Welcome to the best week of football we’ve had yet during the 2024 NFL season.
While last Sunday’s slate was pretty drab, Week 7 is full of intriguing matchups. In the early window, the Minnesota Vikings (5–1) hosted the Detroit Lions (4–1) for the lead in the NFC North and lost in the final seconds, with Jake Bates hitting a 44-yard field goal to win it.
Meanwhile, the Green Bay Packers (5–2) welcomed in the Houston Texans (5–2) and also won late, with Brandon McManus connecting on a 45-yard kick to walk it off.
In the late window, we get a Super Bowl rematch between the San Francisco 49ers (3–3) and the Kansas City Chiefs (5–0) at Levi’s Stadium. Kyle Shanahan is hoping to beat the Chiefs for the first time as a head coach after losing the previous four matchups, including two Super Bowls.
Then, on Sunday night, Davante Adams makes his debut with the New York Jets (2–4) as they visit the Pittsburgh Steelers (4–2), who are starting Russell Wilson over Justin Fields.
But we begin in London, where the Jacksonville Jaguars (2–5) wrapped up their two-week stay by beating the New England Patriots (1–6).
SUNDAY
Lions 31, Vikings 29
My take: Detroit (5–1) has officially taken over first place in the NFC North. Despite Minnesota (5–1) coming off a bye at home and the Lions being without Aidan Hutchinson, the visitors won behind Jared Goff going 22-of-25 for 280 yards while second-year back Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for 116 yards and two touchdowns on 7.7 yards per carry. As for the Vikings, a loss was inevitable at some point. While it hurts because of the divisional implications, Minnesota has quality wins against the Texans and 49ers, and played the Lions to the final minute. The Vikings are for real.
Stock up: Goff should be in the MVP conversation. After a somewhat slow start, he has thrown for nine touchdowns against one interception over the past four weeks, all Detroit victories. He’s also had a perfect day, going 18-of-18 against the Seahawks.
Stock down: Detroit needs more from Sam LaPorta. After looking like a burgeoning superstar as a rookie, LaPorta has just 14 receptions, 224 receiving yards and one touchdown thus far.
Up Next: Titans at Lions, 1 p.m. ET Oct. 27; Vikings at Rams, 8:15 p.m. ET Oct. 24
Packers 24, Texans 22
My take: Green Bay (5–2) turned the ball over three times and still managed to beat Houston (5–2) with Brandon McManus hitting a 45-yard field goal as time expired. The Packers found a way despite a pair of Jordan Love interceptions and a muffed punt because their defense was special. Jeff Hafley’s unit held C.J. Stroud to 86 passing yards while sacking him four times. The Texans remain in good position having lost only one non-conference road game. There’s no need to panic, but the Colts travel to Houston next week with first place on the line.
Stock up: Joe Mixon gave a tremendous effort. After missing three games with an ankle injury, Mixon has looked spry and showed it Sunday with 115 rushing yards and two touchdowns against a quality Green Bay front.
Stock down: The Texans have to block. Houston allowed four sacks and seven quarterback hits, with countless other plays being aborted due to immediate pressure. Coming into Sunday, Houston was tied for sixth-worst after allowing 17 sacks.
Up Next: Colts at Texans, 1 p.m. ET Oct. 27; Packers at Jaguars, 1 p.m. ET Oct. 27
Eagles 28, Giants 3
My take: Philadelphia (4–2) has to be beaming over its signing of Saquon Barkley. Considering their inconsistency almost everywhere else, Barkley has been the biggest reason the Eagles are fighting for the NFC East. Against his old team, he went for 187 total yards and a touchdown. As for New York (2–5), it’s time for a quarterback controversy. Do the Giants stick with Daniel Jones or go to Drew Lock, who saw mop-up duty once the Giants were down 25 points? The topic should dominate talk shows all week.
Stock up: It has to be Barkley. The former Giants star went back to MetLife Stadium and lit up New York, showing everything the Giants allowed to walk out the door. Barkley is now on a playoff contender, while Big Blue sinks further in the standings. He should be a favorite for Offensive Player of the Year with 658 rushing yards and five total touchdowns through six games.
Stock down: The Giants can’t run the ball at all. Devin Singeltary and Tyrone Tracy Jr. were bottled up all afternoon, which is consistent for a New York ground attack that averages less than 4.0 yards per carry.
Up Next: Eagles at Bengals, 1 p.m. ET Oct. 27; Giants at Steelers, 8:15 p.m. ET Oct. 28
Bills 34, Titans 10
My take: Buffalo (5–2) has righted itself after a pair of losses to the Ravens and Texans. The Bills weren’t perfect Sunday, trailing throughout the first half to Tennessee (1–5), but rallied to win comfortably. Josh Allen had a terrific day with 323 passing yards, and has yet to throw an interception. Buffalo has a chance to get rolling in a major way with the Seahawks, Dolphins and Colts on their upcoming schedule.
Stock up: Amari Cooper looked good in his first action with the Bills. He caught four passes for 66 yards and a touchdown, helping Buffalo overcome an early 10-point deficit.
Stock down: Brian Callahan doesn’t have much to work with, but he has to be smart situationally. The turning point of this game was the first drive of the third quarter with Tennessee leading 10–7. On fourth-and-2 at their own 44-yard line, the Titans went jumbo and ran the ball straight into the line for a loss. Going for it is fine. Running into a heavy box is not.
Up Next: Titans at Lions, 1 p.m. ET Oct. 27; Bills at Seahawks, 4:05 p.m. ET Oct. 27
Seahawks 34, Falcons 14
My take: The stats were largely even throughout the afternoon, but Seattle (4–3) snapped its three-game losing streak due in large part to a pair of Atlanta (4–3) turnovers. Derick Hall’s scoop-and-score blew the game open with the 64-yard return making it 31–14. Geno Smith played well, throwing for 207 yards and two touchdowns. DK Metcalf had a big day with 99 yards and a score, helping Seattle stay atop the NFC West while Atlanta dropped a half-game back in the NFC South, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers playing on Monday night.
Stock up: Seattle’s defensive front deserves plenty of credit. The Seahawks registered three sacks and eight quarterback hits on Kirk Cousins. Boye Mafe had one of the sacks, giving him four on the season as one of the league’s more underrated pass rushers.
Stock down: Cousins has largely played well this season, but three turnovers are crushing against any opponent. Cousins threw two interceptions and lost a fumble, putting the Falcons in an impossible spot.
Up Next: Bills at Seahawks, 4:05 p.m. ET Oct. 27; Falcons at Buccaneers, 1 p.m. ET Oct. 27
Bengals 21, Browns 14
My take: While Cincinnati (3–4) continues to climb out of its annual early-season hole, the story in this game was Deshaun Watson. In the second quarter, Watson looked to run and injured his right Achilles tendon, calling into question whether we will ever see Watson ever take another snap with the Browns. Cleveland (1–6) now turns to either Dorian Thompson-Robinson or Jameis Winston in hopes of turning their season around, but there’s little hope. Once again, the Browns are without a quarterback, without hope and looking to salvage some shred of respectability down the stretch.
Stock up: Cincinnati’s defense hasn’t exactly faced the 1999 Rams over the past two weeks, but it’s encouraging nonetheless. The Bengals allowed 29 points per game through their first five games before holding the Giants and Browns to a combined 21 points.
Stock down: Any veteran on the Browns. This was supposed to be a team expected to take another step after reaching the playoffs last season. They added Jerry Jeudy in the offseason and got a healthy Watson back in the fold. Instead, the season is all but over.
Up Next: Eagles at Bengals, 1 p.m. ET Oct. 27; Ravens at Browns, 1 p.m. ET Oct. 27
Jaguars 32, Patriots 16
My take: Jacksonville (2–5) might have saved Doug Pederson’s job for the time being. The Jaguars beat New England (1–6) on Sunday morning in London, finishing up their two-game stint overseas. Now Jacksonville has a five-game stretch against the Packers, Eagles, Vikings, Lions and Texans. As for the Patriots, Drake Maye’s development is the only thing worth worrying about right now, and he looks good. Maye threw a pair of touchdowns while amassing 276 yards. It wasn’t a terrific performance, but it was solid for his second-career NFL showing.
Stock up: Brian Thomas Jr. is one of the few consistent bright spots in an otherwise dismal year for the Jaguars. A first-round pick out of LSU, Thomas caught five passes for 89 yards and a touchdown Sunday. On the season, he’s shown his star capabilities, racking up 30 receptions for 513 yards and four scores.
Stock down: It’s extremely early in his coaching career, but early returns aren’t great for Jerod Mayo. What exactly is New England good at? The Patriots have gotten torched by good offenses (think San Francisco and Houston). Conversely, their own offense has been terrible. On Sunday, the Patriots couldn’t throw or run against one of the league’s worst units in a Jacksonville team that entered the morning ranked 31st.
Up Next: Jets at Patriots, 1 p.m. ET Oct. 27; Packers at Jaguars, 1 p.m. ET Oct. 27
Colts 16, Dolphins 10
My take: Indianapolis (4–3) escaped one of the uglier games of the early window, finding a way to beat the combination of Tim Boyle and Tyler Huntley. The Colts only managed 129 passing yards against a depleted Miami (2–4) front, but ultimately survived with the defense forcing two turnovers. For Indy, it pulls to within a game of the Texans in the AFC South, who lost to the Packers. As for the Dolphins, they’re looking at the wild-card picture at best.
Stock up: Even in defeat, coach Mike McDaniel deserves credit. Without a passing game to speak of, Miami was still able to run for 184 yards on 4.7 yards per carry. With Tua Tagovailoa potentially coming back soon, the Dolphins should have a well-rounded offense once again.
Stock down: The Colts won, but Anthony Richardson has to play better. Going 10-of-24 for 129 yards isn’t going to beat any team with a functional quarterback. Coming up, Indianapolis takes on the Texans, Vikings and Bills. To win any of those games, Richardson has to significantly step up.
Up Next: Cardinals at Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET Oct. 27; Colts at Texans, 1 p.m. ET Oct. 27
THURSDAY
Broncos 33, Saints 10
My take: New Orleans (2–5) needs to have a fire sale. Regardless of what they do, the Saints are cooked for years thanks to the most irresponsible salary-cap management we’ve seen in North American sports. In the meantime, general manager Mickey Loomis should start loading up on draft picks for what is going to be a generational overhaul. After getting destroyed by Denver (4–3), it’s clear the Saints have no future in 2024. And based on how they’ve handled their finances by pushing guaranteed money down the line repeatedly, they’re only hope for a semi-quick turnaround is selling off players at the Nov. 5 trade deadline.
Stock up: Denver’s defensive front deserves major credit. The Broncos registered six sacks Thursday night, giving them a league-best 28 on the season. Only the Giants are within seven sacks of that total. While Denver is extremely limited offensively, its defense gives it a chance in almost every game.
Stock down: Dennis Allen. Yes, the Saints have been ravaged by injuries, particularly on offense. But New Orleans has fallen off in an absurd fashion over its five-game losing streak. It has allowed at least 450 yards in three of those games and, against the Broncos, gave up 389 yards on 6.4 yards per play.
Up Next: Panthers at Broncos, 4:25 p.m. ET Oct. 27; Saints at Chargers, 4:05 p.m. ET Oct. 27
This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFL Week 7 Recap: Who’s Up, Who’s Down, What’s Next for Every Team.