Half of the league is miserable every Tuesday. Half of the league is on top of the world. This column is here to tell you that the sky isn't necessarily falling. (Or that it's early to break out the champagne.) Here are the storylines we're not overreacting to after Week 6.
Pittsburgh's victory:Ben Roethlisberger and defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau took care of a rookie quarterback after a bye week. This was the expectation all along. Beat the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday in Pittsburgh, and then let's start discussing whether the Steelers can get back in the AFC North mix.
Eli Manning's future in New York: Is this really a discussion? I've never believed Manning was a top-seven franchise quarterback, but there's no chance he's not the Giants' guy for the next few years. He's made way too many errors and is part of the problem this year, but let's be real. He's under contract for two more years, he's only 32 years old, and he's coming off two strong seasons.Â
Kansas City's 6-0 start: The Chiefs remind me of Dick Vermeil's squad from 2003. They started 9-0, but were horribly imbalanced. (That team was missing a defense.) A 13-3 record preceded going one-and-done in the playoffs.
Andy Reid deserves a ton of credit for what's happening here, but the passing attack is getting worse by the week, not better. That maxim about defense winning championships is horribly outdated. You can't win without a passing game. Kansas City is all but assured of making the playoffs, but they need balance to be a true title contender.
Anything that happens in the NFC East: The Dallas Cowboys won on Sunday night, but they were outgained nearly 2:1 by Washington. The injury-ravaged Cowboys could be playing withoutDeMarcus Ware and DeMarco Murraythis week in Philadelphia. Jay Ratliff is not coming to save this defensive line.
My preseason pick in the division was Philadelphia. They have won two straight, but there's no reason to believe their defense is getting any better. The Redskins should have some optimism even with four losses; this is going to take a while to shake out.
Indianapolis' Monday night stinker: Yes, the Colts offense is too conservative for my taste. They can't expect an underachieving running game and overachieving defense to carry them all season. But this is a mostly young team that is still finding their way, and San Diego is a quality opponent. Really. It still wouldn't surprise me if the Colts take out Denver in Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday.
The latest "Around The League Podcast" recapped every Week 6 game.
