Which NFL Team Made the Biggest Statement in Week 7?

NFL Week 7 – Which Team Made the Biggest Statement?

With week 7 in the NFL just about wrapped up, let’s take a look at some teams that had needle moving performances during this week’s set of games. It is easy to wonder, which team made the biggest statement with their win on Sunday.

Green Bay Packers – the Packers blew out the Oakland Raiders at home on Sunday 42-24. Green Bay is now 6-1 and firmly in the driver’s seat in their division. The most important result from Sunday’s game was that both the offense and Aaron Rodgers came to life in this game. Rodgers threw for five touchdowns and ran for another touchdown. Rodgers did all of this without Davante Adams in the lineup and with his other two starting receivers injured and looking like they may not play until late last week. Rodgers looked like his old self and it may be a sign that he is now embracing the new offensive system that has been given to him. If he is truly comfortable and is now happy because of the results, the Packers could become the team to beat in the NFC. Their defense already carried them most of the first month and if the offense is now ready with a generational quarterback playing as well as he can at age 36 then look out.  

Indianapolis Colts – Coming into their game against Houston, all of the headlines were about how Houston went into Kansas City last week and beat the Chiefs at home in the notoriously tough Arrowhead Stadium. Indianapolis wanted to remind everyone that they did the same thing the week before and they did it in prime time. The Colts overmatched the Texans on both offense and defense at times during their game Sunday and they also played mostly mistake free football. Jacoby Brissett had his best game as a pro with 326 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions on Sunday. His offensive line held up well as he was not sacked at all in the game. If that wasn’t enough, the defense was boosted by the return of Darius Leonard after a 3 week absence. Leonard had an interception in the game which was one of two for the team as they harassed Deshaun Watson throughout the game. The Colts are now 4-2 with a big win against one of their main competitors in their division.

New Orleans Saints – What can you say about this year’s New Orleans Saints team? They managed to go 5-0 in the absence of Drew Brees as they won in a multitude of ways against tough competition. Sunday’s victory in Chicago made Teddy Bridgewater 5-0 this season as a starter as he has fully justified both his and the team’s decision to keep him in New Orleans for another season. Bridgewater threw for 281 yards and two touchdowns and he has moved beyond the pure game manager status he held exclusively in his first two starts of this season. The Saints went into Chicago and dominated even though they were missing both Brees and Alvin Kamara and another weapon in tight end Jared Cook. The Saints are now 6-1 with wins at Chicago, at Seattle, and at home versus Houston and Dallas. Throughout their current winning streak, the defense has been especially strong and the Saints are currently looking like one of the more complete teams in the league. They may receive a boost as well as Brees is currently eyeing a return next week against the suddenly resurgent Arizona Cardinals.

Baltimore Ravens – Lamar Jackson boosted his MVP resume with a huge effort in Seattle against the Seahawks. An often intimidating road game, the Ravens showed no fear behind their young quarterback and a revamped defense. Jackson ran for 116 yards and a touchdown and also threw for 143 more yards. There were times when Jackson would take off running and it seemed that Seattle had no answer for him. His threat to run also opens up the potential for big plays through the air which makes the team extremely dangerous. The Ravens defense saw new acquisition Marcus Peters return an interception for a touchdown. It was the first interception of the season for Russell Wilson. The defense also had another touchdown later in the game when Marlon Humphrey returned a fumble for a touchdown. At 5-2, the Ravens are in the driver’s seat in their division, but the win also places them with the elite teams of the AFC. If the defense can continue to play as well as it did Sunday and the change in the landscape of the conference, the Ravens may find themselves with at least a first round bye if not the top seed in the conference.

Dallas Cowboys – The Cowboys went into Sunday night in desperate need of game in which they could right the ship. The Philadelphia Eagles gave them just that. With their offensive line fully healthy for the first time since their loss in New Orleans three weeks ago, the Cowboys rushed for 189 yards against the league’s number two rushing defense. Dak Prescott also threw for 239 yards and a touchdown and ran for another touchdown. All of the stars came to play for Dallas as they broke their three game losing streak and took control of their division against their only competition in the division. It was a complete performance on both sides of the ball as the 37-10 final score would indicate. The Dallas offense was rarely slowed down and the defense forced four turnovers and amassed three sacks. Two of the turnovers were on Philly’s first two possessions and the game was seemingly over just as it started. Dallas now goes into their bye week feeling confident and reassured and will come out of their bye with a game against the lowly New York Giants. The same Giants team they blew out 35-17 in the opening week of the season. The reason why this game was so important for Dallas is that they are now in the driver’s seat of a two team race for the division. A narrow win would’ve been good enough, but perhaps this win will turn into the knockout blow for a roller coaster Eagles team that has managed to play both over their heads and below their capabilities at different times this season.

Honorable Mention:

Minnesota Vikings – The Vikings are now 5-2 and are keeping pace at one game behind the Green Bay Packers. The offense has exploded the past couple of weeks and the much maligned Kirk Cousins now has two games with four touchdowns this season. The defense was not perfect, but it did manage to hold Detroit’s run game down and looks dominant at times when they are at home.

San Francisco 49ers – As bad as their offense looked at times in their game against Washington, their defense was dominant and they survived a monsoon of a rainstorm. Also, the team is no 6-0 with one of the most dominant defensive fronts in the league this year. 

Arizona Cardinals – Kyler Murray did not dominate this game as he has of late, but the offense still scored thanks to Chase Edmunds. If David Johnson can regain his health, there may be a strong committee in the works in the desert. Their defense had six sacks and had Patrick Peterson return from suspension. They may not be a title contender, but thanks to their last place schedule, the Cardinals are a plucky 3-3-1 team that is far more competitive than they were last year. 

So which team had the most impactful win and made the biggest statement this week? What do you think?