Deadspin | Week 6 NFL Capsules

Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4) at Chicago Bears (3-2) in London, 9:30 a.m. ET

A two-week installment in London awaits the Jaguars following their first win of the season, which was also QB Trevor Lawrence’s first victory in 10 starts. The former No. 1 pick said he’s “comfortable” in England, where he led Jacksonville to a 2-0 record last season. The Bears introduce rookie No. 1 pick Caleb Williams to an international audience at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with a chance to stretch their winning streak to three games. Chicago hasn’t won three in a row since 2020, when Mitchell Trubisky, Allen Robinson II and David Montgomery played key roles in the Bears capping a three-game run by beating the Jaguars. The Bears have won three of the past four matchups with Jacksonville and are in a rush to establish two things offensively: the running game and a comfortable tempo for Williams. He’s been successful in no-huddle situations where defensive substitutions are strained or limited, and more prone to pitching the ball out to RB D’Andre Swift. The Jaguars can get to the quarterback. Chicago’s offensive line isn’t 100 percent and accounting for DE Josh Hines-Allen, who had 3.0 sacks and two forced fumbles in Jacksonville’s pair of London games in 2023, is a high priority.

Washington Commanders (4-1) at Baltimore Ravens (3-2), 1 p.m. ET

Resuscitated since an 0-2 start, the Ravens draw a regional rival playing with renewed confidence under coach Dan Quinn, thanks to the early success of rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and a familiar offensive game plan. The Commanders are the first team since the 49ers in 1954 to score three rushing touchdowns four times in the first five games; the Ravens lead the NFL with 1,056 rushing yards. Commanders QB Jayden Daniels and Washington are No. 2 in the NFL in rushing with the Heisman Trophy-winner playing a massive role. He has 1,135 passing yards and 300 rushing yards — the most rushing yards by a quarterback in his first five career games in the Super Bowl era — and became the first player in NFL history with at least 1,000 passing yards and 250 rushing yards in his first five career games in leading Washington to a win over the Browns last week. The Commanders last started a season 4-1 in 2008; they finished 8-8. Baltimore escaped Cincinnati with an overtime win last week but nearly buckled to submission defensively. The Ravens have allowed at least 25 points in four of five games this season. They’ve allowed 14 touchdowns in five games after surrendering 24 offensive TDs in 17 games in 2023.

Arizona Cardinals (2-3) at Green Bay Packers (3-2), 1 p.m. ET

A revolving door of go-to receivers turned up a new name for Packers QB Jordan Love last week: TE Tucker Kraft. With Romeo Doubs serving a one-game suspension and Christian Watson on injured reserve, Kraft posted a career-high 88 yards with two TDs. Head coach Matt LaFleur loves the balance and said the Packers push the ball to all levels of the field to keep defenses guessing. Even with Doubs back, Kraft and emerging WR Dontayvion Wicks are expected to remain in the mix as Love looks for his 12th game in his past 13 starts with multiple TD passes. Arizona can win back-to-back road games if the Cardinals leave Lambeau Field with a win as they did last week at San Francisco. S Budda Baker had another double-digit tackle game for the Cardinals and leads defensive backs in tackles in 2024. Packers newcomer Xavier McKinney has been a top playmaker for Green Bay with five interceptions. The free agent signee from the Giants is the fourth player since 1970 with a takeaway in each of his team’s first five games of the season and one of four players since 1990 with an INT in six straight games. He’ll be challenged by Cardinals QB Kyler Murray, who had two TD passes and a season-best 83 rushing yards and another score last week.

Houston Texans (4-1) at New England Patriots (1-4), 1 p.m. ET

Drake Maye, the No. 3 pick in the 2024 draft, takes over at quarterback in his first start of the season as the Patriots try to scratch out more offense than they could muster with Jacoby Brissett under center. The Patriots have five touchdowns in five games in 2024. That was when Brissett could count on a running game; Rhamondre Stevenson (foot) has yet to practice this week. Maye will operate an offense without a defined lead receiver, behind an offensive line allowing nearly four sacks per game, against the NFL’s leading defense in QB pressures. The Texans relentlessly attacked Bills QB Josh Allen last week, prompting a 9-for-30 performance at Houston. QB C.J. Stroud could have the benefit of his No. 1 running back returning. Joe Mixon (ankle) hasn’t played since Week 1 and is on schedule to play just as the Texans placed No. 1 wide receiver Nico Collins on IR with a hamstring injury. Depth exists at the position, where the Texans can slide Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell into bigger roles. Stroud hasn’t thrown an interception in three consecutive road starts. He’s third in the NFL with 1,385 pass yards in 2024.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2) at New Orleans Saints (2-3), 1 p.m. ET

Spencer Rattler steps into the QB spot for the Saints with Derek Carr (oblique) hurt, marking only the second rookie starter at the position for New Orleans since 2000. Tasked with helping snap a three-game skid, Rattler shares the backfield with RB Alvin Kamara, who is tied for second in the NFL with 602 yards from scrimmage. Kamara is no stranger to big games against the Buccaneers and averages more than 100 total yards with eight total TDs in his six home games against Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers have been in town since Tuesday, vacating Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton, and won three of the past four meetings in the series. New Orleans enters on a short week after losing to the Chiefs on Monday night. The Bucs have had extra time to rest and prepare for this contest because their last game, a 36-30 overtime loss at Atlanta, occurred Oct. 3. Tampa Bay had a season-high 160 rushing yards in the game. The Bucs had a 24-17 halftime lead but got outscored 19-6 the rest of the way against the Falcons.

Cleveland Browns (1-4) at Philadelphia Eagles (2-2), 1 p.m. ET

Fourth-year coach Nick Sirianni looks to improve to 4-0 after a bye week with the Eagles, who alternated wins and losses in September. Since losing six of their last seven games in last season’s collapse, Philadelphia has yet to get back on track. The Eagles are just 13-10 (including the postseason) since Sirianni and Jalen Hurts won the NFC Championship Game in their second season together in 2022. Hurts turned the ball over 28 times in those 23 games, including seven times (four interceptions, three fumbles) already this season. Asked about the New York Jets’ firing this week of head coach Robert Saleh, Sirianni said he isn’t listening to the outside noise about his own job security. The Browns are riding a three-game losing streak and playing their third consecutive road game. The teams are meeting for the first time since 2020, a 22-17 home win by the Browns in head coach Kevin Stefanski’s first season in Cleveland. Stefanski is sticking with struggling signal-caller Deshaun Watson, who has more interceptions (12) than wins (nine) since the Browns gambled $230 million on a player who made three straight Pro Bowls with the Houston Texans from 2018-20. Injuries on the offensive line has meant Watson is under constant pressure. He has been sacked more times (26) than any other quarterback in the NFL. The Washington Commanders got him seven times in last weekend’s 34-13 romp.

Indianapolis Colts (2-3) at Tennessee Titans (1-3), 1 p.m. ET

Anthony Richardson (hip) is ready to jump back into the captain’s seat for the Colts, who lost at Jacksonville last week, and the Titans are likely to have Will Levis (shoulder) back in a meeting of AFC South teams trying to keep pace with the Houston Texans (4-1). Tennessee is coming off its bye week after giving first-year coach Brian Callahan his first win with a 31-12 victory at the Miami Dolphins on “Monday Night Football” Sept. 30, a game Levis exited in the first quarter. Like Richardson, running back Jonathan Taylor (ankle) didn’t play at Jacksonville and top receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (back) is hurt. He has 22 receptions for 238 yards and one touchdown in five games this season. Richardson’s playmaking skills might be needed based on the recent performance on the Colts’ defense. Whether Indianapolis’ defense can offer any resistance remains to be seen. The Colts rank last in total defense (419.2 yards allowed per game), next-to-last against the run (157.0 yards per game) and 29th of 32 teams against the pass (262.2 yards per game). Jacksonville carved Indianapolis up for 497 total yards last week, including 371 through the air.

Los Angeles Chargers (2-2) at Denver Broncos (3-2), 4:05 p.m. ET

Los Angeles managed 16 total points in a pair of defeats against Denver last season, part of the reason the Chargers are under new management in 2024. New boss Jim Harbaugh steers a rested bunch into Week 6 following a bye week, wary of a battle plan from the Broncos that looks eerily familiar. Denver enjoyed home cooking last week, when the Broncos snapped an eight-game losing streak to the Raiders. The Broncos put up 34 points, their highest output in a game since beating the Lions 38-10 on Dec. 12, 2021, with a backfield of Teddy Bridgewater and Melvin Gordon. Defense is the common denominator in this AFC West contest. The Broncos have allowed 11.8 points per game since a Week 1 loss at Seattle and are tied for second in the NFL in scoring defense behind the Chargers’ NFL-leading 12.5 opponent points per game. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert welcomed the early bye week. He played through a high ankle sprain in consecutive losses before the Week 5 break as the Chargers reset in the midst of a stretch with two touchdowns in the past 10 quarters. The Steelers and Chiefs took away the running game that put up 395 yards to carry the offense during a 2-0 start. Production declined to 116 total yards in the defeats to Pittsburgh and Kansas City.

Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2) at Las Vegas Raiders (2-3), 4:05 p.m. ET

With WR Davante Adams expected to miss another game, the Raiders are switching it up at quarterback. Aidan O’Connell replaces Gardner Minshew; O’Connell has led the Raiders to a 4-2 record with eight touchdowns and two picks in six career starts at home. Minshew had two costly interceptions last week, including a 100-yard pick-6 by Patrick Surtain II at Denver. The Steelers dropped a second consecutive game since starting 3-0. Russell Wilson (calf) still hasn’t played, but Justin Fields has a career-best 97.1 passer rating in his first season in Pittsburgh. He has passed for 961 yards, five touchdowns and one interception, and he has rushed for 172 yards and three scores. Najee Harris is the Steelers’ top running back with 270 yards but only 3.3 yards per carry. George Pickens leads the team’s receivers with 23 catches for 310 yards. The Steelers’ T.J. Watt has 4.5 sacks in five games this season after tallying 19 sacks in 17 games last year. Watt surpassed 100 career sacks last week against the Cowboys. Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby can also change the game on defense. Crosby has five sacks in four games after notching 14.5 in 2023.

Atlanta Falcons (3-2) at Carolina Panthers (1-4), 4:25 p.m. ET

Atlanta hasn’t played since winning 36-30 in overtime against the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct. 3. The quest to show gains continues because margins have been tight. The Panthers have lost two games in a row, falling to 1-2 since Andy Dalton became the starting quarterback. Most recently, Carolina was decked in a 36-10 loss to the Bears and rookie QB Caleb Williams. Other than winning on the road against the Raiders on Sept. 22 and producing some good stretches against the Bengals the next week, the Panthers haven’t held up well. Carolina tries to slow Kirk Cousins, who has given the Falcons stability at quarterback. Cousins threw for a franchise-record 509 yards in the win over the Buccaneers. Drake London has caught 32 passes from Cousins, with three going for touchdowns. The Falcons lead the series with Carolina by 36-22, including 15-14 on the road. The teams split last year, with Atlanta taking the season opener at home 24-10 before the Panthers responded with a 9-7 home victory in December.

Detroit Lions (3-1) at Dallas Cowboys (3-2), 4:25 p.m. ET

Dallas has won five consecutive games against the Lions, none more controversial than the 20-19 victory at AT&T Stadium in 2023 when Detroit’s go-ahead two-point conversion pass to lineman Taylor Decker in the closing seconds was deemed to be an ineligible receiver infraction. The Dec. 30 defeat jostled the wild-card pecking order and clinched Dallas a home playoff game — which it promptly lost to the Green Bay Packers. The Cowboys are still looking for their first home win of the season but will need to find a way to do it without multiple key players available due to injury. Dak Prescott threw for 352 yards against the Steelers on Sunday night but he didn’t rely on his top receiver, All-Pro CeeDee Lamb. Jalen Tolbert led the receiving corps with seven receptions for 87 yards and the game-winning touchdown with 20 seconds left in regulation. Rico Dowdle sparked the running game with 87 yards on 20 carries. Lions QB Jared Goff completed all 18 of his pass attempts and Detroit beat the Seattle Seahawks before enjoying a bye during Week 5. The dynamic running game featuring Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery has the Cowboys concerned about getting their decimated defense off the field.

Cincinnati Bengals (1-4) at New York Giants (2-3), 8:20 p.m. ET

Bengals QB Joe Burrow set season highs in completions (30), completion percentage (76.9), passing yards (392), TDs (five) and passer rating (137) last week — then said Cincinnati can’t expect to compete for a championship. That’s because the Ravens scored last to win a 41-38 shootout. Whether the Giants can produce enough firepower to stay with the Bengals remains to be seen, but New York scored a significant win at Seattle last week. The Giants had a season-best 420 total yards against the Seahawks in a breakout game for rookie Tyrone Tracy (129 yards) with first-rounder Malik Nabers (concussion) and Devin Singletary (groin) out. Tracy could be prominent once more with Singletary not yet 100 percent and Nabers ruled out. The Bengals are finding ways to fumble away wins. Burrow threw a late interception in regulation and the special teams failed in overtime when holder Ryan Rehkow bobbled the snap on a potential 53-yard game-winning field goal. But the defense is lagging with losses in games in which the Bengals scored 38, 33 and 25 points this season. Cincinnati’s offense is fourth in points per game and has 16 total TDs. The Cincinnati defense is 31st in points allowed and has allowed 17 TDs.

–Field Level Media