playNFL NationOct 18, 2026, 08:00 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.Multiple AuthorsOpen Extended ReactionsThe Sunday slate for Week 6 of the 2026 NFL season kicked off in London with a thrilling matchup between the Texans and Jaguars. Wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. made his much-anticipated Texans debut, but it was quarterback C.J. Stroud who was the star as Houston held off Jacksonville.Back in the United States, the Ravens struggled in their second full game without QB Lamar Jackson this season, allowing the Browns to maintain first place in the AFC North.
Elsewhere in that division, the Steelers needed an overtime period to defeat the Bucs. And the Eagles dropped their fourth straight game.In the late window Sunday, the Cardinals defeated the Rams on a time-expiring field goal despite not getting in the end zone once. The Chiefs stayed undefeated with a comfortable win over the winless Chargers. And the Bills came out on top of a shootout against the Raiders.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 teams that played Sunday.
Fantasy football analysts Matt Bowen and Tristan Cockcroft also have fantasy takeaways from each matchup.Let’s get to it with the biggest lessons from Sunday.Jump to: BUF-LV | ARI-LAR NO-NYG | PIT-TB | NYJ-NE CAR-PHI | CHI-ATL | TEN-IND BAL-CLE | HOU-JAXCatch up on Thursday’s game: SEA-DENBuffalo 33, Las Vegas 30Catch up on the action: Box score | RecapBillsDid the Bills’ secondary finally make the play that turns things around? Even on a day where the Bills broke up 11 passes, the Raiders never feared throwing into the heart of their defensive backfield. For the second straight week, the Bills rendered an opposing offense one-dimensional and still allowed back-breaking scoring drives in the fourth quarter. But on a key third down late rookie safety Jalon Kilgore broke up a crosser intended for receiver Tre Tucker, marking the first time the Bills’ defense successfully got off the field in the fourth quarter or overtime in their past eight series.
Of course, one series later, the Raiders gashed the Bills for a 44-yard touchdown, so maybe one play can’t fix everything.Trend to watch: The Bills’ offense was turnover free for the first time in a month, and running back James Cook III carried more than 20 times without fumbling. Over the past three weeks, the Bills had turned the ball over nine times; Cook alone had put the ball on the ground four times. — Nick SussNext game: vs. Bills (Nov. 1, 1 p.m. ET)RaidersWhat should the Raiders do with RB Ashton Jeanty?
The alarm bells around Jeanty have gotten louder. On Sunday, he had 10 carries for 22 yards and a touchdown. He was held to under 3.0 yards per carry for the fourth time in six games. Granted, the Bills entered the game allowing 1.53 yards per first contact — second-best in the league.
Still, Jeanty’s rushing numbers this season have been subpar for a player taken inside the top 10 of last year’s draft. At this point, the Raiders need to consider increasing Mike Washington Jr.’s workload. Washington had nine carries for 43 yards, including an 18-yard run in the fourth quarter.Trend to watch: The Raiders switched up their starting offensive line. On Sunday, second-year lineman Caleb Rogers started at right guard over Jackson Powers-Johnson.
It remains to be seen if Rogers maintains the starting role for the remainder of the season. However, the move raises questions about how the staff feels about Powers-Johnson. Last season, he was in frequent competition with Alex Cappa. And Powers-Johnson is still competing for a role, unlike the rest of the offensive line. — Ryan McFaddenNext game: vs.
Rams (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET)Fantasy football takeaway: The Raiders’ offense is making two tight ends fantasy relevant. Michael Mayer — second on their positional depth chart — scored 16.5 fantasy points on nine targets, his third game with at least 12 points in his past four. Coach Klint Kubiak’s offense has coaxed a league-leading 64.6 points from tight ends during that four-week span. — CockcroftKansas City 22, L.A.
Chargers 6Catch up on the action: Box score | RecapChiefsDid the Chiefs learn much from this group of receivers? In his first game this season without Rashee Rice (right hamstring) and Tyquan Thornton (on IR after dislocated left ankle), Patrick Mahomes’ statistics looked pretty normal — 272 yards on 23-of-30 attempts. But Mahomes relied heavily on tight end Travis Kelce, who played through a right ankle injury, and receiver Xavier Worthy, who led the team with 73 yards. Rookie Cyrus Allen had the second-most receiving yards, finishing with 27 yards and had a 23-yard catch in the fourth quarter.
The Chiefs will likely need more production next week against a better opponent in the Seahawks.Key stat to know: The Chiefs’ sack-less streak has ended. Entering Sunday, they were the third team in the Super Bowl era (since 1967) to win three consecutive games without recording a single sack. With less than four minutes left in the third quarter, defensive end Ashton Gillotte brought Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert to the turf. They finished with four sacks. — Nate TaylorNext game: at Seahawks (Sunday, 8:20 p.m.
ET)play0:55Kenneth Walker III scores 33-yard rushing TD to give Chiefs early leadChargersWill the Chargers ever fix their issues on offense? Week in and week out, the Chargers’ offensive struggles remain the same. Granted, their wide receiver and offensive line groups are riddled with injuries. However, these issues popped up when they were healthy, too.
Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel said Thursday he expected the group would improve this week. That wasn’t the case, with the Chargers putting up six points on 259 yards of offense. The defense and special teams forced two turnovers. The offense turned those into nothing.
Heading into a bye, it’s safe to wonder not when, but if, the offense can turn it around this season.What to make of the QB performance: Herbert hasn’t looked like himself this season. He threw for 204 passing yards on 22-of-37 completions which included a bad interception in the first half — one that looks all too familiar from him this season. He’s thrown a pick in every game and has a league-high eight on the season. — Kris RhimNext game: at Rams (Nov. 1, 4:05 p.m. ET)Fantasy football takeaway: At this point, we can’t recommend any player from the 0-6 Chargers.
This new system under coordinator Mike McDaniel has consistently yielded choppy tempo, the subpar play of QB Justin Herbert continues, and the three-man backfield rotation has erased any value at the position in L.A. Plus, with Ladd McConkey struggling to stay healthy, there isn’t a Chargers wide receiver to put in your lineup. — BowenArizona 18, L.A. Rams 16Catch up on the action: Box score | RecapCardinalsWhat statement did the Cardinals make with the win? The Cardinals showed that though they may have gone through a chaotic couple of weeks after trading Marvin Harrison Jr. they could still get a win when they needed one most — and a big one at that.
Beating a division rival such as the Rams keeps the Cardinals in the hunt in the NFC West, as wild as that seems. Arizona’s defense kept it in the game while the offense struggled to convert red zone trips into touchdowns. But Arizona’s offense made the biggest plays when they counted — late in the game — which led to a game-winning field goal. Sunday showed that if the Cardinals’ offense can figure it out, the defense has what it takes to slow offenses.Key stat to know: The Cardinals stopped the Rams twice on fourth down to give them seven fourth-down stops this season, which leads the NFL.
Arizona turned both stops (on a fourth-
