NFL Week 6 Results 2017: 5 Takeaways From Sunday's Schedule

Week 6 proved just how unpredictable the NFL is in 2017. Two double-digit favorites lost outright at home, and the team with the league’s best record was also beaten at their own stadium. Half of the teams that started Week 6 alone in first place were defeated.

What did we learn from all of Sunday’s games? Here are five takeaways from Week 6:

There is no prohibitive Super Bowl favorite in either conference

The Kansas City Chiefs’ loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers means there are no more undefeated teams left in the NFL. The Philadelphia Eagles are the only other NFL team with just one loss. Neither team is the current Super Bowl favorite, and it’s anyone’s guess who’ll be playing for the Vince Lombardi Trophy on Feb. 4 in Minneapolis.

Kansas City might still be the AFC’s best team, but they are only third when it comes to Super Bowl odds. The defending champion New England Patriots remain favored, despite two losses and one of the league’s worst defenses. Pittsburgh has the second-best odds, though Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers’ offense has been a disappointment thus far. The Denver Broncos didn’t look like a Super Bowl contender Sunday night when they were beaten handily by the New York Giants at home.

Philadelphia has certainly played like the NFC’s best team through six weeks, but they haven’t even been to the playoffs in four years. The Atlanta Falcons have lost two straight puzzling games at home, and Cam Newton’s Jekyll-and-Hyde act makes it difficult to figure out the Carolina Panthers. The Seattle Seahawks have the second-best NFC Super Bowl odds, though they are in second place behind the Los Angeles Rams. The Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys could both realistically miss the postseason.

Aaron Rodgers’ injury puts the NFC North up for grabs

A week after J.J. Watt and Odell Beckham Jr. were lost for the season, Rodgers suffered the biggest injury of the year. A broken collarbone could keep the quarterback out until 2018, changing the complexion of the NFC North.

The Packers were the clear favorites to win the division with Rodgers at the helm. They began Week 6 alone in first place and have won the NFC North in five of the last six years. Without Rodgers, however, Green Bay is a completely different team. They didn’t stand much of a chance in Minnesota, losing 23-10 and moving into a tie with the Vikings atop the division. Brett Hundley was bad in his first NFL start, and the Packers aren’t going very far if they don’t have a top offense, considering their defense is average at best.

Minnesota is 4-2 with the division’s best defense, but they aren’t going to run away with the NFC North crown with Case Keenum or a banged up Sam Bradford at quarterback. The 3-3 Detroit Lions have the most reliable quarterback, as well as a road win over Minnesota, but they’ve allowed 79 points in two straight losses. The Chicago Bears are only two games out of first, though Mitchell Trubisky probably isn’t ready to lead them to the playoffs.

The NFC South is the NFL’s most interesting division

No division was harder to predict at the start of the season, and that remains the same through Week 6. All four teams are separated by fewer than two games with plenty of divisional games left on the schedule.

After looking like they would bounce back from their Super Bowl loss with no issues, Atlanta hasn’t won since Week 3. The Falcons’ offense has sputtered in two straight home games with a matchup against the Patriots coming in Week 7. Carolina sits in first place at 4-2, but they are the only NFC South team with a loss in the division. That defeat came at home at the hands of the 3-2 New Orleans Saints, who might actually have a defense that isn’t among the league’s worst for a change.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the only NFC South team that has a losing record. Their defense has been abysmal, ranking second-to-last in yards per play allowed. Jameis Winston has not taken a step forward to become a top-10 quarterback like some thought he might.

Deshaun Watson is the real deal

Any questions regarding how Watson’s college success might translate to the NFL have quickly been answered. Not pegged as the Houston Texans’ starter in Week 1, the rookie has quickly shown that he’s going to be a future star in the league.

Watson threw three more touchdowns in Week 6 to give Houston a 33-17 win over the Cleveland Browns. It was his third straight game with a passer rating in the triple digits, and he ranks sixth in the NFL with a 101.1 overall rating. Watson leads the league with 15 touchdown passes. He’s 3-2 as Houston’s starter with his only losses coming to New England and Kansas City. Since starting his first game on just four days’ notice, Houston has scored at least 33 points in four straight contests.

The Texans have won nine games in three straight seasons, despite looking for a permanent starting quarterback each year. If Houston’s defense can withstand the season-ending injuries to J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus, the Texans are probably the best team in the AFC South.

Arizona’s veterans have something left in the tank

The Cardinals beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday mostly because of veteran players that have been considered to be well past their prime. Arizona improved to 3-3 on the year, and they are just one game out of first place in the NFC West.

Adrian Peterson looked rejuvenated in his first game with the Cardinals, getting a chance to be the featured running back for the first time all season. His 134 rushing yards were more than the 81 rushing yards he totaled in four games with the Saints. Carson Palmer had his best game of the season, completing 18 of 22 passes for 283 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Larry Fitzgerald caught 10 passes for 138 yards, and he’s still one of the NFL’s most reliable receivers at 34 years old.

Palmer and Peterson might be hard-pressed to play like that for the rest of the year, considering what they’d done in previous weeks. The next three games could ultimately determine Arizona’s fate as they face three straight NFC West opponents.