NFL Week 6 – What We Learned

Vikings, Jets, Giants, Eagles all Legit?

Six weeks of the NFL is in the books, and while there’s lots of data and information to hang one’s hat on now, it still feels like we’re none the wiser.

The 2022 NFL season has to be one of the most unpredictable so far, if not unexpected in some respects. Parity in the league is at an all-time high, with 56 of the first 92 games being decided by one score. That’s the most ever at this stage of the season.

The early standouts aren’t the usual suspects, either: The Philadelphia Eagles (6-0) remain undefeated, the Minnesota Vikings (5-1) reign supreme in the NFC North, the New York Jets (4-2), and the New York Giants (5-1) are both above .500 for the first time in over a decade and the Atlanta Falcons (3-3) are punching way above their perceived weight class.

But that’s not all.

Below, we look at some of the key takeaways from a riveting Week 6 in the NFL. We’ll analyze the latest NFL picks, stats, injury reports, and NFL predictions. We’ve plenty of NFL expert picks for you to consider.

NFL Week 6 Highlights & Lessons Learned

Are Vikings (5-1) for Real?

Whether you are buying what the Vikings are selling, they’re flying high in the NFC standings. After the unbeaten Eagles, Kirk Cousins and Co. have the second-best record in the conference. (What?)

Two-time defending MVP Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers along with Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are sitting pretty on a modest 3-3 straight-up (SU) record through six weeks. They are among six teams tied on a 3-3 record in the NFC – three of which are contained within the NFC West alone.

To say that the NFC frame isn’t falling in line with preseason expectations is an understatement. Cousins’ transformation from Week 1 to Week 6 says it all.

Kirk Cousins Week 1 vs Week 6 pic.twitter.com/c7fX5li1fO

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 16, 2022

The Eagles (+200) are the team to beat in the race to the NFC title now. The Bucs are second, albeit at a distant +500, and the San Francisco 49ers (+650) and Minnesota Vikings (+650) round out the top four teams to spot.

Perennial favorites the Packers (+900), America’s favorite team, the Dallas Cowboys (+900), and the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams (+1000) are also in the mix of contenders.

Giants, Jets Surprise Package

The Giants and the Jets both finished with a 4-13-0 record in 2021. Six weeks into the new season, they have equaled or surpassed last year’s win total.

The Giants improved to 5-1 with a come-from-behind, 24-20 upset over the Baltimore Ravens. The Jets stunned the Packers 27-10 at Lambeau Field, handing Rodgers one of the worst losses at home in his career.

Despite this early success in the Meadowlands, NFL betting markets are taking a cautious approach. The Giants are on the fringe of contender status, priced at +2200 to win the NFC, while the Jets are in pretender territory with +4000 odds to win the AFC.

Bills Beat Chiefs at Arrowhead

The Buffalo Bills’ 24-20 win over the Kansas City Chiefs marks the second time Josh Allen and Co. got the measure of the AFC West titans at Arrowhead Stadium and in the regular season. With the latest victory, the Bills improve to a 2-2 SU record against their biggest AFC rivals. But (yup, there is a but) they’re yet to make similar such headway in the playoffs. To date, the Bills have yet to beat Patrick Mahomes and Co. in the postseason.

Still, the good news for the Bills is that they’re currently leading the AFC with a 5-1 record. They’re in front of the second-place Chiefs (4-2) and, importantly, hold a potential head-to-head tiebreaker should it come down to it for the seeding.

As it is, the Bills are tipped as the team to beat in the conference priced at +140. The Chiefs (+375) are in second place. After this tandem, there’s a big drop-off in the odds as the Los Angeles Chargers, favored third overall, ring in at a distant +900.

The rest of the AFC is priced in quadruple obscurity with the Baltimore Ravens at +1000, defending AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals at +1200 and the Miami Dolphins tipped at +2000.

Rich Eisen on Josh Allen 🗣
“Now he’s the king of the world… There’s no question… He is the personification of who you’re looking for… He is the standard… the guy who can beat you with his arm, beat you with his legs, beat you with his HEART” 🔥 @RichEisenShow 🎙 #NFL pic.twitter.com/9P4J968d2x

— Bills QB Watch (@BillsQBwatch) October 17, 2022

Allen Cements MVP Status

Josh Allen was always the top favorite to win the MVP award this season, but in beating the Chiefs at Arrowhead, he cemented himself as the runaway favorite.

Allen leads the race at +125 at BetUS Sportsbook. Eagles third-year quarterback Jalen Hurts comes in as the second-best bet at +350 while Mahomes is the third favorite at +500. The top 10 bets are as follows: