NFL NationOct 14, 2025, 12:46 AM 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.
Bijan on Falcons’ win: We proved a point (1:33)Bijan Robinson says the Falcons made a statement in their 24-14 victory over the Bills on “Monday Night Football.” (1:33)
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.
To conclude the week, the Atlanta Falcons delivered a big Monday night performance against the Buffalo Bills, winning 24-14, and the Chicago Bears topped the Washington Commanders 25-24 on a field goal as time expired.
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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Turning point: The Bears trailed 24-22 when Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels and running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt botched their exchange near midfield. Chicago recovered the fumble and gave Williams and the offense the final 3:07 to get back on track and turn an ugly game into triumph with a winning drive. Chicago had all three of its timeouts down the stretch as it set up for Moody’s winning kick in the rain and wind.
Biggest hole in the game plan: Defending the deep ball. Daniels had three completions on throws at least 20 yards against the Bears’ defense, including two touchdowns. Despite the Bears being in their dime defense late in the third quarter, somehow none of Chicago’s defensive backs remembered to cover Washington receiver Luke McCaffrey, who was left wide open for a 33-yard touchdown off a wheel route. — Courtney Cronin
Biggest hole in the game plan: Washington struggled versus Swift. The running back had not gained more than 78 yards from scrimmage in any of his first four games this season. Yet, he rushed for 108 yards and caught two passes for 67. He consistently burned Washington. The Bears did a good job opening holes for him, but coach and playcaller Ben Johnson also helped by calling misdirection runs.
Trend to watch: The Falcons were without two of their top three wide receivers in Darnell Mooney (hamstring) and Ray-Ray McCloud III (healthy scratch). McCloud’s absence was a surprise. It forced the Falcons to rely heavily on two skill players: Robinson and Drake London, who combined for 89% of the team’s yardage in the first half and came in with the highest percentage of their team’s scrimmage yardage (57%) out of any duo in the NFL, according to ESPN Research.
Stat to know: The Falcons’ 335 yards in the first half were their most before halftime since 2009. For the first time in Falcons franchise history, the team had a running back and wide receiver — Robinson and London, respectively — eclipse the 100-yard mark in the first half. — Marc Raimondi
Stat to know: The Falcons’ 335 first-half yards were the most that the Bills have allowed before halftime since 2001 (Week 2, at Indianapolis Colts). Missed tackles were a major theme for the Bills’ defense, especially in the first half, but the unit adjusted well in the second half. The Falcons were held to 8 net yards in the third quarter and 109 net yards in the fourth. — Alaina Getzenberg
Best quote out of the locker room: Left tackle Dion Dawkins on what he feels like needs to be done for the offense to be consistent: “I wish I had an answer, because I would’ve said it today. But no one knows. We just got to just keep playing hard and keep being us. Protect our guy, protect, play, catch, pass, block, do what we do well and we’ll be A-OK. It sucks to lose, but once again, it’s not the end. It’s not the end. Even though it might feel like it.”
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