We’re officially a third of the way through the NFL season! Week 6 saw the Eagles remain the league’s lone undefeated team, some unlikely stars at quarterback lead their teams to victories and division races get tighter and tighter as we head toward late October.
Which games impacted the playoff and Super Bowl picture most this week? Here’s a look at the biggest story lines shaping how the postseason will look come January, using insights from SI Tickets’ postseason reservations.
Zappe hour in New England?
Once 1–3 and staring down having to use a third-string quarterback, the Patriots have turned around their season behind an unlikely contributor: rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe. A fourth-round pick out of Western Kentucky with just one year of FBS football, Zappe has been highly efficient as a passer and led the Pats to a pair of wins. That included this past weekend’s victory over the Browns that saw Zappe complete more than 70% of his passes for 300 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
How the Patriots proceed at quarterback moving forward with Week 1 starter Mac Jones returning from an ankle sprain isn’t entirely known, but the way Zappe has played has helped save New England from digging themselves a major hole in the AFC playoff race. Divisional-round ticket reservation prices for the Patriots jumped 29%, and Super Bowl prices rose 74% on SI Tickets after the win over Cleveland.
Surprising Seahawks continue strong start
Few teams in the NFL had lower expectations on paper this season than the Seahawks. Yet through six weeks, Seattle is 3–3 and in a tie for first place in the NFC West. Sunday’s win against the Cardinals was encouraging for multiple reasons, namely because they won despite not scoring a touchdown until the fourth quarter on what was statistically Geno Smith’s worst game of the season. The Seahawks’ defense was outstanding, not allowing Kyler Murray and the Cardinals’ offense to score after their opening possession (the only other score by the Cards came from special teams).
Ticket reservation prices for the Seahawks in the divisional round on SI Tickets are still the lowest of any NFC West team, but Seattle has proven itself to be a competitor in this crowded division. And the win over Arizona did up its divisional-round reservation prices by 30%.
The Packers’ woes continue
Losing in London to the Giants was one thing.
Losing to the Jets, in Green Bay no less, is another.
Now just 3–3 on the season after getting handled rather easily by the Jets on Sunday, the Packers clearly have some soul-searching to do. The Green Bay offense couldn’t get anything going all afternoon, struggling to protect Aaron Rodgers and failing to generate consistent push in the running game. The Pack also had a punt blocked for a touchdown that swung momentum entirely in the Jets’ favor midway through the third quarter.
Things don’t get any easier for the Pack, with three straight road games looming, including a Week 8 trip to Buffalo to take on the Bills. And while there’s plenty of time to turn things around, the loss to the Jets did drop the Packers’ Super Bowl ticket reservation prices by 28% on SI Tickets.
Taking stock of the AFC East
All four teams in the AFC East could be playoff contenders. The Jets’ aforementioned win over the Packers boosted their divisional-round ticket reservation prices by 53% on SI Tickets, the largest increase for any team this week. The Patriots are back to 3–3 and are on much more solid footing in the postseason race than they were two weeks ago. And the Dolphins, which started 3–0 before injuries at quarterback derailed things, are expected to get Tua Tagovailoa back this week for their matchup with the Steelers.
It doesn’t seem likely that any of these three teams will catch the Bills at the top of the division, but the Dolphins, Jets and Patriots will all likely be in the mix for Wild Card berths into the postseason. If nothing else, this tightly-packed division race should produce some entertaining games over the next three months.
Panthers’ woes continue as well
Firing coach Matt Rhule last week didn’t spark an immediate turnaround for a Panthers team that continues to struggle. Carolina lost its third game in a row Sunday, failing to score an offensive touchdown in a 24–10 defeat at the hands of the defending champion Rams. With the loss, the Panthers’ Super Bowl ticket reservation prices on SI Tickets dropped another 52% and are now the lowest of any team in the NFL.
Any hope of a turnaround relies, at least for starters, on getting better quarterback play. Baker Mayfield missed Week 6 with an ankle injury, and replacement starter PJ Walker left late with a neck injury. Jacob Eason relieved Walker late against the Rams, and the Panthers’ QB room also features Sam Darnold, who is set to come off injured reserve this week.
