USA TODAY International Edition
Quarterbacks run hot, cold league wide
Week 7 was something of a wild one in the NFL, one that saw some quarterbacks light up the box scores, one that saw a couple of battles for first place in a pair of divisions, and a few familiar faces in new places after some trades.
The midway point of the season is quickly approaching, but before that, here are the winners and losers from Week 7.
Winners
New DBs in new places: It was a good week for Jalen Ramsey and Marcus Peters. They each were traded, with Ramsey landing with the Rams and Peters ending up with the Ravens. Both their teams won, and both of them made big plays that helped their teams win. Ramsey had four tackles and a forced fumble in a 37- 10 victory against the Falcons. Peters had one tackle, one pass defended, and a pick- six in a 30- 16 victory against the Seahawks. You could even throw in Baltimore safety Earl Thomas, as he totaled five tackles against his former squad in a game that was clearly personal for him. You could ( kinda) throw in Cardinals corner Patrick Peterson, too, whose strip sack fumble helped seal Arizona’s 27- 21 victory against the Giants in his first game back after serving his six- game suspension for a violation of the NFL’s performance- enhancing substance policy.
Aaron Rodgers’ MVP chances: This might have been the finest performance of his career. Rodgers set a Packers record in a 42- 24 victory against the Raiders, becoming the first Green Bay quarterback in franchise history to notch a perfect passer rating of 158.3. His day of 25- for- 31 for 429 yards, five touchdowns — as well as a rushing score — suddenly launched him into the MVP race. He’s got the Packers looking like a legit contender at 6- 1 and it’s clear the rapport with rookie coach Matt LaFleur is only just getting going. Arguably most impressive was that this was without his best receiver in Davante Adams and with Marquez Valdez- Scantling and Geronimo Allison both on snap limits after getting dinged up last week. It also helps Rodgers’ chase for the MVP that Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes reportedly will miss some time with a knee injury and that Seahawks passer Russell Wilson had his first average performance of the season.
Kirk Cousins: Sometimes, all it takes is a “sorry.” In the weeks since Cousins — the Vikings’ quarterback — apologized to receiver Adam Thielen for playing poorly, Cousins has been rolling. After Minnesota smashed the Lions 4224, Cousins has now completed 75.6% of his passes for 976 yards, 10 touchdowns and only one interception over the team’s last three games. More important, the Vikings have won them all, are 5- 2, and just one game back of the Packers in the NFC North.
Colts: In what was basically a battle for first in the AFC South, the Colts looked refreshed off their bye and took down the Texans 30- 23. Jacoby Brissett hit career highs in passing yards ( 326) and passing touchdowns ( four), and he improved to 4- 0 in his career as a starter against the Texans. The Colts sacked Deshaun Watson twice, after Houston didn’t allow one sack in its previous two games. Indianapolis’ defense limited Watson and Houston to 4 of 12 on thirddown tries and 2 of 5 in red zone trips. Perhaps the best sign of things to come for Indy is the schedule. The Colts ( 4- 2) have games against the Broncos ( 2- 5), at the Steelers ( 2- 4), against the Dolphins ( 0- 6) and against the Jaguars ( 3- 4) before they face Houston again, on the road, in Week 12.
Losers
Eagles: In what was a battle for first in the NFC East and a pivotal game that would put the victor in the driver’s seat in the division, Philly dropped a dud, losing to the Cowboys 37- 10. They turned the ball over — fumbling twice on their first two possessions, prompting an early, two- touchdown hole — and coughing it up four times overall. They struggled in the red zone, failing to convert any of their two trips inside the 20 into touchdowns. And they had no answer to the Dallas pass rush. When coach Doug Pederson led the Eagles to their Super Bowl a couple of seasons ago, those were all areas they excelled in. With the NFC looking like a strong conference with playoff spots at a premium, winning the NFC East might be the only way a team from the division gets in the playoffs. Philly’s shot at that took a big hit Sunday night.
Mitchell Trubisky: We might be nearing the point where the Bears need to think about alternate plans at quarterback. A 36- 25 loss to the Saints was the model of ineptitude for Trubisky and this Bears’ offense. Trubisky, now in his third season as Chicago’s starting quarterback, still has not shown enough progress or development to give him a vote of confidence for the future. He sometimes doesn’t see wide- open targets, misses on throws, and can’t consistently deliver balls down the field. This was the Bears catching the Saints with a number of key players out — running back Alvin Kamara, tight end Jared Cook, receiver Tre’Quan Smith chief among them, not to mention Drew Brees. Yet it was Teddy Bridgewater who outplayed Trubisky and it wasn’t even close.
Chargers: It’s almost amazing how sometimes it feels like the Chargers have found the most disappointing ways to lose. Their 23- 20 stumble against the Titans, however, was on another level. Consider this: Los Angeles had the ball, down three, at the Tennessee 1- yard line with 39 seconds left after Titans coach Mike Vrabel gifted them with an inexplicable timeout. Then there was a false start that pushed them back. Then a defensive pass interference gave them the ball back at the 1. Then running back Melvin Gordon got a touchdown that was later reviewed and marked short. Then Gordon fumbled. Tennessee took over and the game ended. Los Angeles is now 1- 4 in its last five games, and a team that many people thought could be a Super Bowl contender lacks an identity and looks nothing like it.
Arthur Blank: It looks like it’s only a matter of time before the Falcons blow it up and fire coach Dan Quinn. The Falcons are reeling after their 37- 10 loss to the Rams that dropped them to 1- 6, tied with Washington for the worst record in the NFC. Quarterback Matt Ryan suffered an ankle injury and was in a walking boot after the loss, but this feels like it’s just the start for Atlanta. Team owner Arthur Blank said “I still support” Quinn after the game. The Falcons rank 16th in total offense ( 367.4 yards per game) and only 20.7 points per game ( 19). With an offense that has Ryan, Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, Mohammed Sanu, Devonta Freeman and a reworked O- line, there’s just no excuse for that kind of ineffective production.