Week 6 brought many of the things we’ve become accustomed to in the new 2026 season. However, Sunday may have given us the biggest surprise so far this year.
The Arizona Cardinals pulled off the biggest upset of the season with an 18-16 win over the Los Angeles Rams. Arizona entered Sunday’s game as a 12.5-point underdog, but was in control for most of the day as it picked up its second win at SoFi Stadium.
As great a story as the win was for the Cardinals, however, much of the focus will turn to the Rams. Can they dig themselves out of this 2-4 hole, or are they already too far behind? Are the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles set to join the Rams in the land of upsets as well?
Let’s overreact to Sunday’s Week 6 action.
After a bad loss to the Buffalo Bills on Monday, the Los Angeles Rams looked even worse in an 18-16 loss to one of the worst teams in the league, the Arizona Cardinals, on Sunday.
Special teams were the culprit once again, as the Rams gave up another big comeback. And to make matters worse, junior forward Blake Grupe suffered a knee injury while trying to make a tackle on the play and was done for the day. However, Grupe made a 44-yard field goal before the injury.
But because of the injury, the Rams struggled to get two points back after a fumble recovery by Blake Corum in the first half, which led to quarterback Matthew Stafford taking a wild blindside hit on the play from Arizona tight end Josh Sweat. The conversion was no good as a result, keeping alive the Rams’ streak of failing to convert a two-point conversion since 2023.
It wasn’t just the special teams that failed the Rams on Sunday, though, as the fumble Stafford took on the two-point attempt might have been a microcosm of their day. The Rams turned the ball over at inopportune times, had head penalties and a defense that still lacks injured superstar and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett.
Bottom line: Overreaction… for now
You can blame Los Angeles’ struggles on special teams blunders, but the reality is that the Rams don’t look like the dangerous and dominant Super Team we expected to see at the start of the year. Against an Arizona team led by former Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, the Cardinals didn’t seem intimidated or intimidated by the Rams.
Although Sean McVay has had good success against the Cardinals over the years, the Rams struggled to move the ball against a poor Cardinals defense and allowed a Jacoby Brissett-led offense to go up and down the field for six touchdowns.
Los Angeles has a fairly easy schedule to pick up wins in the coming weeks, which could allow it to take control of its playoff destiny later in the regular season. But after losing games like Sunday, not every win seems guaranteed for the Rams.
McVay told his players they need to get back to work to solve their problems, and he’s right. And while it’s still early, at 2-4, the games are starting to slip away.
Stick a Fork in ‘Em: Big Changes Needed in Dallas
The Cowboys have done their best to support new defensive coordinator Christian Parker as he tries to make the unit a more competitive and cohesive group. The latest change was the hiring of former longtime defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, who worked with Parker in Green Bay, as a senior defensive assistant.
Joey Porter Jr., whom the Cowboys acquired in a trade earlier this month, helped bolster the secondary with his sticky coverage on the perimeter. The Cowboys also made changes to their starting lineup, as edge rusher Malachi Lawrence replaced Donovan Ezeiruaku, Markquese Bell moved to safety and rookie Caleb Downs played nickel back.
But none of the changes created a significant improvement for Dallas’ defense, as the Green Bay Packers jumped out to a 17-0 halftime lead and held on for a 23-13 victory that wasn’t as close as the score suggested.
Conclusion: Not an overreaction
Despite major changes in coaching staff and personnel, the Cowboys are still ineffective on defense. And that’s unfortunate, considering Dallas has one of the most explosive offenses in the league, led by Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. However, the offense also didn’t show up for a second straight week after a poor performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, racking up 303 yards on Sunday.
Add to that, the Cowboys play in one of the most winnable divisions in the NFL in the NFC East, and they can be competitive if they can only get average production from the defense. Despite the changes, that doesn’t appear to be happening, meaning the pressure will continue to intensify for coach Brian Schottenheimer to fix the problem — or owner Jerry Jones will have to find a new coach to fix it at the end of the year.
The Bears are the team to beat in the NFC North with Caleb Williams running back
Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson’s offense looked dangerous again with Caleb Williams back at center after he suffered a hamstring injury that sidelined him for three games.
Williams rallied, completing 30 of 36 passes (83%) for 305 yards and a touchdown. The Bears scored their most points this season since dropping 59 points in a season-opening win over the Carolina Panthers, going on to beat the Atlanta Falcons 31-23. Williams was perfect from a clean pocket, completing all 24 passes for 248 yards, the most attempts without an incompletion from a clean pocket since 2018, according to Next Gen Stats.
Conclusion: Not an overreaction
Chicago is one of the most dangerous offenses in the league with Williams back, and it showed from the jump. The third-year quarterback completed his first 12 passes Sunday, giving him a new career high for consecutive completions thrown to start a game. That helped Chicago jump out to a quick 14-0 lead, as it also showed off his offensive balance due to his ability to run the football with D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai when he’s healthy.
Along with that, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen leads an improved defense that held an explosive Atlanta offense to 257 total yards and sacked Michael Penix Jr. five times. A good chunk of those yards came after the Bears jumped out to a 31-7 lead, keeping the Falcons at bay for most of the day.
While the Bears play in the most competitive division in football in the NFC North, Chicago might be the most balanced of the four. That means it’s capable of making a deep postseason run, led by Williams’ arms and legs.
Eagles Need To Trade For A QB With Jalen Hurts Out
Subbed for an ailing Jalen Hurts (out indefinitely with a blood clot), backup quarterback Tanner McKee had trouble moving the Philadelphia Eagles’ offense on Sunday. The Eagles managed just 14 points and had a six-game losing streak at home in a 25-14 loss to the Carolina Panthers.
McKee completed 25 of 46 for 217 yards, with one touchdown pass and no interceptions. He was sacked three times, posting a 77.5 passer rating. McKee’s longest pass was 19 yards, so the Eagles once again created very few explosive plays in the passing game. And Sunday’s loss marked their fourth straight as they prepare to be without Hurts for at least three more games due to his placement on injured reserve.
Conclusion: Not an overreaction
Even with the Eagles’ struggles, they still play in a winnable division, which my colleague Ralph Vacchiano aptly labeled NFC Least last week. So why not make a move to improve the quarterback play and give a talented defense to compete and win the division?
We also have a name in mind. Even after their upset win Sunday, the Cardinals have to play for draft position under first-year coach Mike LaFleur. A quarterback like Cardinals veteran Jacoby Brissett could be the stabilizing and steadying force the Eagles need, and one they should consider. After Sunday’s win, Brissett has thrown for 1,328 yards, nine touchdowns and six interceptions this season, ranking in the middle of the pack among quarterbacks in the most notable stats.
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has been willing to make big changes in the past, including signing Saquon Barkley and trading for AJ Brown. Making a move for a quarterback like Brissett doesn’t compare to those blockbuster deals, but it also shows the locker room the Eagles haven’t given up on this season.
In his second NFL season, Hunter is finally emerging as a consistent player for the Jaguars. Hunter played nine snaps on offense, 58 on defense and two on special teams in the team’s loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday, making standout plays on both sides of the ball.
Offensively, Hunter finished with four receptions for 59 receiving yards on four targets, including a 7-yard catch out of the backfield for a score. He now has two career strikes and, coincidentally, both came at Wembley Stadium. Hunter’s first sack came a year ago in the Jaguars’ loss to the Rams.
Defensively, Hunter had three combined tackles and an interception on a CJ Stroud pass intended for Xavier Hutchinson that he lost in the end zone. That interception was also pretty clutch. Jacksonville needed to keep Houston off the board in order to prevent the Texans from extending their lead to 31-28 at the time.
Conclusion: Overreaction
Hunter became the first player to catch a pass and an interception in a game since Brian Dawkins in 2002, joining the rare feat on Sunday. Even though it happened in a losing effort to the Texans, Hunter made the kind of impact plays that the Jaguars believe justified their rationale for giving up significant draft capital to move up in the draft to take the Colorado product with the second overall pick last year.
However, after playing just seven games his rookie year due to a season-ending knee injury, Hunter still has more to show. Last season, Hunter played primarily on offense, totaling 28 catches for 298 receiving yards and a score. He played in 156 defensive snaps, totaling 15 combined tackles and three pass breakups, leaving most people disappointed with his play.
This year, the Jaguars have used Hunter as a part-time cornerback. Before Sunday, Hunter had played in 79% of the Jaguars’ defensive snaps and just 7% of their offensive snaps, finding some success using him that way.
However, Hunter needs to prove he can maintain a high level of play by staying on the field for the duration of an NFL season before we can make any big claims about his stardom.
