The NFL Roundup 2019: Week 6 – What We Learned

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

​Sometimes the NFL serves those that write about it a little slice of humble pie, and mine was delivered to me on a silver platter, simply due to the fact that I called Week 6 ‘routine’. Because there was nothing routine at all about this past weekend’s set of games since this slate featured all kinds of surprises and controversies and well, I was happy to eat that slice and I’ll never use that word again because anything and everything can and will happen when teams take the field. But what was it about these games that prompted me to enjoy a taste of humility? Well I’m glad you asked, because clearly it is time to break down all things football and discuss what we learned from Week 6 in the NFL.
 
Tom Brady looks… off.
Yeah, I know the Pats are 6-0 and putting up points left and right. But while folks in Massachusetts are celebrating another strong start to the Patriots season, I can’t be the only one who noticed that Tom Brady didn’t look quite right on Thursday Night. Some of his throws just didn’t have any mustard, or they were off target completely and that’s just not like him. And while the Giants did indeed harass him and a bit and get some sacks in this game, dropping 35 points on New York doesn’t exactly make it sound like the G-men were heroes in this one. But the bottom line is that #12 doesn’t quite look like himself and that could spell trouble for the Pats down the line. But in the here and the now, they are killing it and running away with the AFC and until they lose, few will say anything about Tom’s errant throws.
 
The Chiefs defense is their own worst enemy.
Make no mistake about it, the Chiefs have been a fun to team to watch week in and week out, since Patrick Mahomes is doing some incredible things under center, with an injury. But the excitement surrounding that offense will mean nothing in the weeks to come if the KC Defense can’t get its act together. Because they are simply terrible right now, and they flat out are starting to cost Kansas City games that they should be winning. Which means it is up to head coach Andy Reid to figure out how to shore up the mess that is his secondary is right now, and if he can’t get these guys to perform, or put the right players on the field, it’s going to be a long season in Kansas City as the fans watch their once vaunted defense, ruin a potentially magical season.
 
The San Francisco 49ers are legit.
For quite some time now, the 49ers have been a forgotten team in the NFL and with good reason. Because they’ve been perennial losers, and they’ve changed coaches and executives as often as people change socks and even for the past couple of years, with a promising new coach and GM in place, they’ve still seen sorrow on the field. But this year, something has truly changed, and all the hard work that John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan have been putting in is finally paying off. Because this team is dynamic to say the least, with a stout defense and electric offense and for their troubles, they’re the only other undefeated team in the NFL and well, at this point I’m not sure who can beat them because this team is sound in every phase of the game and it is just a wonderful thing to see this storied franchise back at the top of the NFC, once again.  
The Dallas Cowboys are imploding.
This was supposed to be a big year for the Dallas Cowboys. After all, they locked up a bunch of stars in the offseason, added some depth to their roster and started the season off in impressive fashion. But something has gone horribly wrong, and this once dynamic team has dropped three straight, with their latest loss coming at the hands of the lowly New York Jets and well, this is a team that is flat out falling to pieces. And while I’d like to blame the talent on this roster, I cannot, because they do have some solid players. Meaning that this losing streak falls upon head coach Jason Garrett since it’s his job to prepare the players for game day. Which means he needs to do something quick to refocus this team and get them back on track. Otherwise a continued implosion will result in some big changes on this team, starting with its head coach.
 
The NFL needs to make all of its officials, full time.
I’ve said time and time again, that referees do not decide games in the NFL, the score does, and I’ll stand by that. But that doesn’t mean that NFL officials are above criticism or concern because we expect a lot of out of the refs and right now, a great many of them are a grand disappointment. Because we are seeing some stupid calls on the field, the kind that are indeed leaving fans scratching their head and well, it’s time for the league to do something drastic in order to solve this sloppy officiating in that; they need to make all the refs, full time. Because these guys and gal don’t live and breathe their job and they need to, so that they don’t loosely interpret a violation of the on-field rules. So please, Mister Goodell, I beg you, stop messing around with this and make the refs full time, so that this already great game, only gets better.

---