Los Angeles Rams def Jacksonville 35-7
Matthew Stafford threw five touchdown passes, including three to Davante Adams, as the Rams crushed the Jaguars. The Rams sacked Trevor Lawrence seven times as their defense played their best game of the season.
Jacksonville could barely run the ball, only getting 94 yards, and even worse was that Brian Thomas Jr left the game with what appeared to be a significant shoulder injury. Hopefully, he’ll be able to return to the team after their BYE week.
Carolina def New York Jets 13-6
Carolina lost Bryce Young to an ankle injury, but they were still able to beat the Jets behind an incredible defensive performance as the Panthers D sacked the Jets six times and had two interceptions. Rico Dowdle had 18 touches and showed more spark in the running game, which should put him in line for more touches than Hubbard moving forward.
The Jets offense was putrid once again, with Justin Fields getting benched at halftime after only completing six passes for 46 yards. If the Jets want to win any game, they’re going to have to likely switch to Tyrod Taylor, who at least gives them a semblance of an offense. Breece Hall left the game for a brief time with an injury, and it remains to be seen whether he will be playing in week 8.
Cleveland def Miami 31-6
Quinshon Judkins was the star of this game as he ran for 84 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Browns to a victory. The Browns defense also had two fumble recoveries, as well as three interceptions and four sacks, proving that they are one of the top defenses in the league.
It would be shocking to see Mike McDaniel keep his job after this horrible performance. The Dolphins were only able to throw for 153 yards in the game, and Jaylen Waddle was held to one catch for 15 yards. Things look grim for Miami, and they don’t seem to be getting better anytime soon.
New England def Tennessee 31-13
In a Revenge game for Mike Vrabel, the New England Patriots crushed the Titans by 18 points. Drake Maye completed 21 out of 23 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns and also ran for 62 yards. Even better was the Patriots defense, which had a defensive touchdown as well as an interception and four sacks to help lead the way.
There was a moment at the beginning of the game where the Titans looked better offensively than they had in quite some time. Cam Ward threw for 255 yards and a touchdown, but the Titans were only able to rush for 39 yards on 12 carries. When you can’t run in the NFL, you can’t win any games.
Chicago def New Orleans 26-14
Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen got to play against his old New Orleans team, and the Bears dominated defensively. They sacked Spencer Rattler four times and intercepted him three times, totally dominating the game. Once again, D’Andre Swift ran very well, getting 124 yards rushing and a touchdown. Kyle Monangai also had 81 yards in a touchdown as Chicago imposed its will on offense.
New Orleans just couldn’t get much done offensively as the Bears defense pressured Spencer Rattler throughout the game. Rattler did finish with 233 yards and two passing touchdowns, including two touchdowns to Chris Olave, who also had 98 yards receiving. The big question for New Orleans is at running back, as Alvin Kamara was only able to get 28 yards, and Kendre Miller left the game with an injury. Perhaps it might be time to see what rookie Devin Neal can do.
Philadelphia def Minnesota 28-22
In one of the more exciting games of the 1:00 p.m. slate, Philadelphia dominated through the air as Jalen Hurts threw for 326 yards and three touchdowns. AJ Brown had four catches for 121 yards and 2 touchdowns, and DeVonta Smith had 183 yards receiving and a touchdown. Once again, the Eagles were not able to run the ball effectively, only getting 45 yards on 23 carries.
Jordan Addison was the star of the game for the Vikings, catching nine passes for 128 yards. On defense, the Vikings got killed in their secondary as they had no answer for the speed of the Eagles receivers. Minnesota needs to decide whether to stick with Carson Wentz, who looked good, or go back to rookie J.J. McCarthy.
Kansas City def Las Vegas 31-0
This game was a complete rout by halftime as the Chiefs dominated from start to finish. Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs with 286 yards and three touchdowns, including two touchdown passes to Rashee Rice, who returned from his six-game suspension. Even better was the Chiefs defense as they pressured Geno Smith all game long.
Without Brock Bowers and without Jakobi Myers, the Raiders were not able to muster any offense. Ashton Jeanty only had 34 total yards from scrimmage, and Geno Smith only threw for 67 yards during the game. Smith was forced out of the game in the second half for poor performance.
Denver def New York Giants 33-32
In perhaps the craziest outcome of the day, Denver came back from a 26-8 deficit to pull out the victory in the last seconds. Bo Nix led Denver with 279 passing yards and two touchdowns, but more importantly, he rushed for 48 yards and two touchdowns. The Broncos didn’t really run the ball very effectively, and they didn’t look good for most of the game until the second half, when their defense picked up and sacked Jaxson Dart four times.
This will be a game that the Giants will look back upon and wonder how they lost it after dominating for close to three quarters. Dart was sensational, throwing for 283 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for a touchdown at the end of the game to give the Giants a lead late in the game. Daniel Bellinger and Theo Johnson exposed Denver’s secondary, catching six passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns. This game was more about the Giants defense failing at the end than anything else. Brian Daboll’s job is on the line, and right now it’s hanging by a thread.
Green Bay def Arizona 27-23
Green Bay was losing for much of this game, but they came back with 14 points in the fourth quarter to pull out the victory. Josh Jacobs, who was a game-time decision, played and had 55 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Jordan Love was efficient but not spectacular, throwing only 179 yards and a touchdown. Green Bay finally had their pass rush going as Micah Parsons had three of the six sacks that Green Bay had on the day.
Arizona heads into the BYE week losing a game they absolutely should have won. Jacoby Brissett threw for 279 yards and two touchdowns, and Trey McBride was fantastic with 10 receptions for 74 yards and 2 touchdowns. The biggest problem with Arizona is that they cannot put any pressure on the quarterback. They had one sack and did little else while Jordan Love sat in a clean pocket and picked them apart.
Dallas def Washington 44-22
In a game between two divisional rivals, Dallas thumped Washington, beating them by 22 points behind Dak Prescott, who had 264 yards and three touchdowns. In his first game back from injury, CeeDee Lamb had five catches for 110 yards and a touchdown, and Javonte Williams broke open some very big runs, getting 116 yards and a touchdown. Dallas played some excellent defense as well, really getting to Jayden Daniels, sacking him four times, and intercepting him for a touchdown.
Washington is now 3-4 on the season, and they might be staring at some time without Daniels, who left the game with a hamstring injury. Marcus Mariota came into the game and did not look spectacular. This was a very difficult game for the Commanders to compete in as they didn’t have their top two receivers, and they had to face a Dallas Cowboys team that ran the ball down their throats.
Indianapolis def Los Angeles Chargers 38-24
Right now, if there were a vote for League MVP, there’s a very good chance that Jonathan Taylor would be winning it. Taylor ran for 94 yards and three touchdowns, which is the second game this season that he’s had three touchdowns. Daniel Jones was efficient, throwing for 288 yards and two touchdowns, and once again, Tyler Warren was sensational, getting 69 yards and a touchdown. But what made this game especially good for the Colts was their defense. They sacked Justin Herbert three times and intercepted him twice, and they pressured him all game long.
The Chargers went down early and tried their best to come back, but their defense let them down in a big way. They were only able to sack Daniel Jones one time, and he basically sat in a clean pocket for the entire game. Justin Herbert was sensational in the loss, throwing for 420 yards and three touchdowns, and rookie Oronde Gadsden had seven receptions for 164 yards and a touchdown. He is absolutely somebody who needs to be picked up in every format at this point.
San Francisco def Atlanta 20-10
In a competitive NFC struggle, the 49ers were led by a solid ground game as their OL dominated the line of scrimmage. Christian McCaffrey ran for 130 yards and 2 TDs, had 72 yards receiving, and was clearly the player of the game. George Kittle returned from injury, and even though he did not catch a pass, his blocking was critical. San Francisco should be getting Brock Purdy and Ricky Pearsall back in Week 8, which is great news for their fantasy managers.
Once again, Bijan Robinson led Atlanta offensively as he had 92 yards from scrimmage and a TD, but it was the inconsistent play of Michael Penix, Jr that cost Atlanta dearly. Penix missed open receivers and couldn’t make the big completions when needed. It was only his 9th career NFL start, but Atlanta might need to change the play calling somewhat to fit his strengths.
