NFL: Around The League With Week Six Quick Strikes
By Harv Aronson
As the NFL inches closer to the mid-season mark, there remains a few teams who have yet to taste a loss. In the Pittsburgh Steelers division at the AFC North, the Cincinnati Bengals are one of those remaining five teams that include the New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers and much to everyone’s surprise, the Carolina Panthers.
Let’s give it a whirl and find out what this writer thinks about the latest action in the National Football League.
Arizona Cardinals: The rematch of Super Bowl XLIII went in favor of that season’s champs but it was without Ben Roethlisberger. The Cardinals could not get out of their own way.
Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons took it on the chin as the “Dirty Birds” went down in New Orleans.
Baltimore Ravens: Shocking. Simply shocking that the Ravens are 1-5. Make that 1-6 when they lose in Arizona Sunday.
Buffalo Bills: They could have proved something at home facing the Bengals but instead they got manhandled.
Carolina Panthers: Is this team for real? They get the Eagles this weekend, so let’s hold off any more judgment until after the game.
Chicago Bears: The Bears will just be an up and down team this season with no real promise.
Cincinnati Bengals: I’m sold. They are for real. Solid all the way around, however, I still don’t believe they are a Super Bowl team.
Cleveland Browns: Hand it to the Brownies, they hung in there with unbeaten Denver and could have won that game.
Dallas Cowboys: Who returns first? Romo or Roethlisberger? It will probably be Big Ben so Dallas will have to contend for a while longer without their star QB. That probably means a few more losses.
Denver Broncos: Denver is unbeaten but has looked shaky all season.
Detroit Lions: Detroit wins…Detroit wins! Now they get the Vikings for victory number two.
Green Bay Packers: Heading into their bye week unbeaten. That’s a good way to take a break.
Houston Texans: For this writer, the Texans are just a ho-hum team. Nothing exciting about them. Miami’s next.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Indianapolis Colts: The Colts had a chance to make a major statement and called one of the worst plays in the league this year. Not that it mattered, they aren’t in the same league as New England.
Jacksonville Jaguars: In Jags town, the buzz is all about how bad this team is and how many problems they have as well as can the issues ever be fixed. Not a good time to be a Jaguars fan. They should have NEVER fired Tom Coughlin.
Kansas City Chiefs: Pittsburgh’s next opponent will have to find a way to produce against a rising defense.
Miami Dolphins: Dan Campbell should get his second straight victory playing those Texans at home Sunday.
Minnesota Vikings: A difficult team to figure out, the Vikings are still in the thick of things at 3-2.
New England Patriots: Are we looking at a second undefeated season? The Jets this weekend at home, followed by two more consecutive homers with Miami and Washington. The rest of the season has the Pats play in New York (Giants); Bills at home; Broncos in Denver; Eagles at home; Texans on the road; Titans at home; away at the Jets; and finishing with the Dolphins in Miami. Perhaps one of those teams will figure out a way to slow down this machine.
New Orleans Saints: Last week’s win was much-needed. This week is a bye. Much needed as well.
New York Giants: What will Eli Manning’s legacy be? A couple of Super Bowl wins and not much in between?
New York Jets: Let’s see what this team is made of on Sunday.
Oakland Raiders: Big game this weekend for the Raiders coming off their bye and a chance to hand the Chargers a third-straight defeat, perhaps another nail biter which would make for three in a row.
Philadelphia Eagles: Will the real Eagles please stand up?
Pittsburgh Steelers: Give me some more Landry Jones! Watch for better production from Antonio this weekend.
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San Diego Chargers: Two tough losses is enough to break the will of any NFL team.
San Francisco 49ers: After knocking off the Ravens, San Francisco has a chance to turn their season around on Thursday by handing the struggling Seahawks another loss.
Seattle Seahawks: Super Bowls hangover? What is going on in Seattle?
St. Louis Rams: A bye week to prepare for the surprising Browns.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Another team coming off a week without a game, the Bucs were only hoping this season would see some progress and a quick learning of the system by rookie Jameis Winston. Through five games, the first-year player has thrown for 1,174 yards and seven touchdowns. He also has seven interceptions and a 77.6 rating. But that’s not too shabby considering all the controversy that surrounded him.
Tennessee Titans: A cheap shot on Marcus Mariotta but the other big name rookie quarterback still finished the game with 219 yards passing. In comparison to the guy in Tampa, Mariotta through five games has 1,239 yards passing, nine touchdowns, five picks, and a rating of 93.2
Washington Redskins: The ‘Skins are surprising 2-4, some thought they might be worse. Kirk Cousins is not exactly lighting it up in replacing RG III. Only 196 yards on 43 pass attempts in the loss to the Jets.
Next: Steelers: Week Six Grades Vs. Cardinals