Top NFL Week 6 Storylines: Commanders-Ravens, Rookie QBs Spotlight and Jets Start Again
It’s been a turbulent week in the NFL.
The New York Jets gave us our first head coaching firing of the season. In Cleveland, the pressure continues to mount on Browns coach Kevin Stefanski and quarterback Deshaun Watson. New Orleans had to adopt a backup plan at quarterback (Spencer Rattler) much sooner than expected, as Derek Carr was sidelined due to an injury. And the divisional races have only just begun; roughly two-thirds of the season remains to be played. The NFC West took center stage on Thursday night as the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Seattle Seahawks.
The action continues on Sunday morning with another match in London, another eleven matches later in the day and one match on Monday evening.
Here’s a look at five of the biggest storylines in Week 6. (Find the full schedule here.)
One of the league’s most dynamic quarterbacks meets one of its most exciting newcomers on Sunday in Baltimore. Reigning MVP Lamar Jackson and his Ravens welcome early Rookie of the Year frontrunner Jayden Daniels and his commanders. Baltimore enters this game on a three-game win streak and is tied for first place in the AFC North with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Meanwhile, Washington has won four straight and is trying to stay ahead of the pack 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) through the first five games of his career, is often compared to Jackson for their athleticism and duality. threat capabilities. Both certainly cause headaches for opposing defenses – Jackson has passed (1,206) and rushed (363) for even more yards than Daniels. Jackson and Daniels also rank fourth and fifth respectively in passer rating (Jackson at 107.2, Daniels 106.2).
But Daniels said this week that while he considers his fellow Heisman Trophy winner a big brother of sorts, he prefers to be seen as his own player. Jackson praised the rookie and supported Daniels’ decision.
This game could very well come down to the defense neutralizing the opposing quarterback and supporting cast. Both teams’ defenses are in a growth phase as players adjust to new coordinators and new roles. And both defenses face productive offenses: Washington is averaging a league-high 31.0 points per game and Baltimore is No. 2 at 29.4. It all starts with stopping the run, which is easier said than done: the Ravens rank first in average rushing yards per game (211.2) and the Commanders rank second (178 ,4). (Commanders at Ravens, Sunday 1 p.m. ET.)
Spencer Rattler will make his NFL debut on Sunday against the Bucs. (Kyle Terada/Imagn Images)
2. Rookie QBs get their day
Daniels isn’t the only rookie passer making headlines this week. A season-high five rookies will start at quarterback Sunday: Daniels, the Bears’ Caleb Williams and the Broncos’ Bo Nix will be joined by Rattler and Drake Maye, both making their NFL debuts.
Maye takes over as starter for the New England Patriots, who have lost four straight games. The 2024 No. 3 pick replaces Jacoby Brissett, who managed just two touchdown passes in five games while leading a Patriots offense that ranked 31st in the league in scoring (12.4 points per competition). Maye faces a tough task in overcoming the Houston Texans defense, which ranks fourth in the league.
Meanwhile, Rattler and the Saints host the Buccaneers. Rattler, a fifth-round pick, showed promise during the preseason and will look to restore explosiveness to an offense that scored 47 and 44 points in the first two games but has since mustered just 49 points during a three-game losing skid .
But first, it’s a big week for Williams. He will make his international debut against the Jaguars in London as the Bears look for a third straight win. Williams is coming off his best game: a 36-10 win over Carolina in which he completed 69 percent of his passes for 304 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He recorded just one sack and posted a career-best passer rating of 126.2. By working more seriously on establishing a run game, Chicago’s offensive coaches appear to have finally found a balanced formula for success for their young quarterback. As a result, their offense has steadily improved. Now they will look to continue that success against 1-4 Jacksonville. If successful, it would mark the Bears’ first three-game winning streak since weeks 14 through 16 of the 2020 season.
Later in the day, Nix (the 12th pick of the draft) will try to lead the host Broncos past the Chargers for their fourth straight victory. (Bears vs. Jaguars in London, 9:30 a.m. ET; Buccaneers at Saints and Texans at Patriots, 1 p.m. ET; Chargers at Broncos, 4:05 p.m. ET. All games Sunday.)
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3. Sirianni, Stefanski feel the heat
It’s not often that projected contenders are in trouble this early, but that’s where the Browns and Eagles find themselves. The Eagles (2-2) return from their bye Sunday in Philadelphia hoping to put a listless 33-16 loss to Tampa Bay behind them. The Browns, meanwhile, are 1-4 and losers of three straight games. The pressure on both head coaches is increasing.
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NFL head coaches on the hot seat could include Browns’ Kevin Stefanski and Eagles’ Nick Sirianni
Nick Sirianni took the Eagles to the Super Bowl in the 2022 season, but they never fully recovered from a 38-35 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Eagles lost five of their last six games last year. Philadelphia has a lot of talent this season, but has not been able to capitalize on it. Injuries, inconsistencies and adapting to a new system have hampered the offense. Youth and unfamiliarity with a new plan have limited the defense. Sirianni must figure out how to revive his team before the patience of general manager Howie Roseman and owner Jeffrey Lurie runs out.
Kevin Stefanski can imagine. He has a $230 million quarterback and a roster with talented players at many key positions, but the Browns have yet to reach their potential. Some struggles make sense. A once robust offensive line is crippled by injuries. Running back Nick Chubb is still weeks away from returning from a 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 regressed.
The No. 1 priority remains helping Watson revive even an ounce of the magic that made him one of the best players in the league before his legal troubles, unceremonious departure from Houston and subsequent mega-deal with the Browns. Stefanski continues to pledge loyalty to Watson, and he insists he doesn’t have to give up his play-calling duties. However, he must adapt his approach. He seems eager to lead a tough offense, but Watson lacks the mojo and his line lacks the strength to protect the struggling quarterback enough to make that happen. Can Stefanski, a two-time Coach of the Year (2020, 2023), regain the creative touch needed to relieve pressure on his line and quarterback and position Cleveland for a rebound? (Browns at Eagles, 1 p.m. ET Sunday.)
Dak Prescott and Rico Dowdle celebrate a Cowboys fourth-quarter win last week. (Barry Reeger/Imagn Images)
4. The measuring stick game of cowboys against lions
Expectations are always high in Dallas, and after back-to-back wins (including a last-minute comeback victory over Pittsburgh), the 3-2 Cowboys are hoping they’ve gotten things back on track.
There’s no better way to measure progress than a test against Detroit, one of the best teams in the NFC. Fresh off their bye, and with a top-10 offense and defense, the Lions are looking to extend their win streak to three games.
The Cowboys obviously want to be at full strength against the Lions, who reached the NFC Championship Game last season and scored 42 points against Seattle two weeks ago. However, Dallas will likely be without top defenseman Micah Parsons, who missed last week’s game with an ankle injury. Defensive standout DeMarcus Lawrence is also out with a foot injury.
That means there’s even more pressure on Dak Prescott to spark Dallas’ offense. Prescott overcame two interceptions last week to power the game-winning drive, capped by a touchdown pass to Jalen Tolbert with 20 seconds left. Can this inconsistent Cowboys offense keep pace with Jared Goff and company? (Lions at Cowboys, 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday.)
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Jerry Jones sees a solution to the way the Cowboys can deal with injuries
5. Can coaching jump-start Jets?
The Jets declared themselves Super Bowl contenders after trading for Aaron Rodgers, but last season had to put those title hopes on hold after the quarterback’s Achilles injury in Week 1. This was going to be their year, though, with Rodgers healthy and attacking. line and defensive front both renewed.
Instead, it was just more of the same problems, leading to a 2-3 start and team owner Woody Johnson firing Robert Saleh in the coach’s fourth season.
Now the Jets are turning to defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich as interim coach. Quarterbacks coach Todd Downing takes over on offense after the Nathaniel Hackett-led unit put up just 18.6 points per game (25th in the NFL). (Hackett, who has a close relationship with Rodgers, remains employed.)
It will be interesting to see if Saleh’s dismissal can jump-start this team. Rodgers had criticized his former head coach for failing to hold players accountable, and there were reports that Saleh was starting to lose the locker room. Even if Ulbrich can set a better tone for the Jets, Rodgers will have to play better individually.
Last week, he completed just 53.7 percent of his passes and threw three interceptions. For the season, Rodgers is completing just 61 percent of his passes (second-worst stretch of his career as a starter) with an 81.6 passer rating (career lowest as a starter).
Johnson called this Jets team one of the most talented teams assembled during his ownership, and he still believes the Super Bowl hopes are alive. A hungry Buffalo Bills team comes to town on Monday night, so we’ll soon find out if the Jets can hold their own against a perennial playoff contender. (Bills at Jets, 8:15 p.m. ET Monday.)
(Top photo: Al Bello / Getty Images)
