It’s the sixth Sunday of the 2021 NFL season and we’re keeping you updated on all the action and biggest storylines throughout the day. The Week 6 slate has some fantastic matchups and storylines, and we’re here to help you watch it unfold. Check back often to find out everything you need to know.
Schedule
Thursday
Buccaneers 28, Eagles 22 (Recap)
Sunday
Jaguars 23, Dolphins 20, in London (Recap)
Bengals 34, Lions 11 (Recap)
Packers 24, Bears 14 (Recap)
Colts 31, Texans 3 (Recap)
Chiefs 31, Washington 13 (Recap)
Ravens 34, Chargers 6 (Recap)
Rams 38, Giants 11 (Recap)
Vikings 34, Panthers 28 (OT) (Box score)
Cardinals at Browns, 4:05 p.m. ET (Tracker)
Cowboys at Patriots, 4:25 p.m. ET (Tracker)
Raiders at Broncos, 4:25 p.m. ET (Tracker)
Seahawks at Steelers, 8:20 p.m. ET (Preview)
Monday
Bills at Titans, 8:15 p.m. ET (Preview)
Cowboys strip Mac Jones
Oh how quickly things can change. The Patriots thought they had gone up double digits on a 25-yard touchdown catch from Jakobi Meyers. Not only was the score negated due to holding, but on the next play, the Cowboys got the ball back in plus territory after Randy Gregory flattened Jones, stripping him of the ball in the process.
Pats pick off Dak in red zone
The Cowboys have outgained the Patriots by nearly 100 yards over the first 17-plus minutes, but yardage numbers are useless unless they result in points. Dallas’ third drive spanned 13 plays and 59 yards, but it ended with an interception from Kyle Dugger on a tipped pass from Dak Prescott.
Vikings’ walk-off win!
The Vikings gave up a 96-yard drive in the final minute. They gave up a two-point conversion that tied the game. And they missed a game-winning field goal at the end of regulation. Despite all of that, Minnesota got the ball to start overtime, marched 75 yards down the field, and won the game on this pristine pitch and catch from Kirk Cousins to K.J. Osborn.
Darnold delivers unbelievable game-tying drive
On fourth-and-10 from the Panthers’ 3-yard line, Sam Darnold delivered a perfect pass that landed in the hands of Ian Thomas with two defenders draped all over him. On fourth-and-6 from the Vikings’ 32-yard line, Darnold dropped the ball right into the arms of D.J. Moore. Those were the types of improbable plays that led to the Panthers’ 96-yard touchdown drive, plus two-point conversion, that tied them with the Vikings with less than a minute to go.
Murray throws dime on the run
No head coach? No problem early on for the Arizona Cardinals. After forcing a three-and-out on the Browns’ first possession, the Cardinals gobbled up 74 yards over nine plays and capped the impressive drive with a 21-yard connection from Kyler Murray to Christian Kirk, who just got his feet in bounds before his knee landed out of play.
Adam Thielen falls down, still catches TD
In less than two minutes, the Vikings went from being down five to holding an eight-point lead. The latest score came from Thielen, who stumbled out of his break, fell to a knee … and still caught the pass with considerable help from his face mask.
Dalvin Cook is back
The Panthers’ lead didn’t last long, as Dalvin Cook shrugged off multiple wimpy tacklers on his way to a 15-yard score. After missing last week with an injury, Cook has 19 carries for 87 yards.
Blocked punt TD puts Panthers in front!
The Vikings have stymied Sam Darnold and the Panthers offense for most of the afternoon, and yet they’re still trailing midway through the third quarter. That’s because Carolina swung the game with a huge special teams play, as Frankie Luvu blocked the punt, while Kenny Robinson picked it up and waltzed in for the 4-yard score.
Aaron Jones puts Packers up double digits
The Packers have controlled this game since going down 7-0 early, and after Jones’ nifty 12-yard catch and run, they’re now up double digits against their NFC North rival.
Jonathan Taylor breaks free
Jonathan Taylor had fewer than 10 yards rushing when he took a handoff from the Colts’ 12-yard line midway through the third quarter. But it only takes one carry to turn around an afternoon, and that’s exactly what happened. Taylor ran through a truck-sized hole off left tackle, got to the sideline and rumbled all the way down to the Texans’ 5-yard line. Taylor received the next three carries, too, the last of which led to a touchdown that put the Colts ahead, 24-3.
Ja’Marr Chase = not just a pass catcher
First-round rookie Ja’Marr Chase has been even better than advertised so far this season, but his latest highlight had nothing to do with running routes or catching passes. Instead, Chase got out in front of Joe Mixon and blew up a Lions defender down the field, allowing Mixon to cross the goal line for a touchdown.
Mahomes’ desperation results in another INT
Sometimes it’s better to accept defeat and take the sack, especially when your team is at the opponent’s 20-yard line in the final seconds of the half. But that’s not Patrick Mahomes’ style. He tried to make an acrobatic play, which he has done time and time again, only this time Mahomes just threw the ball up as he was being dragged to the ground. The result? Yet another turnover for the Chiefs, who had three in the first half and trail Washington, 13-10.
Chiefs’ D leaving people wide open (again)
The Chiefs entered Sunday with the NFL’s second-worst total defense, allowing 437.4 yards per game, and it’s plays like at the end of the first half that show why they’ve struggled so badly. With about 90 seconds to play before intermission, the Chiefs lost track of Ricky Seals-Jones running up the seam. Taylor Heinicke saw him, though, leading to an easy pitch and catch for a 39-yard touchdown.
Back-to-back INTs
Lamar Jackson and Justin Herbert combined for six interceptions over the first 10 games, but they turned it over on back-to-back plays in the second quarter Sunday. First DeShon Elliott stole the ball from Jared Cook, only to have Jackson throw the ball right to Kyzir White, who returned the ball down to the Ravens’ 27-yard line. Two plays later, the Chargers were on the scoreboard with a much-needed touchdown to cut the deficit to 17-6.
Stafford dealing early
Matthew Stafford has been great for the Rams so far this season, and his impressive play has continued against the Giants. He’s completed eight of his first 12 passes for 117 yards and two touchdowns, including this connection with Cooper Kupp on fourth down.
Le’Veon Bell finds the end zone!
The three-time Pro Bowler has spent most of this season on the Ravens’ practice squad, but the team elevated him for the second time in Week 6, and Bell rewarded them with his first touchdown for his new team. It’s still early, but Baltimore has dominated in the battle of 4-1 teams.
Another Mahomes INT
OK, so it wasn’t actually his fault, but Patrick Mahomes threw his seventh interception of the season Sunday against Washington — more than he threw in each of the past two seasons. Making matters worse was that it went off Tyreek Hill’s hands at the Washington 10-yard line, allowing Kendall Fuller to secure the turnover.
Parris Campbell sighting!
Injuries derailed Parris Campbell’s first two NFL seasons, but there’s a reason the Colts used a second-round draft pick on him in 2019. He showcased why in the first quarter against the Texans, running behind the entire defense and then under a perfectly placed pass from Carson Wentz for the 51-yard score. It marked just the second receiving touchdown of his career.
Bengals strike first with lunging TD catch
The Bengals wasted little time going up on the winless Lions, as Joe Burrow lofted a pass down the left sideline that running back Chris Evans caught in stride before falling into the end zone. It marked the first-career touchdown for the sixth-round rookie out of Michigan.
Landon Collins gets Moss’d
The Washington safety didn’t get his head around, and Jody Fortson made him pay by corralling the twisting catch down the left sideline. On the next play, Darrel Williams scored a two-yard touchdown to put the Chiefs ahead.
Shorthanded Browns to have Hunt on pitch count
The Cardinals-Browns game was set up to be one of the weekend’s best, but things got messy even before kickoff. The unbeaten Cardinals — 3-point underdogs against the 3-2 Browns in Cleveland — won’t have head coach Kliff Kingsbury, who tested positive for COVID-19. The teams had a combined 17 players listed as questionable on the Friday injury report, with the Browns having two out for the game — including star running back Nick Chubb.
That would normally mean a very busy day for backup Kareem Hunt, except that Hunt is dealing with wrist and knee issues and was one of those listed as questionable. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Media, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said Hunt looked good in practice Friday and will in fact get more work than usual. But only up to a point. Stefanski said he has a certain number of touches in mind for Hunt: “I don’t want to kill Kareem.” How many is that? We’ll soon find out, but with winds up to 30 mph expected in Cleveland, there may be plenty of running plays in this one.
