Week six in the NFL season has concluded and it was another good week of football which included big upsets and down to the wire finishes. New teams popped into the top ten for the first time while teams that had fallen out in past weeks have returned
Here are the top ten teams after week six.
10. Seattle Seahawks (3-2)
The Seahawks had their bye week this week and so they will not move up or down.
9. Carolina Panthers (4-2)
Minus a few bad plays from Cam Newton, the Panthers are still looking like the favorite to win the NFC South with the Atlanta Falcons folding on themselves. Cam Newton threw three interceptions during the Panthers loss to the Eagles last Thursday and did not look fresh most likely because of the few days off from last Sunday to last Thursday.
8. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2)
The problem with the Pittsburgh Steelers is that they are inconsistent. Ben Roethlisberger, Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown can play awful one week and then breakout and play lights out the next. This week however they played like they are one of the best teams in the AFC. They dethroned the Chiefs and gave them their first loss of the season and looked good doing it. Roethlisberger threw for 252 yards and a touchdown while Le’Veon Bell ran for a stellar 179 yards and a touchdown. Granted they did need a lucky break late in the game with the Antonio Brown go ahead touchdown but they held the Chiefs down for the entire game and did not let running back Kareem Hunt run wild.
7. Atlanta Falcons (3-2)
The Atlanta Falcons are not the same team from last year and solely because of Kyle Shanahan. Shanahan is an offensive genie and was the sole purpose why they were successful last season. The Falcons do not have that same spark on offense and are losing games they would have won last season. Matt Ryan is looking sluggish and yes the receivers are not all healthy but they still were not looking great when they were.
6. Green Bay Packers (4-2)
The biggest news coming out of week six was Aaron Rodgers’ injury. He broke his collarbone while being tackled by the Vikings’ Anthony Barr. Granted it was a legal hit because Rodgers was scrambling and out of the pocket it does not diminish how devastating it is to the Packers. Their season might be over because of this because Brett Hundley has close to no NFL experience and does not have the enough awareness to move away from pressure. The offensive line is not good at all so prepare Hundley to continue to get hit a lot.
5. Minnesota Vikings (4-2)
This is the Minnesota Vikings first appearance in the top ten this season after a convincing 23-10 victory over a depleted Green Bay Packers team. Case Keenum has proved that even though he is not a franchise quarterback, he can take the reins and lead his team to victory. The Vikings also received good news this week when Teddy Bridgewater was cleared to practice after missing all of last season with a torn ACL and other structural damage, including a dislocation of a knee joint. Their running game is not great after the season ending leg injury to rookie Dalvin Cook so now it is led by Jerick McKinnon. The defense however is the key to this team. Last season they were spectacular, now they are fifth in the league in total yards allowed and points allowed per game at 17.2. If they can ride the defense for the rest of the season, they could possibly win the NFC North over the Packers and the Lions.
4. New England Patriots (4-2)
Once again the Patriots defense is awful and it showed early in Sunday’s game against the New York Jets. Yes the Jets are much improved than initially thought but the Patriots should not have been down 14-0 early in the game. The Patriots defense is dead last in yards allowed per game and thirtieth in the league in points allowed so they are basically riding the coat tails of forty-year old Tom Brady. Lucky for them, the offensive line was able to protect Brady and he was not sacked once against a young Jets defensive front. They were able to squeeze out the win and the rest of the season will be close contested games and it will be up to Tom Brady to win them late.
3. Denver Broncos (3-2)
The Denver Broncos just had a bad game last Sunday night. It happens sometimes to teams and there is nothing they can do about it. They hosted a New York Giants team who is down to their practice squad wide receivers and an offensive line that could not protect Eli Manning during the first five weeks of the season and were just out played. However, the Broncos still have the best defense in the league and are still on pace to have a late push to catch the Kansas City Chiefs for the AFC West title.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (5-1)
The Kansas City Chiefs were finally exposed last week and their weakness just happens to be Le’Veon Bell. Their offense looked a little slow especially the run game but Alex Smith still threw for 246 yards and a touchdown and almost brought them back for the win late if it was not for an unreal catch by Antonio Brown for the go ahead touchdown for the Steelers. If they are able to beat the Oakland Raiders tomorrow night then they still have a chance to wrap up one of the top seeds in the AFC.
1 Philadelphia Eagles (5-1)
The Eagles are just a phenomenal team all around. Carson Wentz is only in his second year but it is already looking like it is his breakout year. He handled the Panthers defense which is a top ten defense in the league and Wentz just looked poised and made the correct throws. He completed a little more than fifty percent of his passes which is not great but he was able to throw three touchdowns and pull away from the PAnthers early. Their defense however is the actual surprise however. There was not real high hopes for this defense coming into the year but they have proved that they are one of the best. They are ninth in the league in points allowed per game and they are first in rushing yards allowed which is phenomenal.
