2023 NFL season, Week 7: What We Learned from Sunday's games

Philadelphia Eagles

6-1

31-17

Miami Dolphins

5-2

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• READ: Eagles’ Hurts says knee is ‘fine’ after three-TD night
• READ: Sirianni on QB sneak: Every first down, it’s 1st-and-9

Grant Gordon’s takeaways:

1. The resilience of Jalen Hurts is on full display. With the second half getting underway, Hurts was a late arrival. He was sporting a brace on his left leg. Hurts also had a bad fumble in the first half and a worse interception that was returned for six in the second. Hurts kept coming back, though. Leading up to Sunday and during the game, Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa facing off for the first time since the latter replaced Hurts at Alabama was mentioned ad nauseam. It was fitting, though. Hurts’ ability to pick himself up and finish his college career in stellar fashion at Oklahoma was a mark of the character he’s shown in his ability to lead the Eagles to the upper echelon of the league. It showed against the Dolphins. He just kept coming back. Most impressive was how Hurts responded from throwing the game-tying pick-six, leading his squad on an eight-play, 75-yard game-winning drive. He started by scrambling for 12 yards on the first play and followed with a 25-yard completion. Six plays later, he hit A.J. Brown for a score. In a much-ballyhooed regular-season tilt, Hurts was far from perfect. But he kept picking himself up and succeeding all the same.  
2. Miami run machine silenced. Tua Tagovailoa didn’t have one of his greater games, but the quarterback was essentially leading a one-finned Dolphins offense. Boasting the top-ranked rushing offense coming in, the Dolphins were slowed to a crawl by the second-ranked Eagles rushing defense. At the end of the first half, Miami had negative-7 yards on the ground. By the game’s end, a few Raheem Mostert bursts upped the tally to 45 rushing yards. Tagovailoa threw it on 32 of the Dolphins’ 48 plays. It added up to a season-low of 244 yards and 17 points, including the pick-six. There’s little doubt the Dolphins will find their offensive stroke moving forward, but they got outmuscled and bullied by Philly, which is cause for concern the next time Miami is in another heavyweight fight.  
3. A.J. Brown is a bad man. There was no shortage of intriguing storylines heading into this one. Among them was a showcase of perhaps the NFL’s two top wide receiver tandems: Philadelphia’s Brown and DeVonta Smith, and Miami’s Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. While Hill certainly had his moments — particularly a gorgeous 27-yard hookup with Tagovailoa for a TD in the second quarter — Brown emerged as the star of the night. First, he hauled in a 32-yard bomb from Hurts, never quitting on the play as Hurts scrambled. He was ruled down at the 1-yard line, and a play later, Hurts pushed in for a second-quarter two-score lead. After the Dolphins tied the game on a Jerome Baker pick-six, Hurts and Brown hooked up again. This time, it was for a 14-yard touchdown in which Brown’s might was on full display when he muscled through a pair of Dolphins defenders for six. Brown’s showing, often emblematic of the Eagles’ physicality overcoming the Dolphins’ speed, saw him finish with 10 receptions for 137 yards. On a night in which all-star skill players dotted the field, Brown was the one who shined brightest. 

Next Gen stat of the game: Each of A.J. Brown’s 10 receptions came against the Dolphins in off coverage (5+ yards of cushion). Brown currently leads the NFL in targets (58), receptions (43) and receiving yards (625) against off coverage this season.

NFL Research: A.J. Brown recorded his fifth straight 125-plus-yard game, tying Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson (2012) and Pat Studstill (1966) for the longest such streak in league history. 

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Pittsburgh Steelers

4-2

24-17

Los Angeles Rams

3-4

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Nick Shook’s takeaways:

1. Diontae Johnson‘s return unlocks Steelers offense. A trudging Steelers offense scored three points in the first half on Sunday and needed to cover just seven yards to find the end zone in the third quarter for their first touchdown. That simply wasn’t going to be enough, and for the first time since the desperate final minutes of Pittsburgh’s comeback win over Baltimore in Week 5, the Steelers woke up offensively! It’s no coincidence that Johnson’s first game back from injury was the one in which Pittsburgh found some stable footing, especially considering his 39-yard catch-and-run jumpstarted Pittsburgh’s game-tying touchdown drive early in the fourth quarter. Add in the burgeoning Kenny Pickett/George Pickens connection (a pairing that played a massive role in the fourth quarter on Sunday), Jaylen Warren‘s production and some tough running from Najee Harris, and suddenly, this Steelers unit looked all right. Offensive coordinator Matt Canada gets a week free of criticism after the way the Steelers exploded. We’ll see if they can sustain it.
2. Brett Maher‘s issues might be back. You might remember Maher’s sudden inability to convert an extra point last postseason. He’s since rediscovered his abilities — that is, until Sunday, when he doinked a 53-yarder off the left upright, missed a PAT and then missed another field goal that never seemed to have a legitimate chance from 51 yards out. Those doing the math at home have likely realized those seven points would have made a massive difference in the 24-17 game. Maher did connect on a 41-yard FG in the second quarter. A sign of unreliability is never a good thing to see from a kicker. The Rams did enough on Sunday to compete for a win with a cobbled-together backfield of Royce Freeman and Darrell Henderson gaining 127 yards. It’s not all on the kicker, but the easiest position to change when things get tough is kicker. Maher better get past his latest struggles rather quickly.
3. This is more like the Steelers we expected to see in 2023. Pittsburgh’s offense was sleepwalking before its second-half awakening, which came only after its strength — the defense — forced a turnover via T.J. Watt‘s interception of Matthew Stafford. The sudden change got the Steelers right, as they scored a touchdown three plays later to regain the lead. From there, the Pittsburgh possession sequence went as follows: punt, touchdown, touchdown, end of game. The Steelers defense shut down the Rams’ attempts to respond in the fourth quarter, and for the first time all season, the Steelers earned a win by flashing legitimate potential on both sides of the ball. If this becomes the new norm for them, watch out.

Next Gen stat of the game: Diontae Johnson caught five passes for 79 yards on six targets, posting his highest receiving yards over expected total (+23) of his time spent playing with Kenny Pickett, and the second-highest mark of his career.

NFL Research: T.J. Watt joined Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor as the only players since 1982 (when individual sacks were first tracked) with 70-plus sacks and seven-plus interceptions over their first seven seasons.

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Seattle Seahawks

4-2

20-10

Arizona Cardinals

1-6

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Kevin Patra’s takeaways:

1. Seahawks rookie WRs step up as Seattle gets back on winning track. With DK Metcalf inactive on Sunday, Geno Smith leaned on rookie receivers Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Jake Bobo. JSN opened the scoring with a nice route for a 28-yard strike. The rookie won over the middle, leading the Seahawks with 63 yards on four grabs. Bobo added the Seahawks’ other TD on a fantastic toe-tapping grab in the end zone. The undrafted rookie also picked up a couple key third-down conversions en route to 61 yards on four catches. Seattle’s offense was inconsistent most of the afternoon. After opening the third quarter with a long field-goal drive, Seattle had an interception, fumble, three-and-out and 25-yard field-goal drive on its next four possessions before kneeling to end the game. A series of Seahawks errors, including a Smith red-zone interception and a fumbled snap, kept the Cardinals in the game. But with the rookies stepping up, it was enough for Seattle to earn its fourth win in its last five games.
2. Cardinals turn three Seattle turnovers into just three points. Credit Arizona for continuing to battle, but an inconsistent offense led to its downfall on Sunday. Outside of one TD drive, the Cardinals didn’t have a possession that went longer than 26 net yards. Joshua Dobbs‘ 25-yard TD run was Arizona’s longest play of the afternoon. With so few explosive plays, the Cardinals can’t move the ball consistently enough to threaten defenses. Dobbs finished 19-of-33 passing for 146 yards and took four sacks. Dobbs isn’t the biggest issue in Arizona, but it appears the veteran QB is turning into a pumpkin as Halloween approaches. Perhaps Kyler Murray can provide the pop Arizona’s offense is missing whenever he returns.
3. Credit Seattle’s D for picking up the offense. It wasn’t a pretty game for Seattle, but the defense made key stops when needed. After a fumble on a first-quarter punt return, the Seahawks held Arizona to four yards and a field goal. Later, after a botched snap on offense gave the Cardinals another short field, the D bowed up, leading to a missed Arizona field goal. Jordyn Brooks was all over the field, generating nine tackles, two for loss, half a sack and a pass defensed. Darrell Taylor tallied 1.5 sacks as the defense feasted late, holding the Cardinals to 88 total second-half yards. The D wasn’t without its own errors, as Devon Witherspoon had an interception and a sack wiped out by penalties, but it was enough against a one-win division rival on Sunday.

Next Gen stat of the game: Geno Smith picked up 129 of his 219 passing yards on attempts over 20 air yards (5 of 6, 129 yards, 2 TDs, +43.8% CPOE) against the Cardinals.

NFL Research: The Seahawks lost the turnover battle 3-0 versus the Cardinals. This marked the first time the Seahawks won a game with a turnover margin of -3 or worse since Week 9 of the 2013 season.

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Denver Broncos

2-5

19-17

Green Bay Packers

2-4

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Brenna White’s takeaways:

1. Packers can’t overcome slow start. Entering Week 7, the Broncos defense was allowing the most points (33.3) and yards (440.3) per game in the NFL. But Jordan Love and Co. were shut out in the first half on Sunday. Their best drive of the first and second quarters went for 52 yards and ended with a missed 43-yard field goal. Green Bay rallied and briefly took the lead in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough. With the Packers down 19-17 and less than two minutes remaining, Love’s deep throw to Samori Toure was picked off by P.J. Locke to seal the Denver victory. To put in perspective just how difficult a time the Packers had trying to move the ball against a defense that gave up 70 points in a game earlier this season, Green Bay had 10 receivers with at least one reception but none recorded more than 34 receiving yards. It’s the first time the Packers had 10 or more players with one or more catches and less than 35 receiving yards in a game since 1950, per NFL Research. The Broncos’ much-maligned defense has now held teams to fewer than 20 points in consecutive games.
2. The Russell Wilson–Courtland Sutton connection is strong. Wilson went to his go-to receiver to get the offense rolling right off the bat, connecting with Sutton for 33 yards on the third play of the contest. The QB went back to him twice for third-down conversions and again in the third quarter for Denver’s lone touchdown of the game. Sutton led the Broncos with six catches for 76 yards and now has five TD grabs in 2023. He had four receiving TDs in his last 37 games prior to the 2023 season. Wilson finished with only 194 passing yards, but he didn’t turn the ball over, bouncing back after throwing two INTs in Denver’s Week 6 loss to the Chiefs.
3. Denver’s backs key in win. Run the ball. That was clearly a big part of Sean Payton’s game plan this week. Whether it was Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin or Samaje Perine toting the rock, Denver found success on the ground. Williams was especially exceptional, recording 15 carries for 82 rushing yards, with an explosive 21-yard run. It was Williams’ first game with 80-plus rush yards since Week 13 of the 2021 campaign. McLaughlin had the second-most rushing yards for the Broncos (45), while Perine had two rushes for 10 yards. As for the Packers, Aaron Jones ran for 35 yards on eight carries in his first game back from a hamstring injury and AJ Dillon rushed 15 times for 61 yards.

Next Gen stat of the game: Jordan Love was blitzed on 46.9% of his dropbacks against the Broncos, the third-highest rate Love has faced in a game in his career (min. 14 pass attempts).

NFL Research: Denver ended its 10-game losing streak when leading at halftime (dating back to Week 16, 2021). 

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Kansas City Chiefs

6-1

31-17

Los Angeles Chargers

2-4

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• READ: Justin Herbert: Chargers won’t ‘panic,’ ‘quit’ despite 2-4 start
• READ: Chiefs’ Reid: Taylor Swift ‘can stay around all she wants’
• READ: NFL Research: Mahomes, Kelce join elite company 

Eric Edholm’s takeaways:

1. Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce too much for Chargers early on. Their second-half production paled in comparison to what the Chiefs did offensively in the first half, but it was too much Mahomes and Kelce for the Chargers’ maligned defense to handle. Mahomes was on fire throwing the ball early — even when accounting for his interception — dicing the Chargers up for 321 first-half passing yards and three TD passes. The recipient on nearly half of those passes was Kelce, who caught nine balls for 143 yards and a score in the first half. Kelce had just three touches after the break, when the Chargers started doubling him, and Mahomes threw for only 103 yards in the final 30 minutes. But Mahomes unleashed two well-timed scrambles in the second half, as he converted a third-and-7 with an 8-yard run and a third-and-16 with a 23-yard run. The Chargers have had their share of trouble with Mahomes and Kelce over the years, but this might have been the most they’ve dealt with from the future Hall of Famers.
2. Chargers once again falter offensively in the second half. Since coming back to beat the Vikings in Week 3, the Chargers have struggled on offense in second halves. This syncs up with Justin Herbert‘s finger injury, which he suffered initially against the Raiders in Week 4 and has played through since. But Sunday’s second-half struggles against the Chiefs mirrored the Week 6 loss to the Cowboys, as the Bolts turned the ball over on the opening drive of the third quarter and endured long cold snaps in close losses. Herbert threw a tipped-pass INT inside the Chiefs’ 10-yard line, and the Chargers followed that up with three straight three-and-outs while the Chiefs took a 31-17 lead. TE Gerald Everett, who scored a TD on Sunday, got hurt in the second half, and Herbert had his hand looked at on the sideline after taking a third-down sack. But there have to be other factors that have led to Los Angeles scoring a mere 10 points combined in their past three second halves. The offense is too talented to slump that badly after halftime. 
3. Players making their 2023 Chiefs debut help seal victory. The Chiefs knew what they were getting when they acquired old friend Mecole Hardman from the Jets last week, as Hardman had spent his first four pro seasons in Kansas City before signing with New York in March. While he might have fallen short of his draft status at times, the 2019 second-rounder filled a valuable role for the Chiefs — and he reprised it on Sunday. Although the receiver caught only one pass on Sunday, it came at a critical time, converting a third-and-6 in the red zone on a late-game drive that ended with a TD. Hardman’s most impactful — a 50-yard punt return — kickstarted the drive. The other newcomer was Charles Omenihu, who signed with the Chiefs this offseason and was coming off a six-game suspension. Omenihu notched his first sack of the season in the first half, slowing a Chargers drive that ended in a punt. But his biggest play came on the Chargers’ opening drive of the third quarter, as Omenihu batted a Herbert pass that was intercepted by L’Jarius Sneed on third-and-goal.

Next Gen stat of the game: Patrick Mahomes’ 46-yard TD pass to Marquez Valdes-Scantling was Mahomes’ first deep-touchdown pass of the season and only his second since the start of last season. Mahomes threw 44 TD passes of 20 or more air yards between 2018 and 2021, which was the second-most among any quarterback in that span.

NFL Research: Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce had connected on 29 straight targets (spanning three games) before an incompletion midway through the fourth quarter ended their streak.

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Baltimore Ravens

5-2

38-6

Detroit Lions

5-2

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• READ: Lions HC Dan Campbell on 32-point loss to Ravens: ‘They kicked our a–‘

Kevin Patra’s takeaways:

1. Lamar Jackson puts up MVP performance as Ravens dust Lions. Jackson toyed with the Lions’ defense from the start with his arm and legs. The QB could do no wrong early, guiding the Ravens to four straight TD drives to blow the game open before the break. Jackson was incredibly patient in the pocket, taking his time to find open receivers. That part of his game — not taking off at the first sign of trouble — makes the QB ludicrously dangerous. The Ravens splashed big play after big play. In the first half alone, Baltimore generated nine plays of 20-plus yards, including seven Jackson completions. Then, the Ravens opened the third quarter with an 80-yard catch-and-run from Gus Edwards. The long play was set up by Detroit’s D accounting for Jackson’s running ability. Jackson took advantage, buying time in the pocket, finding creases to scamper for first downs and making beautiful throws on the move. When Jackson plays perfectly like he did on Sunday, the Ravens can demolish anyone.
2. Jared Goff, Lions’ offense humbled on the road. Offering shades of last year’s shutout loss in New England, Goff had his worst outing in over a year. The QB was discombobulated off the bat by the Ravens’ pass rush. The wind appeared to affect several passes, but that wasn’t the biggest issue. Goff threw several wayward passes in the dirt and forced balls into coverage. With the Ravens LBs squeezing the field, Goff had few patented wide-open over-the-middle tosses. Detroit opened the game with three consecutive three-and-outs. By the time the Lions earned their initial first down of the game midway through the second quarter, it was already a 28-0 game, with Detroit being outgained 325 yards to 13. Rookie Jahmyr Gibbs helped Detroit avoid the shutout by blasting off for a 21-yard rushing TD. Burn the ball. Bury the tape. Whatever Dan Campbell decides to do, the Lions must quickly move beyond Sunday’s blowout at the hands of an AFC heavyweight.
3. Baltimore dominates trenches. The Ravens made a 5-1 team look like a 1-5 operation by demolishing Detroit up front. The offensive line kept Aidan Hutchinson and the Lions’ pass rush at bay, opening gaps for running backs and giving Jackson all day to scan the field. Jackson wasn’t sacked and was pressured on nine of 31 dropbacks, per Next Gen Stats. On defense, the Ravens swarmed, clogging the lanes and making life difficult on Goff with a smorgasbord of stunts and blitzes. Baltimore pressured Goff on 20 of 57 dropbacks and generated five sacks. When teams control the line of scrimmage like the Ravens did on Sunday, blowouts ensue.

Next Gen stat of the game: Lamar Jackson scrambled for 25.3 yards before throwing a 12-yard TD to Nelson Agholor 9.24 seconds after the snap. Jackson’s 9.24-second time to throw on the TD is the longest on a touchdown pass since Week 14 of the 2018 season and the third-longest in the NGS era (since 2016).

NFL Research: The Ravens had 146 rush yards against the Lions, who entered the game with the NFL’s No. 1 rush defense. No team had reached 100-plus rush yards against the Lions this season until Sunday. Baltimore had exactly 100 rush yards at halftime. 

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Chicago Bears

2-5

30-12

Las Vegas Raiders

3-4

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• READ: Bears’ Johnson aims to get paid after two-INT game

Kevin Patra’s takeaways:

1. Tyson Bagent leads Bears to victory in battle of backup QBs. The undrafted rookie quarterback from Division II Shepherd University outplayed 15th-year veteran Brian Hoyer, leading the Bears to their first home win since Week 3 of last season. Bagent wasn’t asked to do a ton, with Luke Getsy smartly dialing up a host of quick throws and screens. Still, he played with poise, found open receivers and avoided backbreaking mistakes that have plagued the Bears with Justin Fields under center. Bagent finished 21 of 29 for 162 yards with a TD toss for a 97.2 passer rating. The moment didn’t look too big for the rookie QB making his first career start. Bagent got a ton of help from the backfield. Chicago consciously attacked the Raiders on the edges with pitches and quick swings. D’Onta Foreman ran angry, generating 89 yards and two TDs on 16 rushes and adding 31 receiving yards and a third score. Darrynton Evans splashed several nice runs as a speed option to the outside. Chicago generated 173 yards on 38 rush attempts. That was the recipe needed to aid the rookie signal-caller.
2. Brian Hoyer, Raiders’ offense author clunky effort. Whereas the Bears protected their backup quarterback, it was the opposite for Vegas. Josh Jacobs was nearly invisible, rushing for 35 yards on 11 carries. Hoyer was off the mark regularly, unable to sustain drives and bogging down in the red zone when the offense did move the pigskin. Hoyer came out force-feeding Davante Adams, but the Raiders couldn’t adjust once that strategy sputtered out. With a chance to close an 18-point gap early in the fourth quarter, Hoyer missed a wide-open Adams in the end zone — a ball that forced the wideout to adjust, and he couldn’t hang on. Josh McDaniels then settled for a sad 25-yard field goal. Following Hoyer’s pick-six with just under six minutes remaining, McDaniels sat the veteran for rookie Aidan O’Connell, who also threw an INT but led the Raiders to their only TD of the game. Hoyer finished 17 of 32 for 129 yards with two INTs for a 37.1 passer rating. Given Hoyer’s repeated struggles on key downs, it was surprising Vegas didn’t give O’Connell a shot earlier.  
3. Jaylon Johnson’s two INTs pace Bears’ defense. The cornerback was beaten for a long pass interference penalty in the third quarter but bounced back by quickly reading a Hoyer pass to the sideline, jumping the ball, and racing 39 yards for the touchdown to ice the game. Johnson got his second INT of the contest on the next possession. If Johnson is indeed on the trade block, Sunday’s game could help the Bears’ cause in moving the impending free agent. Chicago got big plays from a defense that has been on a roller-coaster ride all season. Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds got a first-half INT off a tip. Matt Eberflus’ D got its hands on the ball repeatedly, generating nine passes defensed to go along with the three picks. The pass rush is still lacking, but a stout run defense on Sunday made the Raiders’ offense one-dimensional.

Next Gen stat of the game: Tyson Bagent relied on short passes in his first NFL start, averaging 2.1 air yards per attempt without throwing a single pass over 15 air yards. Bagent’s 2.1 air yards per attempt is the shortest average depth by a qualified QB in a game this season.

NFL Research: D’Onta Foreman generated 130 scrimmage yards, two rushing TDs and a receiving score, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Walter Payton (twice) as the only players in Bears history with multiple rush TDs in a game versus the Raiders. Foreman became the fifth Bears player since 1960 with two-plus rushing TDs and one receiving TD in a single game.

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Cleveland Browns

4-2

39-38

Indianapolis Colts

3-4

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• READ: Browns QB Deshaun Watson exits in first half of win vs. Colts

Nick Shook’s takeaways:

1. Everyone who watched this wild game deserves a personal day off. Nothing went as expected in Indianapolis on Sunday. After a horrid outing in Week 6, Gardner Minshew scored two rushing touchdowns and tossed two passes for scores. After not giving up 300 yards in a game all year, Cleveland’s defense surrendered 456 yards to the Colts. Each team made terrible mistakes with the football, the Browns blocked a field goal and only an illegal contact penalty prevented them from losing on a strip sack. What did we learn from this contest, you ask? Cleveland’s offense is in a bad spot, starting under center. Indianapolis isn’t as doomed as folks might have thought a week ago. And this league is undefeated when it comes to making any given Sunday a wacky — and occasionally unhinged — one.
2. Shane Steichen is the right coach to lead the Colts. Sure, Indianapolis lost in heartbreaking fashion, but the fact that the Colts were able to find consistent success against the NFL’s top defense should stand as an achievement for Steichen. He devised a fantastic game plan that focused on Cleveland’s defensive tendencies and weaknesses, running a ton of traffic through the Browns’ vaunted man coverage and reaping the benefits. Steichen kept Cleveland on its heels with his rushing attack, dialing up direct snaps to running backs and leaning on read options in scoring situations, and they paid off. It didn’t produce a win for the Colts, but under Steichen’s direction, Minshew was able to bounce back from last week’s disaster and nearly led the Colts to a win. That deserves praise.
3. The Browns need better play under center. Cleveland’s defense wasn’t nearly as stout as it had been through the first six weeks of the season, but it’s going to need more help from the team’s offense. The Browns were dominated in time of possession for most of the game and the offense should have been thanking heavens for the defense’s newfound ability to force turnovers, because it was the only thing keeping them in the game by halftime. PJ Walker led a game-winning touchdown drive late (and threw his best pass of 2023 on a must-have third-down completion to Elijah Moore), but Walker is not a long-term solution, the offense just lacks juice across the board, and Deshaun Watson has been unable stay on the field. If the Browns, who are now 4-2, believe they’re capable of contending for the division title, they have to find a better backup option at quarterback.

Next Gen stat of the game: Myles Garrett generated four QB pressures and two sacks (both resulting in turnovers, including a strip-sack sack TD) across 18 pass rushes on Sunday. All four pressures came in less than 2.5 seconds.

NFL Research: Garrett had a phenomenal day, becoming the first player since at least 2000 with multiple sacks, multiple forced fumbles and a blocked field goal in a game.

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New England Patriots

2-5

29-25

Buffalo Bills

4-3

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• READ: Bill Belichick earns 300th regular-season win as Patriots upset Bills
• READ: Bills HC Sean McDermott after loss to Patriots: ‘We’re beating ourselves’

Eric Edholm’s takeaways:

1. Bill Belichick’s 300th NFL victory is a classic — and a much-needed Patriots win. The black cloud of negativity that has followed the Patriots for the better part of a month was lifted — at least temporarily — with New England’s dramatic, last-minute win over the rival Bills. The Patriots controlled the game early with good defense and ball control on offense, but the Bills fought back and muscled their way into the lead. That’s when Mac Jones and Rhamondre Stevenson drove the Patriots down the field, and Jones hit Mike Gesicki for the game-winning score. It wasn’t pretty, but it was a huge victory for New England for so many reasons. The Patriots reminded everyone they can still beat good teams. Jones certainly needed a confidence-boosting performance, and this was the best we’ve seen from him in a minute. It was also big for Belichick, as strange as that might sound. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported earlier on Sunday that Belichick quietly signed a multi-year extension in the offseason and that the Patriots view him as part of the team’s short- and long-term future despite the rough start to the 2023 campaign. At 2-5, they’re still swimming upstream, but Sunday was a start.
2. Bills once again undone by slow start. Ever since the Bills blowtorched the Dolphins in Week 4, their offense has stalled early in games, putting the team in catch-up mode. They were outscored in each of the past three first halves to the Jaguars, Giants and Patriots by a combined 30-10. The deficit was 13-3 on Sunday, with Josh Allen being picked on Buffalo’s first play of the game. It’s not as if the Bills can’t erase leads; they proved that by going up, 25-22, with two minutes left. The problem is that it also shrinks the margin for error, and the Bills will rue turning the ball over on downs in scoring range early in the fourth quarter, as Ja’Whaun Bentley knocked a pass away from Dawson Knox. The Patriots scored a TD on their next drive to take a 22-10 lead (their biggest lead of the season) on a drive when a Taron Johnson penalty wiped out a sack that might have knocked them out of field-goal range. Buffalo’s defense had to be nearly perfect down the stretch, but it wasn’t as the Patriots drove for two fourth-quarter TDs.
3. Demario Douglas, Pharaoh Brown state case for expanded role on offense. The Patriots have been mining for offensive producers all season, unable to generate big plays consistently. Douglas and Brown both supplied that on Sunday, and it would be a shame if they didn’t see more passes their way going forward. Douglas returned to the lineup after missing last week’s game (concussion), helping out as a receiver (four catches for 54 yards), runner (20-yard run that was a season-long for New England) and returner (25-yard punt return). Brown was a key figure in the Week 3 win over the Jets, and he chipped in with two catches on Sunday — for 25 and 26 yards — despite running only five routes all game. He also had a 22-yard catch called back in the fourth quarter.

Next Gen stat of the game: Four Patriots defenders generated multiple pressures in Week 7 against the Bills — Deatrich Wise Jr., Christian Barmore, Davon Godchaux and Ja’Whaun Bentley. Only three Patriots defenders had generated multiple pressures in a game since Matthew Judon suffered an injury in Week 4.

NFL Research: Ezekiel Elliott’s first-quarter TD run was the Patriots’ first score off a turnover this season. They were the only NFL team with zero points off turnovers in Weeks 1-6. Jabrill Peppers’ INT of Bills QB Josh Allen (his first first-quarter turnover of the season) set up the New England TD.

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New York Giants

2-5

14-7

Washington Commanders

3-4

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• READ: Allen on loss to Giants: Seven years of same (expletive)

Eric Edholm’s takeaways:

1. The Giants’ defense has turned the corner recently. Since the Dolphins thrashed the Giants in Week 5, their defense has been excellent. The effort in Buffalo last week came up short, but on Sunday, New York’s defense finished the job. Commanders QB Sam Howell was sacked six times and threw 20 incomplete passes, including two from the Giants’ 7-yard line on Washington’s final possession. It’s not often you can fail to score for nearly the final 39 minutes of a game and win, but that’s what the Giants did on Sunday. Everyone knows coordinator Wink Martindale likes to bring pressure, but generating a 48.4% pressure rate on those blitzes, via Next Gen Stats, is what put Howell under fire almost all game. Deonte Banks’ first-half interception stunted a first-half drive and almost immediately led to a Saquon Barkley TD, which ended up being the game-winning score. Kayvon Thibodeaux also dropped a gift-wrapped INT deep in Washington territory, so the Giants are lucky that didn’t come back to bite them. This was the fourth game this season New York allowed fewer than 300 yards. This group has played hard all season, even amid the offensive struggles.
2. The Commanders can’t seem to beat some beatable teams. As it was with the Week 5 loss to the Bears at home, Sunday’s setback to the Giants represents yet another frustrating milepost for Washington’s season. The Giants came in slumping badly on offense and were forced to start backup Tyrod Taylor, but they put together two touchdown drives in the first half, taking a 14-0 halftime lead. Washington’s defense clamped down most of the game from there out, but the Commanders’ offense was unable to get going until the fourth quarter. Their touchdown came with a short field thanks to a Giants muffed punt, and Washington’s two 80-plus yard drives in the fourth came up short — a blocked field goal by Leonard Williams and the game-ending turnover on downs. Going 1 for 15 on third-down conversions also tells the story for their day. It’s not as if the Commanders play markedly better against better teams — their best victory was against 4-3 Atlanta — but they absolutely can be blamed for playing down to their competition at times.
3. Tyrod Taylor stands tall, finds ways to get Jalin Hyatt, Darren Waller involved. Giants fans had been begging for two of their more exciting offseason acquisitions on offense to be more involved, and they got their wish. Hyatt entered Sunday’s game with only seven catches all season. Taylor hit Hyatt for a 33-yard connection on their third offensive play to get the Giants going early. Then Hyatt hauled in a 42-yarder in the fourth quarter that the Giants couldn’t capitalize on. Each of Hyatt’s five targets were 20-plus yards downfield, per Next Gen Stats, which helped stretch the field. Taylor also showed he could incorporate Waller more effectively than Daniel Jones had previously, as Waller caught seven passes (on eight targets) for 98 yards and his first TD as a Giant. As for Taylor, he completed 18-of-29 passes for 279 yards, two TDs and no turnovers — all behind a patchwork offensive line. What else do you want? It might be a stretch to say that the Giants should stick with Taylor even when Jones is healthy, but Taylor has helped awaken the offense.

Next Gen stat of the game: Giants DT Dexter Lawrence generated a team-high eight pressures on 51 pass rushes (21.6% pressure rate) against the Commanders, his most pressures in a game since Week 10 of last season.

NFL Research: Tyrod Taylor threw for 279 yards, his most in a game since Week 1 of the 2021 season, when he threw for 291 yards for the Texans against the Jaguars. Taylor’s 116.9 passer rating was his highest in a start since Week 2 of the ’21 campaign vs. Cleveland (144.3).

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Atlanta Falcons

4-3

16-13

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

3-3

• FULL BOX SCORE
• READ: Battista: Falcons’ win emblematic of state of unsightly NFC South

Nick Shook’s takeaways:

1. Falcons survive sloppy outing. Both teams struggled to protect the football on Sunday, but if I had to pick one team more deserving of a loss due to turnovers, it was undoubtedly Atlanta. The Falcons wasted three scoring opportunities via fumbles lost. On the third one, Desmond Ridder scrambled to the left and appeared to be trotting into the end zone for a touchdown when Antoine Winfield Jr. punched the ball out of his hand, producing a fumble through the end zone for a touchback. Atlanta should have won the game by a touchdown or more, but it lacks the polish of better teams. Yet, the Falcons won because they were able to capitalize with a field goal at the end of the game, adding to the maddening nature of their still-promising season.
2. Bucs seeing full spectrum of the Baker Mayfield Experience. Mayfield is having a solid season so far, playing better than most likely expected. He’s built quite a rapport with Mike Evans and is finding ways to keep the offense moving, even while they struggle to establish a semblance of a running game. But there’s always a catch with him, and on Sunday, it reared its ugly head when he forced a pass toward his tight end in coverage, where the throw was intercepted by Richie Grant, killing a great opportunity to tie the game or take the lead. Because of Ridder’s fumble, the Buccaneers got another chance, and the bright side of the Baker spectrum emerged with a 31-yard scramble on third-and-9. But that drive ended in frustrating fashion, with Mayfield missing Chris Godwin twice on goal-to-go downs before being sacked on third down, forcing Tampa Bay to settle for a field goal. That left the Falcons with time to drive down and kick a game-winning field goal. Those are the highs and lows of a team quarterbacked by Mayfield, a thrilling but emotionally taxing experience.
3. The NFC South remains wide open. It’s not often two teams play so similarly in nearly every aspect of the sport for four quarters, but that’s what we saw on Sunday in Tampa. The squads were nearly even in first downs, third-down conversion rate, total plays, penalties, punts and time of possession. It couldn’t have been a more evenly matched contest, which predictably came down to the final possession only because neither team could find a way to take a lead of more than three points in the fourth quarter. And that’s the story of the division as a whole. Atlanta leads the NFC South at 4-3, but you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who’s incredibly confident in its chances. The same can be said for the Buccaneers, who had chances to win on Sunday but fell short. Add the Saints into this group, too. It’s going to be a long road to determining a division champ if these trends hold.

Next Gen stat of the game: Baker Mayfield completed only two pass attempts of over 10 air yards on Sunday, his fewest in a game this season.

NFL Research: The Falcons lost three fumbles in the red zone in Week 7 (all by Desmond Ridder). They are the first team to lose three red-zone fumbles in a single game since the Cardinals in Week 3 of the 2004 season.

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