Five weeks into the NFL season, three teams remain undefeated, a Super Bowl favorite is suddenly struggling and a high-profile head coach is already feeling the pressure.
With division rivalries, a Sunday night shootout and a crucial showdown in London, Week 6 could tell us a lot about which teams are legitimate contenders and which teams are headed for disappointment.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of this week’s NFL action.
There are only three undefeated teams left, and none have been more impressive than the San Francisco 49ers.
Kyle Shanahan gets his team off to a 5-0 start for the third time in seven years, and the wins couldn’t be much more impressive. The 49ers have already beaten three of last season’s conference runners-up: the Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams. They are the first team since the 1981 Broncos to post three wins over the previous season’s conference runners-up in their first five games.
If the MVP award were given today, it would be Brock Purdy. The former Mr. Irrelevant was fabulous once again in San Francisco’s 32-29 win over division rival Seattle. Purdy leads the NFL with 13 touchdown passes and has thrown just two interceptions.
And 6-0 seems to be on the horizon. The Washington Commanders (after last week’s brutal draw against the New York Giants) come to town for Monday Night Football, where Shanahan has been nearly unbeatable at 7-1.
Meanwhile, the Minnesota Vikings enter their bye week with a perfect 5-0 record. Their flawless start was one of the biggest surprises of the season.
The Kansas City Chiefs return from their bye week well-rested and with a 4-0 record. Awaiting them are the lowly, winless Chargers, who are experiencing a nightmare of a season (more on that later…).
And if things weren’t bad enough for Los Angeles already, facing Andy Reid after a bye is about the last thing a team wants. Reid is an incredible 22-5 in games after a bye week.
Week 6 coincides with when NFL coaches start to feel their seats getting a little warmer. But right now, no one is hotter than the one led by Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh.
Many expected Los Angeles to be a playoff team this season, but after five games, that didn’t seem to be the case.
Once again, injuries have taken their toll on the offensive line, but that’s far from the only problem. Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel’s system doesn’t seem to be working, and a defense that was supposed to be a strength hasn’t gotten going at all.
Remember, Harbaugh was the blockbuster hire of January 2024, fresh off winning a national championship at Michigan. The Chargers handed him a five-year, $80 million contract with one goal in mind: getting this franchise to the Super Bowl.
Well, that’s definitely not going to happen this year. At this point, the biggest question might be whether Harbaugh will make it through the season.
And with an upcoming trip to Kansas City, things could get even uglier before they get better.
The situation at the neighbor’s isn’t exactly sunny either.
Rams head coach Sean McVay said he felt sick after Monday night’s stunning overtime loss to the Bills dropped his team to 2-3.
It’s easy to understand why.
The Rams became the first team in NFL history to lose a game despite passing for more than 400 yards, recording at least 30 first downs, scoring five touchdowns, converting at least 50% of their third downs and committing no turnovers.
It’s almost impossible to do. Yet somehow the Rams found a way.
A blocked potential game-winning field goal proved costly, and the Rams have already moved on from kicker Harrison Mevis after his early season struggles.
So, is it time to panic in Los Angeles?
Probably not.
The Rams’ next four games are against the Arizona Cardinals, Las Vegas Raiders, Chargers and Commanders. They will likely be heavy favorites in all four, giving them a golden opportunity to turn things around quickly.
And here’s the crazy part: despite a 2-3 record, the Rams remain the favorites to win the Super Bowl.
Clearly, punters aren’t ready to hit the panic button just yet.
The Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers renew their rivalry on Sunday Night Football, and if recent history tells us anything, we should probably expect plenty of points.
The last two meetings between these teams produced real fireworks.
Last September, they played to a 40-40 draw. In the 2024 playoffs, Green Bay traveled to Dallas and embarrassed the Cowboys in a 48-32 rout.
That’s 160 points combined in two games!
Dallas has tried just about everything to fix its struggling defense. The latest move was to trade for cornerback Joey Porter Jr., although he missed last week’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The good news for the Cowboys is that they will have 10 days off before this game at Lambeau Field.
The bad news? They come up against a red-hot Jordan Love and a Packers offense that just scored 31 points against the Chicago Bears.
If Dallas doesn’t find a way to slow Love down, this could turn into another long night for the Cowboys defense.
One thing seems pretty safe to predict: Lambeau’s dashboard operator might be busy.
For the third time since 2023, the Jacksonville Jaguars have called London home for two consecutive weeks.
After beating the Eagles 19-17 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Jags now head to the famous Wembley Stadium in search of a London sweep against the Houston Texans.
Jacksonville swept its two games in London in 2023 and split its two games across the pond in 2024.
While another win would be nice for the 4-1 Jaguars, this game is an absolute must-win for the 1-4 Texans.
Houston managed to keep its season alive last week with a win over the lowly Tennessee Titans, but there’s still almost no margin for error if a playoff spot is in the cards.
Remember, only one team in NFL history started 0-4 and made the playoffs: the 1992 San Diego Chargers.
The Texans avoided that fate by picking up their first win, but at 1-4 they still face an uphill battle. And losing to an AFC South rival would only make things worse.
The good news is that the calendar offers some hope.
After Jacksonville, Houston’s next four games are against the Giants, Chargers, Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts. This is a time where the Texans could realistically put together a winning streak and get right back into the playoff picture.
But first, they have to take care of business in London.
A victory keeps hope alive. A loss could have Houston looking ahead to next season before Halloween.
THURSDAY
Seattle Seahawks @ Denver Broncos, 8:15 p.m. ET
Sunday
Houston Texans @ Jacksonville Jaguars (in London, UK), 9:30 a.m. ET
New York Jets @ New England Patriots, 1 p.m. ET
Carolina Panthers @ Philadelphia Eagles, 1 p.m. ET
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m. ET
Baltimore Ravens @ Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m. ET
Chicago Bears @ Atlanta Falcons, 1 p.m. ET
New Orleans Saints @ New York Giants, 1 p.m. ET
Tennessee Titans @ Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m. ET
Arizona Cardinals @ Los Angeles Rams, 4:05 p.m. ET
Los Angeles Chargers @ Kansas City Chiefs, 4:25 p.m. ET
Buffalo Bills @ Las Vegas Raiders, 4:25 p.m. ET
Dallas Cowboys @ Green Bay Packers, 8:20 p.m. ET
Monday
Washington Commanders @ San Francisco 49ers, 8:15 p.m. ET
Gn sports
