With most of the Week 7 NFL schedule in the books, it is time to look at some of the biggest losers from around the league.
New York Giants front office
The Giants didn’t value Saquon Barkley enough to prevent him from joining a hated rival during free agency. In the Philadelphia Eagles’ 28-3 throttling of New York at MetLife Stadium, the star running embarrassed his former squad, rushing for 176 yards (17 carries) and a touchdown.
This offseason, owner John Mara said he’d have trouble sleeping if Barkley left for the division foe, but following Sunday’s performance, there may be many more restless nights ahead.
Minnesota Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell
The Vikings (5-1) dropped their fourth straight against the Detroit Lions (5-1), falling 31-29, and it’s easy to see why when looking back at how O’Connell managed — or mismanaged — the fourth quarter. Brian Flores’ defense put the team in an excellent position to win following an Ivan Pace 36-yard fumble recovery returned for a touchdown, giving Minnesota a 29-28 lead before forcing a Lions’ three-and-out with 4:16 remaining.
However, O’Connell was too conservative on the next drive, calling two runs and a third-down pass that took only 1:35 off the clock, opening the door for the Lions to kick a go-ahead field goal with only 15 ticks left.
Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins
The four-time Pro Bowler had a miserable outing in the Falcons’ 34-14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks (4-3), passing for 232 yards (24-of-35) and a touchdown while committing three critical fourth-quarter turnovers (two interceptions and a fumble). The Seahawks found the endzone four times, but 10 of their points came off miscues by Cousins.
After the loss dropped Atlanta to 4-3, the $180M man told reporters, “I need to play better,” which might be an understatement.
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers (3-4) cannot defeat the Kansas City Chiefs (6-0), specifically quarterback Patrick Mahomes. After falling 28-18 on Sunday, San Francisco dropped to 0-5 all-time against the two-time MVP, which includes two Super Bowl losses.
Adding to the frustration, Mahomes didn’t play his best, finishing with 154 yards (16-of-27) with two interceptions while rushing for 39 yards (five carries) and a touchdown.
Cleveland Browns
Quarterback Deshaun Watson left the Browns’ 21-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday with what the team believes to be a season-ending Achilles injury. Considering how poorly he’s played, it looks like a blessing in disguise for Cleveland, but while that may be true on the field, it doesn’t change much.
The franchise will pay the 29-year-old $92M guaranteed over the next two seasons, regardless of whether he’s healthy or competent enough to play.
Tennessee Titans offense
The Titans (1-5) futile defense failed to show up in a 34-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills (5-2), but their league-worst offense proved it doesn’t matter who plays quarterback for their directionless offense. Mason Rudolph, filling in for Will Levis, passed for only 215 yards (25-of-40) with a touchdown and an interception while the unit averaged 4.3 yards per play.
A sudden turnaround doesn’t look likely, especially since Tennessee has scored more than 17 points in a game only once this season.
Carolina Panthers
After falling to the Washington Commanders (5-2), 40-7, the Panthers continue to look like the NFL’s worst team. Rookie QB Jayden Daniels left the game early with a rib injury, but Carolina still had no answers.
Backup QB Marcus Mariota entered and torched the Commanders for 205 yards (18-of-23) with two touchdowns and zero interceptions, reminding Panthers fans that, no matter the breaks, another long season is ahead.
