Who would’ve ever thought that after Week Six we would see the Chiefs and Browns as the ninth and tenth place teams in the AFC? Or that the Seahawks would be third from last in the NFC. Obviously injuries have played a part in two of those teams. This week in the NFL was a little bit all over the place. Unexpected losses, good teams blowing out other good teams, and overtime games. Every time football fans start to get a feel for the way the league is heading, it takes a shift. Here are some Week Six Takeaways:
Right When You Think You Know Something, You Find Out You Know Nothing
One week ago, football fans watched the Buffalo Bills give the Kansas City Chiefs a beating to make it seem like the throne in the AFC had officially been passed. This week? They take that momentum and lose to the Tennessee Titans. It might be a case of coming off such a high on the road and then having to follow that up on the road against another good team in Tennessee. To the Titans credit, it was a reminder that when they play at their best with Derrick Henry running over people like a 12 year old playing Grand Theft Auto, they can beat anyone in the league. Buffalo also may have a bit of overconfidence as they went for the win on 4th down as opposed to kicking a field goal at the end of the game to take it to overtime. At the end of the day, I think most of us still believe the Bills are the best team right now in the AFC, but it might not be as guaranteed as once thought.
Cards Keep Soaring
As each week goes by, Arizona is continuing to create more and more believers out of people. They are still the only remaining undefeated team at 6-0 while winning four of those games on the road. This week was maybe their most impressive win as they basically played Godzilla to Cleveland’s Tokyo in a 37-14 demolition. Kyler Murray continues to improve as a passer as he was flawless with 229 yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Arizona faces a Houston Texans team that looks like one of the weakest in the NFL next week so they should likely bump that record to 7-0 before facing the Green Bay Packers in Week 8. That should be another decent test. It took awhile, but the Cardinals seem like they are officially for real.
Meet Aaron Rodgers, Owner of the Chicago Bears
A tale as old as time. Aaron Rodgers against the Bears is one of the easiest bets you can make. With Green Bay’s 24-14 win over Chicago, Rodgers now holds a 21-5 record against the Packers’ biggest rival. After a late game touchdown run to basically put the game away, Rodgers let the fans know who was boss by yelling “All my fucking life! I own you! I still own you! I still own you” to the opposing fans. This win was especially big as it ensured the Packers sole position as first place in the NFC North and although they haven’t faced the toughest part of their schedule, it’s hard to imagine the Bears or Vikings making much ground in the weeks to come.
The Minnesota Vikings Fan Experience Example #49205849
Holy Mother of God, I’m never going to survive this season. I’ve seen a lot of shit in my 32 years of being a Vikings fan. On a single game level, nothing this season will touch Gary Anderson missing the 1998 Field Goal or Favre throwing across his body in 2009, but I don’t know that I’ve ever witnessed an opening six Vikings games to a season that feels more like slow torture. I can only compare it to the scene in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) where a clearly stressed out Michael Keaton explains to his daughter that his upcoming play preparation is starting to feel like a tiny little hammer repeatedly hitting him in the balls. The Minnesota Vikings are my little hammer. In six games, the Vikes have experienced losses by fumble on a game winning drive in the Bengals territory and a missed 37 yard field goal against Arizona. Now in back to back weeks, the Vikings have won games in which they blew leads in the final minute by giving up a touchdown AND a Two Point Conversion. There isn’t a blood pressure medication in the world that can help someone who cheers for this team. The craziest thing is that this is coming from someone who cheers for a team that is 3-3 right now.
Ravens Make A Big Statement
The Baltimore Ravens/Los Angeles Chargers game was expected to be the game of the week by many people, including myself. Surprisingly, it turned into a Baltimore showcase game in which they gave Justin Herbert fits all day. It was an important game for the Ravens as they have been very Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde in many of their games, most which are actually wins. Lamar Jackson has been putting his hat in the ring for another MVP Award, but the Ravens will have to keep winning in order to stay out front in the very competitive AFC North. They get another big match next week as they will play Cincinnati in a game they will need to win in order to stay atop the division.
And Then There Was Only One…
Yes, the Arizona Cardinals are the only remaining undefeated team, but I’m not talking about them. I’m talking about the only remaining winless team, the poor Detroit Lions. After two consecutive weeks of heartbreaking losses, the Lions were gobsmacked at home by Cincinnati. They are now the only team in the NFL who has not experience being on the winning side even though they have competed well in several games. To make matters worse, Head Coach Dan Campbell called out Quarterback Jared Goff by saying he thinks he needs to step up more than he has. It seems the frustration of losing is starting to build up for the first year coach.
Looking Ahead to Week Seven
Week Seven is a big bye week as the Bills, Chargers, Cowboys, Jaguars, Vikings and Steelers are off. Those are quite a few fun teams to not have for a week and the games represent that quite well. There are only four games that feature two teams that are at or above .500. The Chiefs vs the Titans and the Ravens vs the Bengals seem like the two big ones and could create some shifting in the AFC playoff picture. To be honest, I could use a week break from watching the Vikings before they start up the toughest part of their schedule…