Sunday delivered another action-packed event for football fans, with 11 games between the morning, early, and late-afternoon windows of NFL Week 6. Some players and teams took major steps ahead on Sunday. Others took steps backward. Through it all, many clear winners and losers stood out. Below is a compilation of the best and worst from NFL Sunday in Week 6.
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Winner: Travis Hunter
For the first time in 24 years, an NFL player recorded both a touchdown reception and an interception in the same game. The last player to do so was Brian Dawkins in 2002. Once coached by the ultimate two-way superstar Deion Sanders, now Coach Prime’s pupil is making a serious impact in his second NFL season. He’s now up to two interceptions on the season after not recording any as a rookie.
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Winner: Houston Texans
Suddenly, a Houston Texans team that started the season with four consecutive losses is now 2-4 on the season. It’s not anything to get excited about quite yet, but it’s a glimmer of hope for a team that many had already started to count out of the playoff race; they’re now just two games back of the AFC South division lead, and they just beat the team in first place. Baby steps, but the Texans are headed in the right direction, which only further justifies their trade for Marvin Harrison Jr.
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Loser: A.J. Brown
In his first game back after suffering a high ankle sprain in his season debut with the New England Patriots, A.J. Brown looked quite rusty. His connection with Drake Maye was just off. Credit to the Patriots’ QB for continuing to give his WR1 opportunities, but New England didn’t part with a 2028 first-round pick for a player who just caught 3-of-10 targets for 27 yards. While some of the struggles can be chalked up to a lack of chemistry, Brown’s also at fault for dropping four passes. Most others would have been benched.
Winner: Cleveland Browns
Not many had the Cleveland Browns as the pick to lead the AFC North, but that’s where they are after six weeks. First-year head coach Todd Monken has undoubtedly done a good job changing the culture in Cleveland, and he’s of course been boosted by Andrew Berry’s excellent draft classes too. Yet, Sunday’s win over the Baltimore Ravens was a complete effort, featuring a game-winning drive from Deshaun Watson, topped off by an Andre Szmyt field goal in the final seconds. Sitting at 4-2, the Browns are clear winners.
Loser: Jameis Winston
While Jim Harbaugh wasn’t ready to jump to conclusions after the game, Jameis Winston may have just lost his starting job in the Big Apple. The former No. 1 overall pick completed just 14-of-26 passes for 152 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions, getting benched for the fourth quarter while falling behind by 24 points. He also took four sacks, which of course contributed to his demise against a bad New Orleans Saints defense.
Winner: J.J. McCarthy
The New York Giants might have a new starting quarterback. Given just one quarter to work with after entering the game behind 24 points, J.J. McCarthy had the second-highest passing yardage output of his career with 243, a touchdown, and a pick. He also inexplicably led the team with 26 rushing yards, which included a 28-yard scramble, the longest of his young career. McCarthy put forth an uneven but inspiring performance. Not bad for the cost of a fifth-round pick.
Winner: New Orleans Saints
It may have been their craziest rollercoaster game of the season, but the New Orleans Saints gave their fans something to cheer for again on Sunday. Suddenly, several playmakers emerged for a struggling Saints defense that broke out with five sacks and four takeaways, but they almost gave it all away in the fourth quarter. Nevertheless, the Saints should be proud of the fact that they were able to take a 24-point lead over a team with a winning record, and even got the opposing QB benched in the process.
Loser: Indianapolis Colts
Teams that enter the season with playoff expectations, especially when they don’t have their own first-round pick, shouldn’t lose to winless teams. But the Indianapolis Colts did on Sunday. The Colts outgained the Titans 399 yards to 186, but they lost in the only battle that matters, the one on the scoreboard. Daniel Jones tossed two interceptions, and Jonathan Taylor lost his second fumble of the year. Now, amazingly, the Colts are just one game ahead of the Titans, who looked like they were on track to possibly earn the No. 1 pick all over again prior to Sunday’s surprise win.
Winner: Pittsburgh Steelers
It wasn’t always pretty, but that was a gritty win from Mike McCarthy’s Pittsburgh Steelers. It took everyone putting their best effort forth, from Aaron Rodgers leading a game-winning drive completed with Germie Bernard’s first NFL touchdown. It also included a fairly effective 1-2 rushing punch from Rico Dowdle and Jaylen Warren, producing 89 yards while averaging 4.0 yards per carry. Yet, most importantly, the defense was expectedly dominant against an undrafted rookie QB. Pittsburgh’s D allowed just 224 yards of offense while generating five sacks and two turnovers. Sitting at 4-2, these Steelers suddenly look dangerous, and they’re clearly still not quite in top form.
Loser: Zachariah Branch
The Atlanta Falcons have high hopes for third-round rookie Zachariah Branch, and they’re in dire need of another playmaker stepping up on offense. While Branch caught both of his targets for nine yards, he somehow lost fumbles after each reception. Those are the types of mistakes that get players in the doghouse. While Kevin Stefanski forgave him once, will Branch get the same opportunities next week against the 49ers?
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Winner: Mike LaFleur
What a win. Those are the types that front offices and ownership groups remember at the end of the season when the Arizona Cardinals will inevitably end with one of the worst records in the NFL. After all, this was a one-win Cardinals team that just took down what many presumed were the Super Bowl favorites after a splashy offseason. It definitely wasn’t a perfect game by any means, as Chad Ryland had to drill six field goals to score all the Cardinals’ points, but it’s the type of victory that can galvanize a locker room.
Loser: Sean McVay
It’s almost like the Los Angeles Rams had too much hype after an MVP campaign from Matthew Stafford and reaching the NFC Championship Game. You can make the argument that the Rams didn’t have Myles Garrett, but even without him, the group that did take the field should have been good enough to take on an unproven Cardinals team that likely ends up with a top-five draft pick.
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Loser: Mike McDaniel
Mike McDaniel’s days as the Los Angeles Chargers’ offensive coordinator may be numbered. He was supposed to help unleash Justin Herbert’s potential, but instead there’s oddly been trade rumors involving one of the NFL’s most gifted franchise quarterbacks. But a 0-5 start is no joke, and the Chargers mustered just 259 yards of offense and six points on Sunday; it doesn’t even matter who the opponent is or was. The Chargers expected to be able to beat anyone when the season started, but so far, they’ve failed every single test.
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