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lite.cnn.com - on gopher - inofficial
ARTICLE VIEW:
NFC North dominance? Pressure on in Jacksonville? Texans flying under
the radar? NFL Week 6 takeaways
By Ben Morse, CNN
Updated:
7:33 AM EDT, Wed October 16, 2024
Source: CNN
Week 6 in the 2024 NFL season saw another game in London, and some
disastrous results.
There were none more so than in Texas where the in the Jerry Jones era,
losing 47-9 to the Detroit Lions, on the Dallas owner’s 82nd
birthday.
Here are the main takeaways from the past week in the National Football
League.
NFC North dominance?
There’s only one division in the NFL where all four teams have a
winning record: the NFC North.
The four franchises – the Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions, Green Bay
Packers and Chicago Bears – all have been playing excellent football
and, even though they’ve each had their own setbacks, have overcome
them in their own ways.
The Vikings dealt with losing their starting quarterback, , to injury
on the eve of the new campaign, with journeyman Sam Darnold stepping in
admirably and leading them to an undefeated record through five weeks.
Detroit endured a slow start but has kicked into gear in recent weeks,
most notably their Week 6 demolition of the Dallas Cowboys. The only
blight on that victory was the .
For the Packers, they were without starting signal-caller Jordan Love
for two games, but backup Malik Willis filled in, leading them to wins
in both contests of Love’s absence. Their most impressive victory
came on Sunday when they blew away the Arizona Cardinals 34-13 with all
facets of the team running smoothly.
And for the Bears, it has been the tumultuous experience that comes
with having a rookie quarterback, even one as acclaimed as 2024 No. 1
pick Caleb Williams. They fell into a 1-2 hole with the offense
struggling but have since ripped off three straight wins, including two
where they have scored 35 or more points as Williams finds his footing
in the league.
With a win in London on Sunday, Williams became the first rookie
quarterback selected No. 1 overall to win four of his first six career
starts in the common-draft era, per the NFL.
All in all, it has made for a thrilling division where all four teams
can realistically hold ambitions of making it to the postseason.
After Week 6, the NFC North has a combined record of 17-5, as every
team has a 4-2 or better record with the Vikings undefeated at 5-0. ,
it is the first time since 1970 where every team in a division has at
least four wins through six weeks.
On top of that, the four teams in the NFL with the best point
differential through six weeks are the four NFC North teams, with the
Vikings at 63, Lions at 60, Bears at 47 and Packers at 41.
As the season progresses, the four teams will all face off against one
another which could have a significant bearing on who reaches the
postseason.
In Week 7, Minnesota and Detroit will clash at US Bank Stadium in
Minneapolis.
Pressure on in Jacksonville?
A game in London can often be the nail in the coffin for a head
coach’s tenure with a team. We’ve seen plenty of occasions where a
coach is let go after suffering a heavy loss abroad. In fact, just last
week, the after his team’s 23-17 loss to the Vikings in the British
capital.
And the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Doug Pederson might have been saved a
similar fate by the schedule.
The Jags play back-to-back games in London this season. After being
comfortably beaten by the Chicago Bears in Week 6, Jacksonville remains
in the UK to face the New England Patriots in Week 7.
The pressure has been ratcheted up on Pederson’s job with his team
falling to 1-5 to start the season, an underwhelming opening to the new
campaign with the weapons at his disposal.
But worse than the overall record has been the manner of the results.
Sunday’s defeat at the hands the Bears was an error-strewn team
display, with quarterback Trevor Lawrence – – not able to cut out
back-breaking errors while the defense failed to halt Caleb Williams
and Chicago’s offense.
While the Bears regularly turned in TDs, Jacksonville’s offense
couldn’t get moving as they settled for punts. The Jags were also
consistently hampered by penalties, being penalized eight times
compared to Chicago’s two.
Overall, it was a humbling result and performance for London’s de
facto home team and one which ramps up the pressure on the head coach
with the Jags coming into the season with playoff expectations.
When asked whether he believes the Week 7 clash against the Patriots is
a must-win game for his team, Pederson agreed.
“I would say everything here on out, quite frankly. If we want to get
back to playing the type of football we know we can play, you’re
going to have to win a lot of games moving forward,” he told
reporters. “I would say that, yeah, these games moving forward are
just that.”
Pederson might have been handed a break with the way the games fell,
but if the result is anything other than a victory on Sunday against
New England, he might be returning to some bad news.
Are the Texans flying under the radar?
Coming off a historic rookie season from quarterback CJ Stroud, the
level of expectation for the Houston Texans was raised.
And the smart offseason acquisitions of veteran players by head coach
DeMeco Ryans and general manager Nick Caserio – most notably, running
back Joe Mixon and receiver Stefon Diggs – only sought to increase
those aspirations.
Paired with a young, blossoming roster, Mixon and Diggs – who have
both had huge success at points in their career – have added a level
of winning ambition to Houston’s team which, through six weeks, has
seemed to have paid dividends.
The Texans are 5-1 after Week 6’s emphatic victory over the Patriots,
with their only blip coming on the road against the undefeated Vikings.
More impressive perhaps than the record has been the way the Texans
have won. Four of their five victories have been by one score as they
find a way to eke out results at the buzzer whether that be through
defensive stands or game-winning field goals from Ka’imi Fairbairn.
Mixon had been missing from Houston’s line-up since Week 1 with an
ankle injury but returned on Sunday with a bang, running for 102 yards
and a touchdown, while also adding 30 yards and a score through the
air.
Adding Stroud at quarterback and a fearsome receiving trifecta in
Diggs, Nico Collins and Tank Dell – paired with a well-coached
defense by Ryans – the Texans are looking like serious playoff
contenders as they already have a comfortable lead atop the AFC South.
After the 20-point victory over New England, Ryans spoke about the
message he has for his team every week.
“For me, every time we play, it’s about winning,” he told
reporters. “It doesn’t matter how you get it done. If it’s a last
second one, if it’s a two-touchdown, it doesn’t matter to me.
Finish with a win.”
The Texans face a stiff test in Week 7 as they travel to face the
Packers who are coming off two consecutive wins.
Full Week 6 scores
Away @ home (winners in bold)
Thursday
San Francisco 49ers 36-24 Seattle Seahawks
Sunday
Jacksonville Jaguars 16-35 Chicago Bears
Washington Commanders 23-30 Baltimore Ravens
Arizona Cardinals 13-34 Green Bay Packers
Houston Texans 41-21 New England Patriots
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 51-27 New Orleans Saints
Cleveland Browns 16-20 Philadelphia Eagles
Indianapolis Colts 20-17 Tennessee Titans
Los Angeles Chargers 23-16 Denver Broncos
Pittsburgh Steelers 32-13 Las Vegas Raiders
Atlanta Falcons 38-20 Carolina Panthers
Detroit Lions 47-9 Dallas Cowboys
Cincinnati Bengals 17-7 New York Giants
Monday
Buffalo Bills 23-20 New York Jets
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