- Week 6 of the NFL features key matchups, including Seattle vs. Jacksonville.
- Seattle seeks redemption against Jacksonville; New England faces New Orleans after beating Buffalo.
- San Francisco battles Tampa Bay; Detroit visits Kansas City amid a four-game winning streak.
SALT LAKE CITY — Week 6 of the NFL season is here with several intriguing matchups that include some of the top teams in the NFL. Who's going to separate themselves from the pack this week and establish themselves as true Super Bowl contenders?
Seattle Seahawks (3-2) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-1)
Sunday, Oct. 12, 11 a.m. MDT – EverBank Stadium (FOX)
The Seahawks look to bounce back from last week's loss as they travel to Jacksonville to face the Jaguars, who are coming off a Monday night victory against the Chiefs.
Why Seattle will win:
The Seahawks fell short in a shootout against the Buccaneers last week and they will now take on the Jaguars, who have exceeded expectations to begin this season. Despite pulling out a last-second win against the Chiefs, Jacksonville showed some weaknesses that Seattle could take advantage of.
Patrick Mahomes threw for 318 yards against the Jaguars last week and Sam Darnold totaled 341 yards and four touchdown passes against Tampa Bay. Jacksonville's total defense ranks 23rd in total defense while the Buccaneers come in at 11. A week after coming off a season-best performance, Darnold has the opportunity to put up similar numbers against a defense that has struggled, especially against a weaker defense.
Why Jacksonville will win:
The Seahawks have to travel across the country to Florida to take on a red-hot Jaguars team that is coming off a win against the AFC's top team from the last five seasons. Kansas City does not look like the team they have been in the past but for Jacksonville, getting a primetime win against them could be a shift in this franchise's direction.
Trevor Lawrence has played well under first-year head coach Liam Coen and the offense finally found a way to get rookie Travis Hunter more involved. Lawrence has many weapons to choose from in this offense, from Hunter, to Brian Thomas Jr., to Dyami Brown, and even running back Travis Etienne. The Jaguars boast many offensive threats that Seattle will have to figure out a way to limit in this matchup.
On the other side of the field, Darnold and the Seahawks will look to avoid linebacker Devin Lloyd, who leads the NFL in interceptions with four. Lloyd picked off Mahomes last week and returned it 99 yards for a pick-six. The linebacker tandem of Lloyd and Foyesade Oluokun will need to lead their defense to timely stops and allow their offense to continue to build off of last week's performance.
Line: SEA -1.5
Over/Under: 47.5
New England Patriots (3-2) vs. New Orleans (1-4)
Sunday, Oct. 12, 11 a.m. MDT – Caesars Superdome (CBS)
The Saints will host the Patriots after securing their first win of the season a week ago.
Why New England will win:
The Patriots defeated the Buffalo Bills in last week's Sunday Night Football matchup, handing the Bills their first loss of the season. New England's defense got key stops while Drake Maye put the offense on his back as he led his team into field goal range to set up a game-winning field goal.
Maye has been highly efficient in his second year in the NFL, putting up 1,261 passing yards with nine total touchdowns on a 73.9 completion percentage. Maye is also getting used to some of his playmakers, connecting with Stefon Diggs for 10 receptions and 146 yards. Tight end Hunter Henry has also become a reliable target for Maye in this passing offense, totaling 250 yards and three touchdowns through their first five games.
Head coach Mike Vrabel has seemingly transformed this team in his first year with the team and has the Patriots looking like an AFC playoff team. New England is 2-0 on the road this season and they will look to remain unbeaten on the road this Sunday.
Why New Orleans will win:
New England has looked like the better team this season but New Orleans has been surprisingly competitive despite having one of the worst constructed rosters in the NFL. Their defense isn't elite but they forced five turnovers against the Giants. They won the turnover battle in that one, getting five takeaways while not turning it over once.
That will need to be the Saints' recipe this week with the Patriots coming into town. Maye has had to carry New England's offense with their run game being inconsistent. Rookie Treyveon Henderson was the Patriots' leading rusher last week with six carries for 24 yards. Antonio Gibson suffered a season-ending injury against the Bills and Rhamondre Stevenson has already lost three fumbles this season.
Taking away New England's rushing attack will put more pressure on a young quarterback who has been asked to do everything for his team. The New Orleans defense will have a chance to pull off an upset if they can create Patriots turnovers.
Line: NE -3.5
Over/Under: 45.5
Tennessee Titans (1-4) vs. Las Vegas Raiders (1-4)
Sunday, Oct. 12, 2:05 p.m. MDT – Allegiant Stadium (FOX)
The Titans will face another west coast team after defeating the Cardinals in Arizona last week to earn their first win while the Raiders look to snap a four-game losing streak.
Why Tennessee will win:
A surprising win over the Cardinals last week has given the Titans some hope as they hope to build on their first win of the season. Rookie Cam Ward finally has his first career win and he now gets to face a Las Vegas team that is searching for answers after a horrendous start to the season.
Trailing 21-6 at halftime against Arizona last week, Tennessee could have rolled over, but Ward led three scoring drives in the fourth quarter to stun the Cardinals. The Titans may have shown more heart in that fourth quarter than the Raiders have shown all season and sometimes in the NFL, that can get you wins.
Ward and the Titans' offense has yet to have a full breakout game but last week's comeback is a good sign of what's to come from the number one pick from April's draft. Las Vegas gave up 40 points to the Colts last game and Tennessee has a chance to build off their success against the league's 25th ranked scoring defense.
Why Las Vegas will win:
This Raiders team has been disappointing to begin the season but they will have a chance to right some wrongs against another 1-4 team. Pete Carroll is a future Hall of Fame coach and it is hard to imagine that he won't figure out a way to get his team back to playing competitively.
Outside of that fourth-quarter comeback for the Titans, it had been a rough stretch of games for their team but in order for Las Vegas to bounce back they will need better play at the quarterback position from Geno Smith.
Smith threw two interceptions last week and currently leads the league with nine interceptions. He has been an effective quarterback in the past but hasn't been able to figure things out in Las Vegas yet but he is playing the worst team record-wise on the team's schedule thus far.
If the team can get rookie Ashton Jeanty going early like they did against the Bears in their last home game, this will ease the pressure on Smith's shoulders and give the Raiders a more balanced offensive attack.
Line: LV -3.5
Over/Under: 41.5
San Francisco 49ers (4-1) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-1)
Sunday, Oct. 12, 2:25 p.m. MDT– Raymond James Stadium (CBS)
A battle of two of the top teams in the NFC takes place in Tampa Bay when the 49ers take on the Buccaneers.
Why San Francisco will win:
The 49ers are coming off an impressive 26-23 overtime win against the Rams last Thursday night. Mac Jones is now 3-0 this season as San Francisco's starting quarterback and it's looking like he will get another start this week with Brock Purdy still sidelined with a toe injury. The extra couple days of rest may benefit the 49ers, who were without wide receivers Juan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall last week.
If Jennings and Pearsall are still unable to go Sunday, San Francisco still has reliable pass catchers available. Running back Christian McCaffrey caught eight balls for 82 yards and a touchdown against Los Angeles while Jones found his former Patriots teammate, Kendrick Bourne, for a season-high 10 catches for 142 yards.
Despite possibly being shorthanded, the 49ers are facing a Buccaneers defense that ranks 23rd in the NFL in scoring defense, allowing 26.4 points per game. Head coach Kyle Shanahan is one of the best at getting the most out of his quarterbacks and dialing up schemes to give his team a chance. San Francisco will have a chance to pull off the upset and improve to 4-0 with Jones at the helm.
Why Tampa Bay will win:
Through the first five games of the season, Baker Mayfield has put himself in early season MVP talks and may be the frontrunner now. He has thrown for 1,283 yards and 10 touchdowns to just one interception. Turnovers had been a problem for Mayfield in the past but he is seeing the field extremely well in his third season in Tampa Bay and is doing it without All-Pro wide receiver Mike Evans.
Without Evans, the Buccaneers have found a rising star in rookie Emeka Egbuka, who had a career-high 163 receiving yards in the team's 38-35 win over Seattle. It has been a next man up mentality in Tampa Bay with multiple offensive players stepping up due to injuries. Running back Bucky Irving is slated to miss another game but Rachaad White stepped in his absence a week ago, scoring two touchdowns on the ground.
Both teams are dealing with injuries right now but it is safe to say the 49ers are missing more players. Jones has filled in well for Purdy but it will be hard for him to keep up with Mayfield and the Tampa Bay offense. Even if San Francisco can get a lead late, Mayfield has already led the Bucs to four game-winning drives in the fourth quarter this year, proving he has the clutch gene when it matters most.
Line: TB -3.5
Over/Under: 47.5
Detroit Lions (4-1) vs. Kansas City Chiefs (2-3)
Sunday, Oct. 12, 6:20 p.m. MDT – GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium (CBS)
The red-hot Lions travel to Kansas City to face a struggling Chiefs team.
Why Detroit will win:
Since losing to the Packers in week 1, this Detroit team has flipped a switch and returned to the dominant force it was in the regular season a year ago. Their offense has scored 161 points in the previous four games and have scored more than 34 points in each of those four games. Quarterback Jared Goff has continued to play well and is among one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the league with how little his name is brought up among the NFL's best.
He has led this team through a rebuild when he first arrived in Detroit and has helped turn the Lions into one of the league's best offenses. Amon-Ra St. Brown is one the most reliable and dynamic wide receivers in the NFL while the two-headed backfield monster of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery continue to wreck havoc on NFL defenses.
The Chiefs have had one of the stronger defenses in the league in the past but this year they haven't played to their standard. If Kansas City is unable to limit this explosive offense, they may not be able to keep up with their own offense.
Standing in the way of Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense is a Detroit defense that has looked much better in 2025 than they did in 2024. A big reason for that is because of the return of star pass rusher Aiden Hutchinson, who has recorded five sacks this season and forced a game changing fumble on Derrick Henry in the Lions week 3 win over the Ravens.
If this Detroit defense can hold up on the back end, the Lions should feel really good about their chances of winning their second game at Arrowhead since Dan Campbell took over as head coach.
Why Kansas City will win:
We are entering desperation mode for this Kansas City team who had hopes of returning to the Super Bowl for the sixth time in the Mahomes era. The Chiefs have yet to get back to looking like themselves on offense, with their best offensive performance coming against an injury-riddled Ravens team.
The Lions are dealing with some injuries in their secondary with second-year cornerback Terrion Arnold ruled out the rest of the season with a shoulder injury. Mahomes played well in Kansas City's loss to Jacksonville but this team will need to figure out its run game in order to maximize the deep threat capabilities of this offense.
Arrowhead Stadium remains one of the toughest places to play in the NFL and the Chiefs have played much better at home than on the road this season. They were able to hold the Ravens and Eagles' offenses to just 20 points and the belief that defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo can improve this defense after a bad showing last game is something to believe in based on his track record.
Line: KC -2.5
Over/Under: 52.5
