Only one team remains unbeaten, the Patriots are in trouble and DK Metcalf is freaky fast. Here's our Week 7 NFL breakdown.
The weekend started with three undefeated teams. It ended with just one: The Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Steelers held off a frantic second-half rally by the Tennessee Titans -- who also came into Week 7 without a loss -- to improve to 6-0 and are now the NFL's only unbeaten team this season.
That is because the previously unbeaten Seattle Seahawks lost in overtime to the Arizona Cardinals in quite possibly the most bananas game of the season.
The "Sunday Night Football" result tightened things up in the NFC West, where every team has a winning record. The San Francisco 49ers improved to 4-3 by delivering a humbling defeat to the New England Patriots, who experienced their worst home loss in the Bill Belichick era.
The NFC East continues to be not great. The preseason favorite Dallas Cowboys are turning into a dumpster fire. The NFC East is now the first division in league history to not have a three-win team after seven weeks of the season.
Unluckily for football fans, the Cowboys get a primetime game Sunday night when they visit the division-leading Philadelphia Eagles.
Quick hits: Catch up on Sunday's best
- DK Metcalf is freaky fast, and the Seahawks receiver put that speed to good use in preventing a pick six. You have to see it to believe it.
- Mike McCarthy called out the Cowboys for not defending Andy Dalton after the quarterback took a nasty hit that resulted in a concussion.
- NFL fans roasted Bill Belichick after his worst home loss as coach of the Patriots.
- Todd Gurley was "mad as hell" after he accidentally scored a touchdown that led to another brutal loss for the Falcons.
- Drivers in a pro-Trump caravan circling Phoenix-area highways say Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins flipped them off.
- It's becoming abundantly clear that Bengals DE Carlos Dunlap wants out of Cincinnati.
- The Chargers defeated the Jaguars, 39-29, and that final score was the 1,059th unique final score in NFL history.
- It might blow your mind to hear who was U.S. president the last time the Patriots were 2-4.
Key Week 7 story lines
- 32 things we learned: Is it time to punch the Steelers' Super Bowl ticket? Also, the Battle of Ohio rivalry might be returning to prominence.
- Winners and losers: While there are troubling signs for the Patriots and Mike McCarthy's Cowboys, the Tom Brady-Rob Gronkowski connection is coming alive.
- Patriots look lost in hitting historic low: Cam Newton has gone from fitting Tom Brady successor to a problem area for the Patriots, Mike Jones writes.
- Buccaneers playing with fire by adding Antonio Brown: Tom Brady already appears to have found his comfort zone, and the Buccaneers haven't even added Brown yet. Jarrett Bell wonders if Tampa Bay might they regret the move.
- Odell Beckham suffers knee injury: Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said that OBJ will undergo an MRI on Monday.
- Andy Dalton knocked out of Sunday's game: Dalton suffered a concussion on a nasty hit by Washington's Jon Bostic. He was replaced by seventh-round draft choice Ben DiNucci.
- Weak 'backbone': After another ugly loss, Dallas defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence said the Cowboys "need to build a stronger backbone, fight and also make sure that we brought everything possible to come out with a victory."
- Why Jets coach didn't call plays in loss to Bills: Adam Gase says he thought about it for weeks. On Sunday, he finally made the move to relinquish play-calling duties.
- Did Giants stars break COVID-19 rules? Images have surfaced of Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley among other Giants players in public without masks.
Week 7 rundown
- Cardinals 37, Seahawks 34 (OT): This game featured 1,091 total yards, huge plays, crucial mistakes and a previously unbeaten team suffering its first loss of the season.
- 49ers 33, Patriots 6: The Patriots hit a low point in the post-Tom Brady era with this ugly defeat.
- Chargers 39, Jaguars 29: Justin Herbert had a huge performance as the rookie earned his first NFL win.
- Chiefs 43, Broncos 16: Kansas City collected its 10th consecutive win over its AFC West rival.
- Buccaneers 45, Raiders 20: While his former team is struggling, Tom Brady is looking more comfortable each week in the Bucs offense.
- Steelers 27, Titans 24: Pittsburgh remained the lone undefeated team in the AFC by surviving Tennessee's frantic second-half rally.
- Lions 23, Falcons 22: Atlanta continues to find imaginative ways to lose football games.
- Packers 35, Texans 20: Houston was the perfect opponent for Green Bay to get back on the winning track.
- Football Team 25, Cowboys 3: It went from bad to worse for Dallas against the Washington Football Team, as Andy Dalton was knocked out of the game.
- Browns 37, Bengals 34: Baker Mayfield provided a moment of magic in leading a last-minute drive to victory.
- Bills 18, Jets 10: The Jets let a double-digit lead slip away as they remain the only winless team in the NFL.
- Saints 27, Panthers 24: Without his top two receivers, Drew Brees had a vintage performance.
- Eagles 22, Giants 21 (Thurs.): The NFC East might be inept, but these two teams still provided an entertaining game as the Eagles rallied for a comeback win.
Eyes on the (fantasy) prize
The Buccaneers already have an embarrassment of fantasy football riches on their roster — and this week they’ll officially add one more. The question is how much and how soon of an impact wide receiver Antonio Brown will make in an already explosive Bucs offense. For fantasy teams in solid playoff position, Brown could be a difference-maker by the time the playoffs roll around. However, Week 7 standout Scotty Miller (six catches, 109 yards, TD) might be a better short-term option for fantasy teams that need immediate help.
The breakout star of the week was rookie tight end Harrison Bryant of the Cleveland Browns. Thrust into action when starter Austin Hooper needed an appendectomy, Bryant hauled in four passes for 56 yards and scored two touchdowns. Although teammate David Njoku also had a TD catch, Bryant was much more involved in the game plan.
With Packers running back Aaron Jones declared inactive before kickoff, backup Jamaal Williams carried the bulk of the workload at Houston with 114 total yards and a score. If he wasn’t snapped up before kickoff, Williams has RB1 potential if Jones has to miss more time.
The Jets continue to struggle on offense, but rookie running back La’Mical Perine was a bright spot on Sunday. He rushed for 39 yards and a touchdown, and also caught two passes for 16 yards. If the Jets start playing for the future, Perine should see even more work.
And fantasy managers will be watching the injury report for updates on the 49ers’ Jeff Wilson. He led all running backs in fantasy scoring on Sunday with 120 total yards and three TDs. However, he suffered an ankle injury on this third score — which could sideline him for multiple weeks if it’s serious. If so, Jerick McKinnon and possibly JaMycal Hasty will be worth considering.
Coming this week
Monday: Week 7 wraps up with the surprising Chicago Bears visiting the Los Angeles Rams at new SoFi Stadium (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Tuesday: Paste BN Sports offers its power rankings for all 32 NFL teams after Week 7.
Thursday: Week 8 kicks off with an NFC South showdown between the struggling Atlanta Falcons at the Carolina Panthers (8:20 p.m. ET, NFL Network). Before the game, make sure to check out our expert picks for every Week 8 game.
NFL Facebook group: Join now!
If you love talking football, we have the perfect spot for you. Join our Facebook Group, The Ruling Off the Field, to engage in friendly debate and conversation with fellow football fans and our NFL insiders. Sign up now!