By Around the NFL staff
NFL.com
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Week 6 saw huge games from big names and unlikely players alike. Rob Gronkowski and Odell Beckham posted career-highs in yardage in huge wins. LeSean McCoy saw his revenge game against Chip Kelly materialize to perfection. Jay Ajayi of all people became the first running back this season to break 200 yards! Here’s what we’ve learned from Week 6 so far:

Kansas City Chiefs 26, Oakland Raiders 10

1. Conditions weren’t favorable in Oakland, with the game starting in an absolute downpour. Derek Carrlaughed at that adversity, driving Oakland down the field for an opening touchdown. It was the first and last time the Raiders would find the end zone. From there Kansas City took control, bullying Oakland on the backs of Spencer Ware (24 carries, 131 yards, 1 TD; 2 catches, 32 yards) and Jamaal Charles (nine carries, 33 yards, one touchdown). While Oakland floundered on offense, Alex Smith was a tactician, chipping away at the Raiders‘ defense by completing 19 of 22 passes for 224 yards and swiftly moving Kansas City into Oakland territory.

2. Carr didn’t look quite like himself Sunday. You could blame the wet conditions, but he dispelled that notion early on. More of the blame (and conversely, credit) falls on the shoulders of Kansas City’s defense, which played tight coverage, harassed the quarterback and forced him into some awkward throws. On multiple occasions, Carr dropped back and floated passes off his back foot, with one being intercepted by Marcus Peters and another coming dangerously close to being picked off. We spent much of the afternoon waiting for another thrilling comeback win from Carr and BlackJack Del Rio, but it just never happened. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Kirk Cousins will be down a target in an important NFC East battle Sunday.

Redskins tight end Jordan Reed (concussion) was downgraded from questionable to out against the Eagles in Week 6, the team announced Saturday. Reed did not practice this week. Rookie safety Su’a Cravens was also downgraded to out with a concussion. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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The Carolina Panthers will get a much-needed boost in their lineup Sunday.

Quarterback Cam Newton (concussion) has been cleared to play against the New Orleans Saints, the team announced Saturday. Newton missed Carolina’s Week 5 loss to Tampa Bay after sustaining the concussion in a loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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There’s an old saying that can be applied to almost anything in life. It’s the KISS rule.

No, not the popular American rock band of the 1970s and 80s. It’s an acronym for Keep It Simple, Stupid.

That’s what the Buffalo Bills have done since their back-to-back opening losses that had the team on the brink of early season disaster, according to NFL Network’s Mike Silver. Buffalo jettisoned offensive coordinator Greg Roman and replaced him with Anthony Lynn, who pared down the playbook and played to the team’s strengths. The Bills did something similar on defense, retaining Rob Ryan but shifting playcalling duties to defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Carlos Hyde has officially executed the most expensive front double biceps pose in history.

The flexing pose, popularized by modern bodybuilding pioneers and used by Hyde after a seven-yard reception against Arizona, cost the 49ers running back $9,115 in a league fine, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, according to an NFL spokesman. Continue reading →

By Around the NFL staff
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Week 6 of the NFL season is upon us, and that means it’s time for another round of bold predictions. As always, this week’s edition of fearless prognostications includes a macho helping of audaciousness and abandon as we head into Sunday and Monday’s contests. Warning: these predictions are not for the faint of heart.

A myriad of quarterbacks lead Browns to first win

The Browns have had their starting quarterback complete exactly two games healthy — a 30-24 overtime loss to the Dolphins and a 31-20 loss to the Redskins — this season, and have had a total of four signal-callers take the field. One of those was among Nashville’s most attractive and is also no longer on the roster. Another is dealing with a fractured coracoid bone, which I’d bet 85 percent of the football-watching world didn’t know about until Tuesday of Week 2. The point is, stability and Browns quarterbacks are water and oil. Continue reading →

By Around The NFL staff
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Welcome to Week 5! Tom Brady returned with a vengeance in Cleveland, while the Browns lost their third quarterback due to injury. The Battle for the Beltway came down to the last minute. Marcus Mariota and the Titans got back on track in South Beach. The Vikings are still undefeated. Here’s what we’ve learned so far:

Tennessee Titans 30, Miami Dolphins 17

1. The exotic smashmouth was fun to talk about in the preseason. Who doesn’t enjoy exotic things? But when Tennessee’s offensive line is creating holes wide enough for dump trucks to barrel through, that’s when it truly flourishes. That was Sunday for the Titans, who rushed for 235 yards and rarely saw a running play end without of a gain of at least five yards. DeMarco Murray ran with authority finishing with 121 yards on 27 carries. Tennessee mixed up traditional power runs with zone read plays, leading to a 60-yard rushing day for Marcus Mariota. Derrick Henry deserves credit for his 54 yards on seven carries, too. Continue reading →

By Around The NFL staff
NFL.com
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Week 5 of the NFL season is upon us, and that means it’s time for another round of bold predictions. As always, this week’s edition of fearless prognostications includes a macho helping of audaciousness and abandon as we head into Sunday and Monday’s contests. Warning: these predictions are not for the faint of heart.

Denver holds Matt Ryan to under 250 yards

Matt Ryan — yes, that Matt Ryan — leads the NFL in passing yards after four weeks, thanks in part to a 503-yard performance in a Week 4 win over Carolina. The Falcons have won three straight and look to be red-hot offensively, but they run into a steel trap of a defense in the Broncos. Denver is the second-best unit in the league against the pass, allowing just 169.5 yards per game through the air. Using a mix of 3-4 base defense and the six-defensive-back Dime package (Denver has used one of the two personnel groupings 95.2 percent of defensive downs, per Next Gen Stats), a Broncos secondary featuring Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr. shuts down Matty Ice and takes it one step further by blanketing Julio Jones, who exploded for 300 yards last week. Ryan records just his second game under 250 yards this season and Atlanta falls back to Earth, seeing its winning streak snapped after a frustrating afternoon in the Mile High City.

— Nick Shook

To read the full Week 5 bold predictions from the Around the NFL writers, click here.

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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Dez Bryant‘s hairline knee fracture kept him out of the Cowboys‘ Week 4 win over the San Francisco 49ers, and NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Sunday the injury could keep him out one to two weeks.

Jerry Jones is taking the optimist’s route.

“I wouldn’t rule him out against Cincinnati,” Jones said Tuesday, per 105.3 FM The Fan. Continue reading →

By Nick Shook
NFL.com
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The Falcons are turning to a veteran defender to help with their thin linebacking corps.

Atlanta has agreed to terms with linebacker A.J. Hawk, according to Hawk’s agent.

Continue reading →