With Another great NFL week in the books, we once again see the true contenders, the disappointed pretenders, and those who are right in the middle as a hit or miss. We saw some teams who came off bye weeks, caught in a bye week frame of mind.
The season isn’t over for a lot of teams who lost their nailbiters, but things need to change with teams in the middle of the pack for them to earn the right to be called a true contender in the NFL!
Arizona Cardinals: D (Last week D+)
The Cardinals continued their losing streak into week six with a 26-9 loss at home to their NFC West rivals, the Los Angeles Rams. Joshua Dobbs threw one interception and was sacked twice while veteran kicker Matt Prater was three-for-three on field goals which kept the Cardinals on the board. Defensively, the Cardinals did get three sacks but couldn’t force an interception against Matthew Stafford. A lot of people picked the Cardinals to be the worst team in the league. In spite of the loss, the Cardinals rallied and still may have some life in the tank to be a slightly average team this season.
Atlanta Falcons: D+ (Last week B)
The Falcons can be a very hit-or-miss team- similar to the New Orleans Saints, but week six found them coming up short against a Washington Commanders team who were humiliated by the Chicago Bears in week five. Desmond Ridder threw two touchdowns against three interceptions. Kyle Pitts and Jonnu Smith scored the two receiving touchdowns for Atlanta, and the defense was able to sack Sam Howell five times. The NFC South is an entertaining division to watch, as who ends up winning it by the end of the season is anyone’s guess.
Baltimore Ravens: B- (Last week D+)
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The Ravens rebounded from their week five loss to Pittsburgh with a 24-16 victory, across the pond in London, against the Tennessee Titans. Lamar Jackson threw a touchdown and an interception despite the win, and that touchdown was caught by rookie Zay Flowers who finally caught his first NFL touchdown. The Raven’s defense kept Tennessee in check by forcing an interception and sacking Ryan Tannehill six times.
Buffalo Bills: B (Last week C-)
The Buffalo Bills rebounded in the fourth quarter in their 14-9 week six victory over the New York Giants. Josh Allen played well and was not sacked the entire game. However, things got scary as Damien Harris suffered a neck injury in the game and was spirited into an ambulance. Buffalo’s offense woke up in the fourth quarter and kept the Giants out of the endzone, especially at the end of the game where they stopped the Giants from scoring the game-winning touchdown. The Bills should continue to look sharp as they are still favored to win the AFC East even though Miami is serious competition for them this season.
Carolina Panthers: D+ (Last week F)
It’s going to be a long season for the Panthers. They were up 14-0 in the second quarter just to let it all slip away to the Miami Dolphins. Bryce Young threw one touchdown and no interceptions, but was sacked four times. Adam Thielen and Chubba Hubbard scored touchdowns on offense and Troy Hill scored a touchdown via a 31-yard interception, but the Panthers were up against a fierce Dolphins team that is showing every indication they can conquer the AFC East.
Chicago Bears: D (Last week C-)
The Bears took a bit of a step back in their loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Justin Fields left the game with an injury after throwing a costly interception and his backup, Tyson Bagent was no better, as he also threw an interception which hurt the Bear’s chances of winning. Bagent scored Chicago’s lone touchdown of the game. Because the struggling Vikings were their opponent, the Bears loss was not as bad as it could have been. But it’s still shaping up to be a very long season for Bears’ fans.
Cincinnati Bengals: B (Last week B)
The Bengals may have started a hot streak after their week five win in Arizona. Burrow and the Bengal’s fierce offense is truly waking up as Burrow threw two touchdowns against two interceptions. Tyler Boyd and Andrew Losivas scored the Bengals two receiving touchdowns and the Bengals defense forced two interceptions from Geno Smith and the Seahawks. The Bengals are not out of the AFC North crown race yet!
Cleveland Browns: C+ (Last week Bye week)
The Cleveland Browns did the unthinkable, they pulled away with an upset win over the heavily favored San Francisco 49ers. The Browns turned to PJ Walker who didn’t throw any touchdowns but threw two interceptions and was able to help lead the Browns to victory at home. Kareem Jackson scored the Brown’s lone touchdown on the day, while Dustin Hopkins scored four field goals, to give the Browns the win.
Dallas Cowboys: B- (Last week D-)
The Cowboys returned to primetime and earned their stripes in a statement 20-17 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. Dak Prescott threw one touchdown and no interceptions, and scored a rushing touchdown. Tony Pollard also had a great game against the Chargers defense. Stephon Gilmore and Micah Parsons had a huge impact on defense in the Cowboys victory at the end of the game! The Cowboys are back!
Denver Broncos: F (Last week D-)
It was another very sloppy week for the Denver Broncos as they couldn’t stop Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs on the road. However, Wilson played fair, but the final score could’ve been much worse. Missed defensive opportunities, costly interceptions, and poor performances from Jerry Jeudy sank the Bronco’s chances in a very loud Arrowhead Stadium.
Detroit Lions: A (Last week A)
Jared Goff and the Lions continued to shine in their week six 20-6 victory in Tampa against the Buccaneers. Goff threw two touchdowns and no interceptions while Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams scored the Lions two touchdowns of the day. The Lions defense secured one sack and a Baker Mayfield interception in the victory for Detroit. The Lions are hungry to prove they’re the best team in the NFC North!
Green Bay Packers: Bye Week (Last week D)
The Packers need to rebound in their week seven matchup in order to be relevant again in the NFC North.
Houston Texans: B- (Last week C-)
The Texans are a very resilient team in the league. They showed us they can bounce back from close losses like they had last week at the hands of the Atlanta Falcons. C.J. Stroud played a good game throwing two touchdowns to Dalton Schultz and Robert Woods, respectively, and the defense managed to get two sacks and three pass deflections against the New Orleans Saints. Keep your eyes on the Texans possibly being a surprise playoff team.
Indianapolis Colts: D (Last week C+)
From keeping up with a struggling Tennessee Titans team to losing in Duval County against the surging Jaguars shows the Colts have more questions than answers. Gardner Minshew is a good backup quarterback, but he threw three costly interceptions which hurt Indy. Zack Moss and Josh Downs scored two touchdowns for the Colts trying to keep the team in the game. On top of that, Anthony Richardson might have season-ending surgery to repair his shoulder so he can be ready for next season.
Jacksonville Jaguars: B (Last week C)
Since the Jaguars two straight wins in London, it’s been a refreshing start to return home and secure their second win against the Indianapolis Colts this season. Trevor Lawrence threw two touchdowns against one interception and Travis Etienne Jr. scored two rushing touchdowns on the day. The Jaguars defense swallowed Gardner Minshew who threw three interceptions helping the Jaguars secure the win over the AFC South rival.
Kansas City Chiefs: B- (Last week B)
The Chiefs played well, per usual, but could’ve dropped more points on the struggling Denver Broncos in their Thursday Night Football matchup. Travis Kelce played great on the field despite hurting his ankle last week, and the Chief’s defense kept the Broncos out of the endzone for three-quarters of the game.
Las Vegas Raiders: C+ (Last week D)
The Las Vegas Raiders may have almost lost to a struggling New England Patriots team at home, but they were able to secure the win on all fronts. Jimmy Garoppolo played a good game despite throwing one interception and wasn’t sacked while the Raiders defense secured four sacks and an interception against New England. This also marked the third time in head coach Josh McDaniels’ career that he defeated his former boss, Bill Belichick!
Los Angeles Chargers: C- (Last week Bye Week)
The Chargers played a decent game in their week six Monday Night Football loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Justin Herbert threw two touchdowns and one costly interception which sealed the deal for Dallas. Keenan Allen scored a touchdown and the Chargers defense played a fair game as well. However, with this loss, it stings like a wasp and hurts the chances for head coach Brandon Staley who could be on the hot seat by the end of the season.
Los Angeles Rams: B+ (Last week C)
The Rams rebounded as a whole in their week six 26-9 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. Matthew Stafford played a great game with no interceptions despite being sacked three times. Kyreen Williams, Cooper Kupp, and Brett Maher did all the scoring for the Rams while the defense forced two sacks and an interception against Joshua Dobbs. The Rams are possibly a surprise playoff team if they continue to compete this way against their opponents.
Miami Dolphins: A (Last week B+)
The Dolphins, receiving the only A this week, are looking like an elite team building with each passing week after their week four loss to the Buffalo Bills. Even though they were down 14-0 in the second quarter, they found a way to come back and drop 42 points against the woeful Carolina Panthers for a final score of 42-21. As for the rest of the NFL… be afraid of the Dolphins…be very afraid!
Minnesota Vikings: C+ (Last week D-)
The Minnesota Vikings won a close battle against their NFC North foe, the Chicago Bears. Kirk Cousins played a good game, the offense played well despite not having Justin Jeffersons on the field, and the defense forced Justin Fields and Tyson Bagent to throw interceptions. The Vikings have been a hit-or-miss team so far this season and if they win more close games, a playoff spot could await them.
New England Patriots: D- (Last week F)
The Patriots fell flat for a third straight loss this season. However, Ezikel Elliot and Rhamondre Stevenson kept the Patriot’s offense afloat with two rushing touchdowns in the second half of the game. The Patriots’ defense continued to look awful, even against the Las Vegas Raiders who are looking much better than they deserve as the season continues to progress!
New Orleans Saints: C (Last week A-)
The Saints are a very hit-or-miss team this season similar to their NFC South rival, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Derek Carr played a decent game even though he threw one interception. The Saints rushing game was held to under 90 rushing yards throughout the contest by Houston’s defense, but Rashid Shaheed scored a touchdown for the Saints on the road. It’s hard to tell who will win the NFC South, but the prevailing wisdom points to either the Bucs or the Saints claiming that crown.
New York Giants: D (Last week F+)
The Giants entered Sunday Night Football in Buffalo without Daniel Jones due to a neck injury. Tyrod Taylor held his own, but couldn’t get a touchdown for the Gmen at the end of the game. The Giants did everything they could to keep the score low, but it wasn’t enough against an elite Bills team.
New York Jets: B- (Last week C-)
The New York Jets earned their first win against the Philadelphia Eagles in franchise history! Zach Wilson may not have thrown a touchdown pass all game, but Breece Hall (who scored a rushing touchdown) and the Jets defense kept things close and did all the work to give the Eagles their first loss of the season.
Philadelphia Eagles: D+ (Last week B+)
The Eagles not only suffered their first loss of the season, but they lost to the New York Jets for the first time in franchise history. Jalen Hurts was dominated by the Jet’s elite defense and threw three interceptions which hurt the Eagles drastically.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Bye Week (Last week C+)
The Steelers need to play much better offense in the coming weeks as the season continues to move quicker each week.
San Francisco 49ers: C (Last week A+)
The 49ers suffered their first loss of the regular season showing everyone they are human after all. Brock Purdy threw his first interception of the season even though he threw one touchdown to Christian McCaffrey. The defense played well despite the loss and the 49ers will bounce back from this and will look to take revenge on their next opponents.
Seattle Seahawks: D (Last week Bye Week)
The Bengal’s defense kept the Seahawks from scoring a receiving touchdown all game despite Kenneth Walker III scoring a rushing touchdown. Geno Smith threw two costly interceptions while being smothered by Cincinnati’s wild defense. Tyler Lockett played a good game catching six receptions for 94 yards and the Seahawks defense did get three sacks and one interception. The Seahawks have some work to do to rebound from a painful road loss.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: D (Last week Bye week)
The Buccaneers looked like they left their minds on a bye week as they sank in a 6–20-week six loss to the Detroit Lions. Baker Mayfield threw one interception and was sacked once while the rushing game was held to 46 yards. Chris Godwin and Mike Evens played well, but couldn’t get into the endzone all game. The Bucs defense did get three sacks but couldn’t get an interception all game. It was a tough loss for the Bucs. However, everyone in the NFC South lost their games in week six so they have that going for them.
Tennessee Titans: D+ (Last week C-)
The Titans took another step back for their second straight loss since week five in London against the Baltimore Ravens. Ryan Tannehill threw one interception and left the game early with an ankle injury in the third quarter. Tennessee did attempt a comeback in the second half with a Derrick Henry touchdown, but it wasn’t enough as the Ravens defense kept them in check for the loss.
Washington Commanders: C+ (Last week F)
The Commanders rebounded from their embarrassing week five loss to the Bears by beating the Falcons 24-16. Sam Howell threw three touchdowns and no interceptions while Curtis Samuel, Brian Robinson Jr., and Antonio Gibson scored the receiving touchdowns. The Commander’s defense got two sacks against Desmond Ridder and forced him to throw three interceptions. The Commanders are still in possible playoff contention with this statement victory.
