NFL Week Six Thoughts

I feel like I have been saying this the past couple of years, but this season is weird so far. Just when we think we’re picking up on patterns and trends, the next week comes along and throws everything off. I decided to mix it up this week; so instead of just my NFL week six thoughts, here are my power rankings with 1/3 of the season in the books!

1. 49ers 5-1
2. Chiefs 5-1
3. Bills 4-2
4. Dolphins 5-1
5. Eagles 5-1
6. Lions 5-1
7. Ravens 4-2
8. Jaguars 4-2
9. Cowboys 4-2
10. Browns 3-2
11. Bengals 3-3
12. Seahawks 3-2
13. Saints 3-3
14. Jets 3-3
15. Chargers 2-3
16. Buccaneers 3-2
17. Texans 3-3
18. Rams 3-3
19. Steelers 3-2
20. Raiders 3-3
21. Commanders 3-3
22. Falcons 3-3
23. Packers 2-3
24. Colts 3-3
25. Vikings 2-4
26. Titans 2-4
27. Cardinals 1-5
28. Broncos 1-5
29. Patriots 1-5
30. Bears 1-5
31. Giants 1-5
32. Panthers 0-6

Quick Outs

• There’s a clear top five for me going into week seven. Those are the true contenders in my eyes right now. Cincinnati has their bye week at the right time with guys like Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins nursing injuries, and they are the only team outside the top ten right now that I can see going on a run later in the year (if Burrow is healthy).

• Sorry Detroit fans – I just don’t trust the Lions enough yet to put them in the top five. They’re much better on defense this year than last year (#1 versus the run), Goff is playing like a franchise quarterback, and the team just keeps winning regardless of who they’re missing. I’m just not impressed by them beating the likes of Atlanta, Green Bay, and Carolina. The Kansas City was nice, but week one is known to have crazy things happen and the Chiefs were without Travis Kelce and Chris Jones. I have seen good starts by the Lions in the past, only for them to lose six straight later in the season and disgust me. This week at Baltimore will be telling.

• Rough year for the Panthers so far. They are the NFL’s only winless team, the offense is below average, the defense can’t stop the run and is allowing 31 points per game, and Chicago owns Carolina’s first round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Marvin Harrison Jr. would be a welcomed addition to a passing offense whose top weapon is a 33 year old receiver averaging just over ten yards per reception. Oh, and the head coach gave up play calling duties.

• Injuries are starting to pile up around the league. Nothing new there, but quarterbacks are dropping like flies. Just take a gander at this list of starting QB’s over the past couple of weeks that have either missed time or appeared on the injury report: Trevor Lawrence, Deshaun Watson, Jimmy G, Anthony Richardson, Ryan Tannehill, Justin Fields, Daniel Jones, and Baker Mayfield. News broke early Wednesday that Richardson would miss the rest of the season due to shoulder surgery. Keep an eye on the injury reports as we get closer to Sunday!

• New England has been one of the worst teams in the NFL thus far this season. The offense is just lost under Mac Jones, and the defense isn’t playing up to the standard we are used to seeing in a Bill Belichick unit over the last 20 plus years. It may finally be time for the fans and the organization to start wondering if Belichick should be the general manager and the head coach. It might be time to bring real front office guys and talent evaluators in and tell Bill to stay on the field. Will he accept that? Will the Pats have the sand to have that convo? I don’t know, but at this point, New England should just pack it in and try to get a top pick for one of these stud quarterbacks that should be available in the 2024 NFL Draft.