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Let’s play a game of multiple choice. Circle which of the following read true after six weeks of football:
A. The Browns lead the AFC North.
B. The Cardinals beat the vaunted Rams, who are last in the NFC West, without scoring a touchdown.
C. J.J. McCarthy threw for 242 yards in one quarter of football — for the Giants, who have backpedaled into the NFC East lead.
D. All of the above.
If you chose D, congratulations! You’re either a prophet, or you’re contrarian enough to guess nothing is ever foregone in the NFL.
Favorites may have cruised to a 10-6 mark last week, but the tides still say it’s time to be bold.
If there are any certainties at this stage, it’s that the 49ers are the stoics of football. Even with a litany of injuries, they’ve scrambled to 6-0 with their seasoned veteran core. Besides, teams are figuring out that Michael Penix Jr. folds under duress.
There’s nothing to love about Bo Nix and this arid offense. The defense was to credit for last week’s overtime win over Seattle, and it can swallow a Cardinals team that just went 0-for-6 in the red zone.
Sam Darnold’s turnovers are becoming a problem, and it cost Seattle a win. Patrick Mahomes is back to business as usual this season with a trustworthy offensive line and run game.
The Jets may be 2-4, but they’re hanging in games against anyone, running at 5-1 against the spread. Miami’s rest can’t fix a raw roster that is in over its head every week.
Houston’s passing game is finally humming after an 0-4 start. If McCarthy does start after his fourth-quarter show, stopping a seasoned Houston team on the road is too tall an order.
We didn’t need another game to determine whether Tampa Bay’s upset over the Cowboys was a fluke. It was. Carolina ranks eighth overall in offensive EPA per play, and that’s enough to oust a turnover-prone Tampa attack.
Tip your caps to Tennessee and Cleveland, which both pulled off signature wins. Now they meet as fellow inconsistent passing games, so take the higher scoring profile and late-game execution.
Neither offense has been a pleasure to watch. Aaron Rodgers and an encouraging Pittsburgh ground game can smart their way out of London against the green Saints.
Embarrassment is the theme of this one. There’s simply nothing to like about either of these teams. The Eagles’ free-fall, though, is less adjustable without Jalen Hurts for the rest of the year. While the Cowboys offense has become predictable, its high ceiling can flush out Philadelphia.
Of course, this once again comes down to Lamar Jackson’s status. The offense stalled out with Tyler Huntley in a stale loss to Cleveland. Joe Burrow’s aerial attack can make quick work of them if that continues.
Caleb Williams will return, and that immediately elevates the Bears’ downfield passing and red-zone efficiency. Drake Maye, though he has redeemed himself, has a tall order matching the Bears’ potent offense with more offensive line health problems.
Judging off of preseason expectations, the Raiders have perhaps been the year’s most delightful surprise; the Rams have been the most disappointing. Why stop now?
It’s probably the biggest coin toss of the week. Detroit is tied with Buffalo for the highest point average despite serious third-down issues and a defense that lets everyone pace them. Josh Jacobs returns just in time to a desperate Packers run game as Green Bay is riding three straight wins, so I’ll lean that way.
There’s only so much the Vikings defense can compensate for. Daniel Jones is struggling, but he has the tools to overcome Kyler Murray’s 31st-ranked passing offense.
LAST WEEK: 8-6, 64/105 points
OVERALL: 53-42, 461/769 points
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