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Two NFL teams – Philadelphia and San Francisco – enter Week 6 without a loss. Two NFL teams – Philadelphia and San Francisco – enter Week 6 without surrendering a point off their own turnovers. Coincidence?
Absolutely not.
Coaches call it sudden change, situational football in which a defense comes off the bench like firefighters answering a midnight alarm. And in those sudden-change circumstances, the teams that can suffocate an opponent’s fire are usually the best teams in the league.
In each of the prior three seasons, the team that has allowed the fewest points off its own turnovers – Green Bay in 2020 and 2021, and San Francisco in 2022 – has either finished with at least a share of the NFL’s best regular-season record, advanced to its conference championship game, or both. No question, excelling in sudden change can put a team on the doorstep of a Super Bowl.
Obviously, excelling in that category also is a product of limiting turnovers as an offense. And that symbiotic relationship, the offense protecting the ball and the defense having the back of the offense, is part of what makes football a true team sport.
Now, go impress your family and friends. And get ready for an exciting Week 6.
NFL clubs are a combined 41-37 (.526) as designated road teams this year, including the two international games. That’s the league’s best road record entering Week 6 since 2019, when the NFL was 43-34-1 (.558). The Detroit Lions (4-1) have a key road game this week, at Tampa Bay (3-1) in a battle of first-place teams on Sunday (4:25 PM ET, FOX). The Lions have won six of their last seven road games, dating to Week 10 of the 2022 season. Detroit also looks for its best start since opening 5-1 in 2011.
The number of Seahawks wins in the Eastern Time Zone, including the postseason, since the start of the 2018 season. Seattle, which again leads the NFL this year in air miles, is 16-4 (.800) over its last 20 games in the time zone. This week, Seattle (3-1) comes off its bye and plays its third of four consecutive road games in the time zone to open the 2023 season – at Cincinnati (2-3) on Sunday (1:00 PM ET, CBS). Cincinnati is bidding to become the first team in NFL history to rebound from two 0-2 starts and earn playoff berths in consecutive seasons. Last week, Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase recorded 15 receptions for 192 yards and three touchdowns. Chase, who had 11 receptions for 266 yards and three touchdowns in Week 17 of the 2021 season, is the first player in NFL history with multiple games of 10 receptions, 150 receiving yards and three touchdown receptions in his first three career seasons.
Last week, the Miami Dolphins (4-1) recorded 524 yards of total offense. In 2023, Miami has 2,568 total yards, the most by a team in its first five games of a season in NFL history, surpassing the 2000 St. Louis Rams (2,527). The Dolphins, who host The Carolina Panthers (0-5) on Sunday (1:00 PM ET, CBS), need 489 total yards of offense this week to break the NFL record for a team over its first six games of a season, held by the 2000 Rams (3,056). Last week, Dolphins rookie running back De'Von Achane rushed for 151 yards and one touchdown and wide receiver Tyreek Hill registered eight receptions for 181 yards and one touchdown. Achane (seven scrimmage touchdowns), Hill (five scrimmage touchdowns) and running back Raheem Mostert (eight scrimmage touchdowns) each have at least five scrimmage touchdowns this season. The Dolphins are the second team in NFL history with three players having at least five scrimmage touchdowns each in their team's first five games of a season, joining the 2011 New England Patriots (Benjarvus Green-Ellis, Rob Gronkowski and Wes Welker). Achane is out for a while as he has been placed on the injured reserve list with a knee injury with no timetable set for recovery.
Miami is the third team in NFL history with two players having at least seven scrimmage touchdowns in their team's first five games of a season, joining the 1966 Dallas Cowboys (Pro Football Hall of Famer Bob Hayes and Dan Reeves) and 1962 Dallas Texans (Chris Burford and Abner Haynes).
Achane is the second player in NFL history with at least seven touchdowns through his first four career games, joining Bill Paschal (eight touchdowns through his first four games in 1943 with the New York Giants). What’s more, Achane is the third player in NFL history with at least 100 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in three of his first four career games, joining Beattie Feathers (1934) and Pro Football Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson (2001).
Hill has 11 career games with at least 150 receiving yards and a touchdown reception, tied with Torry Holt (11 games) for the fourth-most such games by a player in his first eight career seasons in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famers Lance Alworth (16 games), Jerry Rice (14) and Calvin Johnson (12) have more.
The shores of Lake Erie will host one of the most anticipated individual matchups on the early season schedule when San Francisco (5-0) squares off with Cleveland (2-2) on Sunday (1:00 PM ET, FOX).
Cleveland defensive end Myles Garrett ranks second in the NFL with 80 sacks since entering the league as the No. 1 overall selection in the 2017 draft. In the Browns’ last game, he recorded his 80th sack in his 88th career game, tied with T.J. Watt (88 games) as the second-fastest player to reach 80 career sacks since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer Reggie White (71 games) reached the mark in fewer NFL games.
This week, Garrett lines up opposite San Francisco left tackle Trent Williams, a fixture on the last 10 NFL Pro Bowl rosters and a first-team All-Pro selection each of the past two years.
Cleveland’s defense has not allowed a point on its opponents’ initial drives at the beginning of all four games. The 49ers, meanwhile, have scored a touchdown in all five games on their first possessions.
San Francisco has won 15 consecutive regular-season games since Week 8 of the 2022 season, having scored at least 30 points in each of its past eight wins. The 49ers are the fifth team in NFL history to score 30 in eight consecutive regular-season games, joining the 1999-2000 St. Louis Rams (14 consecutive games), 2010-11 New England Patriots (13), 2012-13 Denver Broncos (11) and 2006-07 New England Patriots (nine).
Quarterback Brock Purdy (10-0 career as a starter) is expected to make his 11th regular-season start on Sunday. Among quarterbacks to launch their careers since the 1970 merger, Purdy is only the third to win each of his first 10 starts, joining Ben Roethlisberger (15 consecutive wins to begin career) and Mike Tomczak (10).
In his first 10 starts, Purdy has completed 183 of 260 pass attempts (70.4 percent) for 2,369 yards and 20 touchdowns, with two interceptions. His 121.1 passer rating is the highest in the NFL history for a quarterback over his first 10 starts, while his completion percentage ranks second behind Chad Pennington (70.8 percent).
Dating back to Week 13 of the 2022 season and including the postseason, San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey has recorded at least one scrimmage touchdown in 14 consecutive games. He is the fifth player in NFL history to register a touchdown in 14 straight games, including the postseason, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Lenny Moore (17 consecutive games from 1963-64), John Riggins (15, 1982-83), O.J. Simpson (15, 1974-75) and Emmitt Smith (14, 1995).
The Baltimore Ravens (3-2) and Tennessee Titans (2-3) close the 2023 London games on Sunday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (9:30 AM ET, NFLN). When Baltimore has possession, the NFL’s No. 3 red-zone offense will face the league’s No. 4 red-zone defense. The Ravens have 13 touchdowns on 18 red-zone trips (72.2 percent). Meanwhile, the Titans have allowed just six touchdowns in 17 red-zone possessions (35.3 percent). The Ravens also own the NFL’s stingiest defense in the red zone (three touchdowns in 12 opponent possessions, 25.0 percent).
The defense of the Jacksonville Jaguars (3-2) has forced a three-and-out to begin each of its first five games this season. This week, the Jaguars host the Indianapolis Colts (3-2) in a battle for first place in the AFC South on Sunday (1:00 PM ET, CBS).
New England (1-4) and Las Vegas (2-3), who meet at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday (4:05 PM ET, CBS), share several significant connections. Both Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels (in New England from 2001-08 and 2012-21) and general manager Dave Ziegler (2013-21) spent the majority of their NFL careers in the Patriots organization. Meanwhile, Pro Football Hall of Famer Ron Wolf, whose son Eliot Wolf currently serves as New England’s director of scouting, worked closely with another Pro Football Hall of Famer, Al Davis, in the Raiders’ front office from 1963-74 and 1979-89. Las Vegas quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (three seasons with the Patriots from 2014-16) and wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (four seasons with the Patriots from 2019-22), and New England offensive lineman Trent Brown (two seasons with the Raiders from 2019-20) are among the on-field connections between the two franchises.
Including the postseason, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has reached 300 passing yards 11 times in his young career, including each of the last two weeks. Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles (5-0) travel up the New Jersey Turnpike to face the New York Jets (2-3) on Sunday (4:25 PM ET, FOX). The Jets haven’t allowed a 300-yard passer in 23 straight games.
Buffalo (3-2) hopes to get back on track when the Bills host the New York Giants (1-4) on Sunday Night Football (8:20 PM ET, NBC). Last week as he led a late comeback attempt in London, quarterback Josh Allen beat the odds when he completed a 29-yard pass to Gabe Davis. According to Next Gen Stats, Allen on the pass had only a 12.1-percent completion probability – the lowest of the season. The completion set up a Buffalo touchdown two plays later.
Chicago (1-4) hosts Minnesota (1-4) on Sunday (1:00 PM ET, FOX) in a game featuring some of the league’s hottest offensive players.
In last week’s win, Chicago’s DJ Moore caught eight passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns. Moore became the first Bears player with 200 scrimmage yards and three scrimmage touchdowns in a game since Pro Football Hall of Famer Walter Payton in 1979.
Bears quarterback Justin Fields has eight touchdown passes over the past two weeks, four in each game. He is the first NFL player since Joe Burrow in Weeks 16-17 of 2021 with four-or-more touchdown passes and a 125-or-better passer rating in consecutive games.
Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins leads the NFL with 13 touchdown passes and 137 completions. He also ranks second with 1,498 passing yards.
The Vikings’ T.J. Hockenson leads all NFL tight ends with 30 receptions.
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