NFL roundup: Rico Dowdle plays big vs. former team as Panthers edge Cowboys

Sun Oct 12 10:06pm ET
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Bryce Young threw for three touchdowns, Rico Dowdle rushed for 183 yards and caught a touchdown pass against his former team and the Carolina Panthers beat the Dallas Cowboys 30-27 with a field goal on the final play on Sunday in Charlotte.

Ryan Fitzgerald's 33-yard kick for his third field goal of the game gave the Panthers (3-3) their second consecutive victory. They held the ball for 15 plays on the game's last possession.

Dowdle, in his first season with Carolina after four years with the Cowboys, finished with 239 scrimmage yards (team-high 56 receiving). He is the first player in franchise history to top 200 in consecutive games. Young completed 17 of 25 passes for 199 yards, including two TD passes to first-round pick Tetairoa McMillan, and an interception.

Dak Prescott threw for three touchdowns and 261 yards on 25-for-34 passing for Dallas (2-3-1), which had only 31 rushing yards.

Chargers 29, Dolphins 27

Cameron Dicker's 33-yard field goal with 5 seconds left lifted Los Angeles to a close win over host Miami. The game-winner was Dicker's fifth field goal in five attempts for the game and helped the Chargers (4-2) snap a two-game losing streak.

Justin Herbert completed 29 of 38 passes for 264 yards, two touchdown passes and no interceptions and hit Ladd McConkey on a long 42-yard connection late to set up the game-winner. Kimani Vidal ran for 124 yards on 18 carries and caught a touchdown pass.

De'Von Achane rushed for 128 yards on 16 carries and scored a pair of rushing touchdowns for the Dolphins (1-5), who dropped their second in a row and are off to their worst start since opening the 2021 season with a 1-7 record.

Colts 31, Cardinals 27

Jonathan Taylor rushed for 123 yards and the go-ahead touchdown as Indianapolis rallied in the fourth quarter to edge visiting Arizona.

Taylor scored on a 1-yard run with 4:32 left as the Colts (5-1) took a one-game lead in the AFC South on Jacksonville, a 20-12 loser at home to Seattle. Quarterback Daniel Jones added 212 yards passing on 22 of 30 accuracy, throwing for two touchdowns and one interception.

Backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett, starting in place of injured Kyler Murray (foot), completed 27 of 44 passes for 320 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. It wasn't enough to prevent the Cardinals (2-4) from losing their fourth straight game.

Patriots 25, Saints 19

Drake Maye threw for 261 yards and three touchdowns as visiting New England improved to 3-0 on the road with the win at New Orleans.

Maye, who hit 18 of 2 passes, hooked up DeMario Douglas for a 53-yard touchdown strike in the first quarter before connecting with Kayshon Boutte for 25 and 29 yards in the second to build a 22-14 halftime lead. Boutte finished with five catches for 93 yards for the Patriots (4-2), who tied their win total for last season.

Spencer Rattler completed 20 of 26 passes for 227 yards while Blake Grupe booted four field goals for the Saints (1-5). Taysom Hill scored on a 1-yard run for New Orleans' lone touchdown while Chris Olave collected six catches for 98 yards.

Steelers 23, Browns 9

Aaron Rodgers threw for 235 yards and two touchdowns while host Pittsburgh's defense piled up six sacks to lead Cleveland from start to finish in an AFC North matchup.

Rodgers connected with Connor Heyward for 12 yards in the third quarter and DK Metcalf for a 25-yard score on the first play of the fourth. Jalen Ramsey and Nate Helbig registered two sacks apiece for the Steelers (4-1) while Chris Boswell booted three field goals of 40-plus yards.

Rookie Dillon Gabriel hit 29 of 52 passes for 221 yards in his second start, but he could not get the Browns into the end zone. Harold Fannin Jr. caught seven passes for 81 yards while Andre Szmyt converted field goals of 31, 53 and 32 yards for Cleveland (1-5), which has not won a regular-season game at Pittsburgh since 2003.

Broncos 13, Jets 11

Denver's defense lowered the boom on New York and the Broncos did enough to leave London with a narrow win.

The Jets (0-6) had minus-10 net passing yards and quarterback Justin Fields was sacked nine times, but New York had a lead late and a chance to kick a long game-winning field goal on the final drive.

Wil Lutz punched in a 27-yard field goal with 5:06 remaining to give Denver the two-point lead. Bo Nix completed 19 of 30 passes for 174 yards. Fields completed nine passes for 45 yards.

Seahawks 20, Jaguars 12

Jaxon Smith-Njigba kept his sensational season going with a season-high 162 receiving yards, leading Seattle to a win over host Jacksonville.

Smith-Njigba, who entered the day second in the league in receiving yards (534), recorded eight catches for his fourth 100-yard game of the season. Sam Darnold threw for 295 yards and a pair of scores, including a 61-yarder to Smith-Njiba.

The Seahawks (4-2) improved to 3-0 in road games -- with nine straight road wins dating back to last season -- while snapping a three-game winning streak for the Jaguars (4-2). Trevor Lawrence completed 27 of 42 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns, including the first of the season for Brian Thomas Jr. (eight catches, 90 yards).

Rams 17, Ravens 3

Matthew Stafford completed 17 of 26 passes for 181 yards and a touchdown, and visiting Los Angeles pulled away for a 17-3 win over Baltimore.

Kyren Williams finished with 87 total yards (50 rushing, 37 receiving) and a touchdown on the ground for the Rams (4-2), who bounced back from a loss last week against the San Francisco 49ers. Tyler Higbee added a receiving touchdown.

Derrick Henry had 24 carries for 122 yards for the Ravens (1-5), whose nightmare start to the season continued. Baltimore remained without All-Pro quarterback Lamar Jackson (hamstring). Cooper Rush started in Jackson's place and completed 11 of 19 passes for 72 yards and an interception before he was benched in favor of veteran reserve Tyler Huntley.

Raiders 20, Titans 10

Ashton Jeanty rushed for 75 yards and a touchdown as Las Vegas ended a four-game losing streak and won at home for the first time this season by defeating Tennessee.

Geno Smith completed 17 of 23 passes for 174 yards with a touchdown and interception for the Raiders (2-4), who held the Titans scoreless in the first half and built a 17-point lead midway through the third quarter. Maxx Crosby had two of Las Vegas' six sacks on Tennessee rookie quarterback Cam Ward.

Ward completed 26 of 38 passes for 222 yards with one TD and one interception as the Titans (1-5) fell after ending their season-opening four-game losing streak with a comeback victory at Arizona last week.

Buccaneers 30, 49ers 19

Baker Mayfield passed for 256 yards and two touchdowns, while Kameron Johnson and Tez Johnson each made their first career touchdown catches to help host Tampa Bay get a victory over banged-up San Francisco.

Rachaad White and Sean Tucker rushed for a touchdown each as the Buccaneers (5-1) won their second straight game. Mayfield completed 17 of 23 passes to help Tampa halt the 49ers' four-game winning streak in the series.

Mac Jones completed 27 of 39 passes for a season-high 347 yards but was intercepted twice for San Francisco (4-2), which lost for the second time in three games. Christian McCaffrey rushed for a touchdown and had 111 yards from scrimmage (54 rushing, 57 receiving), and Kendall Bourne had a career-high 142 yards for the second straight game while making five catches.

Packers 27, Bengals 18

Josh Jacobs ran for two scores and Jordan Love passed for another as Green Bay held on for a victory over visiting Cincinnati and new quarterback Joe Flacco.

Jacobs added 93 rushing yards on 18 carries, while Love threw for 259 yards on 19-of-26 passing. Kicker Lucas Havrisik filled in for the injured Brandon McManus after signing with the team Saturday, hitting field goals of 43 and 39 yards.

Flacco held his own in his Bengals debut after being traded to Cincinnati on Tuesday, completing 29 of 45 passes for 219 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Ja'Marr Chase and Tanner Hudson each caught a TD for the Bengals, who have lost four straight games.

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Five Fantasy Takeaways: Week 6

Player Notes
Zach Ertz Oct 13 11:40pm CT
Zach Ertz

Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz caught all six of his targets for 43 yards and a touchdown in Monday night's 25-24 loss to the Bears. After going without a catch for the first time since the 2014 season in last week's game against the Chargers, Ertz bounced back and led Washington with six receptions, including a red-zone touchdown. It tied his season high for receptions and marked his third touchdown of the year. It was good to see the veteran get back on track and be a reliable weapon for Daniels and the Washington passing attack, which has been beaten up with injuries. Ertz will remain in TE1 territory for Week 7 in a potential high-scoring matchup in Dallas.

From RotoBaller

Jayden Daniels Oct 13 11:30pm CT
Jayden Daniels

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels completed 19 of 26 passes for 211 yards with three touchdowns and an interception while adding 52 rushing yards on 10 carries in one-point loss to the Chicago Bears on Monday night. Daniels also lost a costly fumble on the team's final drive that ultimately led to Chicago's game-winning field goal. It wasn't the sharpest performance for the second-year quarterback, but he still managed to move the ball up and down the field with a banged-up receiving core. The 52 rushing yards were a positive sign to see and were also his most since Week 1, as he made a few spectacular runs on scrambles. Daniels will project again as an elite QB1 in a potential shootout next week in Dallas.

From RotoBaller

D'Andre Swift Oct 13 11:20pm CT
D'Andre Swift

Chicago Bears running back D'Andre Swift gashed Washington for 108 yards on 14 carries and added two catches (three targets) for 67 yards through the air on Monday night, including a 57-yard touchdown. Swift was efficient on his carries all night as the Bears consistently used him on outside runs and got him into space. His 108 rushing yards were his most in a game since last season against Washington, when he ran for 129 yards on 18 carries. The 26-year-old entered the night averaging just 3.3 yards per carry, but more than doubled that with an impressive 7.7 yards per attempt in this game. This breakout performance could signal better days for Swift in the future, and he'll rank in RB2 territory for Week 7 against the Saints.

From RotoBaller

Drake London Oct 13 11:00pm CT
Drake London

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London caught 10 of 16 targets for 158 yards and a touchdown in Monday night's 24-14 victory over the Bills. With Darnell Mooney (hamstring) out, London drew a whopping 16 targets on Michael Penix Jr.'s 32 pass attempts. After being held under 60 receiving yards in each of the first three games, London has now recorded back-to-back performances with over 100 receiving yards and a touchdown. London is among the league leaders in targets in a potent Atlanta offense and will be a high-end WR1 again on Sunday night next week against San Francisco.

From RotoBaller

Bijan Robinson Oct 13 10:50pm CT
Bijan Robinson

Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson had a career game in Monday night's 24-14 win over the Bills, rushing for 170 yards on 19 carries and catching six of eight targets for 68 yards. The 238 total yards are a career high for the superstar running back as he continues his remarkable season. Atlanta relied solely on Robinson and London to move the ball against Buffalo, with the duo accounting for 396 of the team's 443 total yards. The 23-year-old remains the best running back in fantasy and will be in primetime again next Sunday night against San Francisco.

From RotoBaller

Brian Branch Oct 13 9:30pm CT
Brian Branch

The NFL suspended Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch for one game without pay on Monday for his altercation with Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster following Sunday night's game, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Branch is appealing the suspension. If the league upholds the suspension, Branch will be unavailable to play in the team's Week 7 matchup on Monday Night Football against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Lions' secondary can ill-afford to lose the 23-year-old for a game, although the good news is that the Lions will be facing a banged-up Buccaneers team next week that could be missing all three of their top receivers -- Mike Evans (hamstring), Emeka Egbuka (hamstring), and Chris Godwin (leg) -- due to injuries. Branch was a first-time Pro Bowler in 2024 and remains a big part of Detroit's secondary, logging a sack, 33 total tackles, and a forced fumble through six games in 2025.

From RotoBaller

Trey Hendrickson Oct 13 9:20pm CT
Trey Hendrickson

Cincinnati Bengals All-Pro pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson (hip) was estimated as a non-participant on Monday's practice report, according to Jay Morrison of SI.com. Hendrickson was listed with a back injury after leaving Sunday's loss to the Green Bay Packers early, but he's now listed with a hip injury heading into a Week 7 divisional contest on Thursday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers. It's unclear exactly how serious Hendrickson's hip injury is, but with a quick turnaround, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him sit out in Week 7. Either way, he probably isn't going to do much in practice this week. After a league-best 17.5 sacks in 2024, the 30-year-old pass-rusher is up to four sacks in 2025 through six games. The Steelers' offense would catch a big break this week if Hendrickson isn't cleared to play. Fantasy managers in IDP formats need to have a backup plan in place in case Hendrickson is inactive on Thursday evening.

From RotoBaller

Terrel Bernard Oct 13 9:00pm CT
Terrel Bernard

Buffalo Bills linebacker Terrel Bernard (ankle) is questionable to return to his team's Week 6 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons due to an ankle injury. Bernard recorded two solo tackles before being forced to exit the game. The Bills entered the game without starting linebacker Matt Milano (pectoral), so Bernard's absence leaves them short multiple starters at the position. If Bernard is unable to return in Week 6, Joe Andreessen could finish the game at linebacker for Buffalo.

From RotoBaller

Tanner Hudson Oct 13 9:00pm CT
Tanner Hudson

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tanner Hudson (concussion) was listed as a non-participant on the team's Monday injury report due to a concussion. Cincinnati has a short week in Week 7 as they prepare to play the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night, so Hudson appears to be at serious risk of being unavailable. The 30-year-old had not recorded a catch in 2025 heading into Week 6. However, in his first game with new Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco, Hudson recorded four catches for 10 yards and a touchdown on five targets. With fellow Cincinnati tight end Mike Gesicki (pectoral) also questionable to play in Week 7 due to a pectoral injury, Noah Fant could be in line to dominate playing time at the position for the Bengals on Thursday night against Pittsburgh.

From RotoBaller

Josh Palmer Oct 13 8:40pm CT
Josh Palmer

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Joshua Palmer (ankle) has been ruled out for the remainder of his team's Week 6 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons due to an ankle injury. Palmer recorded two catches for 60 yards on two targets before being forced out of the game. With Palmer out, Bills wideouts Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir could both see an uptick in target share. Additionally, reserve wideouts Tyrell Shavers and Elijah Moore could both see more playing time than usual.

From RotoBaller

Anthony Richardson Oct 13 8:30pm CT
Anthony Richardson

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. (eye) has been placed on Injured Reserve due to an orbital fracture, per ESPN's Stephen Holder. Richardson Sr. suffered the injury in a freak accident while warming up with a stretch band before the Colts' Week 6 matchup with the Arizona Cardinals. The 23-year-old will now miss at least the next four games for Indianapolis, leaving the team without its preferred backup to starting quarterback Daniel Jones. Sixth-round rookie signal-caller Riley Leonard would currently be next in line if Jones were to get injured. However, Holder reports that the Colts will "consider signing a veteran to back up Jones depending on (Richardson Sr.'s) timeline."

From RotoBaller

Calvin Austin III Oct 13 8:30pm CT
Calvin Austin III

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III (shoulder) was listed as a non-participant on the team's Monday injury report due to a shoulder injury. Pittsburgh did not actually hold a practice, so this is an estimation of Austin III's status heading into the Steelers' Week 7 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night. Austin III did not play in Week 6 due to the injury and appears to be at risk of missing a second straight game. The 26-year-old has recorded 10 catches for 139 yards and two touchdowns across four games so far this season. In Austin III's absence in Week 6, Roman Wilson was the only Steelers wide receiver outside of DK Metcalf to record a target.

From RotoBaller

KaVontae Turpin Oct 13 8:20pm CT
KaVontae Turpin

Dallas Cowboys Executive Vice President Stephen Jones said that wide receiver KaVontae Turpin (foot) has "a chance" to play in Week 7 against the Washington Commanders, per Jon Machota of The Athletic. Turpin has missed two straight games with a foot injury. The 29-year-old has recorded 11 catches for 159 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets across four games so far this season. Dallas may also be getting star wideout CeeDee Lamb (ankle) back in Week 7, which would likely leave Turpin fighting for WR3 reps in Dallas with Jalen Tolbert and Ryan Flournoy. If Lamb remains out in Week 7, Turpin could have some flex appeal in deep leagues against Washington.

From RotoBaller

Josh Palmer Oct 13 7:40pm CT
Josh Palmer

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Joshua Palmer (ankle) injured his ankle in the first half of Monday night's game against the hosting Atlanta Falcons and is questionable to return, according to ESPN's Alaina Getzenberg. Palmer was taken to the blue medical tent to be evaluated and was seen running up and down the sideline after that to try and get his ankle loose. Buffalo's offense already came into this game short a couple of pass-catchers, with tight end Dalton Kincaid (oblique) and receiver Curtis Samuel (neck, ribs) out. If Palmer is unable to return for the rest of Monday's game, there will be more targets to go around for receivers Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, and Elijah Moore, as well as tight end Dawson Knox, who scored the team's first touchdown of the game. At the time of his injury, Palmer was leading the Bills with two catches for 60 yards.

From RotoBaller

Brandon Aiyuk Oct 13 7:30pm CT
Brandon Aiyuk

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Monday that he thinks wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) is getting "closer and closer" to being able to return to practice, but there's "no definitive target date for that yet," according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN. Aiyuk is getting closer to practicing after tearing his ACL and MCL in his knee in Week 7 of last year, but his return to actual game action is another story. Once the Niners designate Aiyuk to return from the Physically Unable to Perform list, they'll have 21 days to officially activate him for his 2025 debut. San Fran's receiving corps really has not been healthy all year, but they aren't going to rush Aiyuk back, and fantasy managers still should be expecting his return to come in the second half of the season. Once the former first-rounder is back in the fold, don't be surprised if he's eased back into the offense, given his long layoff.

From RotoBaller

Ricky Pearsall Oct 13 7:20pm CT
Ricky Pearsall

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Monday that wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee) will be evaluated on Wednesday with the hope that he can do more in practice this week, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN. Pearsall suffered a PCL injury to his right knee in Week 4 and has missed the last two games as a result. He was unable to practice at all last week, but he was able to do conditioning work on side fields with trainers. The 25-year-old second-year pass-catcher appears to be making progress, but it's premature to think that he'll be able to return for a Week 7 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. When Pearsall does finally return, tight end George Kittle (hamstring) could be back from Injured Reserve, which would mean fewer targets in the passing game. Fellow wideout Jauan Jennings (ribs) returned in the Week 6 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he revealed he played with five broken ribs.

From RotoBaller

Kyler Murray Oct 13 7:10pm CT
Kyler Murray

Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon cleared things up on Monday for anyone thinking there might be quarterback controversy in the desert after veteran backup Jacoby Brissett's strong performance in the Week 6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. When asked if Kyler Murray (foot) is still the starter under center when he's healthy, Gannon said, "Yeah." "He's the starting quarterback," Gannon confirmed. Brissett threw for 320 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception on Sunday. The last time that Murray went for over 300 yards passing in a game was in late October of 2022. Although it was just a one-game sample size for Brissett, he looked better than Murray has in his five starts in 2025. The Cardinals organization continues to stand behind Murray as the starting QB, but Brissett's impressive composure in his first start of the year on Sunday could afford the team more patience in bringing Murray back from his foot injury.

From RotoBaller

Brock Purdy Oct 13 7:10pm CT
Brock Purdy

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Monday that quarterback Brock Purdy (toe) will be evaluated on Wednesday with the hope that he will be able to do more in practice this week, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN. Purdy aggravated a turf-toe injury in Week 4 and has now missed back-to-back games (four total this year). He did not practice at all last week, but he was seen working on his conditioning on side fields. The 25-year-old signal-caller is believed to be making progress, but his availability for Week 7 against the Atlanta Falcons will all depend on whether he can return to practice this week. There's no question that Purdy is San Fran's starting QB when healthy, but backup Mac Jones' strong play has given the 49ers the luxury of slow-playing Purdy's rehab from his toe injury. We should have a better idea of Purdy's chances of returning this weekend after the Niners hold a few practices later this week.

From RotoBaller

Colston Loveland Oct 13 6:50pm CT
Colston Loveland

Chicago Bears rookie first-round tight end Colston Loveland (hip) is officially active for Monday Night Football against the Washington Commanders to wrap up Week 6 action. Loveland will be returning for the first time since Week 3 due to a hip injury. The 21-year-old sat out of the Week 4 contest and is now ready after having extra time to heal during the team's Week 5 bye. With Loveland back in the fold, quarterback Caleb Williams will have his full complement of targets in the passing game against a suspect Washington secondary. There's a lot to like about Colston's long-term fantasy outlook, but early in his rookie season, he has struggled to produce and will likely take a back seat to Cole Kmet yet again in his return on Monday. In his first three NFL games, Loveland has caught half of his six targets for 43 yards and no touchdowns.

From RotoBaller

Chris Rodriguez Jr. Oct 13 6:40pm CT
Chris Rodriguez Jr.

Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. (calf) is officially active for the Monday Night Football game against the Chicago Bears in Week 6 despite not practicing all week. Rodriguez, rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt, and Jeremy McNichols had been operating in a committee backfield after the season-ending injury to Austin Ekeler (Achilles) earlier this year until last week, when Croskey-Merritt took hold of the lead-back role in a breakout performance in the win over the Los Angeles Chargers. It's unclear if Rodriguez will be limited at all on Monday night, but we'd expect him to take a clear back seat to JCM once again against Chicago. The 25-year-old RB should be viewed as a pretty shaky touchdown-dependent RB3/flex in fantasy lineups on Monday. In the last three games, Rodriguez has just over 100 yards rushing and no touchdowns on 23 carries.

From RotoBaller