Week 6 of the 2011 NFL season proved to be injurious to the hopes and aspirations of some of the league's up-and-coming teams. These three teams have some serious concerns going forward that figure to hinder them in Week 7.
Detroit Lions
The Lions' loss to the 49ers on Sunday was worrisome, and not just for the way that head coach Jim Schwartz overreacted to Jim Harbaugh's pat on the back. Detroit struggled to move the ball for most of the game, with an ineffective running game (66 yards on 18 carries) rendering the offense one-dimensional.
Meanwhile, Detroit's defense was pushed around by San Francisco, allowing the Niners to run for 203 yards and average an equally-impressive seven yards per carry.
The Lions would be wise to work their shortcomings on the ground in the week, as they next face an Atlanta Falcons team that piled up 166 yards and three touchdown on the ground against Carolina. Through the air, they intercepted Cam Newton on three occasions.
Washington Redskins
The Redskins' facade had to end at some point, but it really came crashing down on Sunday against the Eagles.
Mike Shanahan's squad managed only 42 yards rushing against one of the worst run defenses in the league, while Rex Grossman was pulled after completing just nine of his 22 pass attempts, with four picks.
Washington will hope to have John Beck up to speed under center in time for the team's trip to Carolina in Week 7. The same goes for the ground game, which will once again have a golden opportunity to produce against a shoddy defense.
If not, the Redskins could very well find themselves chasing after a Panthers squad with an excellent group of running backs of their own—one that could very well tear up Washington's defense the way the Eagles did.
Oakland Raiders
The good news is that the Raiders beat the Browns in Week 6 to move to 4-2—just a half-game behind the Chargers for the lead in the winnable AFC West.
The bad news is that Jason Campbell is out for the year after breaking his collarbone against the Browns, a la Tony Romo in 2010.
In other good news, Terrelle Pryor will finally be eligible to play in Week 7 after serving his five-game suspension.
However, in other bad news, Pryor hasn't played a single down in the NFL yet.
That being said, the good news is that the Kansas City Chiefs are coming to town!
Having said that, the bad news is that the Chiefs have the wind at their backs, with wins in each of their last two games and plenty of rest coming off a bye in Week 6.
What's more, the worst news is that Kyle Boller will likely be handling the signal-calling duties under center. Yeesh!
Josh Martin's Week 5 NFL Power Rankings |
2. New England Patriots |
3. Baltimore Ravens |
4. San Francisco 49ers |
5. Detroit Lions |
6. New Orleans Saints |
8. New York Giants |
9. Pittsburgh Steelers |
10. Buffalo Bills |
11. Oakland Raiders |
12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
13. Dallas Cowboys |
14. Cincinnati Bengals |
15. Tennessee Titans |
16. Atlanta Falcons |
17. Washington Redskins |
18. Houston Texans |
19. Chicago Bears |
20. Cleveland Browns |
21. Philadelphia Eagles |
22. Seattle Seahawks |
23. New York Jets |
26. Carolina Panthers |
27. Denver Broncos |
30. Miami Dolphins |
31. St. Louis Rams |
Bruno Gervais Dustin Kohn Andrew McDonald Matt Martin Frans Nielsen Dwayne Roloson
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