Just about a week and change ago, there were still two NFL franchises sporting unbeaten records. The Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles both had impressive 4-0 records heading into Week 5, and appeared to be the cream of the crop in the NFL.
Fast forward just a few days. Week 6 is now over, and both of those two teams have now dropped two games in a row. In both cases, they lost to more impressive teams the first weekend, and then lost to seemingly weaker opponents this past weekend. The Eagles recent mastery over the G-Men took a hit when the Giants dominated Philly on Thursday Night Football. Then on Monday Night Football, the Bills went into Atlanta, which admittedly can be a tricky team to play on the road, and they kind of laid an egg. In both cases, I had assumed that these two teams would have shown more intensity, more of a sense of urgency, following their first defeats. Now, both have dropped two in a row following those 4-0 starts to the season.
It feels like this season will lack any truly dominant teams. I could be wrong, but even those teams which have only lost one game to this point in the season feel unproven. As of right now, those teams would be the Steelers, the Colts, the Bucs, and the Packers (although Green Bay also had a tie, so there are two games this season which they failed to win outright).
We'll see what happens the rest of the season, in any case. Meanwhile, however, let's review the week that was in the NFL:
Denver 13, NY Jets 11 (in London, United Kingdom) - Well, a trip across the ocean apparently was not the tonic that the Jets needed. In fact, this game underscored some of the major problems underscoring why the Jets remain the league's only winless team after six weeks. Quarterback Justin Fields had a historically bad day, completing 9 of 17 passes for 45 yards. Not in a quarter, or even in a half. That's for the entire game. It was the least amount of yards gained in a game by any NFL team since the Chargers in a game in the late nineties. Overall, Gang Green put up a total of 82 yards of offense. Their defense actually played quite well, as the Broncos hardly lit up the scoreboard. However, with an offense performance like this one by the Jets, Denver hardly needed to look like an explosive offense. This game was ugly, ugly, ugly for the Jets, who fall to 0-6 on the season, one of the worst starts in franchise history (and that's saying something). My pick: Accurate
Carolina 30, Dallas 27 - The Cowboys have a very good offense. Really, with the talent and execution that they have shown so far this season, they should be better than they have been. Possibly, they should rank among the elite teams, even. Instead, their defense has been letting them down, time and time again. Such was the case in this game, either. The 'Boys simply could not shut the door on the Panthers last drive, allowing Carolina to convert on a 4th and 3 gamble and to run out the clock on a tied 27-27 game. Then the Panthers kicked a field goal for the win on the game's final play, with the Cowboys and their explosive offense powerless to do anything about it on the sidelines. My pick: Inaccurate
LA Rams 17, Baltimore 3 - The Ravens are off to perhaps the worst start that I can remember them ever having gotten off to. Baltimore is now 1-5. Who woulda thunk it? But with the Rams coming into this game, I felt that the Rams had more confidence, and also greater urgency, as they hoped to keep pace with the 49ers and the surprising Seahawks. They manage to do exactly that, while the Ravens go on a bye week, which may be the rest that they desperately needed.. My pick: Accurate
Seattle 20, Jax 12 - Honestly, I expected the Jaguars to win this one. But the Seahawks surprised me, playing solidly throughout. Their defense clamped down and never allowed the Jaguars to find any kind of a rhythm. They go on the road when they need to get back to winning, and that is exactly what they do. As for Jacksonville, this is a disappointment that sees them fall a game behind the Colts now in the AFC South. . My pick: Inaccurate
Indianapolis 31, Arizona 27 - The Cardinals kept this one in suspense far longer than I expected. In fact, they very nearly won. Yet the Colts, and their star quarterback Daniel Jones, who is playing off the charts good, manage to pull off a huge comeback win to keep winning. They improve to 5-1, tied with the Bucs for the best record in the NFL. As for the Cardinals, this is the fourth loss in a row in a season which feels like it is threatening to spiral out of control for them. My pick: Accurate
LA Chargers 29, Miami 27 - The Chargers wanted to get back to the winning ways that they enjoyed earlier this season. And despite this one being a very difficult game for them, they still managed to survive a back and forth kind of affair to ultimately prevail. That said, it took to the final seconds, and a successfully converted field goal which finally lifted them above the Dolphins. The Fins played well, but just cannot seem to win the close ones. A 1-5 record is a very huge hole to try and dig themselves out of.. My pick: Accurate
Pittsburgh 23, Cleveland 9 - This one went pretty much the way that most people would have expected it to, right? I mean, it was hard to imagine the 1-4 Browns head into Steel Town and find a way to win, right? The Steelers took control early and simply wore down Cleveland, earning a predictable win. My pick: Accurate
New England 25, New Orleans 19 - This one also went more or less the way most of us probably would have expected it to go, right? The Pats are quickly improving, while the Saints are...well, spiraling out of control. Still, the Pats were on the road, and they are still improving, and not quite as good as you figure they likely will be in the coming years. New England improves to 4-2, while the Saints drop to 1-5.. My pick: Accurate
Las Vegas 20, Tennessee 10 - This game could have seen either of these teams lose. After all, when two 1-4 teams face one another, you expect a lot could possibly go wrong for both sides. But the Raiders managed to take a big lead and then hold on, improving to 2-4 on the year.. My pick: Accurate
Tampa Bay 30, San Francisco 19 - Tampa Bay surprised me. I felt that their 4-1 start was suspect, admittedly. True, they have won this division quite a few years in a row, and look like they are headed to yet another division title. But I just suspected that they would struggle against the better teams in the league, which is why I picked San Francisco. But I was wrong. Tampa played well and managed to down the injury-plagued 49ers, thus improving to an NFC best 5-1 mark. The 49ers, meanwhile, lose more starters to injury and fall to 4-2, tied with Seattle and the LA Rams atop the NFC West.. My pick: Inaccurate
Green Bay 27, Cincinnati 18 - Another game which pretty much went the way you would expect. You knew that the Bengals were going to struggle going on the road to play the Pack at Lambeau Field. Sure enough, the offense struggled, and the defense could not hold Green Bay off enough to pull off a win. Green Bay improves to 3-1-1, while the Bengals lose their fourth in a row. My pick: Accurate
Sunday Night Football: Kansas City 30, Detroit 17 - A possible Super Bowl preview. But this one went very differently than the last time that these two teams met, when the Lions shocked the Chiefs in the season opener. This time, the Chiefs, who entered this game with a 2-3 record, looked like the Chiefs we have grown used to. Patrick Mahomes was running and throwing accurately, while KC's defense did enough to secure the win. They improve to 3-3 on the year, while the Lions see their four game winning streak snapped and fall to 4-2.. My pick: Inaccurate
Monday Night Football Game # 1: Atlanta 24, Buffalo 14- The Falcons jumped out to a 14-0 lead, and then just managed to hold Buffalo off enough for the rest of the game to hang on and win. The Bills just did not look very good on offense. Now with two losses in a row following that 4-0 start, the Bills are tied with the Patriots atop the AFC East, but need to take a look at what's been going wrong. As for the Falcons, they really seem like they are tough at home in Atlanta, as they improve to 3-2 on the year.. My pick: Inaccurate
Monday Night Football Game # 2: Chicago 25, Washington 24 - Last year, te Commanders managed to get a prayer Hail Mary converted for the winning touchdown. It helped set the tone for a successful season for them. This time, another tight game against the Bears similarly goes down to the final seconds. Really, the final play, actually. This time, it was the Bears with a successful field goal conversion who managed to win, earning a tough and impressive road win against a quality opponent. Da Bears improve to 3-2 on the year, and look like a legitimate contender, while Washington falls to 3-3, and still are lagging as a .500 team.. My pick: Inaccurate
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