Week 7 of the regular season in the NFL offered a number of thrilling finishes, quarterback injuries and questionable coaching decisions.
Amidst the chaos of this week’s slate, the Minnesota Vikings suffered their first loss of the season in a thriller, while the Buffalo Bills cruised to their second straight win thanks to a recent trade acquisition. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Browns likely lost their starting quarterback for the season — and perhaps for good.
Here are some knee-jerk reactions from the seventh week of the NFL season:
Giants owner John Mara won’t be sleeping well for some time
Prior to last offseason’s free agency period, Mara told Giants GM Joe Schoen that he would have trouble sleeping if running back Saquon Barkley signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. Of course, the two-time Pro Bowler joined the Eagles on a three-year, $37.75 million deal and after watching his performance on Sunday, it’s fair to say Mara probably won’t sleep well for a while.
Barkley humiliated his former team en route to a 28-3 road win, racking up more total yards (187) than the Giants offense (119), along with a touchdown. Had he not been pulled early in the fourth quarter after the game had turned into a blowout, Barkley would’ve set a career-high in rushing yards. Given Barkley’s age and the state of the Giants, it made sense why they decided to part ways with him this offseason, but they’re learning the hard way that even rational decisions have consequences.
Brock Purdy is saving the 49ers a lot of money in upcoming contract negotiations
Purdy is eligible for a contract extension this offseason and entering the regular season, it appeared that he had a chance to eventually become one of the highest-paid players at his position. After all, he led San Francisco to an appearance in Super Bowl LVIII and the quarterback market is booming, with Dallas Cowboys signal-caller Dak Prescott recently becoming the NFL’s first $60-million man.
Purdy has struggled mightily this season, though, primarily due to his top weapons dealing with injuries. This played a major role in Sunday’s 28-18 home loss to Kansas City, as the Pro Bowler finished 17-of-31 passing for 212 yards and three interceptions. Purdy has proven he can be an effective game manager when the 49ers offense is fully healthy, but his lackluster production without his typical supporting cast will likely prevent him from earning a deal worth $50 million annually.
Lions and Vikings prove they’re the best teams in the NFC
The Lions are back to being the king of the NFC North, knocking off the previously undefeated Vikings 31-29 on the road in an early contender for the game of the year. Despite the loss, the Vikings proved that their stellar start wasn’t an accident and that only the Lions should be considered ahead of them when naming the top teams in the NFC.
Sunday’s matchup was remarkably even, with the Lions totaling 391 yards of offense compared to Minnesota’s 383. Additionally, each team had eight penalties and committed one turnover. Neither team dominated the time of possession, either, with Detroit having the ball for 29:03 and Minnesota for for 30:57. The Week 18 rematch between these teams can’t come soon enough.
Browns’ quarterback decision is an easy one
Cleveland will have a new starting quarterback going forward after Deshaun Watson suffered what is believed to be a season-ending Achilles tear in the team’s 21-14 home loss to Cincinnati on Sunday. With Watson sidelined, the Browns should insert Jameis Winston — who was strangely demoted to third-string on Sunday — into the starting lineup ahead of the team’s newly appointed No. 2 QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
Thompson-Robinson was ineffective in relief of Watson, completing 11 of his 24 passes for 82 yards and two interceptions before exiting with a finger injury. Meanwhile, Winston was solid in limited reps, throwing for 67 yards and one touchdown (along with a successful two-point conversion attempt). It’s possible Thomspon-Robinson could develop into a quality backup in the future, but Winston undoubtedly gives the Browns their best chance to win this season.
WR Amari Cooper is a game-changer for the Bills
Shortly after their AFC East rival New York Jets traded for six-time Pro Bowler Davante Adams on Tuesday, the Bills executed a blockbuster deal of their own, acquiring Cooper from Cleveland. It didn’t take long for Cooper to make an impact with his new team, scoring a touchdown on his first reception in Sunday’s home win over Tennessee and finishing with 66 yards on four catches.
While it’s only a one-game sample size, the addition of Cooper appears to have transformed the Bills offense for the better. Cooper’s presence on the field opened things up for QB Josh Allen and his fellow Buffalo wideouts, as evidenced by Allen’s season-high 323 passing yards and WR Keon Coleman’s career-high 125-yard performance. Considering how dominant Allen has been this season, landing a true No. 1 receiver in Cooper could be what he needs to not only earn MVP honors but take Buffalo over the hump.
Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel’s inability to adapt should put him on the hot seat
There’s no doubt that it’s difficult to win games with a backup quarterback. Even so, given how many talented skill-position players the Dolphins have, there’s no reason why their offense should be struggling as badly as it is and that falls on McDaniel. Since starting QB Tua Tagovailoa suffered his concussion in Week 2, Miami has averaged just 10 points per game, the fewest in the NFL.
McDaniel, who is considered an offensive guru, has done a poor job scheming up plays for star wideouts Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle in Tagovailoa’s absence, especially during Sunday’s 16-10 road loss to Indianapolis. Hill and Waddle combined for just two receptions and 19 yards on four targets against the Colts, which is coaching malpractice by McDaniel. The 41-year-old should be on the hot seat and if the offense doesn’t dramatically improve once Tagovailoa returns, it might be best for Miami to move on from McDaniel this offseason.
Panthers are wasting everyone’s time by starting Andy Dalton at quarterback
QB Bryce Young may not have been the solution, but it’s clear that he was far from the Panthers’ biggest problem. After scoring a season-high 36 points in its Week 3 win over the lowly Raiders — Dalton’s first start — Carolina’s offense has reverted to an utter mess. The veteran Dalton took another step back in Sunday’s embarrassing 40-7 road loss to Washington, finishing 11-of-16 passing for 93 yards and two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown.
Regardless of who starts at quarterback, Carolina won’t be able to win many (if any) games the remainder of the season with such a disastrous defense, but the team should consider turning back to Young. The Panthers are on the fast track to another top draft pick. They might as well see if Young shows enough signs to be considered a bridge quarterback and if he does, that would potentially allow them to address one of their countless other needs early in the 2025 draft.
