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NFL Week 6 Schedule 2026: Ranking Every Game From Worst to Best
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We’re five weeks into the 2026 NFL season, meaning we now have enough of a sample size to determine which teams are contenders and which are pretenders.
For example, the 49ers, Chiefs and Vikings have all begun the season undefeated and put themselves in prime position to make the postseason. Since 2002, 87% of teams that have started 4–0 have made the playoffs—a figure that rises to 89% for those that start 5–0. On the flipside, the Chargers, Dolphins and Titans are all but out of the running, as no NFL team has started 0–5 and made the playoffs. (Even with a longer season and more wild-card teams than they had in 2002, a turnaround of that magnitude feels unlikely.)
The coming week in the NFL includes six intradivision matchups, a handful of front office reunions and an A-plus uniform matchup that may very well serve as a Super Bowl preview.
With that, here’s a snapshot preview of all 14 games for Week 6, ranked from the least to most watchable.
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MORE: NFL Week 6 Picks From the MMQB Staff
Ranking every Week 6 NFL game from worst to best
14. Titans (0–5) at Colts (2–3)
Date: Sunday, Oct. 18
Location: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
Time: 9:15 a.m. ET
Where to watch: Fox
The Titans have frankly become unwatchable. After falling to the Texans, 26–3, in Week 5, Tennessee has now started the season 0–5 for the first time since 2009. The Titans’ offense is dead last in both yards (246.4) and points (11.6) per game, their defense has forced the fewest turnovers in the NFL with just two and coach Robert Saleh is already getting questions about benching second-year quarterback Cam Ward just five games into the season. They’ll take on the Colts—who aren’t exactly appointment TV, either—on Sunday. Indianapolis has somewhat found its footing after an 0–2 start, but Daniel Jones’s 73.6 passer rating is third-worst among starting quarterbacks, making it continually difficult to justify the massive contract they gave him this offseason.
13. Saints (1–4) at Giants (3-1-1)
Date: Sunday, Oct. 18
Location: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J.
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Fox
The Saints looked like a sneaky competitive team to start the year when they took the Lions to overtime in Week 1 and beat the Ravens on the road in Week 2. Since then, they’ve lost three straight games, and were made to look inept on offense against the Vikings last Sunday—scoring 13 points and gaining just 142 yards of total offense while quarterback Tyler Shough posted a career-low 28.1 passer rating. In what I’m dubbing the Jeremy Shockey Bowl, New Orleans will head to New York this weekend to face the Giants—who, against all odds, have notched two wins and a tie since quarterback Jaxson Dart went down with a season-ending knee injury in Week 2.
12. Cardinals (1–4) at Rams (2–3)
Date: Sunday, Oct. 18
Location: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, Calif.
Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Fox
I’d be hard-pressed to find someone who thought the Rams would have just a one-game lead over the Cardinals in the NFC West standings after five weeks, but that’s exactly where we are as the season enters mid-October. Los Angeles lost yet another tight one on Monday night against the Bills to drop to 2–3, while Arizona has now lost four in a row after starting the season 1–0. This matchup on Sunday marks Sean McVay’s first matchup against Mike LaFleur, who left his perch as the Rams’ offensive coordinator to become the Cardinals’ head coach this offseason.
11. Steelers (3–2) at Buccaneers (1–4)
Date: Sunday, Oct. 18
Location: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: CBS
Aaron Rodgers has turned back the clock over the past three weeks, throwing three touchdown passes in three consecutive games for the first time since 2021—the same year he won his fourth MVP award. The 41-year-old will lead his 3–2 Steelers to Tampa this weekend for a matchup against the Buccaneers, who earned their first win of the season last Thursday night in rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels’s second career start. While these two teams don’t face each other much, the Steelers own a 10–2 record in the all-time series, with the Buccaneers’ last win coming in 2014.
10. Commanders (1-3-1) at 49ers (5–0)
Date: Monday, Oct. 19
Location: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, Calif.
Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
Where to watch: ABC/ESPN
There are some interesting connections between the Commanders and 49ers: Washington is where Mike Shanahan’s coaching tree—which includes his son and current San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan—sprouted, and Commanders general manager Adam Peters spent seven seasons in the 49ers’ front office before heading east to D.C. in 2024. That said, Monday night’s matchup is quite lopsided. The 49ers are 5–0 for the first time since 2023, thanks in part to quarterback Brock Purdy playing at an MVP level, while the Commanders are just 1-3-1 to start the year—with that tie feeling more like a loss after the way they blundered the final seconds against the Giants last Sunday.
9. Jets (2–3) at Patriots (3–2)
Date: Sunday, Oct. 18
Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: CBS
Drake Maye put together his best performance of the season in the Patriots’ win over the Raiders last Sunday, tying a career high with five total touchdowns—the same mark he reached in last year’s Week 17 victory over the Jets, whom New England will face this coming weekend. The Jets will head to Foxborough with a 2–3 record after beating the Browns in Week 5, but still have a ways to go if they want to make this longstanding AFC East rivalry competitive again.
8. Panthers (2–2) at Eagles (2–3)
Date: Sunday, Oct. 18
Location: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: CBS
The Panthers must have felt good heading into their early-season bye last weekend after taking down the Lions in a shootout two Sunday nights ago. Now 2–2 and led by quarterback Bryce Young, who is playing the best football of his young career, Carolina will face an Eagles team on Sunday that has found new ways to lose in back-to-back weeks. After blowing a 14-point lead to the Rams in Week 4, Philadelphia led the Jaguars 17–16 with just eight seconds to go in their Week 5 matchup before—as Nick Sirianni admitted—a decision to kick off to Ameer Abdullah cost them the win. The Eagles aren’t necessarily in “must-win” mode yet, but a victory over the Panthers would certainly help their cause as they look to gain ground in the NFC East standings.
7. Bears (3–2) at Falcons (2–3)
Date: Sunday, Oct. 18
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Fox
The Falcons had won two consecutive games with Michael Penix Jr. back under center, and were on the cusp of another victory before the Ravens forced their Week 5 matchup into overtime, Penix injured his ribs and Tua Tagovailoa had to take over. Atlanta is now 2–3 and will welcome the Bears to Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Chicago has been able to mostly weather the storm since Caleb Williams’s Week 2 hamstring injury, but fell 31–7 to the division-rival Packers last Sunday—adding yet another layer to the NFL’s best current rivalry. Notably, Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham spent the 2022 to ’25 seasons in the Bears’ front office under Ryan Poles before joining Atlanta as general manager this offseason, meaning he helped build the roster that his team will go up against in Week 6.
6. Bills (4–1) at Raiders (3–2)
Date: Sunday, Oct. 18
Location: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas
Time: 4:25 p.m. ET
Where to watch: CBS
The Raiders have come back to earth following a 3–0 start, dropping two games to the Chiefs and Patriots. They’ll now welcome a Bills team to Las Vegas that’s fresh off a Monday night victory over the Rams. Buffalo has started the season 4–1 for the first time since 2022, sits in first place in the AFC East and has looked dominant—at least offensively—in Joe Brady’s first season at the helm. If the Raiders get the train back on the tracks, this one could be competitive and also carry significant implications in the AFC playoff race down the stretch.
5. Chargers (0–5) at Chiefs (4–0)
Date: Sunday, Oct. 18
Location: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City
Time: 4:25 p.m. ET
Where to watch: CBS
The Chargers have yet to win a game in 2026—starting 0–5 for the first time since ’03—and will now take on the 4–0 Chiefs, in Kansas City, this coming Sunday. To add insult to injury, the Chiefs are coming off a bye—and Andy Reid is 22–5 after a bye week in his coaching career. Still, given that these two teams know each other well, something tells me that this one will be tight—especially with Jim Harbaugh’s back essentially against the wall.
4. Texans (1–4) vs. Jaguars (4–1)
Date: Sunday, Oct. 18
Location: Wembley Stadium, London
Time: 9:15 a.m. ET
Where to watch: NFL Network
The Texans finally notched their first win of the season last weekend, beating the Titans 26–3 and following it up by trading for wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. from the Cardinals. Harrison now reunites with Ohio State teammate, C.J. Stroud, as Houston gets ready to head across the pond to face the Jaguars in London. This one carries with it massive ramifications, as the Texans—once considered a Super Bowl contender—will look to climb back into the AFC South race against a 4–1 Jacksonville team that ranks second to only the 49ers in point differential this season.
3. Ravens (4–1) at Browns (3–2)
Date: Sunday, Oct. 18
Location: Huntington Bank Field, Cleveland
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Fox
In what’s become the year of the backup quarterback, the Ravens trotted out Tyler “Snoop” Huntley in place of the injured Lamar Jackson on Sunday night against the Falcons and came away with an epic overtime win. Now sitting at 4–1, they’ll head to Cleveland this weekend to face the division-rival Browns—who lost to the Jets in Week 5 and fell to 3–2. To put it bluntly, the Week 6 slate isn’t a great one, which bumps this matchup to No. 3 on the list. Still, these classic AFC North battles tend to deliver hard-hitting, competitive football, making this one worth the watch.
2. Cowboys (2–3) at Packers (3–2)
Date: Sunday, Oct. 18
Location: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisc.
Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NBC
Sunday night’s matchup between the Cowboys and Packers will be the second time the two teams have faced each other since last offseason’s Micah Parsons trade from Green Bay to Dallas. This time, however, the three-time first-team All-Pro won’t be on the field as he continues his recovery from last year’s knee injury. Still, this one should serve as a solid measuring stick as both teams have underperformed relative to their preseason expectations—but still remain firmly in the mix of a crowded NFC.
1. Seahawks (3–2) at Broncos (3–2)
Date: Thursday, Oct. 15
Location: Empower Field at Mile High, Denver
Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video
Week 6 in the NFL will begin with its best matchup when the Seahawks and Broncos face off on Thursday night. Seattle enters this one 3–2 after a three-point loss to the 49ers last weekend, while Denver holds the same record after just barely squeaking by the Chargers on Sunday. Like many of the prime-time, cross-conference matchups we’ve seen this season, this one could very well serve as a preview of Super Bowl LXI—and also marks a rematch of Super Bowl XLVIII from the 2013 season. The cherry on top? The uniforms, as both the Broncos and Seahawks are set to don throwbacks, adding another fun angle to this already intriguing matchup.
NFL Week 6 schedule
Who is playing on Thursday Night Football?
Home team | Away team | Time | Where to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
Denver Broncos | Seattle Seahawks | 8:15 p.m. ET | Amazon Prime Video |
Sunday, Oct. 18
Home team | Away team | Time | Where to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
Jacksonville Jaguars | Houston Texans | 9:30 a.m. ET | NFL Network |
Atlanta Falcons | Chicago Bears | 1:00 p.m. ET | Fox |
Cleveland Browns | Baltimore Ravens | 1:00 p.m. ET | Fox |
Indianapolis Colts | Tennessee Titans | 1:00 p.m. ET | Fox |
New England Patriots | New York Jets | 1:00 p.m. ET | CBS |
New York Giants | New Orleans Saints | 1:00 p.m. ET | Fox |
Philadelphia Eagles | Carolina Panthers | 1:00 p.m. ET | CBS |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Pittsburgh Steelers | 1:00 p.m. ET | CBS |
Los Angeles Rams | Arizona Cardinals | 4:05 p.m. ET | Fox |
Kansas City Chiefs | Los Angeles Chargers | 4:25 p.m. ET | CBS |
Las Vegas Raiders | Buffalo Bills | 4:25 p.m. ET | CBS |
Who is playing on Sunday Night Football?
Home team | Away team | Time | Where to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
Green Bay Packers | Dallas Cowboys | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC |
Who is playing on Monday Night Football?
Home team | Away team | Time | Where to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
San Francisco 49ers | Washington Commanders | 8:15 p.m. ET | ESPN/ABC |
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Mike Kadlick is a senior NFL news writer for Sports Illustrated. He’s also a New England Patriots reporter for CLNS Media, where he hosts the Patriots Daily podcast and covers the beat from Gillette Stadium. Before joining SI, Kadlick worked at WEEI sports radio in Boston. He holds a master’s degree in public relations from Boston University. When Kadlick’s not covering football, he can be found running, spending time with his wife and dog, and enjoying all things pizza.
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