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Here's a tale of four teams that is really a tale of two teams twice. And the winners of these two tales will face off Sunday night.
The road teams were favored. The Broncos were 10-point favorites at MetLife Stadium while the 49ers were 3.5-point favorites at the Edward Jones Dome. Each saw a relatively healthy fanbase in attendance on the road.
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The home underdogs took an early lead. What, you thought this would be easy? Geno Smith led the New York Jets to the first touchdown drive of his game to put the Gang Green up 7-3. In the other game, Austin Davis led two early scoring drives to give the Rams a 14-0 lead over the 49ers.
The road teams came roaring back. In the second and third quarters, the Denver Broncos went on a 21-0 run to take a commanding lead. In the second and third quarters, the San Francisco 49ers went on a 24-0 run to take a 10-point lead.
The home teams made it close. Tough defensive efforts by both the Rams and the Jets kept their opponents out of the end zone for most of the fourth quarter. Neither Colin Kaepernick nor Peyton Manning had any scoring success in the fourth quarter - although the Broncos can't attribute their Q4 struggles to anything like this.
Pick-six to seal a win in the final minute. Aqib Talib nabbed an interception for a touchdown with 15 seconds left, while the Niners' Dontae Johnson picked one off for six with 53 seconds left. Both turned one-score nailbiters into two-touchdown victories.
Final score: 31 to 17. Seriously. In both games.
The Broncos are early 6-point favorites against the 49ers for Sunday Night Football in Week 7, but they'll have to beat their Week 6 mirror image by a touchdown to cover that spread.