NFL Week 6
We were given a week of football that looked less gruesome and less problematic in the schedule than the week before. This implies that the week was better overall. The games that were given the most hype ultimately were the most disappointing while the games that didn’t have much prior hype to them had their moments. This week gives us more clarity as we are starting to see more and more pretenders in the bunch of good teams. The NFL week 6 results can speak for themselves.
Steelers vs. Browns
This was the early time slot of the supposed game of the week. The game was none of that. The Steelers brought a diluted Browns team and a diluted fan base back to earth. The Browns were fully exposed, Baker Mayfield finally saw a top defense, and the casual fan was reminded why they are not supposed to believe in the Browns until they prove everyone wrong. The Steelers look like a complete team and a possible Super Bowl contender. It’s a shame that the playoff format is the Electoral College equivalent as a Ravens or Steelers team might win 11 or 12 games this season and have to play on Wild Card weekend on the road.
Patriots vs. Broncos
This game didn’t only show the Patriots playing down to a weak and injury-plagued Broncos team. This game was an embarrassment for New England. The Patriots could not score and seem to have lost the offensive identity that gave them a promising start to the season. I know that Cam Newton led a late surge but let it not distract you from the poor play that was witnessed throughout the game. The Patriots starting the season 2-3 has to make anyone wonder if this is the year that the Patriots fall off. Losing to the Super Bowl contending Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks are one thing, but this loss has to be a wake-up call. New England needs a bounceback game next week at home against the 49ers or the season might already be a lost cause.
Giants vs. Football Team?
I am well aware of players not believing in tanking as the individuals are still playing for their job and are also auditioning for other teams to sign them in the future. At the same time, this game has to be one where both front offices were hoping to lose the battle to win the war. Both teams are playing in lost seasons and a top draft pick might turn the franchise around.
The Giants escaped with the victory but the storyline doesn’t change, the team is still terrible and Daniel Jones is still a bad quarterback. The only additional note is one I had from the previous week when thinking about Washington. The more I watch this team, the more I doubt their ability to call themselves the Football Team. This team is still a mess, there are some good players but still too many voids to be contenders in the near future.
Titans vs. Texans
The Titans have looked like one of the best teams in the NFL and it appears that nobody is talking about them in a serious manner. The Titans were setback with the Covid outbreak and will have a tough road ahead but they look like one of the most complete teams in the NFL. This game gave us a complete team with an ok quarterback against a complete quarterback with not much help. This made Deshaun Watson’s performance and Texans comeback all the more impressive. The fact that Deshaun Watson was able to help the Texans force overtime is all the more impressive. Unfortunately, the overtime rules still allow a team to win the kickoff, march down the field, and end the game with a touchdown.
If this game should remind us of anything aside from the Titans being true Super Bowl contenders, it should remind us of Derrick Henry’s dominance. Henry is not only the best running back in the NFL, he gets better as the game goes on. The fourth quarter and overtime showed how dominant Henry can be as he gashed the Texans defense for a 94-yard touchdown.
Ravens vs. Eagles
It must be acknowledged at this point that Carson Wentz’s career is in jeopardy. Wentz has been awful in the past few games and it looks like he is on a short leash. The Eagles haven’t given Wentz much help but since the ACL tear in 2017, he isn’t mobile and is an open target for defensive linemen to hit. The game against the Ravens wasn’t the best offensive performance from Lamar Jackson but the defense won the game for them. This Ravens team is shaping up to what we expected them to be, they are good and are clearly on the shortlist of Super Bowl contenders.
Vikings vs. Falcons
There may have been an extra motivation to win this game for Atlanta. They finally fired Dan Quinn and might have wanted to prove that he was the weak link of the franchise. Likewise, Matt Ryan might have to prove the rest of the season that he is the Falcons’ future quarterback. There was an extra fire against a Vikings team that can easily be regarded as one of the most disappointing teams this season. Kirk Cousins has looked beyond awful, with his one virtue of not turning the ball over being his biggest weakness. This Vikings roster and coaching staff is going to go through a brutal offseason and we should not be surprised if many stars are released or traded and there is much overhaul.
Lions vs. Jaguars
The only point this game made was how bad the Jacksonville Jaguars are. Nobody is believing that the Jaguars can be good this season anymore, maybe after the upset against the Colts but not since then. The Jaguars again have many needs on this roster despite a strong draft haul. Also, Garner Minshew doesn’t look like the franchise quarterback that some people believed he could be. The Detroit Lions won this game by default. The Lions didn’t need to do much to win this game. The win convinces nobody is going to believe that the Lions are starting to bounceback. The Jaguars, on the other hand, look poised to land a top-five draft pick once again. The speculation can begin now considering the draft class gives them a great opportunity to fill any of their multiple needs.
Panthers vs. Bears
This game became one of the underrated matchups of the week. The Bears and Panthers have both been pleasantly good this season. The game reflected this as both teams gave us a close and competitive game. The oddity about this matchup is that both defenses looked superb throughout the game. The Bears are known for having the star power on defense but the Panthers raised a few eyebrows with the performance. The Panthers are starting to see the rookies progress into viable defenders. This implies we shouldn’t be surprised if the Panthers finish this season with a winning record. The Bears are shockingly 5-1, making many fans wonder if they are actually a good team. They are undoubtedly playing like a playoff team at the moment but it’s hard to say they are anything better than that.
Colts vs. Bengals
This game can be perceived as a trap game for Indianapolis. They were coming off a tough loss in Cleveland and were facing a tricky Bengals team. This game taught us that Joe Burrow is going to make the Bengals better as the season progresses. By the end of the year, the Bengals might be able to beat anybody if Burrow continues to progress. The Colts were taken aback by the Bengals early attack and 21-0 lead. Fortunately for the Colts, the Bengals still don’t have a good or even serviceable defense. The Colts were able to win this game just by finding a rhythm on offense as the Bengals sputtered. The Indianapolis Colts are a hard team to gauge at the moment. They are 4-2 and don’t have many roster voids but it’s hard to buy into a team that is starting Philip Rivers.
Dolphins vs. Jets
Fire Adam Gase. This is the only impression anyone took away from this game. The roster has mentally checked out for the season and it looks like Gase lost every aspect of the team. With the Giants and Falcons winning this week, the Jets are now officially the worst team in the NFL and have a direct path to the number one pick. It’s hard to see the Jets winning another game the rest of the season. It’s very likely they will have that top pick in the draft.
If Trevor Lawrence is watching Sunday’s games, he must be worried about going to the mess that is the Jets. The Dolphins now have three wins but this victory should fool nobody. Miami has beaten two of the worst teams in the NFL in the Jaguars and the Jets and had a great performance against the 49ers. The Dolphins will win a few games this year but only because their schedule continues to give them free victories.
Buccaneers vs. Packers
Momentum is a tricky thing in the NFL. The Packers looked like they were going to steamroll the Buccaneers. Aaron Rodgers looked like he was going to continue his MVP caliber season. After jumping out to a 10-0 lead, Rodgers threw a pick-6, then threw an interception that gave the Bucs the ball at the goal line, and then couldn’t muster any drive whatsoever. Tampa Bay controlled the game, Tom Brady made just enough good throws to lead the Bucs to a 38-10 win. I thought the Bucs were doomed after the Thursday night loss to the Bears where they lost Vita Vea for the season (the defensive tackle was having an all-pro season). This game proved that I was wrong. Tampa Bay is going to be an interesting team to watch as the season continues.
49ers vs. Rams
If there is one play that can define a game, it was the Jason Verrett interception. With the Rams in the red zone and looking poised to score, Jason Verrett, abandoned the receiver he was guarding to make a play on the Jared Goff throw to the end zone. The interception gave the 49ers the ball on the 20-yard line and killed a Rams scoring drive. It’s hard to say that the 49ers are back but the win was a much-needed one after last week’s disappointment. It’s possible that the 49ers have figured out Sean McVay and Jared Goff. The defense held the Rams to only 16 points and the only touchdown came late in the game.
Chiefs vs. Bills
The rain can give us as fans a poor judgment of the game. Yes, the Bills looked sloppy on offense and yes the game was surprisingly low-scoring. We have to remember that the weather is going to alter the game plan for both teams. This is where we see the magnificence of Andy Reid. Reid went with a run-heavy attack in the game and it paid off immensely. Clyde Edwards-Helaire gave the offense 161 yards on the ground with his shifty yet powerful running style. The Bills looked unprepared for the second week in a row and there has to be a worry in Buffalo. I’m surprised the Bills didn’t try to get Josh Allen in space. With the rain affecting the passing attack for both teams, this would have been a game to get creative with running plays and get Allen included in the mix.
Cardinals vs. Cowboys
So we see how much the Cowboys needed Dak Prescott. It doesn’t help that the Cowboys offensive line is battered and not nearly as good as it used to be. This game showed us how ugly this season is going to look in Dallas. Andy Dalton isn’t going to provide much of a ceiling and the defense looks like the worst one the Cowboys have produced in years. The Cardinals have a good defense yet, this game can’t be evidence. The Cowboys are going to make a lot of defenses look good this season.
Even with the loss, the Cowboys are still poised to win the awful NFC East. This season has to be the greatest proof for the NFL to get rid of their playoff alignment. Meanwhile, the Cardinals have proven where they stand in the NFL. They are going to pounce on the terrible teams on their schedule. At the same time, Arizona most likely lose to any team that is .500 or better.
