NFL Week 6 takeaways: 49ers finally stall; QB changes in Atlanta, New England?
Ryan Van Dever breaks down the biggest storylines from Week 6 of the 2023 NFL season
Entering Week 6, the 5-0 San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles looked like juggernauts that couldn't be contained. Well, things vary quickly in the NFL, as we all know. Each week is dissimilar from the last, and each game on paper will result differently on the field—Brock Purdy's winning streak as a starter ended at ten games. I'm sure there will be talk about him being a system quarterback this week. This was the 49ers' first loss since October 23rd, 2022. Later in the afternoon games, the New York Jets shocked the Eagles, the NFL's last unbeaten team, 20-14.
Another unimpressive Chiefs win
It was the Travis Kelce show. The Chiefs star tight end caught all nine of his targets for 124 yards, with 41 yards coming after the catch. Three of his catches went for 15 or more yards.
Woefully, it was another disappointing night for quarterback Russell Wilson, who finished 13-of-22 for just 95 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. He took four sacks and just looked porous. There is a thing to say about body language; you can see that he has no fight or motivation to be on the gridiron. He looks beaten down. How long until you deal with this kind of effort before you throw in Jarrett Stidham?
49ers are mortal?
The Cleveland Browns, led by backup quarterback P.J. Walker, pulled off an incredible upset Sunday, taking down the 49ers 19-17. The 49ers offense looked invincible for the first five weeks, averaging 33.4 points per game. But quarterback Brock Purdy, who completed 12-of-27 passing for 125 yards and company, floundered wildly Sunday in Cleveland. It was a rainy, windy day. I can't blame it on the elements against a tremendous Browns defense that included some injuries to Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey.
Dolphins' offense has another remarkable week
Meanwhile, the Miami Dolphins' offensive machine kept booming, scoring 42 more points in a 42-21 route over the Carolina Panthers. With each passing week, wide receiver Tyreek Hill's pursuit of 2,000 yards is becoming more conceivable.
The defense led the way for the Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals got back to an even .500 with their win over the Seattle Seahawks, thanks to their defense that shut down the Seahawks offense twice late to seal the win.
The Seahawks had every possibility to win this game as Geno Smith had a 323-yard passing day, along with an almost eight-yard per pass clip. He couldn't hold onto the ball, making significant mistakes by throwing two interceptions. The good Smith did on offense was offset by the mistakes he made.
The Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots quarterback conundrums:
Desmond Ridder's second three-turnover game in his last three starts left the second-year quarterback open for continued inquiries about his inconsistency and even his job security as the Falcons starter.
So far this season, the Falcons defense has kept the offense in the game, but how long will they wait for Ridder to progress into the quarterback they hoped he would be?
Mac Jones' woes persisted as he completed 24-of-33 pass attempts in the Week 6 loss. He had 200 yards and one interception and was held without a touchdown pass for the third week in a row. The 25-year-old has now thrown five interceptions since his last touchdown pass.
Reports revealed Jones would be on a short leash during New England's contest against Las Vegas. While the plug was never pulled on the team's starting quarterback during the loss, his dismal performance couldn't end the Patriots' three-game skid. Is it time for the Patriots to move on from Mac Jones?
The Bills offense is a work in progress
After scoring 37-plus points in three straight games earlier this season, opponents have held the Bills to 20 points or fewer in two straight. There isn't just one problem to fix. While Sunday's second half was a considerable improvement, with quarterback Josh Allen completing all but one of his second-half passes, the first half was horrendous as Allen struggled with pressure and attacking downfield. Buffalo also must get more players involved. Receiver Stefon Diggs had 16 targets, and everyone else combined had 12. Whether it's the trust or not having other playmakers, the Bills look different from the same team from last season.
Are the Lions Juggernauts?
Of all the teams in the NFL, it is hard-pressed to say that anyone is having more fun than the Detroit Lions.
The Lions are leading the NFC North for good reason; the Lions held the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to just two field goals as they dominated in a 20-6 win and improved to 5-1 on the season in a game fuelled by the strength of their defense, and Jared Goff's arm.
Goff finished the game completing 30-of-44 for a season-high 353 yards for the Lions to catapult the Lions to their fourth straight win, and tied with the Eagles, 49ers, and Chiefs, Dolphins for the best record in the NFL at 5-1.
The Jaguars take control of the AFC South
On the outside looking in, the AFC South doesn't look like the most prevalent division in the NFL, and it's not. Three teams were sitting at .500 or above at the start of Sunday, and the two frontrunners played for possession of the division in this early-season matchup.
Jacksonville has had the production from Travis Etienne Jr. leading the way the last two weeks, playing 82 percent of offensive snaps, and is the clear leader as the lead running back.
The Jaguars defense came to play and frequently frustrated Garner Minshew, forcing three interceptions and one fumble in a game that can be described as "dominant." The Colts still have yet to win in their annual trip to Jacksonville since 2014, when Andrew Luck was at the helm.
Texans get a big win
The Houston Texans got themselves back to .500 on the season and are now tied for second place in the division with the Colts with a 20-13 victory over the New Orleans Saints.
C.J. Stroud finally threw his first interception of his career, but what was even more remarkable was his demeanor on the next series. He returned to the task at hand and acted like it never happened. The Saints defense kept Stroud under 200 yards passing with a 44.8 completion percentage, aggressive pass rush, and swarming secondary. It was a lackluster game for Stroud but impressed in several ways.
Vikings defense outshines Bears
Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores knew precisely how to get after Bears quarterback Justin Fields and stop him from creating, sending extra pass-rushers on blitz packages on clearly every apparent passing down and racking up four sacks plus an interception. This was a defensive game, as the Bears defense held the Vikings offense to just 220 total yards. They frustrated Kirk Cousins all day, where he averaged 5.8 yards per attempt, and the Vikings ground game was non-existent, averaging just 2.1 yards per carry.
Ravens outlast Titans
Costly penalties hurt the Ravens' defense throughout the game, highlighted by safety Kyle Hamilton being ejected on the Titans' first touchdown drive. Overall, the Titans' defense kept them in the game by holding the Ravens to field goals when they got close to the end zone.
The Ravens scored on five of their first six possessions, but four were field goals. To start the second half, Baltimore had a pair of three-and-outs and the interception that set up the first rushing touchdown allowed by the Ravens this season. Overall, the Ravens were just the better squad.
Rams beat the Cardinals via the rushing attack?
The Rams ran it relentlessly in the second half against Arizona on Sunday, resulting in a runaway win.
Kyren Williams rushed for a career-high 158 yards and a touchdown, and Cooper Kupp had seven receptions for 148 yards and his first TD of the season in the Rams' 26-9 victory over the Cardinals.
Cowboys beat the Chargers in a defensive struggle
In what would be considered an old-school slobber knocker defensive battle, the Cowboys came on top in a gritty 20-17. The Chargers had five sacks on Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys, where the offensive line struggled most of the night. Both teams had one turnover, so no team had any advantage there. This game came down to who made the more critical plays, and the Cowboys made just a few plays more than the Chargers.
The Cowboys were set up for a punt return in the fourth quarter. Jalen Tolbert surely thought that Kevontae Turpin (the punt returner) touched the ball, but he didn't, and Tolbert went to try and recover the ball, which he thought was fumbled; once again, it wasn't. In a wicked turn of events, the Chargers recovered the ball, resulting in a 4-play 20-yard touchdown drive.
With the Cowboys leading the game 20-17 with 2:53 remaining on the clock, Herbert had a chance to win the game, but it was a situation that played right into the strength of the Cowboys. Parsons had a massive sack on a second down, and then on third down, Herbert threw an interception to Gilmore to seal Dallas's win.
Cowboys fans might complain about how the game was won, with the lack of offensive production. However, if they have not noticed (except for a massacre at MetLife Stadium), the Cowboys' offense has been insignificant all season long. This is what the Cowboys are right now; it's time to come to grips with it.
What was your favorite game of the weekend?