Standout performer for LV-KC: Derek Carr, 347 passing yards, 3 TDs 1 INT

Derek Carr said last week he was tired of losing, so what did he do about it? He outplayed Patrick Mahomes to exorcise his Arrowhead Stadium demons, and the Raiders ended a seven-game losing streak at the Kansas City Chiefs with an upset of the defending Super Bowl champions. Carr, who entered the game having lost all six of his games at Kansas City by an average score of 29-12, engineered an efficient ball-control offense that showed just enough explosiveness to keep the Chiefs honest. — Paul Gutierrez

Next game: vs. Tampa Bay (8:20 p.m. ET, Sunday in Week 7)

The aura of invincibility that once surrounded the Chiefs offense was further punctured by the Raiders, who became the third opponent in the past four weeks to give the Chiefs fits with their defense. The strategy of getting pressure without the blitz and then blanketing receivers downfield was familiar. The Chiefs will undoubtedly see similar tactics in their next game against the Bills and beyond, so they’re either going to need to protect Mahomes better or get their receivers open quicker. Otherwise, their problems won’t go away. — Adam Teicher

Next game: at Buffalo (5 p.m. ET, Monday)

Standout performer for CIN-BAL: Patrick Queen, 9 tackles, 1 sack, 1 FF, 1 TD

The Ravens’ defense has taken over the starring role on the team. Last year, Lamar Jackson and the offense carried Baltimore to the best record in the regular season. Through five games, it’s the defense that’s setting the tone. In sacking Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow seven times, the Ravens came within a late fourth-quarter field goal of their first shutout in two years. Baltimore is limiting teams to 15.2 points per game and has also scored two defensive touchdowns this year. — Jamison Hensley

Next game: at Philadelphia (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

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Lamar Jackson tosses the short touchdown to Hollywood Brown to pad the Ravens’ lead.

After Joe Burrow secured his first NFL win last weekend and became the first rookie to throw for 300 or more yards in three consecutive games, he didn’t look like a 23-year-old who just turned pro. That wasn’t the case Sunday, as Cincinnati mustered only 205 total yards and didn’t get inside the Ravens’ 30-yard line until the end of the game. Sunday was a sobering reminder of what it will take for Burrow to succeed in the NFL. “We just didn’t execute our plan very well,” Burrow said. “I didn’t play very well and we as an offense didn’t play very well.” — Ben Baby

Next game: at Indianapolis (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Standout performer for LAR-WSH: Aaron Donald, 4 sacks

The Rams improved to 4-1 and after sweeping the NFC East are primed to begin division play next Sunday against the 49ers. The Rams are in second place in the NFC West behind the Seattle Seahawks, as they attempt to reclaim the division title after winning it two consecutive seasons before the 49ers claimed the division and conference last year. With Jared Goff regaining his form from two years ago when the team advanced to the Super Bowl and two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald leading the league in sacks including four on Sunday, the Rams could once again be positioning themselves for deep playoff run. — Lindsey Thiry

Next game: at San Francisco (8:20 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Washington’s problems run deeper than Dwayne Haskins. The benched quarterback wasn’t showing the team what it wanted, which is why it started Kyle Allen on Sunday. But without him — and with Allen hurt in the second quarter and Alex Smith seeing his first action in almost two years — Washington managed 108 total yards. And the defense, once more, was gashed. That side of the ball was supposed to provide the backbone of the team, but instead it allows way too many big plays. Washington entered the game tied for the second most plays of 25 yards or more allowed this season with four; Sunday, they allowed five such plays. It has allowed at least 30 points each of the last four games. — John Keim

Next game: at N.Y. Giants (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Standout performer for PHI-PIT: Chase Claypool, 116 total yards, 4 TDs

Chase Claypool is for real. The rookie second-round pick from Notre Dame got heaps of praise from Mike Tomlin and his teammates during training camp. And with a four-touchdown performance in the Steelers’ win against the Eagles, he showed he’s worthy of it. It’s not just impressive that Claypool became the first rookie in team history to score four touchdowns in a single game, but how he did it. The final score came on a play he’d never run from that spot. But his ability to adapt to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s audibles makes him a special talent. “We expected them to go all-out blitz,” Roethlisberger told ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio after the game. “So we had a play called and they sat back in a zone and we had him in a spot and I just called a play that he never ran in that spot and obviously he knows what he is doing and I was proud of him.” — Brooke Pryor

Next game: vs. Cleveland (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

2 Related

The future of Atlanta coach Dan Quinn might be in doubt after an 0-5 start, but first-year Panthers coach Matt Rhule’s future is bright after Sunday’s victory at the Mercedes-Benz Dome. It was Carolina’s third consecutive win and forced a tie with Tampa Bay atop the NFC South. It was the result of the same things Rhule demands that led to the previous two wins: fast play, physical play and mistake-free football on both sides of the ball. With star running back Christian McCaffrey (ankle) likely to return in a couple of weeks, this team should only get better. — David Newton

Next game: vs. Chicago (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

There’s no other way to look at the Falcons’ 0-5 start then to say it’s time to make a coaching change. Dan Quinn was supposed to turn things around after back-to-back 7-9 seasons. Now the Falcons have little to no chance to make the playoffs, as no team in the Super Bowl Era has made the postseason after an 0-5 start. We’ll see how long it takes for Arthur Blank to make an official announcement on Quinn’s status, but change is inevitable. — Vaughn McClure

Next game: at Minnesota (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

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Standout performer for ARI-NYJ: Kyler Murray, 380 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

The Cardinals bounced back from two consecutive losses with a commanding win over the Jets and career-high 380 passing yards from Kyler Murray, who had his own personal rebound from last week’s 133 passing yards. But the win was a bit overshadowed by Chandler Jones’ biceps injury, which coach Kliff Kingsbury said could be season-ending. Losing Jones would take away the Cardinals’ most effective pass-rushing weapon because, even with just one sack this season, Jones commands enough attention to draw personnel away from the other side where the likes of Devon Kennard and Haason Reddick — the likely candidate to replace Jones in the starting lineup — were able to work mostly one-on-one. — Josh Weinfuss

Next game: at Dallas (8:15 p.m. ET, Monday)

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Kyler Murray launches a 37-yard pass to a double-covered DeAndre Hopkins, who still finds a way to hold on to the ball and score.

The Jets are 0-5 for the first time since 1996. They’ve lost every game by at least nine points. The defense has allowed at least 27 points in every game. They’ve been outscored, 161-75. We could go on, but you get the point. This is as bad as it’s ever been in a quarter century, and there’s little hope for a turnaround. — Rich Cimini

Next game: at Miami (4:05 p.m. ET, Sunday)

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Standout performer for JAX-HOU: Brandin Cooks, 8 catches for 161 yards and a TD

There was a lot of excitement at NRG Stadium as the Texans got their first win of the season under interim coach Romeo Crennel. It’s clear there’s still a lot of work to be done for this 1-4 team, however. A promising start: Deshaun Watson was able to connect with wide receiver Brandin Cooks, who had his best game for the Texans. — Sarah Barshop

Next game: at Tennessee (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Just another week in which the Jaguars couldn’t put together anything resembling a complete game. The defense, minus three starters before the game and losing two others during because of injuries, managed to keep the game close into the fourth quarter but this week the offense and special teams self-destructed. Kicker Stephen Hauschka missed two field goals, James Robinson fumbled on a fourth-down play inside the 10-yard line, and Gardner Minshew lost another fumble. That’s what bad teams do, and the Jaguars, at 1-4 after their fourth consecutive loss, are definitely a bad team. — Mike DiRocco

Next game: vs. Detroit (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

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Standout performer for TB-CHI: Khalil Mack, 2 sacks

The Bears are tough to figure out. They have been outplayed most of the season, yet they are 4-1. Is Chicago a true contender? Time will tell, but it has positioned itself in the thick of the NFC playoff picture by virtue of Thursday’s win over Tampa. Quarterback Nick Foles was good (30-of-42, 243 yards, TD, INT), not great, proving the team needs just adequate play on offense to compliment its strong defense. — Jeff Dickerson

Next game: at Carolina (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

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