The Packers were written off early in the season. But after back-to-back wins, the latest coming over the Bears, are they officially back? Are the Jaguars just winning ugly games or are they a true Super Bowl contender?
In Philly, is Jalen Hurts the problem? Can we say the same about Bo Nix in Denver? As usual, NFL fans brought their hot takes to our @NFLonFOX Instagram.
I picked a handful of them to break down and render a verdict on whether you're spot on or missing the mark. Let’s dive into this week’s takes: Fact or Fiction: Fact The Packers aren’t in the Super Bowl conversation yet, but they’re definitely back in NFC contention. In the past two weeks, the Packers have found themselves.
They won close, holding on for a 17-14 victory over the Buccaneers in Week 4, and then overwhelmed their hated division-rival Bears en route to a three-score win in Week 5. Green Bay arguably has the NFL’s most lethal passing attack right now. Against the Bears, Jordan Love completed six deep passes (20-plus air yards) for a career-high 258 yards, the second-most deep passing yards by a quarterback in a game over the past decade, according to Next Gen Stats.
Wide receivers Christian Watson and Matthew Golden now lead all teammate duos with 871 combined receiving yards. They’re the only tandem to each have 375-plus receiving yards. Love’s pass protection remains an issue, but it’s gotten better.
He’s been sacked only three times combined over the past three weeks and has faced a pressure rate under 36% in three of the last four weeks, per NGS. And how about that Packers defense? Not having to face injured Bears QB Caleb Williams helped, but recording five takeaways against Chicago is no small feat.
In fact, it’s the most forced turnovers that Green Bay has had in a game since 2016. The run game is still a big issue. Plus, in addition to star edge Micah Parsons' return still being up in the air, Green Bay has lost two key defenders — LB Edgerrin Cooper, DT Javon Hargrave — to season-ending Achilles injuries in back-to-back weeks.
So, yes, the Packers are back — in the playoff hunt. Let's see what they look like when Parsons gets back on the field. Fact or Fiction: Fiction Hurts has been a problem for the struggling Eagles, but he hasn’t been the problem.
The team's primary issue is collective offensive dysfunction. Philly is going through the hiccups of getting acclimated to first-year coordinator Sean Mannion’s scheme while simultaneously dealing with turnover on a once-strong offensive line and a myriad of issues at the offensive skill positions. Six-time Pro Bowl right tackle Lane Johnson suddenly retired in early October.
Pro Bowl left guard Landon Dickerson is on IR. Center/guard Cam Jurgens was traded. No.
1 wide receiver DeVonta Smith has missed consecutive games with a hamstring injury. Oh, and the Eagles are down their top three running backs in an offense dependent on the rushing attack. None of this is to say that Hurts’ play hasn’t been an issue.
As great of a clutch and playoff performer as he is, he’s far too inconsistent throughout games. His miss of a wide-open Dontayvion Wicks late in the third quarter of the Eagles’ heartbreaking two-point loss to the Jaguars in London was jarring — Wicks had a walk-in touchdown. Franchise quarterbacks are expected to lift their teams despite the issues around them.
Hurts doesn’t do that enough given his pedigree (and his salary), seeming to be over-reliant on the star talent around him. But honestly, the Eagles have larger issues than Hurts. They have systemic issues.
Philly needs to do a better job of creating an environment in which Hurts can succeed in spite of his limitations, and that starts with head coach Nick Sirianni. Fact or Fiction: Fact This shouldn’t be a controversial take. The Jaguars are easily one of the most complete teams in football.
They’ve been getting great quarterback play from Trevor Lawrence. They’re deep at receiver. Their run game is competent.
Their defense is superb. The team is well-coached. Those are all the main ingredients you look for in Super Bowl contenders.
Yes, the Jags’ past two victories have been a grind. They had 26 total penalties and in Week 5 needed a late-game meltdown by the Eagles to win in London. But winning ugly is a skill, and it’s also too small of a sample size for it to be a reason for concern.
With Jacksonville, we should be looking at larger trends, and many of them are overwhelmingly positive. Lawrence has been playing like an elite quarterback since last November, showing that his growth under second-year coach Liam Coen is very real. Former sixth-round pick Parker Washington continues to rise as a WR1.
The Jaguars' defense has been the league’s best against the run since the start of last year. After ranking second in takeaways in 2025, the Jags are tied for fifth this year (8). Don’t be surprised to see the Jaguars finish the season as the AFC’s No.
1 overall seed, either. At 4-1, Jacksonville is in a weak AFC South, and just four of its remaining 12 games are against teams with a winning record. The Jags are leaving some meat on the bone in the run game, and the health of left tackle Anton Harrison (knee) is something to watch.
He could be out multiple weeks, if not months. But across the board, Jacksonville looks like the real deal. Fact or Fiction: Fact Bo Nix is a competent quarterback who just seems to have limited upside.
I think that’s one of the keys to Denver's offensive problems. Head coach Sean Payton took back playcalling duties from offensive coordinator Davis Webb last week, only for the slow-start issue to show up once again in a one-score victory over the 0-5 Los Angeles Chargers. I think this is a reality with Nix that Payton has acknowledged, too.
Denver had its highest called run rate of the season (49.0%) in Week 5, according to NFL Research, which could be interpreted as a lack of trust in the quarterback. Even if you want to chalk that up as a game-specific strategy, Nix has still struggled when asked to push the ball down the field. He’s completed just 44.7% of his downfield passes, which is ninth-worst in the NFL, per Next Gen Stats.
He’s also one of three qualified quarterbacks without a touchdown pass when facing pressure. He’s registered just a 35.4% completion rate and 4.1 yards per attempt against pressure, which rank third- and fifth-worst in the NFL, respectively. Since entering the NFL in 2024, Nix has shown an ability to deliver in clutch moments.
He’s also elite at avoiding negative plays — he’s taken a sack or committed a turnover on just 5.8% of his dropbacks this season, the sixth-lowest rate in the NFL per NGS. But he doesn’t generate nearly enough explosive pass plays, despite now having a legit deep threat in receiver Jaylen Waddle, who has only one catch on two targets on 26 go routes. Once again, Nix has a mediocre run game around him this season — Denver averages just 86.2 rushing yards per game, which ranks 25th — but great quarterbacks can regularly find success in spite of that.
