Week 6 in the NFL almost felt like it was over before it began. The league crammed nine games into the early window, clearing the afternoon schedule for a Tom Brady-Aaron Rodgers showdown that turned out to be a snoozefest (along with a Jets-Dolphins game that was an even bigger snoozefest than anticipated).
There was still plenty of action, with an exciting Monday night doubleheader on the horizon. Here are some of the major storylines from this week:
Steelers smother Browns, 38-7: are they the best team in the AFC?
It’s hard to argue that any team had a more impressive win than the Steelers on Sunday. History be damned – Cleveland hadn’t beaten Pittsburgh at Heinz Field in 16 years – this is a different Browns team than in years past, and it entered the game at 4-1. But the Steelers dominated in all three phases, practically ending the game before it even started and reminding the Browns of the pecking order in the AFC North.
Within 20 minutes of game time, the Steelers were up 17-0. All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick ran a Baker Mayfield interception into the end zone. Ben Roethlisberger, who has faced criticism for not throwing deep much this season, slung the ball downfield to Chase Claypool and James Washington. The vaunted Pittsburgh defense threw the Browns’ game plan out of whack from the jump, logging four sacks and nine tackles for loss.
The Steelers are one of three undefeated teams left in the NFL, and they don’t appear to have a notable weakness. They have the second-ranked defense and are 11th in the NFL in points scored. Their +62 point differential is second in the NFL. It may be a bit of a stretch to call them the best team in an AFC that also has the Chiefs and Ravens in the conference, but considering their success on both sides of the ball, it wouldn’t be a stretch to call them the most complete team.
Bears win again over Panthers: time to consider them a contender?
Chicago just keeps winning. The Bears traveled to Charlotte Sunday to face a hot Carolina Panthers team, which was coming off its third straight win on the strength of its offense. That offense sputtered to 16 points, Teddy Bridgewater threw two interceptions and Chicago won its fifth game in six tries despite barely cracking 250 yards of total offense.
At 5-1, we can safely call the Bears a good team, but they are perhaps the most mystifying good team in the NFL. They are winning games the way teams won games in 1997, with stifling defense and just enough offense to get by. It seems like it’s not possible to do in 2020, where teams like the Chiefs and Seahawks regularly put up 40 points, but Chicago is slowly proving that defensive football is still a viable way to succeed. Chicago sacked Bridgewater four times and consistently made life miserable for the QB.
Still, the Bears’ offense has to get better if they want to be a true contender. They are 28th in the NFL in rush yards per game and 23rd in pass yards. Nick Foles has been steady if unspectacular in relief of Mitch Trubisky, and clearly has a better command of the offense, but the production needs to come. The offensive line has been a mess and has made a habit of blowing up offensive plays before they start. As Foles gains a better grasp of the offense, there’s reason to hope they can improve, but with the Rams, Saints and Titans on deck, the improvement needs to come sooner rather than later.
Patriots under .500 after loss to Broncos: what’s up with this team?
Bill Belichick has a losing record. No, really. Coming off an unexpected bye week, the Patriots took on the Broncos a week later than planned after a number of positive COVID tests prompted the delay. With Cam Newton back under center and Belichick having won 22 of his last 23 games against first-or-second year QBs, New England was favored by a touchdown, but Denver orchestrated one of the more stunning upsets of the season by beating the Patriots on their home field.
Denver won mostly on the strength of its defense, as well as kicker Brandon McManus, whose six field goals accounted for all of the team’s scoring. Newton threw two interceptions and was sacked four times as the Broncos’ defensive line smothered the New England QB. But some of the mistakes were self-inflicted, and Newton missed a number of throws he should have made – including a late fourth-down pass to N’Keal Harry that would have extended the game and given the Patriots a chance to win.
Denver QB Drew Lock did his best to make it interesting, throwing two interceptions late in the game that gave the Patriots life (in situations where coach Vic Fangio probably should have run the ball and drained clock). But the Patriots lost, and the reality is that this team is just not as good as it has been in years past. The Patriots were the 20th ranked team in DVOA going into the game, below average in both offense and defense. Newton has mostly played well taking over for Tom Brady, but like in 2019, they just don’t have any weapons on offense – no one other than James White had more than 38 yards receiving, and he’s a running back. And unlike in 2019, their defense isn’t going to constantly bail them out. It’s often a mistake to count out Bill Belichick, but in a tough AFC, the playoffs are looking like an uphill battle.