Week Seven in Review
By: Matt Harmon
Thursday Night Game:
Seattle Seahawks- 34 at Arizona Cardinals- 22
Reviewing the Game:
Sunday Games:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers- 23 at Atlanta Falcons- 31
Reviewing the Game:
St. Louis Rams- 15 at Carolina Panthers- 30
Reviewing the Game:
Cincinnati Bengals- 27 at Detroit Lions- 24
Reviewing the Game:
San Diego Chargers- 24 at Jacksonville Jaguars- 6
Reviewing the Game:
Buffalo Bills- 23 at Miami Dolphins- 21
Reviewing the Game:
New England Patriots- 30 at New York Jets- 27
Reviewing the Game:
Dallas Cowboys- 17 at Philadelphia Eagles- 3
Reviewing the Game:
Chicago Bears- 41 at Washington Redskins- 45
Reviewing the Game:
San Francisco 49ers- 31 at Tennessee Titans- 17
Reviewing the Game:
Cleveland Browns- 13 at Green Bay Packers- 33
Reviewing the Game:
Houston Texans- 16 at Kansas City Chiefs- 17
Reviewing the Game:
Baltimore Ravens- 16 at Pittsburgh Steelers- 19
Reviewing the Game:
Denver Broncos- 33 at Indianapolis Colts- 39
Reviewing the Game:
Monday Night Game:
Minnesota Vikings- 7 at New York Giants- 23
Reviewing the Game:
Thursday Night Game:
Seattle Seahawks- 34 at Arizona Cardinals- 22
Reviewing the Game:
- So, Russell Wilson is still pretty darn good, huh? Wilson was the obvious MVP of this game, and made some freakish plays, including an unbelievable throw to Zach Miller when it looked for sure that Daryl Washington has Wilson dead to rights. The Seahawks are the best team in the NFC and are only getting better. The Cardinals are a decent team, but their lack of pass protection, and a viable quarterback is going to probably hold them below the .500 mark for this season.
- Larry Fitzgerald is clearly still not healthy, and that fact certainly puts a damper on this matchup. Still, Sherman was a force once again in this game, and made several plays lat in the fourth quarter when the Cardinals were tying to make this a game again.
Sunday Games:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers- 23 at Atlanta Falcons- 31
Reviewing the Game:
- This game showed us that while the Falcons’ season is floundering, it has not sunk just yet. Despite missing his top two receivers Matt Ryan had a magnificent game and showed why he is still a top-tier passer in this league. The Falcons are still a highly flawed team, and it is hard to see them in the NFC postseason picture, but at least they did not fall to the hapless Bucs. Mike Glennon had another encouraging outing, and he knows the wisest thing for him to do is continue to throw up jump balls to Vincent Jackson frequently, but there was not much else to be encouraged about on their side.
- The Buccaneers secondary too is a highly paid and talented to put out such a poor performance against a cast of receivers led by Harry Douglas. Douglas, in particular, tore apart this secondary to the tune of seven catches 149 yards and a score. It is a broken record at this point, but it is inexcusable for the Bucs to continue to misuse Darrelle Revis after trading for him and paying him sixteen million dollars a year.
St. Louis Rams- 15 at Carolina Panthers- 30
Reviewing the Game:
- The Panthers came out on fire with a Captain Munnerlyn interception return for a touchdown and really never relinquished control of this game. There was a lot of “disputes” in this game, highlighted but what went on between Steve Smith and Janoris Jenkins and a Chris Long ejection, but the game play and results left no doubt the Panthers were the better football team. Sam Bradford’s injury has the potential to send this Rams team spiraling and they did not show well even before he left this game.
- Cook had yet another nondescript game against the Panthers, and at this point, that looks to be the norm.
Cincinnati Bengals- 27 at Detroit Lions- 24
Reviewing the Game:
- This was one of the most fun games of the day, and there were a ton of splashy offense highlights. Having A.J. Green and Calvin Johnson on the same filed was just a gift and they both had dynamic games. Johnson’s touchdown catch with four Bengals defenders in his area was especially tasty. This game was close throughout, but in his best game of the season, Andy Dalton finally gave the Bengals what they needed to play to their potential. These were two evenly matched teams, and both can leave the field feeling good about themselves.
- Atkins was held in check in this game as a pass rusher, and that was largely thanks to the work of rookie, Larry Watford. It should be noted however, that Atkins was a catalyst for the Bengals holding Reggie Bush to less than three yards per rush. So, maybe we can call this matchup a split.
San Diego Chargers- 24 at Jacksonville Jaguars- 6
Reviewing the Game:
- Some people thought there was a potential upset brewing with a few outside factors looking favorably on Jacksonville, but the results were the same as they had been the first six weeks. Gus Bradley was particularly critical of his team’s lack of effort in this game, and after watching some of the plays from Sunday; it is hard to argue with him. The Chargers basically did whatever they wanted to on offense.
- The Jaguars offensive line was supposed to be one area they could count on, but it has completely fallen apart. The Chargers dominated them in the running and passing game. the ineptitude really starts upfront for this offense.
Buffalo Bills- 23 at Miami Dolphins- 21
Reviewing the Game:
- Backyard Banter’s upset prediction turned out to be spot on. With pressure in his face yet again Ryan Tannehill made too many critical mistakes that cost his team a chance at victory. The Dolphins offense made some nice plays every now and again, but if you cannot protect your young quarterback, you cannot consistently hope to win in the NFL. Thad Lewis did just enough to lead his team to victory, and help the Bills cap off a pretty impressive upset.
- What is interesting about this matchup is that Williams, and most of the Bills linemen, spent most of the day blowing up Martin on the left side, but it was Clabo who got beat for two key sacks late in the fourth quarter. Clabo got beat inside twice by Williams after oversetting in his protection. It is hard to say which Dolphins tackle has been the greater liability.
New England Patriots- 30 at New York Jets- 27
Reviewing the Game:
- This was another big upset that took place Sunday in the AFC East. The Jets and Patriots went back and forth pretty much all game, but a crazy broken rule by the Patriots ended up giving the Jets two shots at a game winning field goal and they capitalized. Tom Brady continues to play below his lofty standards, and the Patriots defense clearly suffered without some of their injured stars, particularly defending the run.
- Gronk returned to the field on Sunday and immediately showed what a force he is when healthy. The Jets did not stand much of a chance in covering him, and he will only get better from here.
Dallas Cowboys- 17 at Philadelphia Eagles- 3
Reviewing the Game:
- Not many people expected a game with two highflying offenses to turn into such an ugly one. The Eagles were particularly bad on offense as they could not run the ball effectively and Nick Foles was downright bad. There were pretty much no positive notes for the Eagles to take away from this game. The Cowboys defense played better than expected and really won them this game.
- A defensive line essentially starting three backups pushed around the Eagles offensive line. Nick Foles never had much time to get comfortable, and displayed pretty poor pocket presence when he was rattled, and LeSean McCoy did not find much running room on Sunday. Overall, you have to be highly impressed with the players upfront on defense for the Cowboys.
Chicago Bears- 41 at Washington Redskins- 45
Reviewing the Game:
- In a game where 86 points were scored, the NFL was treated to some wild offensive football. Robert Griffin overcame an early, and ugly, interception to have his best day as passer in a long time. Jordan Reed became a major part of the passing game a week after Backyard Banter indicated he should, and Roy Helu and Alfred Morris provided a steady ground attack. The Bears lost Jay Cutler in this game, and while it could be argued it may have been a different game with him back there, Josh McCown still played well enough to give the Bears a chance at this one.
- The interior of the Redskins offensive line really played well in this game, and pushed around the banged up Bears defensive tackles. Both Helu and Morris enjoyed slamming the ball down the Bears throat early and often on Sunday.
San Francisco 49ers- 31 at Tennessee Titans- 17
Reviewing the Game:
- Jake Locker returned a week earlier than anticipated, but despite solid play from him, the Titans still fell in this game. The Titans defense finally had a poor showing and the offense is not good enough to climb out of a 24-0 hole like they found themselves in on Sunday. The 49ers look like a premiere NFC team again, and showed they were a physically dominant team when they disposed the very tough Tennessee Titans.
- For the first time all season the 49ers featured Kaepernick the runner and not the passer. Kaepernick had 68 yards and a score on eleven attempts and the offense responded well to that. While he continues to develop as a passer, it may be smart to continue to let Kap run.
Cleveland Browns- 13 at Green Bay Packers- 33
Reviewing the Game:
- This was a very professional game by the Packers, as they just took care of business against an inferior opponent at home. The Packers offense kept rolling despite the injuries and the defense showed up big and kept Cleveland’s two offensive stars, Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron quite until the game was way out of hand. It is really too bad that Brandon Weeden’s reappearance as the starting quarterback has completely taken the air out of the Browns season.
- Interestingly, I noticed Haden lined up against Jarrett Boykin and other Packers receivers at time. Aaron Rodgers did a good job of targeting whichever receiver was not covered by Haden and kept spreading the ball around.
Houston Texans- 16 at Kansas City Chiefs- 17
Reviewing the Game:
- Case Keenum played pretty well against the best defense in the NFL and made a case to be the starter the rest of this season for the Texans. It was still not enough to propel the Texans to victory. The Chiefs just play the same game every week; spectacular defense and just enough on offense to get by.
- This was Smith’s worst game of the season, as he got beat for the long touchdown from Case Keenum to DeAndre Hopkins. Andre Johnson also had a solid day working against the Chiefs corners with four catches for 89 yards.
Baltimore Ravens- 16 at Pittsburgh Steelers- 19
Reviewing the Game:
- Le’Veon Bell controlled this game on the ground and Big Ben became something of a game manager. With a poor offensive line and a defense that is rounding into form, this may be the script the Steelers play to for the rest of the season. The Ravens are playing the same game every week. They could not run the ball against the Steelers and Joe Flacco is forced to try to win though their air with a substandard cast of receivers. Those problems are probably going to land them with an 8-8 record if they cannot improve.
- Smith had three catches for 61 yards, and most of that came on one 41-yard catch against cornerback Cortez Allen. The Steelers defense has taken a step back this season, but Dick LaBeau and company still no how to limit an opposing team’s top threat.
Denver Broncos- 33 at Indianapolis Colts- 39
Reviewing the Game:
- After a really cool and emotional welcome for Peyton Manning, the Colts showed that they were ready to play against their old quarterback. The Colts brought pressure against a Broncos offensive line that has three replacement players starting, and Robert Mathis was particularly dominant. Manning never looked quite comfortable after his former teammate brought him down on a safety. Ultimately, Denver’s comeback attempt was stopped cold when Ronnie Hillman put the ball on the turf on the goal line for what seemed like the tenth time this season. Andrew Luck was magnificent in the victory and the Colts showed they could score with a juggernaut and play physical defense. It’s still hard to figure out who the Colts are, since they have been somewhat inconsistent.
- Von Miller did not make much of an impact on this game, and finished with only two tackles. It looks like it may take some time to get Miller back into top shape.
Monday Night Game:
Minnesota Vikings- 7 at New York Giants- 23
Reviewing the Game:
- This game was just as awful and sloppy as it was billed to be. The Giants won the game, their first of the season, but they cannot feel too great about themselves given how bad the Vikings were. Eli Manning and his receivers till played below their potential and did not truly take advantage over a very bad Vikings secondary. The story of this game was Josh Freeman, who truly was not ready to play in this game. Freeman did not know the offense, did not know where receivers were supposed to be, and could not audible or change plays. However, Freeman was terrible tonight and made some throws were he just plain looked like he had never thrown a football before. He had a 38% completion percentage and that number actually tells how inaccurate he was. No idea why the Vikings asked Freeman to throw 53 times, and the Vikings brass look like they are on the verge of mismanaging this situation all the way to losing their jobs. This was a preseason level football game played in October.
- Peterson inexcusably only ran the ball 13 times in a game that was never really out of hand, but only managed 28 yards. Jon Beason and the Giants defense were completely keying on the run game and daring the ill-prepared Josh Freeman to beat them. It should also be noted how little running lanes the Vikings and Peterson had tonight. The Giants played the run well, and that Vikings offensive line has really fallen off.
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