Key takeaways and analysis from Week 6 in the NFL

Sunday Rundown recaps the most important developments from the day's action and examines their significance moving forward.

Caleb is here

Let's take things back a few weeks.

Chicago's offense started the year in a bad place. Naturally (irrationally), some began to wonder whether Caleb Williams would live up to the hype. Surely, with all the big-name talent at receiver, it was all the young quarterback's fault.

Jayden Daniels, meanwhile, was off to a flying start in Washington. Early returns from the top two picks resulted in wild comparisons to Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud. Looking back at the 2023 quarterback class, of course, it's pretty clear that the Panthers made a mistake in passing on Stroud in favor of Young.

Fortunately, it didn't take long for any such parallels to be squashed.

The Bears have begun to take off offensively over the last few weeks, culminating in an emphatic arrival for Williams on Sunday morning in London. The USC product looked comfortable as ever dicing up the Jaguars defense, completing 23 of 29 passes for 226 yards and four touchdowns. The arm talent is every bit as advertised. His feel for the game, particularly when it comes to extending plays, is sublime. The athleticism is unique, too.

If you want to write this off as the Bears hitting an easy part of the schedule, fair enough. A three-game stretch against the Rams, Panthers, and Jaguars is a dream for a young quarterback. But anyone who's watched the games can understand this isn't some sort of fake breakout, even if there are some ups and downs to follow.

Everyone in Chicago should be confident that they made the right decision at the top of this year's draft. Williams is going to be the best quarterback in the class, and he's got all the traits of a top-five passer, too.

Jayden does it again

Let's be clear. Any praise for Caleb Williams, or pushback on the idea that the Bears picked the wrong quarterback, is no slight toward Jayden Daniels. How could anyone have anything negative to say after the way he's started his career?

Sunday's road matchup against the Ravens marked Daniels' biggest test yet, and nobody would have faulted him for stumbling against an exotic Baltimore defense while trying to go shot for shot with Lamar Jackson. The result may not seem spectacular - the Commanders dropped a game for the first time since Week 1 - but this week's performance was arguably his most impressive yet.

Daniels was in complete control against everything Baltimore threw at him, completing 24 of 35 passes for a season-high 269 yards and two touchdowns. His 22 rushing yards represent his lowest total of the year, but his athleticism was a huge factor when it came to extending plays.

That pass-oriented approach to scrambling has been a pleasant surprise early in his pro career. He's also attacking the middle of the field more than he ever did at LSU, which makes for two major areas of concern as a prospect that he's addressed almost immediately.

Washington's defensive shortcomings - exploited for 484 yards this week - probably put a ceiling on what this team can accomplish this season. A lack of depth at receiver isn't helping matters, either. But this season is already well on its way to exceeding expectations. And that's all because of the quarterback.

The future is bright because the Commanders' big swing is looking like a home run.

Cowboys down bad

Jerry Jones did not have a happy birthday.

Dallas had an opportunity to make a statement this week against Detroit after an uninspiring 3-2 start. Even if they didn't win, going toe to toe with a team like the Lions would prove that the Cowboys still belong in the conversation with the class of the NFC.

As it turns out, they don't. The Cowboys were thoroughly embarrassed on their home field, falling back to .500 with a 47-9 loss.

The defense has completely fallen off a cliff under Mike Zimmer. One could point to the injury absences of Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence as a key factor against a stout Detroit offensive front. But what was the excuse against the Saints and Ravens?

Things aren't going much better offensively. While Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb continue to operate as one of the league's premier duos, there's only so much they can do by themselves. The playmaking depth beyond the two superstars is virtually nonexistent.

It would appear that the need to open the wallet for extensions has left ownership feeling unable (or unwilling) to make meaningful additions at these clear spots of need. Jones said last month that the team simply couldn't afford Derrick Henry in free agency. Stephen Jones then ended all speculation about the Cowboys being a potential suitor for disgruntled Raiders wideout Davante Adams, saying the team is not interested.

The salary cap is clearly a legitimate factor in these decisions - nobody wants to end up kicking the can down the road year after year like the Saints. But it doesn't have to be one way or the other. There are always ways to get creative if you're truly trying to win.

Feigning helplessness doesn't fly as America's Team.

Quick slants

Ben Johnson cooking

Good offenses have either top talent or an outstanding scheme. Great ones have both. The Lions were unstoppable in a 47-9 blowout win over the Cowboys, their second straight 40-point effort. It was one explosive play after another for Detroit, highlighted by a 52-yard trick-play touchdown to Sam LaPorta. To put Johnson's schematic genius into perspective, the big play marked the young tight end's seventh touchdown on an open target with 3-plus yards of separation since 2023, according to Next Gen Stats. Also tied atop the leaderboard: Lions teammate Amon-Ra St. Brown. The Lions are a legitimate Super Bowl contender, and Johnson should be the most coveted name in the upcoming coaching carousel.

Eagles not out of the woods

The Eagles desperately needed a win coming out of the bye. Mission accomplished on that front, but was this really a game that made anyone feel any better about the direction of this team? Returns from A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith were supposed to help this offense take off. While a few big plays did make a difference in the end, the offense in general still looks broken. The defense, meanwhile, holds the honor of allowing Deshaun Watson to post his best QB rating of the season. Nick Sirianni jawing at fans after barely beating the Browns sums up everything that's wrong with the Eagles right now - the vibes are just dreadful. It's tough to see much changing without new leadership.

Maye provides hope

Anyone who had concerns about the Patriots throwing Drake Maye to the wolves is likely feeling at least slightly vindicated. The No. 2 pick was under siege all day against Houston's league-best pass rush - not exactly the way you want to introduce the future of your franchise to the NFL level. But there were still plenty of flashes that offered a reminder of why that future is now so bright. Maye weathered the storm, toughing out four sacks and a pair of interceptions to start his career with a three-touchdown effort. His arm talent and poise under pressure were particularly impressive. The Patriots have to do everything they can to make sure the current situation doesn't negatively impact his development, but he's going to learn a lot more on the field than he could on the sidelines.

Chargers quietly good

You probably won't hear a whole lot about the Chargers this season - a run-heavy team that lacks receiver talent simply isn't going to garner a lot of attention in today's game. It's long past time that we start recognizing Jim Harbaugh's club as a playoff contender, though. Sunday's win over the red-hot Broncos moved Los Angeles to 3-2 ahead of a four-game stretch against the Cardinals, Saints, Browns, and Titans. Anything can happen in this league, so we shouldn't get too carried away, but this well-coached team should take care of business in each of those winnable games. The defense continued its steady play with two takeaways this week, and the Chargers have still served up only two turnovers of their own, tied for the league's lowest total.

Packers offense taking off

This was the vision in Green Bay. While some were likely sleeping on this offense's potential due to a relative lack of household names, this is one of the league's best collections of young skill-position talent. Jordan Love's 22 completions in Sunday's win over the Cardinals were split between nine different receivers. The Packers also leaned heavily on the ground game, with seven different ball-carriers getting involved to the tune of 38 rush attempts. The "everyone eats" approach will pose an issue to fantasy football managers itching for high-volume playmakers, but the Packers couldn't possibly care less. With Matt LaFleur on the controls, a unit with this many options is a nightmare to defend.

Bucs drop 51

I'll be honest: I still have no idea what to think about the Bucs. Maybe the issue is that the defense, which entered this week ranked 24th in EPA/play, isn't nearly as good as we've grown accustomed to seeing under Todd Bowles. But you can only have so many reservations when this team overcomes three turnovers to still hang 51 points on a division rival. Baker Mayfield is playing the best football of his career. The run game is doing its part, too - Bucky Irving has forced his way onto the field early, and Sean Tucker capitalized on his opportunity this week with 136 yards and a score against the Saints. Tampa Bay should be right there with Atlanta in the battle for the NFC South, and it shouldn't surprise anyone if they come out on top.

A crushing blow

Aidan Hutchinson is facing a long-term absence after going down with a broken tibia in Sunday's win over the Cowboys. It's a truly devastating loss for a Lions team setting its sights on a Super Bowl run. Hutchinson was in the process of establishing himself among the NFL's elite pass-rushers, entering this week leading the league in sacks and ranked seventh in pressures. He'd been doing a lot of the heavy lifting for an otherwise average Lions pass rush, arguably making him the team's most valuable player. Might the front office be forced to turn to the trade market? Jadeveon Clowney and Za'Darius Smith, for example, couldn't replace Hutchinson's production alone, but the Lions may have to do something to avoid having the defense take too much of a step back.

Get comfortable, Russ

Justin Fields certainly isn't perfect. He still has a long way to go as a passer, and it seems likely that he'll never truly make good on his first-round pedigree. But it's also true that he's made some major improvements since his time in Chicago, and that's been more than enough for Pittsburgh to win games. While a now-healthy Russell Wilson is lurking - and the former Super Bowl champ was considered the starter all offseason - the Steelers would be out of their minds to make a change now. That could push Wilson to pursue an exit. I'm not sure the Steelers should care. Fields is doing just as much as this late-career version of Wilson can as a passer. Factor in the value he brings as a runner, and it's not even a discussion. It's time to silence the weekly discussion points and name Fields the permanent starter.

Stat of the week