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Week 6 of the 2024 NFL season wasn’t rife with close endings to games, but there was still plenty of drama to keep fans gripped.
Sunday’s action began with the Chicago Bears continuing their recent revival by beating the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.
Here are the main storylines from Sunday’s action:
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San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel makes a catch during his team's
36-24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Seattle on Thursday, October 10. Samuel
became the first wide receiver in NFL history with 20 touchdown receptions and 20 touchdown runs after scoring on a 76-yard touchdown catch.
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Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch, center, celebrates an interception with his teammates during a game against the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas, on Sunday, October 13. The Lions trounced the Cowboys 47-9.
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Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs dives for a touchdown in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on October 13. The Packers beat the Arizona Cardinals 34-13.
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Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II stands for the national anthem ahead of the Broncos' 23-16 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Denver on October 13.
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Philadelphia Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson stops Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku in Philadelphia on October 13. The Eagles won 20-16.
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Carolina Panthers linebacker Claudin Cherelus pressures Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins in Charlotte, North Carolina, on October 13. The Panthers lost 38-20.
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Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams walks down the tunnel after his team
beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 35-16 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on October 13. Williams completed 23 of his 29 pass attempts and throwing for 226 yards and four touchdowns.
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San Francisco 49ers cornerback Isaac Yiadom and safety Ji'Ayir Brown break up a touchdown pass intended for Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf in Seattle on Thursday, October 10.
Ed Zurga/AP
New Orleans Saints linebacker Willie Gay Jr. signs autographs for a young Kansas City Chiefs fan before the start of the game between the teams in Kansas City, Missouri, on Monday, October 7. Gay played for the Chiefs for four seasons before signing with the Saints during the offseason.
The Chiefs beat the Saints 26-13.
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Minnesota Vikings safety Camryn Bynum celebrates after a play during a game against the New York Jets in London on Sunday, October 6. The Vikings extended their win streak with a 23-17 victory.
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Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman scores on a 49-yard touchdown reception during the Bills' 23-20 loss to the Houston Texans in Houston on October 6.
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Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence eats a cupcake to celebrate his birthday after his team beat the Indianapolis Colts 37-34 at home in Jacksonville, Florida, on October 6. It was the Jaguars' first win of the season.
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Green Bay Packers punter Daniel Whelan grabs a high snap during a game against the Los Angeles Rams in Inglewood, California, on October 6. The Packers won 24-19.
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Indianapolis Colts running back Trey Sermon runs with the ball during the second quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Jacksonville, Florida, on October 6.
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Houston Texans kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn celebrates with teammates after kicking a 59-yard field goal on the last play of his team's victory over the Buffalo Bills in Houston on October 6.
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San Francisco 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir runs for a touchdown after a blocked field goal during a game against the Arizona Cardinals in Santa Clara, California, on October 6. The Cardinals came back to narrowly upset the 49ers 24-23.
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Denver Broncos cornerback Riley Moss celebrates after an interception in Denver on October 6. The Broncos beat the Las Vegas Raiders 34-18.
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Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels passes in the first half of the team's 42-14 win over the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday, September 29.
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Denver Broncos cornerback Tremon Smith celebrates as a field goal attempt by New York Jets kicker Greg Zuerlein misses in the fourth quarter in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on September 29. The Broncos won 10-9.
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Carolina Panthers tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders fights off the tackle attempt by Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt in Charlotte, North Carolina, on September 29. The Bengals beat the Panthers 34-24.
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Houston Texans safety Eric Murray celebrates after sacking Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence during the Texans' 24-20 victory in Houston on September 29.
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San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle catches a touchdown pass in the end zone in Santa Clara, California, on September 29. The 49ers beat the New England Patriots 30-13.
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New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton bobbles the ball as he runs against Dallas Cowboys linebacker Eric Kendricks during the Giants' 20-15 loss to the Cowboys in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Thursday, September 26.
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Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills celebrates an interception during the second quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Orchard Park, New York, on Monday, September 23. This was his first career interception and latest milestone since he suffered from a cardiac arrest on the field in early 2023.
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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III runs with the ball for a touchdown during the Steelers' 20-10 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in Pittsburgh on Sunday, September 22.
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Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold throws the ball to tight end Johnny Mundt in Minneapolis on September 22. The Vikings beat the Houston Texans 34-7.
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Kadeem Telfort of the Green Bay Packers takes a selfie with a fan after the Packers beat the Tennessee Titans 30-14 on the road in Nashville on September 22.
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Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones lands in the end zone for a touchdown in Minneapolis on September 22.
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Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescotts sits on the field after a play during the team's 28-25 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Arlington, Texas, on September 22.
Brad Penner/USA Today Sports/Reuters
New York Jets wide receiver Allen Lazard runs past New England Patriots cornerback Alex Austin for a touchdown in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Thursday, September 19. The Jets won 24-3.
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Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney scores a touchdown during the team's 22-21 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Philadelphia on Monday, September 16.
Jay Biggerstaff/USA Today Sports/Reuters
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes runs the ball against Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Dax Hill during the Chiefs' 26-25 victory in Kansas City, Missouri, on Sunday, September 15. The defending Super Bowl champs moved to 2-0 on the season.
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San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. catches a pass over Minnesota Vikings safety Camryn Bynum and linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. during a game in Minneapolis on September 15. The Vikings would go on to win the game 24-17.
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New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara runs the ball during the Saints' 44-19 win over the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas, on September 15. Kamara had four touchdowns in the game.
Jasen Vinlove/USA Today Sports/Reuters
Miami Dolphins players attend to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa after
he took a hit to the head in the second half of a game against the Buffalo Bills in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Thursday, September 12. Tagovailoa was later ruled out with a concussion.
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New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers and teammates wait in a tunnel before a game against the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, California, on Monday, September 9. This is the first game back for Rodgers since tearing his Achilles tendon last year after his first game of the season.
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Los Angeles Chargers players and Las Vegas Raiders players clash after a play during the second half of their game in Inglewood, California, on Sunday, September 8.
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Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. breaks a tackle from Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker K.J. Britt in Tampa, Florida, on September 8. The Buccaneers beat the Commanders 37-20.
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Miami Dolphins wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle celebrate a touchdown during a 20-17 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Miami Gardens, Florida, on September 8. Hill was
detained for a short time by police after a traffic incident earlier in the day. Miami-Dade Police Department Director Stephanie V. Daniels said Sunday that an investigation has begun into the incident and one of the officers involved is being placed on administrative duties.
Danny Karnik/AP
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields signals during the second half of a game against the Atlanta Falcons in Atlanta on September 8. The Steelers defeated the Falcons 18-10.
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Tennessee Titans tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo, right, and Chicago Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson tumble in the end zone in Chicago on September 8. Okonkwo made the catch for a touchdown, but the Titans ultimately fell 24-17 to the Bears.
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Rhamondre Stevenson of the New England Patriots runs the ball against Cincinnati Bengals defenders in Cincinnati on September 8. The Patriots beat the Bengals 16-10.
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Minnesota Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, center, celebrates his interception return for a touchdown during the Vikings' 28-6 victory over the New York Giants in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on September 8.
Rebecca Blackwell/AP
Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars players pray together at the end of the game in Miami Gardens, Florida, on September 8.
Matt Slocum/AP
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir, top, dives for the end zone for a touchdown as Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Justin Jones is unable to make the tackle in Orchard Park, New York, on September 8. The Bills won 34-28.
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Green Bay Packers quarterback
Jordan Love walks off the field after taking a hit in the final seconds of a game against the Philadelphia Eagles in São Paulo early Saturday, September 7. The Eagles won 34-29.
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Brazilian and American flags are presented on the field at Neo Química Arena – also known as Corinthians Arena – in São Paulo ahead of the game between the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles on Friday, September 6.
It was the first NFL game in South America.
Ed Zurga/AP
Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely catches a pass with his toe out of bounds as time expires at the end of the game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Kansas City, Missouri, on September 5. The Chiefs won 27-20.
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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes scrambles during the game against the Baltimore Ravens in Kansas City, Missouri, on September 5.
Charlie Riedel/AP
Fans enter Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, ahead of the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens on September 5.
Playing the Dallas Cowboys in their stadium used to be a nightmare for squads around the NFL. But now, ‘America’s Team’ is struggling to buy a win at AT&T Stadium.
Dallas suffered its fourth straight home loss on Sunday, this time in historic fashion, as the Cowboys lost 47-9 to the Detroit Lions.
The defeat was the worst home loss during Jerry Jones’ ownership of the team which dates back to 1989; not quite the birthday celebration Jones had in mind as he turned 82 on Sunday.
“This was very concerning and it was very humbling,” Jones said afterwards, per the NFL. “This was a shocker.”
Dallas was outplayed in every aspect from the jump against the Lions, with Detroit piling up 492 total yards on offense while the Cowboys could only muster 251.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff continued his hot streak – after not missing a pass in the team’s Week 4 victory – throwing 18-of-25 for 315 yards and three touchdowns before being pulled in the fourth quarter to protect him from injury.
Goff was helped by a dynamic running game too, with the two-headed attack of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs doing damage all game. The Lions had 184 rushing yards, with Montgomery rushing for 80 and two touchdowns and Gibbs running for 63 yards.
It’s the eighth straight game in which Montgomery has rushed for a touchdown, setting a new Lions franchise record. Afterwards, the running back spoke about how the team has jelled in recent weeks.
“There was a period at the beginning of the season where we were trying to figure out our identity,” Montgomery said, per the Lions website. “Now, we are starting to execute a lot more. The funny thing is we’re all not even on the same page. There’s small things here or there that we can clean up. The sky is really the limit for us.”
Kevin Jairaj/USA TODAY Sports/Reuters
The Lions defense came up with three interceptions against the Cowboys.
The only negative for Detroit on a largely positive afternoon in Texas was the serious leg injury star defensive player Aidan Hutchinson suffered midway through the third quarter.
Hutchinson had to be carted off and head coach Dan Campbell confirmed after the game that the 24-year-old had suffered a broken tibia.
For Dallas, the defeat continued the team’s rocky start to the season, with three home losses and three road wins.
Quarterback Dak Prescott – who signed a contract ahead of the season to become the highest paid player in the league – threw two interceptions and the team rushed for just 53 yards.
The rout is the second home loss of the season where the margin of defeat has been more than 25 points for Dallas, tying the franchise record for the most in a single season during the Super Bowl era.
But despite the mounting pressure on head coach Mike McCarthy – who is in the final year of his contract with the team – Jones says he’s not considering making changes.
“Just so you’re clear. I’m not considering that. I wouldn’t be in a hypothetical in that matter – do you think I’m an idiot? Do you?” Jones told reporters. “OK, well, I’m not going to be hypothetical with you about when I’d consider a coaching change in light of the timing we’re sitting here with. I’m not. At all.”
Lamar Jackson hits historic mark in win over high-flying Commanders
It was the game of the week heading into Sunday’s slate – and it didn’t disappoint.
The Washington Commanders and Baltimore Ravens were two of the hottest teams through five weeks of the season, and this edition of the ‘Battle of the Beltway’ was must-see TV, in particular, because of the quarterback battle between Lamar Jackson and Jayden Daniels.
In the end, though, it was the veteran Jackson who came out on top, with Baltimore beating Washington 30-23.
Baltimore’s offense did the damage at M&T Bank Stadium, with the unit totaling 484 yards and 28 first downs – compared to the Commanders’ 305 yards and 18 first downs.
Jackson, the reigning NFL MVP, threw 20-of-26 for 323 yards and one touchdown, along with one interception and 40 yards on the ground.
A 10-yard scamper for Jackson midway through the first quarter held extra significance though, as he passed 2015 MVP Cam Newton for the second-most rushing yards by a quarterback in NFL history.
Jackson passed Newton’s mark of 5,628 yards, finishing the game on 5,661. He is now only behind Michael Vick, who had 6,109 rushing yards in his storied career.
Stephanie Scarbrough/AP
Jackson made history with his legs in the win against the Commanders.
The 27-year-old called passing Newton “dope.”
“Not just because it’s Mike Vick (at) No. 1, but it’s all the great guys who I’m in great company with – Cam Newton, stuff like that, Steve McNair – like all those great guys who (were) before me,” the quarterback told reporters. “It’s just great to be in discussion with those guys.”
Running back Derrick Henry continued his brilliant start to the season, racking up 132 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries, while wide receiver Zay Flowers had nine receptions and 132 receiving yards.
A seven-yard touchdown from Henry at the end of the third quarter gave the Ravens a 14-point lead as they looked like they might run away with the game.
But Washington hung around through rookie sensation Jayden Daniels. A six-yard TD toss to Terry McLaurin at the start of the fourth quarter gave the Commanders hope, but it proved to be in vain as Baltimore improved to 4-2 and the Commanders fell to 4-2.
For Jackson, though, he still believes there are areas to improve on in Baltimore’s offense.
“(We’re) just proving we can win games. (We’re) just playing Raven football right now. I don’t think that really proved anything like we the best offense,” he told reporters.
“There’s always room for improvement. It’s only like our sixth game. There’s always room for improvement though, because (there) was still (mental errors) happening out there. We still had drives where we should’ve put points on the board – that interception, stuff like that.”
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Jackson and the Ravens have won four games in a row.
Week 6 saw the first NFL start for Drake Maye, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 Draft.
Although there were flashes of promise, Maye and the New England Patriots were thoroughly handled at home 41-21 by the Houston Texans.
The return of Joe Mixon was the catalyst for Houston after he had been out since Week 1 with an ankle injury. The running back ran for 102 yards and a touchdown, while also adding 30 yards and a score through the air.
For Maye, despite signs of his inexperience, there were also moments that showed why he was such a highly-considered prospect during the draft process.
The 22-year-old’s third pass attempt of the game was intercepted by the Texans, but just before halftime, he produced a perfect 40-yard throw to connect with Kayshon Boutte for a long TD.
Maye threw two more touchdowns, including another long one to Demario Douglas, to give New England hope moving forward despite suffering a fifth straight defeat.
Maye did make history on Sunday, though, as he became the first quarterback since at least 1950 to throw three-plus touchdowns and lead his team in rushing in his first career start, per the NFL.
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Maye threw three touchdowns in his first start for the Patriots.
Afterwards, Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said he expects Maye to improve as the season continues, while stressing the importance of the rest of the team stepping up to help the rookie quarterback.
“I thought he showed a lot of poise,” Mayo told reporters. “I thought he went out there and controlled the huddle, got those guys out of the huddle and, once again, made some plays. It’s definitely encouraging.
“From a team-wide perspective right now, we let him down. It was his first game and I feel like I let him down. I’m sure all the coaches feel like we let everyone down and we just got to be better.”
Maye’s next chance to take to the field will come in London as New England travels to face the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium in Week 7.
Away @ home (winners in bold)
Jacksonville Jaguars 16-35 Chicago Bears
Washington Commanders 23-30 Baltimore Ravens
Arizona Cardinals 13-34 Green Bay Packers
Houston Texans 41-21 New England Patriots
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 51-27 New Orleans Saints
Cleveland Browns 16-20 Philadelphia Eagles
Indianapolis Colts 20-17 Tennessee Titans
Los Angeles Chargers 23-16 Denver Broncos
Pittsburgh Steelers 32-13 Las Vegas Raiders
Atlanta Falcons 38-20 Carolina Panthers
Detroit Lions 47-9 Dallas Cowboys
Cincinnati Bengals 17-7 New York Giants