15 key questions for NFL Week 6

Week 6 of the NFL season will see Patrick Mahomes face Tom Brady, the league’s first London game of the season, and a key AFC North matchup, not to mention a chance of snow in Denver. In other words, things are very much in place for a big and memorable week of action across the league. That’s not even counting the fact that several resurgent teams are looking to continue their momentum, while some are trying to turn things around before it gets late early.

Here are 15 of the biggest questions that will be answered as NFL Week 6 plays out.

1. How will Patrick Mahomes handle Foxboro?

The game of the week takes place at New England, where Patrick Mahomes leads the undefeated Chiefs against the Patriots. New England’s defense is definitely vulnerable — Blake Bortles picked it apart early in the season. That game, however, was in Jacksonville, and the Patriots are a different animal at home, boasting an unbeaten 3-0 record that accounts for all of their wins. They haven’t allowed more than 24 points in those contests, while the Chiefs have failed to hit the 30-point mark just once. This will be Mahomes’ biggest test yet. After all, this is where the Patriots wrecked the unbeaten season of the Miami Dolphins in a big way.

2. Will the seemingly resurgent Steelers make a statement at Cincinnati?

After weeks of inconsistency, the Steelers finally busted out a week ago with a dominant win over the Atlanta Falcons. Some were still left unimpressed, however, because Pittsburgh feasted on Atlanta’s injury-hit secondary. The 4-1 Bengals should provide a sterner test. Cincinnati is currently leading an AFC North that the Steelers have generally dominated in recent seasons, and a defeat here would put Pittsburgh’s divisional hopes in rather dire straits. A win, however, would flip the narrative and make the Steelers the team to watch going forward.

3. Does Ryan Tannehill have what it takes to stop Miami’s downward spiral?

After a 3-0 start to the season, Tannehill was the toast of Miami, but consecutive brutal games against New England and Cincinnati saw the Dolphins score a combined 24 points and raised new questions about where they really stand. That makes Sunday’s home game against the Bears a huge one. Miami still hasn’t lost at home, winning their first two, though the difficulty posed by Khalil Mack and Chicago’s defense is not to be ignored. Tannehill in particular has struggled lately. If that doesn’t change this week, the questions about whether he’s really Miami’s long-term answer will only grow louder.

4. How will the Rams handle the potential first snow game of the NFL season?

It’s October in Colorado, which means the weather is changing quickly. A check of Sunday’s forecast shows a chance of snow in Denver. That may be something to watch for both teams, but particularly the visiting Los Angeles Rams, who are used a bit nicer weather as they put their undefeated record to the test. It’s the first real cold weather game of the entire season, and the Rams will simply have to be prepared for it.

5. Will Ezekiel Elliott be able to puncture the talented Jacksonville defense?

The mighty Jacksonville defense is probably the last thing Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott needs to see right now, and odds are he’ll want to lean heavily on Ezekiel Elliott on Sunday. Elliott does create a difficult matchup for Jacksonville, but they will know that and be ready for it. Expect to see a lot of the game on his shoulders, as the Jaguars have the NFL’s third-best passing defense. Combined with Prescott’s struggles, that’s a recipe for disaster, so odds are Dallas will take their chances against a run defense that, while in the top half of NFL teams, isn’t quite as elite as their pass defense.

6. Will Tom Brady make a statement against a much-hyped opponent?

It’s rare that Brady goes into a game as the quarterback without the most hype behind him, but that’s exactly the case with the Patrick Mahomes show rolling into Foxboro. Brady has been his usual steady self this year, especially at home, so perhaps he’ll relish the fact that he has to seize the spotlight from Mahomes here. The Chiefs’ defense has allowed the most passing yards in the NFL this season, which has been somewhat overlooked in light of their dynamic offense. Brady will be licking his chops and has a real chance to put up gaudy numbers of his own.

7. Is Minnesota’s defense finally playing the way we expected?

The Vikings have had an odd season. Their defense, highly rated before the year, has actually struggled against good teams, giving up 29 to Green Bay and 38 to the Los Angeles Rams. However, they may have had a breakthrough a week ago at Philadelphia, when they dominated the game, scored a defensive touchdown, and looked as advertised. They have a very good matchup this week against an Arizona Cardinals team that has struggled, and it looks like a good chance to keep that momentum going.

8. What will Jameis Winston offer in his first start?

After a second-half cameo against the Chicago Bears followed by a bye week, Jameis Winston finally reclaims his starting spot under center for the Buccaneers. He still hasn’t played a full competitive game in a long time, so it’s worth asking if there will be rust. However, he’s been handed a favorable matchup against an Atlanta Falcons team that hasn’t played well defensively, even though it is a road game. In theory, Winston is going to have to show Tampa Bay something this year if he wants them to recommit to him long-term. That starts Sunday.

9. Can Mason Crosby salvage his confidence quickly after a disaster of a game?

Last Sunday in Detroit, Crosby had one of the worst kicking games you’ll ever see. He was lucky not to lose his job despite the internet’s concerns. Crosby has been consistent and solid for a while now, and the Packers hope one game will not going to change that. The challenge for Crosby now is ensuring that it does turn out to be just one game. He’ll likely get some chances against the San Francisco 49ers, and he’ll have to take them to keep this from becoming a kicking crisis. The good news? He made a late kick Sunday that, while much derided, could boost his confidence at least a little.

10. Will the inconsistent Titans keep their record up against another playoff contender?

The Titans have beaten the Jaguars and Eagles this season while also losing to the Buffalo Bills. In other words, it’s anyone’s guess as to which version shows up on Sunday. What may bode well is the fact that they are at home, and they’re facing a Baltimore Ravens team that had looked quite good up until last week’s flat performance against the Cleveland Browns. The challenge for the Titans is clear — the Ravens are good defensively, but then so were the Eagles, and they managed that one.

11. Will the Texans show it’s not too late to enter the divisional race?

The Texans have now won two straight after an 0-3 start, which has allowed them to actually climb back into the AFC South race thanks to everyone else’s struggles. The Bills can pull an upset — just as Minnesota and Tennessee — but the reality is the Texans have a great chance to move to 3-3 and essentially start from scratch. At worst, they’ll be one game out of the division lead, and if things go their way elsewhere, they can move into a tie atop the AFC South. That wouldn’t be bad after an 0-3 start.

12. Will Carolina’s defense tighten things up against Washington?

The Panthers looked like they had the New York Giants dead and buried a week ago before a frantic finish and Graham Gano kick from distance salvaged a 33-31 win. The Panthers will be pleased with that win, but not the performance, especially in light of how the Giants have looked against everyone else. Washington hasn’t put up great numbers offensively, so the opportunity will be there for the Panthers to steady the ship and get back on track.

13. Can the Browns’ improved defense contain Philip Rivers?

The Cleveland Browns have already faced Drew Brees this year, and they held him to 21 points and required the Saints to make a rather furious fourth-quarter comeback to beat them. That adds a level of intrigue to this week’s matchup against Philip Rivers and the Los Angeles Chargers. One ugly game against Oakland aside, the Browns have been solid and have shown that they can do the job against top quarterbacks. Rivers, 13th in the league in passing, is definitely one of them. Can they be up to the challenge again?

14. Which version of Sam Darnold and the Jets will show up?

The Jets might be the biggest boom-bust team in the league, having thoroughly blown out both the Detroit Lions and Denver Broncos while also looking like also-rans in their other three games. So what will we get on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts? It could be a good day for Sam Darnold against an Indianapolis defense that is in the top ten in terms of passing yardage allowed, but that’s the thing about Darnold and the Jets. You just never know with them, and Andrew Luck against their defense is worrisome. This could see a lot of points scored.

15. Will a trip to London improve the Raiders’ fortunes?

Jon Gruden against Pete Carroll in London probably looked a lot more alluring when it was originally scheduled, but both teams now enter with losing records and little hope of winning their respective divisions. Perhaps getting away from the U.S. will be good for the Raiders given how awfully they’ve started the season. The Seahawks will still pose a tough matchup for them, but if any team could benefit from a change of scenery and a bit of a different look, it’s probably Oakland.