Beyond the top 5, it's a bit difficult to know who's good through six weeks.
I always figure that by the quarter pole, teams will have themselves figured out or be closer to that point than they usually are. I guess I'm a bit too optimistic in that sense.
My picks suffered a bit as I went 8-6 straight up. I had a feeling about New Orleans but didn't pull the trigger. I also got burned by the Jaguars not stepping up at home against a beatable opponent and the Steelers showing that they really can overcome the loss of Roethlisberger, even if it takes a third-string kid to do so.
Also of note, especially where I'm concerned, only one undefeated team (Atlanta) fell in Week 6. But as the other five teams remain undefeated, it's bluntly obvious who is up there and who isn't.
Here are the Rankings for Week 6:
1.) New England (5-0) [no change]
So much for revenge. The Patriots won the Deflategate "revenge" game against Indianapolis by seven points. That looks far too close given how Indy unraveled after that disastrous fake punt where Griff Whalen snapped the ball when he clearly shouldn't have. Brady also threw his first interception, a pick-six that went off the hands of Julian Edelman. Of course, that has people saying "it's not his fault", which is clearly a load of crap. Every interception is the fault of the person throwing it. Too many people want to make excuses for QB's and not hold them accountable for the few mistakes they make. Even though Brady is elite and among the top 2 or 3 QB's in the NFL right now, he's not perfect and his mistakes shouldn't be swept under the rug.
Next opponent: vs. NY Jets (10/25)
2.) Green Bay (6-0) [no change]
Going into the bye, Aaron Rodgers looks good, but it's possible that injuries to skill players could derail what was a pretty potent offense through the first three or four weeks.
Next opponent: at Denver (11/1)
3.) Denver (6-0) [no change]
Going into the bye, Peyton Manning still looks vulnerable and they have a date on Sunday night with the 6-0 Packers. It could get ugly, for sure.
Next opponent: vs. Green Bay (11/1)
4.) Carolina (5-0) [+1]
Late in the 4th quarter, Cam Newton took a snap, went into his passing motion, and threw the game-winning touchdown to Greg Olsen. Yeah, Seattle is ripe for blame, but c'mon now...Cam Newton is developing into a great QB and it couldn't have come at a better (or more surprising) time. The Panthers being 5-0 at this juncture is hard to believe. Given how terrible the NFC South was last year, it's surprising to see the top two teams having one loss between them. And yet, here we are. The Panthers have an interesting stretch of three home games in a row ahead of them.
Next opponent: vs. Philadelphia (10/25)
5.) Cincinnati (6-0) [+1]
Daytime Dalton, everybody!
Next opponent: at Pittsburgh (11/1)
6.) NY Jets (4-1) [+2]
Brandon Marshall could end up being the biggest acquisition of the off-season. Most will point to Suh in Miami (which has been a huge bust all the way around), but Marshall has brought (almost) nothing but positive things to New York/New Jersey. True, there was that ill-timed and ill-thought lateral that basically led to a loss, but that's one negative play among quite a few that are game-winning or game-breaking. He had a couple of catches against Washington where he just couldn't be covered, couldn't be tackled, couldn't be stopped. And Ryan Fitzpatrick is keeping the train moving in a positive direction too, something that most of us wouldn't have expected.
Next opponent: at New England (10/25)
7.) Atlanta (5-1) [-3]
Let's face it, Atlanta just has trouble winning in New Orleans. Were they "exposed"? It's a possibility, but not one in which I put serious stock. That said, the team bears watching because the 4th quarter deficits are problematic and overcoming them can be a result of good fortune. After starting off like a supernova (or a comet), Julio Jones has slowed down tremendously. I understand that he's dealing with a hammy and hopefully the ten days between last game and the next will have him in tip-top shape. But a lot of the magic of this team is the combination of Matt Ryan and Julio. And then you add Devonta Freeman atop that and you get the balanced offense that every team is looking for.
Next opponent: at Tennessee (10/25)
8.) Pittsburgh (4-2) [-]
A solid win propels the Steelers back into the Rankings this week. Having a third-string QB come in and throw some darts to Martavis Bryant has to feel really good. Landry Jones outplayed Michael Vick in the short time he was in the game. Roethlisberger's return should be sooner rather than later, too.
Next opponent: at Kansas City (10/25)
9.) Arizona (4-2) [-2]
Under normal circumstances, there would be no shame in losing at Pittsburgh. With Landry Jones under center for the Steelers, well, it's obvious that is not "normal" by any means. The Cardinals were unable to take advantage and couldn't get their offense going either. So what they end up with is a bad loss, but not quite as bad as the debacle a couple weeks ago against St. Louis. Pittsburgh is obviously a better team (even without Roethlisberger? Well, maybe), and winning on the road can never really be "expected". Still, Arizona looked like a top-tier team a couple weeks ago and are currently sliding toward irrelevance. Monday's game is by no means a "must-win" given their division, but it sure would look good.
Next opponent: vs. Baltimore (10/26)
10.) Minnesota (3-2) [-]
Going up against a team without their star RB and a QB who is serviceable at best, one would expect the Vikings to do better than they did. I try not to predict what will happen (as such an enterprise is doomed to failure), but if Minnesota can't do better against the lesser lights on their schedule, they could be in trouble when the playoffs come around and they find they're out of it. I have little confidence that they can beat (or even hang with) Green Bay, though the rest of the division is obviously not good.
Next opponent: at Detroit (10/25)
That's all for this week. See you next week.
