Week 6 review – Quiet is the new loud
By Paul Gould
The fanfare that surrounded the Los Angeles Rams going into this season has faded to the sound of a one-man band with a faulty cymbal.
Talk of the construction of a ‘super’ team that was about to dominate the NFL and win the Super Bowl was loud, verging on deafening. But following their Week 6 encounter with the lowly Arizona Cardinals, both teams possess a 2-4 record, and the Rams reside in the NFC West basement – an unthinkable scenario at the end of August.
It’s already beginning to get late early for the Rams, as they find themselves four games behind division-leading San Francisco. Even if they’re able to find a winning formula, a wildcard spot might be the best they can manage.
A third of the season gone, and perhaps much can be said for flying under the radar, rather than being lauded as the star attraction. So, who are the masters of understatement lurking in the shadows?
Panthers prowling?
Look at the NFC standings right now and you’ll find that anarchy reigns. Of last year’s division winners, only the Carolina Panthers would be going back-to-back if the season ended today.
One of only five teams to beat the Rams in the 2025 regular season, Carolina almost repeated that upset win against L.A. in the playoffs.
In many ways, the Panthers are the antithesis of the Rams, as they go quietly about their business. The roster is not star-studded, but rather a well-assembled group of solid and consistent performers that is greater than the sum of its parts.
QB Bryce Young’s journey has defied critics lining up to declare the 2023 first overall pick an under-sized bust. From the low point of being benched after Week 2 in his second season, Young has gone from strength to strength, eliminating basic errors and showing more poise under pressure.
2025 proved to be his best season yet, and he appears set to eclipse that performance this year, to the point where there are whispers that Young might be on the fringes of the MVP conversation. He is the first quarterback to throw for 280-plus yards and a touchdown in each of the opening five games since Drew Brees and Peyton Manning did so in 2013.
Running back Chuba Hubbard and receivers Tet McMillan and Jalen Coker have proven their worth alongside Young and, with a solid offensive line, the Panthers appear to have a well-balanced offense.
Defensively, Carolina had the worst possible start to the campaign, being burned for 59 points by the scorching hot Bears offense. However, since then they have steadied the ship and shown an ability to generate turnovers and halt drives at crucial moments.
The unit has undergone significant transformation since a dreadful showing in 2024, and the most recent acquisitions of Jaelan Phillips and Devin Lloyd has added menace to their front seven.
Standing at 3-2, having already enjoyed their bye week, the Panthers are not attracting much attention. But Carolina currently sits atop the NFC South and while their remaining schedule poses several challenges, this team has shown its mettle enough to be a contender once again in 2026.
Five/Six and…oh!
It tells a tale that even the three remaining unbeaten teams aren’t receiving breathless reviews about how they’re lighting the league on fire. Each has some issues they are looking to overcome and none of them were strongly fancied going into the season. But, so far, all of them are letting their results speak for themselves.
The 49ers were widely expected to be trailing in the wake of the ‘super’ Rams and Super Bowl champion Seahawks, but that forecast has been turned on its head through six weeks. The Niners have already dispatched both rivals, as well as a Broncos team that made it to the final four in 2025.
And while the doubters continue to point to injury woes and an ageing roster as potential stumbling blocks, San Francisco has shown grit and quality to get to this point. Brock Purdy has been almost flawless and has already found a rapport with Mike Evans. The effectiveness of the passing game has also meant that the 49ers have not had to lean on Christian McCaffrey. If they can keep him fresh for the business end of the season, then it bodes well.
The other unbeaten NFC team, the Minnesota Vikings, have been dismissed in some quarters for not having an offense to match their defense. But given how dominating the defense has been, that may not be necessary.
It’s no exaggeration to say that the current Vikings defense could be historic. Having conceded a mere 64 points so far, not only are they on course to comfortably smash the record for the fewest points allowed in a 17-game season (277 points, presently held by the 2022 49ers) but they might also threaten the 16-game record of 200 points set by the legendary 2000 Ravens.
Big tests are looming, however. After facing a Colts team and organisation in disarray in Week 7, the Vikings then go up against the Lions, Bills, Packers and 49ers in the next month. Who knows, that Monday night contest with San Francisco in Week 11 might be for the right to boast the last unbeaten record standing.
At this stage last season, the Chiefs were 3-3 and looking vulnerable. Their usual swagger never materialised. Kansas City slumped to a shock 6-11 finish and with Patrick Mahomes in rehab recovering from a serious knee injury.
That downturn translated into lowered expectations for the 2026 campaign. Much like the 49ers, the Chiefs were expected to struggle to keep pace with strong division rivals, the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers.
But here they stand at 5-0 and in good shape to return to the playoffs after a year’s absence. The acquisition of Kenneth Walker is an undisputed free agency coup and it has allowed Mahomes the breathing space to get back in rhythm. That said, a depleted receiving corps may be a flaw that needs addressing before the trade deadline.
On paper, the Chiefs tough stretch of fixtures hits in late November with a three-game coast-to-coast road trip taking in Buffalo, Cincinnati and Los Angeles (to face the Rams). Things don’t get any easier on their return to Arrowhead, with games against the Patriots and 49ers either side of Christmas.
New England up to old tricks?
And there’s one more traditional AFC powerhouse that may have been written off too early; the New England Patriots.
Despite going all the way to the Super Bowl last season, going into this campaign the Patriots were dogged by questions over the ‘soft’ schedule they had faced and whether they could remain successful against a tougher slate of opponents in 2026.
A sluggish start and a couple of alarming performances by young QB Drake Maye only served to multiply those doubts. But a Week 4 win in Buffalo has ignited New England’s season and they are on a three-game winning streak, just a game back from the Bills at 4-2.
It may still come to pass that the Patriots regress, but writing them off at this stage is a bold move. Amid their offensive struggles, the defense has held the fort and kept the Patriots in contention. And with Maye returning to form with renewed confidence, New England has enough talent to push for the playoffs once again.
Keeping a low profile
While the weight of expectation hangs heavy on the shoulders of others, teams that can operate without that added pressure may benefit. And those who have been doubted for one reason or another could turn that scepticism into fuel to prove critics wrong.
For the likes of the Panthers, 49ers, Vikings, Chiefs and Patriots, quiet is the new loud.
PAUL GOULD
NFL ANALYST
A freelance writer and editor based in Cambridgeshire, Paul has avidly followed the NFL since the late 1980’s and spends much of his spare time wondering if he’ll ever see the Raiders play in a Super Bowl again.
