2024 NFL Season: 5 key statistics for Week 6 that you must know

For the second consecutive week, there are only 14 games on the NFL schedule. The unbeaten Chiefs and Vikings are off, as are the 2-3 Dolphins and the 1-4 Rams. There’s a rematch of one of the wildest games of the 2023 season, once again in Dallas, while the top two scoring teams in the league clash in Baltimore.

There will also be a few quarterbacks making their first start this week, including the third overall pick in April’s draft.

5

This offseason, the Green Bay Packers pried safety Xavier McKinney away from the New York Giants. That prying involved signing the former University of Alabama standout to a four-year, $67 million deal. It’s safe to say that the five-year pro has been worth the money to date.

McKinney has started all five games for head coach Matt LaFleur and defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. He’s picked off one pass in each of those contests. He also came up with a fumble recovery in Sunday’s victory over the Rams, giving him six takeaways in 2024. His five interceptions this season ties his career high set with the Giants back in 2021.

4

It’s been quite the impressive start for the NFC North this season. The Minnesota Vikings (5-0), Detroit Lions (3-1), Chicago Bears (3-2) and Green Bay Packers (3-2) have combined for a 14-5 win-loss record. It is also the only division in which all four clubs are above the .500 mark this season.

Of course, there’s a long way to go before this quartet manages to do what the AFC North accomplished in 2023. The Ravens (13-4), Browns (11-6), Steelers (10-7) and Bengals (9-8) all came away with winning records, and Baltimore, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh reached the playoffs. Kevin O’Connell’s unbeaten club is off this week.

6

In the first four weeks of NFL 2024, there was only one contest in which both clubs reached the 30-point mark. That was Washington’s wild 38-33 Monday night win at Cincinnati in Week 3. That changed in a big way in Week 5, when there were three games in which each team scored at least 30 points.

The Falcons beat the Buccaneers in overtime, 36-30, on Thursday night. On Sunday, the Ravens outlasted the Bengals, 41-38, also in overtime. The Jacksonville Jaguars held off the Indianapolis Colts, 38-34. There have been 32 instances of a team scoring 30-plus points in a game in ‘24, and those clubs own a 28-4 win-loss mark.

16

There have already been 26 interconference games this season, and there are four more meetings between AFC and NFC teams this week. That’s highlighted by that Commanders/Ravens clash at Baltimore on Sunday. It’s still obviously very early, but the NFC owns a six-game lead (16-10) in these standings this year.

The Seahawks (3-0), Commanders (2-0), Vikings (2-0), Packers (2-0), and 49ers (2-0) are all unbeaten in interconference action, and have combined for 11 of those 16 wins. Last season, the AFC actually prevailed in the season’s series (46-34). Is the NFC on its way to flipping the script in 2024. Stay tuned.

22

Last season, only three teams in the league totaled fewer sacks than the New York Giants (34). That fact made it somewhat amazing that Brian Daboll’s team (6-11 in 2023) actually tied the Baltimore Ravens for the most takeaways in the league (31).

Five games into 2024, Big Blue has made life a lot more difficult for opposing quarterbacks. Seven of those QB traps came in last Sunday’s upset for the NFC West-leading Seahawks at Seattle. It was also the third time in five games this season that the Giants totaled at least five sacks. In 2023, Brian Daboll’s club amassed at least five quarterback traps just twice in 17 contests.