Overreactions From Week Six Of The 2025-26 Season

Before we can get ready for the Thursday Night Football game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals, we have to look back at the fallout from Week 6. With 30 of the 32 teams in the NFL, let’s go through the list of top picks from Week 6 to determine what is an overreaction and what is an underreaction.

The Kansas City Chiefs will reach the Super Bowl.

appropriate reaction

The Chiefs didn’t play their best through the first six weeks of the season, yet they found themselves sitting at 3-3 with a huge primetime win over what was widely considered the best team in the NFL. Keep in mind, they won that game without their number one receiver, Rashi Rice, who returns to the field this weekend after completing his six-week suspension. There are even rumors circulating that members of the Chiefs organization have had private conversations with reporters saying they feel better about this year’s team than last year’s team. That should strike fear throughout the NFL because last year’s team made it to the Super Bowl. They don’t play every game close. They are actually showing their dominance over other teams, something we haven’t seen much of during the 2024-25 season. Based on how this group is built and the fact that they have reached three consecutive Super Bowls, they are a clear threat to return to the big game for a fourth straight year.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the best team in the NFL.

Overreaction

We’ve been doing this song and dance for a few weeks. Two weeks ago, the Philadelphia Eagles were the best team in the NFL. Last week, the crown passed to the Detroit Lions. Now, they are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. We have to remember that the NFL is a week-to-week league. A team that kills someone in early October can look like a stupid dog two weeks later. Don’t believe me? Just look at the Buffalo Bills! Do the Tampa Bay Buccaneers look like the best team in the league right now? Yes they do. Will that be the case when the season ends? It’s hard to say. Heading into Week 7, they are playing the best football of any team in the NFL. Then again, they lost to the Eagles two weeks ago. Hypothetically, doesn’t that mean Philadelphia is the best team in the league? But they just lost to the Giants. By this logic, Big Blue is the best team in the NFL. No single team is a favorite to win the Super Bowl. My money is still on the Lions to have the best record in the league because they are really good, even though they are not near full health. But for now, Tampa is named Week 7’s best team in the league.

Jaxson Dart will win the NFL Rookie of the Year award.

appropriate reaction

Although this award should go to Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, there are two factors working against him. First, he is currently dealing with an injury, and if he had to miss any significant amount of time or multiple games, it would be a huge blow to his candidacy. Second, and more importantly, the NFL and its voters will always value quarterback over any other position. Since 2019, four of the last six AP Offensive Rookie of the Year winners have been QBs. Fans are more superficial. Since the league teamed up with Pepsi and allowed fans to vote for the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year award beginning in 2002, 11 of the 23 winners have been quarterbacks. Out of 33 quarterbacks, Dart ranks 17th in QBR. He also has a better passer rating than longtime starters like Trevor Lawrence, Brock Purdy, Michael Penix Jr. and Geno Smith. While I don’t think wins are a quarterback’s stat, Dart could easily end up being the Rookie of the Year if the G-Men continue to pile up wins.

The Philadelphia Eagles will miss the postseason.

Overreaction

They may have lost a couple of games, but let’s not act like the sky is falling. They still lead the race for the NFC East with a 4-2 record, have a game in hand on the Cowboys, and also have head-to-head wins against potential playoff teams like the Buccaneers and the Rams. This will help them a lot if they end up not winning their division and competing for a Wild Card spot. Their schedule isn’t the easiest, but there are some potential wins on the docket. They must beat the Vikings, the Giants at home, the Bears at home, and the Raiders at home. This would give them eight wins. From there, they should be able to win the division if they beat the Cowboys again and split the season series with the leaders. Really, their playoff hopes will come down to the final three weeks of the year when they have to go to Washington, to Buffalo, and then face the leaders at home. If they can win both games against Washington, Philly will make the playoffs without having to worry too much. Even if the Leaders win both games, they could find some other wins along the way against perhaps the Packers or Lions.

The Chicago Bears are a playoff team.

appropriate reaction

The Chicago Bears are no longer a bad team, which is a step in the right direction toward eventually becoming a playoff team. If we’re being honest, the 2024-25 Bears will likely lose the games they play in Weeks 4 and 6 of this season. The fact that they have already managed to rack up back-to-back wins in encounters where it seemed like everything was going wrong is a good sign for the Windy City faithful. They should be able to beat the Saints, Bengals, and Browns, making it seven wins. If they can steal a game against the Packers, Giants, Vikings, or Eagles, they will be poised to compete in the playoffs. They played really well with a decimated secondary. Once these guys get healthy, their defense will look much better. Most importantly, Caleb Williams is showing significant growth under coach Ben Johnson. Right now, they’re a fun team that’s probably on the outside looking in. But they will pose a problem if they can string together two more wins to extend their winning streak to five straight matches.