Patriots Victory Highlights Week 6 Slate
Week 6 of the NFL Season was in no better way to explain it … strange.
In Denver, we got a 25 degree game at kickoff between the Rams and Broncos … on October 14th. Had the game happened a day later, we may have seen a snow game as the City of Plains welcomed snowfall this past weekend.
Nathan Peterman threw a game-winning touchdown to … the other team. The Cowboys found an NFL offense vs Jacksonville, Baltimore turned Marcus Mariota into a human piñata and Miami pretty much kept it a tight to the vest that their secret weapon on Sunday would be Brock Osweiler (No kidding).
With so many headlines to cover from Sunday’s action, these four in particular standout (Steelers-Bengals didn’t make the cut, we’re on time constraints here).
Here is my recap of the Sunday that was in the NFL.
Brady Leads Pats To Wild Win Over Chiefs
Just as many fans tuning in would’ve expected, we got a barn burner of a game between two of the most prolific offenses in the NFL.
The New England Patriots were opposed by this upstart, dynamic offense led by 23-year-old quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who was leading a 5-0 football team into New England guns blazing.
The old guard vs the team looking to stake their claim to the throne. That’s what we saw in the New England Patriots 43-40 victory over Kansas City on Sunday night.
After Patrick Mahomes’ (352 passing yards, 4 TDs, 2 INTs) late game heroics to Tyreek Hill tied the game at 40-40 with 3:03 left to play, it would put the ball into a man all too familiar with just that.
Driving into Kansas City territory, Tom Brady would find Rob Gronkowski deep on a 39-yard reception to set up New England at Kansas City’s 9-yard line with with under a minute to go.
Stephen Gostkowski would nail a game-winning 28-yard field goal for the Patriots as time expired to hand Kansas City their first loss.
Tom Brady finished the game with 340 passing yards and 2 TDs (1 rushing). Rookie running back Sony Michel would rush for 106 rushing yards and 2 TDs.
Kansas City’s defense on third down to begin the season was among the best in the NFL through the first five weeks but the team took a step back by surrendering seven third down conversions.
New England dominated much of this game during the first 30 minutes as they held Kansas City to three field goals while intercepting Patrick Mahomes twice as they led 24-9 at the half.
Andy Reid’s Chiefs battled back in the second half, using a 67-yard Kareem Hunt touchdown reception, forced fumble deep in New England territory, and 97-yard kickoff return to take a 33-30 lead in the fourth quarter.
The play of the game that everyone will be talking about is backup linebacker Breeland Speaks, appearing as if he didn’t want to pick up an unnecessary roughness penalty on third and goal, pulling back on trying to hit Brady as he thought Brady would release the ball.
Brady was dead to rights by Speaks, who had him wrapped up, but he let him escape to scramble for a 4-yard touchdown run which gave New England a 37-33 lead with 5:25 to play.
That play was huge as a field goal changes Kansas City’s offensive game-plan dramatically from going to the air to try to take the lead to trying to run out the clock for a game-winning field goal by Harrison Butker.
However, the play did happen and a game that produced high-drama saw missed opportunities on both sides.
A regular-season game that lived up to the expectations may provide viewers with a even greater piece of theater if Kansas City gets back Eric Berry and Justin Houston at full strength.
For the Patriots, so much for that 1-2 start.
Jaguars Humbled In Big D
No, the Dallas Cowboys offense was miserable through the first five games of the season.
One of the NFL’s worst units were expected to continue their trying start to the season vs the Jacksonville Jaguars top ranked defense on Sunday.
That didn’t happen.
Dallas dominated the Jacksonville Jaguars from start to finish in a emphatic 40-7 win at AT&T Stadium.
The Cowboys chose a great day to wake up offensively vs a Jaguars team that suddenly finds itself in a troubling stretch.
Dallas jumped all over Jacksonville early, establishing a 24-0 lead at the half. Dak Prescott channeled his inner-Michael Vick with s career-high 82 rushing yards.
The third year quarterback would have a stellar day through the air with 183 passing yards and 2 TDs.
Running back Ezekiel Elliot would finish the game with 106 rushing yards and 1 TD while wide receiver Cole Beasley had a season-high 101 receiving yards and 2 TDs.
It’s the first time Jacksonville’s defense has allowed back-to-back 30-Point games since the start of the 2017 season.
Jalen Ramsey and the Jaguars defense looked to be frustrated as a defensive unit as miscommunications on defense led to Dallas’ 28th ranked offense racking up their most points since Week 7 of last year.
Jacksonville’s problems along the offensive side of the ball are alarming as injuries to that side of the ball have affected them.
Blake Bortles can be a issue for Jacksonville when he feels uncomfortable in the pocket and in each of the last two weeks that’s been the case. The offensive line’s struggles have led to a total of six turnovers in by Bortles over the past two games.
Dallas on the other hand picks up a key victory in a crowded NFC East as the division has no clear favorite to win it through the first six weeks.
Todd Gurley, Rams Hold Off Broncos Late
The Rams got a scare late from the Denver Broncos, but in the end, they remain the same as they entered.
Undefeated.
The Los Angeles Rams outlasted the Denver Broncos 23-20 on Sunday in a bitterly cold day at Sports Authority Field.
Behind a career-high 208 rushing yards from running back Todd Gurley, Los Angeles extended their unbeaten record to 6-0.
It wasn’t a pretty win for Los Angeles as they nearly squandered a 17-point second half lead, but Sean McVay understands the difficulty in playing in Mile-High and that this would never be a easy game.
Denver chipped away at Los Angeles’ lead with Case Keenum going for 322 passing yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT, but it would not be enough.
A late drive in the fourth quarter that ended in a 21-yard field goal by kicker Cairo Santos would give Los Angeles a 10-point cushion with under four minutes to play with Denver without a timeout.
The Los Angeles Rams are 6-0 for the first time since 2001, the last time they reached the Super Bowl.
They will look to make it a perfect 3-0 on a difficult three-game road trip with a win next Sunday vs the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium.
Osweiler, Dolphins Shock Bears In OT
For the Miami Dolphins, the next man up was the best man up vs the Chicago Bears.
The Miami Dolphins defeated the Chicago Bears 31-28 in overtime on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium to snap their two-game skid.
Miami Dolphins’ kicker Jason Sanders would nail a 47-yard field goal as time expired in overtime to hand Miami the dramatic victory.
Brock Osweiler (380 passing yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs) would guide the Miami Dolphins in place of an injured Ryan Tannehill.
Miami survived a fumble down on the goal line by running back Kenyan Drake on the first possession of overtime to squeak by Chicago as Miami is now 3-0 at home this season.
Playing for his fourth NFL team, Osweiler would lead Miami to a season-high 541 total yards and end the Chicago Bears’ three-game winning streak.
The Dolphins announced right before kickoff that quarterback Ryan Tannehill would be out for Sunday’s game vs the Chicago Bears with a undisclosed injury.
After the game, Adam Gase would not address just exactly what injury Ryan Tannehill sustained that resulted in him not playing today.
While getting 541 yards of offense and 31 points with Brock Osweiler might serve as more of an anomaly than anything else, beating a red-hot team coming off a bye week says a lot about the Miami Dolphins.
Miami used a fourth quarter surge that included two touchdowns by wide receiver Albert Wilson (6 receptions, 155 receiving yards, 2 TDs) to tie the game in regulation.Chicago had numerous opportunities to seal this game.
The Bears would commit three turnovers on offense, with two coming down in the redzone. Head coach Matt Nagy will be second guessed for seemingly taking the ball out of Mitchell Trubisky’s hands on Miami’s side of the field.
Keeping the ball on the ground would lead to Chicago settling for a 53-yard field goal attempt by Cody Parkey, who missed wide right following the two-minute warning of overtime.
The Bears may have been caught looking ahead to New England as their defensive performance on Sunday was uncharacteristic and surprising, but Miami deservingly won this game in the end.
What are your thoughts on Sunday’s NFL Week 6 games? Leave your comments below!