NFL NationOct 12, 2025, 11:08 PM ETCloseNFL Nation is made up of 32 team-specific reporters who cover the NFL year-round across ESPN.com, ESPN television shows, ESPN Radio, ESPN+ and social media platforms. It was established ahead of the 2013 season.
play0:24Tucker Kraft dives into the end zone to pad Packers’ leadTucker Kraft fights off a pair of defenders as he dives across the goal line to extend the Packers’ lead.
play0:25Ashton Jeanty barges in for a Raiders TDAshton Jeanty gets into the end zone on a 3-yard rush to put the Raiders up 17-0.
play0:51Herbert’s magic in pocket sets up winning Chargers FGJustin Herbert escapes pressure and finds Ladd McConkey, putting the Chargers in range for a Cameron Dicker field goal in the final seconds.
play0:55Sam Darnold finds AJ Barner deep for 61-yard gainSam Darnold launches a 61-yard strike to AJ Barner, who powers through before finally being taken down.
play0:17Fitzgerald’s 33-yard FG gives Panthers the winRyan Fitzgerald hits a 33-yard field goal as time expires to seal the win for the Panthers over the Cowboys.
play0:55Stafford’s 4th-and-3 completion sets up Rams TDMatthew Stafford makes an amazing throw to Kyren Williams, who comes down with the ball then he rushes in for a touchdown on the next play.
play0:35Broncos defense comes up with game-sealing sackJonathon Cooper and Brandon Jones get to Justin Fields to seal the game for the Broncos.
Tez Johnson celebrates 1st TD of season with backflip (0:30)Tez Johnson hauls in Baker Mayfield’s dart and celebrates his first touchdown of the season with a backflip. (0:30)
Tucker Kraft dives into the end zone to pad Packers’ leadTucker Kraft fights off a pair of defenders as he dives across the goal line to extend the Packers’ lead.
Tucker Kraft fights off a pair of defenders as he dives across the goal line to extend the Packers’ lead.
Ashton Jeanty barges in for a Raiders TDAshton Jeanty gets into the end zone on a 3-yard rush to put the Raiders up 17-0.
Herbert’s magic in pocket sets up winning Chargers FGJustin Herbert escapes pressure and finds Ladd McConkey, putting the Chargers in range for a Cameron Dicker field goal in the final seconds.
Justin Herbert escapes pressure and finds Ladd McConkey, putting the Chargers in range for a Cameron Dicker field goal in the final seconds.
Sam Darnold finds AJ Barner deep for 61-yard gainSam Darnold launches a 61-yard strike to AJ Barner, who powers through before finally being taken down.
Sam Darnold launches a 61-yard strike to AJ Barner, who powers through before finally being taken down.
Fitzgerald’s 33-yard FG gives Panthers the winRyan Fitzgerald hits a 33-yard field goal as time expires to seal the win for the Panthers over the Cowboys.
Ryan Fitzgerald hits a 33-yard field goal as time expires to seal the win for the Panthers over the Cowboys.
Stafford’s 4th-and-3 completion sets up Rams TDMatthew Stafford makes an amazing throw to Kyren Williams, who comes down with the ball then he rushes in for a touchdown on the next play.
Matthew Stafford makes an amazing throw to Kyren Williams, who comes down with the ball then he rushes in for a touchdown on the next play.
Broncos defense comes up with game-sealing sackJonathon Cooper and Brandon Jones get to Justin Fields to seal the game for the Broncos.
Week 6 of the 2025 NFL season kicked off with an NFC East showdown between the Eagles and the Giants on Thursday night. The Giants’ rookies dominated their win, as quarterback Jaxson Dart and running back Cam Skattebo accounted for five total touchdowns.
Sunday’s action began overseas for the third straight week, with the Broncos holding on in London and the Jets remaining the NFL’s lone winless team. Back in the United States, the Ravens lost their fourth straight game with three turnovers against the Rams. The Panthers won on a time-expiring field goal over the Cowboys, while the Chargers had one of their own against the Dolphins.
In the late window, the Raiders ended a four-game losing streak with a comfortable win over the Titans. The Buccaneers continued their hot start with another victory over an NFC West opponent, beating the 49ers after defeating the Seahawks last week. And the Bengals couldn’t get past the Packers in quarterback Joe Flacco’s Cincinnati debut.
Our NFL Nation reporters reacted to all the action, answering lingering questions coming out of each game and detailing everything else you need to know for every team. Let’s get to it.
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What to make of the QB performance: Goff has a passing touchdown in 12 straight games, which is the longest streak of his career, per ESPN Research. Goff went 22-for-25 with 194 yards and 2 touchdowns, but the offense couldn’t find a groove in the second half. — Eric Woodyard
Tucker Kraft dives into the end zone to pad Packers’ lead
What to make of the QB performance: Cincinnati should be encouraged with how Flacco played, particularly in the second half. Flacco did a very good job of playing on time, finding a good rhythm and locating open receivers. When the Bengals traded for Flacco this week, they were hopeful the 40-year-old signal-caller could jump-start a dormant offense. If he continues to play like this, it could be good enough to inject the slightest bit of life into Cincinnati’s season. — Ben Baby
Stat to know: Eddy Pineiro has made his first 15 field goal attempts of the season. That ties him with Robbie Gould (2017), for the most consecutive made field goals by a San Francisco kicker to start a season, according to Elias Sports Bureau. Considering all the other issues, the 49ers finally seem to at least have figured out the kicking situation.
Best quote from the locker room: Wide receiver Jauan Jennings said he had to take nausea medicine after Warner got hurt: “Just losing Fred, he’s one of the guys that I basically look up to. He’s been one of the guys who’s led this team year in and year out and just his words of encouragement before every game, man, and just know how much he loves the game. It just very sad, and it makes me sick to my stomach.” — Nick Wagoner
Can tight end Michael Mayer continue to step up in Brock Bowers’ absence? The Raiders had always believed they had two starting-caliber tight ends in Bowers and Mayer. After Mayer missed two straight games because of a concussion, he stepped up in a big way. The former Notre Dame standout totaled five catches for 50 yards and a touchdown, which was encouraging while Bowers was out with a knee injury. The Raiders will need Mayer to continue being a reliable presence in the passing game.
Turning point: The Titans had a chance to put points on the board at the end of the first half and couldn’t capitalize. Quarterback Cam Ward was pressured by Raiders defensive linemen Tyree Wilson and Jonah Laulu before throwing an interception to linebacker Devin White. — Ryan McFadden
Ashton Jeanty gets into the end zone on a 3-yard rush to put the Raiders up 17-0.
Biggest hole in the game plan: The Titans’ offense struggled to move the football once again. Tennessee found itself consistently behind the chains because of penalties and sacks allowed. Another issue was its insistence on playing horizontal football, especially with the screen game. Offensive playcaller Bo Hardegree dialed up screen plays on five of their 59 snaps on offense. The Titans gained only eight yards on the screen plays — none of which led to a first down. — Turron Davenport
Turning point: The Steelers’ first drive of the second half was nearly their first three-and-out of the game, until the Browns were whistled for running into punter Corliss Waitman. The penalty gave the Steelers a fresh set of downs and jump-started the offense. The Steelers rattled off five plays of 10-plus yards and just one incompletion en route to their first touchdown on a vintage 12-yard scramble drill toss from Rodgers to tight end Connor Heyward.
Should the Browns make trades at the deadline after falling to 1-5? Cleveland made a pair of midweek trades, and although multiple players said the team is committed to winning, perhaps the front office should be more open to accumulating picks in the 2026 NFL draft. The Browns have several veterans on expiring contracts, such as defensive lineman Shelby Harris and tight end David Njoku, who could return the additional picks that Cleveland is going to need to rebuild its foundation.
Biggest hole in the game plan: Not having cornerback Denzel Ward shadow Steelers receiver DK Metcalf in cornerback Tyson Campbell’s team debut. Just days after arriving in Cleveland via trade from the Jaguars, Campbell struggled against Metcalf, giving up three catches (six targets) for 70 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Ward didn’t give up a catch to Metcalf on two targets.
Best quote from the locker room: “Losing the same way is frustrating as hell,” Garrett said after the Browns’ offense failed to eclipse 17 points for the 11th straight game. — Daniel Oyefusi
Has the Chargers’ offense gotten its groove back? In the first half, the Chargers’ offense was out of sync, having little success doing anything. They went into the half with three field goals, but those struggles dissipated in the second half. Justin Herbert & Co. leaned on their running game to build a lead and help seal the late win. The caveat here is that the Dolphins have the league’s worst run defense, so the Chargers’ success could be the result of taking advantage of a poor unit.
Herbert’s magic in pocket sets up winning Chargers FG
What to make of the QB performance: Daniel Jones didn’t have a gaudy stat line — 22-of-30, 212 yards, two touchdowns and an interception — but he was diligent in not forcing balls into the teeth of a very good Arizona defense. And Jones gets credit for a fourth-quarter game-winning drive when he helped engineer a nine-play, 66-yard drive that ended with the decisive touchdown with 4:32 remaining. — Stephen Holder