2019 NFL power rankings, Week 6: Texans roll, Bears stunned

Recap: The winless Broncos headed to Los Angeles to face the Chargers and would do it without second-year outside linebacker Bradley Chubb, who suffered a partially torn ACL in the loss to the Jaguars. Vic Fangio’s club was still searching for its first takeaway of the season and they finally got three of them as they stunned the Bolts in Los Angeles.

The real difference was a Denver ground game that got 114 yards from Phillip Lindsay, 61 from Royce Freeman and 191 overall. The Broncos’ pass rush finished with zero sacks for the fourth time in five outings. But those aforementioned Chargers’ turnovers included two interceptions of veteran quarterback Philip Rivers.

Next Week: It’s the first of two home games in a 12-day span for the Men from Mile High as Fangio’s club takes on the Tennessee Titans. It’s the first meeting between the clubs since 2016, when the Broncos went to Nashville and came up short, 13-10. The last time Denver played host to the Titans, the Broncos rolled to a 51-28 victory in ’13.

Playoff hopes: On the verge of losing their first five games for the first time in the 60-year history of the franchise, the Denver offensive line and defense responded with solid performances as the Broncos defeated the Chargers on the road for the second straight year. Can Fangio’s club string a few wins together and make a playoff push?

Recap: Winners of two consecutive games after a 0-2 start, the revitalized New York Giants hosted the struggling Minnesota Vikings with an opportunity to get above the .500 mark. While there were whispers that Saquon Barkley would be back for this tilt, the club erred on the side of caution and let him rest for another week.

Unfortunately, Wayne Gallman Jr. would also go down with an injury and by game’s end, Pat Shurmur’s team would run for only 64 yards on 20 attempts. Daniel Jones threw for one score and was picked off once as well. The rookie quarterback was sacked four times and New York’s offense was shackled to the tune of 211 total yards.

Next Week: The Giants head to Foxborough for the second time this year but the first time during the regular season since 2011, as these two-time Super Bowl foes square off on a Thursday night. New York came away with a 24-20 win at New England in ’11, but fell to the Patriots, 27-26, at home four years ago when the teams last met.

Playoff hopes: New York was pushed around by a better football team and James Bettcher’s defense remains a problem for this club. After a pair of encouraging victories, this was a step backwards for Shurmur and company. Of course, no one is running away in the NFC East at the moment and the Giants are a win away from .500 again.

Next: Nos. 24 and 23