NFL roundup: Panthers top Eagles; Williams returns as Bears hold off Falcons

Carolina beat Philadelphia and Chicago defeated Atlanta in NFL games on Sunday, October 18, 2026, with multiple other matchups producing notable performances and shifting early-season records.

Bryce Young passed for 281 yards and two touchdowns to Tommy Tremble while Chuba Hubbard rushed for 120 yards and a score as the Carolina Panthers (3-2) overcame an injury-depleted Philadelphia Eagles (2-4); the Eagles were without Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley, with Hurts placed on injured reserve and expected to miss at least four games because of a blood clot in his calf. Tanner McKee started at quarterback for Philadelphia and finished 26 of 45 for 215 yards and one touchdown. In Chicago, Caleb Williams completed his first 12 throws in a return from a hamstring problem, D’Andre Swift had two rushing touchdowns and the Bears improved to 4-2 by holding off a late Atlanta rally.

Carolina’s offense opened up after halftime, Young finding Tremble for scores while Hubbard’s ground work added balance to the attack; those contributions helped the Panthers secure the win over an Eagles side limited by absences. Philadelphia’s McKee produced a full stat line but could not prevent the second-half breakdown that left the team 2-4. The injury to Hurts — placed on injured reserve with a blood clot in his calf — was confirmed in the report and mandates at least a four-game absence.

Chicago built a 31-7 advantage before fending off the Falcons’ comeback attempt, with Williams’ efficient start notable in his first appearance since the hamstring issue. Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon, making his return from a calf injury, recorded three sacks and forced two fumbles, the biggest coming when he sacked Michael Penix Jr. and forced a fumble with 2:54 remaining while Chicago protected a 31-23 lead.

The Cleveland Browns rallied past the Baltimore Ravens on the final play when Deshaun Watson’s connection with Jerry Jeudy set up Andre Szmyt’s 37-yard field goal on the last snap. Cleveland’s first-year head coach Todd Monken earned the victory against the franchise where he had been the offensive coordinator for the previous three seasons. Baltimore, starting Tyler Huntley at quarterback for a second straight week because Lamar Jackson has an ankle injury, scored on its first two possessions and then failed to produce thereafter; the Browns and Ravens both sit at 4-2 after the game.

Drake Maye threw three touchdown passes for the New England Patriots, completing 18 of 32 for 235 yards as New England extended its streak to three wins; Romeo Doubs, DeMario Douglas and Hunter Henry caught touchdown passes, with Douglas finishing with seven receptions for 86 yards. The New York Jets’ Geno Smith completed 20 of 30 for 252 yards and one touchdown but recorded his first interception of the season; Jason Sanders kicked four field goals for the Jets and Jamien Sherwood led the team with 11 tackles (six solo). Sanders’ 36-yard field goal with 32 seconds left pulled the Jets within 26-19, but New England recovered the ensuing onside kick.

Aaron Rodgers rallied the Pittsburgh Steelers from a 16-3 fourth-quarter deficit by throwing touchdown passes in the fourth quarter and in overtime, while Chris Boswell converted four field goals to secure an overtime win; the Steelers erased the 13-point deficit with 16 unanswered in the fourth quarter. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers tied the game at 19 with three seconds left on a 53-yard field goal by Chase McLaughlin before Rodgers led a 12-play, 70-yard overtime drive capped by a six-yard touchdown pass to Germie Bernard with 3:15 remaining in overtime. On Tampa Bay’s final possession, Jalon Daniels scrambled to convert a fourth-and-nine before being sacked by Jalen Ramsey on fourth down to end the game.

At Wembley Stadium, Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 49-yard field goal as time expired sealed a Houston win over Jacksonville after CJ Stroud threw three touchdown passes; Cam Little’s 60-yard field goal had tied the game at 31-31 with under two minutes left following Travis Hunter’s interception of Stroud in the end zone. Hunter also scored on a seven-yard touchdown reception, becoming the fifth player in the Super Bowl era (including playoffs) to record both a touchdown reception and an interception in the same game. Marvin Harrison Jr. made his debut for the 2-4 Texans as Houston earned consecutive victories, while the Jaguars dropped to 4-2.

Tyler Shough accounted for three passing touchdowns and a rushing score as the New Orleans Saints put together a 34-point run to defeat the New York Giants; Isaiah Stalbird forced a late first-half fumble on a kick return that swung momentum toward New Orleans. The Giants, whose attendance thinned after Jameis Winston threw a second interception early in the fourth quarter, saw JJ McCarthy lead multiple scoring drives that ultimately fell short. In Tennessee, Joey Slye’s 49-yard field goal with 2:03 remaining, his third of the day, gave the Titans their first win of the season after a comeback from a 13-point halftime deficit; Slye had also converted a 44-yarder with 43 seconds left. Cam Ward completed 11 of 22 for 102 yards with one touchdown and one interception for Tennessee, which recorded six sacks including two each by Jeffery Simmons and Jermaine Johnson II, while Indianapolis’s Daniel Jones finished 22 of 42 for 269 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions and Jonathan Taylor ran for 94 yards on 21 carries.

Following Sunday’s results, several teams sit at 4-2 — including the Bears, Browns, Patriots, Steelers, Ravens and Jaguars — while a group of clubs are 2-4 (the Eagles, Jets, Colts, Texans, Saints and Falcons); the Tennessee Titans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 1-5 and the New York Giants are 3-2-1.