Buccaneers score impressive win. Seahawks, Steelers, Titans only remaining unbeaten teams. Here's our Week 6 breakdown.
"You think you know, but you really don't know and you never will." — Jim Mora, 1989.
Mora, master of the press conference one-liners, was well-aware of the random, unpredictable nature of the NFL.
In Week 6, the NFL featured plenty of randomness.
The No. 1 team in Paste BN Sports' power rankings — the Packers — got trounced in Tampa. Aaron Rodgers, who hadn't thrown an interception all season, had two — including a pick six — against the Bucs. The Patriots are under .500 in October for the first time in 18 years. The Ravens very nearly blew a huge lead against the mediocre Eagles. The Steelers clobbered the seemingly resurgent Browns, who now have lost 17 consecutive games in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers are among three remaining undefeated teams, a group that also includes the Seahawks and Titans.
What was predictable? The Jets remained the only team still searching for its first win of the season.
Quick hits: Catch up on Sunday's best
- Tua Tagovailoa, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 draft, made his NFL debut in the Dolphins' rout of the Jets.
- It wasn't all bad for the Jets on Sunday, they did manage to pull off a "Butt Pick."
- Rob Gronkowski had his first touchdown reception in 679 days.
- Jaguars kicker Jon Brown converted the first field goal he ever attempted at any level.
- Texans QB Deshaun Watson had the most appropriate reaction to losing the coin toss at the start of overtime in Sunday's loss to the Titans.
- Aaron Rodgers broke out a "Hingle McCringleberry" touchdown celebration on a touchdown that didn't count.
Key Week 6 story lines
- 32 things we learned in Week 5: Sunday was a reminder of just how unpredictable the NFL can be.
- Week 6 winners and losers: While the Buccaneers' defensive front was dominant, it might be time for the Jets to move on from Adam Gase.
- Cowboys enter uncharted territory: The division-leading Cowboys will forge ahead without their franchise quarterback, Dak Prescott.
- Bucs make statement in rout: Tom Brady put the Bucs in the spotlight this season, but it was the defense that stood out Sunday, Jarrett Bell writes.
- Packers dealt harsh wake-up call: The Buccaneers defense might have provided a blueprint for the rest of the NFL on how to beat Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.
- Ravens hardly look like an elite team: Baltimore showed some troubling signs in a close call against the Eagles, Mike Jones writes.
- COVID impacts Red Zone Channel: For the first time since DirecTV launched its Red Zone Channel in 2005, Andrew Siciliano was not hosting. This was due to a positive COVID-19 test.
Week 6 rundown
- 49ers 24, Rams 16: Jimmy Garoppolo and the Niners rebounded nicely from last week's embarrassment.
- Dolphins 24, Jets 0: The Jets are the NFL's only winless team after this uninspiring performance.
- Buccaneers 38, Packers 10: It was all downhill for the Packers after Aaron Rodgers broke out a "Hingle McCringleberry" TD celebration after a TD that didn't count.
- Broncos 18, Patriots 12: The Patriots are under .500 in October for the first time since 2002.
- Titans 42, Texans 36 (OT): Derrick Henry was nearly unstoppable in one of the most exciting games of the season.
- Steelers 38, Browns 7: The Steelers now have won 17 in a row against the Browns at Heinz Field in a streak that started during the 2004 season.
- Ravens 30, Eagles 28: The Eagles turned what looked like it would be a blowout into a game that went down to the wire.
- Giants 20, Football Team 19: Mr. Irrelevant in the 2020 NFL draft, Tae Crowder, scored the decisive touchdown in the Giants' first win.
- Falcons 40, Vikings 23: Atlanta got its first win of the season a week after the firing of head coach Dan Quinn.
- Lions 34, Jaguars 16: Rookie running back D'Andre Swift had a breakout game against the lowly Jaguars.
- Colts 31, Bengals 27: Philip Rivers had his best game in a Colts uniform in leading a comeback from 21-0 down.
- Bears 23, Panthers 16: The Bears defense made life miserable for Teddy Bridgewater, who was sacked four times and intercepted twice.
Eyes on the (fantasy) prize
The bye weeks are starting to cause trouble for fantasy teams, so finding one-week replacements is a handy skill to have right now.
Look no further than Jaguars wide receiver Keelan Cole. With Jacksonville in catch-up mode, Cole hauled in six receptions for 143 yards. The 1-5 Jags could be in that situation a lot going forward.
The Titans’ passing game was clicking on all cylinders in their comeback win in overtime. Wideout Adam Humphries (six catches, 100 yards, TD) and tight end Anthony Firkser (8-113, TD) had huge days. However, Firkser’s came after starter Jonnu Smith left the game early after reaggravating an ankle injury.
A total of 14 different tight ends caught a touchdown pass on Sunday, so feel free to spin the roulette wheel on the Texans’ Darren Fells or the Colts’ Trey Burton (who also ran for a score in a goal-line trick play) if you need a fill-in.
Finally, it’s not a bad idea to take out an insurance policy by backing up your starting running back. Injuries Miles Sanders, Mark Ingram and Joe Mixon sustained on Sunday might not affect them at all next week, but adding backups Boston Scott, Gus Edwards or Giovani Bernard is something worth considering as the season progresses.
Coming this week
Monday: Week 6 wraps up with another Monday night doubleheader of sorts. The Buffalo Bills host the Kansas City Chiefs (5 p.m. ET, FOX and NFL Network) in a game that was rescheduled. Later, the Dallas Cowboys host the Arizona Cardinals (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN) as Andy Dalton takes over for injured quarterback Dak Prescott.
Tuesday: Paste BN Sports offers its power rankings for all 32 NFL teams after Week 6.
Thursday: Week 7 kicks off with an NFC East rivalry game as the Philadelphia Eagles host the New York Giants (8:20 p.m. ET, NFL Network). Before the game, make sure to check out our expert picks for every Week 7 game.
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