NFC North dominance? Pressure on in Jacksonville? Texans flying under the radar? NFL Week 6 takeaways
By Ben Morse, CNN
(CNN) — Week 6 in the 2024 NFL season saw another game in London, division rivals clash and some disastrous results.
There were none more so than in Texas where the Cowboys suffered their worst home loss 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, 2024 first round pick JJ McCarthy, 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 likely season-ending injury suffered by their star defensive lineman, Aidan Hutchinson.
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. According to the NFL, 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 New York Jets fired Robert Saleh 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 – fresh off a big contract extension in the summer – 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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