From MVP performances to huge letdown performances, these are my takeaways from week 7.
Aaron Rodgers Has Another Big Day
Aaron Rodgers says hello to the MVP race. In what seemed like a close game at the half, quickly turned into a Green Bay domination. The turning point to this game was when Derek Carr reached the ball to cross into the endzone, but then fumbled out the back of the endzone. This quickly turned into another Green Bay touchdown. Instead of going into the half 14-13, it was 21-10 Green Bay and the Raiders never seemed to recover. Aaron Rodgers ended the day with 25 completions, 429 yards, and 5 passing touchdowns. Furthermore, with having 2,019 yards, 13 touchdowns, and only 2 interceptions, Rodgers should be in MVP conversations.
San Francisco Has a Great Water Polo Team
I like to believe that San Francisco has proven to be a top NFC team. They’re up there with the Packers and Seahawks (who they still have to play twice). However, it’s hard to assess a team that is playing water polo and not football. The 49ers and Redskins played the entire game in the midst of monsoon-like rain. A true sign of a team that can compete is their grit when things are clearly not going into their favor. No team was able to create any sort of advantage in the first half. Both Robbie Gould and Dustin Hopkins missed first-half field goals to keep the game scoreless at the half. The 49ers offense only managed to muster up 5 passing yards and 68 total yards in the first half. The 49ers turned the game around in the second half and converted 3 field goals to win 9-0.
Dan Quinn Has Lost the Falcons
The Dan Quinn era in Atlanta is definitely over. This was made apparent in the second half as the team just seems to have given up. After the first drive, absolutely nothing went right for Atlanta. The game seemed like it would be competitive until the second quarter when the Rams pulled away and frustrated the Falcons. Dan Quinn’s fate seemed sealed whenever you see a frustrated Devonta Freeman throw punches at Rams DT Aaron Donald. The Falcons secondary never found any answer to the Rams WRs as they found holes all game long. This team has given up, and it shows. The Atlanta defense is last in almost every statistical category, and with how awful the Atlanta OL is, who knows if they could win a shootout vs Miami. I don’t see how Dan Quinn lasts past the bye week, but even that seems too long past due.
Kirk Cousins Is On a Roll
With Green Bay being one of the teams to beat in the NFC, the Vikings needed a huge game vs the Lions to show they can truly compete. Kirk started the season only completing 8 passes and fumbling twice vs Atlanta and his time in Minnesota seemed to be at its end. However, he has overcome the critics and his own players calling him out to being one of the top performers recently. With the Redskins and a Chiefless Mahomes coming up, Cousins is getting hot at the right time. As a result of Cousins recent performance boost, I feel he has squashed some of the trade rumors circulating Diggs and others.
Ravens Defense Wins Big
Coming into the game, Russell Wilson had no interceptions and was league MVP front runner. The Ravens took the lead shortly before the half, by a Marcus Peters (newly acquired from LA Rams) interception that went for a score. The Seahawks never recovered since that moment and a late fumble by D.K. Metcalf returned for a score ended the game for Seattle. Ravens defense forced Wilson into a season-low 65.2 QB rating and less than 50% completion. Lamar Jackson, on the other hand, made a strong case for his MVP campaign by getting it done through his legs rather than his arm. Lamar ended up with 116 rushing yards, averaging 8.3 yards per carry. Jackson didn’t have a huge day passing. Most importantly though, he found a way to get the win in a very hostile and hard place to play.
What Is Next for Kansas City
One of my season changing takeaways from this week is in Kansas City. Patrick Mahomes went down Thursday night with a dislocated knee cap. Back-up Matt Moore filled in the rest of the way and filled in nicely. Chiefs have confirmed Moore will be starting next Sunday against Green Bay. Matt Moore has been a career back-up and I’m not sold yet he can lead this team to wins against Green Bay and Minnesota. I’m sure his performance will be in my week 8 takeaways detailing his performance. Above all, I don’t believe this Chiefs team will falter hard without Mahomes. I didn’t even know this man was still in the league until Thursday night. I genuinely hope these next few weeks go smooth for him.
It Isn’t Always Sunny in Philly
One of my key takeaways from this game occured days before the game. Never guarantee victory for a rivalry game. Especially when it’s a key game for both teams. Guaranteeing wins does nothing but motivate the opposing team more. The Cowboys seemed in control of this game from the kickoff by going up 14-0 quickly. The Eagles brought the game to within seven but managed to only accumulate three more points the rest of the way. The defense allowed for some huge performances by Jason Witten and Amari Cooper. Carson Wentz continued his less than stellar season with another less than stellar performance. Wentz only completed 61% of his passes and didn’t even surpass 200 yards. In addition, the Dallas offense played an exceptional game to end their three-game losing streak after starting 3-0. The Cowboys need to harness this win to gain momentum heading into the bye week.
In conclusion, If there is one thing you want to take away from my takeaways, never guarantee victory against a rival in a crucial game. These are my main takeaways from week 7’s action.
