What We Learned from NFL Week 7 Winners, Losers, Standouts

Week 7 of the NFL’s 2021 regular season included #TightEndDay, an atmospheric river, lots of trick plays and a few bell-ringing hits with some head-turning games filled with plenty of winners, a few losers, and plenty of extraordinary standouts that we go over game by game.

For any of you who won large this week, congrats on making some wise wagers.

For everyone else, there’s always next week…good luck!

NFL Week 7 Results

Week 7 Byes: Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings, Los Angeles Chargers, Pittsburgh Steelers

Winners:

• Cleveland Browns: they get this must-win to move to 4-3 and stay in the hunt for the AFC North, one of the toughest divisions in the conference.
• Browns RB D’Ernest Johnson: Browns third-string back steps in for the injured starters and has the game of his life with 22 carries for 146 yards and his first NFL touchdown.
• Browns WR Jarvis Landry: the banged-up playmaker was key to this win snagging five catches for 37 yards and adding a level of leadership on and off the field that’s palpable.
• Browns HC Kevin Stefanski: despite his injured starting quarterback and both starting running backs having to sit out the game plans a victory against a strong defense.
• Broncos QB Teddy Bridgewater: gutsy performance from Teddy despite an injured quad and ankle (23/33, 187 yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT).

Losers:

• Denver Broncos: from 3-0 to 3-4, their four-game losing streak keeping them firmly at the bottom of the AFC West.
• Broncos RB Melvin Gordon: tough day for this veteran with 8 carries for just 18 yards or 2.2 yards per carry.

Standouts:

• Browns DE Myles Garrett: despite all the double-teams, chips, uncalled holding penalties, and getting the “Shaq treatment” from the refs, Garrett posted 1.5 more sacks and leads the league with 9.5 of them.
• Browns coaching: kudos to Cleveland’s offensive line coach Bill Callahan and running backs coach Stump Mitchell who have been major keys to this team’s slow rise.
• Retired WR Steve Smith Sr: apparently this former Panthers receiver dislikes Baker Mayfield, trash-talking the Browns QB in front of that Cleveland crowd.

Green Bay Packers 24, Washington Football Team 10

Winners:

• Green Bay Packers: they win their fifth straight game and at 6-1 easily continue to rule the shaky NFC North.
• Rodgers to Adams: going into this game, this duo was responsible for 36% of the team’s targets, the highest in the NFL.
• QB Aaron Rodgers: completed 27 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns,
• WFT defensive tackle Jonathan Allen: sacked Rodgers twice in this game, which makes five for the season.

Losers:

• Washington Football Team: now at 2-5 they sit at the bottom of the NFC East with the Giants.
• WFT QB Taylor Heinicke: he dove too soon on a sweet touchdown run and the ball was marked short of the end zone, then the team failed to score.

Standouts:

• Packers Week 7 uniforms: Green Bay was wearing their 50’s era uniforms for this matchup, a throwback to the second time the team wore green and gold in its history.
• QB Aaron Rodgers: the future Hall of Famer ran right, threw left across his body (a pro-no-no) for a hard-fought touchdown to Devante Adams.

Tennessee Titans 27, Kansas City Chiefs 3

Winners:

• Tennessee Titans: now at 5-2 and firmly in charge of the rickety AFC South.
• Titans RB Derrick Henry: he carried the ball 29 times for 86 yards and caught two passes for 16 more yards.
• Tennessee WR A.J. Brown: another productive game for this formal Bengal with 8 catches for 133 yards and a touchdown.
• Titans D: led by Denico Autry’s two sacks, Tennessee’s defense sacked Mahomes four times, picked him off once, then hit him so hard they knocked him right out of the game.
• Chiefs’ placekicker Harrison Butker: he scored Kansas City’s only points, a 42-yard field goal.

Losers:

• Kansas City Chiefs: Andy Reid’s team looks broken as they lose their fourth game and sink to 3-4, now at the bottom of the AFC West with the Broncos.
• Mahomes’ interception: this was the 7th straight game that QB Patrick Mahomes threw at least one interception, with 9 INT this year after throwing just 6 all last year.

Standouts:

• Chiefs’ score just 3: this scoreboard total was the fewest points in nine seasons under head coach Andy Reid
• Titans’ Henry as a QB: Derrick Henry the Tennessee running back threw more touchdown passes (1) than Patrick Mahomes did this week.

Atlanta Falcons 30, Miami Dolphins 28

Winners:

• Atlanta Falcons: they have now won three of their last four and move to .500 and at 3-3 they stay in the NFC South mix.
• Falcons’ placekicker Younghoe Koo:  kicks the last-minute game-winning field goal.
• Atlanta QB Matt Ryan: completed 25 passes for 336 yards and two touchdowns distributing the ball to nine separate receivers.
• Falcons TE Kyle Pitts: what a game for the rookie with 7 receptions for 163 yards including a 28-yard catch on National Tight Ends Day.
• Miami TE Mike Gesicki: also celebrated tight ends’ day with 7 catches for 85 yards and a trip to the endzone, his second TD of the year.

Losers:

• Miami Dolphins: they are 1-6 now and sit in the basement of the AFC East with the Jets.
• Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa: threw four touchdown passes on the day, now if only he didn’t throw those two picks, his fourth in the four games he’s started.

Standouts:

• Falcons RB Cordarrelle Patterson: a good day for the veteran back with 14 rushes for 60 yards and a touchdown averaging 4.3 yards per carry.
• Wide distribution: Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa got the ball to ten different receivers.

New England Patriots 54, New York Jets 13

Winners:

• New England Patriots: easily win this rematch and at 3-4 they are the only other team to give the Bills some pressure in the AFC East.
• Patriots QB Mac Jones: the rookie earned his third NFL win tossing for over 300+ yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions, the ‘kid’ getting better each week.
• New England RB Damien Harris: the third-year player can run, posting 14 carries for 106 yards and two touchdowns averaging a head-turning 7.6 yard per carry.
• Pats’ running back J.J. Taylor: this second-year player scored his first and second NFL touchdowns with 9 carries for 21 yards.
• Jets LB Del’Shawn Phillips: the second-year defenseman got his first NFL sack.

Losers:

• New York Jets: they are now 1-5 and join the Dolphins in the bottom part of the AFC East.
• Jets in the 1st quarter: New York has been outscored 44-0 in the first quarter this season.

Standouts:

• Jets QB Zach Wilson: had to leave the game with a knee injury
• First NFL rematch of the year: the other time these two teams played was in Week 2 when the Patriots beat the Jets 25-6.

New York Giants 25, Carolina Panthers 3

Winners:

• New York Giants: their defense steps up and they get the win and win their 2nd game of the season and at 2-5 are NFC East cellar dwellers.
• NYG quarterback Daniel Jones: throws for 200+ yards and a touchdown with no interceptions as well as making an impressive one-handed catch on a trick play.
• New York backup WR Dante Pettis: comes in and snags 5 catches for 39 yards and his first touchdown of the season.
• Giants D: they sack the Panthers QB six times and picked him off once while keeping Carolina to just 3 points.
• Panthers WR D.J. Moore: caught six passes for 73 yards.

Losers:

• Carolina Panthers: they lose their fourth in a row and at 3-4 sit in the bottom of the NFC South with the Falcons.
• Panthers on 3rd Down: they could only convert on two third downs out of the fifteen they faced in this one, yet another sign they still miss injured RB Christian McCaffrey.

Standouts:

• Halftime score: the scoreboard at halftime read a yawn-inducing NYG 5, CAR 3.
• Panthers QB Sam Darnold: returns to the stadium he worked at as a Jet and played so miserably that he was benched, though HC Matt Rhule says he wil “be our quarterback moving forward.”

Cincinnati Bengals 41, Baltimore Ravens 17

Winners:

• Cincinnati Bengals: they snag a huge win on the road over their AFC North rivals and at 5-2 lead the division now.
• Cincy QB Joe Burrow: he completed 23 passes for a career high 416 yards and three touchdowns with an interception, a team leader who is turning these Bengals into winners.
• Burrow-to-Chase: the connection that keeps on giving, Joe Burrow to Ja’Marr Chase strikes again, eight times for 201 yards and a touchdown that involved Chase breaking multiple tackles and outrunning the defense to the house.
• Bengals TE C.J. Uzomah: grabs two touchdown passes on National Tight End Day, and that makes five TDs on the year for this Gronk-like part of Cincy’s offense.
• Ravens WR Marquise Brown: so fast he’s tough to cover, even tougher to tackle, Brown caught five balls for 80 yards and a touchdown.

Losers:

• Baltimore Ravens: only their second loss of the season but at 5-2 they sit behind the Bengals in the AFC North, the only NFL division with all four teams at .500 or better.
• Ravens on fourth down: they tried it four times in this game and only converted one.

Standouts:

• Cinci WR Ja’Marr Chase: now has 754 receiving yards this season, the most in NFL history through 7 career games.
• Bengals lead AFC North: Cincy knocked off the Steelers in Pittsburgh and now the Ravens in Baltimore and find themselves in an unfamiliar spot – the top of the AFC North.
• Winners: this was the only matchup between two teams with winning records in Week 7.
• Bengals RB Joe Mixon: he posted his first TD run against the Ravens since 2018.

Las Vegas Raiders 33, Philadelphia Eagles 22

Winners:

• Las Vegas Raiders: with this win they move to 5-2 and are now up top of the AFC West in front of the Chargers.
• Raiders QB Derek Carr: another productive game for the veteran under center with 31/34 completions for 323 yards and two touchdowns with an interception in the win.
• LV receiver Hunter Renfrow: he’s clutch when called upon with seven receptions for 58 yards, the reason why nobody in Vegas worries when it’s “third and Renfrow.”
• Jalen to Jalen: Eagles QB Jalen Hurts tossed a nice touchdown pass to Jalen Reagor when it still looked like anyone’s game.

Losers:

• Philadelphia Eagles: now they are 2-5 and in a three-way tie for last place in the NFC East with the Giants and Washington.
• Eagles penalties: Philly was the most penalized team in the NFL coming into this game and they added four more for 37 backward yards.

Standouts:

• Raiders interim head coach Rich Bisaccia: the fill-in wins his second straight game with his new team making it tough to put anyone else in that spot yet.
• Eagles start to the game: they earned an opening drive touchdown and then intercepted Raiders’ QB Derek Carr on his opening drive and kicked a field goal to start the game 10-0.

Los Angeles Rams 25, Detroit Lions 19

Winners:

• Los Angeles Rams: they snag the win and go to 6-1, their best start since 2018
• Rams QB Matthew Stafford: he and HC Seam McVay make a great offense together, with 28 completions for 334 yards and 3 touchdowns with no turnovers.
• Stafford-to-Kupp: once again receiver Cooper Kupp steps up, catching 10 balls for 156 yards and two touchdowns, his 9th score of the season which leads the league.
• Happy Birthday, CB Jalen Ramsey: after teammate DT Aaron Donald forced a bad throw out of Jared Goff, Ramsey intercepted it, the perfect gift on his birthday.
• Lions scored first: running back D’Andre Swift opened the game with a 63-yard catch-and-run for a score, then Detroit used an onside kick and a fake punt to add an Austin Seibert field goal.

Losers:

• Detroit Lions: still winless under HC Dan Campbell and at 0-7 move to the very bottom of the NFC North behind the 3-4 Bears.
• Penalties: the Lions had 8 flags thrown against them for 77 backward yards.

Standouts:

• QB Matthew Stafford: he became the 13th QB in NFL history to throw 300 TD passes.
• L.A. first half leads: the Rams are 39–0 when they are leading at the half when coached by Sean McVay.

Arizona Cardinals 31, Houston Texans 5

Winners:

• Arizona Cardinals: they continue their incredible winning streak and at 7-0 they are in total charge of the otherwise struggling NFC South.
• Cards QB Kyler Murray: the speedy team leader tossed 20 completions for 261 yards and three touchdowns with a pick.
• DeAndre Hopkins: the veteran receiver still has fuel in the tank as he caught 7 balls for 53 yards and touchdown against his old team.
• AZ rushing attack: RB Chase Edmond had 15 carries for 81 yards (5.4 yards per carry) while James Conner had 10 carries for 64 yards (6.4 yards per carry) plus a touchdown.
• Texans D: they managed to sack the opposing QB four times and intercept him once in the loss.

Losers:

• Houston Texans: they lose their sixth straight game and sit with the one-win Jags at the bottom of the AFC South.
• Texans’ run game: the team only posted 42 yards on the ground in this one, their rushing attack currently ranked 27th in the league and falling.

Standouts:

• Cardinals 7-0 start: this is their second 7-0 start to the regular season, their first one was in 1974.
• TE Zach Ertz: he posted a 47 yard touchdown catch in his first game with the Cardinals on National Tight Ends Day.
• J.J. Watt and DeAndre Hopkins: must have felt great for them to wallop their old team, especially given the Texans traded Hopkins for a second-round pick.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 38, Chicago Bears 3

Winners:

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers: the 6-1 defending champs look every bit as good as last season and sit atop the NFC South ahead of the Saints.
• Tampa receiver Mike Evans: caught three touchdown passes in this one, which makes seven for the season.
• Tampa receiver Chris Godwin: leads the team with 8 catches for 111 yards and a touchdown in the win.
• Bears RB Khalil Herbert: he became the first back to eclipse a hundred yards against the Bucs since Dalvin Cook did it last December.

Losers:

• Chicago Bears: they are now 3-4 but still ahead of the winless Lions at the bottom half of the NFC North.
• TB Receiver Mike Evans: he gave the ball that was Tom Brady’s 600th passing touchdown to a fan and the team had to beg /bribe for it back.

Standouts:

• Brady’s 600th TD pass: chalk up another record for the GOAT as Tom Brady becomes the first quarterback in NFL history to throw 600 TD passes.
• Buccaneers’ defensive celebration: the squad did the ‘row your boat’ celebration after earning a turnover.

Indianapolis Colts 30, San Francisco 49ers 18

Winners:

• Indianapolis Colts: they are now 3-4 and are just two games behind the Titans in the AFC South.
• QB Carson Wentz: apparently he’s healthy now, completing 17/26 for 150 yards and two touchdowns with no turnovers and only one interception on the season.
• Colts RB Jonathan Taylor: in the pouring rain he carried the ball 18 times for 107 yards and a touchdown, an impressive display of sure-footedness.
• Indy CB Xavier Rhodes: limps off the field during pre-game warmups and then snags a critical interception in the fourth quarter.
• Niners RB Eli Mitchell: the rookie carried the ball 18 times in grueling weather for 107 yards and a touchdown.

Losers:

• San Francisco 49ers: this is their fourth loss in a row and they go to 2-4 and sit with the Seahawks at the bottom of the NFC West.
• Yellow flags: the ref’s penalty flags got soaked, with 13 total penalties for 167 backward yards between both teams.

Standouts:

• Mother Nature: she blew in big winds and dumped cold rain onto the field and all over the fans in the form of an ‘atmospheric river,’ an early sign that football weather has begun.
• Colts LB Darius Leonard’s perfect peanut punch: no better way to help your team than to use a ‘peanut punch’ to cause a fumble like this defensive star did in the third quarter.
• Interception to fumble: Carson Wentz had an interception that was later ruled a fumble because a defensive player had gotten a finger on it, keeping his season pick total at one, now with 170 straight passes without an interception.
• Levi’s Stadium Towel Boy: kudos to the guys who did their best to keep the footballs dry during this relentless soak fest.