A Harbaugh in trouble, problems in the City of Angels and a London showdown: What to watch in Week 6 of the NFL

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Five weeks into the NFL season, three teams remain unbeaten, a Super Bowl favorite is suddenly struggling and one high-profile head coach is already feeling the heat.

With division rivalries, a Sunday night shootout and a crucial London showdown on tap, Week 6 could tell us a lot about which teams are legitimate contenders and which are headed for disappointment.

Here’s what to know ahead of this week’s NFL action.

We’re down to just three undefeated teams, and none has been more impressive than the San Francisco 49ers .

Kyle Shanahan has his team off to a 5-0 start for the third time in seven years, and the wins couldn’t be much more impressive. The 49ers have already beaten three of last season’s conference finalists: the Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams. They’re the first team since the 1981 Broncos to notch three wins over the previous season’s conference finalists in their first five games.

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Philadelphia Eagles fans flock to the bar that brings the City of Brotherly Love to London

If the MVP award were handed out today, it would be going to Brock Purdy. The former Mr. Irrelevant was fabulous once again in San Francisco’s 32-29 win over division rival Seattle. Purdy leads the NFL with 13 touchdown passes and has thrown just two interceptions.

And 6-0 appears to be on the horizon. The reeling Washington Commanders (after last week’s brutal tie to the New York Giants) come to town for Monday Night Football, where Shanahan has been nearly unbeatable at 7-1.

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Vikings sail into their bye week with a perfect 5-0 record. Their flawless start has been one of the season’s biggest surprises.

The Kansas City Chiefs return from their bye week well-rested and sitting at 4-0. Waiting for them are the lowly, winless Chargers, who are having an absolute nightmare of a season (we’ll get to them later on…).

And if things weren’t already bad enough for Los Angeles, facing Andy Reid coming off a bye is about the last thing any team wants. Reid is an incredible 22-5 in games following a bye week.

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Week 6 is right around the time when NFL coaches start feeling their seats getting a little warmer. But right now, nobody’s seat is hotter than the one under Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh.

Many expected LA to be a playoff team this season, but through five games, it’s looked like anything but.

Once again, injuries have taken a toll on the offensive line, but that’s far from the only problem. Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel’s system doesn’t seem to be clicking, and a defense that was expected to be a strength hasn’t gotten going at all.

Remember, Harbaugh was the blockbuster hire of January 2024, fresh off winning a national championship at Michigan. The Chargers handed him a reported five-year, $80 million contract with one goal in mind: Get this franchise to the Super Bowl.

Well, that’s certainly not happening this year. At this point, the bigger question might be whether Harbaugh even makes it through the season.

And with a trip to Kansas City up next, things could get even uglier before they get better.

Things aren’t exactly sunny over at the neighbor’s place, either.

Rams head coach Sean McVay said he felt sick after Monday night’s stunning overtime loss to the Bills dropped his team to 2-3.

It’s easy to understand why.

The Rams became the first team in NFL history to lose a game despite piling up more than 400 total yards, recording at least 30 first downs, scoring five touchdowns, converting at least 50% of their third downs and committing zero turnovers.

That’s almost impossible to do. Yet somehow, the Rams found a way.

A blocked potential game-winning field goal proved costly, and the Rams have already moved on from kicker Harrison Mevis following his early-season struggles.

So, is it time to panic in Los Angeles?

The Rams’ next four games are against the Arizona Cardinals, Las Vegas Raiders, Chargers and Commanders. They’ll likely be heavy favorites in all four, giving them a golden opportunity to turn things around in a hurry.

And here’s the craziest part: Despite sitting at 2-3, the Rams are still the betting favorites to win the Super Bowl.

Clearly, the oddsmakers aren’t ready to hit the panic button just yet.

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The Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers renew their rivalry on Sunday Night Football, and if recent history tells us anything, we should probably expect plenty of points.

The last two meetings between these teams have produced absolute fireworks.

Last September, they played to a wild 40-40 tie. In the 2024 playoffs, Green Bay went into Dallas and embarrassed the Cowboys in a 48-32 rout.

That’s 160 combined points in two games!

Dallas has tried just about everything to fix its struggling defense. The latest move was trading for cornerback Joey Porter Jr., although he missed last week’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The good news for the Cowboys is they’ll have 10 days of rest heading into this matchup at Lambeau Field.

The bad news? They’re running into a red-hot Jordan Love and a Packers offense that just put up 31 points against the Chicago Bears.

If Dallas can’t find a way to slow down Love, this could turn into another long night for the Cowboys’ defense.

One thing seems pretty safe to predict: The scoreboard operator at Lambeau could be busy.

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For the third time since 2023, the Jacksonville Jaguars have made London their home away from home for two straight weeks.

After beating the Eagles 19-17 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium , the Jags now head to famed Wembley Stadium looking for a London sweep against the Houston Texans.

Jacksonville swept both of its London games in 2023 and split its two games across the pond in 2024.

While another win would be nice for the 4-1 Jaguars, this game is an absolute must-win for the 1-4 Texans.

Houston managed to keep its season alive last week with a victory over the lowly Tennessee Titans, but there’s still almost no margin for error if a postseason berth is on the cards.

Remember, only one team in NFL history has started 0-4 and made the playoffs: the 1992 San Diego Chargers.

The Texans avoided that fate by picking up their first win, but at 1-4, they’re still facing a massive uphill battle. And losing to an AFC South rival would only make things worse.

The good news is that the schedule offers some hope.

After Jacksonville, Houston’s next four games are against the Giants, Chargers, Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts. That’s a stretch where the Texans could realistically put together a winning streak and climb right back into the playoff picture.

But first, they have to take care of business in London.

A win keeps hope alive. A loss could have Houston looking toward next season before Halloween.

Seattle Seahawks @ Denver Broncos, 8:15 p.m. ET

Houston Texans @ Jacksonville Jaguars (in London, UK), 9:30 a.m. ET

New York Jets @ New England Patriots, 1 p.m. ET

Carolina Panthers @ Philadelphia Eagles, 1 p.m. ET

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m. ET

Baltimore Ravens @ Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m. ET

Chicago Bears @ Atlanta Falcons, 1 p.m. ET

New Orleans Saints @ New York Giants, 1 p.m. ET

Tennessee Titans @ Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m. ET

Arizona Cardinals @ Los Angeles Rams, 4:05 p.m. ET

Los Angeles Chargers @ Kansas City Chiefs, 4:25 p.m. ET

Buffalo Bills @ Las Vegas Raiders, 4:25 p.m. ET

Dallas Cowboys @ Green Bay Packers, 8:20 p.m. ET

Washington Commanders @ San Francisco 49ers, 8:15 p.m. ET

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NFL赛季进行到第五周，三支球队保持不败，一支超级碗夺冠热门球队突然陷入困境，一位备受瞩目的主教练已经感受到了压力。

第六周的比赛包括分区内的激烈对抗、周日晚上的焦点大战以及一场至关重要的伦敦对决，这或许能告诉我们哪些球队是真正的竞争者，哪些球队注定要失望。

以下是本周NFL比赛前你需要了解的信息。

现在只剩下三支不败球队了，其中最令人印象深刻的莫过于旧金山49人队。

凯尔·沙纳汉率领的旧金山49人队取得了5胜0负的开局，这是他们七年来第三次取得如此佳绩，而且这几场胜利堪称惊艳。49人队已经击败了上赛季分区决赛的三支球队：丹佛野马队、西雅图海鹰队和洛杉矶公羊队。他们是自1981年丹佛野马队以来，第一支在前五场比赛中就战胜上赛季分区决赛球队三支的球队。

C. Nathan Cohron/Tremont 摄影

费城老鹰队的球迷们涌向这家将“兄弟之城”费城风情带到伦敦的酒吧。

如果今天颁发最有价值球员奖，那非布洛克·珀迪莫属。这位昔日的“无关先生”在旧金山49人队32比29战胜分区对手西雅图海鹰队的比赛中再次展现了惊人的实力。珀迪以13次达阵传球领跑NFL，并且仅有两次被拦截。

6胜0负的战绩似乎指日可待。上周惨败给纽约巨人队的华盛顿指挥官队将在周一晚的比赛中来到亚特兰大，而沙纳汉执教的球队在这场比赛中几乎保持不败，战绩为7胜1负。

与此同时，明尼苏达维京人队以完美的5胜0负战绩进入轮空周。他们如此完美的开局是本赛季最大的惊喜之一。

堪萨斯城酋长队在轮空周后精神抖擞地回归，目前战绩为 4 胜 0 负。等待他们的是实力孱弱、至今未尝胜绩的闪电队，闪电队本赛季的表现简直是一场噩梦（我们稍后会详细介绍他们……）。

对于洛杉矶来说，情况本来就够糟糕的了，而刚刚结束轮空周的安迪·里德无疑是所有球队最不愿遇到的对手。里德在轮空周后的比赛中战绩惊人，高达22胜5负。

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第六周左右，NFL教练们开始感到自己的帅位岌岌可危。但就目前而言，谁的帅位比闪电队主教练吉姆·哈博的更岌岌可危。

很多人都认为洛杉矶队本赛季会打进季后赛，但五场比赛过后，情况却完全不像。

伤病再次重创了进攻锋线，但这远非唯一的问题。进攻协调员迈克·麦克丹尼尔的战术体系似乎并未奏效，而原本被寄予厚望的防守也完全没有发挥出应有的水平。

别忘了，哈博是2024年1月的重磅引援，当时他刚刚带领密歇根大学夺得全国冠军。据报道，闪电队与他签下了一份为期五年、价值8000万美元的合同，目标只有一个：带领这支球队打进超级碗。

嗯，今年肯定不会发生这种情况了。现在，更大的问题或许是哈博能否顺利执教完这个赛季。

接下来还要去堪萨斯城，情况可能会在好转之前变得更糟。

邻居家的情况也不太妙。

洛杉矶公羊队主教练肖恩·麦克维表示，在周一晚间球队加时赛爆冷输给布法罗比尔队后，他感到身体不适，这场失利使他的球队战绩跌至 2 胜 3 负。

原因很容易理解。

洛杉矶公羊队成为 NFL 历史上第一支在总推进码数超过 400 码、至少获得 30 次首攻、拿下 5 次达阵、三档转换率达到 50% 以上且零失误的情况下输掉比赛的球队。

这几乎是不可能的。然而，公羊队却设法做到了。

一次被封堵的可能制胜任意球代价惨重，在赛季初表现挣扎之后，公羊队已经放弃了踢球手哈里森·梅维斯。

那么，洛杉矶该恐慌了吗？

公羊队接下来的四场比赛将分别对阵亚利桑那红雀队、拉斯维加斯突袭者队、闪电队和指挥官队。他们很可能在这四场比赛中都是大热门，这给了他们一个迅速扭转颓势的绝佳机会。

最疯狂的是：尽管目前战绩为 2 胜 3 负，但公羊队仍然是赢得超级碗的博彩热门。

显然，博彩公司还没准备好按下恐慌按钮。

Sam Hodde/Getty Images

达拉斯牛仔队和绿湾包装工队将在周日晚的橄榄球比赛中再次展开对决，如果最近的历史可以告诉我们什么的话，我们应该会期待一场高分大战。

这两支球队最近两次交锋都精彩纷呈。

去年九月，他们打成了一场惊心动魄的40比40平局。在2024年的季后赛中，绿湾包装工队客场挑战达拉斯牛仔队，以48比32的比分大胜对手。

两场比赛一共得了160分！

达拉斯牛仔队为了改善其糟糕的防守，几乎尝试了所有方法。最近的举措是交易来了角卫乔伊·波特二世，尽管他缺席了上周输给坦帕湾海盗队的比赛。

对牛仔队来说，好消息是他们将有 10 天的休息时间，迎接在兰博球场的这场比赛。

坏消息是？他们将面对状态火热的乔丹·洛夫和刚刚在对阵芝加哥熊队的比赛中拿下31分的绿湾包装工队进攻组。

如果达拉斯找不到办法限制洛夫的发挥，那么对于牛仔队的防守来说，这可能又将是一个漫长的夜晚。

有一件事似乎可以肯定：兰博球场的记分牌操作员可能会很忙。

Justin Ford/Getty Images

这是自 2023 年以来，杰克逊维尔美洲虎队第三次连续两周将伦敦作为他们的第二主场。

在托特纳姆热刺球场以 19-17 击败老鹰队后，美洲虎队现在将前往著名的温布利球场，力争横扫休斯顿德州人队，赢得伦敦赛区的胜利。

杰克逊维尔在 2023 年的两场伦敦比赛中全部获胜，并在 2024 年的两场跨大西洋比赛中取得一胜一负的战绩。

对于 4 胜 1 负的美洲虎队来说，再赢一场当然很好，但对于 1 胜 4 负的德州人队来说，这场比赛是必须赢的。

休斯顿上周战胜了实力较弱的田纳西泰坦队，保住了赛季的希望，但如果想要晋级季后赛，几乎没有犯错的余地。

请记住，NFL历史上只有一支球队开局0胜4负却最终打进了季后赛：那就是1992年的圣地亚哥闪电队。

德州人队凭借首胜避免了这种命运，但目前1胜4负的战绩意味着他们仍然面临着巨大的挑战。如果输给美联南区的对手，情况只会更加糟糕。

好消息是，赛程安排带来了一些希望。

在战胜杰克逊维尔美洲虎队之后，休斯顿德州人队接下来的四场比赛将分别对阵纽约巨人队、洛杉矶闪电队、克利夫兰布朗队和印第安纳波利斯小马队。在这段赛程中，德州人队很有可能取得一波连胜，并重新回到季后赛的争夺行列。

但首先，他们得先处理好在伦敦的事务。

一场胜利能让希望之火继续燃烧。一场失利则可能让休斯顿在万圣节前就开始展望下个赛季。

西雅图海鹰队客场挑战丹佛野马队，美国东部时间晚上8:15

休斯顿德州人队客场挑战杰克逊维尔美洲虎队（英国伦敦），美国东部时间上午9:30

纽约喷气机队客场挑战新英格兰爱国者队，美国东部时间下午1点

卡罗莱纳黑豹队客场挑战费城老鹰队，美国东部时间下午1点

匹兹堡钢人队客场挑战坦帕湾海盗队，美国东部时间下午1点。

巴尔的摩乌鸦队客场挑战克利夫兰布朗队，美国东部时间下午1点。

芝加哥熊队客场挑战亚特兰大猎鹰队，美国东部时间下午1点。

新奥尔良圣徒队客场挑战纽约巨人队，美国东部时间下午1点。

田纳西泰坦队客场挑战印第安纳波利斯小马队，美国东部时间下午1点。

亚利桑那红雀队客场挑战洛杉矶公羊队，美国东部时间下午 4:05

洛杉矶闪电队客场挑战堪萨斯城酋长队，美国东部时间下午 4:25

布法罗比尔队客场挑战拉斯维加斯突袭者队，美国东部时间下午 4:25

达拉斯牛仔队客场挑战绿湾包装工队，美国东部时间晚上8:20

华盛顿指挥官队客场挑战旧金山49人队，美国东部时间晚上8:15