Eric Williams
NFL Reporter
Week 7 gave us the debut of big-time receivers Davante Adams and Amari Cooper with their new groups. We additionally noticed Saquon Barkley run roughshod over his former group, and the San Francisco 49ers lay an egg in a Tremendous Bowl rematch in opposition to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs.
And sure, Patrick Mahomes stays one of the best participant in soccer — simply do not have a look at his stats.
Mahomes is tied for the league lead in interceptions with eight, and he has extra picks than landing passes (6). However he nonetheless performs large in vital moments to guide his group to victory, and the Chiefs at the moment are the one undefeated group within the league at 6-0.
That stated, let’s take a better have a look at who’s sizzling and who’s chilly for this week.
WHO’S HOT
Jared Goff, QB, Lions
This is not the 2020 Los Angeles Rams’ QB. Goff is on a heater. He went 22-of-25 for 280 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in Detroit’s win over the beforehand undefeated Minnesota Vikings.
Over the previous three video games, Goff is 58-of-68 (85.3%) for 887 yards, with seven touchdowns and no interceptions for a 153.1 passer score. Goff’s play is likely one of the major the reason why the Lions are the highest group within the NFC at this level of the season. And sure, he’s a part of the MVP dialog.
Saquon Barkley, RB, Eagles
In his first sport in opposition to the Giants since leaving the group that drafted him, Barkley didn’t disappoint. He completed with 176 speeding yards, the second-most in NFL historical past by a participant in opposition to his former group. In 2009 with the Bengals, Cedric Benson ran for 189 yards in opposition to the Bears, who had drafted him No. 4 total in 2005.
Earlier than the sport on Sunday, New York followers burned Barkley’s outdated Giants jerseys within the stadium parking zone, after which he burned the group on the sector.
Oh, and as a group, the Giants had 119 complete yards.
Saquon Barkley on dominant efficiency in opposition to former group
Coby Bryant, DB, Seahawks
Making his first begin at security with Rayshawn Jenkins on the injured listing, Bryant led Seattle with 11 mixed tackles and hauled in his first NFL interception because the Seahawks earned a street win over the Atlanta Falcons.
Bryant helped the Seahawks rebound from a humbling loss to the 49ers final week, with Seattle’s protection enjoying significantly better in opposition to Kirk Cousins and Atlanta. At 4-3, Seattle takes the highest spot within the NFC West.
Amari Cooper, WR, Payments
Adams’ reunion with Aaron Rodgers acquired extra protection nationally, however Cooper was the extra productive participant in his first sport together with his new group. Cooper totaled 4 receptions for 66 yards and a landing in Buffalo’s 34-10 victory over the Tennessee Titans.
Rookie Keon Coleman additionally benefited from the addition of a No. 1 receiver demanding protection consideration, ending with 4 receptions for a season-high 125 yards.
Russell Wilson, QB, Steelers
The Steelers let Russ cook dinner in his Pittsburgh debut after he missed the primary six video games of the season attributable to a calf harm. Wilson’s 264 passing yards had been a franchise document for a quarterback in his first sport for Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh completed with six performs of 20-plus yards, and the Steelers scored their most factors (37) and totaled probably the most yards (409) in a sport this season. The offense was extra explosive with Wilson underneath middle, so it appears like Mike Tomlin made the appropriate resolution to modify from Justin Fields.
WHO’S COLD
Dennis Allen, head coach, Saints
Issues have modified drastically since New Orleans began the season 2-0 and seemed like one among most explosive offenses within the league. Quarterback Derek Carr is injured, and the backups have struggled to match his manufacturing.
The Saints have had accidents alongside the offensive line and at receiver as nicely, however a 23-point loss to the Denver Broncos on Sean Payton’s return to New Orleans was a tricky watch. The Saints weren’t aggressive, notably on protection, which is Allen’s specialty.
With New Orleans dropping 5 in a row and coping with cap restraints, Allen’s seat is heating up.
Brock Purdy, QB, 49ers
Purdy had his worst sport of the 12 months in opposition to one of the best group within the league. The Iowa State product completed with a season-high in interceptions (3) and a season-low in passing yards (212) and quarterback score (36.7).
Purdy was enjoying with out receivers Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings, who had been out attributable to accidents. Then in the course of the sport, Brandon Aiyuk suffered a knee harm and could possibly be out for the remainder of the season. And naturally, San Francisco’s greatest participant on offense, Christian McCaffrey, nonetheless hasn’t performed this season due to Achilles tendinitis.
Quick-handed on playmakers, head coach Kyle Shanahan should restrict Purdy’s tasks throughout the offense in order that he can play cleaner soccer. Purdy remains to be a younger quarterback, and video games just like the loss in opposition to Kansas Metropolis are a part of his rising course of.
Tom Brady on Chiefs’ dominance after defeating 49ers in Week 7
Joe Schoen, GM, Giants
I do know the Giants are rebuilding, however it’s nonetheless not an excellent search for the final supervisor to have moved on from a foundational participant the group chosen No. 3 total, a fan favourite who did all the pieces the appropriate method and somebody proprietor John Mara needed to maintain within the fold.
As a substitute of extending Barkley, the Giants selected to signal quarterback Daniel Jones to a $160 million contract within the offseason final 12 months. With the Giants at 2-5 and staring up at the remainder of the NFC East, it is truthful to query if New York is headed in the appropriate path underneath Schoen.
Jerod Mayo, head coach, Patriots
It isn’t nice when a first-year head coach calls his group tender. However that is what Mayo advised reporters after his group’s newest loss, a 32-6 setback to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.
New England has misplaced six straight since a season-opening win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Rookie quarterback Drake Maye has proven flashes since taking on two video games in the past because the group’s starter. However a group not enjoying bodily sufficient displays poorly on the pinnacle coach.
A former All-Professional linebacker, Mayo should discover a strategy to elevate the depth degree of his group to no less than be aggressive the remainder of the season.
Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for greater than a decade, masking the Los Angeles Rams for Sports activities Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma Information Tribune. Observe him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.
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