Week 6 of the NFL was a reminder that perfection is a nearly impossible feat to achieve. We entered the week with two unbeaten teams in the league, and in the end, both lost shockingly. It means the 1972 Dolphins can pop their champagne as the only team to go undefeated in an entire season. Famously, the 2007 New England Patriots came the closest to breaking this record by losing in Superbowl XLII. Week 6 results were a reminder that the undefeated record is still one of the hardest feats to break given the parity in the league, and any team can win on any given Sunday. In this article, we will recap the biggest storylines from week 6.
1. Shocking Upsets-at the start of week 6, no one could have predicted that the 49ers and Eagles would lose to the Browns and Jets. The 49ers were the most dominant team in the league before they visited Cleveland. Last week, they dismantled the Cowboys 42-10 in a dominant performance at home. It looked like they would continue rolling because the Browns did not have their starting quarterback Deshaun Watson. However, Jim Schwartz’s defense was able to stifle the 49ers offense, and Brock Purdy had his worst regular season of his career by completing 12 of 27 passes for 125 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. The 49ers also lost their biggest weapons Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffery to injury in the game. Still, Purdy marched his team down the field in the dying seconds of the fourth quarter and left Jake Moody with the simple task of making a 41-yard field goal. Moody missed the kick with the ball veering just right of the upright.
The Eagles were favorites to beat a Jets team that was without Aaron Rodgers after a devastating week one injury. Jalen Hurts struggled against a Jets defense that was able to generate pressure on the quarterback. The Jets’ defense forced four turnovers including three interceptions because Hurts felt the pocket was collapsing too often. The Eagles had won their first five games, but they seemed disjointed in those wins. The team was missing their top tackle Lane Johnson, but if they fail to win the division or get home-field advantage at the end of the season, they will look back and see this as a missed opportunity.
2. Ugly wins-As the saying goes ‘a win is a win no matter how it happens.’ That phrase was at play in week six because some of the top teams had ugly wins. It started in Kansas City, where the Chiefs dominated the time of possession 35:24 minutes, moved the football effectively, but could only put up 19 points thanks to 7 penalties for 84 yards. However, the defense held the Broncos to 8 points thanks to 4 sacks, one recovered fumble, and duped Russell Wilson into two interceptions. Another ugly win was the Buffalo Bills outlasting the New York Giants 14-9 at home in Orchard Park. Josh Allen had an average game by completing 19 of 30 passes for 169 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. The Giants stayed in the game by playing their backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor protected the ball and had the team position to win on the final drive. Finally, the Dallas Cowboys needed to respond after the shellacking last week against the 49ers and, in the end, scraped by the Chargers on Monday Night Football. The teams played out a sloppy game in which the teams combined for 20 penalties costing them 164 yards. In the end, Dak Prescott slightly outplayed Justin Herbert, but this game was a defensive battle, with Micah Parson making the biggest play to seal it.
3. Sweet Backflip- most Defensive Coordinators should know that playing Tyreek one-on-one without help from safeties is one of the worst decisions a unit could make. However, that is exactly what happened on Sunday. Hill was being covered by Donte Jackson when he moved past the cornerback like he wasn’t even there and strolled into the end zone for a 41-yard touchdown grab. It was what Hill did after the moment that makes this moment noteworthy. Tyreek took one of the cameraman’s smartphone and did a backflip with the phone recording in his hand. Hill was penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct and will likely be fined by the league for the maneuver. Life is so good for a Dolphins fan because this is the most noteworthy moment after their team drubbed the Panthers 42-21 after trailing 14-0 in the first quarter. Things are looking up for the Fins.