NFL Week 6 Recap — The Cowboys Are Dangerous & Other Things We Learned
Close games, upsets and injuries highlighted Week 6 of the 2016 NFL season. Here’s what we learned this week:
The Cowboys’ Dynamic Duo Crushed The Packers
Dak Prescott passed for 247 yards and three touchdowns, and the Dallas Cowboys crushed the Green Bay Packers, 30-16, on Sunday. Dallas (5-1) forced four turnovers and used Prescott and fellow rookie Ezekiel Elliott to smash Green Bay (3-2).
Prescott finally threw his first interception, setting an NFL record streak for a quarterback at the start of his career with 176 pass attempts. He still led his team to a win despite three turnovers on the day. Elliott finished with 157 yards on 28 carries for the Cowboys, who now have a legitimate claim as the best team in the NFC.
Packers fans booed often as quarterback Aaron Rodgers was unable to generate much offense against the Dallas defense. Green Bay didn’t cross the goal line until late in the fourth quarter, when Rodgers threw a six-yard touchdown pass to Randall Cobb with 6:53 left.
Russell Wilson Can Still Work Miracles
Steven Hauschka kicked a 44-yard field goal with 1:57 remaining, and the Seattle Seahawks edged the Atlanta Falcons, 26-24, on Sunday. Seattle (4-1) won thanks to the 20th career fourth-quarter comeback by Seahawks’ quarterback Russell Wilson, who was 25 of 37 for 270 yards.
Atlanta (4-2) led the game after quarterback Matt Ryan drove the Falcons to 21 third-quarter points, but he could not counter in the final quarter. Ryan was intercepted by Earl Thomas on a tipped ball with 3:48 remaining. Ryan finished 27 of 42 for 335 yards and three touchdowns. Atlanta’s Julio Jones had seven catches for 139 yards and a touchdown.
The victory sets Seattle up as the team to beat in the NFC West, while the Falcons still have a 1.5 game lead in the NFC South.
The Colts Defense Finds Ways To Lose Games
Nick Novak kicked a 33-yard field goal in overtime, and the Houston Texans beat the Indianapolis Colts, 26-23, on Sunday night. Houston (4-2) rallied from a 14-point deficit in the final three minutes of the game, winning in overtime after Indianapolis (2-4) failed to score.
Texans’ quarterback Brock Osweiler threw two touchdown passes in less than two minutes in the fourth quarter against the shabby Colts’ defense to tie the game.
Andrew Luck threw for 252 yards and a touchdown for Indy. His 14-yard run gave the Colts a commanding 20-9 lead early in the fourth quarter, but the defense could not hold on for the win.
Brady & Gronk Killed The Bengals
Tom Brady completed 29 of 35 passes for 376 yards and three touchdowns, and the New England Patriots drubbed the Cincinnati Bengals, 35-17, on Sunday in Massachusetts. New England (5-1) got great production from tight end Rob Gronkowski, who had seven catches for 162 yards and a touchdown.
Quarterback Andy Dalton finished 21 of 31 for 254 yards and a touchdown for Cincinnati (2-4), but he had little chance of rallying his team to a win. The Bengals have their worst record under coach Marvin Lewis since 2010, when they finished 4-12. Unless Cincy can run off a win streak, their window of contention may be closed.
The Panthers May Be Done
Wil Lutz kicked a 52-yard field goal with 11 seconds left, and the New Orleans Saints topped the Carolina Panthers, 41-38, on Sunday. Leading by 21 points in the first half, New Orleans (2-3) withstood a furious rally to get the win and all but end the playoff hopes of Carolina (1-5). No NFL team that has started 1-5 has made the playoffs the year after they were in the Super Bowl.
Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees victimized the terrible Panthers’ secondary for 465 yards and four touchdowns, with an interception. Carolina’s Cam Newton returned from a concussion to complete 27 of 47 passes for 322 yards, with two touchdowns and an interception. He also ran for a game-tying score in the fourth quarter, but the Panthers couldn’t get the win.
The Bills Squashed Colin Kaepernick & The Niners
LeSean McCoy ran for 140 yards and three touchdowns, and the Buffalo Bills routed the San Francisco 49ers, 45-16, on Sunday. Buffalo (4-2) won its fourth consecutive game for the first time since 2008.
Making his first start of the season for San Francisco (1-5), quarterback Colin Kaepernick once again knelt in protest during the national anthem as the Bills’ fans chanted “USA! USA! USA!” He finished 13 of 29 for 187 yards, with a touchdown; he was booed often by the home team’s fans.
The only person who may have had a worse day was Niners’ coach Chip Kelly. He traded McCoy to Buffalo when both were in Philadelphia. Kelly only wishes he had as much talent in the Bay Area as he did in Philly.
Big Ben Got Hurt & The Steelers Got Upset
Jay Ajayi ran for 204 yards and two touchdowns, and the Miami Dolphins upset the Pittsburgh Steelers, 30-15, on Sunday. Miami (2-4) pressured quarterback Ben Roethlisberger all day, forcing him out of the game for one series with a left knee injury that may require surgery.
Pittsburgh (4-2) was out of synch on offense all day, getting outgained 474 to 297 yards. Roethlisberger finished 19 for 34 for 189 yards, with a touchdown and two interceptions. The Dolphins hammered away on both offense and defense, and escaped with a victory that may have saved their season.
Other Scores
Thursday, October 13
San Diego 21, Denver 13
Sunday, October 16
Washington 27, Philadelphia 20
Tennessee 28, Cleveland 26
N.Y. Giants 27, Baltimore 23
Jacksonville 17, Chicago 16
Detroit 31, Los Angeles 28
Kansas City 26, Oakland 10
Bye Week
Minnesota, Tampa Bay