What We Learned in Week 7

Week 7 is in the books and it only further proved how unpredictable this league is. 7 Teams failed to score a touchdown on offense and the two best games this weekend were the Bucs v Bills and Jets v Dolphins… Weird right? The season is almost half over and no one team besides the Eagles has completely set themselves apart from the pack in terms of the playoff hunt, with only a few teams completely hopeless. I’m going to look at each team individually and give my thoughts on something we learned about them or something we should keep an eye on moving forward. The season is still young and this point I would put money on the fact that the last 3 weeks of the season will be filled with very high stakes games.

Lets get to it.

Chiefs 30 — Raiders 31

• It was only a matter of time before Eric Berry’s injury came back to haunt the Chiefs. After two loses in a row, with a 210 yard, 2 TD game from Amari Cooper, it is evident that the league’s last undefeated team does have a weakness. Kareem Hunt is still OROY material and Alex Smith is playing at an MVP caliber but this Chiefs secondary is something to keep an eye on throughout the rest of the season.
• Well, Amari Cooper learned how to catch the ball again and he came back with a vengeance. Just in time too, as another loss would seriously decrease the chance of back to back playoff appearances for this talented team. The divisional win is huge, but with how the Chiefs are playing, the Raiders are most likely going to be playing for a Wild Card spot in a very competitive AFC.

Ravens 16 — Vikings 24

• Joe Flacco isn’t elite. He was never elite. Borderline? Maybe. This Ravens offense managed 208 yards and a garbage time TD. Granted it was against what is arguably a top 3 defense, but if the Ravens defense doesn’t get back to the level we saw them playing at the first two weeks then these guys will be watching football from their couches come January. A Flacco led offense can’t carry this team, especially with all of the injuries they have been burdened with.
• The Vikings look very similar to how they did last year. They’re dominating on defense, but the difference is that their offense can perform as well this year. The offensive line allowed 0 sacks in Sunday’s win and Latavius Murray rushed for 113 yards and a TD, giving them a very balanced offensive attack. The one concern from this game is the fact that in 3 red zone trips, they settled for 3 field goals. This could be an issue playing teams that can put up more points, but for the time being, no team has scored more than 20 points on the Vikes, so they are trending in the right direction no matter who is under center.

Saints 26 — Packers 17

• Yes, the Packers had Brett Hundley at QB in his first ever NFL start, but regardless, the Saints have won 4 straight and their defense no longer resembles the block of swiss cheese that Sam Bradford picked apart with surgical precision in Week 1. If the defense can keep this up, and with Brees leading a balanced offense, I could see them running away with the NFC south. Behind the Eagles, they are my team to watch in the NFC.
• Brett Hundley completed 12 passes for 87 yards. Ouch. Aaron Jones ran 17 times for 131 yards and a TD. Not ouch. With Rodgers out and the Packers playoff hopes dwindling, I think the story to follow will be the development of Aaron Jones as a serious backfield threat. The possibility of Rodgers coming back for their last few games could, however, be interesting depending on how this team fares over the next few weeks. Considering the race for the NFC wild card is completely up in the air, I’m not counting them out yet.

Jets 28 — Dolphins 31

• Is Josh McCown elite?? Nah just kidding. He did, however, have 3 passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown in a game that the Jets should have won. The AFC east has quietly turned into the most interesting division in the NFL. Not because you don’t know who will win it, but because the Bills and Dolphins have proven they have playoff potential and the Jets look nothing like a team that’s tanking this year. I wouldn’t count them out in any game considering how this team has come together these last 4 games.
• Sooooo maybe Matt Moore was the answer from the beginning. After Cutler went down, Moore came in and threw for 188 yards and two TDs in a 14 point 4th quarter comeback win. Three weeks from now, Cutler will probably find himself on the bench smoking cigs or whatever it is he does on the bench. Ajayi is still a disappointment this year, but Landry and Stills just became interesting to follow as this Dolphins offense climbs its way out of the trenches.

Panthers 3 — Bears 17

• Are the Bears good? They are 3–4 when no one expected them to even compete this year and their defense is playing really well. They are relying really really really heavily on their run game but its working for the time being. They might not be playoff contenders this year but don’t count them out of any games.
• On the same note, are the Panthers good? Is Cam Newton still good? Is McCaffery good? No one really knows the answer to any of these questions, but with the Falcons no longer the favorite to win the NFC South, I am in no way counting out the Panthers. Unless the Saints run away with it, I think this division is going to come down to the wire which should lead to some interesting games in weeks 15–17.

Cardinals 0 — Rams 33

• Ahhhh the AP I grew so familiar with his last 2 years in Minnesota finally fell back to earth after his vintage performance last week. With Palmer likely out for the season (possibly for his career), I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Cardinals take their foot off the gas and go for a solid QB in this years draft to pair with David Johnson for an offensive rebuild.
• Goff has been living up to his first round hype throughout this year and with Gurley playing out of his mind, this offense has the kind of balance to be a threat week in and week out while their defense continues to perform at a high level. Wentz > Goff, but Goff and the Rams shouldn’t be ignored in the NFC west or the NFC as a whole.

Buccaneers 27 — Bills 30

• Winston’s shoulder isn’t something that should concern anyone. He threw for 384 and 3 TDs against a solid Bills defense, but an untimely fumble by Humphries sealed the deal for the Bills at the end of the game. If Winston can keep up these kinds of performances, the NFC south isn’t out of the picture, but at 2–4 with no bye week ahead, its looking unlikely.
• Can the Bills finally make the playoffs?!?!? Yes. They won’t win the division but this team is playing like a playoff team and as long as Tyrod can continue to manage the game as he has been then this is a dangerous team. Also LeSean FINALLY found the end zone. Twice. Thank God. Look for him to build on that momentum against a weak Raiders defense.

Jaguars 27 — Colts 0

• I hate the name “Sacksonville”, but if this Jags team stays on pace and beats the 85’ Bears sack record then I will embrace it to the fullest. This is the best defense in the NFL and Blake Bortles has learned how to manage a game without committing 5 turnovers. Pair that with Fournette being a top 5 back in the league and this team could be a sleeper to at least make the AFC championship. Teams can’t beat them if they can’t score.

Check out the Jags sacks compared to opponents

• The Colts lost first round pick Malik Hooker to an ACL/MCL tear, so at this point they would be smart to hold out Luck for the season and rebuild their team this offseason around some of the talented young guys they have on both sides of the ball. I also don’t see TY being happy with this team’s performance any time soon.

Titans 12 — Browns 9

• Christ….. This game sucked so much. The Titans squeaked out a win in overtime because the Browns still don’t know who to play at quarterback. The Browns defense is starting to play better football and Duke Johnson and Njoku can be core pieces of an offense that will need to once again try to rebuild this offseason. The biggest storyline of this game was Joe Thomas’s amazing streak and maybe career coming to an end. Shout out to one of the best linemen to ever suit up in the league and we wish you a speedy recovery.
• The Titans were suppose to be a team that would be competing in the ACF this year, but with Watson tearing it up in Houston, and the Jags defense playing out of their mind, this team might have to wait another year for a shot at the AFC south. Mariota couldn’t get the ball moving and the run game didn’t provide much support either. Overall this game was not fun. We confirmed the Browns still suck and the Titans aren’t living up to their preseason hype.

Cowboys 40–49ers 10

• IF (big if) Zeke stays on the field the remainder of this year then the Cowboys offense is something special. With 3 TDs and 219 yards, Zeke single-handedly stomped the 49ers. The Cowboys defense up to this point has looked like it has some improving to do, and I’m not going to give them credit for holding the 49ers offense to only 10 points. Especially when that offense was led by a rookie QB in his first ever start. Zeke is the X factor here, but if he misses 6 games, the playoffs could be a tough goal for this team to achieve. Only time will tell how this whole saga turns out.
• Well the 49ers aren’t magically amazing with C.J. Beathard under center. Not too surprised, but at least this wasn’t a heartbreaking 1 score loss. This team isn’t a serious threat to finish 0–16 like the Browns are, but for now it will be interested to see how C.J. handles the remainder of his rookie season. Maybe this team will be able to keep him around and trade their top 3 pick in a draft with so many scouts drooling over the QB talent this year.

Bengals 14 — Steelers 29

• The Bengals leading rusher had 48 yards and their leading receiver had 41 yards. Its kind of hard to win like that, especially against the Steelers offense. The Bengals have shown signs of hope since a change at offensive coordinator and AJ Green continues to prove he’s one of the best in the game, but its not enough to salvage their season at this point. 179 total yards and two turnovers just isn’t going to cut it, so I am wondering how Bill Lazor will utilize Mixon and Green as the season progresses.
• Feed LeVeon the ball. He had 192 yards from scrimmage and when Bell and Antonio Brown are both on, opposing defenses have to stay honest, giving each of them more opportunities. Even with the Steelers finally finding their offensive rhythm, Martavis Bryant is the story following this team around and I would not be surprised at all if he were to be traded before Tuesday, but at the very least he will not be around next year. Ju-Ju has made sure of that.

Seahawks 24 — Giants 7

• Russ was his MVP-caliber self in the second half of this game as the Seahawks pulled away from the Giants. He was on many experts short list of MVP candidates coming into the season and although his chances to win it have disappeared for the most part, if he can maintain this level of play, the Seahawks will be able to claim the NFC west. The only issue is the health of their offensive line. Moving forward, if Russ keeps facing pressure similar to the beginning of this season, it could be a long last 9 weeks.
• 134 yards for Eli. Tha’ts what happens when in one week you lose 4 receivers and your rookie tight end becomes your go to target. Don’t get me wrong, Engram has shown a lot of promise and could be one of the next big tight ends in the league, but with a weak running game and Engram as the Giant’s featured receiver, there isn’t a chance in Hell they turn this thing around.

Broncos 0 — Chargers 21

• Is it Osweiler time? I kind of hope so. Its been 25 years since the Broncos got shut out so the Trevor Siemian era in Denver might be over in the next few weeks if he continues to play QB at the same level as the average JV quarterback. Osweiler has a proven chemistry with these Denver receivers and he might just be the boost they need to re-balance their team. Their defense is still really good, but not as good as when it carried them to a Super Bowl victory. The Broncos need to figure something out fast if they want to stay in the playoff hunt.
• Don’t look now, but the 3–4 Chargers might become only the second team in NFL history to make the playoffs after starting 0–4. The only other team to do so? 1992 Chargers, the same year that the Broncos last got shut out. Coincidence? I think not. Bosa and Ingram provide an unbelievable amount of pressure on opposing QBs and with a healthy Keenan Allen, Melvin Gordon, and Phillip Rivers, you can never count out this offense. 3 of their 4 loses were by a combined 7 points so this is a team that can win, and I think they are finally coming together to finish out those close games. Don’t be surprised if the LA Chargers end up in the playoffs. Take that San Diego.

Falcons 7 — Patriots 23

• Ahhhhh the Falcons. Through 7 games they are averaging 12.4 less points per game than they had last year. Granted even with those 12.4 points they still would have lost here, but remember that the Falcons are a Jordan Howard catch and 3 inches on the final play of the Lions game from being 1–5. Not really what everyone expected from the NFC Champions. This team obviously has the talent to be a serious competitor in the NFC, if not the best team, but oh my gosh, they need to figure something out on offense. I’m wondering how much more of this the organization can take before they are looking for a new Offensive Coordinator. Shanahan, the city needs you.
• How soon until Belichick gets questioned about the fog in Gillette? “Fog-gate” doesn’t have the same ring to it as “Deflate-gate”, so maybe the league will ignore it due strictly to level of difficulty marketing the conspiracy. Back to the game. Dion Lewis is beginning to carve out his role in the offense seeing an increase in snaps and carries every game this year. Gronk is healthy for now which is always good, and Tom Brady just needs to retire already. The Patriots defense has also begun to improve so as the season carries on, it will be interesting to see if they can continue the improvement, or if they fall back down to the level they were at through the first portion of the season.

Redskins 24 — Eagles 34

• Hey, Jordan Reed is healthy and Kirk Cousins looks so much more comfortable when he plays. Only problem is that Jordan Reed is more injury prone than Derrick Rose so this might be a short lived celebration. Vernon Davis still has it at 33 years old, but the chemistry between Cousins and Reed is undeniable. A win this week would have been huge for the Redskins who have now been swept by the Eagles but if their offense can stay healthy, we have been shown in the past how well they can move the ball.
• Carson Wentz is the next generational QB in the NFL. Goff is good and will be in the league for a long time but oh my gosh Wentz can move. His awareness in the pocket is beyond incredible for someone who has played less than 2 seasons in the league, and his arm is a cannon that parallels Aaron Rodgers. This team is fun to watch on offense but with Jason Peters and Jordan Hicks out for the season on defense, can the offense provide the help that the defense will need? The Eagles are the team to beat, but this defense is going to be more venerable than before for the second half of he season.

Well, there you have it. One of the weirder weeks in recent NFL history, but a lot could be taken away from these games, especially from the teams that are looking to challenge for playoff spots down the road. On that note I will leave you all with my playoff predictions after week 7, and as the season rounds up I can revisit these hot takes.

NFC North — Vikings

NFC South — Saints

NFC East — Eagles

NFC West — Rams

NFC Wild Cards — Seahawks and Cowboys (If Zeke’s suspension isn’t upheld) or Lions (If Zeke misses 4+ games)

AFC North — Steelers

AFC South — Jaguars

AFC East — Patriots

AFC West — Chiefs

AFC Wild Cards — Bills and Chargers

Super Bowl — Jaguars — Vikings (Kind of joking, but that would be awesome)

Herm out.