Cover 32: C.J. Stroud has flipped the script, is set to cash in; plus game balls, biggest gaffes from Week 6

The NFL is a "What have you done for me lately?" kind of league. 

It's that mantra that held back C.J. Stroud from inking what many once thought would be a no-doubter market-setting contract extension last offseason when he first became eligible. However, confidence had been badly shaken with Stroud, particularly after a disastrous playoff run a year ago, and he entered 2026 at a true crossroads in his career. Would he keep trending downward and possibly play himself out of being the long-term option under center? Would he revive himself by looking something closer to the guy he was during his Offensive Rookie of the Year season in 2023? It turns out, the answer is neither. 

By some metrics, Stroud is playing the best football of his professional career and has repositioned himself for what could be the largest contract extension in NFL history next offseason. 

Don't let Houston's 2-4 record distract you from Stroud being all the way back. The former first-round pick is coming off a largely sensational Week 6 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. Outside of an interception as the lone blemish of his day, Stroud was surgical, completing 24-of-34 for 312 yards and three passing touchdowns. It was his second-career game with at least 300 passing yards and three passing touchdowns, and the first since his rookie season. 

Through six games, Stroud's EPA per dropback, success rate, and passer rating are all on pace to be career highs. Meanwhile, maybe the most important metric of Stroud's resurgence has been his ability to protect the football. His 0.9% turnover-worthy throw rate is on pace to be the lowest of his career by a wide margin. For reference, Stroud's turnover-worthy throw rate was 2.8% over the last two seasons and 2.2% as a rookie. 

There's also been a noticeable uptick in explosiveness out of Stroud, which is a callback to what he did when he burst onto the scene as a rookie. Back in 2023, Stroud's explosives per dropback rate sat at 11.9%, and then fell to 6.8% in 2024 and then 8.3% in 2025. So far this season, Stroud's explosives per dropback rate is back to double digits at 10.5%. His 9.3 air yards per attempt is also on pace to be another career high. 

So, Stroud is suddenly protecting the football better than ever, while simultaneously being just as, if not even more, explosive.  

That sets Houston up nicely to possibly overcome a sluggish start once again and push for a playoff spot. From a big-picture view, it also reestablishes Stroud as a quarterback not only worth investing in, but also possibly making him the highest-paid player in league history at signing. 

Provided Stroud maintains this play throughout the rest of the season, he'll be one of the many quarterbacks due for an extension that could reshape the market, joining Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, Lamar Jackson, and others. Those signal-callers will be looking to join Patrick Mahomes and Dak Prescott, who are currently the only two QBs making at least $60 million annually. Mahomes is currently the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL with an AAV of about $63.09 million. 

That'll almost certainly be bested next offseason, and Stroud's play has not only revived the confidence in him as the franchise cornerstone for Houston but has put him firmly back in the conversation to be the highest-paid player in the league. 

Game Balls

How Game Balls work: Six are awarded to standout players from the slate of teams that won their contests, and only one player on a team can get a game ball. 

Carson Schwesinger

CLE • LB • #49

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• Week 6 stats: 13 total tackles and 1 forced fumble

The Cleveland Browns are in first place in the AFC North thanks, in part, to their defending Defensive Rookie of the Year, Carson Schwesinger. The linebacker led the team with 13 tackles and forced what proved to be a game-changing fumble in the fourth quarter. Trailing 10-3, Schwesinger was able to rip the ball out of Derrick Henry's hands. The Browns recovered, and that sparked a game-tying touchdown drive. 

Jeffery Simmons

TEN • DT • #98

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• Week 6 stats: 6 total tackles, two sacks, forced fumble, fumble recovery

The Tennessee Titans notched their first win of the season by upsetting the Colts in Indy, 26-20. Simmons was a key cog in the victory, creating an important turnover to start the second half. Trailing 13-0 at the start of the third quarter, Simmons forced the fumble on Jonathan Taylor, which helped spark Tennessee to its first points of the day. He also finished with two sacks. 

Chuba Hubbard

CAR • RB • #30

Att89

Yds426

TD4

FL0

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• Week 6 stats: 28 carries, 120 yards rushing, 1 rushing TD; 1 reception, 1 yard receiving

Hubbard was leaned on quite a bit in Week 6, logging a season-high 28 carries in the win over the Eagles in Philly. He turned those carries into 120 yards on the ground and a touchdown. This is the first time in Hubbard's career that he's logged back-to-back games with at least 120 yards. He's also just one of five Panthers backs to have back-to-back games with at least 120 yards rushing and a rushing touchdown, and the first since Jonathan Stewart in 2009. 

Germie Bernard

PIT • WR • #17

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REC24

REC YDs227

REC TD1

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• Week 6 stats: 11 receptions, 87 yards, 1 receiving TD 

Bernard continued his breakout in Week 6 as the rookie helped Pittsburgh pull off an overtime win over the Bucs in Tampa. The second-round pick caught 11 of his 12 targets for 87 yards and a touchdown. That score proved to be the game-winner as Rodgers found him on a 6-yard pass during the first possession in overtime. Bernard is the first rookie in NFL history with at least 10 receptions and an overtime touchdown in a game. 

Chad Ryland

ARI • K • #38

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Week 6 stats: 6-of-6 field goals, 18 points scored, long of 43 yards 

The biggest upset of Week 6 came in Inglewood, where the Cardinals went into SoFi Stadium and beat the Rams. Kicker Chad Ryland accounted for all 18 of Arizona's points on the day, connecting on all six of his field goal attempts. That included the 43-yard game-winner as time expired. Ryland's six made field goals are tied for the second most in franchise history. 

Kenneth Walker III

KC • RB • #9

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• Week 6 stats: 19 carries, 128 yards rushing, 2 rushing TDs; 2 receptions, 11 yards receiving

Kenneth Walker remains one of — if not the best — offseason additions in the NFL. After being on the bye in Week 5, the Chiefs back picked up right where he left off, bludgeoning the Chargers with a 6.7 yards-per-carry average for his fourth 100-yard rushing game of the season. Walker's 665 rushing yards are the fifth-most by any player through five games of a season since 1970. 

Notable Week 6 gaffes

Travis Hunter's penalty leads to Texans TD

Travis Hunter had one of his most productive games as a pro on Sunday, but it wasn't perfect for the dual-threat athlete. On the opening possession of the third quarter, the Jaguars had forced Houston into a three-and-out. However, Hunter was unable to get off the field in time, and the play was flagged for too many men on the field. Given that it was fourth-and-1, the five-yard penalty gave the Texans a fresh set of downs. They parlayed that break with an eventual touchdown between C.J. Stroud and Jaylin Noel. 

In a game decided by a field goal, the penalty was extremely costly. 

Zachariah Branch fumbles twice during Falcons loss

It was a day to forget for the Falcons rookie third-round pick. Branch fumbled twice in Atlanta's 31-23 loss to Chicago. With less than two minutes left in the first half, Branch muffed a punt, which gave the Bears possession at the Falcons' 10-yard line. It only took them three plays to reach the end zone after that turnover to build up a 21-7 lead at the break. 

To make things worse, Branch had another special teams fumble on a kickoff in the closing minutes of the third quarter. The Bears took advantage of that turnover with an eventual field goal, so Branch was responsible for 10 points in what proved to be an eight-point loss. 

As you might imagine, Branch was visibly upset on the sideline and could even be seen slamming his helmet to the turf. 

C.J. Gardner-Johnson ejected for spitting at Brock Bowers

The Bills defensive back was ejected just before halftime of Buffalo's Week 6 matchup with the Raiders after he was seen spitting at tight end Brock Bowers. The penalty also helped set up a field goal for the Raiders before the break. 

This is the second ejection of Gardner-Johnson's career, with the first coming back in 2024 when he was called for two personal foul penalties in the same game. 

CeeDee Lamb's slip leads to Dak Prescott INT

It was a night to forget for the Cowboys' offense. Not only did they muster just 13 points in a loss to Green Bay, but they had a comedy of errors in the process. In the first half, with the game still well within reach, Prescott threw interceptions on back-to-back drives while targeting CeeDee Lamb. The second came when the Dallas receiver slipped and fell on his route, which left Brandon Cisse with the easy pick. 

At the time of the interception, the Cowboys faced just a 10-0 deficit, but the Green Bay turned that pick into a nine-play, 77-yard touchdown drive that extended the lead to three scores. This was also Prescott's first career game throwing two interceptions when targeting Lamb. 

Two-minute drill

Here are some of my quick-hitting takeaways/notes from Week 6:

• Patrick Mahomes recorded his 100th career win in his 131st career start. That's tied with Tom Brady for the fastest to 100 wins all-time for a QB. 
• The Chargers are 0-6 for the third time in franchise history, and it feels like a full-blown rebuild is necessary at this point. 
• I'd be on the lookout for a Brian Thomas Jr. trade, particularly as Jacksonville enters the bye in Week 7. The wideout didn't record a single catch on Sunday, and Travis Hunter is starting to emerge as a receiver, further making him expendable. 
• It was a limited showing, but Marvin Harrison Jr. looked comfortable in his Texans debut. That built-in rapport with Stroud was apparent right out of the gate and should only improve. 
• The Patriots moved to 4-2 with their third straight win, but the injuries are sneakily piling up, particularly on the offensive line. Starting left guard Alijah Vera-Tucker (hamstring), starting right tackle Morgan Moses (ankle), and interior lineman Ben Brown (knee) were all ruled out after suffering injuries. They also lost wideout Romeo Doubs in this game with a shoulder injury. 
• It wasn't a thunderous return for A.J. Brown as he looked rusty, catching three of his 10 targets for 27 yards. He had a walk-in touchdown simply slip right through his hands. 
• Omar Cooper Jr. is going to be a star for the Jets. In his first game back from injury, the first-round rookie caught six of his seven targets for 103 yards and a touchdown. Paired opposite Garrett Wilson, the Jets have a heck of a one-two punch at receiver. 
• Caleb Williams looked pretty comfortable in his return to action, completing at least two passes to eight different pass catchers. Maybe the most encouraging development was his rapport with Colston Loveland (six catches for 65 yards and a touchdown). 
• Michael Penix Jr. is 0-2 in his career when he throws for three or more touchdowns. 
• Bears corner Kyler Gordon played just 16 snaps in his season debut on Sunday. Despite that small amount of playing time, he totaled three sacks and two forced fumbles. 
• This was the 15th loss for the Ravens when they've had at least a seven-point lead in the fourth quarter since 2020. No other team has more than nine. 
• This is the first time the Browns have led the AFC North in Week 6 or later since 2014. If this continues, it's hard to imagine Todd Monken not winning Coach of the Year. 
• Not only was Sunday's win over the Colts the first of the season for Tennessee, but it was the first divisional win of Cam Ward's career (previously 0-7). 
• The Colts are another team where it feels like a full teardown is necessary. 
• It's pretty obvious that J.J. McCarthy should be the Giants starter from here on out. 
• Didn't love John Harbaugh's decision to demote Cam Skattebo and play musical chairs with his backfield. No one was able to get into any sort of rhythm, and it showed with Devin Singletary leading all backs with a 3.5 yards-per-carry average. He should've picked a guy and fed him in what was a good matchup against a poor Saints run defense. 
• This was Tyler Shough's first career game with at least three passing touchdowns and no interceptions.
• This is the Eagles' longest losing streak (four games) since 2020. They have not lost five straight since 2016 and are currently underdogs at home against the Cowboys next week. 
• Jalon Daniels started to look more like a UDFA in the fourth quarter and overtime on Sunday. Over that stretch, the Bucs QB completed 5-of-16 for 50 yards passing, no touchdowns and two interceptions. 
• Are the Rams just bad? I'm sure that'll be the talking point this week, and it's warranted. That said, I do want to wait and see what this defense looks like when Myles Garrett returns before making any definitive statements. However, sitting in last place in the NFC West after Week 6 was not on my 2026 bingo card. 
• The Raiders have lost three straight to fall to .500 on the year, but I don't think we're close to Klint Kubiak pulling the plug on Kirk Cousins for Fernando Mendoza. So long as they're still in the hunt, I think Cousins keeps his job. 
• The Bills have the most wins with 30-plus points allowed (4) through six games in NFL history. 
• Matthew Golden is developing into a superstar before our eyes. He has the most 100-yard receiving games (3) in the first six games of a season for the Packers since Devante Adams in 2021.
• Looking back on the Thursday game, I'm not sure how either the Seahawks or Broncos can feel good about their quarterback situations. However, I don't know if either actually does anything about it. 
• Returning from bye in Week 7: Bengals, Lions, Dolphins, and Vikings
• On the bye in Week 7: Bills, Chargers, Commanders, and Jaguars
• International games continue: Steelers and Saints will square off for the first-ever NFL game in Paris, France, next Sunday. 
• Still undefeated: Chiefs, Vikings, and 49ers (as of Sunday)
• Still winless: Chargers and Dolphins