It's just one week, right? Of course, this is true, but each week there can be fairly meaningful takeaways from the slate of NFL games. Six weeks into the season, it's time to start thinking about the playoffs a little bit more, and there are plenty of observations to be made about playoff-likely or hopeful squads.
Here are four 'overreactions' from Sunday's games that might just be true.
The Buccaneers are NFC favorites
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been an incredible team to watch with constant close games and explosive plays. Beyond that, though, this is a damn good football team with a 5-1 record. It all starts with Baker Mayfield, who is my MVP favorite.
Mayfield has led the Bucs to a 5-1 record, racking up 1,539 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, and completing 66 percent of his passes. He has done so while his top three receivers have dealt with injuries; Mike Evans has played in three games, Chris Godwin two games, and rookie sensation Emeka Egbuka left Sunday's game with a hamstring injury. Running back Bucky Irving has now missed two games. It doesn't matter, though, as Baker has gotten the most out of the talent around him.
Despite this, none of these injuries is season-long. Moreover, the Bucs have a rock-solid defense, including the fifth-ranked rushing defense. The Bucs and the Green Bay Packers are the only two teams with one loss in the NFC. However, the Packers have one tie and have been as impressive as the Bucs. By all accounts, the Bucs are a Super Bowl-level squad.
Saying the Bucs are NFC favorites after beating the San Francisco 49ers is an overreaction. Nevertheless, through six games, no NFC team has been more impressive.
The Seahawks are NFC West favorites
With three teams posting a 4-2 record, the NFC West is by far the best division in football. In my eyes, though, the Seattle Seahawks should be clear favorites. Even if you don't believe this, the odds makers are undoubtedly disrespecting Seattle, giving them the third-shortest odds.
Saying the Seahawks are the best NFC West team simply because they beat the Jacksonville Jaguars is an overreaction. However, Seattle has been impressive all season long, and the other teams in the division seem to be cratering. Plus, beating the Jags by 14 points is more impressive than you think, given they were missing two starters in their secondary, Riq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon.
The San Francisco 49ers have been dealing with injuries all season long, and it's frankly a miracle they are 4-2. Now with Fred Warner injured, it's hard to imagine them as division winners. The Los Angeles Rams have plenty of talent, and Matthew Stafford has been stellar. Nevertheless, they lost to the snake-bitten 49ers at home in Week 5 and put up just 17 points against a struggling Baltimore Ravens defense this week. To make matters worse, Puka Nacua went down with an injury on Sunday.
On top of this, the Seahawks are a great team in their own right. They post the second-ranked rush defense and the fourth-ranked passing defense. Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba are arguably the best QB-WR connection in the league. While not many people are talking about it, the Seahawks have all the makings of an elite team.
The Chiefs are back
At 2-3, the Kansas City Chiefs looked like they could finally be falling from the mountain top. With a 3-3 record and a statement win against the Detroit Lions, it's not far-fetched to say the Chiefs are all the way back, though. Other than beating a floundering Ravens squad, the Chiefs haven't had any impressive wins, and it was fair to be concerned after a Monday night loss to the Jaguars.
Beating the Lions by 13 points is enough to inspire confidence, though, especially given the incredible success in the Patrick Mahomes-Andy Reid era. Mahomes put together his best game of the season, throwing for 257 yards and three touchdowns. Their pass protection also looks better than in years past.
The Chiefs have now scored 28-plus points in three straight games amid concerns about their offense. And oh yeah, they get Rashee Rice, their best receiver, back next week. I know, all non-Chiefs fans don't want to hear this, but Kansas City is just as legit a Super Bowl contender as ever.
The Broncos are fool's gold
Heading into the season, many people had high hopes for the Denver Broncos. They just went 10-7 last season, and improved in the offseason. Despite a 4-2 start, the Broncos have looked shaky at various points.
Nothing was more concerning than Sunday's 13-11 win against the New York Jets, though. It's fair to chalk it up to a wonky international game, and of course, they beat the Philadelphia Eagles last week. Still, the Jets are winless, and their defense had given up 27-plus points in every game before that.
The Broncos' defense has continued to impress, but it's fair to be concerned with their offense, especially Bo Nix. The second-year QB has declined in QBR and passer rating, ranking 20th and 24th, respectively, in these stats. It's only one game, but racking up just 174 yards against a poor Jets' defense, paired with his questionable decision-making throughout the season, should be concerning. On the season, the Broncos are averaging just 21.7 points.
Ultimately, while the Broncos will still be a playoff team, I think it's fair to say their upside is limited due to their shaky offense.