Here we are in Week 7 of the season in the National Football League. So what has happened this week? Here is the recap of all the action.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (30) @ Washington Redskins (31)
This football game was really a story of two halves. Both the Redskins and the Buccaneers walked into this game with their seasons potentially on the line; in fact, Redskins coach Jay Gruden declared his team as being in a “code red” situation. The way this game started, Gruden’s words looked to be just that: words.
Tampa Bay got off to as ideal a start as they could’ve imagined. Rookie quarterback Jameis Winston, who’s had an up-and-down season, was brilliant. His first completion of the game was a 40-yard strike to wideout Mike Evans that went for a score and he went on to pass for 297 yards and two scores for the afternoon (Evans recorded 164 yards on eight catches including that score). Doug Martin, who has had a nice bounce-back year after two injury-riddled seasons in 2013 and 2014, continued his exceptional start with a 136-yard performance, which included running for 7.2 yards per carry.
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The defense played very well early and even scored on a fumble recovery and return by linebacker Howard Jones, but in the second half they didn’t make the big plays they made in the first and penalties killed them (they set a franchise record with 142 penalty yards).
As for Washington, it is well-documented how terrible the game began, but it was a storybook ending as they overcame the largest deficit in franchise history. Kirk Cousins had a marvelous game, passing for 317 yards, three touchdowns and a rushing score. The offense really benefited from the return of tight end Jordan Reed from injury; Reed grabbed 11 balls for 72 yards and two scores, including the game-winner. The defense, after taking a beating in the first half, clamped down and shut the Bucs down in the second half as they gave up only six points.
As impressive as the defense played in the second half, what was especially impressive about the win was Cousins’ poise. It was not more evident than on Washington’s final offensive possession when he calmly led the team down the field and threw the game-winning touchdown to Reed. He didn’t fold under pressure when things weren’t going well, but instead kept his cool and brought his team back, possibly saving their season.
Seattle Seahawks (20) @ San Francisco 49ers (3)
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These are rough days for two NFC West teams that were once the alpha dogs in the division. However that isn’t enough to change the intensity of the division’s best rivalry. The Seahawks got back to their winning ways with another dominant performance against their hated division rivals. Marshawn Lynch looked a lot like his old self Thursday night as he eclipsed 100 yards (he had 122 and a touchdown on 27 carries). As for Russell Wilson, who has had a rough start to the season, he played pretty well, throwing for 235 yards and a touchdown on the night.
The defense has been uncharacteristically abysmal, but against a struggling Niners offense they played up to par, getting to the quarterback 6 times. Defensive end Michael Bennett was especially disruptive with three of them.
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For San Fran, things continue to go south. The Niners offense was terrible, and their quarterback Colin Kaepernick looks nothing like the quarterback that took San Fran to the Super Bowl in 2012. Kaep only had 124 passing yards on 13 completions, and he was so terrible that rumors spread that his future as the starter was in jeopardy (rumors that his coach denied). The defense played well, though, sacking Wilson five times.
Philadelphia Eagles (16) @ Carolina Panthers (27)
The Panthers have been arguably the biggest surprise of the 2015-2016 season, and the fact they are undefeated is a testament to the type of team they are and the character they have. The game was a bit of a struggle offensively for them because of turnovers; they totaled three on the day, which included a somewhat controversial interception early in the first quarter. However, they did enough to get by in a hard-fought win. The ground game, and specifically the veteran Jonathan Stewart, really wore the Eagles out; Stewart was responsible for 125 of Carolina’s 204 rushing yards. His running mate Mike Tolbert contributed with a rushing score and a exerted his power on a physical 2-yard receiving touchdown.
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On defense, the Panthers went to town against Philly’s battered offensive line, sacking Sam Bradford five times, but one of the league’s most destructive linebacking cores was hard at work. Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis combined for 24 tackles and seemed to be around the ball all day.
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For the Eagles, the defense and ground game have played well recently. The Eagles have taken the ball away more than any defense in football, and they forced three more turnovers against Carolina. The ground game also continued to get better; Ryan Mathews exploded in the second half with a 63-yard touchdown and finished with 97 on the day. However, Sam Bradford and the passing game struggled again this week. They didn’t turn the ball over as much, but Bradford had issues with accuracy, not to mention he was running for his life all night, and his receivers had some bad drops.
Dallas Cowboys (20) @ New York Giants (27)
The NFC East is one of the most unpredictable divisional battles in the league from week to week. In Dallas the situation has gotten very dire because they have not won a game since losing Tony Romo to a broken collarbone back in week two. This week Dallas, as expected, made a quarterback change from Brandon Weeden to journeyman Matt Cassel, but the results didn’t really change. Cassel struggled with protecting the football and threw three interceptions, including a pick-six to Giants cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. The only real positives to take away from the team’s offensive performance was the fact that the ground game produced 233 yards, with 152 of them coming from starting tailback Darren McFadden.
On defense, Dallas actually played pretty well. Of New York’s 27 points, only seven of them were generated offensively. The defense has really benefited from the return of their infamous defensive end Greg Hardy, who recorded another sack and has now registered three in his two games played this season.
The Giants offense wasn’t very impressive and it hasn’t been for two weeks now, but they still pulled this game out thanks to their other two units. The defense, as mentioned earlier, forced three turnovers and scored on one of them, but the play of New York’s special teams unit was what made the difference in the end. Former Cowboy Dwayne Harris broke the game open with a long kick return in the fourth quarter that put the Giants ahead, and when it seemed as if Dallas would get the ball back and have a possible final chance, they muffed a punt return and New York recovered, sealing the win and moving to sole possession of the division lead.
Cleveland Browns (6) @ Saint Louis Rams (24)
The Saint Louis Rams have a ton of talent, and many expected them to make a big leap this season, but so far they have been pretty inconsistent and are just 3-3 on the year. Entering the game against the Browns, Saint Louis had yet to post a win outside the NFC West (they were 0-3 in such contests), and they hadn’t won a home game since the first game of the year. However, they really took it to the Browns, especially on offense. Todd Gurley has really gotten in a nice groove since his return from a knee injury and he has been exactly what everyone thought he would be. The rookie tailback rushed for 128 yards on 19 carries and scored twice. Gurley has rushed for 442 yards and is averaging 6 yards per carry on the season. He is sure to be a strong candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year consideration should he stay healthy.
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On defense, the Rams’ tenacious front seven sacked Josh McCown four times and knocked him out the game. The defense as a whole forced four turnovers and they even had a defensive touchdown on the afternoon. Safety Mark Barron made plays all over the field and recorded an unbelievable 16 tackles and William Hayes led the way upfront with two of the four sacks. This team is full of talent and more than capable of making noise in the NFC, but it all boils down to whether they can consistently play well on a weekly basis.
Minnesota Vikings (28) @ Detroit Lions (19)
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Like the Rams, the Vikings were another team that was predicted to make a leap to contender status in the NFC. In a division where they have been largely overlooked by their rivals in Green Bay, Minnesota has quietly put together a respectable 4-2 start. The offense is starting to click and come together in year two of the Teddy Bridgewater era. Bridgewater had an efficient game against the Lions in which he threw for 319 yards as well as two touchdowns, and he has seemed to have found a new favorite target in first-year pro Stefon Diggs.
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Drafted late out of Maryland, Diggs has put together a nice string of games the last few weeks, and he followed a 129-yard performance a week ago with 108 yards and a ridiculous touchdown grab this week.
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While things are rolling in Minnesota, all is certainly not well in the Motor City. This latest loss drops the Lions to 1-6, which is their worst start since 2008, and it led to the firing of offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and two offensive line coaches. The offensive line continued its woeful start to the season by surrendering seven sacks, two of which came from linebacker Eric Kendricks. Matthew Stafford, despite all the hits he took, still managed to throw two touchdowns and pass for 256 yards. Calvin Johnson and Eric Ebron each caught five passes for 86 and 89 yards respectively and were both on the receiving end of Stafford’s two touchdown passes.
The defense played fairly well; they sacked Bridgewater five times, but they gave up 140 yards on the ground, including a 75-yard run to Adrian Peterson in the second half that set up one of Minnesota’s scores.
Baltimore Ravens (18) @ Arizona Cardinals (26)
The Cardinals have had a great start this season, and they control the NFC West by their lonesome right now. One of the biggest differences from last year’s team and this year’s is Carson Palmer. Palmer’s early-season performance has him in the driver’s seat for Comeback Player of the Year, or even league MVP in some circles, and he has Arizona looking very legitimate in 2015. Palmer completed 20 of 29 passes for 275 yards and two touchdowns against a struggling Ravens secondary, but he’s not the biggest story of the night.
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Chris Johnson has been quite a comeback story. After nearly losing his life in a shooting during the offseason, the man once known as CJ2K has played inspired football for the Cards, and he continued Monday night with 122 yards, including a 62-yard dash that reminded us of his younger days, and a touchdown.
Defensively, Arizona sacked Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco three times and when the game was on the line, defensive back Tony Jefferson sealed the victory for Arizona when he intercepted Flacco’s final pass in the endzone, and raised their record to 5-2.
Week 7 is now complete, so bring on Week 8.
