Honestly, if you looked at the scoreboard after Monday night and didn't feel a little bit dizzy, you weren't paying attention. NFL football week 6 was supposed to be the "get right" week for the heavy hitters. Instead, we got a London beatdown, a backfield explosion in Carolina, and a Monday night result in Atlanta that has basically set the AFC East on fire.
If you're a Buffalo fan, you're probably staring at the wall wondering how Josh Allen got sacked four times by a Falcons pass rush that had precisely ten sacks all year. You've got every right to be annoyed.
The Monday Night Meltdown in Atlanta
Everyone expected the Bills to walk into Mercedes-Benz Stadium and handle business. They didn't. Not even close. The Falcons didn't just win; they bullied a Bills team that looked like it forgot how to block. Josh Allen finished with a 57.7% completion rate. That’s ugly. He only threw for 180 yards. When Allen isn't hitting those 40-yard lasers, the Buffalo offense looks incredibly mortal.
But look at the other side. Drake London was a monster. 10 catches. 158 yards. He made the Buffalo secondary look like they were running in sand. The Falcons' ground game also gashed the Bills for 210 yards. When you give up that much on the ground and can't protect your own superstar QB, you lose. Every single time.
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What Most People Get Wrong About the Panthers
Let's talk about the Rico Dowdle revenge game. Seriously. Nobody saw that coming. The guy was a Dallas castoff, and he just went out and "pulverized" his former team. 183 rushing yards on 30 carries. That is a heavy-duty workload.
Most analysts will tell you the Cowboys lost because CeeDee Lamb was out with that ankle injury. Sure, that hurt. Dak Prescott still threw for three scores and George Pickens (who has been a beast lately) had 168 yards. But the real story is that the Dallas defense got moved off the ball. They allowed a 3-3 Panthers team to dictate the tempo. If you can't stop a guy like Dowdle, you aren't a contender. Period.
The London Fog: Broncos Defense is Legitimate
While most of us were still drinking our first cup of coffee on Sunday, the Broncos were busy making Justin Fields' life a nightmare in London. Nine sacks. Read that again. Nine.
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Jonathon Cooper had a career-high pressure rate of nearly 40%. The Jets are currently the only winless team in the league, and honestly, it’s getting hard to watch. Aaron Rodgers (now with the Steelers, remember?) is gone, and the Jets offense looks completely lost. Denver, on the other hand, is leaning on a defense that might actually be the best in the AFC. They aren't flashy, and Bo Nix is still doing "rookie things," but when your defense gives up almost nothing, you don't need to score 30.
Breaking Down the Injury Chaos
Injuries basically decided half the games in week 6. You had Lamar Jackson sitting out with a hamstring, which left the Ravens in the hands of Cooper Rush. That went about as well as you’d expect—the Rams took care of business easily.
- Kyler Murray: He tried to go with that mid-foot sprain but ended up sitting. Jacoby Brissett had to step in against his old team, the Colts. It was a "ding" to every fantasy player's soul.
- The 49ers: No Brock Purdy. No Brandon Aiyuk. No Ricky Pearsall. It’s a hospital ward in Santa Clara. Mac Jones threw for over 300 yards last week, but the Buccaneers' defense finally squeezed him.
- The Buccaneers: Baker Mayfield is legitly in the MVP conversation now. 4-1 start. He’s playing with a chip on his shoulder the size of a Cadillac.
Why the Packers Are Scary Again
Green Bay beat the Bengals 24-17, but the score doesn't tell the whole story. The Bengals are so desperate they traded for Joe Flacco on a Tuesday and started him on Sunday. That is pure chaos. Jordan Love waited until the fourth quarter to really turn it on, but when he did, it was over. 17 points in the final frame.
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The Packers are sitting there in a crowded NFC North, and while Detroit took a tough loss to the Chiefs on Sunday night, this division is going to be a bloodbath.
Actionable Insights for Week 7
If you're looking at the betting lines or setting your fantasy roster after the smoke from week 6 clears, keep these things in mind:
- Sell high on the Falcons' pass rush: They caught Buffalo on a bad night. Don't expect four sacks every week.
- Trust the Seahawks' secondary: Trevor Lawrence got sacked seven times by them. Mike Macdonald has that defense playing angry, and with guys like Devon Witherspoon coming back from injury, they are a "buy" right now.
- Watch the Commanders' fumbles: Jayden Daniels and his backfield had a rainy mess in Maryland against the Bears. Three turnovers. If they don't clean up the exchange, they're going to slide.
- Rico Dowdle is a RB1: As long as Chuba Hubbard is out, Dowdle is the engine of that Carolina offense. 30 carries is "bell cow" status.
The AFC East is wide open. The Bills look shaky, the Jets are winless, and the Patriots just ground out a win against the Saints. If you thought you knew how this season was going to go, week 6 just proved you didn't.
Check the injury reports on Wednesday. Specifically, keep an eye on Lamar Jackson’s hamstring and CeeDee Lamb’s ankle. Those two players alone change the entire betting landscape for next week. If they’re out again, the underdogs are going to keep barking.