Each week of the NFL season, The Baltimore Sun will recap the best and worst from around the league. Here are our winners and losers from Week 6:
WINNER: RAVENS OFFENSE
Let’s take a look at some numbers, shall we?
Through six games, the Ravens lead the NFL in yards per play (6.9), rushing yards per game (205.3) and overall offensive efficiency, as measured by FTN Fantasy’s Defense-adjusted Value Over Average. Lamar Jackson is on pace for 4,300 passing yards and 1,100 rushing yards, putting a third NFL Most Valuable Player Award well within reach. Derrick Henry leads the league with 704 rushing yards, including a whopping 264 more than expected based on Next Gen Stats tracking data. Only Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby (7.2) averages more yards per carry than Henry (6.3) and Jackson (5.9) among qualified players this season.
After Sunday’s 30-23 win over the Commanders, there is no debate. The Ravens have the best offense in football.
While Jackson and Henry have been the stars, Sunday’s game showed just how unstoppable Baltimore can be when it gets its other playmakers involved. Zay Flowers had nine catches for 132 yards in the first half, Rashod Bateman continued to show his elite separation skills and tight end Mark Andrews finally made an impact as a pass catcher in addition to his stellar work as a blocker. At various points this season, we’ve seen Isaiah Likely, Justice Hill and Nelson Agholor make big plays, rounding out what is hands down the best group of skill-position players Jackson has ever had.
This is not shocking, given how much excitement there was when Henry joined the team this offseason and the expected growth from Flowers and a now-healthy and motivated Bateman. Baltimore’s frustrating 17-10 loss to the Chiefs in the AFC championship game was blamed in part on the lack of faith in the running backs, which put too much pressure on Jackson to be the top rushing threat. Now defenses have to respect both Henry and Jackson in the backfield, and it’s opening up space for everyone else.
“I just feel like we’re good at what we have to do,” Flowers said Sunday. “If we have to run the ball, we’re going to run the ball. If we have to pass it, that’s what we’re going to do. And if we have to do both – like we did today – then that’s what we have to do.”
Jackson, Andrews and Henry all mentioned the phrase “pick your poison” when describing the offense after Sunday’s win. If you thought it was hard enough for opposing teams to game plan for Jackson before, now there are other players who can beat you.
LOSER: NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Just how bad was the Saints’ defense Sunday?
In a 51-27 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans gave up 594 total yards. That’s bad enough, but consider that quarterback Baker Mayfield went 1 for 10 on throws 10 or more yards down the field, and you realize just how terrible it was.
It was truly one of the worst tackling displays on an NFL field in recent memory. Mayfield’s average throw traveled just 2.5 yards in the air, yet he finished with 325 passing yards and four touchdowns. Sean Tucker scored his first career touchdown when he took a short checkdown pass 36 yards to the end zone, strolling through the Saints’ defense while hardly being touched. Wide receiver Chris Godwin caught a pass at the line of scrimmage, made a defender miss and broke through the grasp of two players on his way to a 55-yard touchdown that gave Tampa Bay the lead for good late in the third quarter.
“I thought our tackling was atrocious in the game, and so, you know, when you don’t tackle you give up explosive plays, you give up big plays and then it just kind of snowballed on us a little bit, but it was not good enough,” Saints coach Dennis Allen said.
After a promising 2-0 start behind a surprisingly good offense, New Orleans has lost four straight and is playing rookie fifth-round pick Spencer Rattler at quarterback for the injured Derek Carr. To see such a poor effort from a team this early in the season makes one wonder how ugly it will get in the coming weeks.
WINNER: NFC NORTH
Through six weeks, the combined record of the NFC North is 17-5, but that’s not even the most impressive stat. As noted by ESPN’s Benjamin Solak, every team in the division has a better point differential than every other team in the league.
The Vikings, Lions, Packers and Bears are simply dominating their opponents, creating one of the most fascinating division races in years. Even Chicago, which started 1-2 as Caleb Williams struggled to find his footing, has a case for the top spot after winning three straight behind a strong defense and its ascending rookie quarterback. Green Bay overcame its own speed bump with Malik Willis going 2-0 in place of injured quarterback Jordan Love, while Minnesota and Detroit have largely been unchallenged in claiming the top two spots in the DVOA rankings.
What makes this race even more interesting is that we’ve only seen one intradivision matchup so far: the Vikings’ 31-29 win over the Packers in Week 4 in which Green Bay almost erased a 28-7 deficit. That will change this weekend when the Vikings host the Lions in a game that will determine the early favorite to finish in first place. Who knew that Jared Goff vs. Sam Darnold would be appointment viewing on the NFL calendar?
LOSER: DALLAS COWBOYS
What is there left to say about Dallas at this point?
The Cowboys were embarrassed in a 47-9 loss to the Lions on Sunday that will be remembered for Detroit’s petty obsession to score with one of its offensive linemen following last season’s ineligible receiver controversy.
Here are just some examples of how seriously Detroit took its overmatched opponent:
– Tried throwing a touchdown pass to left tackle Taylor Decker – Ran a hook-and-ladder to right tackle Penei Sewell
– Let sixth offensive lineman Dan Skipper run routes as a wide receiver
– Ran a flea flicker to tight end Sam LaPorta for a touchdown
It was nice of the Lions to at least make a blowout entertaining, but it couldn’t have sat well with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. He called the loss “very concerning” and “very humbling,” but he stopped short of calling for any coaching changes. That might be naive, considering this Dallas team looks just like every other that has failed to meet expectations over the past decade, only worse. The Cowboys have at least been successful in the regular season with Dak Prescott at quarterback, but not this year. They’re 3-3, and even their wins over the Giants and Steelers weren’t convincing. The only time Dallas has looked formidable was a season-opening win over a Browns team that now looks hopeless.
The Cowboys have a bye week before a road game against the 49ers, who have routinely embarrassed them in recent years. Lose that game, and the path for a postseason berth looks daunting, with games against the Falcons, Eagles, Texans, Commanders, Bengals and Buccaneers looming.
It’s clear that Dallas shouldn’t be taken seriously as a Super Bowl contender. Perhaps it’s time to hand the keys to Bill Belichick, Mike Vrabel or another coach who can inspire more confidence than Mike McCarthy.
