NFL: Vikings Rise & Broncos Fall
The sixth full weekend of the NFL season is done with and as we've done every week so far this season, two writers - Charles Post and Caleb Henderson - have a fresh new set of rankings. The Minnesota Vikings are back in the top-10 following a win over the Green Bay Packers and the Denver Broncos are on a downfall after losing to the previously winless New York Giants.
1. Kansas City Chiefs (5-1, +0): The Chiefs are no longer undefeated after losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but they're still clearly one of - if not the - best teams in the league. The offense looked sluggish against the Steelers and that was bound to happen at some point. It won't become concerning unless it happens multiple weeks in a row. QB Alex Smith is still a potential MVP candidate and RB Kareem Hunt is the Rookie of the Year frontrunner right now as he is still leading the league in rushing yards. The Chiefs will play their rival, the Oakland Raiders on Thursday Night Football this week.
Team MVP: Kareem Hunt (RB) - 630 Yards & 4 TDs.
2. Philadelphia Eagles (5-1, +1): The Eagles are surging after not even being in our top-10 four weeks ago, they're now all the way up to second. They are tied for the best record in the entire NFL, and their lone loss is to the only team ahead of them, the Chiefs. Philly took down the Carolina Panthers last week in a game that really showed just how good this team can be when everything is clicking. QB Carson Wentz has been astonishing this season and if all goes well, he'll get the Eagles back to the playoffs. They get the Washington Redskins on Monday Night Football in Week 7.
Team MVP: Carson Wentz (QB) - 1,584 Yards & 13 TDs.
3. Carolina Panthers (4-2, -1): The Panthers took a small step in the wrong direction, losing to the Eagles, following a nice win over the Detroit Lions on the road. But with the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing as well, the only team that gained ground on them in the division was the New Orleans Saints. QB Cam Newton struggled to take care of the ball against Philly, throwing three interceptions, but he'll have a chance to right the ship this coming week against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.
Team MVP: Cam Newton (QB) - 1,476 Yards & 9 TDs.
4. New England Patriots (4-2, +3): The Patriots are still showing signs of poor play, even in victories. They had just enough to take down the New York Jets, but they're still far from where we thought they'd be at this point. It seems now that the 16-0 talk is a foolish distant memory. QB Tom Brady is nearing the 2,000-yard mark, as he is leading the league in passing yards, but when your defense can't even stop the Jets consistently, you're going to be in trouble come the playoffs. And this week is a big test for the Pats as they host the team they beat in the Super Bowl, the Atlanta Falcons, on Sunday Night Football.
Team MVP: Tom Brady (QB) - 1,959 Yards & 13 TDs.
5. Minnesota Vikings (4-2, +12): The Vikings are without QB Teddy Bridgewater, QB Sam Bradford, and RB Dalvin Cook, and yet they're tied for first place in the NFC North and would be in the playoffs if the season ended today. Minnesota's coaching staff and defense has done a great job through six games. After defeating the Green Bay Packers this past weekend, where LB Anthony Barr took out QB Aaron Rodgers, the Vikings' hopes for a division title get even more possible. We'll see how long Rodgers is out, though, hopefully not for an extended period of time. Meanwhile, the Vikings host the Baltimore Ravens in Week 7.
Team MVP: Case Keenum (QB) - 1,134 Yards & 5 TDs.
6. Los Angeles Rams (4-2, +7): The Rams got back on track after losing to the Seattle Seahawks, they defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road. QB Jared Goff has been one of many surprises so far this season, and he's looking like a top-15 quarterback in the league. After several top-10 teams lost last week (Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers, and Detroit Lions), it made room for the Rams to climb seven slots. They'll have the Arizona Cardinals coming to town this week, looking to improve to 5-2.
Team MVP: Jared Goff (QB) - 1,484 Yards & 8 TDs.
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2, +5): The Steelers have been one of the most inconsistent teams, but when they play their best ball, it's extremely difficult to slow them down. And they proved that with a great defensive showing against the Chiefs on Sunday. QB Ben Roethlisberger hasn't played up to his usual capacity, but if RB Le'Veon Bell can push it up one more notch, then they should be fine. It's their division to lose, given the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, and Cleveland Browns have a combined record of 5-12. The Bengals are up next.
Team MVP: Ben Roethlisberger (QB) - 1,521 Yards & 7 TDs.
8. Green Bay Packers (4-2, -2): The Packers are in serious trouble if Rodgers is out for more than five weeks because if so, their streak of nine consecutive playoff appearances is likely finished. QB Brett Hundley is a capable back-up and was special in college at UCLA, but he has zero career starts. And in one of the best divisions in the game, with the Vikings and Lions on their trail, it'd be tough to overcome such a big injury. This week will tell us a lot since the Saints are riding high and will serve as a litmus test for the Packers.
Team MVP: Aaron Rodgers (QB) - 1,385 Yards & 13 TDs.
9. Washington Redskins (3-2, +1): The Redskins' offense is playing at a high level, unfortunately, the defense can't say the same. QB Kirk Cousins and WR Terrelle Pryor are clicking on all cylinders, and that was obvious when they were up 17-0 on the San Francisco 49ers. But then the defense let the Niners back in the game and they even had a shot to win it down the wire. Washington escaped, though, but a performance like that won't be good enough to upset the Eagles this week. They'll have to improve, especially since it's in Philadelphia.
Team MVP: Kirk Cousins (QB) - 1,334 Yards & 9 TDs.
10. Denver Broncos (3-2, -6): The Broncos relaxed agains the Giants. They figured that a team that stood at 0-5 without star WR Odell Beckham Jr. and WR Brandon Marshall, wouldn't be able to compete. But instead, the Giants played (by far) their best game of the campaign, and earned their first victory. It was a bad showing for the Broncos all around, and it was with an opportunity to gain more ground on the Chiefs. In Week 7, Denver will travel to Los Angeles to play the Chargers.
Team MVP: C.J. Anderson (RB) - 347 Yards & 1 TD.
Week 1 Top-10 - Dallas Cowboys.
Week 2 Top-10 - Kansas City Chiefs.
Week 3 Top-10 - Kansas City Chiefs.
Week 4 Top-10 - Kansas City Chiefs.
Week 5 Top-10 - Kansas City Chiefs.
Player of the Week:
W1 - Kareem Hunt (Kansas City Chiefs) - 148 Yards, 1 TD, 42-27 win vs. Patriots.
W2 - Tom Brady (New England Patriots) - 447 Yards, 3 TDs, 36-20 win vs. Saints.
W3 - Jared Goff (Los Angeles Rams) - 292 Yards, 3 TDs, 41-39 win vs. 49ers.
W4 - Deshaun Watson (Houston Texans) - 283 Yards, 4 TDs, 57-14 win vs. Titans.
W5 - Carson Wentz (Philadelphia Eagles) - 304 Yards, 4 TDs, 34-7 win vs. Cardinals.
W6 - Deshaun Watson (Houston Texans) - 225 Yards, 3 TDs, 33-17 win vs. Browns.
Photo Credit: Houston Chronicle & NBC.
