Week six was a absolute meat grinder. Honestly, if you bet on the favorites, you probably had a rough Monday morning. Between the London slugfest and a Monday night thriller in Washington, the nfl scores week six results completely shifted the power balance of the league. We saw massive upsets that nobody—and I mean nobody—called, and a few "contenders" proved they might just be pretenders in disguise.
The Philadelphia Eagles are officially in a tailspin. Losing to the Giants 34-17 on a Thursday night is one thing, but letting a rookie like Cam Skattebo run through you for three touchdowns? That's a different level of concern. It wasn't just a loss; it was a physical beatdown in the trenches.
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The Big Upsets and Near Misses
The Carolina Panthers actually did it. They took down the Dallas Cowboys 30-27 in a game that felt like a fever dream. Bryce Young looked like the guy everyone hoped he'd be, tossing three touchdowns and keeping his cool when the pocket collapsed. It wasn't just Young, though. Rico Dowdle went absolutely nuclear with 183 rushing yards. Seeing a last-second field goal sail through the uprights at the buzzer basically summed up the chaos of the weekend.
Then you have the Chargers and Dolphins. My goodness. Justin Herbert is basically a magician at this point. The Chargers were choking away a 13-point lead, and with less than a minute left, it looked like Miami was going to pull off the heist. Herbert somehow escaped a certain sack—twice—and found Ladd McConkey for a 42-yard gain that set up Cameron Dicker for the game-winning kick. Chargers 29, Dolphins 27. It was stressful. It was messy. It was classic Jim Harbaugh football.
London's Defensive Masterclass
If you woke up early for the London game, I hope you like defense. The Denver Broncos beat the New York Jets 13-11. Yes, 11 points. The Jets are currently 0-6, and while their defense is elite, the offense is essentially non-existent. Denver's defense racked up nine sacks. Nine! Bo Nix didn't have to do much besides not turn the ball over, and Wil Lutz handled the rest with his leg.
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Breaking Down the Key NFL Scores Week Six
Looking at the scoreboard, a few results really stand out for what they mean long-term.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30, San Francisco 49ers 19: Baker Mayfield is playing some of the best football of his life. He’s gritty, he’s scrambling on 3rd-and-14, and he’s hitting rookies like Tez Johnson for 46-yard daggers. The 49ers are hurting, especially losing Fred Warner to that ankle injury.
- Kansas City Chiefs 30, Detroit Lions 17: This was the heavyweight fight of the week. Patrick Mahomes did Mahomes things (257 yards, zero panic), and the Chiefs' defense looks legit. Detroit kept it close until a scuffle broke out at the end involving Brian Branch, which sort of took the wind out of their sails.
- Atlanta Falcons 24, Buffalo Bills 14: This was a shocker. Michael Penix Jr. looked like a veteran out there, and Bijan Robinson put the team on his back with 170 yards on the ground. The Bills have now lost two in a row, and the "Super Bowl favorite" talk is starting to quiet down.
The Rookie Revolution
We have to talk about the young guys. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is turning into a superstar right before our eyes. He put up 162 yards in the Seahawks' 20-12 win over Jacksonville. Sam Darnold has found a new life in Seattle, which is one of the weirdest and best stories of the season so far. They're 4-2 and sitting pretty in the NFC West while the 49ers struggle to stay healthy.
Monday Night Drama
Monday night gave us two games, but the Bears-Commanders matchup was the one people will be talking about at the water cooler. Caleb Williams vs. Jayden Daniels (though the Commanders have been shifting things around). The Bears escaped with a 25-24 win. DeAndre Swift was the engine, racking up over 100 yards on the ground and catching the ball out of the backfield like a seasoned pro. It was a one-point game that came down to the final possession—exactly how you want to end a week of football.
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Meanwhile, the Falcons' win over the Bills earlier that evening proved that Atlanta might actually be the team to beat in the NFC South. They neutralised Josh Allen, which is a sentence I didn't think I'd be writing this year.
What Most People Get Wrong About Week Six
A lot of fans see a 13-11 score in London and think "bad football." Actually, it was a tactical clinic. The Broncos' defensive coordinator had the Jets' protection schemes figured out by the second quarter. Conversely, the Eagles' loss isn't just a "bad day." It's a schematic issue. They can't stop the run, and if they don't fix that before week seven, the rest of the season is going to be a long, painful slog.
Actionable Insights for the Rest of the Season
If you're following the standings or playing fantasy, here is what you need to do based on the nfl scores week six outcomes:
- Sell High on Dallas: The defense is vulnerable to physical running games. If they couldn't stop Rico Dowdle and the Panthers, they're going to struggle against the heavy hitters later in the year.
- Buy the Seattle Hype: Sam Darnold isn't a fluke. Mike Macdonald has that defense playing at an elite level, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba is a legitimate WR1.
- Watch the Injury Reports: The 49ers without Fred Warner are a completely different unit. Keep a close eye on his status, as it changes the entire landscape of the NFC playoffs.
- Trust the Chiefs' Defense: Everyone talks about Mahomes, but this unit is the reason they are winning games when the offense isn't firing on all cylinders.
The standings are a mess right now. Indianapolis is sitting at 5-1, Tampa Bay is looking like a juggernaut, and the Jets are searching for answers in the dark. Week six didn't just give us scores; it gave us a reality check.
To stay ahead of the curve, focus on the trench play in upcoming matchups. The teams that dominated the line of scrimmage this week—the Giants, Broncos, and Falcons—are the ones currently trending upward, regardless of what the preseason "experts" predicted. Watch the waiver wires for guys like Cam Skattebo if your league allows it; the volume is there, and the talent is undeniable.