NFL 2026 RECAP: WEEK SEVEN

Let’s just start this article like this: HOLY MOLE HOLES! That should cover the whole article but don’t be shocked if I use it more. This was a wild week in the NFL for Week Seven. We had everything from tributes to the late Mike Ditka to our first NFL game in Paris to a surprise blowout in Sunday Night Football. This is a lot to cover and a lot of madness to sort through. The Bills, Commanders, Jaguars were spared, as well as the hometown (and winless) Chargers. Everyone else was fair game in this week of madness. Let’s break this down.

PATRIOTS 24 – BEARS 30

This was close game where this could have gone either way. There were times Thursday night when the Chicago Bears’ lead over the New England Patriots looked in serious jeopardy, but each time quarterback Caleb Williams found a way to rescue his team and give them a win on a night that was emotional for all Bears’ fans. It was the first home game in Chicago since the passing of Bears legend Mike Ditka. Williams became the first Bears player with consecutive 300-passing yard games since Mitchell Trubisky had three straight in 2018 from Weeks 4 to 7. But the person to watch is wide receiver Luther Burden III. He caught all of his passes and finished with 130 receiving yards and a touchdown. He didn’t get a target in the second half, but he seems to have solidified his spot as the Bears’ top receiver. We’ll see what these red-hot bears can do in a big road test next week: a Monday Night Football matchup against the defending champion Seahawks. Now, I have always doubted the credibility of the “experts” of the sport, but I will agree with them on one thing about the Patriots. Drake Maye did do everything in his power to keep the Patriots in a game they never led. He finished 24-of-31 for 321 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, while adding four rushes for 26 yards and a touchdown. However, let’s talk about yet another interception from Maye. The pick highlights an area the Patriots have yet to clean up this season. They have 14 giveaways and a minus-7 turnover differential. Coach Mike Vrabel had expressed his frustration in the days leading up to the game, saying, “We turn the ball over at a historic rate, and it’s ridiculous. It’s an embarrassment.” This needs to be addressed, or they are going nowhere fast. The Patriots have the chance to right the ship next week on the road against the Dolphins.

STEELERS 16 – SAINTS 10

Bienvenue au premier match de la NFL en France. It’s rare I get to show off my French, but it was worth it. In case you’re wondering, I was saying welcome to the first NFL game in France. If the French were expecting a high scoring match…well… Je suis désolé (I’m sorry). Neither team really played like they deserved to win, but the Pittsburg Steelers defeated the team favored by the French, the New Orleans Saints. The Steelers went with a run game to support their retiring quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. It seemed to go as planned as they ran for 148 yards. Jaylen Warren is the Steelers’ best offensive player. Opposing coaches agree. And, for the fourth game this season, he produced 125-plus scrimmage yards, tying Kansas City’s Kenneth Walker III for most in the NFL. The passing game needs more explosive plays, but that’s a bit much to expect when your quarterback is 42 years old. In the meantime, the running game can handle the rest. The Steelers play the Browns next week. As for the Saints, they’re banged up and heading into their bye next week with major injury concerns. Saints quarterback Tyler Shough entered Sunday’s game with an injured non-throwing hand, and he appeared to take a hit on his throwing hand as well. Shough could likely use the week of rest to get healthy, but he’s not the only one. The Saints don’t have a run game and have relied heavily on Shough. Could running back Travis Etienne and wide receiver Jordyn Tyson make their debuts after the bye to give the Saints much-needed help? We’ll have to wait and see. I know that isn’t a glowing analysis and prediction, but it’s straight up honest as the Saints have been offensively inconsistent this season. As stated, the Saints have a bye next week, but they’ll play the Browns when they return.

RAMS 35 – RAIDERS 21

I can hear the sighs of relief from all you LA fans. After a historically bad week last week, the Los Angeles Rams toppled the Las Vegas Raiders. Now the Rams’ dim playoff hopes will live to fight another day. With Davante Adams down, Matthew Stafford and the Rams’ offense had to be creative. Enter the tight ends (Davis Allen, Colby Parkinson and Tyler Higbee), and on the right day too as Sunday was National Tight Ends Day (it’s a thing). Adding to the performance of the running backs, the Rams had their best offensive game of the season. This will be the winning formula as the Rams will be without Adams for another five to nine weeks. Next week is going to be big, the Battle of LA: the Rams against the Chargers. Both teams MUST win, but only one of them can. Looking at the Raiders, I can see why everyone would wonder if the clock ticking on Kirk Cousins’ time as a starter. Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak told reporters that Cousins is still the team’s quarterback. I get it, it’s hard to not point out that No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza is waiting in the wings. I’m not going to lie, Cousins has his limitations, which are exposed when frequently blitzed, as he was Sunday, but that’s on the offensive line which continues to fail to also provide holes for the run game. So, Cousins hasn’t done anything bad that’s worth making a switch for Mendoza, but he hasn’t done much to secure his job either. The Raiders hit the road next week against the Jets. Every game is a must-win from now on.

COLTS 10 – VIKINGS 16

And just like that, we are down to one last undefeated team. That team…the Minnesota Vikings?! Look, I have at least a few family and friends who are Vikings fans, and they are doing backflips about how well this season is going. With their victory over the Indianapolis Colts, the Vikings are the only team that hasn’t lost yet this season. That was a surprise given how the offense didn’t look good this week. This was supposed to be a big day. Most of the Vikings’ injured offensive players returned to the field, giving them a nearly full complement of running backs, receivers and tight ends. But if it weren’t for quarterback Kyler Murray’s 35-yard scramble to convert a third down on the first play of the fourth quarter, it’s possible the Vikings would have failed to score a touchdown in a game for the third time this season. Major credit to the Vikings’ shut-down defense. The “experts” can put doubt in the Vikings as much as they want, but if the Vikings’ defense is for real, we could be seeing the Vikings win their first Super Bowl. The Vikings perfect record faces a steep test on the road next week against one of their bitter divisional rivals, the Lions. Looking at the Colts, we knew things would have a degree of uncertainty after they fired their general manager. I get that it is hard to give an assessment of an offense against the blitz-crazy Vikings’ defense, but it’s hard to win with a quarterback who had fewer than 100 passing yards prior to the game’s final drive. Daniel Jones was under pressure at times in the game, with the Vikings registering 10 quarterback hits. But he was also responsible for some of that by holding the ball in the pocket and allowing pass rushers time to beat their blockers. Good news is Jones didn’t have any turnovers until the final part of the game. He avoided risk, but that didn’t generate much on offense. The Colts are going on the road to face the Jaguars next week.

BENGALS 35 – RAVENS 13

Now you see why I said HOLY MOLE HOLES at the start of this article. I may have to start saying “IS THIS REAL LIFE?!” in these articles instead at this rate. The Cincinnati Bengals completely blew out the Baltimore Ravens…in Baltimore! This was a huge statement win for the Bengals, whose season has been supercharged with success. Between last season’s final meeting against the Ravens and the first half of Sunday’s game, the Bengals were outscored 34-0 by Baltimore and looked lifeless. And then the second half started. The Bengals scored 35 straight points and later iced the game with an interception by linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. While the slow start was regrettable, the finish more than wiped out the poor first half performance. The Bengals will look to continue the momentum on the road against the Titans. As for the Ravens, this is unacceptable and completely shocking to see the position they are in. Once a powerhouse in the AFC, the Ravens fell to 0-2 in the AFC North for the first time in 19 years. Since the formation of the AFC North in 2002, only one team has started 0-2 in the division and went on to win it (2022 Bengals). The issue here is pretty clear: no Lamar Jackson. Tyler Huntley went 8-of-13 for 62 yards with a fumble and an interception in the second half. In 14 quarters with Jackson this season, the Ravens have scored 116 points and 14 offensive touchdowns. In 14 quarters with Huntley, Baltimore has totaled 53 points and five touchdowns. Until Lamar Jackson returns, hope and time may have run out for the Ravens this season. They will go on the road next week to face the Bills.

49ERS 20 – FALCONS 29

So why are the Vikings the only undefeated team left? Well, one reason is because the San Francisco 49ers were handed their first loss of the season at the hands of…the Atlanta Falcons?! (Yeah, you’re seeing why the HOLY MOLE HOLES was needed to describe the whole article now, aren’t you?) The Falcons seemed to be the last team that I could think of that could end the 49ers’ perfect season because of the inconsistency in their offense. Don’t get me wrong, the Falcons have flashed a potent offense before, but in those games — wins over the Packers and Saints — it was carried by running back Bijan Robinson and wide receiver Drake London. On Sunday, quarterback Michael Penix Jr. got contributions from a host of players, including a third straight game with a touchdown for tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. Still, I will wait to declare this a winning offensive formula. One win like this could prove to be a fluke, but two wins? Well, then we’ll know we’re on to something. The Falcons will look to continue that momentum next week on the road against the Buccaneers. As for the 49ers, all those injuries finally caught up to the 49ers and the Landslide brought them down (not sure if I’ve referenced this Stevie Nicks song already, but it was appropriate for this situation). The fact that the 49ers desperately need that bye next week is not just an understatement, it’s an extraordinarily diplomatic way of describing the situation given the issues laid bare in Sunday’s defeat. The timing of the bye with the Nov. 10 trade deadline approaching should boost the team’s desire to make moves sooner rather than later. The 49ers expect to welcome DE Nick Bosa; WRs Mike Evans, Demarcus Robinson and Deebo Samuel Sr.; CB Upton Stout; and S Marques Sigle back from injury soon after the bye. They couldn’t get here soon enough. They have their much-needed bye next week, and then they’ll be back to face the Raiders at home.

DOLPHINS 28 – JETS 25

I have always said that if you get two bad teams to face each other, you get an amazing game to watch! Yes, they’re still bad, but the bad is there to balance the greatness! That’s what you had in a very close game that saw the Miami Dolphins outlast the New York Jets. If you don’t believe me: look at the stats. The Dolphins and Jets combined for 737 total yards of offense. There was only one turnover in the game, and both teams were almost perfect in the red zone. Could we attribute the Dolphins’ 0-5 start to their quality or the quality of their opponents. A little of each to be honest, since three of their losses were to the teams that came into this week with undefeated records: the 49ers, Chiefs, and Vikings (of course two of those teams are no longer on the list). Dolphins players have said multiple times that they needed to learn how to win games, and linebacker Jordyn Brooks said they could do so by getting tired of losing. The idea of the Dolphins looking tired of losing is one of the biggest understatements of the year, particularly as the Jets mounted a late comeback. The Dolphins will try to play their way out of the cellar by hosting the Patriots. As for the Jets, I’m not going to say the phrase that Jets fans hear year after year. But I will say that coach Aaron Glenn’s seat just got a little bit hotter. This was a major step back for a coach whose job security is predicated on demonstrating progress. Even if the Jets split their remaining games to finish 7-10 — unlikely, considering the team’s wildly erratic play — will that be enough to warrant another season? Survey says…the odds are not in his favor (huh, didn’t expect I would use a Hunger Games reference in this article). The Jets host the Raiders next week in a must-win for both teams.

BROWNS 27 – TITANS 24

Well, this was an ugly game for the Cleveland Browns against a Tennessee Titans team that has languished this season. However, at the end of the day, all that matters is another game in the win column for the Browns. Both teams went into this game looking to run the ball more, and it seemed to work for both sides. The Browns had a season-high 183 rushing yards against the Titans. With the return of Quinshon Judkins (96 yards) and Dylan Sampson (45 yards), Cleveland had a good mix of runs from under center, shotgun and the pistol. Quarterback Deshaun Watson’s 9-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter was also a reminder of the impact he can have with his legs. Their next game is on the road against one of their bitter rivals: the Steelers. As for the Titans, as I said, they look to be running the ball more. Tony Pollard and the offensive line held their own throughout, leading to 141 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Coach Robert Saleh said the offensive identity needs to be the run game. Yeah, because that worked out so great for the Chargers this season. Relying on just a run game is going to be asking for trouble, especially against teams that stifle the run. Let’s face it: saying that your offense needs to have a run game identity means you’ve lost faith in your quarterback. The Titans go on the road next week to face the Bengals.

BUCCANEERS 43 – PANTHERS 13

This article seems to be full of as many understatements as HOLY MOLE HOLES. The understatement one is definitely needed to describe how badly the Tampa Bay Buccaneers needed this win over the Carolina Panthers. What we saw in the Buccaneers in this game is a team in serious desperation mode and smashing the panic button as they fight to get back to at least .500 for the season. Quarterback Baker Mayfield didn’t have to do much with his injured right thumb (just 11 passing attempts). Tampa Bay had 258 yards on the ground, including three touchdowns. The defense sacked Bryce Young five times and picked him off twice. And special teams (their most-maligned unit last season) recovered a muffed punt and blocked an extra point attempt that Zyon McCollum returned for two points. The Buccaneers can gain more ground in the division if they beat the Falcons next week at home. As for the Panthers…what happened? This was their golden opportunity for a statement win. The Buccaneers had been slumping, and Mayfield had an injured throwing thumb, and yet the Panthers looked obsolete on their home turf. On a day when franchise legend Luke Kuechly was honored at halftime, everything that could go wrong for the Panthers DID go wrong. What’s worse is that the Panthers only have a few games to recover from this embarrassing loss as they go on the road next week against the Packers on Thursday Night Football.

GIANTS 27 – TEXANS 21 (OT)

Wait…are we really saying the New York Giants have a chance to make the playoffs?! Yeah, this is why I just stuck the HOLY MOLE HOLES to start of the article. The Giants had another statement win against the Houston Texans, whose playoff hopes are now on life support. Coach John Harbaugh said during the week it was “evident” that this was the “right time” to make the switch from Jameis Winston to JJ McCarthy at quarterback for the Giants. That proved to be the right call: McCarthy was in control the entire contest against Houston. He led seven drives into Texans territory. So far, it seems to be working, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I have always said this: one game proves nothing, but two games…that’s when we know we have something. The Giants have a bye next week, but they’ll be back right after that to face the Eagles. Now, the Texans are in deep trouble. For a team that allegedly had the NFL’s best defense…it hasn’t done anything to help the Texans win games. The Texans have allowed at least 27 points in four outings this season. And it wasn’t only against upper-echelon quarterbacks; on Sunday it was against McCarthy in his first start as a Giant. You name something bad; the Texans probably did it on Sunday. It’s panic time in Houston. Because now their playoff chances are hemorrhaging with the Texans’ chances of making the playoffs shrinking to 31% according to ESPN Research. The Texans also have a bye next week, but they’ll be back to face the Chargers.

BRONCOS 30 – CARDINALS 16

As I stated last week, it seems the Arizona Cardinals are only capable of winning games in SoFi Stadium in LA. Because, once again, they found themselves utterly destroyed at home, this time at the hands of the Denver Broncos. The Broncos flashed, with three plays of at least 47 yards. But as the fourth quarter began, about half of the Broncos’ output came on those plays (a 60-yard TD run by Bo Nix, a 52-yard catch and run for a TD by RJ Harvey, and a 47-yard reception by Marvin Mims Jr.). Overall, beyond even Denver’s 114 yards in penalties, third down is still an immense struggle; the offense still had four possessions that were 16 or fewer yards; and Nix (15-of-29 passing) still looks unsettled. They avoided the trap of overlooking a weak team like the Cardinals, but they’ll need to get a lot better with the ball as they host the Chiefs next week in a bid to avenge their embarrassing loss at the start of the season. As for the Cardinals, something drastic needs to happen — and quickly. The Cardinals have registered just one touchdown in their past two games. It’s also 1-for-10 in the red zone over that span, with the lone touchdown — and Arizona’s only TD of either game — coming Sunday from Trey McBride. They lucked out last week against the Rams, but that luck predictably ran out this week against the Broncos. Unless the Cardinals play the rest of their games in SoFi Stadium, I predict this will be another lost season for the Cardinals and their fans. They are going on the road next week to play the Cowboys.

PACKERS 17 – LIONS 20

In a game against two division rivals that hate each other with a burning passion, it doesn’t come much closer than this. The Detroit Lions managed to hold off the Green Bay Packers for a much-needed win in a hotly contested division (that also features the last unbeaten team in the Vikings). The Lions’ defense entered the week as one of the worst units in the NFL, and Sunday’s prospects against a surging Packers offense looked daunting. But the defense held strong. Detroit allowed just 17 points, forced a turnover — by recently returned DB Brian Branch — and held Green Bay to 5-of-15 on third down. Couple Sunday’s performance with an encouraging effort against the Cardinals before the Lions’ bye last week, and you get a defense that’s trending in the right direction. They’ll need that for next week, because the unbeaten Vikings are coming to town. So, where are the Packers in the NFC North pecking order? The short answer: they’re in trouble. Yes, the NFC North looks like one of the best divisions — if not the best — in the NFL. All four teams have winning records. But after playing each team in the division once, the Packers are at the bottom. They’re just 1-2 against NFC North teams. What’s worse is the Packers couldn’t win a game that the Lions tried to give away with fumbles and questionable decisions. The Packers’ only win in the division: a victory at home against a Bears team that was without Caleb Williams. The Packers don’t have much time to bounce back from this heartbreaking loss, because they host the Panthers on Thursday Night Football.

CHIEFS 3 – SEAHAWKS 20

The other reason the Vikings are the only unbeaten team left in the NFL is because of the Sunday Night Football game. The Kansas City Chiefs’ utter destruction at the hands of the defending champion Seattle Seahawks gave the Chiefs their first loss of the season. Sam Darnold was rolling in the first half, completing 13 of his first 17 attempts for 178 yards and a touchdown, until he made another mistake that he couldn’t afford to make. His throw on second down into traffic in the back of the end zone during the final seconds of the first half was intercepted, costing the Seahawks at least three points heading into halftime. That was Darnold’s eighth interception over the past five games. Overall, though, this was a better performance for the embattled Seahawks quarterback (20-of-28 for 257 yards). He got the ball out quickly — not getting sacked after taking five in each of the previous two games — and extended plays when he had to. The defending champion Seahawks will have their hands full next week: a date at home against the surging Bears on Monday Night Football. As for the Chiefs, as I had predicted several times, the wheels finally came off. Kenneth Walker III had been carrying the Chiefs this season. Now the Chiefs’ fatal flaw has been exposed: what happens when a team shuts Walker down? It shouldn’t be a surprise as Walker became the first Super Bowl MVP to play his former team the next season. The Seahawks knew how to shut down their former player. Not only that, but this is also the first time the Chiefs led by Patrick Mahomes was kept out of the red zone for an entire game. It’s time for some soul-searching, because last time the Chiefs’ flaws were exposed on primetime television…they missed the playoffs. The Chiefs go on the road next week to face a Broncos team with revenge in its eyes.

COWBOYS 38 – EAGLES 21

What we had on Monday Night Football was two teams that desperately needed a win. That in effect made this game feel like a playoff game. In the end, however, without their star quarterback Jalen Hurts (who is done for the year thanks to blood clots), the Philadelphia Eagles were easy prey for a Dallas Cowboys team with a big chip on their shoulder. If the Cowboys were going to be considered an actual threat in the NFC East, they had to start winning games. An offense that only managed to score a combined 29 points over the previous two contests was able to light up the scoreboard to beat the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field for the first time since 2021. The Cowboys’ defense was still up and down, but it made plays against a backup quarterback, Tanner McKee, that it did not make against another backup quarterback, the Buccaneers’ Jalon Daniels, two games ago. The Cowboys could start a winning streak next week at home against a flailing Cardinals team. As for the Eagles, everything that could go wrong this season has gone wrong. By the time the offense was finally finding its footing without Hurts, the defense had already failed to keep the game close. It was a gutsy outing for Saquon Barkley, who was clearly playing through the pain from his bad hamstring, but he needed to in order to give his team a fighting chance. Barkley did give them a chance with an extremely effective performance, but now it looks like he’s got a back injury. The Eagles are inching closer and closer to a lost season. They go on the road next week to face the Commanders on Sunday Night Football.