Joe Burrow gave the Beans six touchdowns, 462 passing yards and a very good reason to look up in the standings.
His 41 points powered an 80-51 victory over the Refugees, turning the league's best record into a four-way tie and pulling the Beans back into a share of first place in the NFC West. A week after losing their grip on the division lead, the Beans reclaimed it with their third-highest score in franchise history.
The Refugees scored 51 and lost by 29. Sometimes the other quarterback makes the arithmetic unpleasant.
Six of the Best
Burrow's outburst was his highest-scoring YFFL performance, surpassing the 34 points he posted in Week 5 of 2024. He supplied more than half of the Beans' total and outscored six entire teams this week. Against a Refugees lineup led by Josh Allen's 18 points, the Beans had a 23-point advantage at quarterback before counting anybody else.
They found plenty more. Braelon Allen rushed for 147 yards and added a touchdown for 12 points. Jameson Williams and Matthew Golden each contributed eight, Cameron Dicker supplied nine, and Brenton Strange chipped in two. Even with two scoreless starters, the Beans reached 80 for just the third time. Only their 86 in Week 7 of 2005 and 82 in the 2015 opener sit above this performance in the franchise record book.
The Refugees had enough production to win plenty of other games. Chuba Hubbard scored 10, Luther Burden III added eight and Stefon Diggs six, with Josh Allen accounting for three touchdowns. But after spending the previous two weeks alone atop the league, the Refugees are now one of four teams at 6-2.
For the Beans, the change is closer to home. They improved to 5-3, matching the Brothers, whose 62-21 loss to the Orangutangs erased their one-game NFC West lead. The Chickens and Huskers both won to reach 4-4. All four teams in the division are separated by one game.
Running Together
The Orangutangs have won four straight, and their backfield again did much of the work. Tony Pollard rushed for 117 yards and scored twice for 16 points, while Jahmyr Gibbs added 153 rushing yards and 12 points. Dak Prescott matched Gibbs' 12, and Rashee Rice and Trey McBride supplied eight apiece.
The Brothers never found an answer. Rachaad White led them with eight points, Jared Goff managed six, and three starters went scoreless. Their 21 points were the week's lowest total.
The result brought the Orangutangs level with the Refugees at 6-2 in the AFC East. In the other AFC division, the Merry Men protected their half-game lead over the Eaters by beating the Boys 47-39. Brock Bowers' two touchdowns and 14 points led the defending champions, who won despite getting no points from Baker Mayfield.
The Eaters had a much narrower escape. Jordan Love scored 18 and Bucky Irving added 12 behind 170 rushing yards in a 54-52 victory over the White Guys. Drake Maye's 18 and Tyler Bass' 12 kept the White Guys close, but the week's tightest finish sent them to a third straight loss. The Eaters improved to 5-2-1, keeping the pressure on the Merry Men.
Room to Run
The Dragons joined the three AFC leaders at 6-2 with a 78-40 victory over the Buddies. D'Andre Swift scored three touchdowns for 20 points, Trevor Lawrence and Bhayshul Tuten added 18 apiece, and Ja'Marr Chase contributed 10 behind 141 receiving yards and a touchdown.
That gives the Dragons three straight wins and 497 points for the season, 39 more than the Merry Men. With the Boys, White Guys and Mallards all 2-6, their NFC East lead has grown to four games. Elsewhere, the races are getting tighter; the Dragons keep finding more space.
The Huskers beat the Poop 52-27 behind Josh Jacobs' 14 points and Michael Wilson's 10, while Kirk Cousins' four touchdowns and 24 points carried the Chickens past the Llamas 47-36. The Llamas' second straight loss dropped them to 4-4, two games behind both AFC East leaders.
The Thugs, meanwhile, beat the Mallards 56-41 for their second straight victory and third in four games. Malik Willis and Brandon Aubrey supplied 12 points apiece, and Jaylen Warren added 10 behind 143 rushing yards. The Mallards have now lost six straight after opening 2-0.
The Beans host the White Guys next, with the Brothers facing the Boys. Six regular-season games remain, and the NFC West is back to a tie at the top. Burrow needed only one afternoon to put the Beans there.