On September 8, the National Football League (NFL) began its 2017 campaign with a match between the reigning Super Bowl champion New England Patriots and the Kansas City Chiefs in Foxboro, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The Chiefs won the match 42-27 behind quarterback Alex Smith’s 368 passing yards and four passing touchdowns, and since the match, six full weeks of games have been completed.

Chiefs, Eagles reach five wins

  Through Week Six, the Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles lead the league with five wins apiece. Six teams are behind them with four wins, including the Patriots, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Green Bay Packers. Meanwhile, two teams remain winless, the San Francisco 49ers and the Cleveland Browns, while the New York Giants hold a sole win, a 23-10 victory over the Denver Broncos on October 15.

Beating the odds

  Some teams have been surprising fans of the NFL with their play this year. The New York Jets are one, as the Jets were given a projected win total of four wins before the season began, but through six games, the team has already won three matches. The Los Angeles Rams are also trending towards countering expectations, as they hold four wins through their first six games despite their season projection of reaching five and a half wins. However, the Giants are one team falling short expectations, as they have one win and five losses through six games to pair with their preseason projection of nine wins.

Injuries hit popular players

  Injuries to well-known players have hit the league through the first six weeks. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers broke his collarbone in a match against the Minnesota Vikings, while Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. suffered a season-ending injury with a broken ankle against the Los Angeles Chargers. Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson was also injured, as he dislocated his wrist in the first game of the regular season against the Detroit Lions. Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt suffered a season-ending tibial plateau fracture on a Sunday Night Football match against the Chiefs.

Hunt, Fournette begin MVP campaigns

  The MVP race has already begun in the first weeks, with Kareen Hunt of the Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette among the early candidates. Hunt has 630 rushing yards, 250 receiving yards, and six touchdowns through his first six games, while Fournette stands with 596 rushing yards, 136 receiving yards, and seven touchdowns. However, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Smith also have had strong starts to their years, Brady having amassed 1,959 passing yards and 13 touchdowns and Smith with 12 touchdowns and no interceptions, earning him the highest passer rating in the league at 119.2.

  The NFL season may only be six weeks in, but the events that have transpired so far have provided fans of the sport with many things to talk about, setting the football year up for its culmination in February with Super Bowl LII.

Statistics and facts provided by Forbes and ESPN