The NFL Roundup 2018: Week 6 – What We Learned

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

Right before Week 6 in the NFL kicked off last week, we took a good long look at several teams and their respective challenges ahead due to the importance of Week Six, since this is really a good time of year to understand what teams are going to look like going forward, and what they’re made of for that matter as well. And wouldn’t you know it? We got the answers we needed this past weekend and now we know which teams are filled with grit, and which ones are looking at a long and painful season and now that this weekend’s slate of games are in the books, now is as good a time as any to revisit some of the teams we had our eyes on, and the ones that managed to surprise us as we reflect upon what we learned from this past week of professional football.
 
Stick a fork in the Oakland Raiders, they’re done.
It really has been one powerfully disappointing season for the Oakland Raiders and Sunday’s game against the Seahawks, in London no less, put the final nail in the coffin for this team. Once again, they took the field without an ounce of fight or effort and the fact that they only scored a measly three points in garbage time, only reinforces that. Either way, they’re now 1-5 on the season, this team has clearly quit on their fans, and the game in general which means it is time for the Raiders to focus on fundamentals and developing young guys because their season is definitely over barring some kind of football miracle, and I wish them the best of luck in 2019.
 
The Denver Broncos stand on the brink of another disastrous season.
While one would think that that Broncos deserve a diatribe similar to that of the Raiders, there are still signs of life when it comes to this particular team. After all, they did hold the red-hot Rams to only 23 points on Sunday, and their pass rushing attack is incredible when it’s working. But the fact of the matter is, this team still commits stupid mistakes week in and week out, the kind that cost them points, and the revamped offense, simply isn’t clicking. Which means this is it, this team truly stands on the brink of another horrific losing season and it will be up to every single player, and Head Coach Vance Joseph to figure out how to play like a well-oiled machine or see their season slip away.
 
The Jets are suddenly quite the pleasant surprise.
Truthfully speaking, I thought the Jets win over the Denver Broncos last week was nothing more than a gimmie since the Broncos didn’t show up. But it turns out there may have been something more to what we saw on the field on that particular day because this team was surprisingly dynamic on Sunday against the Colts. They found a way to hang with Andrew Luck and his prolific arm and for their efforts, they walked out of a shootout the victor. And while their defense still needs some work, since it did allow 34 points, the fact that they were able to hang in this game and put up a metric ton of points in the last two weeks has to give Jets fans hope that maybe, just maybe, something special is starting to come together in the Big Apple.
 
In many ways, the Pats and Chiefs were both winners on Sunday night.
I spoke to the fact last week that the Patriots had something to prove in Sunday night’s game  against the Chiefs, and they did just that, by hanging with Kansas City’s newly revamped and prolific offense, but the more I think about this game, the more I think it was win for both teams when all is said and done. Because while Brady looked like his old self in this game, Patrick Mahomes made a name for himself as well by making big plays when it counted and led his offense down the field when it was absolutely necessary and while I know a loss is a loss, KC fans have to be excited about their future with Mahomes at the helm, because this kid is tough and fearless and if he had a little more time on Sunday, one has to wonder if the Chiefs would have walked away with the win.
 
Aaron Rodgers + Prime Time = Absolute Magic.
I’m not sure what it is about the national stage, and prime-time games, but they simply seem to electrify Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers. Because every time he is given the opportunity to save the day in front a national audience, he does so in thrilling fashion and Monday night’s game was no exception to that rule, since once again, Rodgers took our breath away with a thrilling run of perfect passes at just the right time as he led the Pack to victory. Granted, it never should have come down to the final minutes since Green Bay is a better team than San Francisco, but that’s another rant for another time. Because in the end, whether or not you’re a fan of Rodgers, you simply cannot deny that he always finds a way to deliver a thrilling performance when the lights go on for a prime-time matchup.   

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