Week 6 of the 2025 NFL season is officially here. We already saw one major upset with the New York Giants taking down the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night, so we should be in store for another wild weekend of NFL football.

Last night, the key for the Giants was playing mistake-free football and pounding the rock. They didn’t turn the ball over, and Cam Skettebo had a massive game on the ground.

Today, we’re going to identify 10 key matchups that could go a long way towards determining who wins each game.

Joe Flacco vs. Packers’ Pass Rush

The Cincinnati Bengals made a somewhat aggressive move, trading for Joe Flacco. The hope is that he can step in and elevate the Bengals’ offense and, hopefully, keep the team afloat while Joe Burrow is out, but he’s got a tough test out of the gates.

If there’s one negative about Joe Flacco, it’s that he’s as mobile as a refrigerator. He’s not going to escape the pocket and run, and that’s something he’s going to need to do behind the Bengals’ offensive line. The 40-year-old veteran is going to have Micah Parsons and Rashan Gary breathing down his neck every play, so if he’s not able to get the ball out quickly, the Bengals aren’t going to have success.

Trent McDuffie vs. Amon-Ra St. Brown

Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of the best receivers in the NFL, but this week, he has to go up against one of the best corners in the NFL, Trent McDuffie. A lot of the Detroit Lions‘ offensive success comes through St. Brown, so if McDuffie can snuff him out, the Lions are going to have a hard time moving the ball against a pretty stout Kansas City defense.

If St. Brown has his way, the Lions could run the Chiefs out of the building. If McDuffie can keep him in check, the Chiefs might have a chance of keeping up with the Lions on Sunday Night Football.

Baker Mayfield vs. 49ers’ Secondary

Baker Mayfield had himself a day last time out, when he threw for 379 yards and two scores against the Seattle Seahawks. His play launched him into the MVP conversation, but with Bucky Irving still out, he’s going to need to have another big day this weekend if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers want to beat the San Francisco 49ers.

Last week, Matthew Stafford threw for 389 yards against the 49ers’ secondary, but other than that, no one has hit the 210-yard mark. It will be interesting to see which side wins out. Is Mayfield good enough to dominate a 49ers secondary without much of a run game? Or will the 49ers lock him and his receivers down?

Justin Fields vs. Broncos’ Defense

The only way the New York Jets have a chance in this game is if Justin Fields goes off. The Denver Broncos have an elite defense that has shut down quite a few good offenses this season, so if the Jets want any chance in this game, Fields needs to have a career day.

Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to string together 60 minutes of good football this year. Fantasy players have been very happy with him, but that’s because he does most of his work in the fourth quarter when the Jets are trailing big. The stat sheet doesn’t show how he’s truly played, so if he wants to give his team a shot, he’ll need to change the narrative.

Tet McMillan vs. Trevon Diggs

Tet McMillan is about to have a day against the Dallas Cowboys‘ defense. The Carolina Panthers‘ WR1 has enjoyed a strong start to his rookie season, and now he gets to go up against a Cowboys defense that has been horrible against the pass, and that’s largely due to Trevon Diggs‘ struggles.

Diggs has only been targeted 10 times this season, but has given up eight catches for 159 yards, three touchdowns, and a perfect passer rating, per PFF. He’s also been flagged twice. He will be tasked with guarding McMillan more often than not, and even though McMillan is a rookie, he should be able to torch the Cowboys’ veteran corner.

Drake Maye vs. Spencer Rattler

While all the talk is going to be on the New England Patriots and Drake Maye going into this game – and rightfully so, considering they just beat the Buffalo Bills in prime-time – I think it’s time to put just a little bit of respect on Spencer Rattler’s name

Through five games, Rattler has thrown for 990 yards, six touchdowns, and just one interception while completing 67.2 percent of his passes. He’s doing that with one of the worst supporting casts in football. I’m not saying he’s a Pro Bowler or anything, but I think it’s time for the national media to pay him some attention.

I think the Patriots may win this game, but I’m excited to see this quarterback duel. Both of these guys are young and exciting, and whichever one plays better probably walks out with the victory.

Travis Etienne vs. Seahawks’ Run Defense

Travis Etienne has quietly been one of the most efficient running backs in the NFL this season. He’s averaging 5.8 yards per carry and nearly 100 yards per game this season, but he has to go against a really good run defense this weekend.

The Seahawks allow just 83 rushing yards per game, which ranks third in the NFL this year. Trevor Lawrence is starting to find his stride in Liam Coen’s offense, but he’s not going to win this game by himself. If Seattle stuffs Etienne and the Jags can’t establish a run game, it’s Seattle’s game to lose.

Aaron Rodgers vs. Browns’ Defense

Aaron Rodgers has played decent football since arriving in Pittsburgh. His season started hot with a four-touchdown game, but he’s cooled off significantly since then. The veteran is not making mistakes, but he hasn’t been the Aaron Rodgers we all know he can be.

This week, Rodgers faces one of his toughest tests yet. The Cleveland Browns have one of the best defenses in football, so it’s imperative that he plays well. We saw what happened to Jordan Love when the Browns came to town, so if the Pittsburgh Steelers want to avoid dropping a game to their AFC North rivals, Rodgers needs to have a good game.

Geno Smith vs. Ghosts

Geno Smith is arguably the worst starting quarterback in the league this season. He’s thrown nine interceptions in five games this season and has established almost no rhythm with the Las Vegas Raiders‘ offense in his first year in town.

This week isn’t even about battling his opponent; it’s about fighting the ghosts he’s seeing on the field. I’m not sure if they’re the same ones Sam Darnold (who ironically replaced him in Seattle this year) was seeing back in 2019, but if they could give Geno a week off, he’d much appreciate it.

Sam Darnold is mic’d up and he came to the sidelines and said, “I’m seeing ghosts.”

Luckily for him, the Raiders play the Titans this week, so theoretically, he shouldn’t struggle too much. But with the way he’s been playing this year, who knows what’ll happen?

Rome Odunze vs. Commanders’ Secondary

Rome Odunze has been one of the breakout players of the season thus far. Through four games, Odunze has 20 catches for 295 yards and five touchdowns. He quickly surpassed DJ Moore as the Bears’ WR1, and he’s going to need to be strong against the Washington Commanders‘ defense if they want to win.

With Jayden Daniels back in the lineup, the Commanders are likely going to score a good amount of points. If the Bears want to keep up, they’re going to need Caleb Williams and Odunze to be on the same page. Luckily, Washington’s defense ranks 23rd in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game, so they should be able to keep pace with the Commanders.

Xavier Worthy vs. Amik Robertson

With Rashee Rice out one more week, Xavier Worthy is still top dog in Kansas City. In this Sunday night’s showdown against the Lions, the Chiefs will need Worthy to bring his A game. There are going to be a ton of points put on the board, and if the Chiefs want to keep up, they need their star receiver to have a big game.

It’s likely that when Worthy’s out there, Amik Robertson will be lined up against him. Terrion Arnold is out for the Lions, so Robertson should take his place. He’s been picked on a bit, particularly in their last game, where he gave up eight catches for 104 yards, mostly to Ja’Marr Chase.

Worthy’s not Chase, but he’s still a very good wideout. He should be able to take advantage of a banged-up Lions’ secondary and have a big game for the Chiefs.