Honestly, if you missed NFL week 6 2025, you missed one of the weirdest stretches of professional football in recent memory. It wasn't just about the scores. It was the pure, unadulterated chaos of it all. People are still talking about that London game like it was a fever dream, and don't even get me started on what happened in Kansas City.
The league felt upside down. We saw the Jets finish a game with negative passing yards. Yes, you read that right. Negative. We saw a legendary linebacker's season end in a heartbeat. And somehow, Rico Dowdle became the scariest man in the league for a weekend. If you think you know how the playoff picture looks after this, you're probably lying to yourself.
The London Disaster and the -10 Yard Stat
Everyone expected the Jets and Broncos to be a bit of a defensive slog in London. But nobody—literally nobody—saw NFL week 6 2025 delivering a stat line so bad it hadn't been seen since 1998.
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The Jets' offense, led by Justin Fields, was basically a non-entity. They finished with -10 net passing yards. To put that in perspective, if you had walked onto the field, taken a knee, and lost 9 yards, you would have been more productive than an entire NFL passing attack. Vance Joseph’s "Mile High Maulers" defense treated the Jets' offensive line like a revolving door, racking up 9 sacks.
Poor Fields was running for his life. He completed 45 yards worth of passes, but those 9 sacks burned 55 yards off the total. The math is brutal. It’s the kind of game that makes a front office question every decision they’ve made in the last three years. Somehow, because Denver’s offense wasn't exactly lighting it up either, the Jets were still in it at the end. They had a chance. Then, predictably, they went for it on 4th down instead of letting Nick Folk try a 62-yarder, and Fields got sacked again. Game over. Denver wins 13-11.
Why Rico Dowdle and the Panthers are Ruining Parlays
If you had "Rico Dowdle outgains the entire Cowboys roster" on your bingo card, go buy a lottery ticket. The Panthers beating Dallas 30-27 was the upset of the week, and it was personal. Dowdle, who spent four years in Dallas before they let him walk, decided to turn into prime Marshall Faulk for a day.
He put up 239 all-purpose yards. 183 of those were on the ground. He basically told his old team "you wasn't buckled up" after the game, and he wasn't wrong.
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The Cowboys are in a weird spot. They’re 2-3-1 now. They’re averaging 30 points a game over their last few outings with zero turnovers, which usually means you're undefeated. Instead, they’re the first team since the 70s to put up those kinds of numbers and not have a winning record in that span. It’s a statistical anomaly that is driving Dallas fans absolutely insane.
The High Cost of Victory in Tampa
The Buccaneers look like the best team in the NFC, but man, they are paying for it in blood. They beat the 49ers 30-19, but both teams left the field looking like they’d been in a car wreck.
Baker Mayfield is playing like an MVP candidate. He threw for two scores and had this insane 3rd-and-14 scramble that set up a touchdown to rookie Tez Johnson. He’s doing this while his top four receivers are basically all in the training room. But the real story here is the 49ers' defense.
Fred Warner is out for the season.
He broke and dislocated his ankle.
It’s a massive blow to a San Francisco team that already lost Nick Bosa.
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Watching Warner get carted off in an aircast felt like the air leaving the stadium. The Niners are 4-2, but they’re "banged up" in a way that feels unsustainable. Mac Jones threw for over 300 yards in the loss, but two picks killed their momentum.
Quick Hits from the Sunday Slate
- Steelers vs. Browns: Aaron Rodgers is apparently immortal. He threw for 235 yards and 2 TDs to lead Pittsburgh to a 23-9 win. The Browns have now lost 22 straight games in Pittsburgh. That’s a generation of heartbreak.
- Chiefs vs. Lions: Sunday Night Football ended in a literal brawl. KC won 30-17, and Patrick Mahomes looked perfect, but the post-game fight is all the morning shows are talking about.
- Bears vs. Commanders: Caleb Williams got his revenge for the 2024 Hail Mary game. Chicago took it 25-24 on Monday night.
- Chargers vs. Dolphins: Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey are a problem. They escaped Miami with a 29-27 win after a wild 42-yard connection late in the game.
The Injury Ward is Overflowing
We need to talk about the sheer number of stars who went down or stayed down in NFL week 6 2025. It’s starting to feel like a war of attrition.
| Player | Team | Injury Status |
|---|---|---|
| Fred Warner | 49ers | Out for Season (Ankle) |
| Anthony Richardson | Colts | IR (Orbital Fracture) |
| Marvin Harrison Jr. | Cardinals | Concussion |
| Puka Nacua | Rams | Day-to-Day (Ankle) |
| Garrett Wilson | Jets | Out 2-3 weeks (Knee) |
| Emeka Egbuka | Buccaneers | Hamstring (Evaluating) |
The Anthony Richardson one is just bizarre. He suffered an orbital fracture while warming up. You can't make this stuff up. The Colts still beat the Cardinals 31-27, but losing their franchise QB to a pre-game freak accident is peak Colts luck.
What This Means for the Rest of October
If you’re looking for actionable insights, look at the trenches. The teams that dominated this week—Denver, Pittsburgh, Seattle—did it by living in the opponent's backfield. Seattle sacked Trevor Lawrence seven times. Seven!
The "Year of the Kicker" is also very real. Cameron Dicker won the game for the Chargers. Wil Lutz won it for Denver. If your team has a shaky kicker right now, you’re essentially playing with a handicap.
Your next steps for Week 7:
- Monitor the 49ers' waiver wire. With Warner out, their defensive identity has to change. Look for them to be aggressive in the trade market before the deadline.
- Sell high on the Cowboys' offense. The stats are "empty calories" right now. They can't close games, and the locker room frustration is palpable.
- Watch the Jets' coaching staff. After that London performance, Robert Saleh's seat isn't just hot; it's melting. A QB change or a coordinator firing feels inevitable before next Sunday.
The hierarchy of the AFC North has officially shifted. With the Steelers at 4-1 and the Ravens spiraling after a loss to the Rams, the old guard is under siege. Week 6 wasn't just another week on the calendar; it was the week the 2025 season finally revealed its true, chaotic face.
Check the injury reports on Wednesday. With the amount of soft tissue injuries (hamstrings especially) we saw this weekend, several teams will be starting practice with "skeleton" squads. If you're playing fantasy or betting the spreads, the "Questionable" tag is your new best friend.
Next Steps
I can help you break down the specific playoff implications for the NFC West following the Fred Warner injury, or if you prefer, I can draft a detailed scouting report on the rookies who stepped up for the Giants in their upset over Philadelphia.