Following a week of overtime thrillers and questionable game management decisions, teams across the league will turn their focus to Week 6. Four teams—the Lions, Vikings, Bengals and Dolphins—will be on their bye, while the other 28 squads will look to avoid becoming the subject of the next Monday morning clock management lesson.
Ahead of Week 6, here’s the biggest question for all 14 games.
Seahawks (3–2) at Broncos (3–2): Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET
Will Bo Nix let it rip?
Sean Payton indicated in his postgame presser after the Broncos’ win over the Chargers that he wants to see Bo Nix “Let ’er rip.” Nix has played tentatively through much of the first five weeks of the season, turning down open receivers downfield and either throwing to his checkdown or taking sacks. Can Nix be more aggressive against the Seahawks on Thursday? The Seattle defense makes it hard for quarterbacks to find explosive plays, but Nix has a pair of receivers in Jaylen Waddle and Courtland Sutton who can give him a chance to connect downfield.
Texans (1–4) vs. Jaguars (4–1) (London): Sunday, 9:30 a.m. ET
Can the Jaguars cut back on penalties?
The Jaguars have won each of their past two games, but penalties have stained their performances, keeping them from winning by larger margins. First, they committed 13 penalties for 125 yards in their 22–17 win over the Bengals. Against the Eagles, they were penalized 13 times again, but for 100 yards. On multiple occasions these penalties either kept them from scoring or allowed their opponent to continue driving. The Jaguars have the makings of one of the best teams in the NFL, but they need to play with better discipline.
Jets (2–3) at Patriots (3–2): Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Can the Jets’ defensive line pressure Drake Maye?
Drake Maye is coming off his best game of the season after throwing four touchdowns and no picks in a dominant win over the Raiders. Part of the Patriots’ success was because they kept Maye clean, allowing just one sack in the game. Will the Jets’ pass rush fare better? The Jets’ defensive line won in the trenches against the Browns, sacking Deshaun Watson eight times. Rookie David Bailey starred in the matchup, recording nine pressures and three sacks against the Browns. They’ll need that kind of performance to get the better of Maye. The Patriots will be without left tackle Will Campbell, who sustained a sprained knee against the Raiders, which could give the Jets some opportunities to get to the quarterback.
Panthers (2–2) at Eagles (2–3): Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Can Bryce Young do it against a good defense?
Bryce Young has been stellar to start the season, throwing for 1,268 yards, nine touchdowns and two picks while leading the league in passing yards per game. However, he has yet to have a great game against a good defense this season. His best games have come against the Bears and Lions. He also played well against the Falcons in Week 2, though they had plenty of short fields thanks to turnovers from third-string quarterback Cooper Rush. The Eagles’ defense has not been as stout to start this season as it has been in previous years, but could be the toughest test Young has faced so far. Young has the weapons to attack this Eagles defense, and will have a great opportunity to take advantage of a hampered Philadelphia squad.
Steelers (3–2) at Buccaneers (1–4): Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
How will Jaylen Warren fare against the Buccaneers’ defense?
The Steelers established in their win over the Colts that Jaylen Warren is their best weapon at the moment. Warren racked up 188 yards from scrimmage in the win, including touchdowns of 50 and 80 yards. While the Buccaneers have not had a good start to the season, their defense remains stingy against the run, ranking second in rushing yards allowed (72.8 per game). Last season, they were also successful in this area, ranking fifth in rushing yards allowed (99.1 per game). If the Steelers can’t run the ball, the Buccaneers will have a better chance at pulling a second consecutive upset.
Ravens (4–1) at Browns (3–2): Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Can the Browns’ offensive line protect better?
The Browns fell to the Jets last weekend in part because they gave up eight sacks. The Jets’ defensive front dominated Cleveland’s rebuilt offensive line, allowing five quick pressures to rookie David Bailey and keeping the offense from finding success. The Ravens don’t have the most dominant pass rush—they rank 19th in pass-rush win rate and 20th in sacks (10)—but they could have a breakthrough game if the Browns don’t protect better.
Bears (3–2) at Falcons (2–3): Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Which running game will have a better day?
The two best running games in the NFL will face off on Sunday when the Bears and Falcons take the field, potentially with some backup quarterbacks in the game. The Bears, featuring their two headed-monster of D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai, rank first by averaging 173.2 yards per game (though Monangai is questionable to return after missing Week 5 with a turf toe injury). The Falcons, led by All-Pro Bijan Robinson, rank second with 166.8 yards per game. Two of the better run defenses will also take the field. The Bears rank ninth in rushing yards allowed (96 per game) while the Falcons rank fourth (80.2 per game).
Saints (1–4) at Giants (3-1-1): Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Can the Saints take the pressure off after a pair of ugly games?
On two days of celebration, the Saints were dominated in front of their home crowd at the Superdome. During the 20th anniversary game of the “Domecoming” on Monday Night Football, the Falcons ran all over them en route to a 45–24 win. Six days later, on the day the Saints inducted franchise legend Drew Brees into their ring of honor, they lost to the Vikings 23–13.
Owner Gayle Benson expressed her displeasure days after the loss to the Vikings, saying according to Katherine Terrell of ESPN, “I will not make excuses and I will not accept this level of performance as our standard.”
The Saints desperately need a get-right game after these past two losses and Benson’s comments. They’ll look to do so against a Giants team that has not lost since Week 2.
Titans (0–5) at Colts (2–3): Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Can the Titans’ offense get going against this Colts’ defense?
The Titans’ offense has been one of the worst in the league, ranking last in the league in both yards and points per game. They mustered only 187 yards and three points against the Texans on Sunday, but have a better opportunity to finally show more against the Colts this week. The Colts’ defense has not been good, ranking 29th in yards allowed (384.2 per game), 28th in points allowed (27.6 per game) and 27th in EPA per play (0.05). Quarterback Cam Ward is particularly under pressure after an 0–5 start, to play better and prove he can be the quarterback of the future.
Cardinals (1–4) at Rams (2–3): Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
Will the Rams’ changes on special teams make a difference?
For the second time in three weeks, our question for the Rams revolves around their special teams unit. This comes after the Rams lost to the Bills on Monday night in part because they allowed a long kick return, missed a field goal and then had a game-winning field goal attempt blocked in overtime. They released kicker Harrison Mevis the following day. Special teams has been a costly issue for the Rams for several seasons, playing a part in them losing out on homefield advantage to the Seahawks last season. While the third phase of the game might not cost the Rams against the Cardinals, the pressure is on for them to improve, and Sean McVay knows it.
Chargers (0–5) at Chiefs (4–0): Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
Can the Chargers provide any reason for hope?
The Chargers appear to be crumbling. Even though they played better against the Broncos, they still lost after turning the ball over three times in the fourth quarter, including once on downs due to a failed fourth-and-1 conversion attempt from their own 41-yard line. Jim Harbaugh took the blame for the decision to go for it on fourth down, a play he felt shifted the momentum of the game as the Broncos went on to score a game-tying touchdown. Overall, they’ve been hampered by injuries, started 0–5 and Justin Herbert is playing perhaps the worst football of his career. Can they provide any sprig of hope for this iteration of the team and coaching staff? They’ll have to do so against a Chiefs squad that has its groove back after starting the season 4–0 behind its newfound running game with Kenneth Walker III.
Bills (4–1) at Raiders (3–2): Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
Can the Bills cut back on turnovers?
As we mentioned last week, the Raiders have been great at forcing turnovers, currently ranking second in the league with 10 takeaways on the season. Despite their 4–1 start, the Bills have been susceptible to turnovers. Josh Allen has thrown at least one puzzling interception, or “arm punt,” in each of the past three games while James Cook has a fumbling issue. Cook fumbled twice on Monday, losing one in overtime, which nearly cost the Bills the win. Drake Maye avoided throwing any interceptions in an exceptional outing against the Raiders, though the Patriots did lose a fumble in the game. The Bills could use better ball security to avoid an upset.
Cowboys (2–3) at Packers (3–2): Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET
Is there any hope for the Cowboys’ defense?
The Cowboys’ defense was thoroughly embarrassed by the Buccaneers last Thursday, and Dallas has been making changes as a result. Per Clarence Hill Jr., the Cowboys hired Mike Pettine as a defensive assistant and Brian Schottenheimer said they are making roster adjustments. The defense also held a players-only meeting on Monday. Will any of these changes make a difference for the Cowboys’ defense, which ranks last in the league in EPA per play and success rate? If not, Jordan Love could have a field day throwing to Matthew Golden and Christian Watson, as he did during the Packers’ win over the Bears.
Commanders (1-3-1) at 49ers (5–0): Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET
How will the Commanders respond after last week’s disaster?
After a clock management disaster for the ages, which saw the Commanders let the clock run out instead of attempting a game-winning field goal in overtime, Washington will now look to rebound against the hottest team in the NFL. The end of the game overshadowed that the Commanders played well with Jayden Daniels, until they blew a double-digit fourth quarter lead which forced them into that overtime situation. Can the Commanders rally together and move on? Or will that moment haunt them throughout the season?
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