Week 6 of the 2024 NFL season featured blowout after blowout, with several teams using this opportunity to send a message to the rest of the league.
While undefeated Kansas City and Minnesota were both on bye, several of the hottest teams in the league continued their terrific play, while a young squad notched their best winning streak since the NFL switched to an 18-game schedule. Let’s examine the current NFL standings and playoff picture as Week 6 comes to a close.
NFL Playoff Picture As Week 6 Wraps Up
AFC Playoff Picture
1) Kansas City Chiefs (5-0, on BYE)
2) Houston Texans (5-1, beat Patriots on Sunday)
3) Baltimore Ravens (4-2, beat Commanders on Sunday)
4) Buffalo Bills (4-2, beat Jets on “Monday Night Football”)
5) Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2, beat Raiders on Sunday)
6) Los Angeles Chargers (3-2, beat Broncos on Sunday)
7) Indianapolis Colts (3-3, beat Titans on Sunday)
In the Hunt
8) Denver Broncos (3-3, lost to Chargers on Sunday)
9) Miami Dolphins (2-3, on BYE)
10) New York Jets (2-4, lost to Bills on “Monday Night Football”)
11) Las Vegas Raiders (2-4, lost to Steelers on Sunday)
12) Cincinnati Bengals (2-4, beat Giants on “Sunday Night Football”)
13) Tennessee Titans (1-4, lost to Colts on Sunday)
14) Cleveland Browns (1-5, lost to Eagles on Sunday)
15) New England Patriots (1-5, lost to Texans on Sunday)
16) Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5, lost to Bears on Sunday)
NFC Playoff Picture
1) Minnesota Vikings (5-0, on BYE)
2) Atlanta Falcons (4-2, beat Panthers on Sunday)
3) Washington Commanders (4-2, lost to Ravens on Sunday)
4) San Francisco 49ers (3-3, beat Seahawks on Thursday)
5) Detroit Lions (4-1, beat Cowboys on Sunday)
6) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-2, beat Saints on Sunday)
7) Green Bay Packers (4-2, beat Cardinals on Sunday)
In the Hunt
8) Chicago Bears (4-2, beat Jaguars on Sunday)
9) Philadelphia Eagles (3-2, beat Browns on Sunday)
10) Dallas Cowboys (3-3, lost to Lions on Sunday)
11) Seattle Seahawks (3-3, lost to 49ers on Thursday)
12) Arizona Cardinals (2-4, lost to Packers on Sunday)
13) New Orleans Saints (2-4, lost to Buccaneers on Sunday)
14) New York Giants (2-4, lost to Bengals on “Sunday Night Football”)
15) Los Angeles Rams (1-4, on BYE)
16) Carolina Panthers (1-5, lost to Falcons on Sunday)
Bills Win Pivotal AFC East Matchup, Jets Continue To Plummet
Monday night’s matchup was a pivotal game to decide seeding in the AFC East one-third of the way into the regular season. The Bills were able to escape MetLife Stadium with a 23-20 victory, despite overcoming a missed field goal and 11 penalties.
Now the Bills have a comfortable two-game lead in the win column for first place in the AFC East. While many doubted the team’s strategy to move on from Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis this offseason, Josh Allen has put the Bills on his back en route to a 4-2 start in 2024.
Following head coach Robert Saleh’s firing, many expected the Jets to respond with a huge divisional win in Week 6. Yet New York fell short, despite the offense playing significantly better with Todd Downing essentially serving as the team’s new offensive coordinator.
After a 2-4 start to the regular season, the Jets appear to be running out of fuel already. Aaron Rodgers continues to take far too many hits as New York continues to fall further and further out of the playoff race in the AFC. They’ll need to respond against the Steelers in Week 7 to remain in the hunt for the postseason.
Bengals Stay Alive With Much-Needed Win Over Giants
Despite a 2-4 start to the regular season, the Bengals aren’t ready to give up just yet. Since 1970, 253 teams have opened the regular season with a 1-4 record, only 15 of those teams ended up making the postseason.
While it certainly wasn’t pretty, Cincinnati earned a gritty 17-7 victory over the Giants to improve their record to 2-4 in Week 6. After Cincinnati’s defense struggled through the first five weeks of the regular season, they dominated the Giants on Sunday night.
Given the struggles of several other teams in the AFC, Cincinnati’s playoff dreams are far from over. The Bengals have a relatively favorable schedule over the next three weeks, as they are set to play the Browns, Eagles, and Raiders. With a combined record of 6-11, Cincinnati’s next three opponents could provide the Bengals with a much-needed boost.
Lions Blow Out Cowboys but Suffer a Huge Loss
The Lions dominated the Cowboys in all facets of Sunday’s game, blowing them out 47-9. However, Detroit suffered a huge loss in the process, as Defensive Player of the Year front-runner Aidan Hutchinson appeared to suffer a season-ending tibia or fibula fracture.
Detroit is looking like a top team in the NFC, but losing Hutchinson is a brutal blow. He is the Lions’ best defensive player and the NFL’s current leader in sacks (7.5), pressure rate (23.6%), and pass-rush win rate (34%).
Detroit should have been celebrating on their flight home after totaling 47 points and 492 yards while preventing Dallas from scoring a touchdown, but the mood will likely be solemn as the team awaits news on Hutchinson’s status.
Texans Improve to 5-1 With Win Over Patriots
The Texans are now the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoff picture, trailing only the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs. Houston is looking like a legitimate contender, defeating the Patriots by 20 points, 41-21.
Joe Mixon was excellent in his return from an ankle injury, rushing 13 times for 102 yards (7.8 yards per carry) and a touchdown while adding 30 receiving yards and a score through the air.
Joe Mixon in his return:
15 touches
132 total yards
2 TDspic.twitter.com/9ZILDmXOvq— Underdog NFL (@Underdog__NFL) October 13, 2024
Dameon Pierce also got in on the fun in his return from a hamstring injury, rushing eight times for 76 yards (9.5 yards per carry) and a touchdown.
Stefon Diggs (six receptions, 70 yards, and one touchdown) and Tank Dell (seven receptions, 57 yards, and one touchdown) stepped up without Nico Collins, who was recently put on injured reserve.
In Week 7, the Texans will travel to Wisconsin for a showdown against the 4-2 Packers.
Buccaneers Put Up 51 Points on Divisional-Rival Saints
In perhaps the strangest game of the Week 6 slate, the Buccaneers and Saints traded punches and lead changes throughout the first half, but Tampa Bay managed to pull away and beat the Saints, 51-27, thanks to a dominant second half.
The Bucs totaled 594 yards, setting a new franchise record, and it’s just their second 50-point game in team history.
Baker Mayfield finished the game 24-of-36 for 325 yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions (although one was due to a Jalen McMillan drop and another was a batted ball).
What if I told you Baker Mayfield leads the entire NFL in touchdowns with 14?
What if I told you that? pic.twitter.com/DhfqmvGwtI
— Jordan Moore (@iJordanMoore) October 13, 2024
Meanwhile, the Bucs had their third-best rushing performance of all-time, with 277 yards thanks to huge games from Sean Tucker (14 carries for 136 yards and a touchdown) and Bucky Irving (14 carries for 81 yards and a touchdown). Tucker also added 56 receiving yards and a score through the air.
Bucs WR Chris Godwin had another phenomenal performance, finishing with 11 catches for 125 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Saints QB Spencer Rattler made his first NFL start, and while he was solid in the first half, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles made adjustments at halftime and confused him with various blitzes. Rattler struggled from that point forward. He finished the game 22-of-40 for 243 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, and a fumble.
The Bucs are now atop the NFC South after this statement win against their biggest rival.
Bears Dominate Jaguars for Third Consecutive Win
The Bears had a fun flight home from London, and they’ll enter their Week 7 bye in great spirits. Chicago has now won three consecutive games for the first time since Weeks 14-16 in 2020, meaning this is their first three-game winning streak since the NFL switched to an 18-week schedule.
No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams delivered the best performance of his young NFL career, torching the Jaguars for 226 yards and four touchdowns (with a 79.3% completion percentage). He nearly had a fifth touchdown, but DJ Moore’s score was overturned when he was ruled down at the 1-yard line.
Williams has gotten better every single week of his rookie season. He posted a 73.7 (B grade) in PFN’s QB+ metric, which is the 13th-highest score in a game this season. Williams has now posted back-to-back B-graded weeks and has continued to improve week-over-week.
The Bears got off to a quiet start. For just the second time this season, they started the game with a pair of three-and-outs. In fact, Chicago didn’t record a first down in the first quarter. However, over the final three quarters, the Bears did whatever they wanted.
Cole Kmet (five receptions for 70 yards) and Keenan Allen (five receptions for 41 yards) both caught two touchdown passes. D’Andre Swift also continued his recent strong play, rushing 17 times for 91 yards and a touchdown.
Chicago’s defense also stepped up, forcing two fumbles, recovering one, and intercepting Lawrence once. The Bears have now recorded a takeaway in eight straight games (and in 12 of their last 13 contests). Chicago held Jacksonville to just 68 rushing yards and 210 passing yards.
For the Jaguars, one has to wonder if head coach Doug Pederson will make it to next week’s London game against the New England Patriots at Wembley Stadium. Jacksonville dropped to 1-5 on the season and has failed to live up to lofty preseason expectations.
Keep in mind, Jaguars owner Shad Khan described this as “the best team assembled by the Jacksonville Jaguars ever” after making some key offseason additions (Brian Thomas Jr., Gabe Davis, Arik Armstead, etc.) and signing Lawrence to a five-year, $275 million deal that made him one of the NFL’s highest-paid quarterbacks.