The Games that Shaped the 2019 Season: Week 6
The 2019 season began on September 5th 2019 and culminated at Super Bowl LIV on February 5th 2020. However, in between those games at Soldier Field in Chicago and Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, the season took a number of twists, all of which impacted the path to Super Bowl LIV for many teams. In this series we will take a look back at the games that shaped the 2019 NFL season, with this article focusing on Week 6.
One of the great things about a 16-game NFL season is that every week is important. Every week has games that keep you on the edge of your seat and Week 6 of the 2019 season was no different. Of the 14 games played that week nine of them were decided by less than one score. The week also saw divisional clashes in the NFC South, AFC North, NFC West and NFC North.
Let’s take a look at an exciting week that featured five games which had lasting effects on the 2019 season.
Seattle Seahawks 32 - 28 Cleveland Browns
This game was one that many people had circled on the calendar leading into the 2019 season. The up and coming Cleveland Browns hosting the Seattle Seahawks was supposed to be an opportunity for the Browns to lay down a marker. Instead they came into it teetering on the edge of a lost season at 2-3.
The Browns exploded out of the blocks, taking a 20-6 lead with the first play of the second half. However, they did not add a single point after that as the Seahawks closed to within two points at 20-18. In fact the Browns would go more than two quarters without adding to their score, by which point the Seahawks had taken the lead.
When Nick Chubb burst into the end zone for his second touchdown of the day with 9:06 left on the clock the Browns were on the verge of getting back to .500. However, the Seahawks had other ideas. Russell Wilson and Chris Carson systematically moved the ball down the field over the next five and a half minutes, scoring a touchdown to take a 32-28 lead.
The Browns attempt at a comeback would end with an all too familiar story, as Baker Mayfield was picked off at the Browns 26-yard line by K.J. Wright.
What was the games significance?
The significance of this game was clear for both sides. For the Browns this was yet another dent to their season, as they slipped to 2-4. The Browns would head to a bye in Week 7 but before they would win another game they would have six losses on the board. To come back from 2-6 quite simply requires either a miracle or perfection through the second half of the season.
For the Seahawks this game was another important stepping stone. For a West coast team coming East, a 1 pm kick off is tough. The Seahawks had now won both of the 1 pm kick offs so far in 2019. With five such games on the schedule overall, getting that belief into the team was important in them going 5-0 in their early East coast kickoffs.
Houston Texans 31 - 24 Kansas City Chiefs
This matchup was the most talked about entering Week 6, especially after the way the Houston Texans had demolished the Atlanta Falcons the week before. Throw in the fact that the Indianapolis Colts had made the Kansas City Chiefs look human in Week 5 and their was a lot of excitement behind the game.
The Chiefs rebounded exactly how man expected, leading 17-3 inside the first quarter. The Texans turned things around in the second quarter, preventing the Chiefs scoring again, while adding 20 points of their own. The Chiefs would strike first in a low-scoring second half, taking the lead at 24-23. However, the Texans would shut them out through the last 20 minutes, while adding their own touchdown to win the game 31-24.
What was the games significance?
This game sent some shock waves through the NFL, because the Chiefs were seen as a run away steam train-type team. Once they got the lead teams were not expected to come back, but the Texans did. The Chiefs had now lost two in a row to slip to 4-2, with a tough set of fixtures on the calendar. The relative weakness of the AFC West meant no reason for panic, but a loss to a key AFC playoff contender had the potential to have serious ramifications.
This game was another step in the Texans revival process. Two impressive victories for different reasons left them bubbling with confidence. This victory would also prove crucial in the AFC South come the end of the season, as they beat the Tennessee Titans to the division by just one game.
Dallas Cowboys 22 - 24 New York Jets
This game should have been an easy bounce back for the Cowboys following two straight losses. The Jets had yet to win a game at 0-4 and the Cowboys were generally seen as better in every position.
However, the Jets were the ones that came out of the blocks in MetLife Stadium. They jumped out to a 21-3 lead in the second quarter. The Cowboys fought back in the second half, but a Sam Ficken field goal with 3:27 left to make it 24-16 would prove to be the difference. Dak Prescott had a chance to tie the game after scoring a touchdown with 47 seconds remaining, but the two-point attempt could not be converted.
What was the games significance?
This game was a bit of a disaster for the Cowboys, With the Philadelphia Eagles having stuttered out of the gate the Cowboys had a chance to secure a grip on the NFC East. However, this was their third straight loss and suddenly they were also floundering at 3-3. Losses like this one would become a big part of the problem in the Cowboys 2019 season.
Tennessee Titans 0 - 16 Denver Broncos
If you are using this article to decide which games to go back and watch during the offseason, then do NOT watch this one. It was frankly a terrible game with just 16 points in total and ugliness all over the field. The Broncos led 6-0 at the half, 13-0 after the third and won 16-0 ultimately.
Marcus Mariota was intercepted for the second time in the third quarter. That left his line looking like this: 7-for-18, 63 passing yards, 3 sacks and 2 interceptions. He did not see the field again as the Titans activated Plan B in the form of Ryan Tannehill.
What was the games significance?
Arguably no game was more important to the 2019 season than this one. The decision to bench Mariota in the third quarter was a huge one, that ultimately proved correct. Following this game the Titans were 2-4 and looking as likely for a top-five overall pick as the playoffs. 2-4 teams have made the playoffs just 9% of the time since 1995, which is a tough spot to be in.
The Titans season would pivot on this moment. Four weeks later they entered the bye at 5-5 after a 35-32 victory over the Chiefs. Following their bye they would go 4-2 to make the playoffs with Tannehill marshalling a power-first big-play offense.
Detroit Lions 22 - 23 Green Bay Packers
After a strong 2-0-1 start followed by a tough loss against the Chiefs in Week 5, the Lions needed to strike a blow against their division rivals. Meanwhile the Packers were coming off a huge win in Dallas, but had struggled last time out at home against the Eagles.
The Lions would lead this game for over 50 minutes, taking the lead inside the first five minutes and continuing to pace the Packers throughout. However, they never put the Packers away and they would pay for that. With the Lions leading 22-20 the Packers moved down the field, thanks in part to some controversial calls. As the clock struck zero, Mason Crosby hit a 23-yard field goal to give the Packers a highly talked about 23-22 victory under the lights on Monday Night Football.
What was the games significance?
Getting to 5-1 for the Packers was crucial in a highly competitive NFC North. They also pulled out another close victory, which would be a feature of their 13-3 season.
This result was a disaster for the Lions. Instead of sitting at 3-1-1 and being talked about among the challengers for the NFC they were receiving sympathy nods from everyone at 2-2-1. The Lions would win just one more game all season and struggled to close out close games.
Ben Rolfe
Head of NFL Content
BEN IS THE HEAD OF NFL CONTENT FOR THE TOUCHDOWN. YOU CAN ALSO FIND HIS WORK AT; ODDSCHECKER US, ACTION NETWORK, PRO FOOTBALL NETWORK & ROTOBALLER. FOLLOW BEN @BENROLFE15 ON TWITTER.
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