Week 6 of the 2021 NFL season is officially in the books. The Cardinals routed the Browns. The Ravens blew out the Chargers. And that was just a fraction of the action. Fourteen teams logged wins. Fourteen others fell short.
But what did we learn about each of the 32 after another week of action? We're so glad you asked. As Week 7 draws near, we take a look below at one thing we took away from each team thanks to the latest weekend of football:
Arizona Cardinals
After a slower finish against the 49ers in Week 5, Kyler Murray's shoulder looks OK. And he's back in the MVP race for the most explosive team in the NFL.
Atlanta Falcons
By season's end, they might not be the worst team in the NFC South. With the Panthers sliding in a hurry, Atlanta has a legitimate shot to rise from the cellar coming off its bye.
Baltimore Ravens
After dismantling the Chargers, it's clear John Harbaugh is a Coach of the Year front-runner. Lamar Jackson is as smooth as ever, and they're doing everything well despite the rash of preseason injuries.
Buffalo Bills
Josh Allen will keep them in every game, but their defense is suddenly a concern. They had no answers for the Titans as Monday night's shootout wore on, even if a better QB sneak would've changed the final outcome.
Carolina Panthers
The beginning of the season was a mirage, it seems, because Sam Darnold is hurting more than helping now. Turnovers are a regular piece of his game once again, and Carolina is quickly losing ground as a result.
Chicago Bears
While they started with energy against the Packers, Justin Fields still isn't changing their offense. Schematically and philosophically, he is. But the overall production is still lackluster.
Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase are killing it, but we're all sleeping on their defense, too. That unit took care of business against Jared Goff and has allowed the eighth-fewest yards among all teams this year.
Cleveland Browns
Crazy as it sounds, they might benefit from starting Case Keenum on Thursday. Not because Baker Mayfield deserves to be benched, but because he -- like the rest of the team -- is banged up, and Kevin Stefanski needs an excuse to simplify things.
Dallas Cowboys
Even with Dak Prescott hurting his calf on the game-winning throw, they have all the makings of a real Super Bowl contender. Mike McCarthy has one heck of an offense on his hands, and it's living up to all the hype.
Denver Broncos
They're the worst team in the AFC West. Yep, that's right. Teddy Bridgewater was always teasing us with that 3-0 start. Vic Fangio isn't helping. Big changes may look inevitable in just a few weeks.
Detroit Lions
He didn't say it outright after their sixth straight loss, but Dan Campbell is quickly souring on Jared Goff. Sunday's loss marks the second straight week for Goff with a QB rating below 70, zero touchdowns and at least one turnover.
Green Bay Packers
Aaron Rodgers still owns the North. He told Bears fans he owns them, but the fact is, his presence alone still makes Green Bay the far-and-away favorite to win this division and make a title run.
Houston Texans
After an embarrassing showing against Indy, they're set to endure a slide to 1-9. The locker room is already growing restless, and next up they've got the Cardinals, Rams, Dolphins and Titans.
Indianapolis Colts
They're not dead yet. Yes, it was the Texans they routed on Sunday, but Carson Wentz, Jonathan Taylor and T.Y. Hilton all looked good and healthy, and the defense got a big confidence boost. The South is still up for grabs.
Jacksonville Jaguars
They got their first win under Urban Meyer in London, and a surprise hero deserves a lot of the credit: Matthew Wright is the real deal as their kicker, erasing memories of an uneven debut with two big 50-yard kicks, including the game-winner.
Kansas City Chiefs
They easily cruised back from an early deficit once they locked in, but they're still way too loose with the football. Patrick Mahomes can never be counted out, but he's also become a near-lock for some potential turnovers.
Las Vegas Raiders
Derek Carr is still slinging it with authority. In his first game since Jon Gruden's abrupt departure, the QB looked mighty comfortable without his old pal, hitting several bombs to roll past Denver and stay above .500.
Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert has all the talent in the world, and Brandon Staley is getting rave reviews, but that doesn't change the fact they could use a better run game. Austin Ekeler is great, but the lack of ground support contributed to Herbert's off day against Baltimore.
Los Angeles Rams
The slip-up against Arizona was notable, but they reminded the NFL against the Giants they're still a Super Bowl contender. How can they not be, with Matthew Stafford so effortlessly finding Cooper Kupp for huge plays and the defense stealing the ball itself?
Miami Dolphins
Maybe this is going too far, but it sure feels like they need another overhaul this offseason. This is Year 3 of Brian Flores' tenure, and 2020 -- which was partly buoyed by Ryan Fitzpatrick -- is increasingly looking like an anomaly.
Minnesota Vikings
Between Kirk Cousins, Dalvin Cook, Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen, they have a lot of big-play starters. But K.J. Osborn is a true threat on his own as the No. 3 WR. His game-winning catch was just the latest in a growing number of big plays in 2021.
New England Patriots
Despite all the offseason hoopla, they might end up being worse than in 2020. Not surprising, perhaps, with a rookie QB, but still, the expectations were raised with their spending. Bill Belichick's defense is so unpredictable (in a bad way) right now.
New Orleans Saints
They've still got a path to the playoffs. Obviously it's too early to write most teams off, but with Carolina quickly slipping to .500, there's suddenly an opening for New Orleans to make up some ground.
New York Giants
He had a nice, if unspectacular, run to start the year, but Daniel Jones has fallen back to Earth in a hurry, throwing three picks in a bad loss to the Rams. L.A. was always going to be a tall task, but there are still no clear answers at QB here.
New York Jets
They're capable of going a week without losing! Pardon the joke, but it's gotta be nice even for Jets fans not to have to watch Zach Wilson flail around in Mike LaFleur's offense, right?
Philadelphia Eagles
They made it close against the Buccaneers, but only after coming up empty for at least three quarters. Why? Chiefly because Jalen Hurts and Nick Sirianni are exacerbating each other's miscues. They'd better start getting the little things right.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Ben Roethlisberger wasn't too bad on prime time, albeit against a weakened Seattle defense. The real story in Pittsburgh is that their defense remains the driving force. If not for T.J. Watt, they may have lost to Geno Smith.
San Francisco 49ers
Jimmy Garoppolo is back in the saddle. Trey Lance is still sidelined after his first start, but it's likely Kyle Shanahan would've gone back to the vet for this coming week anyway.
Seattle Seahawks
Obviously Geno Smith isn't Russell Wilson, but they need to open up their passing game. Alex Collins did his thing on the ground late against Pittsburgh, and it still wasn't enough, largely because Seattle refused to let Geno air it out.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs have weapons across the board, but Antonio Brown might be their best pass catcher. Yes, that's right. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin will keep getting theirs, but AB -- fully healthy with a full season's work -- is right back to All-Pro form.
Tennessee Titans
Make no question about it: Derrick Henry belongs in the MVP conversation. Not just because he scored three times and averaged more than 7 yards per carry against Buffalo, but because he, more than anyone, has carried the Titans to 4-2.
Washington Football Team
This you can say for sure: Taylor Heinicke is not the answer at QB. Everyone enjoyed his gunslinging at first, but boy does Ryan Fitzpatrick sound appealing now.
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