Cardinals pull off upset of Rams while Eagles suffer loss: five takeaways from Week Six
The sixth week of the NFL season delivered a dramatic mix of injury news, surprise victories and historic moments. Here are the five stories that defined the weekend.
The Philadelphia Eagles saw their quarterback situation take a serious turn. Jalen Hurts, who played against Jacksonville despite a superficial clot in his calf, was later diagnosed with deep‑vein thrombosis and bilateral pulmonary emboli – multiple blood clots in his lungs. Medical staff expect his recovery to take at least three months, meaning he will miss the remainder of the season, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Backup Tanner McKee started his third game against the Carolina Panthers, but the Eagles fell 25‑14, extending their losing streak to four games for the first time since head coach Nick Sirianni arrived in 2021. The loss comes on the heels of offensive‑line departures, with Lane Johnson retiring and Cam Jurgens being traded to Baltimore two weeks earlier, prompting concerns among Philadelphia fans about the end of a recent era of success.
The Los Angeles Rams, once the preseason favorites for the Super Bowl, continue to struggle. After a recent overtime defeat to the Buffalo Bills that handed the San Francisco 49ers the top spot in the NFC West, the Rams cut kicker Harrison Mevis and added Blake Grupe from the New York Jets’ practice squad. Grupe kicked the opening field goal against Arizona but injured his knee on a tackle during the ensuing kickoff. With punter Ethan Evans handling the extra point after Colby Parkinson’s touchdown, the Rams briefly reclaimed the lead late in the game, only to see Arizona’s kicker Chad Ryland nail a career‑high sixth field goal as time expired, delivering an 18‑16 upset at SoFi Stadium. The victory gave the Cardinals their second win of the year, both coming at home, and moved them ahead of the Rams in a division that also includes the unbeaten 49ers and defending champion Seattle Seahawks. “We’ve got to be able to figure it out and it starts with me,” Rams head coach Sean McVay said after the loss.
San Francisco remains the league’s benchmark, preserving a perfect record with a 23‑17 home win over Washington that kept the 49ers at 6‑0. Their consistency stands in contrast to the Kansas City Chiefs, who celebrated a milestone as quarterback Patrick Mahomes recorded his 100th regular‑season win in his 131st start, tying Tom Brady’s all‑time mark. Kansas City added Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker, who rushed for 128 yards and two touchdowns in a 22‑6 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, and now leads the NFL with 665 rushing yards – the most ever through a player’s first five games with a new team. The Chiefs sit at 5‑0, matching the Minnesota Vikings, while the 49ers remain the only unbeaten team at 6‑0. The Buffalo Bills improved to 5‑1 after a 33‑30 win at the Las Vegas Raiders, and Caleb Williams returned from a hamstring injury to help the Chicago Bears defeat the Atlanta Falcons 31‑23.
London’s NFL showcase produced a high‑scoring affair as the Jacksonville Jaguars faced the Houston Texans at Wembley. Ka’imi Fairbairn’s late field goal gave the Texans a 34‑31 victory, the highest‑scoring London game since 2015. The night also featured a rare individual accomplishment by Jaguars rookie Travis Hunter. In his 13th career game, the 2025 second‑overall pick recorded both a touchdown reception and an interception, becoming the first player to do so since Brian Dawkins in 2002 and only the fourth since the 1970 AFL‑NFL merger. His interception set up a Cam Little field goal that tied the game at 31‑31 before Fairbairn’s kick secured Houston’s second win of the season, leaving Jacksonville at 4‑2.