The NFL Roundup 2017: Week 6 - What We Learned

Written by John Edward Betancourt

(Eric Christian Smith/Associated Press)

You know you're in for a good football season, when the unexpected becomes the norm and that's really the 2017 season in a nutshell. Nothing is going according to plan for some teams, and new heroes seem to be emerging every single week and it's making for some of the most exciting football in years. But most importantly, all of these wild games are teaching us some important things about our favorite teams and players and without further ado, here is what we learned from Week 6 in the NFL.
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Deshaun Watson is the real deal in Houston. 
It's been a very, very, very long time since anyone has been able to speak positively about the quarterback position in Houston, but the times, they are a changing because Deshaun Watson is playing some lights out football for the Texans, and Sunday was no exception to that fact. Yes, I fully understand that he was facing the awful, awful Browns, but he didn't take his opponent for granted and played his hardest and thanks to his efforts, he led the Texans to a decisive blowout win, and he became the first rookie in NFL history to throw three touchdown passes in three consecutive games and when all is said done, it's quickly becoming clear that Watson is the QB Messiah that the fans in Houston have been waiting for and it's going to be a truly exciting season for the Texans with him at the helm.

The Green Bay Packers might be in some serious trouble.
Yes, I fully understand the fact that one man does not make a team, that it's 46 guys on game day working together to get the win. But not every team has the luxury of a perfect roster where the next man up can do the job as well the guy before him and some teams, do indeed have one player that makes a big time difference and in Green Bay, Aaron Rodgers is that guy and well...with the team looking at an extended absence for their star quarterback, their season could be in serious jeopardy simply because, Rodgers brings an incredible amount of leadership to that team. He inspires his teammates, he makes them believe they can achieve wonders and while I'm sure Brett Hundley is a capable NFL quarterback, if the rest of the team cannot step up and fill that leadership/inspirational void, and execute without #12, then the 2017 campaign may come to an ugly and early end for the Green Bay Packers. 

It looks the New Orleans Saints still have some fight left in them. 
The Saints are a team that few are talking about this season and there's good reason for that. For the past couple of years they've faded from the spotlight thanks to some awful defensive and offensive play, but Sunday...well on Sunday they surprised us all. Because as it turns out, the defense can still play, granted, letting 38 points happen on the field isn't exactly a stellar performance, but the fact that they forced five turnovers and scored on three of those overshadows that issue and the offense, well they did their part as well but what matters most is here, is that the Saints still have something left in the tank and after starting off the season with a couple of ugly losses, they're sitting pretty at 3-2 and may pose quite the threat as the season as the rolls on.  

The Denver Broncos need to get their head out of the clouds. 
Sometimes in the sports writing business, you have to eat a little crow and I enjoyed a hearty buffet of it on Sunday night when the Giants, a team that I expected to get beat and beat badly by the Denver Broncos...smacked the Broncos around. However, I thought the Giants would lose because of their decimated roster and because the Broncos would play lights out football and as it turns out, Denver made a series of critical mistakes on Sunday. They not only underestimated New York, they simply expected the win. It's not the first time we've seen that kind of entitlement this year, New England was guilty of the same thing in their season opener but man...this was somehow worse because the Broncos should have won this game and won it handily. Instead, they believed the hype, took this team for granted and here we are. So, here's to hoping the Broncos stop worrying about whether or not they're the underdog or the favorite and focus on their fundamentals and the game in front of them, otherwise, the three week road trip ahead of them is going to be quite the disaster.

Ben Roethlisberger still has what it takes to play at a high level. 
The best players out there, always find a way to dig deep and bring out the best in themselves when they face adversity and that's precisely what Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger did on Sunday. Coming off of arguably the worst game of his storied career, Big Ben settled down and delivered on offense, leading his team to a 19-13 victory over the unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs. It wasn't the prettiest win by any means, Ben did throw an INT in the game as well, but the fact that he settled down, didn't fold under pressure and showed everyone in this league that he can still play at a high level is a big deal and hopefully seeing that their quarterback is still 'the guy' and beating the best team in the league will build some momentum and some confidence for this team.

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