The conversation about the sixth week of the NFL season was more about a player who didn’t play than the ones who did.
The Eagles announced after they returned from London that quarterback Jalen Hurts had blood clots in his lungs and will be sidelined for the rest of the season.
But the Eagles were not very transparent in explaining why the doctors cleared him to play in the game against the Jaguars after an ultrasound showed he had a superficial clot in his leg.
The Eagles did not make any medical personnel available to discuss what happened to Hurts. Neither did general manager Howie Roseman. That left coach Nick Sirianni to answer questions, and he basically said he had confidence in the medical people.
The Eagles only issued a statement, as did his agent, and the league officials said they were kept informed during the process and said the Eagles did all the right things. But the NFLPA issued a statement calling for a complete investigation.
Still, many questions remain about whether Hurts should have made the trip and played. This story is going to continue as the Eagles treat Hurts with blood thinners and seem confident he will return next year. We can only wait to see how this plays out.
Meanwhile, Tanner McKee, who started only two games in four years, is now the Eagles quarterback. The Eagles lost to the Panthers 25-14 to fall to 2-4 but are still in contention because they play in the NFC East.
—For the first time in history, none of the four NFC East teams posted a victory for the second week in a row.
The Cowboys lost to the Packers, 23-13, to also fall to 2-4.
The Giants still lead at 3-2-1 after losing to the Saints, 34-27. Jameis Winston was benched for young J.J. McCarthy, who made his debut as a Giant and led a furious rally that fell short.
The Commanders lost to the unbeaten 49ers, 23-17, as their rally from a 23-3 deficit also fell short. The Commanders are 1-4-1. The winner of this division could have a losing record.
—The Chiefs came off their bye to beat the Chargers, 23-6, to boost their record to 5-0. They are the only unbeaten team in the AFC.
The 5-1 Bills are currently the second seed after beating the Raiders, 33-30. The Jaguars remain the third seed at 4-2 despite a 34-31 loss to Houston in London. It was the third week in a row the Jaguars’ game has been decided on the final play, but they won the previous two. Houston is now 2-4 but still has a shot at overtaking the Jaguars. A loss would have probably ended their playoff hopes.
—The Browns are the surprising leader in the AFC North after boosting their record to 4-2 with a 13-10 upset of the Ravens. Lamar Jackson remained sidelined for the Ravens, and they are now in a three-way tie at 4-2 with the Browns and Steelers, who beat the Bucs, 26-19. The Browns currently have the tiebreaker.
—The Titans posted their first win by stunning the Colts, 26-20, who now 2-4. The loss cost general manager Chris Ballard, as he was fired after the game.
—In the NFC, the 49ers and Vikings remain unbeaten with the 49ers beating the Commanders to go to 6-0 while the Vikings had a bye and remained 5-0. Carolina remained in first in the NFC South at 3-2 with their victory over the Eagles.
—Unless the 49ers falter, they seem a lock to win the division. The defending champion Seahawks, who lost to the Broncos, 17-14, to fall to 3-3 and the Rams, the preseason favorite to win the Super Bowl, lost to the Cardinals, 18-16, to fall to 2-4, and both will probably have to fight for wild-card spots.
—The Cardinals have won two games and both were at Sofi Stadium over the Chargers and Rams. That’s more than the Rams and Chargers, who have combined for one win in the stadium they share.
—Besides Minnesota, the Bengals, Lions and Dolphins had byes.
