Get ready, folks. Week six in the NFL has some high-octane matchups on deck.
Philadelphia Eagles (4-1) at Carolina Panthers (4-1)
Week five saw Philly win a “battle of the birds” as they took down the Cardinals 34-7.
Carson Wentz is emerging as one of the league’s better quarterbacks. He threw for more than 300 yards in Sunday’s game against the Cardinals. Wentz currently ranks sixth in the NFL for passing yards (1,362) and passing touchdowns (10).
Another player to watch is Eagle tight end Zach Ertz. Ertz has posted at least 50 receiving yards in every game this season. Last time out he caught 6 passes for 61 yards, and he’s currently averaging 77.4 receiving yards per game.
Carolina defeated the Detroit Lions 27-24 in their last game. The defense faces a tall task to stop an Eagles team that is third in the NFL with 397.8 offensive yards per game. The Panthers are third in the league, allowing just 274 yards per game.
Former MVP Cam Newton balled out again, toasting Detroit for 355 yards and 3 touchdowns. Tight end Ed Dickson had a breakout game with 5 receptions for 175 yards. Receiver Devin Funchess has also been playing very well, scoring three touchdowns in his last two games.
The two heavyweights square off Thursday at 7:25 p.m. on CBS.
Green Bay Packers (4-1) at Minnesota Vikings (3-2)
Sunday marks the first 2017 matchup between these two NFC North rivals.
Aaron Rodgers proved yet again he thrives late in games. He led the Packers on a 75-yard game-winning drive, which ended with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Davante Adams, cementing the Packers’ 35-31 win against the Cowboys.
Heading into week six, Rodgers leads the NFL with 13 passing touchdowns. Look for him to potentially expose a Vikings secondary that has allowed the 20th most passing yards per game.
Viking Case Keenum led his team to a 20-17 victory over the Bears last week. Keenum has thrown more passes without an interception than anyone in the NFL aside from Drew Brees and Alex Smith.
Look for wide receiver Stefon Diggs to get back on track. Against the Bears, he caught just one pass for four yards, which was a surprise to many after his 98-yard performance versus Detroit.
Green Bay and Minnesota kick off at 12 p.m. Sunday on FOX.
Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2) at Kansas City Chiefs (5-0)
Pittsburgh suffered a 30-9 shellacking at the hands of the Jacksonville Jaguars last week. In the loss, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw five interceptions (two pick-sixes) and admittedly isn’t playing well enough. Kansas City must not be deceived; this team is still dangerous and will come playing angry.
The Steelers defense is still stout. Through six games, they are fourth in the NFL with 276.2 yards allowed per game, and sixth in points allowed per game (17.8). They will need help from Big Ben and the offense, who have failed to score a touchdown in three games.
Even with the Steelers’ recent struggles, the Chiefs have had this game marked on their calendar since January. In the 2017 AFC Divisional Round of the playoffs, KC fell at home to Pittsburgh 18-16.
Alex Smith led his squad to a 42-34 shootout win over the Texans. Smith continued his bid for league MVP, racking up 324 yards and 3 touchdowns through the air. After an injury to safety Stephen Terrell, the offense must produce if they want to avenge last year’s loss to the Steelers.
The Chiefs continue their quest for an undefeated season Sunday at 3:25 p.m. on CBS.
