It was not a classic game in Madrid as the Miami Dolphins recorded a 16-13 win in overtime against the Washington Commanders, but it was a first-class event in a stunning stadium as Spain hosted an NFL regular season contest for the first time.
We saw a pair of teams who were 3-7 for a reason heading into the game, which was decided by Riley Patterson's 29-yard field goal in the extra period. Miami failed to find their offensive rhythm and twice failed to come away with points when inside Washington's five-yard line.
And the Commanders – who have now lost six games in a row in a wasted, injury-ravaged season – hurt themselves in the biggest moments of the game. Mike Sainristil muffed a punt for one turnover that the Dolphins failed to capitalize on, Matt Gay missed what would have been the game-winning field goal from 56 yards out with 11 seconds remaining. Then early in overtime, Marcus Mariota threw a devastating interception to Jack Jones.
De'Von Achane – the one star who shone throughout the game – took over and moved Miami into scoring range. Tua Tagovailoa was far from sensational at quarterback for the Dolphins, but he avoided the key mistakes that hurt Washington late. And now the Dolphins have somehow conspired to win three of their last four.
And there could be more victories ahead. Miami's next two are at home to the New Orleans Saints and on the road against the New York Jets. There is also a December meeting with the Cincinnati Bengals and who knows if Joe Burrow will be back by then, if at all this season.
I don't trust Miami to win all of those winnable games and I still don't see them as a playoff team. But given their disastrous start to 2025, they and their long-suffering fans will just be enjoying the uptick in form.
Who's Hot…
Josh Allen… As Baker Mayfield and Josh Allen went back and forth on Sunday, the tension would have been building in Buffalo. The Bills were coming off a loss to the Dolphins and needed to get back on track. A 6-4 record beckoned once Tampa moved into a 32-31 lead early in the fourth period. But it was no surprise at all to see Allen take over this game. He scored on touchdown runs of five and nine yards to power Buffalo to a 44-32 victory and a 7-3 record. Allen ended the day with 317 passing yards and three scores, while adding 40 yards on the ground and those two scores. He did what he has done on so many occasions in the past and put the Bills on his back.
The Philadelphia Eagles' defense… For the second week in a row, the Super Bowl champions beat a quality opponent while being led by their defense. After giving up just one touchdown and seven points to the Green Bay Packers, the Eagles allowed just one touchdown to Detroit during a 16-9 win on Sunday Night Football. Jalen Hurts and his offensive teammates had some big plays, but not that many and that is one concern moving forward. But the defense is on top of its game at the moment and the addition of former Dolphins edge rusher Jaelan Phillips is already paying dividends.
The Denver Broncos… Sean Payton's AFC West leaders continue to find ways to win games and the Broncos have now secured eight victories in a row following Sunday's 22-19 defeat of the Kansas City Chiefs. Like in Philadelphia, Denver's success was built on strong defensive play. But with the game tied at 19 apiece late in the fourth, quarterback Bo Nix stepped up and delivered a perfect strike to Troy Franklin that moved the Broncos into scoring range and effectively ended the contest. After running down the clock, Denver positioned Will Lutz for the game-winner from 35 yards out. The Broncos now have a two-game lead in a division that has been controlled by the Chiefs for the past decade. As for KC, they fall to 5-5 and their playoff hopes are in the balance.
Who's Not…
Sam Darnold… I don't always get a lot of predictions right but I did pick the Los Angeles Rams to win the battle of NFC heavyweights on Sunday. And they did just that, edging past the Seattle Seahawks 21-19. I didn't think there was much between the teams but I was worried that Darnold had endured some rough moments in the biggest of games in the past. He was picked four times by a Rams defense that reminded us all that Sean McVay's team is complete. The Seahawks will feel confident when these teams meet again if Darnold can clean up his act. Even with all of those vital mistakes at the quarterback position - which have not been there for all other games this season, to be fair - Seattle had a shot at winning late. But Jason Myers pushed his 61-yard field goal attempt wide right. The Hawks will live to fight another day, but, for now, the Rams are the best team in the NFL.
Shedeur sanders… There was great anticipation when Cleveland's highly-hyped rookie entered Sunday's game against the Baltimore Ravens. Subbing for another first-year player in the injured Dillon Gabriel, Sanders struggled to handle the pressure brought by a Baltimore team that has now won four in a row after a 1-5 start. And he missed on several throws, including a potential touchdown late in the 23-16 loss. I don't think long-term QB answer for the Browns is in their building.
The Atlanta Falcons… The Falcons cannot seem to get over the finish line, losing in overtime for the second week in a row. Sunday's 30-27 defeat to the 6-5 Carolina Panthers saw an Atlanta pass defense that had been the best in the NFL allow Bryce Young to throw for a club record 448 yards. That makes no sense. Michael Penix Jr was hurt at QB again and the only constant with this team is their losing - they're up to five straight in that department.
The Fast Five…
- I thought the Jacksonville Jaguars would be in a really bad place mentally after blowing a 29-10 fourth quarter lead to Houston in Week 10. But they bounced back brilliantly in Sunday's 35-6 thrashing of the Los Angeles Chargers. It was a bruising display as the Jags rushed for 192 yards and four touchdowns to improve to 6-4 under impressive first-year head coach Liam Coen. He is working wonders in Florida.
- The Pittsburgh Steelers may have to do without Aaron Rodgers at quarterback for a few weeks after he suffered a left wrist injury on Sunday. But if Mason Rudolph plays like he did during a 34-12 win over Cincinnati, they can stay afloat. Backed up by a good defensive showing, Rudolph completed 75 percent of his throws for 127 yards and a touchdown.
- The Chicago Bears are the Cardiac Kids of 2025, every season has one! The Bears appeared in control against the Minnesota Vikings before a late slide and they fell behind 17-16 on Will Reichard's field goal with 50 seconds remaining. Not for the first time, Chicago found the answer as Devin Duvernay's 56-yard kick-off return set up Cairo Santos for the game-winning FG from 48 yards away. It marked the fifth time this season that the 7-3 Bears trailed inside the final two minutes and won. That's the most such victories in any NFL season and has Ben Johnson's team believing they can win every week.
- Brock Purdy looked sharp in his return to action as the San Francisco 49ers won another game that they should be winning during the softer parts of their schedule, 41-22 over the Arizona Cardinals. Purdy threw for 200 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in a comfortable return to the field.
- Green Bay got back on track with a 27-20 win over the New York Giants that improved their record to 6-3-1 on the year. The scoreline marked the seventh time in 10 games that the Packers' D had allowed 20 points or fewer. The last time that happened in Green Bay they went to and won the Super Bowl in the 2010 season. Now, if they could just find some offensive consistency.
Fact of the Week
The NFL record book now features an unusual and unheralded name in Arizona quarterback and long-time journeyman Jacoby Brissett. He completed a league record 47 passes (from 57 attempts) against the 49ers, breaking the previous best of 45 achieved by Jared Goff while with the Rams in 2019.
Final Thought
With Miami's win over Washington, the curtain came down an historic international series for the NFL with a record seven games featuring 11 teams in five different countries in Brazil, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Germany and Spain. And the international fans got to experience NFL drama up close and personal with six of the seven games being decided by one score. The firsts in Dublin, Berlin and Madrid were huge successes and will have further emboldened an already-ambitious NFL to roll out new destinations in the coming years. With reports of as many as nine international games coming in 2026, including Australia, we are creeping ever closer to the 16 per year desired by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. These are truly historic times for the league, its players and coaches and its fans.
