Who's up, who's down after Week 6 in the NFL
The 5-1 Vikings are rising in our NFL insider's power rankings, but how high?
Ravens. Ten teams are 3-3. Seven of them are tied for first in their division. Which of these seven is most likely to rise the highest? Baltimore. The Ravens have lost to Buffalo (5-1), the Giants (5-1) and Miami when it had Tua Tagovailoa at his career best. Baltimore led Tua's Dolphins 35-14 in the fourth quarter in Week 2, the Bills 20-10 at halftime in Week 4 and the Giants 20-10 in the fourth quarter on Sunday.
WORST 3-3 TEAM
Seahawks. Who out there thought Geno Smith would be carrying Seattle to a three-way tie for first place in the NFC West through six games? Only Detroit is giving up more points per game than Seattle's 27.2. The Seahawks also rank 30th in yards allowed (410.8) and haven't beaten a team that now has a winning record or lost to a team that now has a winning record.
RANKING THE 5-1 VIKINGS
5 (Last week: 7). Dear Vikings fans: Life is too short to be counting three-and-outs when Kirk Cousins' team is 5-1. Stop and smell the victories.
STATS OF THE WEEK
4: Times the Giants have trailed in the final quarter of their five wins.
1-3: Tom Brady's record in his past four games after losing as a 10-point favorite at Pittsburgh. He hasn't gone 1-4 in a five-game stretch since 2002. Next up: at Carolina.
4: Teams that are 2-4 and still only one game from the top of their division — Cleveland, Pittsburgh, New Orleans and Arizona.
MARCUS MARIOTA AND WALTER PAYTON?!
Question: Who are the only two players since 1950 to pass for at least two touchdowns with fewer than two incompletions while running for 50 or more yards and at least one rushing touchdown in a single game? Answer: Walter Payton and Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota on Sunday.
EVEN PHILLY FANS ARE WORRYING
Every fan base seems to thirst for something to worry about. Even in Philly, where the Eagles are 6-0 for the first time since 2004. The Eagles are averaging 21 points in the first half and have 112 second-quarter points, a six-game record for points in a quarter and more than eight teams have in all quarters through six games, including the Packers (107) and Bears (93). That's the good part. The supposed worrisome part: Philly has scored only 35 points after halftime (5.8).
WEEK 7 SNEAK PEEK
Colts (3-2-1) at Titans (3-2). This is the only game in Week 7 that features two teams with winning records. First place in the AFC South is on the line as Indy has won two straight and three of four since its 0-1-1 start. Matt Ryan threw 37 first-half passes while beating the Jaguars last week to avenge an earlier 24-0 loss. Now he'll try to even the season series with Tennessee, which beat the Colts 24-17 three weeks ago.
Mike Conley was in Minneapolis, where he sounded the Gjallarhorn at the Vikings game, on Sunday during the robbery.