It's the sixth week of the 2025 NFL season, which got under way last night when the New York Giants defeated the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium.
We take a look at some of the key storylines to follow over the next couple of days.
Irish Focus
It can be easy to glance over the fact that we now have Irish players within the NFL, but this weekend provides a fascinating prospect for that of Ballyboden's Mark McNamee.
At the start of the pre-season in August, the Dublin man flew to Green Bay with 24 hours' notice, and had a lengthy wait with immigration to obtain a visa.
The pessimist fan would suggest that Brandon McManus was the clear starter - and that McNamee would not be given an opportunity.
Well, it looks like that may change as soon as this weekend. Former Broncos and Jaguars kicker McManus is a major doubt for Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals with a right quad injury, with Packers head coach Matt LaFleur describing the situation as a "major concern right now" when speaking to reporters on Thursday.
It seems that all going well, McNamee could have the opportunity of a lifetime this weekend.
Elsewhere, Derry man Jude McAtamney made another start (his third in succession) on Thursday night, when the New York Giants pulled off an upset win over the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
The Swatragh man went 4-for-5 on extra-point tries in the game, with no field goals attempted.
It has to be said, McAtamney was not elevated from the practice squad, but signed. He is very much still a work in progress, but this is a sign of a clear commitment from the Giants, who have allowed McAtamney to continue to develop over the past 18 months.
A position battle will continue in New York and it will be fascinating to see how it will play out.
The Broncos Jet to London
After a victory for the Minnesota Vikings last weekend, there is another game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this Sunday when the Denver Broncos face the New York Jets (2.30pm).
For Broncos fans, they have waited for the guts of a decade to see the heir apparent to Von Miller, who won Super Bowl 50 with the franchise.
Enter Nik Bonitto.
While he is not the exact same player as Miller, he is a hybrid type in comparison.
He’s been that good this season that his seven sacks alone are more than the entire defensive front for the Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers.
That’s a foundation to build upon, especially when it has taken the Broncos a few weeks to get the offence up and running.
While we did not see the 2024 level of Bo Nix in the first four weeks of the season, the Broncos pulled off a sensational comeback in Philadelphia last weekend, their first in the city since the days of the great John Elway.
The New York Jets are 0-5.
That’s the stat, folks. It’s not been pretty at all through the first five weeks, and defensively, they are really struggling. On the other side, Justin Fields is the only starting quarterback in the league (with four minimum starts) this season to not throw an interception.
It’s a weird one for the Jets. If they had their 2023 defence, they would use the weapons they have on the offensive side and more than likely make a push for the playoffs.
After their poor performance against the Dallas Cowboys last week when they lost 37-22, they now go up against a quarterback in Bo Nix who is 10-0 in his career against teams with a .500 or less record.
It could be a long day in London for the Jets.
Blockbuster
If you asked any neutral fan the opportunity to watch a Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions Super Bowl last season, many would have taken it. Alas, it wasn’t to be, with the Lions struggling heavily with injuries down the final stretch.
This weekend, they meet at Arrowhead, Kansas City, in a marquee primetime match-up which promises so much, never mind the fact that the Chiefs have not been at their best through the first five weeks.
On Monday night, Patrick Mahomes and company blew a 14-0 lead in Jacksonville, eventually losing 31-28.
Chris Jones has come under serious duress from fans and analysts this week for his play - or lack of - on the final touchdown drive of the game, where Trevor Lawrence lost control and was on the ground for a prolonged period of time.
The Chiefs simply will not have the time this week for mistakes. Their points-per-game average is at its second lowest total through five weeks in the Mahomes era - and while there were signs last week that the team is starting to click offensively, it needs to transform into results on the field.
With Rashee Rice still not back from suspension, the Chiefs need to continue to elevate their run game, which had an improved success last week.
The problem with that?
They’re playing the Detroit Lions.
If you remember how we all felt in the first week of the season - the Lions had hopped on a plane to Green Bay with new coordinators - and it was not good viewing at all. Questions were immediately being asked of Dan Campbell and his team.
Fast forward to Week 6 and the Detroit Lions come in to this game rolling, to put it lightly. They are putting points up on the board for fun, with the team ranked first in scoring in the league so far this season.
One of the more interesting stats is that of Lions star Jameson Williams. He has had a relatively quiet start to the season, with the wide receiver only recording 11 catches for 223 receiving yards and one touchdown in five weeks. Lions fans expect more and it will be interesting to see what offensive coordinator John Morton can cook up this weekend.
Morton has done the one thing that many questioned may not be able to continue: he has ensured that this Lions team are lethal going forward.
Get the popcorn ready, folks.
Redemption in Jacksonville
As mentioned above, the Jaguars had a huge win on Monday night over the Kansas City Chiefs. What is even more surprising is that this was their first win on a prime time Monday evening since 2011.
A lot has changed since then - both on the field and off the field for the team.
I had the chance to visit the Jaguars facility during the offseason and I couldn’t help but be impressed when I heard what new head coach Liam Coen had to say about his team - and more importantly how he planned to motivate them.
There can be no doubt that the mood and the optimism in Jacksonville has dramatically changed with Coen entering.
The final offensive play of the game for the Jaguars was the most Jacksonville play you will ever see - and that’s what makes it so good. Lawrence struggling, but finding a way to get up and run it in completely turned things on its head.
The former Clemson man looks locked in and frankly reborn under the new management. It will be fascinating to see how he can progress this year in what can only be described as a wild AFC through the first five weeks.
The Jaguars face the Seahawks this Sunday at home, before they fly to London on Monday ahead of their matchup against the Los Angeles Rams at Wembley Stadium next weekend.
And finally…
I can’t end this piece without acknowledging the incredible job that was done by Drake Maye, Stefon Diggs and company last Sunday night in Buffalo.
In a week where former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has dominated the headlines with the University of North Carolina in terms of his future, there can be no doubt that after years, the Patriots have the answer to their own pathway.
As Maye and the Patriots get ready to fly to New Orleans to take on the Saints, they do so in high spirits.
New England are over .500 after five weeks for the first time since Tom Brady left the franchise. Their next four games are among the easiest in the NFL schedule - and more importantly, Maye is impressing.
Through five weeks, Maye is second in the league in terms of completion percentage and fifth in total yards. He has four straight games with 200-plus passing yards, a 100-plus passer rating and a completion rate of 73.3% or better.
The only man to have the same records as above in this period? Tom Brady.
Strap in, Patriots fans. You Maye be back after all.
