The Arizona Cardinals delivered one of the biggest surprises of the NFL season, edging the Los Angeles Rams 18-16 with a last-second field goal from Chad Ryland as the Kansas City Chiefs continued their impressive run with another victory in Week Six.
Ryland converted a career-high six field goals to account for all of Arizona’s points, sealing victory as time expired and deepening the Rams’ struggles after a promising start to the campaign.
The result leaves Los Angeles at the bottom of the NFC West, while Arizona moved above its divisional rivals after securing its second victory of the season.
The Rams had briefly regained the lead with 47 seconds remaining when punter Ethan Evans took over kicking duties to convert the extra point following Colby Parkinson’s touchdown.
However, Ryland responded with the decisive kick to complete Arizona’s comeback.
The Rams had already made changes to their kicking department, releasing Harrison Mevis and signing Blake Grupe from the New York Jets’ practice squad. Grupe opened the scoring against Arizona but injured his knee while attempting to make a tackle on the ensuing kickoff.
Los Angeles had entered the season among the leading Super Bowl contenders but has struggled to maintain that form in recent weeks.
Head coach Sean McVay accepted responsibility for the team’s difficulties.
“We’ve got to be able to figure it out and it starts with me,” he said.
Chiefs Maintain Winning Momentum
While the Rams struggled, the Kansas City Chiefs strengthened their position with a 22-6 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Running back Kenneth Walker continued his outstanding start to life in Kansas City, rushing for 128 yards and two touchdowns.
Walker, who joined the Chiefs after winning the Super Bowl’s Most Valuable Player award, has accumulated 665 rushing yards to lead the NFL in the category.
His performances have provided quarterback Patrick Mahomes with a potent running option as Kansas City seeks to return to the play-offs after missing out last season.
Mahomes also reached 100 regular-season victories in his 131st start, matching Tom Brady’s record for the fewest starts required to reach the milestone.
The Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings remained unbeaten at 5-0, while the San Francisco 49ers were also undefeated heading into their Monday night game against Washington.
Elsewhere, the Buffalo Bills improved to 5-1 after surviving a late challenge to defeat the Las Vegas Raiders 33-30.
The Chicago Bears also recorded a 31-23 victory over the Atlanta Falcons, with quarterback Caleb Williams returning from a hamstring injury.
Eagles’ Struggles Deepen Without Hurts
The Philadelphia Eagles suffered another setback, losing 25-14 to the Carolina Panthers as their difficult run continued in the absence of quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Hurts was placed on injured reserve after medical examinations revealed that a blood clot initially identified in his calf had moved. He is expected to miss at least four weeks.
Backup quarterback Tanner McKee started in his place, making his third NFL start, but could not prevent Philadelphia from suffering its fourth consecutive defeat.
Carolina tight end Tommy Tremble scored two touchdowns to help secure the victory.
The losing streak is Philadelphia’s longest since head coach Nick Sirianni took charge in 2021, raising concerns about the team’s ability to recover from its recent decline.
The Eagles have also experienced disruption along their offensive line, with Lane Johnson retiring and Cam Jurgens departing for Baltimore two weeks earlier.
After reaching two of the past four Super Bowls, Philadelphia now faces a crucial stretch of its schedule, with games against all three divisional rivals over the next three weeks.
Browns and Texans Provide Further Talking Points
The Cleveland Browns continued their unexpected strong start to the season, adding to a week in which several teams produced results that challenged pre-season expectations.
The Houston Texans also brought this year’s London series to a dramatic conclusion, securing a thrilling victory at Wembley Stadium.
Week Six therefore delivered contrasting fortunes across the league, with Arizona emerging as a surprise winner, Kansas City maintaining its unbeaten run and Philadelphia facing mounting pressure to halt its slide.
