NFL Week Six Star Performers
No UK game this week (got the last of those coming up two weeks on Sunday) and some slow ticking games – not to mention another Thursday night aberration – until the witching hour hit during the early window at which point it went bananas. Just the way we like it.
Sorting the wheat from the chaff let’s take a quick dive into the best players of Week Six.
Matt Ryan
QB, Indianapolis Colts, W 34-27 vs Jags
I was close to handing one of five different QBs a shout-out this week, Bailey Zappe almost made the cut with a startlingly good performance against a dreadful Browns defense and both Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen had good showings in their late window shootout, proving why they’re most peoples Number One and Number Two in the League. However, I was impressed by both guys playing at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday night and particularly so with Matt Ryan.
His decision-making was superb against a more-than-frisky Jags D. With both Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines unable to take to the field, Matty Ice was forced to keep the ball airborne – throwing the ball FIFTY TWO TIMES – and managed this without taking a sack or throwing an interception.
No, it wasn’t a perfect performance, but it was so far improved from the first five weeks that I thought the old boy deserved a namecheck.
Breece Hall
RB, New York Jets, W 27-10 @ Green Bay
The Jets might just be good. I nearly picked their new star cornerback, Sauce Gardner, for my second shout from the week but I was so impressed with what Breece Hall brought to the table, I really couldn’t look past him. Hall had a heap of work put on his shoulders, taking on a total of 20 carries and a couple of receptions to boot but he handled it really well against a D that, going into the season, we were expecting a lot more of.
He broke 100yds rushing for the first time in his professional career. And was only 3yds from that milestone last week with a touchdown in each game. The future is bright for the Jets if they can maintain this sort of output from their bright, young talents.
Ja’Marr Chase
WR, Cincinnati Bengals, W 30-26 vs Saints
He has taken a little while to really get going this season but last year’s OROTY was awesome against a traditionally stout Saints D. Seven catches on ten targets of 132yds and a pair of TDs is more what we have come to expect from the former LSU man.
His swagger is undeniable but if it hadn’t have been for his excellent 60yd go-ahead score in the fourth quarter meant that I had to overlook Michael Pittman Jr and Chase Claypool who both had excellent nights and deserve honourable mentions at wide receiver this week.
The Bengals lead the AFC North, in a division without a winning record and have to host the Atlanta Falcons who have been causing a lot of problems for their opposition in the first six weeks. If Chase can have another standout performance like this, I’d be willing to be Cinci go into Week Seven at 4-3.
A week to forget for… Russell Wilson
QB, Denver Broncos, L16 -19 @ Chargers
The reality is that it’s been six weeks to forget for DangeRuss. The new Nate Hackett Offence is not clicking, and Wilson doesn’t appear to have the same dynamic flair that he showed so often in Seattle.
Another Primetime loss and yet another week where Wilson failed to throw more than 220yds. His only 300+ day came in Week One and that was a long time ago. His job came with a huge contract, his contract is there as an incentive for performance.
The Walmart exec team’s teeth are most likely already chattering a little and it’s not even Halloween. Add the insult to injury… with an apparent injury. Wilson tweaked a hamstring on a scramble on Monday night which might see him even more reluctant to leave the pocket in upcoming fixtures.
