By Lucas Camacho
NFL RECAP: WEEK SEVEN
And then there was one. Only one perfect team remained after this weekend’s slate of games. We also had teams who are closely monitoring injuries…and teams whose stars are gone for the year. There were quite a few games this week as only the Bears and the Cowboys had a bye. Let’s look at how the other teams did.
BRONCOS 33 – SAINTS 10
The Broncos continued their upward ascent…while the Saints continued their downward spiral. Rookie Bo Nix has thrived under the Broncos’ new rushing attack. It seems to be paying off: 225 rushing yards, including 75 yards from Nix. Only time will tell if this formula will pay off for the Broncos. As for the Saints, the wheels seem to be falling off. They’ve lost two key pieces for the season, and they still don’t have Derek Carr back. Look, Coach Dennis Allen isn’t the most successful coach, being 18-23 in his three years as head coach, but this rash of injuries isn’t his fault. However, history and a season that is quickly becoming lost may say otherwise…
PATRIOTS 16 – JAGUARS 32
One week after the Jaguars were blown out in London, the team took the week to reflect (and probably stayed in London). Whatever soul-searching they did, it worked as they mowed down the Patriots. I tip my hat to Tank Bigsby and Brian Thomas Jr., both of whom helped carry the team. Bigsby rushed 26 times for 118 yards and two touchdowns, while Brian Thomas Jr. caught all 5 of his targets for 89 yards and a touchdown. As for the Patriots, I did warn that putting Drake Maye in as quarterback was not going to change anything. I am encouraged by no interceptions from Maye, but clearly the Patriots need more as they continue to wonder the wilderness that is the post-Bill Belichick era.
SEAHAWKS 34 – FALCONS 14
Boy, Kirk Cousins sure did get his clock cleaned by the Seahawks as the Falcons dropped to 4-3. It was a much better defensive performance from the Seahawks. Over the last five games, the Seahawks only forced one takeaway, but they got three against Atlanta that included a strip-sack that was returned for a touchdown. Only time will tell if this means the Seahawks defense is finally beginning to shine. As for Falcons, they’re gonna need to improve their pass rush. While the Seahawks defense put on a show, the Falcons’ defense looked flat. It didn’t help that Kirk Cousins was shut down and only passed for 232 yards and was picked off twice (he did have one touchdown pass). The point is, the Falcons can take a lot of pressure off Cousins if their defense can hold the line. Fortunately, the trade deadline is coming up.
TITANS 10 – BILLS 34
Things are really looking up for the Bills after giving the Titans and good old-fashioned kick in the butt. Josh Allen was superb, completing 21 of 33 passes for 323 yards and two touchdowns. The addition of Amari Cooper has been a shot in the arm so far for the Bills, especially after making four catches for 66 yards and a touchdown. As for the Titans, there doesn’t seem to be much hope for them. They can’t close out games, their offense sputters, and their defense runs out of gas before the fourth quarter. The season appears to be over for the Titans, who will hope to have a good draft pick for next year.
BENGALS 21 – BROWNS 14
Speaking of seasons that look to be over, we turn to the Browns who lost more than just the game to the Bengals. Quarterback Deshaun Watson is done for the year after a ruptured Achilles’ tendon. Jameis Winston is now the starting quarterback, and only time will tell what will happen, but the Browns’ season seems over…although it was encouraging to see David Njoku back with 10 catches for 76 yards and a touchdown. As for the Bengals, it wasn’t pretty, but a win is a win for a Bengals team desperate to keep winning in an effort to salvage their own season. It’s good to have Tee Higgins around when his fellow wide receiver, Ja’Marr Chase, gets double covered. Higgins hauled in four catches for 82 yards and a touchdown. This performance wasn’t enough to alleviate fears about the Bengals’ chances, but a win is a win.
TEXANS 22 – PACKERS 24
This was a hard-fought game, but the Packers managed to squeak out a win despite being dominated by Running Back Joe Mixon. For the Packers, it was a big win because this is their first win against an opponent with a winning record. But it sure was a big kick from veteran Brandon McManus to win the game…and then see him do a Lambeau Leap. As for the Texans, this was a stunning result. Their offensive line utterly failed to protect reigning Rookie of the Year CJ Stroud. It was the worst game of Stroud’s career, as he only threw for 86 yards…yeah, only 86 yards. If the Texans want to make a deep playoff run and challenge teams like the Ravens and the Chiefs, they need to better protect one of the NFL’s best rising young stars.
DOLPHINS 10 – COLTS 16
Well, this wasn’t pretty for either team, but the Colts will still take the win. It’s understandable that the Colts would keep Anthony Richardson on a short leash on his first game back, but only passing for 129 yards is just plain sad. They need to find some way to get more offense, and hopefully they can when Jonathan Taylor returns. As for the Dolphins, boy things really have taken a nosedive since Tua Tagovailoa went down with a concussion. Everyone keeps asking when he will return, but my question will be…SHOULD he return? The season seems lost for the Dolphins, and Tua keeps getting concussions. He really should be thinking about his own health and not just his career.
LIONS 31 – VIKINGS 29
So falls one of the last of the unbeaten teams. The Vikings fell to the Lions to lose their bid for a perfect season. As great as the Lions’ offense was, the absence of Aidan Hutchinson after his season ending injury was felt on the defense. The Vikings made things real close for the Lions in the second half. The Lions will have to explore the trade market or internally after allowing 29 points in this game. Now, the Vikings weren’t likely to have a perfect season, and the Lions were the best team they’ve faced so far. So is this a sign that the Vikings’ season is about to take a turn for the worse? No, not at all. After all, they only lost by two points, they still have a good offense featuring the best wide receiver in the league in the form of Justin Jefferson (who added another 7 catches for 81 yards and another touchdown), and they don’t have to play the Lions again until later in the season. So, there is no reason to hit the panic button yet.
EAGLES 28 – GIANTS 3
This result…was exactly what I was expecting. Saquon Barkley’s return to New York with his new team was a huge success, as he rushed 17 times for 176 whopping yards and a touchdown. This is the Eagles team that we’ve been missing. Does this mean that things will finally turn around for the Eagles? Well, momentum wise…it should be at the very least a step in the right direction. As for the Giants, this result was also expected. Despite their recent reversal of fortune, the Giants still have many holes that they can’t fill all at once. I will say this, the failure of this season and Barkley’s big game back in New York falls on the head of general manager Joe Schoen. The Giants are trending hard into the ground, and his head might end up next on owner John Mara’s chopping block.
RAIDERS 15 – RAMS 20
The Rams spent their bye week wisely once again. They rested and regrouped which resulted in a much-needed win to keep their season alive. All 20 of the Rams’ points came from forcing the Raiders to turn over the ball. The hope for the Rams is that defense can carry the Rams until both Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua return. As for the Raiders, things are going south quickly. Aidan O’Connell broke his thumb on his passing hand, and Gardner Minshew didn’t exactly light the world on fire with his performance. The Raiders are gonna need something at quarterback, or else this season is lost…especially with the defending champs in Vegas next week. The only bright spot for the Raiders is the amazing rookie Brock Bowers, who added another 10 catches and 93 yards to his impressive rookie campaign.
PANTHERS 7 – COMMANDERS 40
Another big win for the Commanders, but this one comes at a price. Quarterback Jayden Daniels, one of the front runners for Rookie of the Year, went down with a rib injury. Marcus Mariota stepped into the big shoes and threw for 205 yards and two touchdowns for a respectable outing. The question is what the Commanders are going to do if Daniels must miss time, especially with a highly anticipated matchup against the Bears and their top rookie, Caleb Williams, coming next. As for the Panthers, I’m sorry…I got nothing. Their offense has done nothing. Bryce Young is not the answer, but the Panthers may not have a choice after Andy Dalton was involved in an automobile accident. I am interested in the eventual debut of Jonathan Brooks, who began practicing after recovering from an ACL injury that ended his college career back in Texas. He may turn out to be the Panthers’ last hope of salvaging something this season.
CHIEFS 28 – 49ERS 18
The Chiefs remain the only undefeated team after defeating a 49ers team plagued by injuries. It was not the prettiest game in the world for Patrick Mahomes, who only threw for 154 yards and was picked off twice. Instead, the Chiefs did their damage on the ground, scoring 4 rushing touchdowns. But the question everyone must be asking is how long the Chiefs can keep this up with Mahomes throwing more interceptions than touchdowns. Reinforcements are on the way, however, as the Chiefs have added Wide Receiver DeAndre Hopkins to their arsenal. Hopkins may well be past his prime, but there might be some life left in the afterburners to spark the Chiefs’ stagnant offense. As for the 49ers, this season has gone from bad to worse. They lost another game and another player to injury as Brandon Aiyuk was declared done for the season with a torn ACL. That adds to their growing injury list, which includes Christan McCaffrey who hasn’t played yet with tendinitis in his Achilles. The good news is that Deebo Samuel has been released from the hospital after contracting pneumonia. The better news is that they just must get through a Sunday Night Football matchup with the Cowboys before a much-needed bye week to rest and recover from a brutal first part of the season.
JETS 15 – STEELERS 37
It was a big prime time debut for two men looking to show they still had star potential: on one side was Russell Wilson for the Steelers, and on the other was the newly acquired Davante Adams for the Jets. In the end, the Steelers won the day (although the ratings may have been split between the game and the winner-take-all Game 5 of the WNBA Finals between the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx). Russell Wilson did a lot to try and establish himself as the lead quarterback over Justin Fields. He threw for 264 yards and two touchdowns to bring a stagnant Steelers offense to life. It seems like Wilson has the job…for now. As for the Jets, new wide receiver, interim coach, and same old results. The excuses are running out for Aaron Rodgers. Yes, there is a learning curve when you bring someone new in, but the Jets’ margin for error is already razor thin at 2-5. The Jets are unfortunately watching their one chance at turning their franchise around with a future Hall of Fame quarterback…slip through their hands.
CHARGERS 15 – CARDINALS 17
This was a very entertaining game, and it was only fitting that it ended with a walk-off field goal to give the Cardinals the victory. The Cardinals got lucky facing a team with offensive problems like the Chargers. But they also need to figure a way to win without Kyler Murray having to carry this team all by himself. They have James Conner, sure, but they need the other players to step up, too. As for the Chargers, I specifically warned them that they needed a number one receiver. They let the opportunities to get one pass by them during the draft. Ladd McConkey is a good wide receiver, but he is not a number one wide receiver. Herbert’s 349 yards passing is encouraging, but he needs a go-to guy or the Chargers aren’t going anywhere. One thing for sure, it seems that all resistance to the Chiefs in their own division has all but collapsed…unless the Broncos have something to say about it.
RAVENS 41 – BUCCANEERS 31
One Monday Night game was entertaining…this one not as much. Despite the score, the Ravens dominated much of the game. Reigning MVP Lamar Jackson lit the Buccaneers up for 281 yards in the air and 52 on the ground for a jaw dropping 5 touchdowns. This is the Ravens team we expected to see at the start of the season. If they can continue playing like this, the Chiefs are in trouble. As for the Buccaneers, they have some issues…their health. They’ve lost both of their top wide receivers, Christ Godwin and Mike Evans. The two account for almost half of the Buccaneers’ offense. The Buccaneers could try their hand in the trade market, but with big names coming off the board and other teams like the Chargers in high demand for a wide receiver, the price might be too much for their taste. Whether they make a trade or not, the Buccaneers need to figure out what to do without their two best receivers, and quick because a ticked off Falcons team is coming to town.
