NFL Game Recaps: Week 7, 2021

NFL Game Recaps of previous weeks and seasons can be found via links at the bottom of the page.

Browns 17, Broncos 14

Twenty-four hours prior to kickoff, it wasn’t clear if the Browns would have most of their key players available. Baker Mayfield, Nick Chubb, Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, Jedrick Wills and Jack Conklin were all question marks heading into this game, while Kareem Hunt was already ruled out. It was possible that six of the team’s starters would be sidelined.

Mayfield, Chubb and Conklin weren’t active, but the Browns had both of their starting receivers, as well as their left tackle. Despite the three missing starters, Cleveland drove down the field and scored a touchdown on the opening drive, as third-string running back D’Ernest Johnson was exceptional. Johnson broke tackles and showed a nice burst to blow by a Denver defense missing both of its starting linebackers.

Johnson continued to trample the Broncos throughout the evening, setting up favorable passing opportunities for Case Keenum, who did a good job of avoiding mistakes. The defense, meanwhile, suffocated Teddy Bridgewater and the rest of Denver’s offense, allowing the Browns to outgain the Broncos in the opening half, 214-76. Denver finally got some momentum following halftime, putting together a pair of touchdown drives, but its defense couldn’t do anything to get off the field.

The Broncos struggled severely to contain Johnson. The third-stringer was spectacular, rushing for 146 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. He looked like a franchise running back, especially on the final drive. Following a Denver touchdown, the Browns received the ball, up three, with more than five minutes remaining. The Broncos couldn’t get off the field, as Johnson ripped off big chunks on every attempt, ultimately icing the game with an 8-yard burst on a third-and-7.

As mentioned earlier, Johnson’s great running set up Keenum in favorable spots. Keenum nearly threw an interception on a deep pass to Odell Beckham Jr. early in the game, but was stable for the most part. Keenum finished 21-of-33 for 199 yards and a touchdown. He was hurt by three drops.

Two of those drops were from Beckham, who struggled mightily with just two catches for 23 yards. Beckham also slipped on a third down, which nearly resulted in a pick. Beckham finished behind only Jarvis Landry (5-37), who got banged up in the fourth quarter.

Speaking of injured players, two of the teams’ top defensive stars got hurt in this game. Von Miller and Denzel Ward exited with injuries. Miller was knocked out in the second quarter, while Ward was removed following halftime.

As for Denver’s offense, Bridgewater completed a healthy percentage of his passes, going 23-of-33 for 187 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, which he threw into double coverage. Bridgewater, however, had trouble with his field vision. He didn’t see the safety on his thrown pick, and he failed to recognize open receivers at times during the evening.

Both of Bridgewater’s touchdowns went to his running backs, as Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams found the end zone. Williams caught six passes for 32 receiving yards, while Gordon snatched two balls for 14 receiving yards. However, Williams and Gordon had trouble finding room on the ground, mustering 20 and 18 rushing yards, respectively.

Only two Denver players registered more receiving yards than Williams: Courtland Sutton (5-68) and Noah Fant (5-39).

Packers 24, Redskins 10

Football is a great sport, but the NFL is run very poorly. Roger Goodell has proven himself to be incompetent, while the rules committee and officials have made numerous blunders over the years. Their mistakes really cost the Redskins in this contest, robbing the audience of what should have been a thrilling finish.

The Redskins scored twice on the same drive to trim the margin to what should’ve been 21-14, but incompetent officiating and nonsensical rules prevented them from making it a one-score game. Thus, the Redskins, who were driving down 14 at the end of the game, may have only been down seven. Then again, perhaps they would’ve maintained the lead if they didn’t have scoreless drives that ended at the Green Bay 24, 27, 1, 3 and 12.

Though the officials ruined this game, the Redskins made dumb mistakes as well. To open the third quarter, Antonio Gibson tripped over his own two feet when it seemed as though he’d have a 77-yard touchdown run, and on the very next play, Heinicke fumbled on a strip-sack to set up a Green Bay touchdown. Later in the same quarter, Terry McLaurin dropped a touchdown, and then Ricky Seals-Jones was interfered with on fourth down, but the officials didn’t call the obvious penalty.

With the Redskins shooting themselves in the foot, and the officials shooting the Redskins in the other foot, the Packers didn’t need to do much to put this game away. Aaron Rodgers played very well, however, going 27-of-35 for 274 yards and three touchdowns. One of the scores was a nifty pass in the first quarter to Davante Adams while escaping pressure. This was on a fourth down after a third-and-long Rodgers scramble.

Speaking of Adams, he led the Packers in receiving with six catches for 76 yards and a touchdown. Robert Tonyan (4-63) and Allen Lazard (5-60) also scored.

The Packers couldn’t run the ball at all versus the stalwart Washington front. Aaron Jones was limited to 19 yards on six carries, while A.J. Dillon (3-6) did even less.

The leading rusher in this game was Heinicke, who scrambled 10 times for 95 yards. He was robbed of that 96th yard to cover the spread, however. Passing-wise, Heinicke went 25-of-37 for 268 yards, one touchdown and an interception. He should’ve tossed a second score, but McLaurin dropped the ball in the end zone.

McLaurin made up for his blunder by catching seven passes for 122 yards and a score. He also drew a pass interference. Seals-Jones (6-51) was next in the box score, but also should’ve drawn the aforementioned interference flag.

Gibson, as mentioned, missed out on a 77-yard rushing touchdown. His fantasy owners will be agonizing over this because he ended up with just 51 rushing yards on 14 carries.

Titans 27, Chiefs 3

If someone told me that one quarterback in this matchup would complete 16-of-20 passes in the opening half despite getting about three yards per carry from his running back, and the opposing offense would be responsible for numerous turnovers, I would have guessed that Patrick Mahomes was torching a Tennessee secondary missing four key members. Instead, it was the opposite, as the Titans put this game away early, establishing a 27-0 lead at intermission.

Tennessee’s offense was unstoppable, but not because of Derrick Henry. The terrific back threw an early touchdown pass on a trick play, but mustered just 52 yards on 17 attempts in the first half. Ryan Tannehill was the one who was carrying the offense, as his 16-of-20 passing went for 216 yards and a touchdown. He rushed for another score as well. With this passing mastery, the Titans didn’t punt a single time until the second half.

The Chiefs’ scoring attack should’ve been able to stick with the Titans. Instead, they scored no points while this game was still in question, thanks to numerous mistakes. It began early when Mahomes lost a fumble on a Bud Dupree strip-sack on his initial drive. Mahomes was then charged with an interception on an ensuing drive off a deflection while targeting Josh Gordon. And if that wasn’t enough, Mahomes lost a fumble on a 13-yard scramble in Tennessee territory. The Titans, up 27-0 at the break, were able to coast the rest of the way.

Tannehill finished 21-of-27 for 270 yards, one touchdown and an interception, which was his only mistake on the afternoon. This occurred in the red zone when he didn’t see linebacker Willie Gay dropping into coverage. Tannehill, otherwise, was perfect.

Nearly half of Tannehill’s yardage went to Brown, who snatched eight of his nine targets for 133 yards and a touchdown. He was well ahead of the next receiver in the box score, Julio Jones, who caught two balls for 38 yards.

Henry, remarkably, failed to reach the century mark despite getting 29 carries and holding a huge lead in the second half. He turned those 29 attempts into just 86 yards, as the Chiefs improved versus the run with Chris Jones back on the field. Fortunately for his fantasy owners, he was credited with a passing touchdown.

The Chiefs, meanwhile, had a scary moment in the second half. Mahomes took a brutal hit and had to leave the game. He was checked for a concussion, but cleared protocol. This was the only good news the Chiefs had on the day, as Mahomes went 20-of-35 for 206 yards and three turnovers (one interception, two fumbles). He scrambled six times for 35 rushing yards, leading the team on the ground.

In an odd turn of events, Tyreek Hill wasn’t targeted in the first half despite battling an injury-ravaged secondary. He ended up with six catches for 49 yards in what was a very disappointing performance. Travis Kelce (7-65) was only marginally better. Kansas City’s leading receiver was Byron Pringle, who hauled in five balls for 73 yards.

Falcons 30, Dolphins 28

This game had several odd turns that allowed momentum to shift greatly. For instance, the Dolphins, down 10-7, put together a great drive to reach the end zone just prior to halftime. The TV announcers noted that Miami was trying to run down the clock and score at the same time so the Falcons wouldn’t have an opportunity to generate any points prior to halftime. With the clock running, Tua Tagovailoa took a shot at the end zone, but was intercepted. The Falcons, having enough time suddenly, scored a field goal, thanks to an amazing one-handed catch by Kyle Pitts. Atlanta then opened the second half with a touchdown drive, thanks to another great catch by Pitts.

The Dolphins, looking like they’d either tie or take the lead heading into intermission, were suddenly down 13 by the time they retained possession. They later had a glimmer of hope when Xavien Howard ripped the ball out of Calvin Ridley’s hands for an interception, but Tagovailoa made another dumb mistake. Despite being in field goal range, Tagovailoa flipped the ball into the air recklessly while being tackled. The pass was intercepted, setting up Atlanta with a quick score.

Atlanta led 27-14, but after a Miami touchdown, Matt Ryan lost a fumble on a strip-sack while trying to run out the clock. The Dolphins converted with a touchdown, giving themselves the lead. However, they left too much time on the clock, as Ryan made amends by moving the team into field goal range, thanks to yet another big catch by Pitts. Younghoe Koo hit a 36-yarder to help the Falcons improve to 3-3.

Pitts was the star for the Falcons. He made numerous circus catches, finishing with seven receptions for 163 yards. The only thing that was missing was a touchdown, as Ryan’s scores went to Russell Gag (4-67) and Calvin Ridley (4-26). Still, Pitts was amazing. He looks like a wide receiver, which is the position some teams projected him to be entering the 2021 NFL Draft.

Ryan went 25-of-40 for 336 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, which wasn’t his fault because, as mentioned, Howard ripped the ball out of Ridley’s hands. Ryan’s only mistake was his lost fumble.

Cordarrelle Patterson, not Mike Davis, was the team’s lead back. He rushed for 60 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. Davis (4-10) barely did anything. Patterson was the one on the field while the Falcons were attempting to drain the clock prior to the decisive field goal.

As for the Dolphins, Tagovailoa had a very mixed performance, going 32-of-40 for 291 yards, four touchdowns and the two aforementioned picks. He was very accurate for most of the afternoon, but his two interceptions were painful to watch. Still, he’s young and will improve, especially after the Dolphins bolster their woeful offensive line.

Tagovailoa’s four scores all went to different players: Mike Gesicki (7-85), Mack Hollins (2-13), Isaiah Ford (1-10) and Myles Gaskin (4-10). Jaylen Waddle didn’t reach the end zone, but he caught seven passes for 83 yards. He suffered a leg injury in the second quarter, but managed to remain in the game after missing a portion of a drive.

This was one of those games where the Dolphins remembered that Gaskin is their best running back, though they didn’t have much of a choice. Gaskin rushed for 67 yards on 15 carries, while Malcolm Brown (3-10) barely got any work because he left early with an injury after starting for some reason.

Giants 25, Panthers 3

The Sam Darnold experiment seemed so promising not too long ago. The Panthers were 3-0 and possessed a lead at halftime versus the Cowboys in Week 4. Things have fallen apart for them since, however, as they’ve dropped four in a row. This latest loss was an embarrassing one, ultimately leading to Darnold’s benching.

Darnold was anemic in this game. He was guilty of an early safety when he was flagged for intentional grounding in his end zone. He then launched an interception on a horrible overthrow despite being in field goal range. He was nearly picked again later, floating a miserable pass into heavy coverage. Darnold finished 16-of-25 for only 111 yards and the pick. He was ultimately benched for Phillip Walker, who was somehow worse; Walker, the former XFL MVP, went just 3-of-14 for 33 yards.

Carolina’s season is on the brink. The team can still turn things around and make the playoffs, but it needs much better play from its quarterbacks. Darnold is not the answer, and Walker doesn’t appear to be either, so perhaps the team will trade for Deshaun Watson or Tua Tagovailoa if the Dolphins end up with Watson.

The Panthers’ next quarterback will have talented weapons at his disposal, including D.J. Moore, who caught six of his 10 targets for 73 yards. Robby Anderson also has great upside, but caught just three passes for 14 yards in this contest. Anderson was guilty of four drops last week, so offensive coordinator Joe Brady told the media that he wanted to get Anderson involved early. Anderson caught an early pass, but then proceeded to drop a pass on the second drive of the afternoon. He later dropped a ball from Walker.

There’s also Christian McCaffrey, though he’s obviously sidelined at the moment. Chuba Hubbard has flashed as his replacement, but not in this game. Hubbard struggled, mustering just 28 yards on 12 carries. He also caught four passes for 28 receiving yards, but dropped a pass.

The Giants, meanwhile, didn’t have any of their primary weapons in this game, as Saquon Barkley, Kenny Golladay or Kadarius Toney were all sidelined. That would have mattered if Darnold wasn’t so incompetent, as this score was 5-3 for what seemed like an eternity. New York’s offense picked up in the second half, sparked by a Devontae Booker third-and-13 conversion, followed by a Jones one-handed reception on a Philly Special trick play. This ultimately led to a touchdown to finally change the 5-3 score.

Jones finished 23-of-33 for 203 yards and a touchdown even though he was missing his top three weapons. Most importantly, he wasn’t guilty of a single turnover.

Darius Slayton led the Giants in receiving with five catches for 63 yards. Evan Engram, who drew an interference flag, was next with six grabs for 44 yards. Dante Pettis (5-39) caught Jones’ sole touchdown, though Kyle Rudolph (2-8) was also robbed of a score because of poor officiating.

Booker was the top rusher in this contest among both teams. He gained 51 yards and a touchdown on 14 attempts. He had an opportunity for a second trip to the end zone, but was stuffed at the goal line in the first half. However, he made up for it with that aforementioned third-and-13 conversion that finally sparked his offense.

Bengals 41, Ravens 17

The Bengals had never beaten Lamar Jackson, but they’ve never had an experienced Joe Burrow playing against him either. Burrow and his talented receivers were the big difference in this game, particularly in the second half. Burrow, who is excellent against the blitz, torched Baltimore’s poor-tackling secondary following intermission, becoming the quarterback to prevail in this rivalry for a change.

Given how prolific Burrow has been against the blitz this year, it’s not a surprise that he was excellent in this matchup. Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins both enjoyed big performances, especially the former. Chase caught eight passes for 201 yards and a touchdown, making numerous circus catches throughout the afternoon. His best play was an 82-yard score in which he bounced off three Baltimore defenders. He also made a ridiculous catch along the sideline to set up another Cincinnati score.

Higgins, meanwhile, saw 15 targets compared to Chase’s 10. He hauled in seven of them for 62 yards. C.J. Uzomah was also huge with two touchdowns on three receptions for 91 yards, as he broke tackles on both of his scores. The Ravens couldn’t stop any of these players, with Burrow doing a great job of delivering the ball to them.

Burrow finished 23-of-38 for 416 yards, three touchdowns and an interception, which was a rare mistake he committed late in the game while under heavy pressure. Aside from that blunder, Burrow was incredible in what happens to be the most important victory for the Bengals in a very long time.

Scoring on the Ravens was just part of the recipe, of course, as containing Jackson was required to win this game. Cincinnati’s improved defense did a great job on Jackson, putting plenty of pressure on him, especially after right tackle Patrick Mekari left the game with an injury. Jackson was never comfortable in the pocket after that, which is why he failed to complete half of his passes.

Jackson finished 15-of-31 for 257 yards and a touchdown. He got his usual scrambling yardage – he ran 12 times for 88 rushing yards – but it wasn’t enough, as Cincinnati’s defense suffocated him. The pressure forced Jackson into numerous bad throws. His deep accuracy was way off, as Jackson had at least four downfield shots that could have gone for big gains if they weren’t off the mark.

It didn’t help Jackson that he didn’t have a running threat by his side. The Ravens, for whatever reason, refuse to give touches to their best running back, Ty’Son Williams, who gained 10 yards on just two carries. Instead, it was Devonta Freeman (4-14) and Le’Veon Bell (5-5) not doing much. Both of Cincinnati’s backs – Joe Mixon (12-59, TD) and Samaje Perine (11-52, TD) outgained them by a wide margin. Latavius Murray was sidelined, but it’s not like he would’ve made much of a difference. Alas, it seems as though teams won’t be as eager to trade for one of Baltimore’s running backs despite reports saying otherwise.

Three Ravens logged more than 29 receiving yards, and two were the usual suspects: Marquise Brown (5-80) and Mark Andrews (3-48). Brown’s stats were good – he also scored a touchdown – but he needed 14 targets to there. Jackson’s poor deep accuracy really hurt Brown, who should’ve been able to add some deep gains to his stat line. Meanwhile, Rashod Bateman tied Brown for the yardage lead, hauling in three passes.

Patriots 54, Jets 13
By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell

EDITOR’S NOTE: Whoever set the Patriots -7 line should be fired. They could’ve gotten tons of action on New England -10 and gotten the sharps to bet the Jets.

The second battle between these rookie first-round quarterbacks did not last long. Zach Wilson got nuked on a few hits in the first half, including an awkward landing on a hit from Matthew Judon. That hit knocked Wilson out of the game, and he limped into the locker room with an injured right knee. Mac Jones and the New England offense ripped apart a pathetic Jets defense, and the Jets offense struggled when it mattered. New York was not competitive, continuing its losing streak to the Patriots and getting swept in the season series.

The Patriots took the opening drive down the field and got into scoring position with a 28-yard completion to Jonnu Smith (2-52). On the next play, New England did a lateral back to Kendrick Bourne (4-68), who tossed the ball to a wide-open Nelson Agholor (2-51-1) for a 25-yard touchdown. After a typical Jets three-and-out, Damien Harris ran the ball down their throat with a 32-yard burst and then two more carries from the 10 to charge into the end zone for a 14-0 lead. New York responded with a drive that stalled, but Matt Amendola missed the 48-yard field goal attempt. The lowlights continued for the Jets, with linebacker Quincy Williams dropping an easy interception, and New England took advantage of that to add a field goal.

Wilson was injured on the ensuing drive, and on his last play, the Patriots were flagged for a long pass interference in the end zone that set up a first-and-goal. Jets backup quarterback Mike White threw a short touchdown to Corey Davis to cut New England’s lead to 17-7. The Patriots picked up where they left off, with Mac Jones using his legs to convert a third-and-10, and a 15-yard screen pass to Brandon Bolden produced a touchdown and a 24-7 lead. In the 2-minute drill, the Patriots moved down the field and added to their lead when Hunter Henry (2-23-1) made a superb juggling touchdown catch to go up 31-7 at the half.

In the third quarter, White connected with Davis for a key conversion and then rookie second-round pick Elijah Moore scored his first NFL touchdown from 19 yards out on an end-around. The two-point conversion was stopped to keep the Patriots’ lead at 31-13. New England added a field goal with Kyle Dugger, and J.C. Jackson intercepted White. Jackson’s pick led to another short rushing touchdown from Damien Harris.

Up 41-13, the Patriots were looking to run up the score, with Jones throwing a bomb to Bourne (4-68) for a 46-yard completion and J.J. Taylor (9-21-2) scored his first NFL touchdown. Shortly later, Taylor added another short touchdown to run up the score on the Jets.

Mac Jones completed 24-of-36 passes for 307 yards and two touchdowns.

Harris racked up 106 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries.

Bolden was New England’s leading receiver, making six catches for 79 yards and a touchdown.

Mike White was 20-of-32 for 202 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.

Michael Carter turned 11 carries into 37 yards and made eight receptions for 67 yards.

Corey Davis had four receptions for 47 yards and a touchdown.

Raiders 33, Eagles 22
By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell

EDITOR’S NOTE: I loved the Eagles. Little did I know that Derek Carr, despite missing Darren Waller and Josh Jacobs, and having a poor offensive line in front of him, would perform like the best quarterback of all time.

The Raiders were seemingly dealt a big blow before kickoff when star tight end Darren Waller was ruled out with a knee/ankle injury, but it didn’t matter, as Derek Carr dominated Philadelphia while Las Vegas offensive coordinator Greg Olson put on a master class in play calling. The Eagles were clearly overmatched on both sides of the ball.

It started well for the Eagles, as they struck first with Jalen Hurts connecting with Dallas Goedert for a completion of 24 yards. To cap the drive, Hurts hit Kenny Gainwell on the run for a 12-yard touchdown. Las Vegas responded by moving to midfield, and Zay Jones made a great catch on a beautiful throw from Derek Carr for a 43-yard completion. However, Jalen Richard couldn’t control a catch and Avonte Maddox caught the deflection for an interception at the Raiders’ 3-yard line. Las Vegas forced a punt and got its running backs involved to move down the field before Carr threw a rope to Foster Moreau for an 18-yard touchdown.

Yannick Ngakoue got the Las Vegas defense off the field with a sack. Starting at his own 4-yard line, Carr kept using his weapons to lead the Raiders down the field. A screen to Josh Jacobs moved the ball inside the 10-yard line, and Jacobs then finished the drive with a 6-yard touchdown run to go up 14-7. Promptly, Quinton Jefferson stripped Gainwell of the ball and the Raiders recovered at the Eagles’ 30. In the final seconds of the first half, Daniel Carlson hit a field goal to make it 17-7 at the intermission.

The Eagles opened the third quarter in desparate fashion, trying for an onside kick, which the Raiders recovered to start their drive at the Philadelphia 41. Las Vegas quickly moved inside the 10, and Kenyan Drake ran the ball into the end zone to make the score 24-7. The Raiders quickly forced a punt and started their drive at the 50. A completion to Moreau and Bryan Edwards (3-41-1) moved the ball inside the 10, and on fourth-and-goal, Olson dialed up a beauty of a play call for a short touchdown toss to Edwards.

The Eagles’ offense got moving thanks in large part to a questionable unnecessary roughness penalty on Las Vegas, but Hurts converted a fourth-and-10 to Goedert for a 20-yard completion to get inside the five. On third-and-goal, Hurts fumbled a shotgun snap, and the Raiders recovered to protect their lead.

Early in the fourth quarter, Philadelphia had good field position to start a drive, and Hurts engineered the ball inside the five, with Boston Scott scoring. Olson dialed up another great play call, getting fullback Alec Ingold wide open for a 29-yard completion, and that led to a Daniel Carlson field goal to make it 33-14. In garbage time, Jalen Reagor (2-25-1) made a leaping grab and broke a tackle to dart into the end zone with a two-point conversion to Goedert to make the final score 33-22.

Carr was phenomenal, completing 31-of-34 passes for 323 yards, two touchdowns and an interception off a tipped pass.

Drake ran for 69 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. Josh Jacobs (6-29-1 rushing, 3-39 receiving) left the game just before halftime with a chest injury.

Foster Moreau (6-60-1) played well as the replacement for Waller.

Hurts completed 18-of-34 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns. He ran for 61 yards on 13 carries as well.

Miles Sanders (6-30) left the game in the early going with an injury.

Goedert (3-70) led the Eagles in receiving.

Ngakoue was a monster for the Raiders, notching two sacks and whipping Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata from start to finish.

Rams 28, Lions 19

Coming off an embarrassing home loss to the Bengals, Lions coach Dan Campbell was willing to do anything to lead his team to victory. He told the media, “We need to steal possessions today.” He meant it, as he emptied out all the tricks he had in his bag. Following an opening touchdown drive, coming on a third-and-9 screen pass to D’Andre Swift, the Lions successfully recovered an onside kick and then converted a fake punt on the same possession. They ultimately kicked a field goal to go up 10-0, and the Rams finally had their first possession at the 7:28 mark of the first quarter.

The Lions weren’t done. They converted yet another fake punt and attempted three fourth-down conversions. They played with more energy than the Rams, outgaining their opponent, 236-192, in the opening half. With the Lions playing like this was their Super Bowl, the Rams would have lost such a contest last year if Jared Goff happened to be their quarterback. Instead, Matthew Stafford was able to lead his team to victory.

Stafford, battling his former team for the first time, was majestic. He went 28-of-41 for 334 yards and three touchdowns, showing exceptional ball placement on most of his throws. This was an MVP-type performance from him. It may not seem that way because this was just a nine-point victory, but Stafford was able to help his team recover when things looked disastrous for them in the early stages of this contest.

While Stafford led his team to victory through adversity, Goff ultimately found a way to lose this game. Goff, who went 22-of-36 for 268 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, had some bright moments in this contest, but ultimately made too many blunders, costing his team a potential win. Goff missed Swift for a touchdown in the third quarter, and then he threw an interception in the red zone to end a 15-play, nine-minute fourth-quarter drive with no points. The Lions, down six at the time, would’ve given themselves a chance to win at the end if they had just gotten a field goal on the possession, so the pick ultimately ended the game.

Stafford continued to target Cooper Kupp heavily, as Kupp racked up nearly half of Stafford’s yardage. Kupp caught 10 passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns. Robert Woods was next on the stat sheet with six grabs for 70 yards. Van Jefferson (4-43) reeled in Stafford’s third score. Jefferson drew a deep interference flag and nearly came up with a downfield catch to further boost his stats.

Despite battling a soft run defense, Darrell Henderson rushed for just 45 yards on 15 carries. He just missed out on a touchdown catch in the first half and then failed on a third-and-1 late in the game while his team was up six, but the Rams were able to drill a 47-yard field goal to make this a two-possession game. Henderson took a crushing hit from safety Tracy Walker while trying to catch a pass in the third quarter and missed some action after that. He didn’t seem right until his only full drive in the fourth quarter. By then, it was too late for his fantasy owners.

Jamaal Williams was the leading rusher in this game, gaining 57 yards on 12 carries, barely edging out Swift and his 48 yards on 13 tries. Swift, however, was a huge part of the passing attack, catching eight passes for 96 receiving yards and his opening-drive touchdown. As mentioned, he should’ve had a second score, but he was able to pay back Goff later, tipping a pass that went for Goff’s second interception.

Only one Detroit player logged more receiving yards than Swift, and that was Kalif Raymond (6-115), who made a great, diving catch just prior to halftime. T.J. Hockenson had a middling afternoon with six catches for 48 yards.

Cardinals 31, Texans 5

Though the Cardinals trailed 5-0 in this game, there was never any doubt that they would win. Davis Mills is just too incompetent to be competitive against most opponents, and Kyler Murray, who had some early struggles, was bound to catch fire at some point.

Murray did just that. After missing DeAndre Hopkins for an easy touchdown, Murray was able to hit some impressive passes, including a perfect throw he made on a third-and-24 to A.J. Green along the sideline. He later found Zach Ertz for a 47-yard touchdown. Before long, the Cardinals established a huge lead, and they even found a way to cover the massive 20-point spread.

Murray misfired just eight times, going 20-of-28 for 261 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. This was a great game from Murray following a slow start, but he was hit way too much for Arizona’s liking. The Texans pummeled him in the pocket. He took an absolutely bone-crushing hit late in the first half. I thought he would be knocked out for good, but he somehow remained in the game. The Cardinals won, but they must do a better job of protecting their franchise quarterback.

Murray’s touchdowns went to Ertz (3-66), Hopkins (7-53) and Christian Kirk (4-50). Green led the team with three catches for 66 yards, thanks to the aforementioned third-and-24 conversion, which was good for 41 yards.

James Conner scored a late touchdown, rushing for 64 yards on 10 carries. Surprisingly, a banged-up Chase Edmonds handled more of a workload, tallying 81 yards on 15 attempts.

As for the Texans, Mills was a very pedestrian 23-of-32 for only 135 yards. He also lost a fumble on a strip-sack at midfield. Mills spent the entire afternoon dinking and dunking. It was so bad that he tossed a 3-yard pass on a third-and-13 despite not being under pressure. I’ve seen nothing that shows me that Mills belongs in the NFL.

Mills was too incompetent to get the ball to Brandin Cooks for significant gains. Cooks caught five passes, but for only 21 yards. He was seven yards shy of the team lead in receiving, held by Nico Collins (2-28).

The Texans failed to run the ball, as always. David Johnson handled the most carries, registering 25 yards on seven attempts. Mark Ingram (6-9) was dreadful, while Phillip Lindsay (2-8) was an afterthought.

Buccaneers 38, Bears 3

This game featured the greatest age disparity between starting quarterbacks in NFL history, and the results reflected that. Justin Fields struggled mightily, while Tom Brady threw four scores, including the 600th touchdown pass of his career.

Fields was responsible for five turnovers in this game, and two of his three give-aways in the opening half set up Tampa Bay scores. The first was nearly a fumble on a strip-sack, but the Bears recovered, so it ended up being an interception that occurred under heavy pressure. The Buccaneers capitalized with a touchdown pass to Chris Godwin. The second was a lost fumble on a strip-sack that the Buccaneers recovered this time, giving way to Brady’s 600th-career touchdown, which was thrown to Mike Evans. Fields was strip-sacked again on the ensuing drive. There were two other Brady-to-Evans end zone connections after that.

All of this occurred prior to intermission, and things didn’t get any better in the second half. Fields threw two interception following halftime. One ball bounced off Darnell “Mad-Eye” Mooney’s hands, while the other was an underthrown pass.

Fields ended his nightmare game going 22-of-32 for 184 yards, three interceptions and three fumbles (two lost). This resembled the catastrophe at Cleveland, as the Bears were not competitive with the Buccaneers whatsoever. It would’ve helped if Matt Nagy would’ve designed more plays for Fields to do some work out of the pocket, but for some reason, Nagy envisions Fields to be a pocket passer.

Brady, on the other hand, was disappointed with his performance despite the blowout victory. He told the media that his team left lots of points on the table, which is true because Brady could’ve thrown as many as six touchdowns. Still, it was a great performance, as Brady went 20-of-36 for 211 yards and four touchdowns despite missing Antonio Brown and Rob Gronkowski. Brady nearly threw an interception in the first half when he fired a ball into heavy traffic, but the Bears couldn’t come up with the potential turnover.

Three of Brady’s touchdowns went to Mike Evans, who caught six passes for 76 yards. Godwin scored just once, but outgained Evans with eight grabs for 111 yards. He also drew an interference flag. No other Buccaneer logged more than 16 receiving yards.

Leonard Fournette got the party started for the Buccaneers, scoring the first touchdown of the afternoon. He rushed for 81 yards on 15 carries, missing out on second-half attempts because this game was an utter blowout. His only blemish was a dropped pass.

Somehow, the leading rusher in this game was Khalil Herbert. Running on the Buccaneers is impossible – Ezekiel Elliott and Antonio Gibson both failed this year – and yet Herbert did it with 100 yards on just 18 carries. He also caught five passes for 33 receiving yards.

With Fields struggling, only two Bears accumulated more than 33 receiving yards: Cole Kmet (5-43) and Mooney (2-39). The former dropped a key third-and-8 pass in the early stages of the afternoon. Allen Robinson once again struggled, catching just two passes for 16 yards.

Colts 30, 49ers 18

This game was played in a heavy downpour with gusty winds. It was packed with fumbles and dropped passes, and when the game began, it seemed as though that the first team to double digits would prevail.

That belief was quickly dispelled when the 49ers scored nine quick points to begin the game. They ran all over the Colts on the opening drive, with Elijah Mitchell scoring a rushing touchdown. They then hit a field goal following a Jonathan Taylor lost fumble. Indianapolis scored a touchdown after that because of a great, 57-yard pass from Carson Wentz to Michael Pittman, but the 49ers looked like they still maintained control of the game when Wentz lost a fumble on a strip-sack.

The Colts, however, went in front for the first time when Deebo Samuel lost a fumble while trying to push forward for a first down. Wentz made amends for the prior fumble, scoring a rushing touchdown following a deep interference flag on a pass to \Pittman. The Colts later widened their lead after securing another take-away. This time, Jimmy Garoppolo lost a fumble on a strip-sack, setting up a Jonathan Taylor touchdown run. San Francisco threatened to re-take control with a rare touchdown drive, but Wentz put the game away with a scoring strike to Pittman right after that.

In a game that featured numerous turnovers, Wentz is lucky to walk away with the one give-away. The 49ers dropped several potential interceptions, allowing Wentz to go 17-of-26 for 150 yards and two touchdowns. The result couldn’t been much worse for Wentz if the 49ers didn’t let those near-picks slip through their hands. Then again, Wentz’s stat line doesn’t include multiple deep interference flags.

The wet ball affected the running backs as well. Taylor, as mentioned, lost a fumble, but he was able to make amends for that with 107 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. Nyheim Hnes (8-14) also had issues, dropping what appeared to be a long touchdown catch.

Pittman was somehow immune to drops in this game. He caught four passes for 105 yards and a touchdown, and he drew two deep interference flags to set up a couple of scores. Mo Alie-Cox (3-25) caught Wentz’s other touchdown. No other Colt registered more than 14 receiving yards.

The 49ers, meanwhile, had greater issues with the rain. Jimmy Garoppolo didn’t have the luxury of watching the other team drop multiple potential interceptions, though the Colts did drop one possible pick. He threw a couple of interceptions, with one coming off a deflection targeted toward Samuel, and the other being a pass that slipped out of his hands at the very end. Garoppolo ultimately went 16-of-27 for 181 yards, one touchdown and the two picks. He also lost a fumble on a strip-sack.

Samuel was responsible for a lost fumble, but had a big game otherwise; he caught seven passes for 100 yards and a touchdown. Brandon Aiyuk (1-6) struggled offensively, and he was nearly at fault for a safety on a muffed punt.

Mitchell, who scored the early touchdown, rushed for 107 yards on 18 carries otherwise. He was given just four attempts after halftime, as Kyle Shanahan once again forgot to run the ball following intermission.

Saints 13, Seahawks 10

The Seahawks had a miserable sequence of events that caused them to lose to the Saints. This was a 10-10 affair for most of the second half, but it seemed as though the Seahawks would take the lead with a field goal. However, Geno Smith took a bad sack, moving his team out of field goal range. Jason Myers still tried a 50-yarder in heavy winds, but predictably missed. The Saints took over in favorable field position, but the Seahawks forced a punt on a Jameis Winston third-down sack. However, the officials made a terrible call, ruling that there was a roughing-the-passer penalty, giving the Saints a free first down.

Despite the bogus first down, the Saints were stuck in a third-and-10, but they moved the chains with an inexplicable Alvin Kamara 12-yard run. The Seahawks finally forced a fourth down soon after that, but nose tackle Al Woods moved into the neutral zone before the snap. New Orleans picked up yet another free first down as a result, ultimately allowing them to kick a chip-shot field goal. They held on to their 13-10 lead during Seattle’s final drive, which was ruined by a couple of sacks.

Kamara quite literally carried the Saints to victory. He rushed for only 51 yards on 20 attempts, but he was exceptional as a receiver out of the backfield. He caught 10 passes for a whopping 128 receiving yards and a touchdown. Of course, he had that crucial 12-yard rush to move the Saints into field goal range in order to drill the decisive kick.

Winston leaned on Kamara because he really struggled to pass the ball downfield. He overthrew four receivers in the opening half alone, and he was hurt by some drops. Winston finished an underwhelming 19-of-35 for 222 yards and a touchdown.

Besides Kamara, tight end Adam Trautman led the Saints in receiving with three catches for 36 yards, but lost a fumble to set up a Seattle field goal in the third quarter. Marquez Callaway (3-32) was the only other Saint with more than 11 receiving yards. Tre’Quan Smith (1-11) struggled in his return to action, which was hardly a surprise.

The Seahawks, meanwhile, got some miserable play out of Geno Smith. The veteran quarterback appeared clueless in the pocket, and the Seahawks had to burn some timeouts because he wasn’t ready for the snap on multiple occasions. Smith made a great 84-yard pass to D.K. Metcalf on the second drive of the evening, but did nothing otherwise. He finished 12-of-22 for 167 yards and a touchdown. He didn’t commit a turnover, but two potential interceptions were dropped. He also took some bad sacks, as he held on to the ball too long behind an offensive line missing two starters.

Speaking of Metcalf, he concluded the game with two catches for 96 yards and a touchdown. No other Seattle player logged more than 39 receiving yards. Tyler Lockett managed to reel in two passes for only 12 yards.

The Saints are terrific against the run, so it was no surprise that the Seahawks struggled to run the ball. Alex Collins mustered 35 miserable yards on 16 carries. He was stuffed on a pair of third-and-1 opportunities.

For more thoughts, check out my updated NFL Power Rankings, which will be posted Tuesday morning.

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