Week 6 NFL Standings: Daniel Jones, Colts Snatch Top Spot in AFC; Vikings Sneak into Playoff Picture
This weekend will officially mark the completion of the first third of the NFL regular season. Don’t blink or you might miss the last two-thirds.
As we wrap up this first trimester of the season, let’s reflect on how we got here by taking a look at the NFL standings heading into Week 6.
Week 6 NFL Standings
AFC East
- Buffalo Bills (4-1)
- New England Patriots (3-2)
- Miami Dolphins (1-4)
- New York Jets (0-5)
Well, we officially have a two-horse race in the AFC East after the New England Patriots beat them on Sunday Night Football with a 23-20 victory. Drake Maye continues his emergence as one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL, and if you look at New England’s remaining schedule, there aren’t a ton of difficult games left with just two matchups against teams currently above .500 in their final 12 games.
AFC North
- Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1)
- Cincinnati Bengals (2-3)
- Baltimore Ravens (1-4)
- Cleveland Browns (1-4)
How long do we have to wait before accepting the Pittsburgh Steelers are just going to win the AFC North? At 3-1, they are the only team with a winning record, and the rest of the competition hasn’t provided much hope. The Bengals will be Joe Burrow-less likely for the rest of the year. The Ravens simply cannot overcome a horrific defense, and Lamar Jackson is hurt. The Browns are the Browns and just traded away Joe Flacco, leaving options as rookie QBs Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.
AFC South
- Indianapolis Colts (4-1)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (4-1)
- Houston Texans (2-3)
- Tennessee Titans (1-4)
Is the AFC South suddenly the best division in football? It now features the AFC’s No. 1 seed and top Wild Card team. All four teams in this division earned victories this weekend, including an improbably ridiculous comeback by the Tennessee Titans against the Arizona Cardinals. Indianapolis’ offense just keeps rolling, and the Jacksonville Jaguars won an absolutely goofy game against the Kansas City Chiefs. And don’t look now, but the Houston Texans might just be getting back on track after a dominant road win against the Baltimore Ravens.
AFC West
- Los Angeles Chargers (3-2)
- Denver Broncos (3-2)
- Kansas City Chiefs (2-3)
- Las Vegas Raiders (1-4)
Right when the Chiefs seem like they’re putting it all together again, they take a loss to the Jaguars that in the past six to seven years, they win 100 out of 100 times. Luckily for them, the division-leading Los Angeles Chargers keep refusing to take advantage of the early season struggles as LA lost its second game in a row. Don’t forget about the Denver Broncos, though. A case can be made that they should be 5-0 if a few plays don’t bounce against them, and they are about to play three straight home games.
NFC East
- Philadelphia Eagles (4-1)
- Washington Commanders (3-2)
- Dallas Cowboys (2-2-1)
- New York Giants (1-4)
Eagles fans probably shouldn’t panic just because of an ugly loss to the Broncos, but something just feels off with this team right now. Saquon Barkley hasn’t looked like the guy who led the Eagles to a Super Bowl last season, and the overall chemistry just isn’t right. That being said, the Washington Commanders are not to be overlooked after a big win over the Chargers, and Dallas’ offense can hang with anybody.
NFC North
- Detroit Lions (4-1)
- Green Bay Packers (2-1-1)
- Minnesota Vikings (3-2)
- Chicago Bears (2-2)
Well, Vikings fans, despite all the injuries and ugly football so far this season, if the season ended today, Minnesota would hold the No. 7 seed. Of course, the schedule only gets harder from here on out, but if the roster gets healthy again, they have the potential to hang in a Wild Card spot if not compete for the division title with a few blunders from Detroit and Green Bay. That may be a tough ask with how Detroit’s offense looks, but anything is possible.
NFC South
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-1)
- Atlanta Falcons (2-2)
- Carolina Panthers (2-3)
- New Orleans Saints (1-4)
It hasn’t been a great year for most teams in the NFC South this year, but this was a nice weekend for the division. The Falcons were on bye, but every other team put another notch in the win column. Tampa Bay got the most impressive win with a 38-35 win over the Seahawks, but Carolina’s comeback against the Miami Dolphins was noteworthy as well and kept them in position to fight for a playoff spot. The Saints also beat the Giants, which could have some draft implications down the road.
NFC West
- San Francisco 49ers (4-1)
- Seattle Seahawks (3-2)
- Los Angeles Rams (3-2)
- Arizona Cardinals (2-3)
Despite injuries to Brock Purdy, George Kittle, and Nick Bosa with Brandon Aiyuk still on the mend too, the 49ers just keep winning. They took over sole possession of the NFC West this week after beating the Rams and the Seahawks’ loss to the Buccaneers. Arizona had a wonderful opportunity to leap into the playoff hunt, but they threw it away with an inexcusable loss to the Titans.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
You must be logged in to post a comment.