NFC North dominance? Pressure on in Jacksonville? Texans flying under the radar? NFL Week 6 takeaways | CNN - CQO News

Week 6 in the 2024 NFL season saw another game in London, division rivals clash and some disastrous results.

There were none more so than in Texas where the Cowboys suffered their worst home loss in the Jerry Jones era, losing 47-9 to the Detroit Lions, on the Dallas owner’s 82nd birthday.

Here are the main takeaways from the past week in the National Football League.

Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch, center, celebrates an interception with his teammates during a game against the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas, on Sunday, October 13. The Lions trounced the Cowboys 47-9.

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs dives for a touchdown in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on October 13. The Packers beat the Arizona Cardinals 34-13.

Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II stands for the national anthem ahead of the Broncos' 23-16 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Denver on October 13.

Philadelphia Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson stops Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku in Philadelphia on October 13. The Eagles won 20-16.

Carolina Panthers linebacker Claudin Cherelus pressures Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins in Charlotte, North Carolina, on October 13. The Panthers lost 38-20.

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams walks down the tunnel after his team beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 35-16 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on October 13. Williams completed 23 of his 29 pass attempts and throwing for 226 yards and four touchdowns.

San Francisco 49ers cornerback Isaac Yiadom and safety Ji'Ayir Brown break up a touchdown pass intended for Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf in Seattle on Thursday, October 10.

New Orleans Saints linebacker Willie Gay Jr. signs autographs for a young Kansas City Chiefs fan before the start of the game between the teams in Kansas City, Missouri, on Monday, October 7. Gay played for the Chiefs for four seasons before signing with the Saints during the offseason. The Chiefs beat the Saints 26-13.

Minnesota Vikings safety Camryn Bynum celebrates after a play during a game against the New York Jets in London on Sunday, October 6. The Vikings extended their win streak with a 23-17 victory.

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman scores on a 49-yard touchdown reception during the Bills' 23-20 loss to the Houston Texans in Houston on October 6.

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence eats a cupcake to celebrate his birthday after his team beat the Indianapolis Colts 37-34 at home in Jacksonville, Florida, on October 6. It was the Jaguars' first win of the season.

Green Bay Packers punter Daniel Whelan grabs a high snap during a game against the Los Angeles Rams in Inglewood, California, on October 6. The Packers won 24-19.

Indianapolis Colts running back Trey Sermon runs with the ball during the second quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Jacksonville, Florida, on October 6.

Houston Texans kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn celebrates with teammates after kicking a 59-yard field goal on the last play of his team's victory over the Buffalo Bills in Houston on October 6.

San Francisco 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir runs for a touchdown after a blocked field goal during a game against the Arizona Cardinals in Santa Clara, California, on October 6. The Cardinals came back to narrowly upset the 49ers 24-23.

Denver Broncos cornerback Riley Moss celebrates after an interception in Denver on October 6. The Broncos beat the Las Vegas Raiders 34-18.

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers walks off the field after his team's loss to the Minnesota Vikings in London on October 6. Rodgers was intercepted three times.

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels passes in the first half of the team's 42-14 win over the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday, September 29.

Denver Broncos cornerback Tremon Smith celebrates as a field goal attempt by New York Jets kicker Greg Zuerlein misses in the fourth quarter in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on September 29. The Broncos won 10-9.

Carolina Panthers tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders fights off the tackle attempt by Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt in Charlotte, North Carolina, on September 29. The Bengals beat the Panthers 34-24.

Houston Texans safety Eric Murray celebrates after sacking Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence during the Texans' 24-20 victory in Houston on September 29.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle catches a touchdown pass in the end zone in Santa Clara, California, on September 29. The 49ers beat the New England Patriots 30-13.

New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton bobbles the ball as he runs against Dallas Cowboys linebacker Eric Kendricks during the Giants' 20-15 loss to the Cowboys in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Thursday, September 26.

Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills celebrates an interception during the second quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Orchard Park, New York, on Monday, September 23. This was his first career interception and latest milestone since he suffered from a cardiac arrest on the field in early 2023.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III runs with the ball for a touchdown during the Steelers' 20-10 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in Pittsburgh on Sunday, September 22.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold throws the ball to tight end Johnny Mundt in Minneapolis on September 22. The Vikings beat the Houston Texans 34-7.

Kadeem Telfort of the Green Bay Packers takes a selfie with a fan after the Packers beat the Tennessee Titans 30-14 on the road in Nashville on September 22.

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones lands in the end zone for a touchdown in Minneapolis on September 22.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescotts sits on the field after a play during the team's 28-25 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Arlington, Texas, on September 22.

New York Jets wide receiver Allen Lazard runs past New England Patriots cornerback Alex Austin for a touchdown in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Thursday, September 19. The Jets won 24-3.

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney scores a touchdown during the team's 22-21 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Philadelphia on Monday, September 16.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes runs the ball against Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Dax Hill during the Chiefs' 26-25 victory in Kansas City, Missouri, on Sunday, September 15. The defending Super Bowl champs moved to 2-0 on the season.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. catches a pass over Minnesota Vikings safety Camryn Bynum and linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. during a game in Minneapolis on September 15. The Vikings would go on to win the game 24-17.

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara runs the ball during the Saints' 44-19 win over the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas, on September 15. Kamara had four touchdowns in the game.

Miami Dolphins players attend to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa after he took a hit to the head in the second half of a game against the Buffalo Bills in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Thursday, September 12. Tagovailoa was later ruled out with a concussion.

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers and teammates wait in a tunnel before a game against the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, California, on Monday, September 9. This is the first game back for Rodgers since tearing his Achilles tendon last year after his first game of the season.

Los Angeles Chargers players and Las Vegas Raiders players clash after a play during the second half of their game in Inglewood, California, on Sunday, September 8.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott celebrates after a touchdown during the Cowboys' 33-17 victory over the Cleveland Browns in Cleveland on September 8. Hours before the game, Prescott agreed to a record four-year, $240 million contract extension, making him the highest-paid player in the NFL.

Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. breaks a tackle from Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker K.J. Britt in Tampa, Florida, on September 8. The Buccaneers beat the Commanders 37-20.

Miami Dolphins wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle celebrate a touchdown during a 20-17 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Miami Gardens, Florida, on September 8. Hill was detained for a short time by police after a traffic incident earlier in the day. Miami-Dade Police Department Director Stephanie V. Daniels said Sunday that an investigation has begun into the incident and one of the officers involved is being placed on administrative duties.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields signals during the second half of a game against the Atlanta Falcons in Atlanta on September 8. The Steelers defeated the Falcons 18-10.

Tennessee Titans tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo, right, and Chicago Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson tumble in the end zone in Chicago on September 8. Okonkwo made the catch for a touchdown, but the Titans ultimately fell 24-17 to the Bears.

Rhamondre Stevenson of the New England Patriots runs the ball against Cincinnati Bengals defenders in Cincinnati on September 8. The Patriots beat the Bengals 16-10.

Minnesota Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, center, celebrates his interception return for a touchdown during the Vikings' 28-6 victory over the New York Giants in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on September 8.

Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars players pray together at the end of the game in Miami Gardens, Florida, on September 8.

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir, top, dives for the end zone for a touchdown as Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Justin Jones is unable to make the tackle in Orchard Park, New York, on September 8. The Bills won 34-28.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love walks off the field after taking a hit in the final seconds of a game against the Philadelphia Eagles in São Paulo early Saturday, September 7. The Eagles won 34-29.

Brazilian and American flags are presented on the field at Neo Química Arena – also known as Corinthians Arena – in São Paulo ahead of the game between the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles on Friday, September 6. It was the first NFL game in South America.

Grammy Award-winning singer Taylor Swift cheers on boyfriend Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs during the game against the Baltimore Ravens in Kansas City, Missouri, on Thursday, September 5.

Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely catches a pass with his toe out of bounds as time expires at the end of the game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Kansas City, Missouri, on September 5. The Chiefs won 27-20.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes scrambles during the game against the Baltimore Ravens in Kansas City, Missouri, on September 5.

Fans enter Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, ahead of the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens on September 5.

The best photos from the 2024 NFL season

There’s only one division in the NFL where all four teams have a winning record: the NFC North.

The four franchises – the Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears – all have been playing excellent football and, even though they’ve each had their own setbacks, have overcome them in their own ways.

The Vikings dealt with losing their starting quarterback, 2024 first round pick JJ McCarthy, to injury on the eve of the new campaign, with journeyman Sam Darnold stepping in admirably and leading them to an undefeated record through five weeks.

Detroit endured a slow start but has kicked into gear in recent weeks, most notably their Week 6 demolition of the Dallas Cowboys. The only blight on that victory was the likely season-ending injury suffered by their star defensive lineman, Aidan Hutchinson.

The Lions defense came up with five turnovers in the big win over the Cowboys on Sunday.

For the Packers, they were without starting signal-caller Jordan Love for two games, but backup Malik Willis filled in, leading them to wins in both contests of Love’s absence. Their most impressive victory came on Sunday when they blew away the Arizona Cardinals 34-13 with all facets of the team running smoothly.

And for the Bears, it has been the tumultuous experience that comes with having a rookie quarterback, even one as acclaimed as 2024 No. 1 pick Caleb Williams. They fell into a 1-2 hole with the offense struggling but have since ripped off three straight wins, including two where they have scored 35 or more points as Williams finds his footing in the league.

With a win in London on Sunday, Williams became the first rookie quarterback selected No. 1 overall to win four of his first six career starts in the common-draft era, per the NFL.

After a rocky start to life in the NFL, 2024 No. 1 overall draft pick Williams is slowly finding his footing.

All in all, it has made for a thrilling division where all four teams can realistically hold ambitions of making it to the postseason.

After Week 6, the NFC North has a combined record of 17-5, as every team has a 4-2 or better record with the Vikings undefeated at 5-0. According to the NFL, it is the first time since 1970 where every team in a division has at least four wins through six weeks.

On top of that, the four teams in the NFL with the best point differential through six weeks are the four NFC North teams, with the Vikings at 63, Lions at 60, Bears at 47 and Packers at 41.

As the season progresses, the four teams will all face off against one another which could have a significant bearing on who reaches the postseason.

In Week 7, Minnesota and Detroit will clash at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

A game in London can often be the nail in the coffin for a head coach’s tenure with a team. We’ve seen plenty of occasions where a coach is let go after suffering a heavy loss abroad. In fact, just last week, the New York Jets fired Robert Saleh after his team’s 23-17 loss to the Vikings in the British capital.

And the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Doug Pederson might have been saved a similar fate by the schedule.

The Jags play back-to-back games in London this season. After being comfortably beaten by the Chicago Bears in Week 6, Jacksonville remains in the UK to face the New England Patriots in Week 7.

The pressure has been ratcheted up on Pederson’s job with his team falling to 1-5 to start the season, an underwhelming opening to the new campaign with the weapons at his disposal.

But worse than the overall record has been the manner of the results.

Sunday’s defeat at the hands the Bears was an error-strewn team display, with quarterback Trevor Lawrence – fresh off a big contract extension in the summer – not able to cut out back-breaking errors while the defense failed to halt Caleb Williams and Chicago’s offense.

Lawrence signed a five-year extension with the Jaguars in the offseason but has struggled so far this season.

While the Bears regularly turned in TDs, Jacksonville’s offense couldn’t get moving as they settled for punts. The Jags were also consistently hampered by penalties, being penalized eight times compared to Chicago’s two.

Overall, it was a humbling result and performance for London’s de facto home team and one which ramps up the pressure on the head coach with the Jags coming into the season with playoff expectations.

When asked whether he believes the Week 7 clash against the Patriots is a must-win game for his team, Pederson agreed.

“I would say everything here on out, quite frankly. If we want to get back to playing the type of football we know we can play, you’re going to have to win a lot of games moving forward,” he told reporters. “I would say that, yeah, these games moving forward are just that.”

Pederson might have been handed a break with the way the games fell, but if the result is anything other than a victory on Sunday against New England, he might be returning to some bad news.

The pressure on Pederson has been ramped up after the Jaguars' 1-5 start to the 2024 season.

Coming off a historic rookie season from quarterback CJ Stroud, the level of expectation for the Houston Texans was raised.

And the smart offseason acquisitions of veteran players by head coach DeMeco Ryans and general manager Nick Caserio – most notably, running back Joe Mixon and receiver Stefon Diggs – only sought to increase those aspirations.

Paired with a young, blossoming roster, Mixon and Diggs – who have both had huge success at points in their career – have added a level of winning ambition to Houston’s team which, through six weeks, has seemed to have paid dividends.

The Texans are 5-1 after Week 6’s emphatic victory over the Patriots, with their only blip coming on the road against the undefeated Vikings.

More impressive perhaps than the record has been the way the Texans have won. Four of their five victories have been by one score as they find a way to eke out results at the buzzer whether that be through defensive stands or game-winning field goals from Ka’imi Fairbairn.

Mixon had been missing from Houston’s line-up since Week 1 with an ankle injury but returned on Sunday with a bang, running for 102 yards and a touchdown, while also adding 30 yards and a score through the air.

Mixon (No. 28) impressed on his return to action in the win over the Patriots.

Adding Stroud at quarterback and a fearsome receiving trifecta in Diggs, Nico Collins and Tank Dell – paired with a well-coached defense by Ryans – the Texans are looking like serious playoff contenders as they already have a comfortable lead atop the AFC South.

After the 20-point victory over New England, Ryans spoke about the message he has for his team every week.

“For me, every time we play, it’s about winning,” he told reporters. “It doesn’t matter how you get it done. If it’s a last second one, if it’s a two-touchdown, it doesn’t matter to me. Finish with a win.”

The Texans face a stiff test in Week 7 as they travel to face the Packers who are coming off two consecutive wins.