It's been an upside-down NFL week.
The New York Jets gave us our first head coach firing of the season. In Cleveland, the pressure is on Browns coach Kevin Stefanski and quarterback Deshaun Watson. New Orleans had to go into its backup plan at quarterback (Spencer Rattler) much earlier than expected when Derek Carr sidelined the game with an injury. Divisional racing is just getting started with about two-thirds of the season still to go. The NFC West took center stage Thursday night as the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Seattle Seahawks.
The action continues on Sunday morning with another match in London, 11 more matches later in the day and one match on Monday evening.
Here are the top five storylines from Week 6. (Find the full schedule here.)
On Sunday in Baltimore, one of the league's most dynamic point guards meets one of its most electrifying rookies. Reigning MVP Lamar Jackson and his Ravens team welcome top Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels and his captains. Baltimore comes into this game on a three-game winning streak and is tied for first place in the AFC North with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Meanwhile, Washington has won four in a row and is trying to stay ahead of the competition in the NFC East.
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Commanders-Ravens isn't a rivalry, but Jayden Daniels and Lamar Jackson can change that
Daniels, who last week became the first player in NFL history to record at least 1,000 passing yards (1,135) and 250 rushing yards (300) in the first five games of his career, is often compared to Jackson because of his athleticism and dual willpower. possible threats. Both are certainly headaches for opposing defenses – Jackson passed (1,206) and rushed (363) for even more yards than Daniels. Jackson and Daniels also rank fourth and fifth in passer rating, respectively (Jackson – 107.2, Daniels – 106.2).
But Daniels said this week that while he considers the fellow Heisman Trophy winner an older brother of sorts, he prefers to be seen as his own player. Jackson praised the rookie and supported Daniels' attitude.
This game could come down to whichever defense neutralizes the opposing quarterback and supporting cast. Both teams' defenses are in development as players adjust to new coordinators and new roles. Both defenses are offense-heavy, with Washington averaging 31.0 points per game in the league, while Baltimore is second with 29.4. It all starts with stopping the run, which is easier said than done: The Ravens are first in average rushing yards per game (211.2), and the Commanders are second (178.4). (Commanders at Ravens, Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.)
Spencer Rattler makes his NFL debut on Sunday against the Bucs. (Kyle Terada/Imagn Images)
2. Rookie QBs are having their day
Daniels isn't the only rookie making headlines this week. A top five rookies will start at quarterback on Sunday: Daniels, Bears' Caleb Williams and Broncos' Bo Nix will be joined by Rattler and Drake Maye, both of whom are making their NFL debuts.
Poison takes over as the starter for the New England Patriots, who have lost four in a row. The No. 3 pick in 2024 replaces Jacoby Brissett, who has thrown just two touchdown passes in five games while leading the Patriots' offense and ranks 31st in the league in scoring (12.4 points per game). Maye faces the difficult task of beating… Houston, Texas defense ranks fourth in the league.
Meanwhile, Rattler and the Saints host the Corsairs. Rattler, a fifth-round pick, showed promise in the preseason and will try to bring explosiveness back to an offense that scored 47 and 44 points in the first two games but has since scored only 49 total points in three losing games.
Firstly, this is a big week for Williams. He made his international debut against the Jaguars in London, where the Bears are hoping for a third victory in a row. Williams is having his best game in a 36-10 Carolina win in which he completed 69 percent of his passes for 304 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He had just one sack and had a career-best 126.2 passer rating. By working harder to establish the running game, it appears Chicago's offensive coaches have finally found a sustainable formula for success for their young quarterback. As a result, their offense continues to improve. Now they will try to continue that success against 1-4 Jacksonville. If successful, it will be the Bears' first three-game winning streak since Weeks 14 through 16 of the 2020 season.
Later that day, Nix (12th pick in the draft) tries to lead the host Bronco past the Chargers to their fourth straight victory. (Bears vs. Jaguars in London, 9:30 a.m. ET; Buccaneers at Saints Stadium and Texans at Patriots Stadium, 1 p.m. ET; Chargers at Broncos Stadium, 4:05 p.m. ET. All games on Sunday.)
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3. Sirianni, Stefanski feels hot
It's not often that projected contenders find themselves in dire trouble this early, but that's how the Browns and Eagles find themselves. The Eagles (2-2) are returning from Sunday's bye in Philadelphia hoping to put a listless 33-16 loss to Tampa Bay behind them. Meanwhile, the Browns are 1-4 and have lost three in a row. The pressure is mounting on both head coaches.
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NFL head coaches on the hot seat could be the Browns' Kevin Stefanski and the Eagles' Nick Sirianni
Nick Sirianni led the Eagles to the Super Bowl in the 2022 season, but the team never quite recovered from a 38-35 loss to Liverpool. Kansas City Chiefs. Last year, the Eagles lost five of their last six games. Philadelphia has plenty of talent this season, but they haven't been able to capitalize on it. Injuries, inconsistencies and acclimatization to the new system make it difficult to play offensively. Youth and ignorance of the new plan limited the defense. Sirianni must figure out how to reignite his team before the patience of general manager Howie Roseman and owner Jeffrey Lurie runs out.
Kevin Stefanski can relate to this. He has a $230 million quarterback and a roster loaded with talent at multiple key positions, and yet the Browns have yet to live up to their potential. Some struggles make sense. The once solid attacking line was paralyzed by injuries. Running back Nick Chubb remains weeks away from returning from the knee injury that ended his 2023 season, top defensive playmaker Myles Garrett is dealing with a foot injury, and Cleveland's once-dominant defense has deteriorated.
The No. 1 priority remains helping Watson rekindle some of the magic that made him one of the best players in the league before his legal troubles, his unceremonious departure from Houston and the ensuing mega-deal with the Browns. Stefanski continues to pledge loyalty to Watson and insists he doesn't have to give up his play-calling duties. However, he needs to change his approach. He seems focused on leading a passing-heavy offense, but Watson lacks that mojo and his line lacks the strength to protect the struggling quarterback enough to make that possible. Can Stefanski, a two-time Coach of the Year (2020, 2023), regain the creativity needed to alleviate pressure on the line and quarterback and ensure Cleveland can rebound? (Browns at Eagles, Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.)
Dak Prescott and Rico Dowdle celebrate a Cowboys fourth-quarter TD last week. (Barry Reeger/Imagn Images)
4. Cowboys' game of scoop vs. Crosses
Expectations are always high for Dallas, and after back-to-back victories (including a last-minute win over Pittsburgh) with the score being 3-2, the Cowboys are hopefully back on track.
There's no better way to gauge progress than a test against Detroit, one of the best teams in the NFC. Fresh off the bye and boasting a top-10 offense and defense, the Lions are looking to extend their winning streak to three games.
The Cowboys would obviously like to be at full strength against the Lions, who reached the NFC Championship Game last season and two weeks ago, scoring 42 points against Seattle. However, Dallas will likely be without top defenseman Micah Parsons, who missed last week's game with an ankle injury. Defensive standout DeMarcus Lawrence will also miss the game with a foot injury.
This means there is even more pressure on Dak Prescott to ignite Dallas' offense. Prescott overcame two interceptions last week to lead the game-winning drive, capped by a touchdown pass to Jalen Tolbert with 20 seconds left. Can this inconsistent Cowboys offense keep up with Jared Goff and company? (Lions at Cowboys, Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET.)
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Jerry Jones sees a solution in how the Cowboys can deal with sudden injuries
5. Can coaching change the Jets' quick start?
The Jets declared themselves Super Bowl contenders after trading for Aaron Rodgers, but had to put their title hopes on hold last season due to the quarterback's Achilles injury in Week 1. But this was supposed to be their year when Rodgers was healthy and the offensive and defensive lines were revamped.
Instead, it was just more of the same struggles that led to a 2-3 start and team owner Woody Johnson firing Robert Saleh in the coach's fourth season.
Now the Jets have turned to defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich as interim coach. Quarterbacks coach Todd Downing takes over the offensive duties after Nathaniel Hackett's team allowed just 18.6 points per game (25th in the NFL). (Hackett, who has a close relationship with Rodgers, remains an employee.)
It will be interesting to see if Saleh's dismissal can revitalize this team. Rodgers criticized his former head coach for failing to hold players accountable, and there were reports that Salih was starting to lose the dressing room. Even if Ulbrich can set a better tone for the Jets, Rodgers will have to play better individually to do so.
He completed just 53.7 percent of his passes last week and had three interceptions. This season, Rodgers is completing just 61 percent of his passes (the second-worst clip of his career as a starter) and has a passer rating of 81.6 (the lowest of his career as a starter).
Johnson called the Jets team one of the most talented he has assembled during his ownership and still believes Super Bowl hopes are alive. The Bills-hungry Buffalo team comes to town on Monday night, so we'll quickly find out if the Jets can handle their perennial playoff rival. (Bills on Jets, Monday at 8:15 p.m. ET.)
(Top image: Al Bello/Getty Images)
