NFL Week 7 Takeaways: Josh Jacobs Can Revive Raiders' Playoff Hopes
Though we're only seven weeks into the 2022 NFL season, a couple of 2021 playoff teams must show some urgency while resisting the urge to hit the panic button before Week 8.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers used to be NFC heavyweights, but both teams have struggled mightily early this season and went down in surprising knockout road losses on Sunday.
What's the problem in Tampa Bay and Green Bay? Will either club bounce back in the coming weeks?
Remember when some of us thought the Cincinnati Bengals would fall off because of a Super Bowl hangover? That's not happening. The AFC champions are back on the right track.
Also, Daniel Jones may want to take a page from Geno Smith's clever retorts to his doubters. Don't write him off in New York yet.
In the second wave of matchups, one running back continued to run like he's on a mission while in the final year of his rookie contract.
Now, let’s break down the biggest takeaways from Sunday's Week 7 games.
No RB Committee Needed: Josh Jacobs Is the Engine of the Raiders Offense
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Josh Jacobs has outrun the backfield committee chatter in Las Vegas.
After the Raiders hired general manager Dave Ziegler and head coach Josh McDaniels, the team selected Zamir White in the fourth round of the 2022 draft and signed Ameer Abdullah and Brandon Bolden.
With the addition of three notable running backs, all signs pointed to a backfield committee (h/t Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson).
However, Jacobs has run away with the lion's share of the rushing workload, registering 111 carries for 633 yards and six touchdowns for the season. Quarterback Derek Carr ranks second on the team in rush attempts with just 14.
On Sunday, the Raiders and Texans battled in a seesaw matchup through three quarters, though Jacobs put the Silver and Black over the top with a couple of fourth-quarter touchdowns before safety Duron Harmon scored on a pick-six.
On an incredible tear, Jacobs has rushed for 143-plus yards in each of the last three contests. Because the Raiders declined the fifth-year option in his deal, he's in a contract year, which may be extra motivation for running through opposing defenses.
Without a doubt, the Raiders offense has performed at a higher level as Jacobs puts a vise grip on the workhorse role. He's recorded at least 20 carries in each of the previous three outings.
Because of holes in their defense (28th in scoring going into Week 7), the Raiders need the offense to perform at a top-five level to bounce back from a slow start to the season. Vegas can count on Jacobs to elevate that unit with his angry runs.
Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Hit Rock Bottom
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Following a 20-18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, who didn't have edge-rusher T.J. Watt or safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a chance to snap out of a funk against the one-win Carolina Panthers. Instead, they slipped further into a tailspin.
Not only did the Panthers win the game, but they throttled the Buccaneers 21-3. Keep in mind that Carolina has an interim head coach in Steve Wilks and traded its best offensive playmaker, running back Christian McCaffrey, to the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday.
With wideouts Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Russell Gage healthy, Tom Brady failed to throw for a touchdown pass against the Panthers' middling 17th-ranked pass defense that didn't feature starting cornerback Jaycee Horn, who sat out with a rib injury.
Moreover, the Buccaneers offense turned the ball over on downs deep in Panthers territory.
On top of that, Tampa Bay's fifth-ranked scoring defense sputtered throughout the contest, allowing 6.9 yards per play. D'Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard replaced McCaffrey in the backfield, rushing for 181 yards and a touchdown. Panthers' third-string signal-caller PJ Walker threw for a couple of touchdown passes.
The Panthers led the Buccaneers from start to finish, and that's what should raise high-level concerns in Tampa Bay.
As we've witnessed in their two upset losses, the Buccaneers have issues on both sides of the ball, and they have a short week to sort it all out with a Thursday night game against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 8.
Bengals Hit Their Stride in Victory over Falcons
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The Cincinnati Bengals handed the Atlanta Falcons their biggest loss of the 2022 season, jumping on the NFC South squad early, going up 28-7.
As a scrappy team with a bridge quarterback in Marcus Mariota, the Falcons covered the spread in all six of their previous outings, but they couldn't climb out of a double-digit deficit Sunday.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow had his best game of the season, completing 34 of 42 passes for 481 yards and three touchdowns and even added a score on the ground. Because of Burrow's big day, wideouts Ja'Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd racked 130-plus yards apiece with three scores combined.
While Burrow will get all the love following Sunday's game, the Bengals defense shut out another opponent in the second half. Thus far, this season, the unit hasn't allowed a touchdown after halftime.
So much for a Super Bowl hangover in Cincinnati. After an 0-2 start, the Bengals have won four of their last five contests and looked poised for a midseason run.
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Packers' Lack of a Run Game and Drops Cost Them Another Game in Third Straight Loss
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The Green Bay Packers have the backfield talent with Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon to control games and wear down opposing defenses. Yet they lost the time-of-possession battle 37:07 to 22:53 to the Washington Commanders Sunday, which played a major factor in the team's third consecutive loss.
Jones and Dillon rushed for 12 carries and 38 yards combined.
Without a respectable ground attack, the Packers had a longer distance to move the chains on later downs and went 0-of-7 in third- and fourth-down situations. Also, rookie fourth-round wideout Romeo Doubs had some brutal drops at inopportune times.
With so much responsibility on quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who threw for 194 yards and two touchdowns, the Commanders matched up well against an uninspiring offensive attack.
Meanwhile, aside from a pick-six, the Packers defense underperformed for most of the contest. Commanders second-string signal-caller Taylor Heinicke took just one sack, and Washington went 7-of-16 on third downs.
The Packers offense featured Jones in the passing attack; he hauled in nine out of 10 targets for 53 yards and two touchdowns. However, with just 23 yards on the ground, he's rushed for fewer than 50 yards in four out of seven outings this season. Dillon has failed to reach that threshold in five contests.
Left tackle David Bakhtiari missed Sunday’s game with a knee injury, which prevented the team from moving Elgton Jenkins to left guard, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Perhaps the Packers will see a lift in their rushing offense with Bakhtiari's return, but for now, they have an uneven offense, which is a problem because of an underachieving defense.
Daniel Jones Has a Shot to Extend His Future with the Giants
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Perhaps you saw Daniel Jones as a placeholder for the next quarterback to take over in head coach Brian Daboll's second year. Well, think again.
The Giants' coaching staff has found a way to utilize Jones' athleticism to rack up yards and score touchdowns. The dual-threat signal-caller rushed for a career-high 107 yards and a score and threw for 202 yards and a touchdown.
Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka have hit the right buttons with the fourth-year signal-caller, who regressed after throwing for 24 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in his rookie campaign.
Don't expect Jones to throw for 300 yards in a game. He's yet to do so through the first seven weeks, but the Giants get a lot out of his mobility, which is an integral part of the team's top-five rushing offense. For the season, he's rushed for 343 yards and three touchdowns.
The Giants beat the Jaguars 23-17 Sunday. Since Big Blue's quick rise under Daboll is old news, we should focus on Jones' chance to remain the lead quarterback in New York beyond his 2022 contract year.
49ers Have No Reason to Worry—They Just Ran into an Offensive Buzzsaw
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Even with the limited usage of running back Christian McCaffrey, the San Francisco 49ers couldn't keep pace with the Kansas City Chiefs' high-powered offense.
A few days ago, the 49ers acquired McCaffrey from the Carolina Panthers. On Sunday, he racked up 62 yards from scrimmage.
Meanwhile, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense grabbed the headlines in this Super Bowl LIV rematch.
Following a 24-20 loss to the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City tied its season-high point total in a 44-23 victory. JuJu Smith-Schuster (seven catches for 124 yards and a touchdown), Marquez Valdes-Scantling (three receptions for 111 yards) and Mecole Hardman (60 yards and three touchdowns from scrimmage) all had a big day.
As the maestro of the offense, Mahomes threw for 423 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. He shredded a defense that ranked second in points allowed before Sunday's matchup. By the way, the 49ers welcomed back defensive end Nick Bosa, who missed the team's previous game, and cornerback Charvarius Ward, who exited the last outing with a groin injury.
Despite consecutive 14-plus-point losses, the 49ers shouldn't hit the panic button. They lost to a squad with the league's high-scoring offense.
Next week, the 49ers will play the Los Angeles Rams, whom they beat 24-9 in Week 4, and McCaffrey should be more involved in the offense. Perhaps defensive lineman Arik Armstead returns from foot and ankle injuries, too.
Chargers Are a Mediocre, Finesse Squad with a Glaring Defensive Issue
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The Los Angeles Chargers have a winning record (4-3), and they're second in the AFC West behind the Kansas City Chiefs (5-2). But look at their resume—it's a mediocre squad.
The Chargers have single-digit wins over the Las Vegas Raiders (24-19), Cleveland Browns (30-28) and Denver Broncos (19-16). They also have a 34-24 victory over the Houston Texans, who battled back from a 21-point deficit and cut the lead to three points in the fourth quarter of that game.
On the other hand, the Jacksonville Jaguars dominated the Chargers at home 38-10. On Sunday, Los Angeles took another brutal loss at SoFi Stadium, courtesy of the Seattle Seahawks.
First and foremost, give credit to the Seahawks for their 37-23 win, but they racked up points without DK Metcalf (knee) for most of the contest, and fellow wide receiver Tyler Lockett missed the entire week of practice because of a hamstring injury.
Rookie running back Kenneth Walker III carried the load, rushing for 168 yards and two touchdowns, which highlights a glaring problem with the Chargers defense.
As the case last year, the Chargers cannot stop a good ground attack. They've surrendered at least 131 rushing yards in four games this season, which allows physical teams such as the Jaguars and Seahawks to run all over them and keep quarterback Justin Herbert on the sideline.
Though the Chargers can score points in flurries and wide receiver Keenan Allen's return from a hamstring injury helps them on that side of the ball, this club doesn't have the makeup to go on the road and beat run-heavy teams outdoors in December and January because of its defensive woes.
Chargers cornerback J.C. Jackson left Sunday's game with a knee injury, but he's struggled this season. Head coach Brandon Staley benched him last week. Asante Samuel Jr., Michael Davis and Bryce Callahan can handle coverage duties in the secondary.
General manager Tom Telesco must add more manpower up front while edge-rusher Joey Bosa recovers from groin surgery.
Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.
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