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Week 6 of the 2025 NFL season delivered some of the most thrilling action yet, with close finishes and standout performances shaping the early playoff picture. With two Monday games still pending, eight contests have been within one score in the fourth quarter, and six have been decided by a single point or touchdown. Among Sunday’s highlights: a postgame altercation in Kansas City, a running back exacting sweet revenge on his former team, and another major injury blow to the 49ers’ playoff hopes. Here’s a breakdown of everything you need to know from Week 6 Sunday.
Chiefs Statement Win Overshadowed by Postgame Brawl
Sunday Night Football showcased a marquee matchup as the Kansas City Chiefs hosted the high-powered Detroit Lions. Kansas City came away with a 30-17 win, but the postgame celebrations were overshadowed by an on-field brawl between star players.
As the Chiefs kneeled on the final play, Lions safety Brian Branch rejected a handshake from Patrick Mahomes and confronted Kansas City wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. Branch struck Smith-Schuster on the helmet with an open-handed blow, sending the receiver to the turf. Smith-Schuster responded, and Branch grabbed his facemask, throwing him down as the two came to blows. Teammates rushed in to separate the players.
Branch later apologized for his actions, explaining that he had reacted to what he perceived as an illegal block by Smith-Schuster earlier in the game. “I did a real childish thing,” Branch said. “I’m tired of people doing stuff in between plays and refs don’t catch it. They be trying to bully me out there. I shouldn’t have did it, it was childish.”
Smith-Schuster also acknowledged his role in the escalation, noting the illegal block that prompted Branch’s reaction: “It was in front of the ref and the ref didn’t do anything… I still should not have done that.”
Detroit head coach Dan Campbell condemned the incident, apologizing to the Chiefs and emphasizing that the behavior was unacceptable. Branch, already fined 10 times since the start of last season, could face further NFL discipline.
Despite the altercation, the Chiefs’ on-field performance was a statement. Patrick Mahomes threw for 257 yards and four total touchdowns, including three passing scores and a rushing touchdown, while the Kansas City rushing attack totaled 112 yards. The defense also held the Lions to just 98 rushing yards and limited Jared Goff to 203 passing yards, improving the Chiefs to 3-3 and helping them shake off a slow start to the season.
Rico Dowdle’s Historic Revenge Against Cowboys
Former Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle put on a historic performance against his old team as a member of the Carolina Panthers. Dowdle amassed 239 yards from scrimmage, including 183 rushing yards on 30 carries and 56 receiving yards with a touchdown through the air.
The performance helped Carolina edge the Cowboys 30-27, with rookie kicker Ryan Fitzgerald securing the game-winning field goal as time expired. Dowdle’s efforts marked back-to-back dominant weeks, following a 234-yard game in Week 5. His 473 total yards from scrimmage over the past two games set a Carolina franchise record and made him the sixth running back in the Super Bowl era to record at least 225 scrimmage yards and a touchdown in consecutive games, joining legends like Walter Payton and Marshall Faulk.
“It was personal for him and we knew that,” Panthers quarterback Bryce Young said. “That’s our brother, and if it’s important to him and it’s personal to him, it’s important to us.” Dowdle himself relished the opportunity for revenge: “They wasn’t buckled up,” he said of his former teammates.
49ers Suffer Another Major Injury Blow
The San Francisco 49ers continue to be plagued by injuries. During Sunday’s 30-19 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, linebacker Fred Warner suffered a dislocated and broken ankle in the first quarter and was carted off the field. Warner, a four-time first-team All-Pro, will undergo surgery and miss the remainder of the season.
San Francisco’s defense had already been dealing with the loss of star pass rusher Nick Bosa to a torn ACL, and the offense has been depleted as well, with quarterback Brock Purdy, tight end George Kittle, and receiver Ricky Pearsall all sidelined for multiple games. Warner’s absence creates both a leadership and talent void, making it even more challenging for the 49ers to compete for a division title or playoff berth.
Meanwhile, Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield continued his MVP-caliber play, throwing 17-of-23 for 256 yards and two touchdowns. Tampa Bay running backs Rachaad White and Sean Tucker each contributed a rushing touchdown. Mayfield’s resilience was on display in the third quarter when he shrugged off potential sacks and extended a key third-down play for a first down, eliciting MVP chants from Buccaneers fans.
Tampa Bay improved to 5-1, ascending atop the NFC standings and solidifying its status as a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
Other Notable Sunday Scores
- New York Jets 11-13 Denver Broncos (London)
- Baltimore Ravens 3-17 Los Angeles Rams
- Indianapolis Colts 31-27 Arizona Cardinals
- Jacksonville Jaguars 12-20 Seattle Seahawks
- Miami Dolphins 27-29 Los Angeles Chargers
- Pittsburgh Steelers 23-9 Cleveland Browns
- New Orleans Saints 19-25 New England Patriots
- Las Vegas Raiders 20-10 Tennessee Titans
- Green Bay Packers 27-18 Cincinnati Bengals
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