NFL Week 6: Notes and observations
The NFL Week 6 action was wild. As a result there’s plenty to take away for a litany of the games, including a few big statements.
– The Pittsburgh Steelers got to their bye week at 3-3, but all isn’t well. Ben Roethlisberger was hideous once again, and although the Steelers beat the Seattle Seahawks 23-20 in overtime on Sunday night, how happy could the faithful have been filing out of Heinz Field? It seems the Steelers have a very rough road to the playoffs, with five games remaining against the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals in their division alone.
Want $250 to bet on Monday Night Football?
– The Super Bowl contenders are starting to separate themselves. Look around the league, and the list is obvious, no? In the AFC, it’s the Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Chargers — yes, even after that loss –, Kansas City Chiefs and the Ravens. In the NFC, give me the Los Angeles Rams, Arizona Cardinals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys. Tough to argue for anybody outside that circle.
– The Detroit Lions are the last remaining winless team. First-year head coach Dan Campbell knew this was going to be a long rebuild, and it has to feel impossible right now. The Lions were blown out 34-11 by the Cincinnati Bengals, who went into Motown and dispatched Detroit with ease. Next up for Campbell and Co. is a trip to SoFi Stadium to face the Rams. Good luck, guys.
Read: NFL Week 6 – Top 5 Story Lines From Sunday’s Action
– We mentioned the Chargers quickly above, but another word. Los Angeles has to be better defensively. The Chargers have been darlings of the media this year because everyone loves first-year head coach Brandon Staley and second-year quarterback Justin Herbert, but the defense has been a mess over the last month. If the Chargers can’t fix those issues, specifically against the run, it’s going to be hard to hold off the Chiefs later in the year.
– The Miami Dolphins and their fans have to be nervous. At 1-5, the Dolphins are going to be one of the worst teams in football come season’s end, barring a miracle. The offense has regressed, the defense is hurt and playing like it, and the Dolphins are without their own first-round pick after sending it to the Philadelphia Eagles. Right now, the selection would be No. 3 overall. And what did the Dolphins get in that trade? The ability to move up six spots. Yikes.
