2023 NFL Week 7: Top Takeaways for Every Team from Sunday's Games
Any given Sunday isn't a quaint cliche; it's a fact of life in professional football.
Just when everyone thinks they know how teams around the league will react, those teams prove them wrong.
During Week 7's day slate, the following occurred:
— The Detroit Lions suffered a blowout loss and struggled to handle the league's premier dual-threat quarterback.
— The Cleveland Browns' vaunted defense gave up 456 yards to a team with a backup quarterback yet still found a way to win.
— The previously terrible New England Patriots took out a division rival and AFC contender to signal they're not giving up on this season.
— The Atlanta Falcons sat Bijan Robinson for most of the game yet played well enough to find their way atop the NFC South.
— The Chicago Bears rallied around undrafted rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent.
These are just a few of the takeaways found among this week's action, as provided by Bleacher Report analysts Brent Sobleski and Moe Moton.
Las Vegas Raiders at Chicago Bears
1 of 10
Bears Don't Need to Rush Justin Fields Back to Action
In a 30-12 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, the Chicago Bears snapped their longest home losing streak in franchise history.
Under center in place of Justin Fields (dislocated thumb), Tyson Bagent made mistakes—as is to be expected with an undrafted rookie quarterback—but he put together a solid outing in his first career start. Bagent completed 21 out of 29 pass attempts for 162 yards and a touchdown and also ran for 24 yards.
Bagent showed why he leapfrogged Nathan Peterman for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart, playing well against a defense that allowed just three touchdowns in the past two weeks.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Fields will miss two to three weeks. At least for now, Bagent gives the Bears a solid fill-in starter to run the offense efficiently while Fields recovers from his injury.
Josh McDaniels' Offense Is Going Nowhere Fast
The Raiders didn't cross the goal line until late in the fourth quarter with the game well out of hand and failed to score more than 21 points in their eighth consecutive outing, dating back to Week 18 of last season.
Against the Bears' 29th-ranked scoring defense (25th in total yards), Las Vegas scored 12 points, racked up 235 yards, averaged 3.9 yards per play and turned the ball over three times.
If the Raiders can't move the ball on one of the league's worst defenses, even with a backup quarterback, their offense clearly has a major problem, and it starts with head coach and lead play-caller Josh McDaniels.
All three of the Raiders' quarterbacks, Jimmy Garoppolo, Brian Hoyer and Aidan O'Connell, have more interceptions than touchdown passes.
Next week, the Silver and Black will go on the road to face the Detroit Lions, which are coming off an embarrassing 38-6 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Raiders fans should expect things to get worse before they get better with a high-turnover offense that hasn't hit the 100-yard mark on the ground this season.
Cleveland Browns at Indianapolis Colts
2 of 10
Cleveland Browns Escape with Victory, Concern Over QB Only Deepens
Deshaun Watson returned to the Cleveland Browns lineup after missing the previous two games because of a shoulder injury. He lasted less than one quarter before being injured and finding himself back on the bench.
Enter P.J. Walker. Again.
The Indianapolis Colts gave the Browns everything they could handle, with Cleveland finding a way to claim a 39-38 victory, thanks to a fourth-down touchdown plunge by Kareem Hunt.
On the positive side, the Browns defense showed it can take over and even win a game when necessary. Myles Garrett looked like the future NFL Defensive Player of the Year with two sacks, two forced fumbles, a defended pass, multiple run stops and even a blocked field goal for good measure. Ultimately, the Browns scored 17 points off those two forced fumbles and the blocked kick.
Negatively, the Colts found the soft underbelly of the league's top-ranked defense by accumulating 456 offensive yards. A strong run game coupled with some missed tackles and breakdowns by what was a unit on a historic pace will have Cleveland reassessing its performance throughout the week.
The Browns do need help from their offense. According to head coach Kevin Stefanski, Watson would have re-entered the game had Walker gotten hurt. Still, the injury and constant shuffling haven't allowed Cleveland's offense to establish any rhythm.
A 4-2 start is great, particularly with the circumstances Cleveland endured so far, but the Browns will eventually need more from the quarterback position.
Positive Signs Emerge for Indianapolis Colts Despite Loss
Once again, the Colts found a way to snatch a loss from the jaws of victory. In fact, Indianapolis has lost four games over the past three seasons when scoring 30 or more points, which is tied for the league's most.
Surely, Colts faithful will be upset with two suspect pass interference calls on the Browns' game-winning drive, especially since Indianapolis' defense seemed to secure the victory with a strip-sack.
Despite the gut-wrenching ending, these Colts are different than last year's squad. It's clear as day, and head coach Shane Steichen deserves significant credit.
As noted earlier, Steichen, who also serves as the team's offensive play-caller, pieced together a game plan that had the league's best defense on its heels most of the day.
The Colts saw rookie slot receiver Josh Downs eclipse 100 yards for the first time. Running back Jonathan Taylor started to look like himself after being eased into the lineup over the past two weeks. The defense broke on a couple occasions, but short fields certainly didn't help its cause.
The biggest issue in Indianapolis is a combination of injuries at key positions and talent deficiencies at others. This is a rebuilding team. But it's trending the right direction.
Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots
3 of 10
Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots Finds Signs of Life
While New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick's bland approach to all post-game press conferences is the stuff on legend, he would have been well within his rights to have gone Leonard DiCaprio from Wolf of Wall Street and started screaming, "I'm not f--king leaving. The show goes on."
With Sunday's 29-25 victory over the Buffalo Bills, the Patriots may have saved a season that looked previously looked lost. New England owned a 1-5 record. The offense appeared listless. The defense wasn't up to previous standards. The Pats didn't look anything like the teams Belichick previously coached.
As a result, questions arose about whether the 71-year-old head coach was out of touch and needed to step away from the game. Coincidentally, a report surfaced early Sunday that Belichick quietly agreed to a new multiyear contract this offseason, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
The Patriots responded to all the negative coverage. Initially, Belichick's squad built a 22-10 fourth-quarter lead. Granted, the Bills came roaring back with 15 unanswered points. Still, New England dug deep and pieced together an eight-play, 75-yard touchdown drive with under two minutes remaining to secure the victory.
At 2-5, the seasonal outlook isn't good. However, the Patriots haven't given up. They're still playing hard. A victory against the Bills, with winnable games against the Washington Commanders and Indianapolis Colts coming up in two of the next three contests, indicate this season may not be as bad as portrayed going into Sunday.
Buffalo Bills' First-Round Tight End Finds Place in Offense
On National Tight Ends Day, the Bills finally got to see the upside of this year's 25th overall draft pick, Dalton Kincaid.
While Josh Allen and Co. should be disappointed with Sunday's outcome, they have the potential to get better and still be counted among the AFC's better squads. In order to do so, the entire team needs to start clicking on all cylinders. A boost from a talented young receiving threat is a good start.
Kincaid didn't play last week while recovering from a concussion. The rookie cleared protocol measures Wednesday then posted a career-high and team-leading eight receptions for 75 yards.
The Bills have weapons elsewhere that need to step up and play better overall. Even so, Kincaid adds yet another dynamic and his increased usage will make the team more difficult to defend, which is absolutely vital when competing in the AFC East against the Miami Dolphins offense and New York Jets defense.
.jpg?w=256 "NFL Draft Football")
.jpg?w=256 "NFL Combine Football")
Washington Commanders at New York Giants
4 of 10
New York Giants Offense Finds New Life with Tyrod Taylor Behind Center
A quarterback controversy shouldn't be brewing in the New York Giants locker room, but it's clear with Sunday's performance that veteran backup Tyrod Taylor provided a spark to a previously listless offense.
Taylor threw a pair of touchdown passes, drove the ball deep and minimized some of the deficiencies seen along the Giants' offensive front.
After the 14-7 victory over the Washington Commanders, reporters immediately asked whether he'll push to start, even when Daniel Jones is recovered from a neck injury.
"That's up to coach," Taylor said. "Obviously if DJ's healthy, he's a captain of our team, leader on offense. I'm here to support in any way that I can."
Really, one of the biggest difference was Taylor targeting rookie wide receiver Jalin Hyatt and fully utilizing the third-rounder's vertical speed, which resulted in a 42-yard reception.
"One of the fastest guys on the field, if not the fastest at any given point," Taylor said. "When you get a chance with him one-on-one down the field, our conversation with him is that I'll give him a chance."
Jones' standing shouldn't be threatened. However, the incumbent should see what Taylor did and use that blueprint to improve the offense as a whole.
Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell Continues to Take Sack after Sack
One game is a concern. Seven games is a trend.
Through seven games this season, opponents have sacked Commanders quarterback Sam Howell a league-high 40 times.
To understand how bad Washington's protection issues are, David Carr and the expansion Houston Texans still hold the league record by allowing 76 sacks in one season. With 10 regular-season games left to play, an average of four sacks per game will easily break the record, and Washington has surrendered at least that many in every contest so far.
The Commanders offensive line understands it needs to do a better job with its communication and execution. Right tackle Andrew Wylie admitted they're sick of seeing Howell on the ground.
A bigger problem arises, because this season is an evaluation period for Howell—a first-year starter without any long-term security. Washington can't got into another season with the 2022 fifth-rounder at the helm if the organization doesn't have a clue what it has in the quarterback. But a complete evaluation can't be made if the Commanders can't keep their quarterback upright.
Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
5 of 10
Mysterious Case of Bijan Robinson Results in Falcons Taking First Place in NFC South
For those who look purely at the box score, Bijan Robinson's one touch during the Atlanta Falcons 16-13 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers may be a tad perplexing.
Robinson fell ill prior to the contest, and the Falcons chose to monitor his progress and limit his playing time.
"My head was hurting," Robinson told reporters after the game. "I was trying to see how I was going to feel on the field. I was just going down. I talked to Coach Smith, and he was like, 'I don't want to risk anything.'"
The Falcons were overly cautious, and the situation still worked in their favor. Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson combined for 31 carries that led to 115 rushing yards. Wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts both made big plays.
The Falcons would have had control throughout the contest had quarterback Desmond Ridder not lost three fumbles.
Despite lingering concerns at quarterback, the Falcons hold sole possession of the NFC South as the only team in the division with a winning record. Once they add Robinson back into the lineup, they'll be more dangerous—as long as Ridder plays well enough to utilize all the weapons found within the scheme.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Season Has Potential to Spiral Quickly
The Buccaneers have lost two successive games coming out of their Week 5 bye, and head coach Todd Bowles understands the importance of fending off a third.
"We can't let one loss turn into two," Bowles told reporters. "Have to get ready for a game in Buffalo in four days."
The short turnaround while traveling to Buffalo against a talented Bills squad is a difficult ask. But a victory is necessary, or they'll fall under .500 after a strong start with the potential to drop even further behind the Falcons in the division.
The offense has started to stagnate over the past two weeks. The run game hasn't been good all season. Too much is now being asked of quarterback Baker Mayfield and the passing attack, and as a result, the Bucs become predictable and turnover-prone.
After the Bills, the schedule doesn't necessarily let up, with the Houston Texans, Tennessee Titans, San Francisco 49ers and Indianapolis Colts on the docket. It's easy to see how a 3-1 start could take a significant turn into a dismal season.
Detroit Lions at Baltimore Ravens
6 of 10
Baltimore Ravens Stake Claim Among NFL's Best
The Baltimore Ravens have pieced together an odd season so far. They're 5-2 and sit atop the AFC North. Yet they've lost games to the Anthony Richardson-less Indianapolis Colts and struggling Pittsburgh Steelers.
When Lamar Jackson and Co. are good, they're very good.
Case in point, the Ravens manhandled the Detroit Lions in arguably the most surprising outcome of Sunday's afternoon action. The 38-6 showing displayed a level of dominance that places the Ravens among the AFC's best.
Going into this weekend's contest, the Lions were counted among Bleacher Report's top five teams in the site's power rankings. But Baltimore's ability to hold a top-five offense, which is one of the league's best-designed, to one score in garbage time is seriously impressive.
Across the board, the Ravens looked good.
Jackson completed 77.8 percent of his passes with three touchdown tosses. The run game averaged 5.5 yards per carry without including the quarterback's rushing yardage. Mark Andrews, Zay Flowers and Odell Beckham Jr. all had four or five catches. The defense sacked Lions quarterback Jared Goff five times against a good offensive line. Baltimore nearly doubled Detroit in average yards per play.
"[This game] creates a vision of what we can be," head coach John Harbaugh told reporters after the game. "Let's go be even better."
Detroit Lions' Problems Start with Defending Mobile QB
When Lions head coach Dan Campbell took the podium after Sunday's loss, he was succinct in his assessment.
"That was a tough one," Campbell said. "They jumped all over us. Lamar gave us problems."
To be fair, Jackson is a special talent. Not every quarterback can do all the things he can do. When those issues are compounded by a self-identified lack of execution, big plays tend to occur.
A more sound approach to playing defense against those signal-callers capable of creating within the offense is vital for the Lions' success.
Once the team comes out of its Week 9 bye, it still will have to face the likes of the Los Angeles Chargers, Chicago Bears (twice), Green Bay Packers, Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys. Those might not all be top-shelf opponents, but they do feature three important divisional games and contests against teams with athletic quarterbacks (depending on injuries).
This week can be viewed as an aberration regarding the Lions offense. It's too good to be held down on a weekly basis. On the other hand, the defensive effort must be better, and it's clear based on the head coach's comments.
Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks
7 of 10
Seahawks Defense Is Better Than Its Season Box Score Numbers
The Seattle Seahawks went into Week 7 with the 28th-ranked pass defense and a middling unit in scoring (18th) and total yards (16th).
Statistically, the Seahawks field a mediocre to below-average defense, but they've shown improvement over the past few weeks, specifically in pass coverage. After Seattle gave up 316-plus yards in each of its first three games, the club hasn't allowed more than 168 yards through the air in its past three contests.
For context, the Seahawks played a couple of passing attacks that ranked 25th or worse in passing yards per game in their past three contests (the New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals), but they slowed down Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow a week after his best performance of the season.
By the way, Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon looks like a viable Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate with 31 tackles, two for loss, two sacks, eight pass breakups and a pick-six.
Cardinals Should Take a Look at Clayton Tune Before Kyler Murray Returns
The Cardinals have designated quarterback Kyler Murray (torn ACL) for return, and he's back on the practice field.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Murray will "play plenty" as Arizona evaluates its quarterback room before the 2024 draft.
In a full assessment of their quarterback group, the Cardinals should prepare Clayton Tune for at least a couple of starts while Murray works his way back to game action.
Tune isn't going to beat out Murray for the starting job, and he's not going to discourage Arizona from selecting a quarterback in a strong draft class, but perhaps he's the No. 2 signal-caller of the team's future.
Joshua Dobbs will turn 29 years old in January, and his contract will expire at the end of the season. Furthermore, he's struggled mightily in recent weeks, completing fewer than 58 percent of his passes in each of the previous three contests and throwing for two touchdowns and three interceptions in the same span.
The Cardinals should do a full evaluation of their quarterback depth chart beyond how they plan to move forward with Murray.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Los Angeles Rams
8 of 10
Steelers Need to Feed George Pickens for the Rest of the Season
The Pittsburgh Steelers offense should take an aggressive approach by pushing the ball downfield with ascending wide receiver George Pickens. Through six weeks, they tied for 27th in yards per play and ranked 30th in points per game.
Despite those below-average offensive markers, Pickens has recorded at least 107 yards in three out of six games and did so in back-to-back outings against the Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Rams.
Though wideout Diontae Johnson is a pristine route-runner who can move the chains with a high volume of targets, offensive coordinator Matt Canada must make a concerted effort to keep Pickens heavily involved in the aerial attack to generate explosive plays.
Pickens could become one of the most improved second-year players within an offense that needs a spark.
Rams Have a Top-5 WR Duo with Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua
On Sunday, the Rams lost 24-17 to the Steelers and dropped to 3-4, but their offense has a bright future if they have a serviceable quarterback under center.
Either Cooper Kupp or Puka Nacua has racked up 118-plus receiving yards in six of the Rams' seven contests this season. Nacua has reached that threshold in four contests, which includes his 154-yard performance against the Steelers on Sunday, and Kupp did it in his first two games back from a hamstring injury.
At 35 years old, quarterback Matthew Stafford is slightly past his prime years and turns the ball over quite a bit (six interceptions this season), but the Rams have one of the league's most dangerous aerial attacks because of their Kupp-Nacua combo on the perimeter. By the way, wideout Tutu Atwell has come along well in his third year.
The Rams went into Week 7 with the sixth-ranked passing attack, and they may climb in that stat category if both Kupp and Nacua stay healthy.
Denver Broncos at Green Bay Packers
9 of 10
Broncos Can Build Rather Than Tear Down Roster Before the Trade Deadline
The Denver Broncos may fall short of a playoff berth, but they're not a full-scale dumpster fire yet. Over the past two weeks, they've had a solid defensive performance in a 19-8 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and pulled out their first home win of the season on Sunday.
The Broncos' 19-17 win over the Green Bay Packers won't make everything right in the Mile High City, but oddly enough, they could build some momentum in the next few weeks.
With the Raiders (3-4) and Los Angeles Chargers (2-4) below .500 in the standings, Denver doesn't need much to pull into second place in the AFC West. If the Broncos pull off an upset against the Chiefs before their bye week or beat the struggling Buffalo Bills following their bye week, head coach Sean Payton can point to early signs of progress in his first year with the team.
Packers Are Fit for Run-Heavy Offense as Jordan Love Develops in Starting Role
Most young quarterbacks need help as they grow in the lead position under center. Early this season, the Green Bay Packers' defense and special teams aided Jordan Love by giving the offense advantageous field position, which explains why he threw for three touchdowns in his first two starts of the campaign without racking up more than 245 yards through the air.
Love isn't at his best when he has to drive 75 yards down the field in a high-volume passing offense.
Green Bay must support its first-year full-time signal-caller with a stronger commitment to the run game. The Packers can feature running backs Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon on the ground, which would take some pressure off Love, who's thrown seven interceptions in his past four games.
If Jones isn't fully recovered from a hamstring injury, the Packers should look to acquire a running back before the trade deadline. Perhaps call the Philadelphia Eagles for Rashaad Penny, who has just three carries this season.
Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs
10 of 10
Chiefs Quietly Field One of the NFL's Stingiest Defenses
Lost in all the buzz about tight end Travis Kelce's relationship with Taylor Swift and Patrick Mahomes' wizardry from the pocket, the Kansas City Chiefs have a top-notch defense that's helped them win several games.
Through six weeks, the Chiefs defense ranked second in scoring and fifth in total yards. On Sunday, the unit only gave up two touchdowns, forced two turnovers and sacked Justin Herbert five times.
Kansas City put together a strong outing on both sides of the ball in a 31-17 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, but one can make the case that its defense has consistently played at a higher level than the offense this season.
Turn Up the Temperature on Brandon Staley's Hot Seat
This season, Kansas City's offense hasn't quite performed at a level that we've been accustomed to over the past few years. In six games, the Chiefs scored 27 or more points twice—against the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings.
On Sunday, the Chiefs racked up a season-high 483 total yards and tight end Travis Kelce finished with the second-most receiving yards (179) in a game for his career.
Obviously, Kelce is the Chiefs' clear-cut top playmaker, yet the Chargers didn't have a solution to slow him down. Keep in mind that Kelce turned 34 years old a few weeks ago, and he's battled an ankle injury.
Head coach Brandon Staley has to accept the majority blame for allowing the Chiefs to find their offensive mojo. He's a defensive-minded head coach who hasn't fielded a unit that's ranked better than 20th in scoring or total yards since he took over the job in 2021.
Staley's inability to strengthen the defense in three seasons and his questionable decisions on fourth down should put him in line for dismissal as the Chargers sit at 2-4 for the season.
.jpg?w=480 "NFL Draft Football")
.jpg?w=480 "NFL Combine Football")
.JPEG?w=480 "Super Bowl Football")
.jpg?w=480 "Texans Giants Football")
