NFL Week 7

Kickers, blowouts, and questionable decisions were the themes of Week 7. Only a few games were particularly exciting, but a rare big midseason trade occurred. The Cowboys acquired Amari Cooper from the Raiders for a first round pick. One can never tell how a midseason trade will work out, but it should help considering he is a huge talent upgrade. He will fill the number one receiver role for Dallas vacated by Dez Bryant.

The scores this week were:
Broncos over Cardinals 45-10, Chargers over Titans 20-19, Colts over Bills 37-5, Panthers over Eagles 21-17, Bucs over Browns 26-23 (OT), Lions over Dolphins 32-21, Texans over Jaguars 20-7, Vikings over Jets 37-17, Patriots over Bears 38-31, Saints over Ravens 24-23, Redskins over Cowboys 20-17, Rams over 49ers 39-10, Chiefs over Bengals 45-10, Falcons over Giants 23-20.

Both the Ravens-Saints game and the Cowboys-Redskins games came down to controversial/interesting kicks. Dallas kicker Brett Maher missed a 52 yarder that would have been from 47 if not for a phantom illegal procedure penalty on the previous play. The Ravens scored a potential game tying touchdown against the Saints, but lost on Justin Tucker’s only missed extra point of his career (he was 222 of 222 before that). 

Despite their disappointing loss, the Ravens appear to be a legitimate team. They stand at 4-3, but their superior defense has them in contention every game. The 11 sack performance they put up against Tennessee last week may have felt like a fluke, but the Titans’ o-line is one of the best in the league. Coming into Sunday, the Ravens defense only allowed 12.8 points per game. They stymied a superb Saints offense, which gained no traction whatsoever until the very end of the first half. It seemingly took forever, but the Saints’ finally took off in the fourth quarter and scored 17 points. The Saints were constantly aggressive, and went for it on fourth down several times. They recognized Baltimore’s ability to control the clock, so they attempted to take control themselves. Although it did not work early on, Sean Payton’s aggressiveness gave his team confidence in the end.

Another week, and yet another overtime game for the Browns. It’s getting ridiculous at this point; four of their seven games this year have ended in extras. This one also was decided by a kicker, as Chandler Catanzaro of the Bucs hit a 60 yard game winning field goal after missing one from 40 at the end of regulation. Baker Mayfield’s expression afterward said it all. Jameis Winston had one of those games where he produced a lot of yards, but also made key mistakes. He finished with over 400 total yards, but he played poorly down the stretch and had three turnovers. It seems the Bucs would have easily lost if they were not playing against a truly cursed franchise. Cleveland showed flashes of why they’re on the rise, but learning how to win regularly may take some time. Mayfield showed flashes of greatness, but the offense stalled too often. Second round pick Nick Chubb had 80 rushing yards in his first start post-Carlos Hyde, which is promising. Don’t forget he had 105 yards on three carries week 4 against the Raiders. Cleveland also had 14 penalties. That is not a formula for winning football.

Sean Payton was applauded for his boldness this week, but some coaches get carried away. The Titans fell victim, as they were another team that lost a close game they shouldn’t have. They had a chance to tie and go to OT, but that did not happen. Head coach Mike Vrabel decided to go for two after the potential tying TD, only to have it backfire. Pundits will debate over whether or not this was a good idea. I think it’s crazy quite frankly. People will defend him by saying he believed his team would convert the play, but one could also say he did not trust the team enough to win in OT. Certainly things are the norm for a reason. I believe Vrabel is a really good coach, but he got too clever for his own good here. Tennessee did what they had to do late to tie the game, but it was all for naught. Considering these two teams may be competing for a playoff spot, losing the tiebreaker could hurt Tennessee down the road. The Chargers won their fourth straight game Sunday, and they are starting to mimic the Air Coryell days. Tyrell Williams, Keenan Allen, and Mike Williams had 245 combined receiving yards. Tyrell had a 75 yard TD in the first quarter, and Mike had one for 55 yards in the third. They were up 17-6 at this point had to hang on until the end. They were a two-point conversion away from blowing this stellar offensive performance, and facing a similar fate to the Eagles. But they won, so all is well in Los Angeles for now. Speaking of which, the Rams unsurprisingly crushed the 49ers.

The Patriots keep finding ways to win, even if it takes some luck. Chicago was inches away from tying the game on the final play, as Mitchell Trubisky connected with Kevin White on a Hail Mary and watched him get tackled at the one yard line. Had they tied it and eventually won, Trubisky’s flaws would have been forgotten and he would be a hero this week. Instead, it was just another close loss. Trubisky looked good, and particularly impressed with his 81 rushing yards. He made smart decisions, and he took off running when plays broke down instead of forcing bad passes. He still did look inaccurate at times, so the jury is still out on Trubisky’s ability moving forward. He seems Bortles-esque at times. The Pats fell behind early, but a 95-yard kick return and a blocked punt for a TD allowed them to take control. They have been utilizing their running game very effectively recently, but that was derailed with Sony Michel’s leg injury. He had three straight 100-yard games before going down. Jeremy Hill and Rex Burkhead are out for the year, so they need to sign another back soon. One positive for the offense has been Josh Gordon, who finished with 100 yards on four catches. Although he has not been able to make a constant impact yet, he is getting more comfortable every week. He may turn out to be the deep threat this team desperately needed. Chicago’s defense carried them the first 4 weeks, but they’ve allowed 69 points the last two. Khalil Mack is playing with a bum ankle, but that can’t be the only reason. If they don’t fix these problems soon, that defense will become just a big waste of money.

The Chiefs and Bengals played Sunday night, and only one team showed up. The Chiefs came in hungry after losing their only game to the Pats last week, and they pounced early. Their already stellar offense had its best game of the year, racking up 551 total yards (319 coming in the first half). Patrick Mahomes had his sixth straight 300 yard game, and Kareem Hunt impressed with 141 total yards and three touchdowns. The Bengals had an opportunity to show that they are finally credible, but they put up a stinker. This game was supposed to be a shootout, but the Bengal offense did not hold up their end of the bargain. Cincy only produced 235 yards against a horrendous Chiefs defense that ranks last in the league. Andy Dalton was pressured routinely, and they only achieved eight first downs on their first five drives. They were trailing 38-7 only minutes into the third quarter. A bad pick six and an embarrassing failed fake punt only added insult to injury. I guess I should have known this game would be a blowout; Cincy is 1-9 on Sunday Night Football under Marvin Lewis. Their primetime atrocity is a microcosm of their inability to win any game that matters. Remember how I said Lewis may be the problem?

The defending champions did not accord themselves well this week either. The Eagles dominated the Panthers for the first three quarters, and then everything switched. Carolina erased a 17-0 fourth quarter deficit and scored 21 unanswered. Cam Newton played unbelievably down the stretch, amassing 201 yards and two TDs on 16-22 passing in the fourth. His clutch gene showed up, making up for his no-show up to that point. Despite the outcome, Carson Wentz played very well. He finished 30-37 with 310 yards and two touchdowns. He did a great job of getting Zach Ertz and Alshon Jeffery involved all game, as they combined for 226 receiving yards. The offense could have done more to secure the win, but the defense folded in a dreadful way. Not the type of effort you’d expect from the defending champions. 

It is fair to say you have a chance in nearly any game if you only allow 20 points. That cannot be said for the Jaguars, whoseoffense hit a new low Sunday. Blake Bortles only had 61 yards and two fumbles before being benched in the quarter. The running attack is awful, and newly acquired RB Carlos Hyde was not eligible to play this week. Apparently the team was fighting with each other after the game, so the frustration has apparently boiled over. Cody Kessler is not a competent backup to Bortles, so this team is stuck right now. They have to seriously consider trading for a QB midseason, but it’s amazing a team who almost made the Super Bowl last year is in that spot. I guess I was wrong about Leonard Fournette being a crutch. The offense is off in the Atlantic Ocean without him. 

The Lions have been looking for a consistent running game since Barry Sanders retired, and it looks like they may have finally found it. They rushed for 248 yards Sunday, 158 of which coming courtesy of rookie Kerryon Johnson. He averaged 8.3 yards per carry, and LeGarrette Blount added 50 yards and a TD himself. Miami was lost on defense and were shredded all game. Miami looked good in offense with Brock Osweiler as QB, as he consistently moved the ball early. Injuries at wide receiver, however, left his options thin down the stretch. Osweiler did not play lights out, but he is not the reason Miami lost. If Miami wants to complete for a roster spot, they may need to add a skill player via trade.

The Vikings’ win over the Jets was predictable based on where both teams currently stand. Both played average by their standards, and the superior Vikings won handily. Kirk Cousins, who has been Mr. Consistency all year, had a subpar game. He was held in check until he took off mid third quarter. When it was all said and done, Minnesota took care of business. Adam Thielen had another great game, finishing with nine catches for 110 yards.
The Jets were totally stagnant on offense, unsurprisingly because Minnesota’s defense may have been their biggest challenge yet. Sam Darnold looked inaccurate all game, finishing 17-42 with 206 yards and three interceptions. To be fair, it was the California kid’s first bad climate game, and he was playing from behind. Darnold is still on track to be a star one day, but Sunday was a reminder that he’s not the savior just yet. 

Speaking of the Big Apple, the final game of the week was yet another no-show for the Giants’ offense. They looked good at times, and got Odell involved, but they only mustered three points until the last five minutes of the game. They looked as bad as possible in the red zone, highlighted by a terrible rollout play on fourth down on Atlanta’s one yard line. Eli Manning looked like he was in a good rhythm, but he was constantly throwing to checkdowns because he was being pressured. Basically the story of every Giants game. For all the fans who’ve jumped ship, this game did nothing to restore hope. So Monday Night was mundane for Big Blue, one could say.