NFL Week 6 Preview - Early Games

Six weeks already? Does the season go this fast? I guess so when you're enjoying it...

Three intriguing games this week, Falcons v. Eagles, Ravens v. Patriots and Cowboys v. Vikings. Four teams are on byes this weekend: Arizona, Buffalo, Carolina and Cincinnati.

Let's look at the games...

Atlanta Falcons (4-1) v. Philadelphia Eagles (3-2)

Falcons: Not really sure how the Falcons are 4-1. Two squeakers. They beat New Orleans in OT after the Saints missed a last second FG to win. They defeated San Francisco with a last second FG. Matt Ryan is in the middle of the pack in QB rating. Michael Turner is fifth in the league in rushing, but he's only scored one rushing TD. Hmm... Must be the defense then.

Well, considering the Falcons only yield 14 points a game (2nd to Pittsburgh with 12.5), that can be the only logical answer. They also lead the NFL in interceptions with 10. A unit that's known for a "bend, but don't break" mentality is slightly turning into a really good unit.

Eagles: Could Michael Vick play? Depends on his ribs. If not, we'll see Kevin Kolb again. As of now, it will be Kolb according to the AP. And you wonder how the Eagles are averaging over 24 points a game? Most of that is due to Vick, but Kolb had an excellent game against the Niners last week. How about a 103.3 QB rating for the game? How about no picks? He did lose a fumble though, but that was the only blemish for Kolb.

The defense is still a question mark. After returning a fumble 52 yards to set the lead at 14, Niners QB Alex Smith led San Fran on two touchdown drives. Thankfully they Eagles D forced five turnovers or the result would have been a vastly different.

What to watch: Falcons QB Matt Ryan. The Eagles are stingy against the pass and after last week's five turnover game, ball security should be at a premium.

Network/Time/Announcers: FOX/1 PM ET/Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa

Cleveland Browns (1-4) v. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1)

Browns: Seriously? Colt McCoy has been taking snaps with the first team all week. Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace are listed as doubtful. Brett Ratliff was brought back. McCoy's really gonna start, isn't he? That should create a lump in the rook's throat. Your first start against the best defense in the NFL. Thanks, coach Mangini. Thanks, Mr. Holmgren.

The Browns may get a break here. It is Ben Roethlisberger's return and despite having an extra week, there will be rust. And the Browns, also rans in defense in 2009, are a markedly better so far in 2010. Just gotta stop the run and make Ben neat you.

Steelers: The Steelers want this game...badly. Remember the debacle in Cleveland last season? The Steelers want to erase that and a thumping of the Browns will provide excessive relief. I know they recall a game that got away and led to their absence from the playoffs last season.

And Big Ben returns. Hard to believe the Steelers were 3-1 in his absence. Not really when you consider that RB Rashard Mendenhall came into his own during those four games. He's currently sitting third in rushing yards a game (102.8) and tied for third in rushing TDs (4).

The defense. What else can you say about the league's best...

What to watch: Mendenhall. He could make life extremely easy on Ben if he gets his wheels in gear.

Network/Time/Announcers: CBS/1 PM ET/Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots

Seattle Seahawks (2-2) v. Chicago Bears (4-1)

Seahawks: A week off is exactly what the Hawks needed after being practically embarrassed by the St. Louis Rams, 20-3. Pete Carroll made a few roster moves this week hoping to shake things up. They traded for Marshawn Lynch, cut Julius Jones and traded Deion Branch. Will this fortify the offense? If it does, the air may be the way to go as Chicago's pass defense is in the middle and the rush defense is among the best. Plus, Seattle's rushing attack (if you can call it that) only averages 79.5 yards a game.

Time for QB Matt Hasselbeck to turn things around. Odd seeing 4 TD and 6 INT out of the former Pro-Bowl player.

The defense could really be the key here. They are facing a familiar foe in Bears OC Mike Martz. But this Seahawks team is vastly different from when Martz was in St. Louis. Still, the Bears new offense only averages a bit over 18 points a contest and 280 yards. Getting pressure on Bears QB Jay Cutler is of utmost importance as we all know he has a flair for making poor decisions.

Bears: Despite suffering from a concussion, QB Jay Cutler will return to start tomorrow. He's had some extra time to digest the Mike Martz offense and that could prove to be valuable. And RB Matt Forte is looking a bit more like he did in his rookie season of 2008 as he's producing on the ground and in the passing game. But the O needs more than just those two.

The help needs to come from the O line and the receivers. Forte lead the team in receptions and receiving TDs. The only receiver with more yards in Johnny Knox. And, for goodness sake, protect Cutler if you want a win.

The defense has shown some flaws, but it's also a bit of a work in progress with former Lions coach Rod Marinelli at the controls. The issue isn't stopping the run, it's stopping the pass. Pressuring an immobile Matt Hasselbeck could provide for another Bears win. That would give them 5 and no one saw that coming.

What to watch: protection for Cutler. He's been sacked a league leading 17 times and he's coming back from his concussion. Keeping him upright and clean will serve the Bears well. Plus, Seattle allows over 300 yards a game through the air.

Network/Time/Announcers: FOX/1 PM ET/Chris Myers and Brian Billick

Detroit Lions (1-4) v. New York Giants (3-2)

Lions: The question is at QB, right? Not really as MLive.com is reporting that even though Matthew Stafford threw at practice this week, he's still a couple of weeks away from returning. Gotta protect all that money I guess. That leaves it up to Shaun Hill yet again. Hill has put up some decent numbers, too. He's on the plus side of TD/INT (8/7), he has completed over 60% of his passes (61.1%) and he coming off a sensational game against the St. Louis Rams (21-32, 227 yds, 3 TD, 0 INT, 117.6 QB rating). By the way, the Lions won the game 44-6. It helps that Detroit added TDs via a kickoff return and a pick six. But they won...convincingly.

Time for rookie Jahvid Best to break out. If he can, the Lions can honestly win this game...without Megatron. And believe it or not, Detroit owns the highest scoring offense in the NFC at 25.2 points a game.

But the defense. Well, it's not as laughable as in the previous years. In fact, they are 6th in sacks. Present a good matchup against the Giants O line, too. It's not only the sacks either. The Lions are creating a few turnovers with 7 INT and 6 forced fumbles. If Detroit can stop the run, something they have shown some difficulty in doing, it could result in a close road game. And we know what happens when you let a supposed inferior team hang around.

Giants: Remember all the fuss before the season began by RB Brandon Jacobs not being inserted as the #1 back? That move has served Ahmad Bradshaw well as he's 4th in the NFL in rushing yards. The Gmen have needed it, too. QB Eli Manning hasn't exactly stayed away from the turnover (8 INT, 4 lost fumbles). Not only has Bradshaw stepped up, so has WR Hakeem Nicks. He's in the top 10 in receiving yards (9th) and 2nd in receiving TD (6). Now, what do you do? Nicks or Steve Smith, Manning's "go to " guy...

But make no mistake about it, the Giants defense will either win or lose this game. The #1 overall unit in the league against the highest scoring team in the NFC. Awesome matchup there. Pressure on Lions QB Shaun Hill will be a main priority. Not the only one when you look over ans see RB Jahvid Best who can bust one at any time.

And that's what New York do. Make Detroit one-dimensional. I know it's like that every game, but if the Lions are unable to move the ball on the ground, it falls right into the hands of the Giants.

What to watch: RB Jahvid Best. In the Giants two losses, they could not stop the running game. If Best can get loose, it could be a long day for Giants fans.

Network/Time/Announcers: FOX/1 PM ET/Dick Stockton and Charles Davis

Baltimore Ravens (4-1) v. New England Patriots (3-1)

Ravens: Can the Ravens duplicate last year's playoff win at Gillette Stadium? Not if QB Joe Flacco repeats the same numbers. And Flacco has an offensive balance this season...so far. RB Ray Rice isn't having to give the Ravens the type of game this year he did in '09. Rice's numbers are down across the board, but Flacco has more options at his disposal this season. Anquan Boldin, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Derrick Mason and a revived Todd Heap. Makes life a little easier. A lot easier.

Seriously, though. The trademark of any Ravens team is the defense. Third in total defense, 4th in scoring defense, 10th against the run (funny seeing a double digit number there) and 2nd against the pass. And talk about stats that do not matter (all that much) is that Baltimore is in the bottom tier in sacks with only 8, last in INT with only 1 and tied for last in forced fumbles with, again, only 1. The defense has created exactly 2 turnovers. It really is smash mouth with these guys. And there will be no Randy Moss.

Patriots: Yes, Moss is gone. Yes, Deion Branch is back. Doesn't really sound like a good trade off, does it? But it is because Branch fits more into the Pats offensive philosophy than Moss. Moss was merely a deep threat and nothing else. He was around more to clear out for Wes Welker than anything. But when you concentrate too much on Welker, rookies Aaron Hernandez (who leads the Pats in receiving yards) and Rob Gronkowski or Brandon Tate can bite you.

The bigger question with the Patriots offense is the running game. You know, the part of the O that always overlooked. Not this season as the Pats are racking up more than 122 yards a game. And as always, it's cast, not just one guy. BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Fred Taylor and Danny Woodhead (who's also a viable option in the passing game) account for most of those yards. And Green-Ellis is barely averaging over 50 yards a game.

Now the defense. Still young and still improving but still vulnerable. In both the rush (112.3 a game) and the pass (272.3). Both rank in the bottom half of the NFL. And they allow 24 points a game, also in the bottom half. Youth will have to step up this week if the Pats want to redeem last year's loss.

What to watch: Green-Ellis. If he can get the Patriots offense rolling on the ground, the passing lanes will open.

Network/Time/Announcers: CBS/1 PM ET/Jim Nantz and Phil Simms

Note: This will be hard to determine who Simms wants to win, but he'll let us know early on...

San Diego Chargers (2-3) v. St. Louis Rams (2-3)

Chargers: So Vincent Jackson will report...next month. Does it matter? I mean the Bolts once again start the season off slowly. Well, QB Phillip Rivers hasn't. He leads the NFL in passing yards, tied in TD and third in QB rating. Don't think you can really pin any of the three losses on him. Can't pin it on the running attack. The Chargers are chalking up 124 yards a contest. The combination of Mike Tolbert and rookie Ryan Mathews account for over 500 yards. Antonio Gates leads the league in TD catches.

If it's not the offense, then it can only be the defense.

Not it either. Second in total offense, 7th versus the run, 3rd against the pass. They do yield 21.2 points a game. So it must be the third phase, special teams.

And we saw it in week 1 against the Kansas City Chiefs. Three blocked punts doesn't help either. Punter Mike Scifres is also among the NFL's worst in placing punts inside the 20. Only one punt downed by the coverage? Makes you wonder what ever happened to the old coffin corner kick anyway. It gets worse. San Diego is last in kickoff yards allowed and punt return yards allowed. When you opponent plays on a short field, it makes life tough for the defense.

And the return game isn't the same. They rank 18th in kickoff return average and 20th in punt return average.

Rams: Okay. Last week's humbling 44-6 loss may be just that...humbling. The pot of gold is that the Rams are not ranked in the 30's in rushing or passing. Yes, rookie QB Sam Bradford has suffered some bumps in his NFL road, but he's also enjoyed spurts of good play. Last week isn't totally indicative of how far Bradford has already come.

But Bradford has had a little help from, who else, RB Steven Jackson. Despite suffering from a groin injury earlier this season, Jackson is still Jackson.

And you can no longer take this defense for granted either. Under head coach Steve Spagnuolo's system, you can see these young guys starting to fill their roles. The Rams are 15th in opponents QB rating and 8th in opposing QB completion percentage. Significant improvement. But we all know to beat the Chargers, you have to get to Rivers.

What to watch: Rams WR Danny Amendola. No Mark Clayton so you lose some experience...and his team leading 306 yards. Let's see how he performs without the vet on the field.

Network/Time/Announcers: CBS/1 PM ET/Don Criqui and Steve Beuerlein

Miami Dolphins (2-2) v. Green Bay Packers (3-2)

Dolphins: After being drubbed by New England on Monday night a couple of weeks ago, the Dolphins must severely regroup. QB Chad Henne in particular. While his completion percentage is acceptable (64.1%), he's only tossed 5 TD. I know Miami is primarily a run defense, but I don't think we're seeing the maturation from Henne that some thought we would see. No, he's NOT Dan Marino.

One player that has shown me a lot is WR Davone Bess. He's second on the team in receiving yards and has only six less receptions than Brandon Marshall. Bess has been the beneficiary of not having that #2 wideout. He's filled the role well.

The Dolphins made some upgrades on defense...and they have paid off. Miami ranks 7th overall (21st v. the run, 4th v. the pass), but allow 23 points a game, only 24th league-wide. Stopping the run being the obvious weakness. To add to that is that S Yeremiah Bell leads the team in tackles, usually not a good sign.

Packers: QB Aaron Rodgers will play despite suffering a concussion last week. His role has changes as RB Ryan Grant is gone, lost in the season opener and the lack of a running game has had an adverse effect on him. We're not seeing him put up the numbers he did last year. If you look at QB rating, he's only 12th. The plus side is he's only suffered nine sacks, a far cry from last season.

It won't help that TE Jermichael Finley could be done for the season either. He was leading the team in receiving yards and 2nd in receptions. I wouldn't be shocked if the Packers found a way to incorporate RB John Kuhn in the passing game. He's had moderate success in the rushing game. Why not?

A lot was made about how strong the Pack defense was last season. That unit did struggle toward the end of the season and it has carried over into this season. They are currently ranked 13th overall (15th v. the rush, 15th v. the pass), but the main issue is that of LB Nick Barnett, as in he's done for the year. Coupled with a nagging injury to LB Clay Matthews and the Packers will be instituting a rotation at outside linebacker this week.

What to watch: Rodgers. Although the NFL has its new rules about concussions, got to see how he reacts.

Network/Time/Announcers: CBS/1 PM ET/Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts

New Orleans Saints (3-2) V. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1)

Saints: A big game for the defending Super Bowl champs. All is made about how the offense has struggled, especially QB Drew Brees. Brees is struggling? Seriously? Um...not that much. He is 8th in QB rating, 4th in passing yards, 3rd in TD passes. He's averaging 282 yards a game. That's not struggling, but everyone (and I do mean everyone) has placed Brees at a level that is realistically almost impossible to attain.

A key reason the Saints offense has fallen on hard ties is the absence of Reggie Bush. Say he's not that involved, but that's only from a yardage standpoint. He must be accounted for on every play and he really is a matchup nightmare. Bush's absence allow opposing defenses to divert their attention elsewhere and they can mix it up more.

And don't think it's only the offense. The defense has fell into a bit of a "slump", too. really? Allow a lot of yards, but forcing numerous turnovers. Wait. That's practically the same in 2010. So what can it be then?

The dreaded Super Bowl hangover? Possibly. For some odd reason, the focus doesn't look the same. Still, I would never count these guys out of game.

Buccaneers: A big game for the upstart Bucs. They're coming off a gift from the Cincinnati Bengals last week, but, hey, a win is a win. A divisional home game against the Super Bowl champs. But how?

The offense is only 21st. The defense is 18th, but you can run on them (30th). They score 18.5 a game, but allow 20. Doesn't makes sense...until you look at their wins. Aside from the Bengals gift wrapping a win last week, the other two opponents (Cleveland and Carolina) are an amazing 1-9.

So the naysayers continue to howl. This team is young and will most likely experience another game like they suffered against Pittsburgh. But they did bounce back against Cincinnati and escape with a win.

Maybe that's it. These youngsters are just resilient.

What to watch: Saints RB. They just picked up Julius Jones to aid Ladell Betts and Chris Ivory. Tampa Bay has issues against the rush.

Network/Time/Announcers: FOX/1 PM ET/Sam Rosen and Tim Ryan

Kansas City Chiefs (3-1) v. Houston Texans (3-2)

Chiefs: Come on now. You didn't look at the Chiefs schedule before this season began and think they would be 3-1. You might have thought 1-3 instead. No, I think these guys are on their way.

An old school mentality is that if you can rush the ball, you will win. KC does that. They're 3rd in rushing with an average of 148.8 yards a game. It holds true when you're on defense, too. Stop a team from running the ball and make them one-dimensional. Check. KC is 6th against the run with an 80.5. RB Jamaal Charles and free agent acquisition Thomas Jones have been just what the Chiefs have needed. Charles is 15th and Jones is 26th in rushing. 561 yards in four games. They haven't needed Matt Cassel to throw the ball all that much.

They do a great job of stopping the run and you would think they're porous against the pass. Not entirely true. Opposing QBs only complete 55.8% of their passes against the Chiefs D, good for 4th.

But don't overlook those return guys, Dexter McCluster and Javier Arenas.

Texans: They finally beat Indy in week 1, got off to a 3-1 start and now the NFL would finally recognize that the Texans were a legit team. One week in this league can change some opinions. Last week the Texans have played uninspired football.

The offense has tried to do its part. RB Arian Foster leads the league in rushing. No, it's not all because of his first week effort either. He has two other games of 100+ yards. The passing attack has suffered a bit due to Foster's emergence.

Yes, it has been the defense for the most part In particular, the passing defense. Dead last in allowing almost 330 yards a game. Week 1, Peyton Manning, 433. Week 2, McNabb, 426. Week 3, Romo, 284. Week 4, Gradkowski, 278. Week 5, Eli Manning, 297. Well, the average has decreased since week 3. The bonus is that Chiefs QB Matt Cassel doesn't throw a lot.

What to watch: Cassel. The Texans are 5th against the run so he must find a way to kickstart the passing attack.

Network/Time/Announcers: CBS/1 PM ET/Gus Johnson and Steve Tasker