How will the NFL regular season play out in Week 6 after a wild Week 5? We have some bold predictions for this slate of games, including a Jaguars win.
After a wild week of NFL action in Week 5, it’s time for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles to kick off Week 6 on Thursday Night Football.
At the conclusion of this week of games, we’ll officially be one-third of the way done with the 2021 NFL season. Time flies when you’re having fun.
A handful of teams are on a bye in week six but there are a handful of marquee matchups and plenty of opportunities for home teams to play…spoiler? Let’s take a look around the league and make some bold predictions ahead of NFL Week 6 action.
15. Buccaneers QB Tom Brady still throws 4 TDs with his injured thumb in NFL Week 6
Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady may have some “discomfort” with his thumb, but my bold prediction for the start of Week 6 is that he’s going to GOAT through the discomfort and still throw four touchdown passes against a weak Eagles secondary.
Or are they? The Eagles have the third-best pass defense in the NFL in terms of yards allowed, but they have given up a couple of touchdowns per game.
The Eagles gave up over 300 yards through the air against the opponents that made sense — Dallas and Kansas City — and I think that’s going to happen again against Brady.
Brady already has three games this season with four or more touchdown passes included two already with five touchdowns.
14. Eagles WR DeVonta Smith has 150 receiving yards vs. Bucs in NFL Week 6
In the last couple of weeks, Eagles rookie DeVonta Smith has been ramping it up in a big way.
He has 14 receptions for 199 yards over the last two weeks, and now he’s facing off against a Buccaneers pass defense that ranks 32nd in the NFL.
It’s time for DeVonta Smith to feast for a 150-yard game in prime time, even if it comes in an Eagles loss.
13. Trevor Lawrence leads Jags to win no. 1 in 2021 NFL season
The Jacksonville Jaguars are one of the most dysfunctional teams in the NFL right now, but they have Trevor Lawrence.
At some point, simply the presence of Lawrence and his natural progression over the course of the year is going to likely account for a win or two.
The Jaguars have a “home” game in London this weekend against the Miami Dolphins, who have completely regressed from the team we saw last season.
The Jags get win number one in London this weekend.
12. Panthers QB Sam Darnold goes off for 4 TDs vs. Vikings in NFL Week 6
Sam Darnold has, unfortunately, been on a bit of a tear…in the interception department.
In the last two games, he has five interceptions and has also been sacked eight times.
Against the Minnesota Vikings, Darnold will get off the interception train and jump back on the TD train with arguably the best performance of his career as the Panthers continue to establish themselves as a legit threat in the NFC South.
11. Chargers QB Justin Herbert outduels Lamar Jackson in NFL MVP battle
The Los Angeles Chargers and MVP candidate Justin Herbert head to Baltimore this week to take on MVP candidate Lamar Jackson.
Right now, there aren’t two individual players in the entire NFL playing better than Herbert and Jackson. Unfortunately, this game is being played in the 12:00 window when everyone likes to watch the Red Zone channel.
There should be plenty of scoring in this one, plenty of incredible action on both sides, but I think this is a week where the Ravens’ luck runs out a bit. The Chargers have been white-hot other than a loss to the Dallas Cowboys, who look like legit contenders in the NFC.
The Ravens have had some close calls they’ve been able to win thanks to Lamar, but their luck runs out this week against Herbert and the Chargers.
10. Giants WR Kadarius Toney racks up 200 yards of offense
Over the last two weeks, Giants rookie Kadarius Toney has 275 total yards of offense and has been one of the most heavily targeted receivers in the league.
With Saquon Barkley and Kenny Golladay going down with some injuries in Week 5, it could be the Kadarius Toney show in Week 6.
This bold prediction hinges potentially on Daniel Jones being healthy but right now, he’s in concussion protocol.
Even if it’s Mike Glennon in Week 6, Toney should be featured this weekend.
9. Josh Gordon has a multi-TD game for Chiefs in NFL Week 6
The Kansas City Chiefs are fixing to get their money’s worth out of Josh Gordon.
After signing the oft-suspended receiver to the practice squad, Gordon was elevated to the active roster for the team’s loss against the Buffalo Bills and had one reception for 11 yards.
Against the Washington Football Team, I’m predicting the Chiefs will get Gordon going and he’ll have a multi-touchdown game, his first since the 2013 season.
8. Colts RB Jonathan Taylor goes for 200 all-purpose yards
Against the Houston Texans, I think the Indianapolis Colts will be all about ball control and dominating time of possession, and if they can get off to an early lead in this game, it should be the Jonathan Taylor show.
Taylor had over 100 yards rushing in week four and over 100 yards receiving in week five.
This week against the Houston Texans, Taylor is going to go off for over 200 all-purpose yards, maybe 150 rushing and 50 receiving or something like that.
Houston’s run defense ranks 26th in the league early this season.
7. Chicago Bears sack Aaron Rodgers five times
The Chicago Bears’ pass rush has been the best in the NFL this season when it comes to getting home for sacks on the quarterback.
They are averaging 3.6 sacks per game this season, 4.0 sacks on average in their last three games, and 4.5 sacks at home.
In five games, Aaron Rodgers has been sacked just 10 times total, but in a couple of games he has been sacked three times (vs. Steelers and Lions).
Can the Bears keep up with their average in home games this year, even exceeding it a bit, and sack Rodgers five times? These are bold predictions, we have no choice but to go big or go home.
6. Lions EDGE Charles Harris continues breakout season in NFL Week 6
Former Miami Dolphins first-round pick Charles Harris is having a breakout season with the Detroit Lions in 2021, one of the lone bright spots on that roster so far this year.
Harris has one sack in each of the four games he has played this season, but he’s not just getting home for sacks. He has three tackles for loss, six QB hits, and 12 total pressures in four games.
Four sacks and 12 pressures represent career highs already for Harris, who will continue his breakout season in Week 6 of the NFL season against the Cincinnati Bengals, who have allowed Joe Burrow to be sacked 14 times this season and hit another 12.
5. Browns go -3 in turnover differential vs. Cardinals…and win
The Cleveland Browns are a team that seems to have a lot of room for error right now.
Unfortunately against the Chargers, they didn’t have quite enough room for error.
Against the undefeated Arizona Cardinals, I’m expecting some weird stuff to happen. It’s not bold to just predict the Browns to win the game, so how about predicting them to win with a minus-three turnover differential?
Maybe both Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray struggle against good defenses, but the Browns’ ground game finds a way to get it done in the end.
4. Cowboys hang 50 on the Patriots in NFL Week 6
As good as the Dallas Cowboys have been on offense so far this season, they haven’t scored 50 points in one of their five games.
I mean, what’s wrong with those guys?
The Cowboys are already averaging 34 points per game and they are second in the NFL with 12 turnovers forced.
Even though there is a certain mystique about going into New England, how about the Cowboys hanging a 50-burger on Bill Belichick and the Patriots this week?
The Patriots’ season-high of points allowed so far is just 28 to the New Orleans Saints and they currently have a top-five scoring defense. The Pats defense impressed, giving up just 19 points to the Buccaneers, but otherwise, they haven’t played any juggernaut offenses like the Cowboys.
Dallas’ offense continues to play well, and the defense gets a score or two against rookie QB Mac Jones.
3. Denver Broncos have two 100-yard rushers vs. Raiders in NFL Week 6
How will the resignation of Jon Gruden affect the Las Vegas Raiders?
As the team’s play-caller and obvious leader, it will be interesting to find out.
The Raiders head into Denver this week to take on a Denver Broncos team that has lost two straight games.
Las Vegas is giving up 4.6 yards per carry, ranking them 27th in the NFL. The Denver Broncos boast a talented two-headed beast at running back in veteran Melvin Gordon and rookie Javonte Williams, who as fate would have it are averaging a collective 4.6 yards per carry this season.
Williams and Gordon will go off for 100-yards each vs. the Raiders this week.
2. Steelers defense gets at least 12 hits on Geno Smith
The Pittsburgh Steelers have 25 QB hits as a team so far this season. Getting 12 hits in one game on a quarterback would increase their season total by nearly 50 percent, but it’s possible.
With Russell Wilson on the mend, Geno Smith is going to be under center for the Seahawks as they make the trip out east to face off against TJ Watt and the Steelers.
The Steelers are not going to let Smith get comfortable back there and I think we see a ton of hits on the former second-round pick out of West Virginia.
1. Buffalo Bills have six different players score TDs vs. Titans
The Buffalo Bills are the best team in the NFL through five weeks.
There is no more disputing it, and for Arizona Cardinals fans, you hate to see it.
With all due respect to the Cardinals’ 5-0 start this season, Buffalo is the number one scoring team offensively in the NFL through five games, and they are also the number one scoring defense.
They laid an egg week one against the Steelers, somehow, but they have been an unstoppable force since then.
Even going up against Derrick Henry and the Titans, I think the Bills are going to continue to roll in Week 6 of NFL action.
Buffalo has done a tremendous job of spreading the ball around, in general, this season, but against the Titans, we’re going to see almost the entire core of offensive weaponry find the end zone.
Dawson Knox has five touchdowns this season. Emmanuel Sanders has four. Zack Moss has four. Josh Allen has a pair of rushing touchdowns. Heck, even Mitch Trubisky is on the board this year.
The Bills have so many talented players that can destroy defenses each week, and against the Titans, we’re going to see a wide variety doing touchdown celebrations.