Wild Week Six leaves play-off race wide open

QB Matt Ryan has led the Falcons to a 6-0 start

We may be just a few hours a way from the start of Week 7 in the NFL, but I've been very busy this week so I've had to leave it late to take a look back at a wild Week 6 and analyse how an interesting spate of results have affected the race for the play-offs.

AFC

The Patriots' loss in Seattle has left every team in the AFC East locked at 3-3, and Bill Belichick's men will be hoping to improve their consistency down the stretch to ensure that they are primed for another run at what would be a fourth superbowl title.

Denver's epic comeback win over the Chargers has put them atop the AFC West. The Broncos share a 3-3 record with San Diego and with Kansas City and Oakland both struggling after posting just one win each, the two teams who have dominated the division appear set to battle it out for a place in the play-offs yet again.

Baltimore's victory over Dallas has put them two games ahead at the top of the AFC North, although their triumph came at a cost, as they lost both cornerback Lardarius Webb and linebacker Ray Lewis to injury. The Ravens look comfortable at the summit of the division, but it will be interesting to see how they cope without two of their key defensive cogs if rivals Pittsburgh and Cincinnati are able to put any kind of winning run together.

In the AFC South it is that Houston remain set for a division title despite losing their undefeated record. The Texans are already three games ahead of Indianapolis and Tennessee and it would take a major drop in form from Gary Kubiak's men to let that lead slip away in what is one of the weaker divisions in the NFL.

NFC

The Atlanta Falcons remain the premier team in the NFC, Atlanta are 6-0 following their win over the Raiders and their four game lead in the South looks to be insurmountable even at this early stage.

Meanwhile in the NFC North things are much more difficult to predict, the Chicago Bears head the division thanks to Minnesota's loss in Washington, but with Green Bay and Detroit showing improvements, the division looks like one that could be decided in the final weeks of the campaign.

The same can be said of both the NFC East and the NFC West. The New York Giants win over San Francisco put them atop of the East, but their one game lead is certainly a slender one, add in the fact that Big Blue have already lost to division rivals Philadelphia and Dallas respectively, and their superiority can certainly be considered minimal despite their impressive display against the 49ers.

The 49ers are not currently enjoying the dominance in the West that they did during the last campaign. Jim Harbaugh's men are tied with both the Seahawks and the Cardinals at 4-2, with the Rams a game behind at 3-3. San Francisco will undoubtedly be expected to win the division, but the Niners' divisional clashes with the Seattle and Arizona could prove vital if they are to secure a comfortable passage to the play-offs.

The race for the post-season is hotting up already, and with a number of divisional match-ups set for this weekend, Week 7 could prove to be another defining week in the race for the post-season.  It all gets going in a few hours as the 49ers

Delayed Thursday Night reaction: Titans defeat showcases Steelers' frailties

 The Tennessee Titans earned a morale boosting win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night, thanks to a last second field goal from Rob Bironas.

The victory pushed the Titans' record to 2-4 for the season, but the result revealed more about the Steelers' chances of winning an unprecedented seventh Superbowl title than it did about any potential Tennessee revival.

It was a record breaking night for Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers trigger-man threw for 363 yards and a touchdown to overtake Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw as the franchise's all-time career passing leader. However, it was not enough to get past Mike Munchak's resilient Titans, who bounced back from an anaemic display in Minnesota to deliver a performance filled with fighting spirit.

Things did not start well for the men from Nashville however, as after the two sides traded field goals, Roethlisberger hit Mike Wallace on a 84-yard bomb to give the Steelers a 10-3 lead. The game was quickly turned on it's head though, as the Tennessee special teams produced a big play to block a Drew Butler punt and put the Titans offense in prime position to take the lead following another Rob Bironas' field goal minutes earlier.

Running back Jamie Harper duly punched in the score from the 1-yard line early in the 2nd quarter, and the home side extended their advantage just before the half. Bironas splitting the uprights once more in to end a period that had been dominated by the defences after Roethlisberger had been intercepted by Jason McCourty.

Munchak's men had conceded 30 points in the Minneapolis last weekend, so their 16-10 Half-Time lead was never going to be much of an advantage, and two good drives from Roethlisberger soon reversed the tide as a Sean Suisham field goal and a 1-yard run from Baron Batch - sharing carries with Isaac Redman in the absence of Rashard Mendenhall (who left the game with an injury in the 3rd quarter) and Jonathan Dwyer - put the visitors back in command.

Suisham knocked another three-pointer to extend the lead to seven, but veteran Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck was on form for the Titans and he recovered from an interception on the previous series to lead his offense on a 65-yard scoring drive which was completed when he connected with Kenny Britt for the game-tying TD.

Still in spite of the Tennessee's improved offensive display, the visitors still had an opportunity to clinch the victory, however the chance fell by the wayside as Suisham's 54-yarder fell just short.

Bironas made no such mistake however, and he converted his fourth field goal from 40 yards after Hasselbeck led his troops down to the 22-yard line to give Munchak's men their second win of the campaign.

The defeat was uncharacteristic of Steelers sides of the past, who were, for the most part,  built on the strength of their running game and solidity of their defense. Indeed, the injury to Mendenhall has undoubtedly been detrimental to Pittsburgh's fortunes, Batch was able to find the end-zone in his stead, but rushed for a disappointing 22 yards as Roethlisberger was forced to put the team on his back once more.

Roethlisberger is no stranger to that kind of pressure, but a one-dimensional offense is rarely a successful one in today's NFL and coach Mike Tomlin - who also saw his side lose Center Maurice Pouncey to injury - will need to a find a solution to their backfield dilemma sooner rather than later.

The ease with which the ageing Hasselbeck was able to pick apart the Steelers' secondary will also be of concern, the former Seattle man threw for 290 yards and a touchdown and demonstrated good chemistry with receivers Britt, Kendall Wright and Nate Washington, while Chris Johnson had one of his better days on the ground, rushing for 91 yards on 19 carries.

Those performances will give hope to a Titans team that look set to battle for a Wild-Card spot due to the Houston Texans' dominance of the AFC South. However, for the Steelers, whose AFC North division contains the fearsome force of the Baltimore Ravens and the upstart Cincinnati Bengals, a losing record (2-3) is unacceptable and they will look for a drastic improvement when they take on when they travel to Cincinnati next Sunday.

49ers and Giants gear up for Championship game rematch

There have already been a number of great games in the 2012 NFL season but arguably the biggest of the season takes place this weekend when Superbowl champions the New York Giants travel cross-country to take on the San Francisco 49ers in a rematch of last season's NFC Championship game.

The Giants emerged victorious that evening following a dramatic encounter which was finally settled when kicker Lawrence Tynes kicked a game winning Field Goal in overtime after 49ers receiver Kyle Williams had fumbled a Giants' punt.

Both sides have opened the new season in good form, the Giants have made a 3-2 start, but their hopes of winning the NFC East have been dealt an early blow after home defeats to division rivals Dallas and Philadelphia.

In spite of this Tom Coughlin's side have been extremely impressive on offense; they rank 2nd in the league in points per game and yards per game average and are among the league's best in both passing and rushing yards.

However if the Giants have made a strong start to the campaign, then the 49ers have been nothing short of spectacular.

Indeed, Jim Harbaugh's charges have already overcome two of the tougher tests in the NFL, travelling to Lambeau Field to beat the Packers in week 1, before making short work of the Detroit Lions in the Sunday night game the following week.

The men from the Bay Area suffered a shock 24-13 loss at Minnesota in week 3, however this proved to be little more and the 49ers have been utterly sensational since falling to that defeat, hammering the New York Jets 34-0 at the Met Life Stadium before dishing out similar punishment to the Buffalo Bills, who they beat by a score line of 45-3 at Candlestick Park last weekend.

Their performance against a struggling Bills defense shattered a variety of team records; they amassed a franchise record 621 total yards; became the firs team in NFL history with 300 yards rushing and 300 yards passing in the same game; won back to back games by 31 points and had a 300-yard passer (Alex Smith), a 100-yard rusher (Frank Gore) and two 100-yard receivers (Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis) for the first time since 1961.

Alex Smith's performance earned him a perfect Quarterback rating of 158.3, the 2005 first-round draft pick is now the top-rated QB in the league and his match-up with Giants' QB Eli Manning - who has already thrown for over 1500 yards - is one of a myriad of story lines which will be key to determining the outcome of Sunday's clash.

So without further adieu, here are the story lines that will decide the winner of what is undoubtedly the game of the week in the NFL.

• Alex Smith vs Eli Manning: Both of these quarterbacks have been superb throughout the first few weeks of the new term, but both face defenses that will look to bring a mountain of pressure and disrupt their offensive rhythm. Whoever can protect the football better will give his team the best chance to earn a vital win.
• Victor Cruz vs 49ers Defense: The salsa-dancing, free-spirited receiver was one of the stars of the Giants' title-winning campaign last season, and the difficulties the 49ers defense had in stopping Cruz played a key role in the NFC Championship game. If the Niners are able to clamp down on the wide-out this time around, then they will have a good chance of shutting down a potent offense.
• The Giants run game vs 49ers Defense: The Giants run game has been excellent in the early-going, and in Ahmad Bradshaw, Andre Brown and rookie David Wilson, they possess a superb trio of backs. However, the 49ers are notorious for their steeliness against the run, and Manning could be in for a difficult afternoon if the Giants are not able to penetrate the Niners' run defense.
• The return of Brandon Jacobs: Speaking of running backs, the Giants defense may come up against a familiar face if Brandon Jacobs - who has been out due to a knee-injury since pre-season after moving to San Francisco from New York - is able to play on Sunday. Jacobs is undoubtedly entering the twilight years of his career, but his presence will help take some more of the load off Frank Gore, something which could be useful as the 49ers look to cut through a run defense that is ranked just 16th in the league.
• The return of Mario Manningham: Another Superbowl-winning Giant to join the 49ers this off-season was wide receiver Mario Manningham, who played a large role in Big Blue's charge to the title. Manningham scored his first Touchdown as a Niner against the Bills, and is beginning to develop a relationship with Alex Smith. The Giants will be aware of this and they know they will have to be wary of their former team-mate as well as Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree.
• Vernon Davis vs Giants' secondary: While Manningham and Crabtree will draw attention from the Giants' defensive backs, stopping Davis will be high on their list priorities. The Tight-End has been in fantastic form early on amassing 303 receiving yards and hauling in four touchdowns. Davis caused both the Giants and the Saints no end of problems in the last year's post-season, and if the former first-round pick can replicate that form then it could be a long afternoon for Tom Coughlin's secondary.
• The battle in the trenches: The fight between the respective offensive and defensive lines is always paramount in determining who comes out on top in any NFL game, however it will be of particular importance in this one. Giants' QB Manning has been sacked just four times this season, but the Niners possess a number of quality pass rushers in their front seven, including linebacker Aldon Smith and defensive lineman Justin Smith. The New York O-Line has been excellent through the first five games, but will need to produce once more as they come up against what is arguably the best front seven int the league.
• Kyle Williams revenge?: Williams was the villain of the piece for the Niners in that heart-breaking NFC title loss, however the speedy receiver caught his first TD of the season against the Bills. Harbaugh may look to utilise his speed against the Giants' D and inspire further confidence in a player that is thought extremely highly of in the Bay Area.

No titles are won in October in the NFL, however both teams will be desperate to win in order to add further firepower to their play-off charge.

The Giants are already 0-2 in their division, and another loss against a team in their conference could do serious damage to their hopes of winning an always competitive NFC East division.

Speaking of competitive divisions, the NFC West is statistically the strongest division in the NFL, every team in the division possesses a winning record, and a victory for the 49ers could give a little breathing space ahead of tough match-ups against Seattle and Arizona respectively.

Get set for a high-tempo encounter and aggressive encounter, both these sides are expected to make the post-season, and this game could well be an early indicator as to who will have the better chance of making it to this season's showpiece finale.

Welcome!

Hello and welcome to a new UK blog on the wonderful sport of American Football. I'm Nicholas McGee and I'm a freelance sports journalist with a keen interest in the NFL.

My main aim for 'It's Not Soccer It's American Football' is to provide a British stance on the mad world of the NFL, College Football and maybe even sometimes Canadian Football, yes you read that last bit correctly, I will try and write some pieces on the often forgotten about CFL.

The focus will of course be the NFL, so many stories have already emerged from the first few weeks of the current season, and many more are sure to follow.

I am a busy man, so therefore posts may be sporadic from time to time, still I hope you enjoy reading my musings on a American institution that is quickly developing a substantial worldwide following.