Somehow, some way, Week 6 of the NFL regular season has concluded. It feels like the season just started, yet we are quickly approaching its halfway point, just three weeks away from the trade deadline.
With bye weeks in full swing, the quality of matchups hasn’t quite been the same over the last two weeks, but it has still made for some close and exciting games. Before we fully turn the page on Week 6, let’s take a look at who is up and who is down in this edition of our WCG Power Rankings.
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-1) Previous Week: 4
The Bucs came into Sunday with something to prove. Despite going against a depleted 49ers group, they handled business and got out with a win. Simply put, Tampa Bay is one of the more exciting teams in the league. Now the focus will shift to the health of their receiving corps, with star rookie Emeka Egbuka leaving the game with an injury, plus Mike Evans and Chris Godwin not playing. This group is well on its way to winning yet another NFC South title. More importantly, they are proving to be one of the best teams in the NFL with quarterback Baker Mayfield firmly in the MVP conversation.
2. Indianapolis Colts (5-1) Previous Week: 5
The most surprising team in the league for 2025 keeps rolling. It was a back-and-forth dogfight from start to finish, but in the end, the Colts were able to finish, and the reeling Cardinals were not. Quarterback Daniel Jones has started to come back down to earth, but this is a well-rounded team with a talented roster. Through six games, they find themselves in firm control of the NFC South, following the Jaguars’ loss.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-1) Previous Week: 7
There’s one team that is in complete control of their division through six weeks, and it’s the Steelers. The next best team is (2-4), with both the Ravens and Browns sitting at one win. Suffice to say that Pittsburgh is well in line to win the AFC North crown for the first time in a few years. What looked to be one of the best divisions in football has suffered key injuries, leaving the Steelers as the beneficiaries of their misfortunes.
4. Detroit Lions (4-2) Previous Week: 1
For the first time since Week 1, the Lions looked beatable. Their offense wasn’t able to score at will, and the injuries in the secondary have finally shown up. This is still a really good team, but they’ll be tested over their next four games with critical matchups against the Buccaneers, Vikings, Commanders, and Eagles before a slight reprieve. The best news for Detroit is simple: Most, if not all, of their injured cornerbacks will be back at some point over the next few weeks. We’ll see if they are compelled to make any moves at the deadline.
5. Green Bay Packers (3-1-1) Previous Week: 8
It wasn’t always pretty, but the Packers got back on track at Lambeau Field against a banged-up Bengals team that hasn’t won a game since Joe Burrow went out with a three-month injury. The Packers’ defense remains stout, but the offense is a work in progress. They are one of the more talented teams in the league, so it’s fair to expect them to keep getting better. We’ll see if they can get back to looking like the dominant team they did over the first two weeks of the season.
6. Buffalo Bills (4-2) Previous Week: 3
Similar to the Eagles, the Bills have now lost two in a row. Relatively close scores have decided both games, but neither has been remotely clean. It’s been a penalty-laden set of performances, and all of a sudden, the Patriots are deadlocked with the Bills in first place. There’s little reason to believe Buffalo won’t figure it out, but it’s been a bit of a coming back down to earth experience for the Bills over their last two contests.
7. Los Angeles Rams (4-2) Previous Week: 10
The Rams are back in the win column after a slow start to their matchup against the Ravens. This is a very talented team, but so far, things haven’t fully clicked. With a deep division, their margin for error isn’t significant, but fans have to like where they sit through six weeks, assuming they can stay healthy.
8. Seattle Seahawks (4-2) Previous Week: 11
Seattle does it again. Sam Darnold continues his ascent as a Top 10 quarterback, and the Seahawks’ defense is taking shape under head coach Mike McDonald. Oh, and Jaxson Smith-Njigba has been incredible so far in Year 3. Plenty is clicking in Seattle, even if most of their recent games have been close. The NFC West is shaping up to be a gauntlet.
9. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-2) Previous Week: 9
It’s been one helluva season for the Jaguars so far, even if they slipped up at home against the Seahawks. Their defense continues to be the biggest surprise, even if they didn’t force a takeaway in Week 6. Jacksonville is finally heading in the right direction and is in a prime position for a playoff spot, especially in an unexpectedly weak AFC.
10. Kansas City Chiefs (3-3) Previous Week: 15
Are the Chiefs back? Because on Sunday night, it sure felt like it. Not only did they hang 30 on the Lions ‘ defense, but they shut down a Lions offense that was scoring points at a historic rate. The schedule doesn’t get much easier from here, but as we’ve seen in past years, if this team is “on”, they are almost impossible to beat. Even better, they find themselves just one game out of first place with a chance to reclaim the division soon.
11. San Francisco 49ers (4-2) Previous Week: 6
A few weeks after losing Nick Bosa for the season, it appears that All-Pro Fred Warner is lost for the season after an awful-looking leg injury that resulted in him leaving the field on a cart with an air cast on his right leg. The brutal injury luck for the 49ers continues to be one of the more baffling things in the league over the last few seasons. Week 6 was a hard-fought game, but in the end, they were simply out-matched by a healthier team. Kyle Shanahan continues to do an outstanding job with a very banged-up team.
12. Philadelphia Eagles (4-2) Previous Week: 2
Despite their (4-0) start, something has felt “off” almost all season. Those things are easy to ignore when they are winning games, but once the losses start, a team’s issues tend to magnify. That’s precisely what is going on in Philly. Losing to the Broncos was understandable, but being blown out by the Giants on Thursday Night Football? I don’t know, man… That’s hard to explain. The Eagles better figure things out soon.
13. Denver Broncos (4-2) Previous Week: 13
Following an impressive win on the road against the Eagles, they followed up with a stinker in London against the winless Jets. Luckily for them, they did just enough offensively to pull out the 13-11 win. The defense remains elite, achieving nine sacks on Sunday, but the offense has been inconsistent, particularly in the first half. The Broncos and Chargers sit atop the AFC West, with the Broncos looking like the stronger (and healthier) of the two teams. All eyes are on the Chiefs, though.
14. New England Patriots (4-2) Previous Week: 16
The Patriots keep on rolling in Year 1 of Mike Vrabel. Although the defense has improved significantly, the actual storyline has been Drake Maye. His impressive run in Year 2 continued on Sunday, throwing for 261 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. Don’t look now, but if the Patriots can keep winning, Maye’s candidacy for a potential MVP run will continue to grow.
15. Los Angeles Chargers (4-2) Previous Week: 14
The Chargers are as banged up as anyone in the league right now, and it has shown. Despite jumping out to a two-touchdown lead against a bad Dolphins team, it took a last-second field goal for the Los Angeles to pull out win No. 4. They can’t get back Joe Alt soon enough, but in the meantime, they have to keep Justin Herbert healthy.
16. Washington Commanders (3-3) Previous Week: 12
Following an impressive win in Week 5 against the Chargers on the road, it felt like things were starting to click for the Commanders. Despite their slow start, which found them down 13-0, they fought back and had every opportunity to win on Monday night. Three turnovers were the story in Week 6, and now, they have to go back to the drawing board. The offense will be fine, but the defense has some holes.
17. Atlanta Falcons (3-2) Previous Week: 19
Talk about a huge win for the Falcons. They entered as heavy underdogs and emerged with a 10-point victory, controlling the game from start to finish. Atlanta has been highly inconsistent this year, but second-year quarterback Michael Penix has started playing some excellent football over his last two games. All of a sudden, playoffs are a realistic possibility.
18. Chicago Bears (3-2) Previous Week: 20
The Bears have won three in a row for the first time in the early tenure of head coach Ben Johnson. Simply put, this was not a game they won in the Matt Eberflus era. Quarterback Caleb Williams needs to show more consistency, but on the plus side, Chicago’s defense has forced 11 takeaways over its last three contests. All wins. A coincidence? I think not.
19. Minnesota Vikings (3-2) Previous Week: 17
Outside of the Bears in Week 5, no team needed the bye week more than the Vikings. Injuries, especially on the offensive side of the ball, have been prevalent. Yet, they found a way to get over .500 in London. The quarterback remains their most significant question mark, but with that defense, they should find themselves in most games.
20. Houston Texans (2-3) Previous Week: 18
Following a (0-3) start, the Texans have reeled off two in a row. One could argue that they weren’t ready for the bye week, but it will allow them to make some offensive adjustments and gear up for a second-half run. With two teams in front of them, they have their work cut out for them. The good news is that they are the most talented team in the division.
21. Carolina Panthers (3-3) Previous Week: 25
The strange up-and-down season in Carolina continued on Sunday with their second win in a row. Despite quarterback Bryce Young turning the ball over again, he threw for three touchdowns and came up big when it mattered the most late in the fourth quarter. The defense is still a concern, but they are finding ways to gut out wins. That’s all fans can ask for after how rough they started the season.
22. Dallas Cowboys (2-3-1) Previous Week: 21
The offense is there, but the defense under Matt Eberflus continues to struggle. It felt like last week’s blowout win against the Jets was a breakthrough, but after blowing the lead late in the game against the Panthers, the Cowboys are sitting in a tough spot six games in. Cee Dee Lamb should be back soon, but their inability to hold decent offenses below 30 points is going to continue to be a massive issue down the stretch.
23. Arizona Cardinals (2-4) Previous Week: 22
Last week’s blown lead was a complete disaster. Then the news broke that quarterback Kyler Murray would miss Sunday’s game (and possibly more), raising the question of whether this was a team on the verge of a collapse. Instead, they fought hard and almost pulled out a win against a good Colts team. In the end, they couldn’t do enough, and a once-promising (2-0) start has turned into a four-game losing streak with no end in sight. It’s hard to imagine that head coach Jonathan Gannon’s job security is standing on firm ground right now.
24. New York Giants (2-4) Previous Week: 28
Are the New York Football Giants back?! There are statement wins, and then there’s what the Giants did to their divisional rival on Thursday night. Jaxson Dart is exciting, but it’s fair to wonder how long his play style can hold up. Cam Skattebo has been everything and more than he was at Arizona State. There’s a lot to like about their last few games. Now we’ll see if they can sustain it.
25. Baltimore Ravens (1-5) Previous Week 23
Things continue to go from bad to worse in Baltimore for the Ravens. With a Week 7 bye, the team should be able to get healthy before hosting the Bears in Week 8. At this point, it’s worth wondering if it’s time for the Ravens to pack it in and start looking toward next year. The defense doesn’t look the same, and without Lamar Jackson behind center, this team is bad. Even a Wild Card run feels like wishful thinking. The good news is that head coach John Harbaugh said he expects both Roquan Smith and Jackson back after the bye week.
26. Cincinnati Bengals (2-4) Previous Week: 24
The free fall without Burrow continued in Week 6 for the Bengals. Simply put, there’s just not enough juice on offense to overcome losing one of the best quarterbacks in the league. The defense already has holes, and without Trey Hendrickson, who left with a back injury, their outlook moving forward is bleak. Joe Flacco was never the answer, but we’ll see if the front office realizes this before the trade deadline and salvages some value from an aging roster.
27. Las Vegas Raiders (2-4) Previous Week 26
There weren’t many great matchups in Week 6, and the Titans vs the Raiders somehow ranked at the bottom of that list. Simply put, it was an ugly game. Geno Smith continues to turn the ball over, but the Raiders controlled the majority of the game. It’s clear that the ceiling for this team isn’t high, but at this point, fans just have to hope they can build toward something leading into next season.
28. New Orleans Saints (1-5) Previous Week: 27
The Saints have continued to hang tough for the majority of this season, despite their (1-5) record. Quarterback Spencer Rattler has played surprisingly well, but they just can’t seem to finish games. It was the same story in Week 6 against the Patriots. They stayed relatively close for most of the game, but couldn’t get the job done in the final minutes of the game with their defense on the field. We’ll see how they look against one of the worst run defenses in the league next weekend when they are in Chicago.
29. Cleveland Browns (1-5) Previous Week: 29
No matter the quarterback, the Browns offense just can’t get going. After a quality first NFL start, quarterback Dillon Gabriel looked completely overmatched on Sunday against the division-leading Steelers. There’s plenty of young talent to be excited about, but it’s worth wondering if the Browns will dip back into the quarterback pool in next April’s draft.
30. Miami Dolphins (1-5) Previous Week: 31
The downfall of Mike McDaniel and Tua Tagovailoa continues in the early weeks of 2025. Miami benefited from playing a slightly worse team in Week 4 for the lone win of the year, but through six games, this season has been a complete disaster. It’s fair to wonder how much longer this can go on for. The Dolphins should be sellers at the deadline. Sunday’s loss might have been the biggest back-breaker of them all, though.
31. Tennessee Titans (1-5) Previous Week: 30
The battle of the bads was indeed… Well, bad. Two teams entered with one win, and one team begrudgingly left with a second win. Unfortunately for the Titans, they were not that team. Instead, their offense continued to struggle, and No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward continues to have an extremely uneven rookie campaign. At this point, it’s hard to blame him. The offensive line isn’t any good, and the coaching staff isn’t any better. With Bill Callahan being fired on Monday, we’ll see if things get any better over the final seven games.
32. New York Jets (0-6) Previous Week: 32
What problems don’t the Jets have right now? The “defend Justin Fields no matter what” crowd took a hard blow this week when he took as many sacks (9) as completions. The defense finally played up to its talent level, but the offense couldn’t come close to finding the end zone. Even more concerning is Aaron Glenn’s in-game decision-making. Very Matt Eberflus-esque through six games.
