5 Super Bowl pretenders heading into NFL Week 6
The NFL's Super Bowl contenders are starting to show their true colors through six weeks of the 2021 season.
Similarly, teams with fatal flaws are starting to be exposed. In this article, we look at five teams that have winning records heading into Week 6 — but do not have what it takes to go all the way to the Super Bowl.
5 teams who are Super Bowl pretenders heading into Week 6
#1 – Kansas City Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes is a magician, but there's only so much the Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback can do to keep his team's Super Bowl chances afloat. The turnovers are mounting, with 10 in their last 13 quarters played, and an injury to Clyde Edwards-Helaire has damaged an already ill-functioning running game.
Mahomes was outpassed 315 to 272 yards by Josh Allen in the Chiefs' 38-20 loss to the Buffalo Bills last week, a performance that leaves the Bills as Super Bowl favorites from the AFC. The Kansas City defense is now second in the NFL in most yards conceded.
How bad is the Chiefs defense?
On a per-play basis, the most prolific offense in NFL history is the 2000 Rams. They averaged 7.0.
The 2021 Chiefs are allowing 7.1 yards per play.
Mahomes' extraordinary ability shone through during the Chiefs' past two AFC Championship campaigns but, on both Super Bowl runs, Kansas City had to produce unlikely comebacks on multiple occasions to claim wins by fine margins. The way this 2-3 team is currently operating, they may fall on the wrong side of those close games in the 2021-2022 season and playoffs, if they make it that far.
#2 – Cleveland Browns
Baker Mayfield showed a lot of guts in the Cleveland Browns' 47-42 loss to the Chargers. The Browns came up short in a shootout but Mayfield made a series of big plays in Week 5, and there's every chance the former number one overall pick has what it takes to lead this team to the Super Bowl – when fully healthy.
Baker Mayfield will continue to play through the ailment. Asked yesterday by reporters if the shoulder harness affects his play, he said: “It shouldn’t, no.” twitter.com/RapSheet/statu…
Mayfield says the torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder "shouldn't" affect his play, but all it would take is one crunching sack and that problem could get significantly bigger.
The Browns are driven by their ground attack, and Mayfield's play is currently complimenting Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt through the air, but question marks remain over how effective Mayfield is in clutch situations.
That will be amplified if Mayfield's injured shoulder gets worse over the next 10-12 weeks. Mayfield will come unstuck if he needs to outduel Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson in the playoffs.