Week 7 started with a banger: the Bengals vs the Steelers. It was the battle of the old timers, Joe Flacco and Aaron Rodgers, at 40 and 41 years old respectively. Flacco had a huge game for Cincinnati, throwing for 342 yards and three touchdowns. One TD went to star receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who also had 16 catches for 161 yards. Pittsburgh put up a strong fight, but couldn’t beat the Bengals, losing 33-31. The Steelers are now 4-2, while the Bengals are 3-4.
In London, the Rams offense was on full display. Matt Stafford threw for five touchdowns, three of which went to Davante Adams. Los Angeles crushed the Jaguars 35-7, improving their record to 5-2. Meanwhile, Jacksonville fell to 4-3.
The Chiefs dominated their division rival Raiders, winning 31-0. Mahomes showed a lot of the same dominance he has all year, adding another three passing touchdowns and 286 passing yards. Kansas City benefited from the return of Rashee Rice, who caught two touchdowns. The Chiefs are now 4-3 and Las Vegas is 2-5.
The Browns dominated the Dolphins, backed by three rushing touchdowns from Quinshon Judkins. Cleveland would win the game 31-6, moving up to 2-5, while Miami is at 1-6.
The Patriots continued their impressive streak to start this season, moving to a 5-2 record. New England won 31-13, led by a strong game from Drake Maye. This time they beat the Tennessee Titans, who fell to 1-6.
What was a boring game for three quarters quickly became the most exciting game of the week. The Giants, fresh off their win against the Eagles, took on the Broncos. New York was up 19-0 heading into the fourth quarter, and this is where Denver began their historic comeback. They scored less than a minute into the fourth, and after a Giants TD, scored three more, making it a 30-26 Broncos lead. Jaxson Dart ran for a touchdown to give the G-Men a 32-30 lead. Then, with 0:37 left, the Broncos rushed 56 yards down the field to kick the game-winning field goal. On the Giants’ end, Jaxson Dart had 283 passing yards and three touchdowns, plus one more on the ground. Bo Nix had 279 yards and 2 touchdowns plus two more rushing touchdowns, and most of that was in the Fourth Quarter. The Broncos win makes them 5-2 while the Giants fall to 2-5.
The Bears defeated the Saints 26-14, led by a great game from running back D’Andre Swift. Chicago won their fourth straight game to improve to 4-2, while New Orleans dropped to 1-6.
The Eagles won in a close matchup to get back on track, beating the Vikings 28-22. Jalen Hurts had a great game, passing for 326 yards and 3 touchdowns. Minnesota kicked 5 field goals but struggled to score more than one touchdown. Philadelphia is now 5-2, while the Vikings are an even 3-3.
The Panthers beat the Jets in a low-scoring game 13-6. Bryce Young got injured during the game, but Carolina still won. They have won their third straight game to become 4-3, while the New York Jets are winless, at 0-7.
The Colts took down the Chargers 38-22, backed by another amazing game from Jonathan Taylor. He rushed for three touchdowns and 94 yards. Justin Herbert was amazing for Los Angeles with 420 passing yards and 3 touchdowns, but the defense couldn’t stop the Colts offense, who has been strong all year. Indianapolis is now 6-1, while the Chargers are 4-3.
The Cowboys crushed their division rival Commanders, led by strong games from Javonte Williams and CeeDee Lamb. Dallas is 3-3, while Washington is 3-4.
The Packers and Cardinals played a close game, but a fourth-quarter push by Green Bay secured them the 27-23 victory. Josh Jacobs was strong for the Packers with two touchdowns, while Trey McBride caught two touchdowns for Arizona. The win for the Packers makes them 4-1-1, while the loss for the Cardinals makes them 2-5.
The Sunday Night Football game was all Christian McCaffrey. The former Offensive Player of the Year dominated with over 200 total yards and two touchdowns. The 49ers defense was strong, holding a usually good Falcons offense to only 10 points. San Francisco won 20-10, improving to 5-2, while Atlanta sits at 3-3.
The first of two Monday Night Football games pitted the Buccaneers against the Lions. The Bucs, who were suffering from some significant offensive injuries, were very underwhelming offensively. Jahmyr Gibbs was dominant for the Lions, with over 200 total yards and two touchdowns. Detroit would win this one 24-9, upping their record to 5-2, while Tampa Bay lost their second game of the year, moving them to 5-2.
The final game of Week 7 was Seahawks vs Texans. Seattle had a couple big quarters, in the first and third, where they scored all of their points. Jaxon Smith-Njigba continued his outstanding start to the season, piling up eight receptions for 123 yards and a touchdown. At this pace, he will finish just shy of the 2000-yard mark to finish the season. Houston was unable to find enough offense, and lost 27-19. The Seahawks raise their record to 5-2, while the Texans drop to 2-5.
As things stand through seven weeks, the Colts are the best team in the NFL and AFC, while the Packers are the best in the NFC. Next week features six teams on bye: the Lions, Rams, Seahawks, Raiders, Cardinals, and Jaguars. The Week 8 action starts with Chargers vs Vikings on Thursday.
