The first six weeks of the NFL season have delivered plenty of entertainment, but a few teams have already shifted from promising to frustrating. The biggest letdowns right now all come with expectations attached, and each one has its own brand of mess.
Start in Los Angeles, where the Rams entered the offseason with the kind of buzz that had plenty of people handing them a Super Bowl before August was even over. Instead, they’re sitting at 2-4 and trying to claw their way back into relevance.
The offense has been solid, but the special teams remain a problem, and the defense has settled into the middle of the pack in total EPA. The issue now is simple: they have to start winning tight games.
Matthew Stafford and the offense need to settle in and take control, because a team that was supposed to be violent and overpowering cannot afford losses like the one to the Arizona Cardinals on the 2026 season resume.
The Chargers are in a different kind of trouble, but the disappointment is just as loud. Their offense drew plenty of excitement with Mike McDaniel added to the staff as offensive coordinator, and Omarion Hampton got a wave of buzz because McDaniel has a strong track record with running backs.
None of that has translated so far. Justin Herbert has not looked great, and now the team is reportedly considering pivoting to Adam Gase as their new guy.
Jim Harbaugh’s seat keeps getting hotter, and the schedule hasn’t exactly offered much relief. If the losses keep piling up, the Chargers may have to think hard about a new coach.
This is the first time they started 0-6 since 2000, and their quarterback was Jim Harbaugh.
Cam Ward’s second season has become another ugly storyline. Tennessee was supposed to help him take a step forward after bringing in Brian Daboll as offensive coordinator, drafting Carnell Tate, and adding former Giants wide receiver Wandale Robinson.
Instead, the Titans are averaging 14.9 points per game, and there’s little sign the offense is about to find another gear. They rank 30th in EPA/Play and 29th in EPA/Pass, and the conversation has already drifted toward whether this becomes a path to Jerimaeh Smith from Ohio State.
Then there’s the NFC East, which has gone winless over the last two weeks and suddenly looks like a division sliding fast in the wrong direction. Jalen Hurts is out for the season with a blood clot.
The Commanders are dealing with issues around Dan Quinn and still can’t stay healthy. The Cowboys have plenty of money tied up in their defense and still can’t get stops.
The Giants are still sorting out their quarterback situation, and they need to find a way to stop the run, too. At this point, there’s even a real chance that Dan Quinn (WAS), Nick Sirianni (PHI), and Brian Schotenhiemer (DAL) could all be out of jobs before the season ends.
In Other News...
Sean McVay Tries To Defuse Kyren Williams Drama As Rams Spiral
Sean McVay spent part of the week trying to calm down a situation the Rams would rather not have lingering around them. After the Week 6 loss, running back Kyren Williams drew attention for his postgame comments, and McVay moved quickly to frame them as the kind of thing that happens in the heat of the moment. He said Williams was emotional and misspoke, while making clear the back remains a positive influence and a leader in the locker room.
The timing matters because Los Angeles is already trying to stop a slide at 2-4, and the offense has little room for distraction. The Rams have been dealing with broader issues on that side of the ball, and the challenge only grows with Davante Adams expected to miss several weeks. In that context, McVays effort to smooth things over is less about one comment than keeping a fragile season from getting any shakier. [Read more 🡒]
Aaron Donald Just Became The Rams Biggest Defensive Dilemma
Aaron Donalds return from retirement was supposed to give the Rams a familiar anchor up front, but the picture around him has changed quickly. With Poona Ford out for the season with a torn triceps, Kobie Turner sidelined for multiple weeks with a groin injury and Myles Garrett still not back at practice, Los Angeles suddenly has far less depth than it expected when it counted on its defensive line.
So the conversation has shifted from easing Donald back in to whether the Rams need more of him, more often. The team is weighing a bigger snap count to cover for the absences, but there is still a real question about how much extra burden the 30-something star can handle after retirement and with his current workload already part of the equation. [Read more 🡒]
Kurt Warner Just Put The Rams Biggest Offensive Issue On McVay
Kurt Warner has zeroed in on what has kept the Rams from looking like a finished product this season, pointing to the lack of a consistent running game and the physical edge needed in the red zone. It is the kind of critique that lands harder when it comes from someone who knows what high-level Rams offense is supposed to look like, and it matches the broader sense that this group has been leaving too many easy answers on the table.
Sean McVay has already owned the teams critical errors and said composure has to improve, which puts the spotlight back on how quickly the Rams can clean up the details. Blake Corum and Kyren Williams have both voiced confidence in the talent in the room, but the next step is turning that belief into a more reliable finish once the field gets tighter and the stakes rise. [Read more 🡒]