If there was one thing that dominated week five of the NFL, it was the kickers. They missed an NFL record 13 PATs – yes, 13. You would think this would be an easy thing for them to do seeing as it is their job, but apparently not. To make matters even more bizarre, the Bengals and Packers combined for six missed field goals in an overtime extravaganza that no one seemed interested in winning, although the Packers ultimately prevailed. It was the worst week ever for kickers, and hopefully it doesn’t continue. Moving on, here are the top three games of week six in the NFL.
Los Angeles Chargers at Baltimore Ravens
This is a matchup of two of the top three teams in the AFC. The Bills, Chargers, and Ravens are at the top of the class and now we get the battle between two of them. The Chargers keep finding ways to win late, which isn’t very Charger-like historically. Justin Herbert and Lamar Jackson have the MVP race in their hot hands now. This could be one of the top new QB battles that we see in the league for years to come and that is fine by me. Neither team has particularly stood out on defense so we should see lots of points and a whole lot of exciting plays. In a game like this, it is tough to go against experienced coaching and a home field advantage. Prediction: Ravens
Arizona Cardinals vs Cleveland Browns
The Cardinals remain the lone undefeated team in the National Football League through five weeks. Not only is Kyler Murray playing at a very high level right now, but their defense has really shown improvement over the last few weeks. This past game against the Niners was a real masterclass as they allowed just 10 points. The Browns have a potent offense though and Arizona is not that great against the run. The Browns have been using Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt to perfection and they will need to go all out if they plan on winning this game. I don’t think the Cards can keep their unbeaten record for long, mostly because of coaching, and the Dog Pound should make this quite the hostile environment. I think AZ is the most fun team to watch in the league right now, but a loss is brewing. Prediction: Browns
Las Vegas Raiders at Denver Broncos
The Raiders have been in the news this past week for all the wrong reasons. Just two weeks ago, Vegas was undefeated with visions of the playoffs dancing in their heads. Fast forward to today and they have lost two straight games, are without a head coach, and in the spotlight of the sports world in a very negative way. I am interested in this game because it’s a division game between two teams that are spiraling, as the Broncos have lost two in a row as well. It will be a massive test for the Raiders. Can they pull out a big win against a Broncos team that is playing with one of the top defenses in the league inside a stadium that wreaks havoc for opponents? It will be interesting at the very least. Prediction: Broncos