NFL Week 6: Notes and observations

The first game of the Week 6 NFL slate was a good one, with the Philadelphia Eagles taking down the Carolina Panthers by a 28-23 count at Bank of America Stadium.

On Sunday, there are 12 games on the docket, ending with the projected demolition of the New York Giants courtesy of the Denver Broncos. Before that, we have a litany of intriguing games and other with huge lines. Let’s take a look at what you should watch for.

• The New England Patriots are going to get right this weekend against the New York Jets this weekend. New England and New York are both 3-2, but the talent levels are on different planes. Expect Tom Brady to throw the ball all over the field against overmatched corners and linebackers, hitting Brandin Cooks and Rob Gronkowski for some big plays.

• The New Orleans Saints and Detroit Lions are getting after it at the Superdome on Sunday afternoon, and the winner makes a real statement here. Detroit is 3-2 and coming off a tough loss against Carolina, while the Saints saved their season with wins in Weeks 3 and 4, getting to 2-2 before their Week 5 bye week. Whoever gets the job done tomorrow looks at a potential playoff spot while the other loses a key tiebreaker and falls behind the competition.

• The Oakland Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers are playing a very important game for both AFC West teams this Sunday. Oakland was supposed to be one of the biggest threats to the Patriots this season, but the start has been ugly. After five games, the Raiders are 2-3 and facing a borderline must-win contest against the Chargers, who finally won a game last weekend against the lowly New York Giants. If Los Angeles is able to steal a road win here, the Chargers would actually climb into third place with the Raiders going into the basement.

• The Green Bay Packers have a chance to extend their lead in the NFC North over the Minnesota Vikings with a win this weekend at U.S. Bank Stadium. Green Bay is 4-1 and takes on a. Minnesota team without the services of quarterback Sam Bradford and wide receiver Stefon Diggs. The Vikings only real hope is to create some turnovers with their defense, led by Xavier Rhodes, Harrison Smith, Danielle Hunter and Linval Joseph. It’s a tall order for this group, considering it has to stop Aaron Rodgers, who could be the NFL MVP at the moment.