Colin Kaepernick's reps just threw a Hail Mary
It's Week 6 and four teams are still searching for their first win. Before we dive in, enjoy these:
- Colin Kaepernick's reps threw a Hail Mary as the clock runs on the QB's NFL hopes.
- Week 6 picks: Redskins or Dolphins, somebody has to win, right?
- Our top 100 NFL players ever countdown is halfway home.
- Rob Gronkowski will "always keep the door open" for a return.
- As always, we're here to help you set that fantasy football lineup.
Now for a closer look at the action:
Week 6's best and brightest
About last night: Patriots 35, Giants 14: The shorthanded Giants made a game of it early, but the scoreboard revealed an outcome that was for many a foregone conclusion. The Patriots moved to 6-0. The 49ers (4-0) are the NFL's only other unbeaten team.
Quick look at Week 6:
- Game of the Week: Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs -- Deshaun Watson vs. Patrick Mahomes. Yes, please! The NFL's Next Gen QBs will square off as two first-place teams clash at Arrowhead.
- Sneaky-Good Game of the Week: Carolina Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers in London -- Kyle Allen will put his perfect record as a starter (4-0) on the line against a pesky Bucs team that beat the Panthers in Week 2. Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey is on pace for 2,771 yards from scrimmage.
- Sunday Ticket Game of the Week: Seattle Seahawks at Cleveland Browns -- Tune in for the schadenfreude of watching the Browns' hype train-turned-hype jalopy try to beat the Seahawks, which feature early season MVP favorite Russell Wilson.
- Survivor Pool Game of the Week: Dallas Cowboys at New York Jets -- This gets a little tricky, given that the Cowboys have lost two straight and the Jets expect QB Sam Darnold back. The Jets offense was brutal without Darnold, and this game is a matchup of the No. 1 and No. 32 offenses in the NFL. Full disclosure: The previous picks have been been the Ravens (Week 1), Texans (Week 2), Vikings (Week 3), Chargers (Week 4) and Eagles (Week 5).
- Dud of the Week: Washington Redskins at Miami Dolphins -- The good news is that one of these teams will get its first win of the season (unless, there's a tie, of course). The bad news? The winner might be out of the running for the top draft pick.
TOP PICS: Patriots-Giants | Cheerleaders | NFL at 100
Week 6 essentials: Picks, rankings and more
- Week 6 picks: Paste BN Sports' panel of experts has provided fans with the great public service of making prognostications for every NFL game this weekend.
- Lorenzo's locks: Listen up as Lorenzo Reyes makes his picks against the spread for some of the biggest games of Week 6.
- Which is NFL's most helpless team? There are four winless teams left in the NFL. Which is the most hopeless?
- Gronk: I'll always keep door open for NFL return: Rob Gronkowski is keeping Patriots fans' hope for a return alive.
- Colin Kaepernick throws Hail Mary with statement: Kaepernick's representatives issued a release detailing "false narratives" regarding quarterback's attempts to return to NFL.
- Packers coach: Matthew Stafford is 'elite': Tom Brady definitely is. Joe Flacco most certainly is not. And if you believe Packers coach Matt LaFleur, Stafford is, too.
- Sam Darnold's return is no 'magic wand' for Jets: Sure, Darnold's return is an exciting development for the Jets, but can one player really fix the NFL's 32nd-ranked offense?
- Jason Witten sees 'great opportunity' ahead: Even though the Cowboys are coming off consecutive losses, the 37-year-old tight end feels invigorated by where the team stands now.
- With Jay Gruden out, Redskins' top priority is clear: The Redskins' focus should shift to bringing along rookie QB Dwayne Haskins, writes Mike Jones.
- Jon Gruden reacts to his brother Jay Gruden's firing: The founder of the "Fired Football Coaches Association" lamented that his brother was fired, saying, "My dad's been fired. I've been fired. Jay's been fired, and welcome to the club, bro."
- Handshake Gate was a thing this week: In the aftermath of the controversy on a spurned handshake that never was, Browns QB Baker Mayfield took the high road.
- Power rankings: See how each team stands entering Week 6. There are two new teams in the top 10.
- Gardner Minshew is a free agent in his own fantasy league: In Minshew’s fantasy football league, no one owns Minshew, who is tied for first in a league with his high school friends.
Fantasy football: Get your lineup right
As always, we're here for you, helping you out with your most important weekly decision: Setting that fantasy football lineup.
- Fantasy rankings for Week 6: For your convenience, these position-by-position rankings were updated for this week's games.
- 4 things to know for Week 6: Listen up as Charles Curtis offers up advice, such as what to do if you drafted Odell Beckham Jr.
- Studs, duds and sleepers: Here we examine players with good Week 6 matchups (Larry Fitzgerald), bad matchups (Mike Evans) and non-stars you might want to consider starting (Auden Tate).
- Trade targets: Which players should you be buying and which should you be selling?
- Waiver wire: Pro tip: If you're not actively investigating which players are available, you're doing fantasy football wrong.
- Sizzlers and fizzlers: Consider this your weekly fantasy football stock report.
Week 5 schedule
(All times Eastern)
Bye week: Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts, Oakland Raiders
Thursday
Sunday
Carolina Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (in London), 9:30 a.m. (NFL Network)
Washington Redskins at Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Philadelphia Eagles at Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs, 1 p.m. (CBS)
New Orleans Saints at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Seattle Seahawks at Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens, 1 p.m. (CBS)
San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams, 4:05 p.m. (FOX)
Atlanta Falcons at Arizona Cardinals, 4:05 p.m. (FOX)
Dallas Cowboys at New York Jets, 4:25 p.m. (CBS)
Tennessee Titans at Denver Broncos, 4:25 p.m. (CBS)
Pittsburgh Steelers at Los Angeles Chargers, 8:20 p.m. (NBC)
Monday
Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers, 8:15 p.m. (ESPN)
#NFL100
As the NFL celebrates its 100th season, we are unveiling our all-time 100 lists:
- 100 greatest players ever: 19 current and former reporters across the Paste BN Sports Network have compiled a list ranking the greatest NFL players of all time.
- Greatest players ever for every team: The Paste BN Sports Network unveils the best players for each NFL team.
- 100 greatest teams in league history: 1962 Green Bay Packers. 1972 Miami Dolphins. 1985 Chicago Bears. 1994 San Francisco 49ers. 1999 St. Louis Rams. 2013 Seattle Seahawks. 1920 Akron Pros. Which is the greatest ever?
- 100 worst teams in league history: 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 2008 Detroit Lions. 2017 Cleveland Browns. 1944 Card-Pitt. 1920 Muncie Flyers. Which team set the all-time low?
- Greatest players ever by jersey number: From No. 00 Jim Otto to No. 99 J.J. Watt, these are the best players at 100 different uniform numbers.
- Greatest players from HBCU programs: The HBCU schools have a storied history and have produced many Pro Football Hall of Famers. These are the 100 greatest NFL players from HBCU programs.
- 100 biggest draft busts ever: The NFL draft has an extensive history of top picks who would only be remembered as busts.
- NFL's best and worst uniforms ever: Throughout the NFL's history, there have been some fantastic uniforms, and there are some that have been widely scorned.
- 100 greatest fantasy football performances: Going all the way back to its humble origins in 1962, these are the best fantasy seasons ever produced.
NFL Facebook group: Join now!
If you love talking football, we have the perfect place for you. Join our Facebook Group, The Ruling Off the Field, to engage in friendly debate and conversation with other football enthusiasts and our NFL insiders.
Life at the bottom
You've come this far, so this is your reward. Awesome, inspiring images from the 100-year history of the NFL.
Enjoy the football!
Want to keep this conversation going? Head to Facebook, and/or give a Twitter follow to your friendly neighborhood football guy who put together this newsletter, @jimreineking.