Getty Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Week 6 of the NFL season was filled with quite its fair share of thrillers and even more shockers. The Philadelphia Eagles took the 5-1 Baltimore Ravens down to the wire, while the undefeated Tennessee Titans needed an extra quarter to knock off the one-win Houston Texans. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers dismantled Aaron Rodgers and company, while the Cleveland Browns looked less like contenders and more like the old Cleveland Browns we’ve grown accustomed to.
Below, we highlight some of the most impressive and least impressive teams of Week 6, plus a first look at our updated NFL power rankings heading into Week 7.
*We will continue to update this list as more Week 6 games are completed.
Buccaneers Dominate as Packers Falter
After a crushing blow last Thursday night to the Chicago Bears where Tom Brady was memed for his best J.R. Smith impression, the GOAT and his fellow Buccaneer teammates decided to take their aggression out on the previously unbeaten Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
While Brady’s numbers won’t blow you away (166 yards, 2 TDs), he was highly efficient, posting a season-high 96.1 QBR. Brady’s favorite target on the evening, Rob Gronkowski has now seen 14 targets come his way over the past two weeks and looks to finally be getting his feet back under him. In the ground game, running back Ronald Jones rallied off his third consecutive 100-yard rushing performance, putting an end to any running back controversy in the Bucs backfield.
Yet, while Tampa offense was effective, it was their defense that was dominant. Todd Bowles’ unit sacked Aaron Rodgers four times, one more than Rodgers had been sacked all season prior. Rodgers was also hit 12 times and tossed two interceptions, including a huge game-altering pick-six by Jamel Dean. Rodgers’ two interceptions were Green Bay’s first two turnovers of 2020.
Even more concerning than Green Bay’s poor play is the looming status of Pro Bowl left tackle David Bakhtiari. Widely considered the very best at his position, Bakhtiari left the game in the third quarter with what was deemed a chest injury.
The Packers will look to rebound against a one-win Houston Texans team next Sunday. With that said, the matchup may prove to be more difficult than it seems on the surface. Houston took the undefeated Tennessee Titans to overtime in Week 6 and has now dropped an average of 33 points per game since the firing of Bill O’Brien.
The Bucs, on the other hand, get a stout matchup with a well-rested Las Vegas Raiders team who knocked off the reigning Super Bowl Champions the last time we saw them take the field, dropping 40-points on the Kansas City Chiefs.
Browns Stumble, Giants Show Life in a Wide Open NFC East
While Baker Mayfield has certainly not blown the socks off of anyone this year, the former No. 1 pick has mostly stayed within his skillset, serving as a viable piece to what was perceived as an AFC North contender.
Clearly, Cleveland and Mayfield have a ways to go. Mayfield tossed two interceptions in Week 6 before finding himself on the bench for veteran Case Keenum. The Pittsburgh Steelers would go on to manhandle the Browns to the tune of 38-7. Cleveland now drops to third place in the division and two games out of first place. They’ll look to turn things around quickly with a divisional bout against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7.
The New York Giants are by no means good. Then again, at least they’re not the Jets. Despite a record of 1-5, Big Blue has been competitive in all but one game this season, and looks to have turned the corner over the past two weeks. There is still a lot to work on, namely the fact that Daniel Jones must throw for more than 112 yards in a game. However, with Dak Prescott out for the season and three divisional games over their next four outings, we could be having a very different outlook of the Giants as they head into the Week 11 bye.
NFL Power Rankings: Heading into Week 7
| RANKING | TEAM |
| 1 | Kansas City Chiefs (5-1) |
| 2 | Baltimore Ravens (5-1) |
| 3 | Seattle Seahawks (5-0) |
| 4 | Tennessee Titans (5-0) |
| 5 | Pittsburgh Steelers (5-0) |
| 6 | Buffalo Bills (4-2) |
| 7 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-2) |
| 8 | Los Angeles Rams (4-2) |
| 9 | Green Bay Packers (4-1) |
| 10 | New Orleans Saints (3-2) |
| 11 | Arizona Cardinals (4-2) |
| 12 | Chicago Bears (5-1) |
| 13 | Las Vegas Raiders (3-2) |
| 14 | San Francisco 49ers (3-3) |
| 15 | New England Patriots (2-3) |
| 16 | Cleveland Browns (4-2) |
| 17 | Indianapolis Colts (4-2) |
| 18 | Carolina Panthers (3-3) |
| 19 | Miami Dolphins (3-3) |
| 20 | Houston Texans (1-5) |
| 21 | Dallas Cowboys (2-4) |
| 22 | Los Angeles Chargers (1-4) |
| 23 | Detroit Lions (2-3) |
| 24 | Denver Broncos (2-3) |
| 25 | Atlanta Falcons (1-5) |
| 26 | Philadelphia Eagles (1-4-1) |
| 27 | New York Giants (1-5) |
| 28 | Cincinnati Bengals (1-4-1) |
| 29 | Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5) |
| 30 | Minnesota Vikings (1-5) |
| 31 | Washington Football (1-5) |
| 32 | New York Jets (0-6) |
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