The Sunday NFL Shockers: Bills Survive Scare as Undefeated Teams Fall – Full Week 6 Recap

The 1972 Miami Dolphins and 2007 New England Patriots can breathe easy for another year. After the 1970 NFL-AFL merger, these teams stood alone as the only ones to achieve flawless regular seasons. The '72 Dolphins made history with the NFL's inaugural and singular perfect season, triumphing in Super Bowl VII with a 14-0 record. On the other hand, the Patriots under the leadership of Tom Brady fell short in Super Bowl XLII, despite their impressive 16-0 regular season performance.

After the conclusion of Week 6 in the 2023 season, the 1972 Dolphins and 2007 Patriots will celebrate their unbroken records, as the last two teams who had remained unbeaten have finally suffered defeats. Now, let's delve into a comprehensive analysis of all the notable details from Sunday's games.

Jets stun Eagles for Phillys first defeat

The New York Jets had been down on their luck and the Philadelphia Eagles were undefeated and slowly improving after a slow start.

History was always against the Jets, as they had never managed to defeat the Eagles. Nevertheless, in a surprising turn of events, Gang Green triumphed over Philadelphia, handing them their first defeat of the season. The Jets emerged victorious with a 20-14 win at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, stunning the team who were the runners-up in last year's Super Bowl.

The victory wasn't the most aesthetically pleasing, however, New York's Tony Adams intercepted the ball in the fourth quarter and returned it 45 yards. This set the stage for a short touchdown run by Breece Hall, ultimately securing the win.

Baltimore Ravens' Lamar Jackson during the NFL international match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London on October 15, 2023.

Zac Goodwin/PA Images/Reuters Connect

NFL bids farewell to London as the Baltimore Ravens triumph over the Tennessee Titans

The Jets defense tightened its grip on the typically high-scoring Philadelphia offense, seizing three interceptions from Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. This enabled their struggling offense to seize the opportunity for a memorable triumph.

Despite missing several defensive starters, including Sauce Gardner and DJ Reed, who are considered New York's top cornerbacks, the team managed to secure their first victory over the Eagles in 13 attempts. Jets head coach Robert Saleh was straightforward in acknowledging the significant impact his defense had on opposing teams.

"Through these first six weeks, weve played a gauntlet of quarterbacks. I know we havent gotten all wins, but weve embarrassed all of them," Saleh told reporters afterwards.

Randall Cobb celebrates with his teammates after a two-point conversion against the Eagles.

Sarah Stier/Getty Images

The Jets' victory was made even more impressive due to the circumstances of being led by backup quarterback Zach Wilson, as their original starter Aaron Rodgers suffered a season-ending injury by tearing his Achilles tendon on the fourth snap of the new season. Wilson, despite experiencing some challenges during his time in New York, has displayed moments of potential in his last three starts. This suggests that the Jets' 2023 season might not have abruptly ended with Rodgers' injury.

The Eagles experienced a jolting setback following consistent progress during the early season. Additionally, plagued by injuries, Philadelphia was unable to capitalize on the opportunities it received, with Hurts committing unusual mistakes. Notably, the team encountered four turnovers along with numerous other errors and penalties, hindering their chances of securing a victory.

The Eagles' record falls to 5-1 this season, yet they are still considered one of the top contenders for the Vince Lombardi Trophy. However, they need to address the mistakes made in their game against the Jets. Meanwhile, New York's record improves to 3-3 on the year.

The Jets' Craig James breaks up a pass intended for Eagles receiver Olamide Zaccheaus.

Adam Hunger/AP

Depleted Browns hand 49ers first loss

The other previously undefeated team, the San Francisco 49ers, were also handed their first defeat of the season at the hands of the Cleveland Browns.

San Francisco's rookie kicker, Jake Moody, failed to make a crucial 41-yard field goal in the final seconds, granting the Browns a 19-17 triumph and handing the 49ers their first defeat. Similar to the Jets, the Browns were guided by their formidable defense that managed to limit the previously unstoppable 49ers offense to a mere 215 total yards throughout the day.

San Francisco's offensive performance has been impressive in recent regular season games, consistently scoring over 30 points in their last eight outings. However, the Browns' defense made a significant impact in their matchup against the 49ers. With relentless pressure on quarterback Brock Purdy and exceptional coverage in the secondary, San Francisco was held to their lowest offensive output since the arrival of head coach Kyle Shanahan in 2017.

Moody attempts a game-winning field goal during the fourth quarter against the Browns; Moody would miss, giving the Browns a 19-17 win.

Ken Blaze/USA TODAY Sports/Reuters

Cleveland's victory was particularly significant considering the absence of key players such as starting quarterback Deshaun Watson and star running back Nick Chubb. Myles Garrett and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah displayed exemplary leadership for the team. PJ Walker, filling in as the starting quarterback, struggled with no touchdown passes and two interceptions. The only touchdown of the game was scored by Browns running back Kareem Hunt.

San Francisco displayed an uncharacteristic performance, considering their impressive form in the initial five games of the season. Throughout the game, three prominent players—Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey, and Trent Williams—endured injuries, resulting in offensive struggles for the Niners.

Shanahan attributed the loss to the absence of crucial team members and highlighted the effect it had on their performance.

"Our offensive mistakes were plentiful," Shanahan remarked. "The absence of a few players forced us to make adjustments on the field, and we weren't adequately prepared for that situation."

He stated, "It's not just about preparing all the players. We need a game plan that includes sufficient strategies to rotate positions. Unfortunately, we committed too many errors."

Moreover, it was not only the offense that made uncharacteristic mistakes; even the kicker, Moody, failed to make two field goals, including the potential game-winning one.

49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk believes that there could be some positives to take away from the outcome, despite the result. "It's simple to rely on a 5-0 record and assume perfection every time," Juszczyk expressed to reporters post-game. "I believe that we are all human and prone to mistakes. Making errors can actually be beneficial because we learn more from them than from our successes."

Moody reacts after missing what would have been the game-winning field goal against the Browns.

Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

Bills survive scare

Despite a lack of conviction, the Buffalo Bills held onto their impressive season start by narrowly defeating the New York Giants 14-9 on Sunday night. Despite leading for most of the game, the Giants had a chance to win it on the last play, but tight end Darren Waller failed to catch a pass in the endzone due to tight coverage by Bills cornerback Taron Johnson.

Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen had a remarkable performance in Week 6, garnering 169 yards and throwing two touchdowns. His precision passes found their targets, Quintin Morris and Deonte Hardy, for successful scoring plays. In keeping with the trend observed throughout the NFL in Week 6, the outstanding defense of the Bills effectively thwarted the efforts of Giants quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who was filling in for the injured Daniel Jones.

Quintin Morris celebrates after catching what would be the game-winning touchdown pass in the fourth against the Giants.

Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images

The game proved to be a surprising deadlock, as the Giants faced challenges without Jones and endured a difficult year. However, both teams performed similarly in terms of statistics, and the Giants came incredibly close to achieving a memorable victory before returning home. "It's not a pretty win, but it holds the same value as a beautiful win," expressed Bills superstar Allen to NBC's Melissa Stark post-game. "Our defense truly saved us."

"We need to improve offensively, but we'll accept the win. It's unfortunate that it came down to the last play, but we'll still take the victory."

The Buffalo Bills advance to a 4-2 record, while the New York Giants' season remains disappointing as they drop to 1-5.

Full Week 6 Sunday scores

Away vs. home

Baltimore Ravens 24-16 Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders 24-16 Atlanta Falcons

Minnesota Vikings 19-13 Chicago Bears

Seattle Seahawks 13-17 Cincinnati Bengals

San Francisco 49ers 17-19 Cleveland Browns

New Orleans Saints 13-20 Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts 20-37 Jacksonville Jaguars

Carolina Panthers 21-42 Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots 17-21 Las Vegas Raiders

Detroit Lions 20-6 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Arizona Cardinals 9-26 Los Angeles Rams

Philadelphia Eagles 14-20 New York Jets

New York Giants 9-14 Buffalo Bills