“Baker Mayfield right now, six weeks into the NFL season, is the MVP of football.” – Chris Simms
“The best quarterbacks in the NFL, they step up in the big moments. They impose their will on their football team…He went out there and made the play of the year for the Chargers.” – Jason Garrett on Chargers QB Justin Herbert’s play to set up the game-winning field goal
“I hated every bit of that…Tua, you’re a captain of this team, you’re a quarterback. Go handle it…Get in the locker room, call those guys out by name…Go fix it in-house. I think that’s true leadership.” – Devin McCourty on Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa’s postgame comments critical of his team
“They haven’t had a must-win in a long time; this is a must-win tonight.” – Rodney Harrison on the Chiefs entering tonight with a 2-3 record
STAMFORD, Conn. – Oct. 12, 2025 – NBC Sports’ coverage of Week 6 of the 2025 NFL season continued tonight from GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., with Football Night in America leading into coverage of Lions-Chiefs on Sunday Night Football on NBC and Peacock.
Maria Taylor hosted FNIA from NBC Sports’ Studio 3 in Stamford, Conn. She was joined by former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett, three-time Super Bowl Champion Devin McCourty, former NFL quarterback Chris Simms, NFL Insider Mike Florio, and fantasy sports industry pioneer Matthew Berry. Hall of Fame head coach Tony Dungy and two-time Super Bowl winner Rodney Harrison joined co-host Jac Collinsworth at the site of the game.
FNIA included Tony Dungy’s conversation with Lions head coach Dan Campbell, Rodney Harrison speaking with Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown and Dungy speaking with Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes on the field pregame, and postgame video calls featuring Maria Taylor with Chargers WR Ladd McConkey and Devin McCourty with Panthers RB Rico Dowdle.
Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (analyst), Melissa Stark (sideline reporter) and Terry McAulay (rules analyst) are calling tonight’s game.
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Following are highlights from tonight’s Week 6 edition of Football Night in America on NBC and Peacock:
ON CHIEFS
Harrison on the pressure facing the 2-3 Chiefs tonight: “They haven’t had a must-win in a long time. This is a must-win tonight.”
Dungy: “They know how big this game is and that they have to come in with their A game…They have the championship mentality.”
Harrison on the Chiefs’ keys vs. the Lions: “I’m looking at head coach Andy Reid, and he has to show patience in the run game using all three of those running backs (Isiah Pacheco, Kareem Hunt, Brashard Smith). Whichever running back is hot, continue to use him. They also need to take a couple deep shots in the passing game, especially with that Detroit secondary being hurt.”
Dungy on defensive tackle Chris Jones’ perceived lack of effort: “When I was coaching, we used to grade loafs. Anybody that wasn’t going full speed, they got an ‘L’ for that play. You just can’t have that. You cannot have that.”
ON LIONS
Dungy on head coach Dan Campbell and the type of player he wants on his team: “Hard work[ers]. He is not going to have a guy there that doesn’t go all out all the time, that’s not ready to come in early and stay late, sacrifice for the team. That’s his kind of guy…(The Lions players) love their coach and he takes care of them.”
Harrison on Campbell: “Being a former player gets you in the room with these players, but if you want to gain their trust and respect, you have to be a real dude. We saw that last week with (Patriots head coach) Mike Vrabel, we see that with Dan Campbell and that’s why these guys respect him so much.”
Dungy on the Lions offense: “Dan Campbell told me when I was there Friday, everything starts with our running game. They feel like they’re tougher than any team in the National Football League. They’re going to pound the ball tonight…I think the Chiefs are going to have to run-blitz tonight.”
Harrison on defending the Lions’ run game: “One of the things I would be telling my Chiefs defensive backs, get off the blocks of these wide receivers. They’re very passionate about it. They’re going to come in and try to block the safeties and force the corners to have to tackle Jahmyr Gibbs and David Mongomery, which is tough to do.”
Amon-Ra St. Brown on the field pregame to Harrison on his willingness to block as a wide receiver: “I think it comes from being in Detroit. Ever since I got here, blocking has been such a big emphasis, and we all love going out there blocking everybody.”
Simms on the importance of pressuring QB Jared Goff: “He’s not known for his great athletic ability, and he’s got a wind-up type of motion – not a quick release, can’t throw it side arm or flick it. That’s why he’s not good when you get him moved off the spot.”
Garrett: “When you bring that pressure, you better get him off his spot because he’s tall and he’s fearless in the pocket…This guy’s dangerous. You better get to him.”
Simms: “The context matters. Pressure him off the spot, he’s not as good. But pressure him with the pocket collapsing, people around him, going to hit him? He’s going to still hit the throw down the football field.”
ON BUCCANEERS
Simms on QB Baker Mayfield: “This guy is definitely an MVP candidate. He’s got heart, and he’s also breaking hearts everywhere right now with all his clutch moments…Baker Mayfield right now, six weeks into the NFL season, is the MVP of football.”
Garrett on Mayfield: “He’s the best player on arguably the best team right now…The energy of the leader purveys the groups, and his energy, his juice, his moxie, dare I say it, purveys that team.”
McCourty on the Buccaneers: “Tampa Bay doesn’t have everybody, and Baker Mayfield is making everyone around him better. I think that is the key. They play Detroit next week and that game may turn the tide on who is the best team in the NFC right now.”
ON CHARGERS
Garrett on QB Justin Herbert: “The best quarterbacks in the NFL, they step up in the big moments. They impose their will on their football team. They grab them by the collar and say, ‘You’re coming with me to win.’ And that’s exactly what Justin Herbert did today…He went out there and made the play of the year for the Chargers.”
McCourty: “We were critical of Herbert early in the season to make those plays, but they made them against the Dolphins. So, good job getting the win, but (the Dolphins are) one of the worst teams in football right now…I’m just not ready to crown them…That Chargers team, they needed that win today and Herbert willed them.”
ON DOLPHINS
McCourty on QB Tua Tagovailoa’s postgame comments on his teammates: “I hated every bit of that. I played in New England with Bill Belichick and Tom Brady and Coach Belichick used to talk about, when you have true leadership, it doesn’t need to be talked about. So, if there’s a problem, Tua, you’re a captain of this team, you’re a quarterback. Go handle it. Don’t sit there in front of a camera and talk to media members about guys messing up. Get in the locker room, call those guys out by name. If confrontation happens, that happens sometimes, but I think to come and air out your dirty laundry and let everybody know that there’s a problem – we know there’s a problem, you’re not winning football games. Go fix it in-house. Handle it that way. I think that’s true leadership.”
ON GIANTS
Florio on Giants head coach Brian Daboll’s and RB Cam Skattebo’s interaction with the medical tent during QB Jaxson Dart’s evaluation in Thursday night’s game: “The NFL is taking this very seriously. No one is allowed in the tent. Coaches, players, can’t go in…The league called the NFL Players Association the next morning to start a joint review. There will be interviews of all relevant medical staff, coaches, and players. The Giants face a potential fine and also the possibility of the loss of a draft pick depending upon how this all shakes out.”
ON RAMS
Florio on wide receiver Puka Nacua’s ankle injury: “Just because he returned to play (today) doesn’t mean he’ll be available to play Sunday when the Rams play the Jaguars in London. I’m told he’ll have an MRI tonight and it’s currently uncertain if he’ll play.”
ON 49ERS
Florio on LB Fred Warner’s injury: “He has a dislocated and fractured ankle, he’ll need surgery and he’s out for the rest of the year. He’s only missed one game in his entire eight-year career. This 49ers defense is a shell of what it was in Super Bowl LVIII, only two defensive starters remain.”
--FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA--
