Some of my thoughts after the sixth week of the NFL season:
Iceman Returns
Welcome back, Caleb Williams! If last week’s beat down at the hands of the hated Packers didn’t convince you of the significant gulf between Williams and every other quarterback on the Bears roster, this game should have.
The Bears are just a completely different offense with Williams at the controls, even if he wasn’t running as much as normal. Williams is just in total control of this offense, he’s seeing the whole field and he can make throws that very few others can make.
One more tidbit for the Williams haters out there: Caleb Williams currently leads the NFL in completion percentage.
Spider-Man
Speaking of triumphant returns, Kyler Gordon had himself a game. Many of us in the Bears stratosphere have been vocally frustrated with Gordon’s availability the last two years, but there’s never been a question about his talent.
Gordon transforms this defense into a more dangerous unit. He’s an excellent blitzer, as evidenced by his three sacks, but also great in coverage.
The Bears are a better defense and a better team when Kyler Gordon is healthy and playing.
Travis Hunter
Despite Jacksonville’s loss to Houston, Hunter was a bright spot, recording an interception and a touchdown reception.
I was skeptical when the Jaguars moved up to draft Hunter, especially the price they paid, but he’s truly blossoming into a unicorn. He’s well on his way to being a Pro Bowler as a full time corner and he’s a dangerous weapon as a receiver.
If a guy can make an impact on both sides of the ball, like it appears that Hunter will, he may well have been worth the price that Jacksonville paid.
Daniel Jones
I’ve said it often, the Colts decision to give Jones a 2 year, 88 million dollar contract is the kind of decision that gets coaches and general managers fired.
Well, the man that gave him that contract, general manager Chris Ballard, was fired the morning after an embarrassing loss to the Tennessee Titans. A Tennessee team that was arguably the worst in the NFL until Sunday.
Jones was awful in that game, and he’s been consistently awful this season, even in their two victories.
Other than one slightly above average season in New York and a pretty good ten game run last year in Indy, Jones has been a below average quarterback in the NFL. Yet, somehow, he’s been able to trick two franchises into paying him like a franchise quarterback.
The regime in New York that made that mistake is no longer there. The GM in Indy that did the same is now unemployed and it’s fair to wonder if head coach Shane Steichen survives this season.
The Birds are Grounded
Even before the news about Jalen Hurts, which is about so much more than football, it felt like the Philadelphia Eagles were teetering on the edge of a lost season. They’re no longer teetering.
The once vaunted offensive line has been gutted. The Eagles had to sign Dameon Pierce off the street so they could field a running back against Carolina.
Philly’s run of NFC East dominance was already on life support, losing Hurts for the rest of the season was the final nail in the coffin.
All this turmoil has probably given Nick Sirianni a reprieve, since it was all beyond his control. That may be bad news for Philly.
In the three losses prior to Sunday, the Eagles were thoroughly out coached by the Bears, Rams & Jaguars. Sirianni took this team to two Super Bowls, winning one, but that was more because of the superior talent the Eagles possessed than anything Sirianni did.
First Place Cleveland Browns
It’s been 12 years since the Browns were in first place in the AFC South this late into the season.
Since getting blown out by Jacksonville to open the season, Cleveland has gone 4-1 including division wins over Pittsburgh & Baltimore, albeit Baltimore was without Lamar Jackson.
Their loss to the Jets makes me wonder if Cleveland has the staying power to make a run at the playoffs, but it does look like the Browns are going to be a tough out for many teams.
Cleveland has had a couple good drafts the last few years. They’ve stockpiled some good, young talent, on both sides of the ball. Deshaun Watson has looked like a competent NFL quarterback. Todd Monken deserves a lot of credit and, right now, I think he’s the front runner for coach of the year.
Kenneth Walker III
The MVP has become a quarterback award, but by the truest definition of most valuable player, I think a legitimate argument can be made for Walker.
He leads the NFL in rushing yards and he’s totally transformed the Kansas City offense.
The Chiefs missed the playoffs last season and their offense was disjointed, relying too much on Patrick Mahomes playing Superman.
This year, they have a different, more sustainable identity on offense, thanks to Walker. His addition has vaulted Kansas City back into the elite echelon of the AFC.
If a non quarterback is going to win MVP, right now Kenneth Walker III should be under serious consideration.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
The Los Angeles Rams were heavy favorites entering the season. They were anointed as a “super team” and for good reason. They came agonizingly close to a Super Bowl last year. Matthew Stafford was coming off an MVP season. They added 2025 Defensive Player of the Year, Myles Garrett in a blockbuster trade with Cleveland. They also remade, and presumably upgraded their secondary by adding Trent McDuffie & Jaylen Watson. Then, Aaron Donald came out of retirement to join the march to the Super Bowl.
Then, the games started. The Rams laid an egg in Australia, getting routed by the division rival 49ers. Most wrote that off due to their insane travel plans, but I think that whole fiasco is indicative of the Rams true issues.
Head coach Sean McVay is brilliant, and he knows it. He and the entire Rams organization think they’re smarter than everyone else. Even though the entire world knows you need time to get acclimated to such a drastic time change, the Rams and McVay thought they knew better.
The Rams haven’t looked anything close to being a juggernaut this season. Sunday’s loss to the Cardinals, a team that didn’t even score a touchdown, may have been a harbinger of a total collapse, because now the injuries are mounting.
Davante Adams & Kobie Turner are joining Garrett on IR. Donald looks like a guy that’s been retired for years. Stafford looks like his early Lions days.
I’m not fully counting out the Rams, because McVay is a very good coach, but I do think the buzzards are circling.
Flags are Flying
Is it me or are there an inordinate amount of penalties being called in NFL games these days?
Every game I watch, when I’m not watching Red Zone, feels borderline unwatchable with flags flying on what seems like every single play.
Most are probably legitimate, but there have been many that are borderline questionable to outright terrible calls.
No one watches football for the referees, and it feels like all these flags are killing the flow of the games.
Dan Quinn
A week after an embarrassing tie, when the Washington Commanders inexplicably let time expire when they were in range of a game winning field goal, their head coach gets caught on camera not knowing what down it is.
I suffered through the Matt Eberflus era in Chicago. I know what a clueless head coach looks like and I’m seeing it in Washington. These mental lapses are embarrassing and should cost the head coach his job.
