The thrill of NFL football is truly in full swing. Week Six is now in the books, and only two teams had the week off: the Vikings and Texans. Both teams haven’t quite figured themselves out yet, but they’re making progress. Next week, it’s also just two teams that have a break…it doesn’t seem like many teams are getting a break (to quote Beetlejuice from the movie Beetlejuice Beetlejuice: “What the -beep-?”). Let’s see how the rest of the league faired this week; which teams stepped up and which teams had to “stand back”…yes, I’m getting my Stevie Nicks reference out of the way right out of the gate.
EAGLES 17 – GIANTS 34
This is the reason I used the Beetlejuice quote at the beginning of the article. By some miracle, the New York Giants are turning their season around with a big upset over the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles. Let’s have a round of applause for an impressive game from rookie running back Cam Skattebo; rushing 19 times for 98 yards and three touchdowns. The Giants have come back from the dead in more ways than one. Does it mean they’re ready to compete? Well…they need to get back above .500 first (they also need to stop this wishy washy playing because, remember, they sure did stink last week against the Saints). They do have a tough matchup on the road next week against the Broncos. As for the Eagles, yes…this is concerning. Losing to a team like the Giants is not going to put doubts about their chances to bed. They’ll face a rested Vikings team next week.
RAMS 17 – RAVENS 3
Upon seeing the Los Angeles Rams’ victory over the Baltimore Ravens, I can’t help but think of the quote used from the late great Fernando Valenzuela’s performance in Game 3 of the 1981 World Series: “It wasn’t one for the art museum, but it was efficient and he got the job done.” That was what we had here. It wasn’t like Matthew Stafford did great in just passing for 181 yards and a touchdown, but it was better than both Cooper Rush and Tyler Huntley for the Ravens (both of whom trying to replace injured star Lamar Jackson). The problem for the Rams is how the injury to Puka Nacua is handled going forward. It’s fortunate they have someone like Davante Adams to fall back on. The Rams face off against the Jaguars next week in London. As for the Ravens, here’s another movie quote, this time from Aladdin: “Start panicking!” There has only been one team in NFL history since the playoff expansion that made the playoffs after a 1-5 start. Lamar Jackson should be back after the Ravens’ bye next week, but is it already too little too late? The Ravens will return in Week Eight to face the Bears.
CHARGERS 29 – DOLPHINS 27
Unlike last week, both of the LA teams won their games. The Los Angeles Chargers completed the comeback to beat back the Miami Dolphins. It was another magnificent performance from Justin Herbert, completing 29 of 38 passes for 264 yards and two touchdowns. Now, experts argue that the Chargers just used the Dolphins’ poor run defense to get back into the game. Well, that’s what coaches are supposed to do! They need to know when to pivot when something isn’t working (duh!). The Chargers will look to continue their winning ways next week against the Colts. As for the Dolphins, the offense may be able to operate but their defense is appalling. I can almost write off the Dolphins for the year unless they turn things around fast. They’ll have their first chance to turn it around next week against the Browns.
BRONCOS 13 – JETS 11
Back in London, and this week’s game was just exciting as last week’s! The New York Jets gave it a try, but failed to come back and beat the Denver Broncos by just two points. The highlight player for the game was Bo Nix with 174 passing yards and a touchdown, but only because this wasn’t a good offensive game. It’s a good thing the Broncos’ defense was on point, because the offense really hasn’t put things together. They couldn’t find an offensive identity in north London, hopefully they find it against the Giants…or else they’ll suffer the same fate as the Chargers and Eagles before them. As for the Jets, yes, Justin Fields has struggled. However, I’d like to remind you that second on the depth chart for QB is journeyman Tyrod Taylor. So, don’t expect much if they change quarterbacks before their next game against the Panthers.
COWBOYS 27 – PANTHERS 30
This is another reason I dropped the Beetlejuice quote in the intro of the article. The Dallas Cowboys seem to have hit a new low after falling to the Carolina Panthers. The rookie running back for the Panthers, Rico Dowdle, has left quite an impression after rushing for 183 yards. Wow, the Panthers are suddenly in striking range of the Buccaneers for the NFC South. Of course, they’ll need to win a very winnable matchup against the Jets. As for the Cowboys, I really think you made a big mistake trading Micah Parsons. They need someone on their defense to step up or get someone before the trade deadline. If not…their season is done. They have a hard game next week against the Commanders.
SEAHAWKS 20 – JAGUARS 12
This was a very entertaining game as the Seattle Seahawks kept their road record perfect against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Trevor Lawrence and Sam Darnold dueled to a near draw as they both had two touchdowns, but Darnold out threw Lawrence 295 passing yards to 258. So if the Seahawks are so good…why can’t they win at home? Their road record is perfect, but their home record is pretty bad (you know, that’s not a good thing for ANYONE in ANY sport). That will come into play next Monday Night Football when they host a rested Texans team. As for the Jaguars, the problem seems to be their inability to generate more sacks. They’re 27th in the league in sacks, and that didn’t improve this week. This was definitely a sloppy game from the Jaguars, and they need to do some serious tweaking. They return to their “second home” in London next week, but their opponent is a tough Rams squad that may or may not be without Puka Nacua.
CARDINALS 27 – COLTS 31
Despite all the injuries and how bad they’ve played as of late, the Arizona Cardinals gave a good effort, but came up short against the Indianapolis Colts. It didn’t help the Cardinals that Jonathan Taylor laid waste to their run defense, rushing for 123 yards and a touchdown. As hard as it is to believe, Daniel Jones looks legit (he might have needed to just get away from the Giants). There is still work to be done as this was the Colts’ second worst performance of the season on the defensive side of the ball (the worst was their only loss this season at the hands of the Rams). So they still haven’t put those doubts to bed, and they’ll need to find a way next week against LA’s other team: the Chargers led by star Justin Herbert. As for the Cardinals, I am encouraged even though they lost. They put up a good fight despite missing so many players. Don’t be shocked if they rest Kyler Murray next week before their upcoming bye. They also probably shouldn’t risk him next week against the Packers.
BROWNS 9 – STEELERS 23
As hard as it is to believe, everyone will have to get used to the fact that the Pittsburgh Steelers have a stranglehold on the AFC North after their easy victory against the Cleveland Browns. Aaron Rodgers led the way with 235 passing yards and two touchdowns for the Steelers. With the Ravens not looking like themselves at all, the Steelers look to be the clear favorite to win the AFC North. Of course, the challenge then will be to advance further than they have in recent years in the playoffs. Their next game is a Thursday Night showdown against the Bengals. As for the Browns, it might be safe to assume that the Browns will be sellers and not buyers before the trade deadline. I don’t see their season improving anytime soon, and they might as well get something to build on with the few valuable players they have left. Their next game is an early showdown with the Dolphins next week.
PATRIOTS 25 – SAINTS 19
For those that thought that the Patriots were just lucky against the Bills, you were wrong. The New England Patriots managed to ride their momentum over the New Orleans Saints. I can say that Drake Maye has done something many can do: he’s surprised me. Maye completed 18 of 26 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns. Now, the problem with the Patriots is that they haven’t gotten much out of their running game. If Maye starts returning to his old ways of getting picked off, then the Patriots are in a world of trouble. They have a winnable matchup next week against the Titans. As for the Saints, their struggles in the red zone have become untenable and it’s only going to get worse. If they can’t fix these inconsistencies, their season is very much over. Their next matchup is on the road against the Bears.
TITANS 10 – RAIDERS 20
One season may have ended, but another season may have been saved for…DA RAIDERS! The Tennessee Titans couldn’t complete the comeback and fell to the Las Vegas Raiders, keeping hope alive for the time being for the silver and black. Ashton Jeanty showed what he is capable of with 75 rushing yards and a touchdown. With star Brock Bowers out, the Raiders will need to rely on both Jeanty and their other tight end, Michael Mayer, to win more games like this. They have a chance to prove that they can compete in a battle with the Chiefs next week to determine…who languishes in last place in the division. As for the Titans, back to the losing column. Whatever momentum they had from last week’s upset over the Cardinals vanished completely. Now they have to deal next week with the upstart Patriots.
49ERS 19 – BUCCANEERS 30
This was an interesting matchup to watch as both teams have dealt with a flood of injuries. But it was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that won the day over the San Francisco 49ers. Surprisingly, the 49ers outgained the Buccaneers in total yards, 363 to 352. However, it was the 49ers’ turnovers that cost them the game, including the number of penalties. I’m not sure how much longer the Buccaneers can last with so many injuries. That Week Nine bye is still a far ways off, and the Falcons are closing in. Things don’t get better as they face off against a major NFC rival: a ticked off Lions team. As for the 49ers, their luck seems to be running out fast. The injuries keep piling up, and now the Rams and Seahawks have caught them again. The NFC West is still very much up for grabs. Their next game is in primetime: a Sunday Night Football matchup with a Falcons team that has all the momentum.
BENGALS 18 – PACKERS 27
This was a close call for the Green Bay Packers as they almost blew the lead again. But this time, they managed to finish the job and stop the Cincinnati Bengals in their tracks. Believe it or not, Josh Jacobs was not himself for the Packers this week. The Pro Bowl running back said he vomited a couple times during the game while battling the flu, but you wouldn’t know that looking at the stat lines…93 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Going forward, the Packers will need better performances than this to regain their status as true contenders. Next week, the Packers go on the road to face a reeling Cardinals squad. As for the Bengals, their offense finally showed signs of life again. It was a decent debut for Joe Flacco as a member of the Bengals. He almost led them to a comeback, and that is an encouraging sign. They have their work cut out for them next week in the Thursday Night game against the Steelers.
LIONS 17 – CHIEFS 30
Before the “experts” can say anything, let me point out something about the Kansas City Chiefs. Yes, they won a good game, but it was mostly because the Detroit Lions’ defense once again fell asleep (like they did in the first week of the season against the Packers). Don’t get me wrong, despite my doubts about the Chiefs, it was still a good game from Patrick Mahomes: 257 passing yards and three touchdowns. I doubt the so-called “experts” saying the Super Bowl goes through the Chiefs or that Mahomes is the “Face of the NFL,” but I am encouraged by their defense’s performance. Their next game is next week against DA RAIDERS! As for the Lions, this is their worst performance of the season since their opener against the Packers. If this is how the Lions play against middling opponents, what is to happen when they face legitimate challenges from up and coming teams like the Commanders or Jaguars? The Lions need to be concerned about their defense’s future, especially since their next game is against a determined Buccaneers’ team.
BILLS 14 – FALCONS 24
I once again have to refer back to the start of the article when I quoted Beetlejuice, because what the heck happened here?! By some miracle, the Atlanta Falcons have shown signs of life and knocked off the heavy Super Bowl favorite Buffalo Bills. Bijan Robinson lit the world on fire for the Falcons; rushing for a jaw-dropping 170 yards and a touchdown. Some say that Bijan Robinson is the leading contender for Offensive Player of the Year, I’d take it a step further and say he’s a strong contender for MVP. The Falcons are suddenly within striking distance of the Buccaneers for the top of the division, they just have to survive a primetime matchup on Sunday Night Football against an ailing 49ers team. As for the Bills, two losses in a row to opponents they very much should have beaten puts a serious dent in their Super Bowl hopes. Their offense needs serious help and fast, or their hopes of Super Bowl glory will once again die out. They have a bye next week to think things over, but if they lose again in Week Eight to the Panthers, it might be time to hit the panic button.
BEARS 25 – COMMANDERS 24
Okay, time to go back to the quotes I normally use: HOLY MOLE HOLES! This was definitely the best game of the week as the Chicago Bears managed a comeback win against the Washington Commanders. D’Andre Swift stepped up big time for the Bears. He ran for 108 yards, caught 2 passes for 67 yards, and scored a touchdown. The Bears’ ability to rally deep in games will serve them well as the Lions’ grip on the division loosens. There is resiliency in this Bears team, perhaps enough to challenge for a playoff spot. They have a winnable matchup next week against the Saints. As for the Commanders, what happened? They looked great last week against the Chargers, so why didn’t a defense that stopped star Justin Herbert fail against the onslaught led by Caleb Williams? This inconsistency on defense is going to doom the Commanders’ hopes unless something is done. They’ll need some major modifications before they take on a Cowboys team desperate for a win.
