Admin October 15, 2024
NFL Week 6 Overreactions: Cowboys, Saints and Jaguars get blown out
Mackenzie Salmon breaks down the top storylines from Week 6 in the NFL.
Sports Seriously
NFL power rankings entering Week 7 of the 2024 season (previous rank in parentheses):
1. Kansas City Chiefs (1): Coming out of the bye, four of their next six are on the road – starting with Sunday’s Super Bowl rematch(es) against the Niners, who are 0-4 against Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes and Co. since Kyle Shanahan took over in 2017. The Chiefs have won 11 in a row overall.
2. Baltimore Ravens (3): Lamar Jackson is now 449 yards from eclipsing Michael Vick’s career record (6,109) for rushing yards by a quarterback, meaning he should break it some time around Week 13. More immediately, Jackson can burnish his 22-1 mark against NFC teams, an interconference record .956 winning percentage since the conferences materialized in 1970, Monday night at Tampa Bay.
3. Minnesota Vikings (2): Leaders of an NFC North off to a historically hot start, the Vikes currently have the only intra-divisional win of 2024 but will get another chance to certify their (undefeated) legitimacy with the Lions coming to the Twin Cities on Sunday.
4. Detroit Lions (4): The league’s highest-scoring team has posted its first set of consecutive 40-burgers in the Super Bowl era (since 1966). Sadly for the offense, it may not have the luxury of letting up at all given the defensive blow suffered Sunday, when Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner Aidan Hutchinson was lost to a broken tibia.
5. Atlanta Falcons (5): Coming off a three-game sweep of their divisional foes, they’re set to host a Seattle team that doesn’t seem prepared to stop an ATL ground game that racked up a season-high 198 yards Sunday.
6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6): After Sunday’s win in New Orleans, they returned to their hurricane-ravaged home and the teeth of a schedule that will serve up Baltimore, Atlanta, Kansas City and San Francisco in successive weeks before the bye arrives. But it sounds like the Bucs have found something more to play for. “Our hearts pour out to the city. It’s a tough city,” said HC Todd Bowles following the victory. “We don’t know what we’re going back to, but in our small part, we wanted to win one for the city.”
7. Green Bay Packers (10): With WR Romeo Doubs scoring two touchdowns Sunday in the wake of his one-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team, the Pack appear pretty much whole for the first time since Week 1. Should help given five of their next seven games are against 2023 playoff squads.
8. Houston Texans (8): If there’s such a thing as a quiet 5-1, look no further. But after getting RB Joe Mixon back and scoring 41 points, Houston’s most in a regular-season game in nearly three years, it might get loud soon.
9. Washington Commanders (7): A middling-at-best defense could hardly afford to lose longtime captain Jonathan Allen to a season-ending pectoral injury. Especially thin up front, the Commanders are about to see two of the league’s hottest runners, Carolina’s Chuba Hubbard and Chicago’s D’Andre Swift.
10. Buffalo Bills (11): Monday night’s win charts a fairly clear course to a fifth straight AFC East crown – especially given the schedule appears to let up over the next month following three tough games in a row on the road. And rookie RB Ray Davis’ breakout effort (152 yards from scrimmage) suggests there’s little need to rush James Cook back from his toe injury. On the personal front, QB Josh Allen’s 233 combined TDs (passing and rushing) are the most by any player in his first seven seasons.
11. Philadelphia Eagles (9): Never a good sign when your head coach is becoming a chronic distraction, especially at a time when you’re struggling to beat, arguably, the worst team in the league. Worth monitoring, even though Philly isn’t scheduled to face an opponent currently with a winning record until Nov. 14.
12. San Francisco 49ers (13): They don’t hit the road again until Nov. 10. In the interim? Might be a good idea to keep feeding “wide back” Deebo Samuel, the first wideout in league history with 20 career TDs both rushing and receiving.
13. Indianapolis Colts (15): Despite its myriad injuries, Indy is showing grit and depth … and might soon be in the throes of a Joe Flacco-fueled quarterback controversy Cleveland wanted no part of.
14. Chicago Bears (19): How much are they humming with rookie QB Caleb Williams? Chicago’s offense has scored five touchdowns in consecutive games for the first time in the Super Bowl era.
15. Dallas Cowboys (14): They’re home again this week, but the Cowboys won’t get blown out this time around … if only because it’s their bye, when at least – apparently – HC Mike McCarthy can relax. Momentarily. Afterward, the next two games won’t be at “Jerry World,” though heading to San Francisco and Atlanta hardly means road cooking.
16. Pittsburgh Steelers (16): Another win, another injured offensive lineman (rookie C Zach Frazier). It’s not a sustainable formula.
17. Los Angeles Chargers (18): After Sunday’s win in Denver, HC Jim Harbaugh triumphantly declared he’s “2-0 with arrhythmias” after another irregular heartbeat forced him to miss the start of the game. Sorry, Coach, but also not a sustainable formula.
18. Cincinnati Bengals (20): An unwanted league-record streak of 75 straight games allowing at least double-digit points ended in Sunday night’s 17-7 victory over the Giants. Just imagine if Cincy finally puts a full 60 minutes together …
19. Denver Broncos (17): RB Javonte Williams has the most touches in the league (79) without scoring a TD, and only four teams have fewer trips to the end zone than Denver’s 10.
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20. Arizona Cardinals (12): They entered Sunday with a league-low 19 penalties … then committed 13, along with three fumbles, in a 21-point loss at Lambeau.
21. New York Jets (21): Can’t blame Robert Saleh for this loss. Or, really, Aaron Rodgers, who had maybe his best game as a Jet. Or even a run game that entered Week 6 ranked last in the league but managed 121 yards. Other than the whole operation being less than the sum of its parts for various reasons, maybe it would help if Rodgers had someone other than struggling WR Mike Williams to throw to in decisive moments?
22. New York Giants (22): They don’t have a lot of “key” players but nearly all of them have been out of the lineup with injuries. A tribute to HC Brian Daboll – and, frankly, QB Daniel Jones – that the G-Men have remained competitive.
23. Seattle Seahawks (23): Monday, they swung a trade for DT Roy Robertson-Harris … which is mostly notable because you’d think they’d want an offensive lineman.
24. Los Angeles Rams (24): The Raiders could be a cure for their league-worst run defense. But even with the bye now in their rear view, it’s unclear when WRs Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua will return to cure a passing offense with the fewest TDs (3) in the NFC.
25. New Orleans Saints (25): Sean Payton, the franchise’s all-time winningest coach, will be in the Superdome on Thursday night. If he (and his Broncos) notch another victory in The Big Easy, the Saints, currently sporting an NFC-worst four-game skid, could be cooked.
26. Carolina Panthers (26): Demoted QB Bryce Young may be symbolic of this club’s struggles … yet it’s the defense that has already surrendered 25 more points than any other team.
27. Las Vegas Raiders (27): They’ve trailed by at least 10 points in all six of their games, the first time in franchise history the Silver and Black have started a season that way.
28. Tennessee Titans (28): They’re scheduled to face one club, New England, with a losing record through Week 13 – so should be plenty of opportunities to target WR Calvin Ridley.
29. Miami Dolphins (29): HC Mike McDaniel announced QB Tua Tagovailoa will return to action this season but didn’t know when. Tagovailoa is eligible to come off IR before the Oct. 27 date with Arizona. The season feels salvageable if Miami can stay within a game of .500 until he’s ready.
30. New England Patriots (31): They’ve got a guy with whom they’re building something special – Bryce Baringer with a league-best streak of 23 consecutive games with a punt of at least 50 yards. Oh, and rookie QB Drake Maye showed promising flashes in his starting debut – uneven as you’d expect it to be.
31. Cleveland Browns (32): S Rodney McLeod Jr. is tied for the team lead with two TDs, both off returns. Sums up the state of affairs for an offense that has yet to score 19 points in a game this season.
32. Jacksonville Jaguars (30): They carry some momentum into Sunday, having won their last game in London … when designated as the home team … in 2023. Oh bollocks, they’re a bloody mess.
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Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter, @ByNateDavis.