NFL Power Rankings entering Week 7: Are the 2-4 Rams even a playoff team after a miserable start?

It’s six weeks into the season and the Los Angeles Rams are already up against history, in terms of making a Super Bowl.

No NFL team has started a season 2-4 and made a Super Bowl, much less win it. But at this point, discussing the Rams and the Super Bowl seems foolish. Forget all the offseason hype. The games started and the Rams haven’t looked anywhere near a championship contender. They beat a Giants team that lost quarterback Jaxson Dart in the first quarter and then needed two touchdowns in the final four minutes to beat an Eagles team that is 2-4. Still, 3-3 would have been OK.

Then the Rams lost at home to a Cardinals team that was 1-4 and didn’t even score a touchdown, setting off the alarms that the Rams might not even be a playoff team this season. The Rams have a big hole to dig out of and the path got tougher after Sean McVay’s injury report on Monday. Receiver Davante Adams ruptured his hamstring and will miss six to 10 weeks, according to McVay. Receiver depth behind Puka Nacua and Adams was a major concern going into the season, and now the Rams might have to play most of the rest of their season without one of their two reliable receivers.

That wasn’t all. Defensive lineman Kobie Turner will miss multiple weeks with a groin injury and kicker Blake Grupe, just signed last week, went on injured reserve after suffering a knee injury. The Rams’ kicking situation has been a mess and the revolving door continues.

It hasn’t been the only mess. If there is good news for the Rams, it’s that their remaining schedule is the seventh-easiest in the NFL, according to Tankathon. That gives the Rams a shot to rally and make the playoffs.

In five seasons since the NFL started using a 17-game schedule, only four of 30 wild-card teams have been 9-8 (three others were 9-7-1). Realistically, the Rams need to get to 10 wins to have a shot at the playoffs. That means an 8-3 finish, at worst. They still have a game left at San Francisco, two against Seattle and one against the 5-0 Chiefs, among others. And the Rams couldn’t even beat the Cardinals in Week 6, so no game can be counted on as an easy win.

“We won’t win a game unless we figure out how not to beat ourselves,” McVay said after Sunday’s game.

The Rams looked like they might be dominant coming into the season. Even after a few losses, the situation didn’t seem dire. After the defeat to the Cardinals, and more key injuries, the Rams might be reaching a point of no return. Amazingly, a team that looked like one of the strongest Super Bowl favorites in recent years has to worry about simply sneaking into the playoffs as a wild-card team.

Here are the NFL power rankings after Week 6 of the NFL season:
(0-5, Last week: 32)

Nobody in the Dolphins’ organization would admit it publicly, but they have to be keeping an eye on the race for the first overall draft pick. The Titans seemed like they would give the Dolphins the biggest run for the top selection. (More on the Chargers, the NFL’s lone 0-6 team right after this take on the Dolphins.) Everyone in Miami should have been happy to see Tennessee get its first win Sunday over Indianapolis. Yes, it’s early in the season, but the stakes are high for the 2027 NFL Draft. Getting the first pick opens up all avenues for the Dolphins: They could take a quarterback they prefer, trade the pick to a desperate team and stock the roster, sit tight and take otherworldly receiver prospect Jeremiah Smith or even trade down a slot or two to get extra picks and still take Smith.

Tanking is a taboo subject in the NFL but anyone being honest knows that for a team like the 2026 Dolphins, losing heavily in one bad season is the best thing for the future.

The Titans’ win was a good thing for the Dolphins.
(0-6, LW: 30)

The Dolphins and Chargers are the last winless teams. While it seems like the Chargers are far better than the Dolphins and won’t seriously challenge Miami for the first overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, maybe they are as bad as they’ve looked. The Chargers are 31st in DVOA, and a distant 32nd in EPA (expected points added) per play on offense. They are ninth in EPA per play allowed on defense, which provides more hope. But overall the Chargers are as bad as their record.

“Obviously 0-6 going into the bye, I did not think I would be up here addressing that question,” Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said after a 22-6 loss to the Chiefs, according to the team’s site.

The offense is at -0.209 EPA per play, and the Titans are the next worst at -0.133. It wouldn’t be a surprise if offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, a popular offseason hire, is removed from that role soon.

“We have to address everything, especially offensively,” Harbaugh said. “We’re not scoring enough points.”
(1-5, LW: 31)

When the Titans were down 13-0 to the Colts at halftime, and eventually 13-6 after three quarters, it looked bleak. The Titans had shown very few signs of being the type of team that could overcome a double-digit deficit to win on the road. But they outscored the Colts 26-7 in the second half to win.

“The players, these kids put in so much work, and this league is hard,” Robert Saleh said after his first win as Titans head coach, via the team’s site. “We’d been close on a few occasions, and to knock this one out for them, I am much more excited for them than for myself.”

It’s not like this was a big breakout game. Cam Ward had 102 yards passing. The Titans had 186 yards as a team, while the Colts gained 399. Tennessee had just 11 first downs, the fewest in the NFL in Week 6. But the Titans got their first win, which changes the entire conversation surrounding them for the rest of the season.
(2-4, LW: 27)

The Jets have lost four of five since beating the Titans in Week 1, and have scored 20 points in only one of those five games. New York has been without running back Breece Hall and receiver Adonai Mitchell for multiple games, but there were still questions on offensive coordinator Frank Reich’s job security after Sunday’s loss to the Patriots.

“I think he’s done a good job, I really do,” head coach Aaron Glenn told the media Monday. “Obviously there are a number of things we can improve on, from short yardage to two-minute. That goes on me also, when it comes to the defensive side, me and [defensive coordinator Brian] Duker, on some things we have to get better at too.”

Glenn might not be able to afford firing another coordinator he picked. After his first season as head coach, he replaced 12 of the 22 assistants from the staff. Demoting or firing Reich after six games would be a terrible look, considering putting together a staff is one of a head coach’s top responsibilities.
(2-4, LW: 23)

Losing to the Titans at home, after holding a 13-0 lead, was a season-changing result and in many ways a franchise-changing one. General manager Chris Ballard was fired on Monday morning. The drafting of Anthony Richardson Sr. and the big trade for Sauce Gardner, which cost Indianapolis its 2026 and 2027 first-round picks, were the two most ruinous moves for Ballard.

Head coach Shane Steichen can’t feel too comfortable either. It’s not just one loss, it’s the feeling that at 2-4, the Colts are going nowhere. Team owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon said in her statement Monday announcing Ballard’s firing that at the start of the season “the sense of urgency has never been higher,” and she had to act on that.

The rest of the season will be picking up the pieces from the Titans loss, but it feels like it could get a lot worse.

“I’m sick and tired of the same song and dance every year,” Colts defensive lineman DeForest Buckner said, via WISH-TV.
(2-4, LW: 19)

Assuming Jalen Hurts is done for the season due to a diagnosis of blood clots in his lungs, it’s hard to see a way for the Eagles to dig out of their hole. The Eagles were unimpressive with Hurts at quarterback, only getting close wins over the Commanders and Titans. Tanner McKee became a cult hero for some good preseason games a couple years ago, but the hot takes surrounding him perhaps replacing Hurts or what general manager Howie Roseman could get in a trade for him have frozen over. McKee, who entered the season third on the depth chart after failing to beat Andy Dalton for the No. 2 spot, had 215 yards on 45 attempts Sunday in a loss to the Panthers. He’s not going to save the Eagles’ season.

How bad will it get? Will head coach Nick Sirianni survive? Will multiple stars be traded before the deadline? It seems like that’s the only drama left this Eagles season.
(1-5, LW: 26)

The Buccaneers led 16-3 going into the fourth quarter against the Steelers. They were close to winning a couple of games without Baker Mayfield, who is seemingly set to return in Week 7. But the Buccaneers’ offense came crashing back to reality and Todd Bowles’ defense couldn’t get a stop. Tampa Bay gained 47 yards in the fourth quarter and overtime, with two possessions ending in interceptions. The Steelers had five possessions in the fourth quarter and overtime, not counting a kneeldown at the end of the fourth quarter, and scored points on all five (two drives came off those Jalon Daniels interceptions).

The difference in winning that game and losing, falling to 1-5 while the Panthers improved to 3-2 with a win at Philadelphia, is huge.

“We’ve got no margin for error,” Bowles said, according to the team’s site.
(1-4-1, LW: 25)

Jayden Daniels throwing the ball away even though it was fourth down and Dan Quinn seemingly not knowing it was fourth down at all says everything that needs to be said about the 2026 Commanders. If that wasn’t enough on Monday night, after last week’s game-management debacle at the end of overtime against the Giants, the Commanders had to use a timeout with the clock stopped with 3:01 left in the game before a fourth down play. That ended up costing Washington a valuable 40 seconds, as it ran out of time on a comeback attempt in a 23-17 loss to the 49ers. Washington has a bye coming up next, and whatever answers Quinn gives to why he seemingly didn’t know it was fourth down will be a big discussion point, not just among fans and media, but also within the organization. It seems like a team in desperate need of a reset.
(2-4, LW: 29)

Nick Rallis was under heat after the first five games. He has been Arizona’s defensive coordinator since 2023, survived a head coaching change, and none of his defenses have ranked better than 21st in yards allowed. A slow start to the season with new head coach Mike LaFleur had people wondering if Rallis was close to being replaced.

Rallis bought himself some time. The Cardinals had a shocking win Sunday led by their defense, which held the Rams under 300 yards and to 16 points. The Cardinals kept the pressure on Matthew Stafford and forced him and the Rams’ offense into a poor game. That relieves a lot of pressure, and provides hope this season.

“We needed that turnaround,” defensive lineman L.J. Collier told the team’s site. “We balled today on all fronts.”
(2-4, LW: 28)

It’s troubling that the Saints allowed J.J. McCarthy to throw for 243 yards in the fourth quarter off the bench and a 34-10 lead turned into a game the Saints almost lost. But as much as we like to believe it should never happen, teams that are up big sometimes let down, and it’s hard to get that back if the opponent rallies. Let’s assume that’s what happened after the Giants benched Jameis Winston.

If we excuse the final 11 minutes, the Saints played their best game in weeks. Tyler Shough shook off a terrible game against the Vikings to throw for three touchdowns. New Orleans rushed for 175 yards. The Saints’ defense is why Winston got benched. An upcoming three-game stretch against the Steelers in Paris, then hosting the Browns and Panthers, could change the NFC South race in New Orleans’ favor.
(2-4, LW: 21)

The Falcons rallied in the fourth quarter but they were terrible for the first 50 minutes. They trailed the Bears 31-7. The Falcons deserve credit for fighting back. They had a shot to tie it when they had the ball trailing 31-23 in the final minutes, though a sack and a fumble ruined that. But rallies like that after it seems the result of the game has been decided can give false hope. The Falcons were miserable against a questionable Bears defense until that late rally, and Atlanta’s defense allowed Caleb Williams to complete 30-of-36 passes for 305 yards.

“I’m obviously proud of how we continue to fight, but to start like we started is really, really disappointing,” Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski said, via the team’s site.

The Falcons have had three awful games, two great ones, and one in which they played well but failed at the end against the Ravens. That makes them very hard to judge going forward. One thing is clear: Atlanta can’t have another game in which Bijan Robinson gets only nine carries, which is what happened Sunday.
(2-4, LW: 20)

Nobody questioned the Cowboys’ offense. Through four games Dallas averaged 30.5 points per game and was third in the NFL in EPA per play, trailing only San Francisco and Buffalo. Then, over the last two games, its offense has disappeared against Tampa Bay and Green Bay, neither of which has a great defense.

The Cowboys are averaging 14.5 points over their last two games and slipped to 19th in EPA per play. Their defense isn’t good enough to overcome that.

“Because of the lack of a running game, we’re a little bit one-sided and the best way to be on offense as a unit is to have balance,” Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said, according to ESPN.

The running game is a problem. Dallas has just 98 rushing yards total over the last two games, it has reached 100 yards in a game just once and rank 31st in rushing yards per game. It’s also accurate that the Cowboys looked completely unprepared for a blitz-heavy approach from the Packers, and that could be a coaching issue. Perhaps getting the run game going will dissuade future opponents from blitzing on most downs.
(3-2-1, LW: 16)

The Giants officially have a quarterback controversy, if it’s even controversial. J.J. McCarthy replaced Jameis Winston and threw for 243 yards in 11 minutes. It would be a surprise if he’s not given a start, though perhaps New York wants to wait for his first start with a tough Houston defense up next.

The other weird story from Sunday’s loss was Cam Skattebo getting zero carries. He fumbled in overtime against the Commanders in Week 5, but it’s hard to believe him not getting a carry was due only to that. It’s harder to believe John Harbaugh, who tried to gaslight everyone by saying Skattebo wasn’t benched.
(4-2, LW: 22)

The Browns have four very close wins in the final minutes, and the last two victories came in the final 10 seconds. They’re 21st in DVOA. In betting terms, they have the longest odds to win the AFC North despite being in first place right now. This is not sustainable, especially with an offense that is 29th in DVOA, which is why they’re not higher than 19th. But it is a lot of fun right now in Cleveland.

One thing that shouldn’t change is the defense will keep the Browns in games. That unit is ninth in DVOA. Linebacker Carson Schwesinger, last season’s NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, is a star and his forced fumble on Derrick Henry in the fourth quarter led to a Browns touchdown and turned around the game.

“It’s been an unbelievable credit to our team, especially our defense,” Browns head coach Todd Monken said, according to the team’s site. “Early on, after 10 points, shutting them out and constantly getting us the ball back and giving us a chance to win.”
(3-3, LW: 12)

The Raiders caught a very tough part of the schedule after a 3-0 start. They faced the Chiefs, Patriots and Bills, who are a combined 14-3. The Raiders were blown out at New England but led Kansas City in the fourth quarter and were tied with Buffalo in the fourth quarter. A three-game losing streak isn’t what the Raiders wanted, but it is not unreasonable. Of course, the team wasn’t happy with coming close against top competition.

“We have to find ways to win those games,” Raiders center Tyler Linderbaum said, according to the team’s site. “To be happy that we’re close with teams like that, I don’t think that’s a good mindset to have.”

The Raiders face perhaps the most interesting game of Week 7 as they host a Rams team that is 2-4 and just got embarrassed at home by the Cardinals. The Raiders will be looking to finally break through against a talented team, but that won’t be easy.
(2-4, LW: 24)

The 2025 Texans started 0-3, blew out a hapless Titans team, then got a 44-10 win against the Ravens and that led to a 12-5 record and a playoff berth. This season’s Texans started 0-4, blew out a hapless Titans team and then got a huge 34-31 win against a good Jaguars team in London. The next four games are vs. Giants, at Chargers, at Browns, vs. Colts. Those teams rank 28th, 31st, 21st and 25th in DVOA. Nothing is guaranteed in the NFL, but there’s an opportunity for the Texans to be 6-4 in a month.

The play of C.J. Stroud offers long-term optimism. He led all quarterbacks in EPA per play in Week 6 through Sunday’s games, and did so against a Jaguars defense that was playing well. Stroud has been up and down this season, but has generally been good as long as Nico Collins is in the lineup. If he continues to play well, digging out of an 0-4 hole is very possible.
(4-2, LW: 17)

Are the Steelers doing it again? Nothing about them is impressive … except their record. That’s a recurring theme for the Steelers in recent seasons. Pittsburgh trailed 16-3 through three quarters on Sunday and came all the way back to win in overtime. They won despite not having a play longer than 19 yards. They averaged 3.9 yards per play.

Aaron Rodgers’ performance summed up the day, and the Steelers’ start as well. Against Tampa Bay, he had a negative EPA per play and a very low 3.91-yard average depth of target, according to Sumer Sports. Somehow the Steelers got the win. And they’re two games over .500 with Rodgers being below average across the board in his age-42 season.
(2-4, LW: 10)

The most telling comment from the Rams’ loss probably came from running back Kyren Williams, who seemingly isn’t happy that he’s sharing snaps with Blake Corum. He was asked why the offense has inconsistent energy.

“Can’t tell you, bro,” Williams said. “Probably because I’m not out there.”

Williams played 72.4% of the snaps against the Cardinals, and Corum did have 60 total yards and a touchdown. It’s not like he was ineffective. But the Rams should be frustrated with a 2-4 start, and Williams was willing to share it.
(4-2, LW: 18)

There are many teams that are impossible to rank after six weeks. The Packers were so bad through four weeks, despite a 2-2 record, that plenty of fans wanted Matt LaFleur fired immediately. Through three weeks this season they had lost seven of eight going back to last season. They couldn’t run the ball or protect Jordan Love and Green Bay’s defense was below average. The Packers barely beat the Buccaneers and Jets, who are a combined 3-9. The first month was bad, and there shouldn’t be any revisionist history about that.

Then the last two weeks, the Packers blew out the Bears and Cowboys, and are suddenly 4-2 and on a roll. Had you just watched the last two games and nothing else, you’d think the Packers might be a top-five team at worst. But the first four weeks did happen too. The Packers still struggle mightily to run the ball and to protect Love, though the QB was masterful against pressure on Sunday night. Green Bay, like many other teams this season, is hard to figure out.
(3-2, LW: 15)

Bryce Young continues to shine. He had 281 passing yards and two touchdowns against a pretty good Eagles defense. He’s up to 1,549 yards, 11 touchdowns and two interceptions for the season. It’s one of the most stunning turnarounds in recent NFL history.

“It says that man should be winning MVP,” Panthers tight end Tommy Tremble, who had both touchdown catches against the Eagles, told the team’s site. “He’s the best quarterback in the league, man. He’s balling.”

While the Buffalo Bills might argue that Young is the best QB in the league, he is playing very well. And he has help: Chuba Hubbard rushed for 120 yards, Tremble caught two touchdowns and Jalen Coker and Tetairoa McMillan combined for 183 yards. Offensive coordinator Brad Idzik took over play-calling duties this season and if this production continues he’ll be a hot name on the head-coaching carousel next offseason.
(4-2, LW: 14)

If you haven’t watched a game or looked at any stats, you’d think the Broncos are having a great season. They’re 4-2 against the second-toughest schedule in the NFL, according to DVOA. Their group of quality wins against the Jaguars, Rams and Seahawks is arguably the best in the league.

That’s what makes the Broncos so confusing. They have looked bad for most of this season, especially on offense, but find ways to win games. Quarterback Bo Nix’s 4.9-yard average depth of target is 701st of 701 qualified quarterback seasons through six weeks across the last 20 years, according to CBS Sports’ Doug Clawson. The offense has been beyond broken, no matter who is calling plays. But yet, they’re 4-2 against a brutal schedule and that’s hard to argue with.
(3-2, LW: 13)

The Lions’ bye was well timed. The next two weeks they host the Packers and Vikings. Those two games will determine if they’re a factor in a tough NFC North race or not.

They are also getting reinforcements. Center Cade Mays and safety Brian Branch are expected to return from injuries. The Branch return is very interesting for a defense that needs some help, though Branch can’t be guaranteed to solve all problems as he comes off a torn Achilles. When healthy, Branch is a difference maker, but it remains to be seen if the injury cost him any explosiveness. He won’t get a full snap share right away, Lions coach Dan Campbell said Monday. But just having him and Mays back gives the Lions hope that they can make a statement in the division race over the next two games.
(3-2, LW: 9)

The Bengals’ first game after their bye is a huge one as they face the Ravens in Baltimore. Lamar Jackson’s health will be the biggest topic of the week in Baltimore and Cincinnati.

The good news for the Bengals so far is that Joe Burrow has been cooking. He has 1,361 yards, 11 touchdowns and two interceptions. His 71.4% completion percentage would be the best of his career for a full season. His 104.4 passer rating would be the third-best of his career. The best stat might be that he has been sacked only five times. The 4.55% sack percentage would be the lowest of his career by far — it has never been below 6% over a season in his career. Right tackle Amarius Mims becoming one of the NFL’s best offensive linemen is a big reason.

The Jaguars looked very good through four weeks, but the London trip was not great for them. They were very lucky to escape with a 1-1 record on the trip, thanks to Philadelphia’s game-management error gifting Jacksonville a last-second field goal to win. The Jaguars’ defense had a big letdown against Houston as it allowed C.J. Stroud to pick them apart. Instead of knocking the Texans out of the AFC South race, Houston now still lingers with an easy four-game stretch of their schedule coming up. It was a very disappointing outcome for a team that looked like it was one of the few to look like a trustworthy contender after the season’s first month.

Still, a 4-2 start isn’t a bad outcome, and the Jaguars don’t seem concerned.

“I’ve got a lot of confidence in this team,” Jaguars coach Liam Coen said after the game. “We didn’t get the result we wanted. We’re not going to change a thing about our process.”
(3-3, LW: 6)

Seattle is another tough team to rank. Logically, the Seahawks are much better than their 3-3 record. However, their flaws are evident and it’s clear they are not the same level as last season. That was going to be hard to replicate after a dominant, special championship season, but it’s still disappointing to see the offense bogged down without a reliable running game (letting Kenneth Walker III walk in free agency looks worse each week) and much in the passing game aside from Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

All of the offensive issues have affected Sam Darnold, who is turning it over way too much. His overtime interception against a Broncos team that could not move the ball on offense cost the Seahawks that game. It’s not all his fault but after seven interceptions in what amounts to four full games, he has to clean it up.

“I just think it’s BS for me to keep turning the ball over,” Darnold said after the loss to the Broncos. “It’s not fair to our defense, it’s not fair to our special teams group, not fair really to the entire team. I’ve got to be better that way.”
(4-2, LW: 11)

The Patriots lost 13-10 at Seattle in the opener, when they were in position to kick a game-tying field goal at the end. If that turns out different, we’re having a much different conversation about the Patriots. They have blown out the Steelers and Raiders, who have had some good moments this season. They won at the Bills. The win over the Jets might not have been dominant but they were up 10 points going into the final minute.

Of course, the Patriots’ season turned when Drake Maye started to heat up. Through three games he had 585 yards, one touchdown and six interceptions. In the three games since he has 878 yards, 10 touchdowns and one interception. A.J. Brown is back (though Romeo Doubs went on injured reserve with a shoulder injury) so the Patriots’ offense should continue to flourish.
(4-2, LW: 8)

The 31-23 win over the Falcons wasn’t really that close. The Bears let down in the fourth quarter, turning a 31-7 lead into a one-score game. That’s not ideal but the way they played through three quarters in Caleb Williams’ return was impressive.

Cornerback Kyler Gordon’s odd 2026 took a positive turn. Gordon had missed the offseason and the first five games due to a calf injury, prompting questions about his future with the team. In just 17 snaps on Sunday, Gordon had three sacks and one forced a fumble in the final minutes with the Falcons trailing by eight points. He’s the first Bears defensive back with three sacks in a game since Todd Bell in 1983. He’s just the second defensive back in NFL history with three sacks and two forced fumbles in a game, joining Rod Kush of the Houston Oilers in 1985, according to the Bears’ site. His playmaking will be welcomed on the Bears’ defense.
(5-0, LW: 7)

Jordan Mason’s return from a broken thumb, which should happen in Week 7, won’t create big headlines but it’s important for the Vikings. Aaron Jones Sr. filled in well, but he’s 31 years old and asking him to handle almost all of the running back duties was not a long-term plan. Mason and Jones form a good committee, and they can resume their roles. The Vikings face the reeling Colts this week before a four-game stretch that will define their season: at Lions, vs. Bills, at Packers, vs. 49ers (in Mexico City). If they beat the Colts and go 2-2 in the four games that follow, they’ll be in great shape.
(4-2, LW: 4)

With so many teams that should have been good this season struggling, it’s hard to penalize the Ravens in these rankings too much for a last-second loss with Lamar Jackson out. If Jackson was out for an indefinite period maybe the Ravens’ outlook wouldn’t be as positive, but he could be back as soon as Week 7. Baltimore is still a very good team that is close to being 6-0. The Ravens need him back, as they face a huge AFC North game against the Bengals. Going 1-1 in two road games with Tyler Huntley at quarterback wasn’t the worst outcome, even if Sunday’s loss on a field goal as time expired to the Browns was disappointing.

“I think that’s one we definitely should’ve won,” safety Kyle Hamilton said, via the team’s site. “You let a team stay around, they’re going to find momentum. The defense, we’ve got to go out there and get some stops at the end, ice the game”
(5-1, LW: 3)

Josh Allen had a highlight that will be replayed often through the years, when his career is discussed. Allen was under pressure and at about the 14-yard line he flipped it backhanded almost 20 yards into the end zone to an open Keon Coleman for a touchdown. We’ve seen the highlights of Brett Favre making those plays for decades and the same should be the same for Allen. It was a masterful improvisation.

“I was just trying to make a play,” Allen said, via the team’s site. “They play really good defense. Kind of stepped up in the pocket, felt somebody coming from the left side there, stepped back and again, quick eyes saw our guy open and gave him a chance.”
(5-0, LW: 2)

It’s hard to believe that an offense with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback has been turned over to another player, but Kenneth Walker III’s impact on the Chiefs can’t be understated. Walker had another 128 yards and two touchdowns on the ground as the Chiefs easily beat the Chargers 22-6. Walker leads the NFL with 665 rushing yards, even though Kansas City has already had its bye. His 133 rushing yards per game puts him on pace for 2,261 rushing yards. Since 1984, Eric Dickerson has held the NFL’s single-season record with 2,105 yards.

Walker’s candidacy for MVP will be discussed, but it’s still a long shot because voters have turned it into a quarterback award. Adrian Peterson was the last non-quarterback to win and that came back in 2012. The MVP has gone to a quarterback 18 of the last 19 seasons. But if Walker can get to 2,000 yards, it might give him a chance.
(6-0, LW: 1)

The Mike Evans injury is scary for the 49ers, because they don’t have much left at receiver. Deebo Samuel Sr. was out on Monday night with a hamstring injury. De’Zhaun Stribling, Demarcus Robinson and Ricky Pearsall are on IR. Brock Purdy is playing very well but he needs something at receiver. The offense struggled in the second half with 67 net yards, 65 of which came on the first drive of the half. That’s hard to believe from a Kyle Shanahan-coached team, but the 49ers were playing receivers that were nowhere near their plans when the season started. The 49ers’ bad injury luck has been startling, and it could end up affecting what could be a special season.

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