Monday Morning QB: Observations from Week 6
Stakes Content Team

10/17/2023

Happy Tuesday, folks! We’re a day behind, but Week 6 of the NFL season is in the books, and we’ve got some rapid reactions to catch you up on all the action from Sunday — and last night, of course. Here’s a question and a comment about all 30 teams this week:

 

• Arizona Cardinals: Will Kyler Murray play this year? The Cardinals are in the thick of the Caleb Williams hunt, and if they’re in a position to secure the top pick, we might have already seen his last down for the Cardinals.

 

• Atlanta Falcons: How can they get Bijan Robinson more involved? The rookie is almost evenly splitting carries with Tyler Allgeier, and they need to find a way to have a threatening enough passing game to open up space for him.

 

• Baltimore Ravens: When will the offense click, part two? Lamar Jackson (223 YDS, TD, INT) was once again okay, but Justin Tucker can’t kick six field goals every single time.

 

• Buffalo Bills: Can they PLEASE get Stefon Diggs some help? Gabe Davis and his boom-or-bust tendencies make for a shaky number two, Dalton Kincaid has disappointed, and more offensive performances like Sunday’s will lead to losses against teams that aren’t the Giants.

 

• Carolina Panthers: Is the Adam Thielen renaissance (40 REC, 443 YDS last four games) for real? They’ve gotta have something to feel good about, because being rewarded with a top pick for a terrible season ain’t in the cards.

 

• Chicago Bears: Have we seen the last of Justin Fields in a Bears uniform? If the signal-caller requires season-ending surgery for a dislocated thumb on Sunday, all focus for the 1-5 Bears will likely turn to Caleb Williams.

 

• Cincinnati Bengals: Is Joe Mixon (12 CAR, 38 YDS) washed? His yards per touch and touches per game are at their lowest level in years, and the Bengals offense looks significantly less potent than it has in recent years.

 

• Cleveland Browns: Is Deshaun Watson’s contract on track to be the worst in NFL history? The length of the QB’s absence still remains to be seen, and they’re not getting out from under his guaranteed money any time soon.

 

• Dallas Cowboys: Will they go anywhere in January if Dak isn’t a top QB? The veteran looked better on Monday night (272 YDS, TD), but the league-leading passer of 2019-21 might be a thing of the past.

 

• Denver Broncos: Is Russell Wilson auditioning for his 2024 team? Sean Payton is already throwing him under the bus, and at 1-5, lord knows they’re not playing for anything but a shot at Caleb, at this point.

 

• Detroit Lions: Are they, like, actual Super Bowl contenders? After holding the Bucs to six points on Sunday, it looks like their defense might finally be ready to step up and match their electric offense.

 

• Green Bay Packers: What does Jordan Love have to show the rest of the way to earn confidence for 2024? Coming off a bye, all eyes in Wisconsin will be on him to see if he can improve on his 2/6 TD/INT production the last three games.

 

• Houston Texans: Will the Dameon Pierce/Devin Singletary duo (96 YDS on 24 CAR) stay productive? If they can keep defenses off of C.J. Stroud just a little, he should keep playing well enough to have a wide open path to Rookie of the Year.

 

• Indianapolis Colts: What’s the plan with no Anthony Richardson? The AFC South is eminently winnable, but if their rookie QB is done for the year, they’ll have some interesting choices to make moving forward with Gardner Minshew at the helm.

 

• Jacksonville Jaguars: Can the offense still unlock a new level with Trevor Lawrence gaining steam? Their star QB is questionable this weekend, but after winning their second straight with a 37-point outburst against Indy, they’re in position to do some serious damage the rest of the way.

 

• Kansas City Chiefs: Does a win over the Chargers next weekend already put the AFC West on ice? It would be the quietest 6-1 start we’ve seen in quite some time, but give Patrick Mahomes more time to gel with this subpar supporting cast, and they’ll only be getting scarier.

 

• Las Vegas Raiders: Is this the worst team in the league with a chance to contend? It’s hard to see anyone making the playoffs with Brian Hoyer at the helm in 2023, but they’ve got the Bears, Giants, and Jets coming up, and could put themselves in position for a surprise playoff push.

 

• Los Angeles Chargers: Will Justin Herbert ever beat the “can’t win in crunch time” allegations? Few QBs look better when he’s at his best, and he was solid on Monday night, but man, the late-game INTs just keep piling up.

 

• Los Angeles Rams: Can their run game keep allowing Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua to thrive in soft coverage? Kyren Williams had been giving them their best rushing attack since Todd Gurley’s heyday, but he’s already been ruled out for next weekend.

 

• Miami Dolphins: Is Tyreek Hill a lock for the receiving record? He’s leading the league with an absurd 814 yards in six games, putting him on pace for nearly 2300 when all is said and done.

 

• Minnesota Vikings: What does Kirk Cousins look like without his favorite weapon? He’s been held to under 180 yards in two of the last three games, and it’s a wrap for this team if he’s not the same prolific passer as he’s been for most of the decade.

 

• New England Patriots: Just how bad are things going to get? They’ve scored fewer points in October than the Boston Red Sox, who played exactly one game before ending their season.

 

• New Orleans Saints: Can they discover the clutch gene? Their offense put up solid numbers against Houston, but a 6-for-117 performance on third and fourth downs limited them to 13 points against Houston.

 

• New York Giants: Is it worth thinking about a Saquon Barkley trade? He certainly won’t get a McCaffrey-level return, but they won’t be paying his premium next year, if this previous summer’s negotiations are any indicator.

 

• New York Jets: Can Zach Wilson game manage them to the postseason? He’s only got two TDs over his last four games, but also just one INT, and his supporting cast is good enough to win games when he avoids bad mistakes.

 

• Philadelphia Eagles: Is the Jalen Hurts regression train finally pulling into the station? After last Sunday’s three-INT performance, he’s already thrown more (7) than he did all of last year (6), his rushing numbers are down, and it’s only a matter of time until SOMEONE figures out how to stop the Tush Push.

 

• Pittsburgh Steelers: What adjustments will Mike Tomlin have coming out of the bye? With the league’s 30th-ranked offense, they’re lucky to be 3-2, and Tomlin will surely look to capitalize on their good fortune to steady the ship the rest of the way.

 

• San Francisco 49ers: Is this the moment of truth for Brock Purdy? The second-year QB looked lost without Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel on Sunday, but he’s probably earned the benefit of a few weeks space before we can judge harshly.

 

• Seattle Seahawks: Which defense is real — the one that allowed 58 points to the Lions and Panthers? Or the one that’s held the Giants and Bengals to 16 points? Geno Smith is good but won’t carry an offense, so this may be the question that defines their season.

 

• Tennessee Titans: Is it too late to enter the sweepstakes for Caleb Williams or Drake Maye? They were bad enough with a washed up Ryan Tannehill, but after suffering a high ankle sprain, they might be in even bigger trouble with Malik Willis, who doesn’t look like an NFL QB.

 

• Washington Commanders: Is Sam Howell good enough to steal a few wins during a second-half schedule gauntlet that includes the Eagles, Seahawks, Dolphins, Cowboys twice, and 49ers? Any shot at all of snagging a Wild Card spot will come down to that.

 

That’s all for now! Check back next week for all of the takes you need about Week 7’s action!

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