Week 7 Takeaways for the 2024 NFL Season
I hope you didn’t miss this week of NFL football. A LOT happened. Jets OLB Haason Reddick actually reported to the team. We had our first Monday Night game exclusively broadcast on ESPN+ (I’m not pleased with that). Buccaneers WR Mike Evans notched his 100th career receiving TD but left upon reaggravating his hamstring injury. Fellow WR Chris Godwin left on a cart with an air cast during a meaningless garbage-time drive. And these are just a few of the things we didn’t manage to squeeze into the text below. So much happened this week that we have a special XL edition of our week 7 takeaways for the 2024 NFL season!
TNF: Broncos Crush Short-Handed Saints in Sean Payton’s Return
This matchup looked intriguing on paper. Well, it did until you saw the Saints’ injury report. New Orleans was practically dead on arrival with QB Derek Carr, WRs Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, linemen Caesar Ruiz and Erik McCoy, LB Pete Werner, and S Will Harris all out with various ailments. During the game, CB Paulson Adebo was carted off with a gruesome leg injury, and fellow CB Marshon Lattimore left with a hamstring injury. That left poor rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler to fend off a ferocious Broncos defense with very little help around him. Things went about as well as you might expect.
Rattler went 25/35 for 172 yards, but most of his passes were short. That wasn’t his fault, as he had no help whatsoever. If you take away his 34 rushing yards, the rest of the team had just 63 yards on the ground. His line got him killed all night; he was sacked 4 times and lost two fumbles on strip sacks, one of which was returned for a TD. In the end, even Rattler himself left with a hip pointer injury. Jake Haener (3/4, 38 yards, TD) came in for the final 2 minutes and led a nice but meaningless TD drive. New Orleans lost 33-10 in a game that was as lopsided as the score suggests.
Denver, led by former Saints HC Sean Payton, couldn’t have had a much better evening. RT Mike McGlinchey returned from injury for this game, and he made a massive difference. QB Bo Nix (16/26, 164 yards; 10/75 rushing) had all day to throw. He was off the mark early but ran effectively while he calibrated his passing. The offensive line also opened huge holes in the running game, allowing RB Javonte Williams (14/88/2; 3/23 receiving) to post a great line. As a team, Denver ran for 225 yards at 6.4 YPC. The defense, especially LB Cody Barton (8 tackles, sack, FF, PBU, fumble recovery TD), was monstrous. They’ve been like this all year.
Aside from the strange fact that WR Courtland Sutton had 0 targets, everything went Denver’s way. They’re now 4-3 on the strength of their defense, but this team can be good if the offense improves as Nix gains experience. New Orleans is in deep trouble. An amazing 2-0 start has devolved into a 5-game losing streak. At 2-5 and with all these injuries, I don’t know how they can compete. I loved the decision to start Rattler in Carr’s absence, but now I’m unsure. As things stand, the Saints are setting him up for failure. Perhaps Haener should start next week so Rattler doesn’t get ruined before his career really begins.
Undefeated No More: Vikings Clipped by Lions in Thriller
We came into this week with just two undefeated teams remaining, and we leave with one. That’s because as hard as the Vikings fought, they couldn’t best the red-hot Lions. Granted, things didn’t start well for Detroit, whose first drive ended in a fake punt run…at their own 33. Predictably, that failed, and RB Aaron Jones (14/93/1; 3/23 receiving) put Minnesota up 7-0 two plays later. Following a punt by the Lions, Minnesota added a 57-yard FG from rookie K Will Reichard (who has not missed this year) to go up 10-0. Once we made it to the second quarter, Detroit took over, tallying three straight TD drives.
During one of those marches, RB David Montgomery (9/31; 3/39 receiving; FUM) left with a scary-looking knee injury but returned a bit later. In his stead, Jahmyr Gibbs (15/116/2; 4/44 receiving) scored twice and had a big day. After a couple of lackluster games by his standards, WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (8/112/1) had a huge outing and scored of those 3 TDs. We can’t forget about QB Jared Goff. He had another sublime day throwing the football, going 22/25 for 280 yards and 2 TDs while posting a third-straight game with a 140 passing rating. When he’s in rhythm, very few teams can stop Detroit.
Defensively, the Lions had struggles generating pressure without injured DE Aidan Hutchinson. To compensate, DC Aaron Glenn had to blitz often, but he could afford to do so because of a valiant effort from his secondary. S Brian Branch is a superstar, and he had yet another INT this week, as well as a fumble six that was overturned because WR Jalen Nailor (4/76) had stepped out of bounds prior to losing the ball. As game as Detroit’s defense was, the Vikings did their fair bit of self-destructing. QB Sam Darnold (22/27 259 yards, TD, INT) had one rough turnover and missed throws at inopportune times.
Darnold found WRs Justin Jefferson (7/81/1) and Jordan Addison (3/66) often enough, but up 29-28 after a David Montgomery fumble was returned for a TD, he couldn’t seal the deal. He misfired and went 3 and out when one completion would’ve salted the game away. Instead, Goff led a drive to the MIN 26, where UFL star K Jake Bates drilled a 44-yard FG to win 31-28. The Lions now occupy first place in the loaded NFC North, and they’re still contenders even without an elite edge rusher. Minnesota is right there though, and I think they proved their legitimacy despite coming up short here. This divisional race will be fun to watch.
Texans’ Offensive Inefficiency Finally Catches up to Them at GB
Although the Texans keep winning, their offense has not reached the heights of 2023. Aside from last week against an overmatched Patriots team, Houston hasn’t hit 25 points since week 1. That trend continued here against Green Bay, and the culprit remains the same. This offensive line is struggling in pass protection. RB Joe Mixon (25/115/2) keeps finding good holes on the ground, but QB CJ Stroud is constantly running for his life. As a result, Stroud completed just 10 of 21 passes for a career-low 86 yards and took 4 sacks. Reading those stats, you may be surprised to learn that Houston was in this game until the end.
Part of that came from Green Bay making their own mistakes. QB Jordan Love (24/33, 220 yards) threw 2 more INTs (though he added 3 more touchdowns as well). Those picks directly led to 10 Texans points and a 19-14 halftime lead for Houston. In the second half, neither team did great with the ball, but the Packers scored a TD, which happened to be the first career receiving TD for RB Josh Jacobs (12/76; 5/16/1 receiving). Every other possession was a punt until Houston’s final drive. Stroud led his team on a 13-play march, but the offensive line buckled, and the Texans could only add an FG to go back up 22-21.
With 1:44 and 1 timeout remaining, Love had plenty of time to answer. He did just that, calmly finding targets, especially WR Romeo Doubs (8/94), to move into field goal range. New K Brandon McManus kicked a game-winning 45-yard FG, which wouldn’t have been possible if Houston had a more efficient scoring attack. I’m happy for McManus, who is getting a second chance after his sexual assault charges were dropped. GB needed this win, as 5-2 is only good for 3rd right now in the NFC North. Houston is still in great shape at 5-2 given the state of the AFC South, but they’ll need to pass block better to be true contenders.
Chiefs Dominate Short-Handed 49ers in Super Bowl Rematch
Any game between the two teams that played each other in the most recent Super Bowl is exciting. That’s especially true when you expect both teams to be good again. Alas, San Francisco is sustaining far too many injuries to put up a fight against the reigning champs. Already without WR Jauan Jennings, the 49ers lost more weapons during the game. Fellow wideout Deebo Samuel attempted to play through an illness but could not and left in the first quarter. WR Brandon Aiyuk hurt his knee, and HC Kyle Shanahan fears he tore his ACL. This is why Aiyuk wouldn’t report to the team until he got paid!
The one positive note for San Francisco was the debut of rookie first-round WR Ricky Pearsall (3/21). He didn’t have much of an impact even with the other guys out, but everyone was happy to see him back so soon after he was shot over the summer. Everything else was a disaster. RT Colton McKivitz allowed numerous pressures, one of which (applied by DE George Karlaftis) led to an INT. The 49ers never upgraded after McKivitz arguably cost them the Super Bowl, and they could have done so. SF traded back one spot with these very Chiefs to allow them to draft OT Kingsley Suamataia in the second round this April.
QB Brock Purdy, under constant duress and clearly rattled, had a terrible game. He forced 3 INTs, finish 17/31 for 212 yards (he added two rushing scores on sneaks). TE George Kittle (6/92) was his only weapon. Even LT Trent Williams lost his cool and was ejected late in the game for throwing a retaliatory punch. For the icing on the cake, P Mitch Wishnowsky tried an onside kick and completely whiffed. It was just that kind of day for the 49ers. Credit Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo for making life tough. Though the Karlaftis sack was their only one of the game, KC flustered San Francisco to cruise to a 28-18 road win.
I must note that QB Patrick Mahomes (16/27, 154 yards, 2 INTs; 5/39/1 rushing) had bad stats yet again. I remain completely unconcerned. One of those INTs wasn’t his fault, and he is actually playing really well with a limited supporting cast. His job is not to compile stats; the goal is to win. Nobody is doing it better, and the Chiefs are the last unbeaten team in the NFL at 6-0. Recall that last year, KC sort of trudged through the regular season before everything clicked in the playoffs. Don’t be surprised if that happens again; Mahomes is still great, and this defense is even better than last year’s edition.
Multiple QBs Leave Games Due to Injury or Benching
I’m sorry to say that injuries and player benchings are normal aspects of football. This week, we had a disconcerting amount of turnover at the league’s most important position. Our big story of the day concerns embattled QB Deshaun Watson (15/17, 128 yards), who was ironically playing well against the Bengals (as all Browns always seem to do), went down without contact before the half. As his reverberating calf and subsequent MRI revealed, Watson tore his Achilles, ending his season. This is a disaster for Cleveland, who now has an ineffective AND injured QB on a contract with 2 more guaranteed years.
Shockingly, his replacement was not Jameis Winston, who apparently got demoted to third-stringer before the game, but instead was Dorian Thompson-Robinson. While RB Nick Chubb (11/22/1) returning felt good for Browns fans, the play of DTR (11/24, 82 yards, 2 INTs; 3/44 rushing) did not. DTR struggled mightily before leaving with a finger injury of his own. That brought Winston, the inactive emergency QB, into the game. Unsurprisingly, he looked the best of the 3, going 5/11 for 67 yards and a TD. At least he took downfield shots. He brought the Browns back to a respectable 21-14 loss and should start moving forward.
Las Vegas, who had just benched Gardner Minshew a week ago, was forced to go back to Minshew after new starter Aidan O’Connell broke his right thumb. O’Connell (6/10, 52 yards) did next to nothing, but Minshew actually played worse. He completed just 15 of 34 attempts for 154 yards and 3 back-breaking INTs. In his defense, he tried making plays when nobody but TE Brock Bowers (10/93) could help him. Those shots came up empty though, and the Rams won 20-15. The season is quickly spiraling for the Raiders, and HC Antonio Pierce making repeated conservative calls isn’t helping.
Arguably the biggest loss of the day was rookie Jayden Daniels of the Commanders. Early in the first quarter, Daniels was 2/2 for 6 yards and had 3 carries for 50 yards, along with a 10-0 lead over Carolina, when he left with a rib injury. Daniels is week-to-week, so the team might have to rely on backup Marcus Mariota. If so, his first action (18/23, 205 yards, 2 TDs) was highly promising. He looked better than he has since his time in Tennessee. In fact, he played so well that Washington won 40-7, and the Panthers mercy-benched Andy Dalton (2 INTs). Bryce Young came in and completed 2 of 2 passes…for -4 yards. Yawn.
In a snoozefest between the Dolphins and Colts, Miami backup Tyler Huntley (7/13, 87 yards, TD; 20 rushing yards) had his team ahead. However, QB health is cursed in South FL, and he exited with a shoulder injury. Tim Boyle came in for the rest of the game. Do not ask me why he is on this roster. Oddly enough, he wasn’t terrible (8/13, 74 yards), but he did sail a 4th down pass well out of bounds to lose to a team led by Anthony Richardson, who went 10/24 for 129 yards. Over in Atlanta, Kirk Cousins (24/35, 232 yards, TD, 2 INTs, FUM) lost so badly to Seattle that rookie Michael Penix Jr completed his first pass! Congratulations!
Finally, we had the Eagles and the Giants. New York’s defense lost all their momentum and surrendered 28 points, while the offense scored just 3. Worse than that, former RB Saquon Barkley (17/176/1) ran all over them. His 187 scrimmage yards exceeded the Giants’ total as a team (119). As a result, NY QB Daniel Jones (14/21, 99 yards; 20 rushing yards) got benched and was none too pleased about it. Drew Lock (3/8, 6 yards) replaced him and was terrible. Life without LT Andrew Thomas is tough. That prompted the Eagles to sit Jalen Hurts (10/14, 114 yards, TD, 2 rushing TDs) for Kenny Pickett, who threw an incompletion and took a sack.
Amari Cooper, Russell Wilson, and Davante Adams Make Team Debuts
Three highly notable players made their debuts this week after being traded or recovering from injury. In the early window, WR Amari Cooper played for Buffalo following a trade from Cleveland earlier this week. He started ominously, dropping a rather catchable pass. However, he gained comfort as the game went on. Cooper caught 4 passes for 66 yards and a TD, which was quality production for his first game with a new team. Buffalo dominated the lowly Will Levis-less Titans (Mason Rudolph was barely better if you care), and Cooper showed what this offense could look like once he knows more of the playbook.
Another traded WR was Davante Adams, who moved from Las Vegas to the Jets. Much has been made about reuniting Adams with his favorite QB, Aaron Rodgers. The early returns were honestly overwhelming. None of this was Adams’ fault; he opened up space for RB Breece Hall (6 catches, 103 yards) and stopped teams from double covering Garrett Wilson (5/61). Adams himself caught 3 passes for 40 yards, which was good for 4th on the team. He also momentarily saved a TD on an INT (which occurred on a pass dropped by Wilson) with a hustle tackle. Adams did his job, but the bulk of the offense around him did not.
Over on the other sideline, Pittsburgh started QB Russell Wilson. Now that his calf is healed, HC Mike Tomlin decided that he’s a better option than Justin Fields, who went 4-2 but struggled as a passer. Fans cheered Wilson when he emerged from the tunnel but quickly booed him after three consecutive 3-and-outs and several inaccurate passes. I’m not sure what they expected from someone who has barely practiced and had not thrown an in-game pass in almost a year. A bit later, he heaved one deep bomb to WR George Pickens (5/111/1), who brought it down with a contested catch. After that play, Wilson settled in and even thrived.
Trailing the Jets 15-6, Wilson did what Fields dared not try: he stretched the field. Pickens was his main target, and he fired several lobs to his uber-athletic wideout. As the offense got on a roll, UDFA CB Beanie Bishop (a Takeaways player to watch!) gave the Steelers a lift with TWO interceptions. Wilson and the Steelers racked up 31 unanswered points from there, earning a dominant 37-15 victory. The new starting QB finished 16/29 for 264 yards and 2 TDs, easily besting Fields’ best passing day as a Steeler. He should remain in the lineup from here, and this version of Wilson makes Pittsburgh a major threat in the AFC.