Welcome to the Week 6 grades!
It took six weeks, but we finally got our first 50-burger of the season, and it came on Sunday when the Buccaneers beat the Saints 51-27. Going into Week 6, the highest point total by any team this year was 47, which the Saints (Week 1) and Bills (Week 3) had both previously pulled off. The Lions also matched that total during their 47-9 win over the Cowboys.
The Buccaneers led a high-scoring slate of Week 6 games that saw nine teams score at least 30 points, including the Chicago Bears. The Bears went to London and put up 35 on Jacksonville, and after scoring 36 in Week 5, that means the Bears have now put up at least 35 points in two straight weeks for the first time since 2013. It's been MORE THAN A DECADE.
So how did the Bears grade out?
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Let's check out the grades for every team this week, starting with Monday's game between the Bills and Jets.
Buffalo 23-20 N.Y. Jets
| B | |
| The Bills are only going to go as far as Josh Allen is going to take them. That's something that's been clear since the start of the season, and it was clear in this game. Allen had a huge first half that saw him total three touchdowns with two of those coming through the air. (He also came up with a game-winning third-down conversion in the final two minutes.) The Bills got a breakout game from rookie Ray Davis, who totaled 152 yards. Although Allen and the offense struggled some in the second half, Buffalo's defense picked up the slack. Taylor Rapp came up with several big pass break-ups, AJ Epenesa tallied two of Buffalo's three sacks and Taron Johnson came up with a wild interception late in the fourth quarter that iced the game. This was a solid win for a team that was desperate for a victory. | |
| B- | |
| If the Jets learned one thing Monday, it's that they made the right decision to take play-calling duties away from Nathaniel Hackett. With Todd Downing calling plays, the Jets offense looked like a reinvigorated group. Breece Hall totaled 169 yards with 111 of those coming on the ground. Aaron Rodgers also had a strong performance, throwing for a season-high 296 yards, which included a 52-yard Hail Mary for a touchdown on the final play of the first half. However, the offense did struggle in the red zone, which is something that Downing will need to fix. Although Downing seemed to give the offense a spark, the firing of Robert Saleh didn't seem to improve things for the defense. Also, Greg Zuerlein had a nightmare game, missing two short field goal attempts (43 and 32 yards). The Jets have now lost three straight games by six points or less, and if they don't figure out how to win the close ones, it's going to be a long season. | |
Chicago 35-16 over Jacksonville in London
| A | |
| It took 75 years, but it appears the Bears have finally found their next franchise quarterback. For the second straight week, Caleb Williams looked nearly unstoppable. After throwing an interception in the second quarter, Williams rebounded to go 16 of 20 for 130 yards and three touchdowns after that (he threw for 226 yards and four touchdowns on the day). He also threw at least two completions to five different receivers, including Cole Kmet and Keenan Allen, who both caught two TD passes. Williams is the first Bears rookie QB to throw four touchdowns in a game since 1999. The Bears seem to be getting better every week, and at 4-2, they feel like a team that will almost certainly be competing for a playoff spot down the stretch. | |
| D- | |
| Jaguars owner Shad Khan offered a vote of support for Doug Pederson BEFORE this game, but he might be reconsidering that after the disaster that unfolded in London. This was an embarrassing loss for a Jaguars team that simply didn't look prepared to play. The offense was sloppy and a big part of that was Trevor Lawrence, who threw an ugly interception in the second half, but he also didn't get any help from a group of receivers that dropped several passes. The return of Evan Engram was one of the few bright spots -- he caught 10 passes for 102 yards -- but it might be too little, too late when it comes to turning this offense around. On the other side of the ball, the Jags defense apparently didn't make the trip to London, because they were nowhere to be found. This team is going nowhere fast, and now it will be interesting to see if Khan decides to make a coaching move in the near future or hold onto Pederson until the end of the season. | |
Cincinnati 17-7 over N.Y. Giants
| C+ | |
| The Bengals defense has been one of the worst in the NFL this season, but they finally showed up on Sunday night. The Bengals were able to escape New York with a win thanks to a defense that came up with two big fourth-down stops while also getting two big sacks from Trey Hendrickson. This marked the first time in five years that the Bengals held an opponent to seven points or less. On the other side of the ball, Joe Burrow got beat up and the offense struggled, but they did get two big plays -- a 47-yard TD run by Burrow and a 30-yard TD run by Chase Brown -- that was enough to propel them to the win. This win was as ugly as it gets, but when your season is essentially on the line, you'll take any victory you can get and the Bengals got one. | |
| C | |
| Brian Daboll brought a bold new fourth-down mindset to this game, but it still wasn't enough to pull out the win. The Giants went for it on five different four downs and they converted three of them, but they couldn't close out their drives. Daniel Jones killed one drive with an interception at the Bengals' 3-yard line in the first half and Greg Joseph killed New York's momentum with two missed field goals in the second half. The Giants defense beat up on Burrow for four straight quarters and played well enough to win -- Azeez Ojulari recorded two of the team's four sacks -- but when your offense only scores seven points, you're just not going to win too many games in the NFL. If Daboll keeps this bold mindset going forward, it should work even better once Malik Nabers is back in the lineup, but for now, the Giants' biggest problem continues to be an offense that struggles to make a big plays when the team needs them the most. | |
Baltimore 30-23 over Washington
| B- | |
| The Commanders defense has been the team's biggest weakness all season and that was definitely their biggest issue in this game. They couldn't stop the run, they couldn't stop the pass and really, they couldn't stop anything the Ravens did on a day where Baltimore piled up nearly 500 yards. The defense, which was on the field for 36 minutes, seemed to wear down in the second half. Offensively, the Commanders rushing attack got bottled up and although Jayden Daniels threw the ball pretty well, he also faced a lot of pressure (He was sacked three times). Although they lost, the Commanders should feel good about the fact that they went toe-to-toe with one of the NFL's best teams. | |
| A- | |
| It's hard enough to stop the Ravens offense when Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry are running the ball well, and it's almost impossible when the air attack is also working and the air attack was working on Sunday. For the second straight game, Jackson threw for over 300 yards and he did a good job of spreading the ball around with three receivers all finishing with at least 60 yards. Zay Flowers was the star of the show with nine catches for 132 yards, which all came in the first half. Henry -- AKA the human steamroller -- tacked on 132 rushing yards and two touchdowns. This offense was already scary and it seems to be getting better every week, which should frighten the rest of the NFL. | |
Green Bay 34-13 over Arizona
| F | |
| The Cardinals had a chance to get to .500 with a win, but instead, they got destroyed in a game that was never close. The Cards were trailing 24-0 before they had a single drive get inside of Green Bay's 40-yard line. They lost three fumbles, they punted from Packers' territory and Kyler Murray had no room to run. The Cards have now lost three of four and if they keep playing like this, they're not going to win many more games this season. | |
| A | |
| One week after being suspended, Romeo Doubs returned with a bang. Jordan Love showed some serious love for the Packers receiver, who caught three passes for 49 yards, including two touchdowns. Love kept the Cardinals defense guessing by completing 22 passes to NINE different receivers (He threw for 258 yards and four touchdowns). Although Love has looked a little rusty since returning from injury, the Packers' high-powered offense appears to have finally found its rhythm. | |
Indianapolis 20-17 over Tennessee
| A- | |
| The Colts decided to start Joe Flacco on Sunday and they got the full Flacco experience. Flacco threw an ugly interception in the first half, but he more than made up for that by throwing two TD passes, including a 10-yard scoring throw to Michael Pittman Jr. in the fourth quarter that gave the Colts the lead for good. Defensively, the Colts came up clutch in the fourth quarter, holding Tennessee to just 41 yards while also picking off Will Levis. This wasn't a sexy win, but any time you win a divisional game with your starting QB and starting running back both out due to injury, that's impressive. | |
| C | |
| The Titans decided to let Will Levis start at QB this week, and that decision backfired. Not only did he throw for just 95 yards, but he also threw a back-breaking interception in the fourth quarter. Levis has now thrown a pick in five straight games, which is tied for the longest active streak in the NFL. Levis was especially bad in the fourth quarter, completing just 3 of 10 passes for 23 yards (plus the interception). It might not be time to pull the plug on Levis just yet, but the Titans are going to have to rethink their offense if they're going to win more games. | |
Houston 41-21 over New England
| A- | |
| The Texans didn't have Nico Collins, but they did have Joe Mixon back in the lineup, and his return was a huge boost for Houston's offense in this game. Mixon totaled 132 yards and two touchdowns on just 15 touches. He led a Texans rushing attack that averaged an absurdly impressive 6.9 yards per carry. With Collins out, C.J. Stroud turned to Stefon Diggs (six catches for 77 yards, one TD) and Tank Dell (seven catches, 57 yards, one TD) to keep the passing game going. Defensively, the Texans beat up on Drake Maye: Not only did they sack him four times (Will Anderson Jr. had three of those sacks), but they also forced four turnovers with three of those coming from Maye. If the Texans keep playing like this, they should be able to survive Collins' stint on injured reserve. | |
| C- | |
| The Patriots offense didn't look great with Jacboy Brissett running it, but it looked a lot better with Drake Maye. In the first start of his career, Maye showed some flashes by throwing three TD passes, which is more than Brissett threw during the first five weeks combined. However, when you start a rookie QB, there are almost always some growing pains, and the Patriots got this with Maye turning the ball over three times (two interceptions and a lost fumble). Of course, the Patriots offensive line has been so bad this year, it almost doesn't matter who the QB is. The line had given up the second-most sacks in the NFL through five weeks and that total went up after Maye got sacked four times. The only silver lining in this loss is that the offense definitely looked better with Maye running it, and right now, that's what matters. | |
Tampa Bay 51-27 over New Orleans
| A- | |
| The Buccaneers forgot to show up for the second quarter, but they absolutely dominated every other aspect of this game. Sean Tucker had a breakout day for Tampa Bay with 192 yards and two touchdowns on 17 touches. The Bucs' ability to run the ball -- they rushed for 277 yards, which was the third-highest total in franchise history -- kept the offense chugging along in a game where Baker Mayfield threw three interceptions. Mayfield made up for those picks by throwing for 317 yards and four touchdowns. The Saints had no answer for Chris Godwin, who caught 11 passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns. Tampa Bay ended up totaling a franchise-record 589 yards in the game. The Bucs could have folded after a disastrous first half, but instead, they bounced back by crushing the Saints, 27-0, in the second half. That's the kind of resilience you get when you have a veteran team and the Bucs definitely have that. | |
| D | |
| In the first start of Spencer Rattler's career, the Saints appeared to get a spark from their new starter in the first half, but that spark quickly went out over the final two quarters of the game. The second half was a nightmare: The defense gave up 305 yards and 27 points, the offense got shutout and Rattler got sacked four times over the final two quarters while also throwing two interceptions. The Saints also surrendered 594 yards of offense, which was the second-highest total in franchise history. When you're playing defense like that, you're not going to win very many games, no matter who your QB is. The Saints have now lost four games in a row and it feels like they're season is now officially spiraling out of control. | |
Philadelphia 20-16 over Cleveland
| C- | |
| The Browns' special teams came up with a touchdown on a blocked field goal, the defense only let the Eagles offense get inside the red zone one time the entire game, but the Browns lost because the offense continues to be a disaster. Deshaun Watson threw for just 168 yards, meaning he's now been held under 200 yards in every game this season. Watson did actually throw the ball well in the second half, going 11 of 12 for 122 yards, but that didn't translate to any touchdowns for a Browns team that desperately needed to get into the end zone. The Browns have only scored one TD in their past 29 drives and that's simply not going to cut it in the NFL. The nightmare season continues for Cleveland. | |
| C+ | |
| For the first time since Week 1, the Eagles had A.J. Brown on the field, and it's a good thing they did, because they absolutely needed him. Brown caught six passes for 116 yards, including a 40-yard catch with under two minutes left to play that iced the game. The offense wasn't perfect, but Jalen Hurts definitely looked more comfortable with both Brown and Devonta Smith (64 receiving yards, 1 TD) back in the lineup. The defense came up big with five sacks of Deshaun Watson. This was a game that the Philadelphia absolutely couldn't afford to lose, and fortunately for the Eagles, they were able to escape with a win. | |
L.A. Chargers 23-16 over Denver
| B+ | |
| With Justin Herbert fully healthy for the first time since Week 2, the Chargers defense decided to steal the show from their QB. Elijah Molden picked off a Bo Nix pass on the third play of the game and things only got better from there for the Chargers. L.A. forced two turnovers in the first half, which led to 10 points, and by halftime, it felt like the Chargers had effectively put this game away. As for Herbert, he wasn't flashy, but he did throw for 237 yards and a TD. When Herbert's healthy, the Chargers are an efficient offensive team that rarely makes mistakes and when you have the defense playing this well, L.A. is difficult to beat . | |
| C- | |
| The Broncos got off to a rough start and they just never recovered after that. It felt like Denver's offense couldn't get out of its own way during a first half where it totaled just 60 yards, while also turning the ball over twice. The Chargers were up 23-0 in the fourth quarter before Bo Nix and the offense showed any life. On the defensive side of the ball, the Broncos took a huge hit when Patrick Surtain II was forced to leave with a concussion. The Broncos crashed back to earth in this loss, but at 3-3, they are still much better than most people thought they'd be. | |
Pittsburgh 32-13 over Las Vegas
| A- | |
| It wasn't quite a Steel Curtain performance, but the Steelers defense was still wildly impressive in this game. After surrendering a TD on the opening drive, the Steelers absolutely shut down the Vegas offense. The defense forced three turnovers with the biggest one coming when T.J. Watt forced a fumble at the 1-yard line in the fourth quarter that sealed the win. Offensively, the Steelers came through with their most impressive rushing performance of the season. Najee Harris (14 carries, 106 yards) carried the load as the Steelers ran for a season-high 183 yards. Justin Fields also did some damage on the ground with two rushing touchdowns. The Steelers have won plenty of games with a strong defense and a powerful rushing attack and you can add this one to the list. | |
| C | |
| This could have been a much closer game if the Raiders didn't bury themselves with big mistakes. Not only did they turn the ball over three times, but the Steelers also blocked a punt in the third quarter and it felt like the game was over after that. Those four mistakes led to 17 points for the Steelers and when you have a struggling offense that's missing its top two receivers, you're not going to be able to come back from that. | |
Atlanta 38-20 over Carolina
| A- | |
| In Week 5, the Falcons were able to win because Kirk Cousins threw for more than 500 yards. In Week 6, the offense decided to flip the script. The Falcons' two-headed rushing attack of Bijan Robinson (95 yards) and Tyler Allgeier (105 yards) combined for 200 yards and three touchdowns to carry Atlanta. The Falcons' suddenly well-rounded offense had a big game with Kirk Cousins also adding 225 yards through the air. The defense let Carolina hang around for three quarters before shutting the door on the Panthers with two fourth-quarter interceptions. The defense is definitely still a concern, but right now, the Falcons probably aren't feeling too many concerns since their sitting atop the NFC South after six weeks. | |
| C- | |
| This was a five-point game with 10 seconds left in the third quarter, but the Panthers didn't win because they totally melted down in the fourth quarter. Andy Dalton threw two interceptions in the final frame and there was also a failed fourth-down attempt. This loss epitomizes why the Panthers are struggling: The best teams make big plays when they need them, but the Panthers simply haven't been able to do that. | |
Detroit 47-9 over Dallas
| A+ | |
| The Lions showed up to Dallas and ran the Cowboys off their own field. Ben Johnson and the offense threw the kitchen sink at the Cowboys with a creative offensive game plan that included a nice 52-yard flea-flicker TD to Sam LaPorta. That was one of three TD passes for Goff. The Lions' rushing attack bullied the Cowboys with David Montgomery leading the way (12 carries for 80 yards and two touchdowns). The Lions defense might have actually been better than the offense: Dak Prescott was sacked four times and the Lions also forced five turnovers. The only problem for the Lions is that this victory came at a huge price with Aidan Hutchinson suffering a season-ending injury. | |
| F | |
| On Jerry Jones' 82nd birthday, the Cowboys celebrated by nearly giving up 82 points. OK, the Lions didn't quite hit that number, but it felt that way. The Cowboys did nothing right and this team has a lot of problems that can't easily be fixed. They can't run the ball, they have no receivers behind CeeDee Lamb and the defense is missing its two best players. The only saving grace for the Cowboys is that they can't get blown out next week because they're on a bye. | |
San Francisco 36-24 over Seattle (Thursday)
| B | |
| One reason the 49ers offense is so dangerous is because it has so many weapons, and that was on display in this game. Deebo Samuel finished with 102 receiving yards, George Kittle caught two touchdowns and someone named Isaac Guerendo led the team in rushing with 99 yards. Guerendo, a rookie running back, was forced to play after Jordan Mason suffered a shoulder injury (Mason totaled 82 yards before leaving the game). Once again, Brock Purdy was the glue guy for the offense: The 49ers QB had a solid night with three touchdown passes. The 49ers also got an impressive performance from a defense that picked off Geno Smith twice. Although Smith was only sacked once, he faced constant pressure from Nick Bosa, which led to an inaccurate night from the Seahawks QB. Going into Week 6, the 49ers had two big problems: They couldn't score in the red zone and they kept blowing big leads. For one week, they put those problems behind them. This was the kind of performance that could catapult the 49ers into a big midseason run. | |
| C- | |
| When your QB is struggling and you're turning the ball over, you're not going to beat the 49ers, and both of those things happened to the Seahawks on Thursday night. Geno Smith threw an interception on Seattle's first possession and things didn't get much better from there. He was especially erratic during a first half where he completed just 50% of his passes (9 of 18). Smith threw two picks on a night where the Seahawks turned the ball over a total of three times, including a fumbled kickoff. The 49ers got 13 points off those turnovers and that was the difference in the game. The Seahawks rushing attack was nonexistent and the defense surrendered nearly 500 yards. Based on everything that went wrong, it was actually impressive that the Seahawks had this down to a one-score game in the fourth quarter. The only silver lining for the Seahawks is that they'll leave this game knowing they possibly could have won if they hadn't made so many turnovers. If they can cut down on the turnovers, which has been a problem this year, they might be able to turn around their season after losing three straight games. | |