4th & Monday: Aaron Rodgers goes down -- as does the NFL's last unbeaten team
A week after the NFL lost two of its marquee players — Odell Beckham and J.J. Watt — for the season, it might have lost another, as Aaron Rodgers went down with a broken collarbone.
During a season in which the Packers already had experienced a number of injuries, Rodgers' was the one the team could least afford.
The Packers' early-season success seemed to have the team poised for another late-January playoff run. But Rodgers' injury just thrust the NFC postseason race wide open. With their win over the Packers, the Vikings moved into a first-place tie atop the NFC North and could be the division favorites moving forward.
Last year's NFC champion, the Atlanta Falcons, blew a 17-point lead at home in a loss to the Miami Dolphins. The Philadelphia Eagles, behind a win over the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night, sport the conference's best record at 5-1.
In the AFC, the Kansas City Chiefs' reign as the NFL's last unbeaten team came to an end against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots managed to beat the New York Jets, but still look like a flawed football team.
More: 40 things we learned in Week 6
THE MUST-SEE MOMENTS YOU MISSED
- Al Michaels made a painfully awkward Harvey Weinstein joke during NBC's broadcast of Sunday night's Giants-Broncos game and subsequently apologized.
- Did the Jets get robbed of a game-changing touchdown? You be the judge.
- It was a bad week to be a shoulder for an NFL quarterback, just ask Aaron Rodgers or Jameis Winston.
- After going six weeks without being signed by an NFL team, Colin Kaepernick has filed a collusion grievance against NFL owners. On a somewhat-related note, seven San Francisco 49ers kneeled during the national anthem amid calls for resolution.
- Devastating wildfires are wreaking havoc across California, and the state's professional teams, especially the Raiders, are teaming up to do something about it.
- The injury scare to Jaguars RB Leonard Fournette briefly sent fantasy owners off the deep end.
- Dolphins LB Kiko Alonso could have LEVELED Falcons WR Taylor Gabriel, but he did something totally, hilariously different instead.
- How many NFL records does Tom Brady need? One more can't hurt.
- Redskins safety Montae Nicholson got lit up by the 49ers' Pierre Garcon and somehow was cleared to return.
- What's going on in this touchdown celebration? A Redskins player explained.
-Chiefs QB Alex Smith furiously confronted a Steelers defender after what Smith felt was a dirty hit.
- Did you see the Bears' beautiful 2-point conversion on Monday Night Football last week? Well, the Saints put their own spin on the play in Week 6.
THE *BEST* IMAGES: Best of Week 6 | Cheerleaders | Anthem demonstrations
RUNDOWN
Dolphins 20, Falcons 17: Miami scored 20 unanswered second-half points to erase a 17-point halftime deficit thanks to a pair of Jay Cutler touchdown passes and Cody Parkey field goals.
Vikings 23, Packers 10: Aaron Rodgers suffered a broken collarbone, opening the door for Minnesota to claim a share of the NFC North lead.
Patriots 24, Jets 17: Tom Brady set the NFL record for regular-season victories by a quarterback with the Patriots win. Did the Jets get hosed on a big call, though?
Saints 52, Lions 38: This game was wild to say the least. Five was the lucky number: Matthew Stafford turnovers, Detroit sacks and defensive/special teams touchdowns.
Redskins 26, 49ers 24: For the fifth week in a row, the 49ers lost a game by less than three points, and the rebuild continues.
Bears 27, Ravens 24: Joe Flacco struggled once again, throwing multiple interceptions for the third time this season. Meanwhile, for the Bears, Jordan Howard is becoming a household name.
Texans 33, Browns 17: The Deshaun Watson train kept rolling against the Browns, who lost once again despite a new starting quarterback.
Steelers 19, Chiefs 13: Pittsburgh stifled the NFL's most dangerous offense, ending Kansas City's reign as the league's last unbeaten team.
Cardinals 38, Buccaneers 33: Vintage Adrian Peterson was back, rushing for 134 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries in the win.
Chargers 17, Raiders 16: The Chargers finally caught a break in the kicking game, edging the Raiders on a late Nick Novak field goal.
Rams 27, Jaguars 17: Much has been said about Sean McVay's coaching and Jared Goff's quarterback play, but special teams sealed the deal Sunday for the Rams.
Giants 23, Broncos 10: Earning a road win at Denver — a place the Broncos had won 15 of their last 18 games — wasn't the result many expected out the previously winless Giants.
Eagles 28, Panthers 23 (Thursday): Expectations are soaring for the Eagles, who are flying high thanks to Carson Wentz.
EYES ON THE (FANTASY) PRIZE
Injuries to Rodgers and Winston, plus the benching of Brian Hoyer in San Francisco could put a premium on finding a quarterback on this week's waiver wire. Green Bay's Brett Hundley is worth considering, even though he didn't light up the scoreboard after taking over for Rodgers. He still has more weapons than most quarterbacks. Also, take a second look at Josh McCown of the Jets, who threw for 354 yards and two touchdowns in a loss to New England.
In San Francisco, rookie C.J. Beathard completed 19-of-36 passes for 245 yards and a TD in relief of Hoyer. The Niners have already announced he'll start next week against the Cowboys.
The Patriots may have a new No. 1 running back with Dion Lewis getting more carries than starter Mike Gillislee -- and getting the call on a 1-yard touchdown. Lewis finished with 11 rushes for 52 yards, compared to Gillislee's 10 for 44 with a lost fumble. Lewis is worth a speculative pickup, but then again we are talking about the unpredictable Patriots.
Nothing on Sunday will carry as much weight for fantasy owners than last Thursday's reinstatement of Ezekiel Elliott's six-game suspension. The Cowboys will presumably turn to a backfield tandem of Alfred Morris and Darren McFadden. Exactly how they'll divide the touches is hard to predict, but considering their respective skill sets, Morris figures to be more valuable in standard scoring leagues and McFadden has the upper hand in point-per-reception leagues.
Week 6 Takeaways: Aaron Rodgers injured, Adrian Peterson reborn
INJURY UPDATE
— Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was carted off the field after suffering a broken collarbone against the Vikings.
— Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston left the game against the Cardinals with a shoulder injury and was listed as doubtful to return.
Keep up on all the injuries from Week 6.
COMING NEXT WEEK
MONDAY: Week 6 wraps up on Monday with the Tennessee Titans playing host to the Indianapolis Colts (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).
TUESDAY: Paste BN Sports' NFL experts offer their power rankings for all 32 NFL teams after Week 6. Don't agree with our rankings? Speak up! Submit your own rankings to tell us where our experts got it wrong with our NFL FAN Power Rankings.
THURSDAY: Week 7 kicks off with a Thursday Night Football AFC West showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Oakland Raiders (8:25 p.m. ET, CBS, NFL Network and streaming live on Amazon Prime). Before the game make sure to check out our expert picks for every Week 7 game.