NFL Week 6 – The Contenders Emerge
As the ever eventful, entertaining and drama filled NFL weeks go by, patterns begin to emerge. THAT team is a bust! THAT draft pick was a waste! THAT contract was DEFINITELY not worth it! THAT GM needs to go! We see the well organised rise above the average! The disciplined rise above the fuss and glamour of certain names who secured past glories! Yes, this is the Gaelic Gridiron Week Six review and it is apparent that there are some teams, coaches and GMs that fully deserve plenty of praise for their progress and impressive performances.
Ravens Return to Top Form
With the perfect starters, the Vikings (yes Kev, we know!) and the Chiefs, recharging their batteries during their respective Bye Weeks, it was the turn of the Baltimore Ravens to throw their hat into the ring as Super Bowl contenders. The Ravens look a formidable force with an under-the-radar 4-2 record that has seen them embark on a four win after stumbling to a 0-2 start. Derrick Henry (RB) and Zay Flowers (WR) are an exciting duo: and serve as the perfect foil for dual threat QB Lamar Jackson. Jackson has really found his form: this week delivering 323 yards in offensive gains for his team: completing 26 of 30 passes. Henry topped the league rankings with 132 yards rushing and two TDs. Flowers recorded 132 yards from nine receptions. There is no doubt the Ravens are re-emerging as a force to be reckoned with!
Ravens 30 Commanders 23
Oh, How The Mighty Have Fallen
The New England Patriots and the Dallas Cowboys are in free fall. If you had suggested these two franchises would be in this situation ten years ago, you would have been taken away as part of a concussion protocol test. Alas this weekend we witnessed the Dallas Cowboys worst loss since 1988 (Vikings 43 Cowboys 3) and the Patriots were humbled by the relatively young upstart Houston Texans! The Cowboys went undefeated at home last season: this season they have recorded three home losses from three games played at the AT&T Stadium: their defense was bamboozled and conceded over five hundred yards to a ravenous Lions: ALL on Jerry Jones’s birthday. CJ Stroud had a productive game against the struggling Patriots, with 20 completions from 31: recording three touchdowns from 192 yards (astonishingly, he is ranked 21st of Week Six’s 30 active QBs!) Â
Cowboys 9 Lions 47
Patriots 21 Texans 41
Williams Enjoys First London Outing
Caleb Williams enjoyed his first London outing of his career with an impressive four TD display against a floundering Jacksonville Jaguars. The 2022 Heisman Trophy Winner, completed 23 for 29 attempts and displayed a precision that had the Bears (and neutral) fans in London enraptured. He found Keenan Allen twice on the day: helping the veteran to record his first ever Bears TDs! It was another worrying day for a Jags franchise who are trying to extend their international reach to Wurope; especially their newly confirmed Irish market. This is a struggle, given it is a market that has already displayed a loyalty to the Pittsburgh Steelers and showcased its readiness to successfully host American Football events at the Croke Park stadium and the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. It would make for quite the spectacle if the NFL assigned these two franchises to Ireland next year; especially given Roger Goddell’s comments this weekend.Â
Bears 35 Jaguars 16
There we have it! Week Six is in the books and we are ALREADY over one third of the way through the 2024 season! How are your team getting on? Are we due more coaching casualties? Are they the fall guys for the failures of many scouting departments and GMs to fully prepare their teams for the inevitable grind that is the NFL season? The inevitable conclusion is … we get to see what Week Seven brings! And I say bring it on!!
The Gaelic Gridiron family, despite all the rivalries and competitive grudges, would like to extend our heartfelt best wishes to Jim Harbaugh and Aidan Hutchinson: wishing both men all the best in their respective recoveries.