NFL Week 7 Recap: What We Learned About Every Team, Game by Game

Week 7 began with the Jaguars beating the Saints. It’ll end with the Vikings hosting the 49ers on Monday night.

Between those games, there’s some of the best action we’ve seen this season.

In the early window, the Lions (5–2) visited the Ravens (5–2) and were ambushed. Lamar Jackson produced one of the best games anybody has enjoyed this season, accounting for 393 total yards and four touchdowns. Additionally, the Falcons (3–3) outlasted the Buccaneers (3–2) in a battle for first place, with Younghoe Koo hitting a game-winning, 51-yard field goal as time expired.

As for the late games, the Steelers (3–2) visit SoFi Stadium for a date with the Rams (3–3). Both are vying for a playoff spot, but the loser will take a tough step back in a winnable game. Meanwhile, the Chiefs (5–1) host the Chargers (2–3) in an AFC West matchup at Arrowhead in Kansas City.

Finally, the Eagles (5–1) and Dolphins (5–1) give us what could be the season’s best game to date in Philadelphia on Sunday Night Football.

Note: This story will be updated throughout Sunday.

SUNDAY

Patriots 29, Bills 25

• What it means for Bills: Buffalo (4–3) has some real problems. For the first time, we saw the losses of linebacker Matt Milano and corner Tre’Davious White show up. Mac Jones torched the Bills for 272 yards and two touchdowns, going 25-of-30. Offensively, Buffalo had a miniscule 10 points halfway through the fourth quarter. The Bills have to make adjustments on both sides of the ball.
• What it means for Patriots: New England (2–5) has its issues, but for at least this week, a reprieve from the negativity. The question is whether Jones’s performance was a one-off, or if coordinator Bill O’Brien found something he can rely on. Perhaps that something is rookie receiver Damario Douglas, who caught four passes for 54 yards while also notching a 25-yard punt return. If nothing else, Douglas has explosiveness nobody else on the Patriots has.

Ravens 38, Lions 6

• What it means for Lions: It’s a bad game, so the Lions can just flush it. Detroit has shown it can beat good teams, including the Chiefs and the Buccaneers. Jared Goff was atrocious and under pressure all day, but that hasn’t been and won’t be the case most weekends. It was an ugly game against a good team on the road. The Lions will bounce back.
• What it means for Ravens: We might look back at Baltimore’s win as when Todd Monken’s offense clicked for Lamar Jackson. The 2019 MVP was brilliant against Detroit, throwing for 255 yards and accounting for three touchdowns in the first half, staking Baltimore to a 28–0 lead. He finished with 357 yards and four total scores. Additionally, the Ravens have a stud in rookie receiver Zay Flowers, who caught four passes for 75 yards.

Bears 30, Raiders 12

• What it means for Raiders: There’s no reason to believe in a miracle playoff bid. Las Vegas (3–4) went into Sunday’s game with a chance to get over .500 and make some noise. Instead, the Raiders were easily handled by rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent and a Chicago defense which ranks among the league’s worst. Now, the Raiders have a Monday night trip to Detroit to take on a Lions team that got destroyed by the Ravens.
• What it means for Bears: Matt Eberflus hasn’t lost the team. Despite a brutal start to the campaign, including defensive coordinator Alan Williams’s resignation and Justin Fields struggling mightily, the Bears have won two of their last three since beginning 0–4. It’s not what many in Chicago dreamed of when the summer began, but it’s a positive development.