Overreaction Monday: Rams Will Miss The Playoffs? Are The Cowboys Cooked?

Week 6 brought many of the things we’ve grown accustomed to in the young 2026 season. However, Sunday might have given us the biggest surprise far this year. The Arizona Cardinals pulled off the biggest upset of the season with their 18-16 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. Arizona entered Sunday’s game as a 12.5-point underdog, but was in control for much of the day as it picked up its second win at SoFi Stadium. As great a story as the victory was for the Cardinals, though, much of the focus will turn to the Rams. Can they dig themselves out of this 2-4 hole, or are they already too far behind? Are the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles set to join the Rams in the land of disappointments as well? Let’s overreact to Sunday’s Week 6 action. After a bad overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills on Monday, the Los Angeles Rams looked even worse in an 18-16 loss to one of the worst teams in the league, the Arizona Cardinals, on Sunday. Special teams was the culprit once again, as the Rams gave up another big kick return. And to make matters worse, new kicker Blake Grupe suffered a knee injury while attempting to make a tackle on the play and was done for the day. Grupe did make a 44-yard field goal before the injury, though. But because of the injury, the Rams attempted a two-point conversion after a touchdown reception by Blake Corum in the first half, which led to quarterback Matthew Stafford taking a vicious blindside hit on the play by Arizona edge rusher Josh Sweat. The conversion was no good as a result, keeping the Rams’ streak of failing to convert a two-point conversion since 2023 alive. However, it wasn’t just the special teams that failed the Rams on Sunday, as the hit Stafford took on the two-point try might have been a microcosm of their day. The Rams turned the ball over at inopportune moments, had head-scratching pre-snap penalties and a defense that still misses injured superstar and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett. Conclusion: Overreaction … for now You can blame Los Angeles’ struggles on special teams gaffes, but the reality is the Rams do not look like the dangerous, dominant Super Team we expected to see at the start of the year. Facing an Arizona squad led by former Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, the Cardinals didn’t look intimidated or in awe of the Rams. Even though Sean McVay has had good success against the Cardinals over the years, the Rams struggled to move the ball against a bad Cardinals defense and allowed an offense led by Jacoby Brissett to go up and down the field for six scoring drives. Los Angeles does have a schedule easy enough for it to get wins in the coming weeks, which could allow it to control its own playoff destiny later in the regular season. But after losing games like they did on Sunday, not every win seems guaranteed for the Rams. McVay told his players they have to get back to work to solve their issues, and he’s correct. And while it’s still early, at 2-4, the games are starting to slip away. The Cowboys have been doing their best to support new defensive coordinator Christian Parker as he attempts to make the unit a more competitive, connected group. The latest change was hiring former long-time defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, who worked with Parker in Green Bay, as senior defensive assistant. Joey Porter Jr., who the Cowboys acquired in a trade earlier this month, helped buoy the secondary with his sticky coverage on the perimeter. The Cowboys also made changes to their starting lineup, as edge rusher Malachi Lawrence replaced Donovan Ezeiruaku, Markquese Bell moved to safety and rookie Caleb Downs played nickel defender. But none of the changes created a significant improvement for the Dallas defense, as the Green Bay Packers raced out to a 17-0 halftime lead and held on for a 23-13 victory that wasn’t as close the score suggested. Conclusion: Not an overreaction Despite major changes to the coaching staff and personnel, the Cowboys still are ineffective on defense. And that’s unfortunate, considering Dallas has one of the most explosive offenses in the league, led by Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. However, even the offense didn’t show up for a second straight week following a lackluster showing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, putting up 303 total yards on Sunday. Add to that, the Cowboys play in one of the most winnable divisions in the NFL in the NFC East, and they could be competitive if they can just get average production from the defense. Despite the changes, that doesn’t appear to be happening, meaning the pressure will continue to intensify for head coach Brian Schottenheimer to fix the issue — or owner Jerry Jones will have to find a new head coach to fix it at the end of the year. Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson’s offense looked dangerous again with Caleb Williams back under center after he suffered a hamstring injury that sidelined him for three games. Williams sizzled, completing 30 of 36 passes (83%) for 305 yards and a touchdown. The Bears scored the most points this season since dropping 59 points in a season-opening win over the Carolina Panthers, hanging on to defeat the Atlanta Falcons 31-23. Williams was perfect from a clean pocket, completing all 24 passes for 248 yards, the most attempts without an incompletion from a clean pocket since 2018, according to Next Gen Stats. Conclusion: Not an overreaction Chicago is one of the most dangerous offenses in the league with Williams back, and that was apparent from the jump. The third-year quarterback completed his first 12 passes on Sunday, giving him a new career high for consecutive completions thrown to start a game. That helped Chicago get out to a quick 14-0 lead, as it also showed its balance on offense due to its ability to run the football with D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai when he’s healthy. Along with that, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen leads an improved defense that held an Atlanta offense that’s been explosive as of late to 257 total yards and sacked Michael Penix Jr. five times. A good portion of those yards came after the Bears took a 31-7 lead, keeping the Falcons at bay for most of the day. While the Bears play in the most competitive division in football in the NFC North, Chicago could be the most balanced of the four. That should mean it’s capable of making a deep postseason run, led by the arm and legs of Williams. Subbing for an ailing Jalen Hurts (out indefinitely with blood clots), backup quarterback Tanner McKee had trouble moving the Philadelphia Eagles’ offense on Sunday. The Eagles managed just 14 points and had six negative plays at home in a 25-14 loss to the Carolina Panthers. McKee finished 25 of 46 for 217 yards, with a touchdown pass and no interceptions. He was sacked three times, posting a 77.5 passer rating. McKee’s longest pass completion was 19 yards, so the Eagles once again created very few explosive plays in the passing game. And Sunday’s loss marked their fourth in a row as they prepare to play without Hurts for at least three more games due to his injured reserve placement. Conclusion: Not an overreaction Even with the Eagles’ struggles, they still play in a winnable division, which my colleague Ralph Vacchiano aptly labeled the NFC Least last week. So, why not make a move to improve quarterback play and give a talented defense to compete and win the division? We’ve got a name in mind, too. Even after their upset win on Sunday, the Cardinals should be playing for draft position under first-year coach Mike LaFleur. A quarterback like Cardinals veteran Jacoby Brissett could be the stabilizing and steadying force that the Eagles need, and one they should consider. After Sunday’s win, Brissett has thrown for 1,328 yards, nine touchdowns and six interceptions this season, ranking in the middle of the pack among quarterbacks in most notable stats. Eagles general manager Howie Roseman has been willing to take big swings in the past, including signing Saquon Barkley and trading for A.J. Brown. Making a move for a quarterback like Brissett does not compare to those blockbuster deals, but it also shows the locker room that the Eagles have not given up on this season. In his second NFL season, Hunter is finally emerging as a consistent playmaker for the Jaguars. Hunter played nine snaps on offense, 58 plays on defense and two on special teams in the team’s buzzer-beater loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday, making standout plays on both sides of the ball. Offensively, Hunter finished with four receptions for 59 receiving yards on four targets, including a 7-yard catch out of the backfield for a score. He now has two career touchdowns, and, coincidentally, they’ve both happened at Wembley Stadium. Hunter’s first touchdown grab came a year ago in the Jaguars’ blowout loss to the Rams. Defensively, Hunter had three combined tackles and an interception of a C.J. Stroud pass intended for Xavier Hutchinson that he undercut in the end zone. That interception was pretty clutch, too. Jacksonville needed to keep Houston off the board in order to prevent the Texans from extending their 31-28 lead at the time. Conclusion: Overreaction Hunter became the first player to catch a touchdown pass and notch an interception in a game since Brian Dawkins in 2002, joining rarified air on Sunday. Even though it happened in a losing effort to the Texans, Hunter made the type of impact plays that the Jaguars believe justified their reasoning for giving up significant draft capital to move up in the draft to take the Colorado product with the second overall pick last year. However, after playing just seven games in his rookie year due to a season-ending knee injury, Hunter still has to show more. Last season, Hunter played mostly on offense, totaling 28 catches for 298 receiving yards and a score. He played in 156 defensive snaps, totaling 15 combined tackles and three pass breakups, leaving most people underwhelmed with his play. This year, the Jaguars have used Hunter as an every-down cornerback who plays as a part-time receiver. Prior to Sunday, Hunter had played in 79% of the Jaguars’ defensive snaps and just 7% of their offensive snaps, finding some success in utilizing him that way. Still, Hunter needs to prove he can maintain the high level of play while staying on the field for the duration of an NFL season before we make any big claims about his stardom.