By Lydia Jane Allison

NEW YORK — Oct. 8, 2024 — Six teams that missed the postseason last year – Denver (3-2) in the AFC and Minnesota (5-0), Washington (4-1), Atlanta (3-2), Chicago (3-2) and Seattle (3-2) in the NFC – have at least three wins this season, with all four NFC divisions having a team that missed the playoffs in 2023 currently sitting in first place or tied for first place as the NFL enters Week 6.

The 2024 NFC North – with Chicago, Detroit (3-1), Green Bay (3-2) and Minnesota – marks the sixth division since 2002 and the first since the 2012 NFC West to have all four teams each with three-or-more wins through the first five weeks of a season.

Here’s a look at a few interesting storylines entering Week 6:

• Close Games: More games through Week 5 this season have been decided by seven-or-fewer points (47) and six-or-fewer points (41) than any previous season in NFL history. Last week, six games were decided by a game-winning score in the final two minutes of regulation or in overtime, the most in a week since Week 16, 2023 (six games).
  • The Atlanta Falcons – with a Kirk Cousins-to-Drake London touchdown pass with 34 seconds remaining in Week 2, a Younghoe Koo 58-yard field goal with two seconds left in Week 4 and a Cousins-to-KhaDarel Hodge touchdown pass in overtime in Week 5 – became the first team since the 2009 Cincinnati Bengals to score the game-winning points in the final minute of regulation or in overtime in three of its first five games of a season.
  • Both Atlanta and the Houston Texans have won consecutive games by scoring the game-winning points in the final minute of regulation or in overtime. The last team to win three such consecutive games was the 2020 Los Angeles Chargers (Weeks 14-16).

• DMV Dominance: A historic matchup between elite rushing teams is set to take place in Week 6 as the Washington Commanders (4-1) visit the Baltimore Ravens (3-2) on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS).
  • Baltimore, with 211.2 rushing yards per game, and Washington, 178.4 rushing yards per game, rank first and second, respectively, in rushing offense this season. On Sunday, it will mark the first meeting between two teams each averaging 175-or-more rushing yards per game in Week 6 or later of a season in 46 years, since Week 6 of the 1978 season [New England (188.8 rushing yards per game) vs. Philadelphia (186 rushing yards per game)].
  • The Ravens lead the league with 1,056 rushing yards and can become the fifth team since 1980 with at least 1,200 rushing yards in its first six games of a season, joining the 2006 Atlanta Falcons (1,333), 1984 Chicago Bears (1,330), 1980 Detroit Lions (1,299) and 2019 Baltimore Ravens (1,230).
  • Baltimore has rushed for at least 100 yards in 38 consecutive games, tied with the 1935-39 Detroit Lions (38 consecutive games) for the third-longest such streak by a team in NFL history. Only the 2018-21 Baltimore Ravens (43 consecutive games) and 1974-77 Pittsburgh Steelers (43) have longer such streaks.
  • Washington leads the NFL with 13 rushing touchdowns while Baltimore ranks tied for third with eight rushing touchdowns. The combined 21 rushing touchdowns rank as the second-most in a matchup for a Week 6 game since 1970, trailing the 24 combined rushing touchdowns between Miami (13) and Buffalo (11) in Week 6 of the 1975 season.
  • Washington can become the fourth team with 14-or-more rushing touchdowns in its first six games of a season since 1970, joining the 1975 Miami Dolphins (16 rushing touchdowns), 2023 Miami Dolphins (15) and 2004 Kansas City Chiefs (14).
  • With Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson (241.2 passing yards per game and 72.6 rushing yards per game in 2024) and Washington’s Jayden Daniels (227 passing yards per game and 60 rushing yards per game in 2024), this will mark the first matchup of opposing quarterbacks in Week 6 or later who are both averaging at least 200 passing yards per game and 50 rushing yards per game.

• Rookie Quarterbacks Finding Success: Between Washington’s Jayden Daniels (four wins), Denver’s Bo Nix (three) and Chicago’s Caleb Williams (three), rookie quarterbacks have combined for 10 wins this season, the second-most by rookie quarterbacks in the first five weeks of a season since 1970, trailing only 1987 (12 wins).
  • Daniels became the third rookie quarterback since 1950 to start and win four of his team’s first five games of a season, joining Joe Ferguson (1973 with Buffalo) and Dak Prescott (2016 with Dallas).
  • Nix is the first rookie quarterback to win three consecutive games in Broncos franchise history.
  • Williams became the fourth rookie quarterback since 1950 to win each of his first three home starts and throw no interceptions in each game, joining Matt Ryan (2008), Tua Tagovailoa (2020) and Russell Wilson (2012).

• London Continues: The NFL international schedule continues in London at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the second-consecutive week, as the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4) face the Chicago Bears (3-2) on Sunday (9:30 a.m. ET, NFL Network). The Jaguars will stay in London and take on New England in Week 7, playing two regular-season games outside of the United States for the second-consecutive season.
  • With the Jaguars earning their first win of the season in Week 5, 2024 marks the fourth season since 1970 in which every team has at least one win through the first five weeks, joining 2022, 2018 and 1990.
  • Sunday will mark the 10th NFL regular-season game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium since 2019. Eight of the first nine contests have been decided by one score (eight points or fewer).
  • Last season, Jacksonville became the first team ever to win multiple international games in a season. The Jaguars have six wins in international games, the most among all clubs.
  • The Bears competed in the first regular-season game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium against the Oakland Raiders on Oct. 6, 2019, and have a 2-1 record in international contests, earning wins at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada, in 2010 and Wembley Stadium in London in 2011.
• Sacks Abound: The New York Giants (2-3) lead the NFL with 22 sacks through Week 5, while the Denver Broncos (3-2) lead the AFC and rank third in the NFL with 19 sacks.
  • The Giants, who host the Cincinnati Bengals (1-4) on Sunday Night Football (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC), had eight sacks in Week 3 and seven sacks in Week 5, becoming the first team since the 2006 Philadelphia Eagles to record seven-or-more sacks in two of their first five games of a season. The last team to record at least seven sacks in three of its first six games of a season was the 1989 Minnesota Vikings.
  • The Broncos host the Los Angeles Chargers (2-2) on Sunday (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS) in a matchup of two top scoring defenses. The Chargers lead the NFL in scoring defense (12.5 points allowed per game) while the Broncos are tied for second (14.6) through the first five weeks. The last time two clubs met in Week 6 or later of a season that were both allowing fewer than 15 points per game was Week 6 of the 2013 season [New England (14.0 points allowed per game vs. New Orleans (14.6)].

• Follow Up: Two quarterbacks – Atlanta’s Kirk Cousins and Detroit’s Jared Goff – are looking to follow up exceptional performances.
  • In Week 5, Cousins had a Falcons single-game franchise-record 509 passing yards, the 24th game in NFL history of 500-or-more passing yards. Of the previous 23, nine players passed for 300-or-more yards in their next game and two players – Joe Burrow (446 passing yards on Jan. 2, 2022) and Tom Brady (423 on Sept. 18, 2011) passed for more than 400 yards.
  • In Week 4, Goff became the first player in NFL history with a 100 percent completion percentage on 15-or-more attempts, going 18-for-18 in the Lions’ win over Seattle. Including his final pass attempt in Week 3, he has completed 19 consecutive pass attempts. The NFL record for the most consecutive completions is 25, held by four players: Nick Foles (2018), Marcus Mariota (2018), Philip Rivers (2018) and Ryan Tannehill (2015).

• LSU Stars in Primetime: When Cincinnati (1-4) visits the New York Giants (2-3) on Sunday Night Football (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC), former LSU Tigers Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Malik Nabers will be in the spotlight.
  • Burrow recorded a career-high five touchdown passes in Week 5, including touchdown passes of 41- and 70-yards to Chase. Burrow (27 years old) and Chase (24 years old) have connected for 14 touchdowns of 40-or-more yards, the second-most by a quarterback-wide receiver duo both under the age of 28 in NFL history, trailing only John Hadl and Pro Football Hall of Famer Lance Alworth (20 touchdowns).
  • Burrow has 23 touchdown passes of 40-or-more yards since entering the NFL in 2020, surpassing Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner (22 touchdown passes) for the third-most such touchdown passes by a player in his first five seasons among quarterbacks whose career began after 1990. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (28 touchdown passes) and Patrick Mahomes (26) have more.
  • Chase has 10 touchdown receptions of 60-or-more yards, becoming the third player with 10-or-more touchdown receptions of 60-or-more yards in his first four seasons in NFL history, joining Homer Jones (12 touchdowns) and Harlon Hill (10).
  • Nabers, who missed the Giants’ Week 5 win due to injury, has 35 receptions in four career games, with at least five catches in each game. On Sunday night, he can join Puka Nacua (46 receptions) as the only players with at least 40 receptions in their first five career games in NFL history and become the fourth player in NFL history with at least five receptions in each of his first five career games, joining CeeDee Lamb (first six games), Terry Glenn (first five) and Nacua (first five).

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