Our Search for A Dominant Team Continues

The only thing for sure about the 2025 NFL regular season is that we know nothing with 12 weeks remaining.  

Through the early window of Week 6, there’s no dominant team, leading to surprising results regularly. On Thursday, the Giants handled the Eagles with ease, limiting Philadelphia to 17 points. On Sunday morning, the Jets accounted for minus-10 passing yards and still almost won, ending the game a few yards from field-goal range in a 13–11 loss to the Broncos. 

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Meanwhile, the Cardinals-Colts matchup in Indianapolis was tight despite Kyler Murray being inactive. The Chargers and Dolphins came down to the final seconds, even with Tua Tagovailoa throwing a pair of interceptions. The Panthers and Cowboys were also tied late, with Bryce Young throwing for 199 yards and three touchdowns.

On a day when the slate didn’t feature any great matchups outside of 49ers-Buccaneers in the late window, the action only reinforced the notion that we don’t have an elite team in the NFL

Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold

Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold passed for 295 yards and two touchdowns in Seattle’s win over Jacksonville on Sunday. / Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

Seattle won 10 games last year. It could have just stood pat. Instead, general manager John Schneider traded Geno Smith for a third-round pick, receiver DK Metcalf for a second, and invested a three-year, $100 million contract in Sam Darnold. 

The result? A 4–2 record, while Darnold is continuing his rise to stardom, we saw in Minnesota, where last year he threw for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns while leading the Vikings to a 14–3 mark.

On Sunday, Darnold threw for 295 yards on 10.9 yards per attempt, with two touchdowns, while third-year receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught eight passes for 162 yards and a score. All told, Darnold ranks in the top seven in passing yardage (1,541) and touchdown passes (11), while Smith-Njigba is pacing the league with 700 yards through six games. 

If Darnold and Smith-Njigba can continue growing their chemistry while the Seahawks remain stingy defensively (eighth in yards per play and 12th in points per game), they’re a threat in the wide-open NFC West.

Mike Evans has 11 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. Emeka Egbuka is a leading candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year. Chris Godwin has reached the Pro Bowl and posted 7,318 career yards. Jalen McMillan had eight touchdowns in 2024 as a rookie. Running back Bucky Irving is an emerging star.

After Egbuka left Sunday’s game against the 49ers with a hamstring injury, all five are now injured to varying degrees.

Still, Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers are making it work. Tampa Bay is 5–1 and comfortably leading the NFC South, with nobody else even at four wins. Mayfield is playing at an MVP level, throwing for 1,539 yards and 12 touchdowns against one interception.

For Tampa Bay, there could be a silver lining. Mayfield is playing at an elite level despite playing with preseason-level skill-position talent. The defense has been forced to make plays, such as Lavonte David’s game-turning interception in a 35–35, fourth-quarter tie last week against the Seahawks. And, considering all the injuries are relatively short-term, the Buccaneers should only get better.

Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco

Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco threw for 219 yards and two touchdowns in his first start for the Bengals on Sunday. / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Earlier this week, Cincinnati took a necessary chance. After watching Jake Browning throw eight interceptions across three starts (four appearances), losing by a combined 113–37 in those games, the Bengals swapped 2026 late-round picks with the Browns for 40-year-old Joe Flacco.

The hope was that Flacco would revive the offense in the absence of Joe Burrow, who is out a minimum of three months with turf toe. Unfortunately, his first showing as a Bengal didn’t provide winning results. 

In a 27–18 loss to the Packers, Flacco threw for 219 yards for 4.5 yards per attempt and two touchdowns. On nine drives, Cincinnati managed 50 yards just three times, all in the second half. 

The offense playing better in the final 30 minutes is encouraging, but the unit has a long way to go before being a threat against a decent defense.

With CeeDee Lamb sidelined, the Cowboys haven’t lost. Dallas fans can thank George Pickens.

Pickens was acquired from the Steelers for a third-round pick this offseason, while entering a contract year. The 24-year-old has responded with an excellent effort, catching 32 passes for 525 yards and six touchdowns through six weeks, including a 168-yard effort against the Panthers on Sunday in a 30–27 loss. 

The questions around Pickens have never been about talent, but more so his inability to control his emotions. Thus far, he’s kept himself in check with the Cowboys and is playing elite football. Entering Sunday, he ranked 15th in receiving yardage, and after dominating Carolina, he could find himself in the top 10 by day’s end. 

At 2-3-1, Dallas needs Pickens to keep playing like a star. The Cowboys have struggled mightily on defense, coming into Week 6 as the 32nd-ranked unit in yards and 30th in points allowed. Realistically, the path to the playoffs in Dallas is going to be outsourcing enough teams to qualify.

In that regard, few players on the Cowboys’ roster are more critical than Pickens.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh can only watch as his team dropped to 1-5 on the season after losing to the Rams on Sunday. / Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

At 1–5, it’s likely over for the Ravens in terms of making the playoffs. That’s true even if Lamar Jackson doesn’t miss another game. 

Jackson has been out the past two weeks with a hamstring injury, but his absence is far from the only issue in Baltimore. The Ravens gave up 44 points last week to the Texans, who, even with that outburst, rank just 21st in points per game. This weekend, Baltimore lost 17–3 to the Rams, giving it three consecutive home losses for the first time since 2021. 

The latest loss can be encapsulated with a few notes. For starters, three turnovers, including a pair of lost fumbles. Then there was the sequence before halftime with the score 3–3, when Baltimore had second-and-goal from the 1-yard line and ran two direct snaps to tight end Mark Andrews before handing off to Derrick Henry, who was stuffed at the line. 

At some point, the Ravens have to look within. The turnovers are absurd, with six over the past two weeks. The defense ranked 31st coming into Sunday. The coaching has left plenty to be desired, whether it’s multiple direct snaps to Andrews, or not trying to ice the Week 1 game in Buffalo, needing two yards, and so forth.

Injuries can only explain so much of what has been the most disappointing season in the Ravens’ 30-year history.

Who is the NFL’s great team and does it even exist?

Looking around the league, there has been little separation between the average and good teams. The Eagles and Bills fell from the unbeaten ranks last weekend, keeping the 1972 Dolphins safe for at least another year. The Jets are the only winless team, something that may not change soon

Ultimately, it’s been a race to the middle. Going into Sunday, a staggering 17 teams either had two or three wins, including a whopping 11 of 16 NFC teams. In the AFC, the three-time defending conference champs are 2–3 in Kansas City, while the Ravens are 1–5.

Then there are the defending-champion Eagles, who have lost two straight, including a 34–17 thrashing at the hands of the previously one-win Giants. Philadelphia’s season has been defined by drama, whether it’s A.J. Brown’s happiness or the increasing angst around first-time offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo

The best argument for a dominant team probably centers around the Lions or Buccaneers. Tampa Bay is 5–1 to lead the NFC while Detroit is 4–1 and playing on Sunday night. After losing in Week 1, the Lions have averaged 40.2 points per game, while the Buccaneers have wins over the 49ers, Falcons, Texans and Seahawks, while rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka has 469 yards to rank fourth in the NFL entering Sunday. 

Still, the Lions have myriad defensive injuries, including corners D.J. Reed and Terrion Arnold, while Tampa Bay’s four victories have come in the final seconds.

It’s a weird year so far, with nobody stepping up as the clear favorite.

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye tossed three touchdowns in New England’s win New Orleans on Sunday. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

New England was a trendy pick to make the playoffs after winning only four games in 2024. Under new coach Mike Vrabel, they’ve already matched that win total. 

The Patriots handled the Saints 25–19 in New Orleans, moving to within a half-game of the Bills for the AFC East lead. New England’s transformation begins with Vrabel and second-year quarterback Drake Maye, who torched the Saints for 261 passing yards and three touchdowns, including two by Kayshon Boutte. 

Maye showed glimpses of what he could become as a rookie, throwing 15 touchdowns and completing 66.6% of his attempts despite a one-and-done coach in Jerod Mayo and an offense led in receiving yards by Hunter Henry with 674.

This season, Maye has reached another level. Highlighted by last week’s 23–20 prime-time win over Buffalo, Maye has thrown for 1,522 yards and 10 touchdowns, helping New England to its best start since the 2019 season, when Tom Brady was still under center.

And the Patriots could make a run, with their next two games against the Titans and Browns, who have a combined two wins. 

Los Angeles snapped its two-game losing streak with a last-second, 29–27 win over the 1–5 Dolphins. It’s a good result despite an ugly game. 

The Chargers deserve credit for winning despite a crush of offensive injuries, including tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater, receiver Quentin Johnston, running backs Najee Harris and Omarion Hampton, and others. 

However, warning signs are looming. Los Angeles is 4–2 and tied atop the AFC West with the Broncos, potentially two games ahead of the Chiefs if the Lions beat them on Sunday night. However, the Chargers have a tough road ahead, including road games against Kansas City and Denver, along with home dates against the Steelers, Colts, Eagles and Texans, all of whom made the playoffs last year, save for Indianapolis, which is 5–1. 

It stands to reason that Los Angeles will eventually get healthier and make an acquisition at the Nov. 4 trade deadline. That said, the schedule gets challenging, and after starting 3–0, the Chargers have looked anything but consistent. Facing the one-win Dolphins, Los Angeles allowed 6.1 yards per play, including 137 rushing yards. 

The Chargers have the benefit of playing in a horrific AFC, but to be a true contender, they’ll need to step up.

Browns rookie QB Dillon Gabriel

The Browns’ offense, now operated by rookie Dillon Gabriel, have yet to score 20 points in a game this season. / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Scoring 20 points is a regular occurrence for most teams. For the Browns, that’s a pipe dream. 

After losing 23–9 to the Steelers on Sunday, Cleveland is now 1–5 while averaging 13.6 points per game. Cleveland is the only team not to score at least 20 points in any contest, with every other team doing it at least twice. 

The Browns are already on their second starting quarterback after benching and then trading Joe Flacco, giving the keys to rookie third-round pick Dillon Gabriel. After going 19-of-33 for 190 yards and two touchdowns in his debut against the Vikings, Gabriel found life tougher in Pittsburgh, with a line of 29-of-52 for 221 yards (4.3 yards per attempt) while being sacked six times. 

Cleveland has been a national embarrassment since re-entering the league in 1999, reaching the playoffs only three times and winning one postseason game. While there have been some epic lowlights for the Browns, including a winless 2017 campaign after winning one game the year before, it once again feels hopeless in Cleveland. 

If there’s any good news, the Browns have a pair of first-round picks, including Jacksonville’s, giving them ammunition to find a franchise quarterback if Gabriel and fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders don’t convince ownership to stick with them. 

But the 2026 draft is a long way off. In the meantime, the Dawg Pound is stuck watching the worst scoring offense in football for 11 more weeks.

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