense struggling, the offense has had to carry the load this year and Stroud was certainly up to the task in his game, throwing for 312 yards and three touchdowns. The Texans have been looking for a No. 2 receiver behind Nico Collins and they might have found one in Jaylin Noel, who had a monster game (four catches for 107 yards). And let's not forget about Marvin Harrison Jr.. In his first game with the Texans, he looked completely comfortable out there while catching passes from his former college QB (Harrison caught three passes for 34 yards). The biggest question mark with the Texans right now is with their defense and if that unit starts to play like it did last year, then Houston is likely going to march right back into the AFC South race after starting the season 0-4. |
| B- |
|
| Travis Hunter has officially arrived. Yes, the Jags lost this game, but if there was one upside, it was Hunter. He played his most offensive snaps of the season and it paid off on a day where he caught four passes for 59 yards. He also came up with a huge end zone interception in the fourth quarter. When the Jags traded up to draft Hunter with the second overall pick in 2025, this is the kind of performance they were hoping to get on a regular basis, and Hunter now looks like he might be able to pull that off going forward. As for the rest of the team, this was an uncharacteristically bad performance by the defense, and once again, there were too many drops on offense, but there's no reason for this team to be panicking about anything as they head into their Week 7 bye. |
Broncos 17-14 (OT) over Seahawks
| C- |
|
| The Seahawks might have a Sam Darnold problem. This team has a defense that's good enough to compete for a second straight Super Bowl, but the same can't be said for the offense. Since returning from his injury in Week 3, Darnold has gone 1-3, and he's almost single-handedly lost each game for Seattle. Darnold has thrown seven interceptions in his past four games, including two against the Broncos. The first one came with 90 seconds left in regulation, and the second one led to Denver's game-winning points in overtime. Thanks to Darnold, the Seahawks' defensive performance went to waste. Seattle surrendered just 38 yards after halftime, including overtime, which should have been enough to win this game, but this team couldn't overcome Darnold's turnovers. The Seahawks are 0-3 this season when they lose the turnover battle, and that's an issue when your QB keeps turning the ball over. |
| C |
|
| Apparently, it doesn't matter who's calling the plays in Denver. This offense just seems destined to struggle with Bo Nix playing the way he's currently playing. He's not taking any shots downfield -- he averaged just 0.6 air yards per completion on Thursday -- and he seems afraid to run. Fortunately for the Broncos, they have one of the best defenses in the NFL and they proved that once again in this game. The Broncos' pass-rush sacked Sam Darnold five times and the constant pressure also led to two interceptions, including an overtime pick by Ja'Quan McMillian that set up Wil Lutz's game-winning field goal. The bad news for the Broncos is that the offense hasn't looked great through six weeks, but the good news is that this team is 4-2 in spite of that. If the offense can slowly improve over the next few weeks, the Broncos will be in good shape, but that's a big "if." |
Atrás
Atrás
Top
