We mentioned in our preview of this game that there may be a quarterback controversy on the horizon in New England, we just didn’t expect it to happen by the second quarter.
The visiting Chicago Bears led by 10 points after Justin Fields ran inside the endzone from three yards out.
A few minutes later when rookie safety Jaquan Brisker intercepted Mac Jones, Bill Belichick gave the quarterback the dreaded curly finger and signaled to rookie fourth-round pick Bailey Zappe to enter the fray, much to the loud acclaim of the home crowd. I don’t remember a late-round rookie QB becoming a cult hero so soon, as he only started two games before this entrance.
A few players later, Zappe found Jakobi Myers on a busted coverage and the wide receiver did well to catch and then dive from the ground for a Patriots touchdown.
Jones showed his class by congratulating his teammate on his pass. On the next drive, a Fields pass was tipped by Matthew Judon and ended up being picked by corner-back Myles Bryant.
It gave Zappe back the ball and again he made them pay when he found Devante Parker way down the field. By this time, the home crowd were off their feet and before they sat down, the drive was finished off by Rhamondre Stevenson for a 10-14 Pats lead.
We learned watching Monday Night Football that Bailey Zappe’s was named after Scott Wolfe’s character in the 90’s television series ‘Party of Five’ It was the programme that made household names of Neve Campbell and Jennifer Love Hewitt, and the doctor guy form Lost. Bailey showed extensive knowledge of ‘turn of the century’ popular culture by signing along to a wonderful tune from that period of music.
Fields was using his legs to good effect and a battle between himself and Matthew Judon was bubbling up. Judon recorded 3.5 sacks in the first two quarters in addition to the deflected pass that resulted in a turnover. Inside the two minute warning Fields got rid of the ball under severe pressure and found Khalil Herbert who ran in from 25 yards.
The Bears extended their lead with three Carlos Santos field goals to lead 26-14 by the end of the third quarter. David Montgomery punched it home in the fourth for a touchdown on the eighth play of the drive. It added up to 23 points scored without reply, as Chicago ran our comfortable winners long before the end.
Fields and Jones were selected 10th and 15th in the first round of the 2021 draft
Monday Night Football Preview
By Conor Perrett
As the Chicago Bears travel to New England, all eyes will be on this quarterback situations at both the Patriots and the Bears. Justin Fields is looking to rebound with a win for the Bears after a loss against the Commanders on prime-time last time out. With the return of QB1 Mac Jones, he will be under pressure as his replacement over the last few weeks Bailey Zappe has lead the team to successive wins.
New England Patriots
Pats have no one out tonight
Power Rankings – 12th
DVOA Rankings:
Offence – 22nd
Defence – 7th
ST – 16th
Overall – 10th
The Patriots have a chance to move above .500 for the first time this season as they round out the easiest three-game stretch on their schedule. A win will see all the teams in the AFC East with winning records. The big talking point is the return of quarterback Mac Jones, who missed the last three games with an ankle injury and watched rookie Bailey Zappe shine in his placement.
A key battle for the Patriots offensive side will be wide receiver Jakobi Myers and the Bears top corner-back Jaylon Johnson. Meyers ranked 10th in the league in yards per target and entering MNF he will hope to showcase his ability as an underrated player in his position. He’ll be tested when lined up against Johnson, who has been targeted nine times in three games this season and surrendered only four catches for 42 yards and no touchdowns.
On an impressive two-game win streak, Bill Belichick will be looking to continue their winning ways after a shaky start to the season on offence. But after putting 67 points up over the last two weeks with a talented running game to the front, they could be looking to continue this approach against a poor Bears D-line. Damien Harris returns from injury to help Rhamondre Stevenson with their smash-mouth approach of recent weeks.
Chicago Bears
Clean bill of health for the Bears
Power Rankings – 30th
DVOA Rankings:
Offence – 31st
Defence – 21st
ST – 8th
Overall – 32nd
Since Week 2, the Patriots defence has recorded an interception in every game. With the Bears struggling on offence, it would be easy to assume Justin Fields will keep that statistic alive. But if Chicago is to get back to winning ways that’s what they must not do: turn the ball over.
Overall this Chicago team is not great at all, but to be fair to them we didn’t expect anything different this season. A rebuilding year was always on the cards!
There have been few bright spots on offence. The attacking side of the ball has been holding back the Bears this season, with the O-line struggling with protection for Justin Fields being a major issue. But the finger of blame is also starting to point in the direction of their quarterback after a couple ill-advised throws in last week’s loss to Washington. Fields was the best player on the field but his worst mistake was throwing the ball that bounced off Efe Obada helmet that was picked off in the red zone.
The defence has shown potential with rookie safety Jaquan Brisker catching the eye almost every week and corner-back Kyle Gordon showing promise. Head Coach Matt Eberflus comes from a defensive background and seems to have trust in these young pieces and they are delivering.
Prediction
Justin Fields has not looked comfortable with his surroundings this season and a prime time trip to New England won’t make that any easier. Things seem off with his ball placement and pressure from opposing defences are causing major issues for the quarterback.
Belichick has this Patriots’ defence playing towards the top end of the league right now and has been a big factor for their impressive run. This only causes a matchup nightmare for the Bears as they will have to rely heavily on their rushing attack.
It’s no secret both teams like to run the ball and will look to control the run of play through that aspect of the game. I think this will result in a low scoring event with both offences looking to keep the ball for as long as possible. The Patriots happen to have a better offence and defence and with being at home, I think they should control the game to win comfortably.
Bears 6, Patriots 24
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A brilliant NFL season threw up a few surprises this weekend, and once again it was the turn of Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady, which leaves both future Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks with losing records after seven weeks.
To put this in perspective, the last time Brady was in this predicament was in 2002 when many of the young stars in the NFL were still toddling around in nappies.
And after giving the benefit of the doubt to both teams over the last few weeks, now is the time for the Packers and Bucs faithful to panic as it was the manner of their defeats on the road against the Commanders and Panthers that will be of most concern to their respective fan bases.
Packers v Commanders
Rodgers in particular has looked a ball of frustration on the field as he continues to struggle to connect with all of his new teammates on offence. Against the Commanders he did not convert one third or fourth down during the entire game and by the end of the third quarter, his longest drive was only 40 yards.
Green Bay had an early 14-3 second quarter lead when linebacker De’Vondre Campbell intercepted a throw by Taylor Heineke.
This score more than anything seemed to kick the Washington attack into life and they scored the next 20 points unanswered. Taylor Heineke, on his first start this season, found Antonio Gibson at the back of the endzone and his favourite target from last season Terry McLaurin in the right corner to take a third quarter lead.
Trailing by nine, Green Bay rallied and closed the gap to two points when Rodgers went to Aaron Jones with a heads up play and the running back did well to find the endzone. It looked set up for a Packers comeback but Washington weren’t finished and when the pressure was greatest Heineke routinely found McLaurin on third down to close out the game.
McLaurin was immense throughout and gave All-Pro corner Jaire Alexander a torrid afternoon. Heineke was an improvement on anything Carson Wentz has shown in recent weeks and the Washington defence was outstanding. With the return of Chase Young on the immediate horizon, Ron Rivera has a team that will surprise a few more teams visiting the capital before the season is out.
Afterwards Rodgers spun the story to the media that the loss “might be the best thing for us” as they now look down the barrel of facing a rested Buffalo Bills, coming off their bye week on prime time next Sunday.
Bucs v Panthers
Another of the pre-season favourites in the NFC, Tampa Bay have now lost four of their last five matches.
On offence against Carolina, the Bucs averaged only three yards per carry and Brady struggled to connect with his receiving corps throwing multiple errant passes but even when he was accurate, his receivers couldn’t connect with the play. Their afternoon was best summed up when Mike Evans dropped a clanger, when he could have strolled in for an easy first quarter touchdown.
The much vaunted Bucs defence were just as culpable as they couldn’t stop a Panthers offence a week after they traded their best player Christian McCaffery to the 49ers and their second best receiver Robbie Anderson to the Cardinals.
Quarterback PJ Walker, who started the season as third-string quarterback, even before the arrival of Baker Mayfield, led the way throwing for two touchdowns, the best of which was a first half dart to DJ Moore at the back of the endzone.
Without doubt the surprise of the season has been the quarterback play of Geno Smith. He has been outstanding and is going from strength to strength by the week. He currently leads the NFL in completion percentage, which sees the Seahawks perched on top of the NFC West.
The first half of this contest was most entertaining as Seattle raced into a 17-0 lead with touchdowns from Marquise Goodwin and rookie running-back Kenneth Walker. The Chargers responded with two touchdowns of their own from Austin Ekeler and Mike Williams.
Before half time, Geno found the former Olympian long-jumper Goodwin in the endzone for the second time on a play that resulted in Pro Bowl corner-back JC Jackson being carried off the field with what looks like a significant injury.
The Seattle defence got on top in the second half with the game-deciding score from Kenneth Walker, nicknamed ‘K9,’ who pulled out a 75-yard touchdown. Last week, we awarded the 22-year-old with ‘Rookie of the Week’ and he is in line to pick up the super prestigious accolade once again, as he recorded 168 rushing yards and two TDs.
Perhaps the most surprising feature of the late game in Miami was the lack of concussion controversy as the returning Tua Tagovailoa led the Dolphins back to winning ways. The home side started the game with a whirlwind and put 13 points on the board in the first quarter.
Just as it looked to be getting out of hand, the Steelers responded with Kenny Pickett picking out George Pickins for an ‘offensive pick-six.’ See what I did there? … (Silence) … Anyone?
But the game petered out and turned into a festival of punting as both defences took control and Pickett threw two fourth quarter interceptions as Miami go to 4-3.
The AFC East is statistically the strongest division in football and if the Patriots win against the Bears on Monday Night Football, all four teams in the division will have winning records. Our preview for that game will follow later today.
Giants v Jaguars
The second strongest division in the NFL is the NFC East as the Giants joined the unbeaten Eagles with six wins.
Sequon Barkley was again to the fore rushing for 110 yards, while Daniel Jones also used his legs for good effect running for over 100 yards. This game had multiple lead changes and with 16 seconds left and six points separating the sides, came the most important play of the game.
Jags receiver Christian Kirk looked about to score the winning touchdown but was tackled by Fabian Moreau just shy of the endzone to secure victory for the Big Blue in the Big Apple.
Round Up
The Jets join the Bills on top of the AFC East with five wins after beating the Denver Broncos convincingly in Mile High Stadium. This was another game where both defences were on top throughout but there was one moment of magic for Breece Hall, who lit up the game with a blistering 62-yard first quarter touchdown.
It ended up being a disastrous afternoon for the rookie running-back when he was taken from the field on a kart after picking up what looks like a serious knee injury. An MRI scan scheduled later today will likely rule him out for the season.
Patrick Mahomes returned to winning ways after opening a can of whoop-ass against San Francisco. Entering the fourth quarter there were only five points between the sides, which is hard to imagine when you see the final scoreline. The Chiefs ended up with 30 second-half points against the highest ranked defence in football. On the day, Mecole Hardman had three touchdowns and the pick of the Kansas scores was a Juju Smith-Schuster effort as they ran out 44-24 victors.
A keg of whoop-ass was opened by Joe Burrow when he threw for 481 passing yards as the Cincinnati Bengals put the visiting Atlanta Falcons to the sword. They must have been worried they were in for a long day when Burrow threw Tyler Boyd open from 60 yards on the first drive of the game.
Boyd would finish with 155 receiving yards, while Ja’Marr Chase finished with 130 yards and two eye-catching TDs. If Tee Higgens had run for seven more yards instead of running into touch, all three receivers would have gone for over 100 yards in this 17-35 win.
The Baltimore Ravens are now joint top with the Bengals with a record of 4-3 after they won their divisional AFC North match-up with the Browns. Cade York has a late 63-yard attempt to tie the game but he fluffed his effort on a day when the Ravens defence stepped up with a bunch of eye-catching plays.
The Las Vegas Raiders handed another loss to the Houston Texans on the back of a terrific display from Josh Jacobs. This is the third week in a row where he has rushed for over 140 yards and he also added three touchdowns. It seems to me that his high volume of carries with his physical running style will result in an injury sooner rather than later if the Raiders don’t get someone in to share the load.
The Tennessee Titans extended their lead at the top of the AFC South with a divisional win against the Colts with their only touchdown coming form an interception by Andrew Adams.
Zeke Elliot had two touchdowns from short range as Dak Prescott led the Cowboys to the victory against the Lions. The most memorable play of the game was a massive hit by Kerby Joseph on Cowboys receiver Noah Brown which resulted in a second quarter turnover.
If Roger Goodell gets out of bed on Monday morning and no-one is talking about concussion, he’ll be a happy man.
There have been a number of high profile quarterback head injuries of late, most notably when Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa was carted off the field live on Thursday Night Football after suffering his second concussion in five days.
The previous Sunday, Tua had stumbled after getting up off the ground with an apparent concussion, only to surprisingly pass the head injury assessment and return to the field to lead his team to victory against the Ravens. Four days later when he was swung to the ground and his helmet bounced off the turf in Cincinnati, his body went into a spasm as the viewing audience feared for the worst.
We are now three weeks later and Tua has admitted he has no memory of the incident, which brought the NFL concussion protocol front-and-centre of the national debate.
During this time, the NFL commissioner moved swiftly and fired the doctor who had cleared Tagovailoa to return against Baltimore. He then, along with the NFL Players Association amended the rules around the concussion protocol, which now prohibits a player from returning to play if that player shows ataxia, which is a term that describes impaired coordination and balance caused by head trauma.
This affair has already had an effect across the league and we have seen quarterbacks not return to the field of play every Sunday since the incident. The media attention this story created has certainly furthered the conversation around ‘second-concussion syndrome’ and will likely change the practice in other sports as has happened in the past.
Steelers v Dolphins
Another reason why Commissioner Goodell will be wary about this prime time Sunday night fixture is that Steelers’ rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett has also been cleared to start after leaving mid-game last Sunday, also with a concussion.
Trailing at the time against the Bucs, his replacement Mitch Trubisky came on and was impressive in turning the contest in Pittsburgh’s favour. It leaves head coach Mike Tomlin with a difficult call to make and all indications are that he will start with the rookie. It might have been easier to go with the veteran this week, as Pickett had only 67 passing yards on 18 attempts before leaving the field.
The Steelers need to win this game and with a 2-4 record, a few more losses will put their season to bed and then Pickett will have a free reign as starter. Tomlin has said he doesn’t want a quarterback carousel and must feel that Pickett is his best option to lead this team to victory, especially as the Steelers are only one game away from the Bengals and Ravens who sit atop of the AFC North on records of 3-3.
The pressure is also on for Miami as they have recorded three losses in a row since Tua’s untimely departure, after starting the season 3-0 with him under centre.
With both starting tackles questionable for this game, Tua might need to get rid of the ball quickly on Sunday night but if he is afforded time in the pocket he should have a full receiving corp to choose from with Jalen Waddle, Tyreek Hill and the recently returned Cedrick Wilson providing speed in every direction. For this reason and their competitive defence, I like Miami for this game.
Green Bay Packers @ Washington Commanders
Another team forced to change their quarterback in Week 7 are the Washington Commanders, after Carson Wentz was put on injured-reverse for at least four weeks with a hand injury. It leaves Taylor Heineke in the pivotal position and he was always game when he got the opportunity to start when Ryan Fitzpatrck got injured in the first game last season.
Where Heineke is limited is where the Commanders want to attack, down the field with their four receivers who can all run the 40 in 4.3. Heineke is a smart decision maker but he lacks the arm strength that the top QBs in the NFL possess. It doesn’t help that on Sunday, he will play behind a weak Commanders offensive line.
I mentioned a few weeks ago that Washington might have found a diamond in the rough when they drafted Sam Howell in the fifth round. He impressed me in pre-season and certainly has the arm talent to throw downfield and also moves well in the pocket. What he needs to prove to his coaches is that he can throw the ball accurately as well as make good decisions consistently at an NFL level. I think it’s only a matter of when and not if, before he gets an extended start at quarterback.
This is already a big game for the Commanders against Green Bay and a loss would effectively put a finish to their playoff hopes in the NFC East and mount pressure on Ron Rivera as head-coach. With the return of Chase Young likely within the next fortnight, he needs results to go his way to survive the next few weeks and a win against an under-performing Green Bay would be a great place to start.
It might be a good time to play them too as the Packers are coming off London and Wisconsin losses against the resurgent New York Giants and New York Jets.
They have two major issues at the moment. Primarily, Aaron Rodgers doesn’t seem to have built up enough trust with his new receivers. Doubs has flashed at times but on the big downs Rodgers routinely goes to find Allen Lezard and Randell Cobb, with the latter now out for an extended period after being put on injured reserve. With good timing, Sammy Watkins returns to the match-day squad and at least has the experience of delivering in bigger games and against better defensive backs than he will face on Sunday.
What has arguably been the biggest disappointment for the Packers has been their defence which looks better on paper than they are delivering on the field. They are lacking some pass rush ability but their secondary should be among the best in the business and their line-backing trio are strong with only Rashan Gary balling-out on a week-to-week basis.
I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt to get the W on the road this weekend.
Chiefs @ 49ers
Talk of a 2020 Superbowl rematch, between the Chiefs and the Niners, was derailed on Thursday Night after the Niners pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Carolina Panthers for Christian McCaffery.
The final piece of the puzzle?
It was a major surprise as all the noise the previous weekend was that the star running-back was on his way to Buffalo. In the trade San Francisco took quite a hefty gamble by giving up second, third, fourth and fifth round picks over the next two drafts to secure the services of a player who has spent most of the last two seasons in the treatment room trying to get healthy.
If McCaffery can stay fit, I think it’s a super signing as he will suit the zone-running scheme that head coach Kyle Shanahan runs very successfully. He will also give quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo a good passing option out the backfield.
If you remember what Shanahan did with his running backs when he was offensive coordinator in Atlanta, this could be a key move as the 49ers figuratively push all their chips into the middle of the table to win the Superbowl this season.
They have plenty of reasons to be optimistic with their struggles on offence looking to be clearing. The return of left tackle Trent Williams is not far away and Deebo has continued his impressive dual-threat form of last season. George Kittle has returned to fitness at tight end and Brandon Aiyuk has made a significant improvement as a wide-out option.
Last Sunday, McCaffery had 168 yards from scrimmage in his last game as a Panther and his addition to the 49er attack will leave at least two of the aforementioned four weapons in one-on-one coverage on every drive.
With what is, in my opinion, the best defence in the NFL this season, they are in a Superbowl window and Jimmy G will have little or no excuses if he doesn’t succeed.
In my opinion, this trade is a risk worth taking for general manager John Lynch and Shanahan. Worst case scenario, McCaffery doesn’t stay healthy, the season goes to pot and it signals the end of their era in the Bay Area.
And then it will be left to the next guy to pick up the pieces, with almost no draft picks in May.
If Roger Goodell gets out of bed on Monday morning and no-one is talking about concussion, he’ll be a happy man.
There have been a number of high profile quarterback head injuries of late, most notably when Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa was carted off the field live on Thursday Night Football after suffering his second concussion in five days.
The previous Sunday, Tua had stumbled after getting up off the ground with an apparent concussion, only to surprisingly pass the head injury assessment and return to the field to lead his team to victory against the Ravens. Four days later when he was swung to the ground and his helmet bounced off the turf in Cincinnati, his body went into a spasm as the viewing audience feared for the worst.
We are now three weeks later and Tua has admitted he has no memory of the incident, which brought the NFL concussion protocol front-and-centre of the national debate.
During this time, the NFL commissioner moved swiftly and fired the doctor who had cleared Tagovailoa to return against Baltimore. He then, along with the NFL Players Association amended the rules around the concussion protocol, which now prohibits a player from returning to play if that player shows ataxia, which is a term that describes impaired coordination and balance caused by head trauma.
This affair has already had an effect across the league and we have seen quarterbacks not return to the field of play every Sunday since the incident. The media attention this story created has certainly furthered the conversation around ‘second-concussion syndrome’ and will likely change the practice in other sports as has happened in the past.
Steelers v Dolphins
Another reason why Commissioner Goodell will be wary about this prime time Sunday night fixture is that Steelers’ rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett has also been cleared to start after leaving mid-game last Sunday, also with a concussion.
Trailing at the time against the Bucs, his replacement Mitch Trubisky came on and was impressive in turning the contest in Pittsburgh’s favour. It leaves head coach Mike Tomlin with a difficult call to make and all indications are that he will start with the rookie. It might have been easier to go with the veteran this week, as Pickett had only 67 passing yards on 18 attempts before leaving the field.
The Steelers need to win this game and with a 2-4 record, a few more losses will put their season to bed and then Pickett will have a free reign as starter. Tomlin has said he doesn’t want a quarterback carousel and must feel that Pickett is his best option to lead this team to victory, especially as the Steelers are only one game away from the Bengals and Ravens who sit atop of the AFC North on records of 3-3.
The pressure is also on for Miami as they have recorded three losses in a row since Tua’s untimely departure, after starting the season 3-0 with him under centre.
With both starting tackles questionable for this game, Tua might need to get rid of the ball quickly on Sunday night but if he is afforded time in the pocket he should have a full receiving corp to choose from with Jalen Waddle, Tyreek Hill and the recently returned Cedrick Wilson providing speed in every direction. For this reason and their competitive defence, I like Miami for this game.
Green Bay Packers @ Washington Commanders
Another team forced to change their quarterback in Week 7 are the Washington Commanders, after Carson Wentz was put on injured-reverse for at least four weeks with a hand injury. It leaves Taylor Heineke in the pivotal position and he was always game when he got the opportunity to start when Ryan Fitzpatrck got injured in the first game last season.
Where Heineke is limited is where the Commanders want to attack, down the field with their four receivers who can all run the 40 in 4.3. Heineke is a smart decision maker but he lacks the arm strength that the top QBs in the NFL possess. It doesn’t help that on Sunday, he will play behind a weak Commanders offensive line.
I mentioned a few weeks ago that Washington might have found a diamond in the rough when they drafted Sam Howell in the fifth round. He impressed me in pre-season and certainly has the arm talent to throw downfield and also moves well in the pocket. What he needs to prove to his coaches is that he can throw the ball accurately as well as make good decisions consistently at an NFL level. I think it’s only a matter of when and not if, before he gets an extended start at quarterback.
This is already a big game for the Commanders against Green Bay and a loss would effectively put a finish to their playoff hopes in the NFC East and mount pressure on Ron Rivera as head-coach. With the return of Chase Young likely within the next fortnight, he needs results to go his way to survive the next few weeks and a win against an under-performing Green Bay would be a great place to start.
It might be a good time to play them too as the Packers are coming off London and Wisconsin losses against the resurgent New York Giants and New York Jets.
They have two major issues at the moment. Primarily, Aaron Rodgers doesn’t seem to have built up enough trust with his new receivers. Doubs has flashed at times but on the big downs Rodgers routinely goes to find Allen Lezard and Randell Cobb, with the latter now out for an extended period after being put on injured reserve. With good timing, Sammy Watkins returns to the match-day squad and at least has the experience of delivering in bigger games and against better defensive backs than he will face on Sunday.
What has arguably been the biggest disappointment for the Packers has been their defence which looks better on paper than they are delivering on the field. They are lacking some pass rush ability but their secondary should be among the best in the business and their line-backing trio are strong with only Rashan Gary balling-out on a week-to-week basis.
I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt to get the W on the road this weekend.
Chiefs @ 49ers
Talk of a 2020 Superbowl rematch, between the Chiefs and the Niners, was derailed on Thursday Night after the Niners pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Carolina Panthers for Christian McCaffery.
The final piece of the puzzle?
It was a major surprise as all the noise the previous weekend was that the star running-back was on his way to Buffalo. In the trade San Francisco took quite a hefty gamble by giving up second, third, fourth and fifth round picks over the next two drafts to secure the services of a player who has spent most of the last two seasons in the treatment room trying to get healthy.
If McCaffery can stay fit, I think it’s a super signing as he will suit the zone-running scheme that head coach Kyle Shanahan runs very successfully. He will also give quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo a good passing option out the backfield.
If you remember what Shanahan did with his running backs when he was offensive coordinator in Atlanta, this could be a key move as the 49ers figuratively push all their chips into the middle of the table to win the Superbowl this season.
They have plenty of reasons to be optimistic with their struggles on offence looking to be clearing. The return of left tackle Trent Williams is not far away and Deebo has continued his impressive dual-threat form of last season. George Kittle has returned to fitness at tight end and Brandon Aiyuk has made a significant improvement as a wide-out option.
Last Sunday, McCaffery had 168 yards from scrimmage in his last game as a Panther and his addition to the 49er attack will leave at least two of the aforementioned four weapons in one-on-one coverage on every drive.
With what is, in my opinion, the best defence in the NFL this season, they are in a Superbowl window and Jimmy G will have little or no excuses if he doesn’t succeed.
In my opinion, this trade is a risk worth taking for general manager John Lynch and Shanahan. Worst case scenario, McCaffery doesn’t stay healthy, the season goes to pot and it signals the end of their era in the Bay Area.
And then it will be left to the next guy to pick up the pieces, with almost no draft picks in May.
Two minutes and seven seconds into this contest, there was going to be no repeat of the low scoring affairs of recent Thursdays, as the Saints already had the first touchdown when Andy Dalton found Rachid Shaheed with a play-action pass from 53 yards.
Kyler Murray responded immediately finding slot Rondale Moore and a few plays later Rodrigo Blankenship kicked from midfield to get the Cards on the board. New Orleans went on a 15-play nine-minute drive but when they got 10 yards out Dalton was picked off for teh first time of the night by Antonio Hamilton.
Blankenship had to kick again on fourth down to reduce the margin to one point as Arizona had trouble punching it in.
Then New Orleans increased their lead. First receiver Kevin White caught the ball and took off down the left sideline for a 64-yard play to go down the three yard line. On second down, Dalton passed to Taysom Hill who barged his way over to extend the lead to 14-6.
The Cards hit back with running-back Keaontay Ingram managing to finish off a good drive by Murray and the two-point conversion by Eno Benjamin tied the game 14-14 with two minutes left in the half.
The game turned on two plays within two minutes.
Cardinals corner-back Marco Wilson had a pick-six to give the Cardinals a six-point lead.
Dalton then had his second interception in two minutes and when his throw was returned for a touchdown by Isiah Smmons to leave the scores 14-28 at halftime.
Dalton picked off straightaway again for another pick-six this time from Cards linebacker Isaiah Simmons #TNFpic.twitter.com/FT2AWLsyCY
Saints tight-end Juwan Johnson got two fourth quarter touchdowns in between an Eno Benjamin TD to leave the final score 34-42 to the home side at Glendale, Arizona.
Thursday Night Football has seemingly been cursed and Week 7 begins with a couple of struggling teams, as the New Orleans Saints pay a visit to the Arizona Cardinals.
With the return of DeAndre Hopkins, who is one of the top receivers in the league, hopefully he can fire some sparks on Thursday Night.
Arizona Cardinals (2-4)
Power Rankings – 26th
DVOA Rankings:
Offence – 26th
Defence – 20th
ST – 26th
Overall – 29th
Arizona’s Injury Report
The pressure was on Arizona this season after last year’s disappointing finish, especially after making long term commitments to head coach Kliff Kingsbury and starting quarterback Kyler Murray.
So far, those commitments are not paying off as planned yet. Murray and the offence have struggled all year, and now the big off-season addition Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown is sidelined with a significant injury.
This should be a good opportunity for the Cardinal’s offence to break out against a Saints’ defence that’s allowed more than 26 points per game; a statistic that puts them among the bottom five defences in the league.
It’s gotten to the point where this Week 7 game might be a must win for the home Cardinals. While it’s early to call it that, especially when they are in a division with no teams over .500, Arizona’s schedule gets significantly harder in the following weeks. With tension growing over Kingsbury’s head, he can’t afford to enter a bye week with such a poor record.
New Orleans Saints (2-4)
Power Rankings – 24th
DVOA Rankings:
Offence – 18th
Defence – 18th
ST – 31st
Overall – 26th
New Orleans Injury Report
The Saints missed an opportunity to move into a first-place tie in the NFC South this past weekend by blowing a two-score second half lead against the Cincinnati Bengals. Now face the challenge of travelling on the road during a short week.
So far this season hasn’t been as successful as previous years, with the loss of Sean Payton as head coach. It’s no secret that the New Orleans’ franchise have been on the edge of the salary cap for years, making certain sacrifices that are now starting to catch up on them.
It also doesn’t help with the injuries New Orleans have accrued, especially in the lead up to this prime time game. Both starting receivers Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry have been ruled out along with starting offensive lineman Andrus Peat. But it’s perhaps star corner-back Marshon Lattimore, who might be the biggest loss, with his presence up against Hopkins being a tremendous miss.
They might get Jameis Winston back with a game time decision on who is starting between himself and Andy Dalton potentially being crucial towards the outcome.
Prediction
The past few Thursday night games have been complete duds in terms of total points, with the totals being 21 and 19 points respectively. The over/under for this game is set at 44.5 and that might seem a significant increase but I think it has potential to be around that.
Both offences haven’t been scoring for fun as of late and tonight could be a good chance for either side to light things up. The miss of Lattimore for the Saints is humongous and it could affect the outcome of the game.
He is one of the top corners in the game and most likely would have been matched up one-on-one with the returning Hopkins. Being his first game back there’s potential for him to be slow out of the gates, and that would have been perfect for Lattimore to shut him out and remove Murray’s favourite weapon. Now, Hopkins will have an easier matchup that will allow him to slowly find his feet in the game instead of jumping straight into the deep end.
I am expecting a higher scorer and I think the offences will take centre stage. Although Hopkins’ return should ignite a spark into this Cardinals offence, I still don’t think it will be enough to get them over the line. I like some of the pieces the Saints have and even though they are missing key players, I see them moving the ball nicely still and causing issues for the Arizona defence.
What a strange weekend of football that was. With underdog wins all over the place the NFL right now feels like it’s in a state of mediocrity. The top three teams look like the real deal, but below that we have a deep dark hole for the remaining 29 teams.
Across the league, 10 teams have winning records, 10 are 3-3 and the other 12 are under .500. What that means is plenty of risers and fallers this week, so let’s get straight into the rankings.
Buffalo Bills (5-1)
Last Week – 1st
In the most anticipated game of the regular season, with their eye firmly on avenging the playoff loss to Kansas City last season, Buffalo proved themselves as the league’s big boss. Thye won thanks to the players they added to get them to this point.
Two-time Super-Bowl Champion Von Miller, solidified his name in Buffalo as he finished with two sacks and four tackles and was instrumental in stopping each of the last three Chiefs drives. He pressured Patrick Mahomes early in the fourth quarter to force a field goal that put Kansas City up 20-17, sacked him to end the next drive and then hurried him before the game-sealing interception by Taron Johnson.
If the Bills dominance does not strike you enough, Football Outsiders who created the highly respected DVOA metric currently have Buffalo first on offence and defence. Yes that’s right, the best offence and defence in the league!
Last time that ever happened was 19 years ago back with Tampa Bay and they went on to win the Lombardi.
Up next: Bye week
Philadelphia Eagles (6-0)
Last Week – 2nd
The NFC really isn’t cooking right now and it’s already starting to look like a one-horse race for the No. 1 seed, after only a third of the way through the season. Besides the Eagles, there are only three other teams with winning records, and Philadelphia has already beaten two of them (Cowboys and Vikings) quite comfortably and in prime time as well.
Philly on a by week
With the next three opponents after the bye being Steelers, Texans and Commanders, Philly has a very strong case to start 9-0, while not even breaking that much of a sweat. They’ve looked great on both offence and defence similar to Buffalo, but it does feel that they haven’t reached their top gear yet. In a way that’s exciting as a fan to know there is more to come from your undefeated team.
Up next: Bye week
Kansas City Chiefs (4-2)
Last Week – 3rd
There is no shame in losing to the Bills but the road ahead for Kansas doesn’t get any easier. With one of the harder schedules remaining and being two games behind the Bills, that No. 1 seed might be slowly getting out of their reach. But being a lower seed isn’t the end of the road. It’s about maintaining consistency and being ready for the play-offs when January rolls around.
On a good note this defence does look better than units in the past. With a lot of turnover in the off-season, it was a bit of a mystery to how that side of the ball would play out. But with a solid defensive line, if they can just keep causing havoc and keeping things close, Mahomes will do the rest for them.
Up next: at San Francisco, 9:25 p.m. BST/GMT
Cincinnati Bengals (3-3)
Last Week – 8th
For the first time in a while we finally got to see the Joe Burrow – Ja’Marr Chase connection we’ve been missing, and in no better place than where it all started, New Orleans.
The Bengals jump up a nice few spots thanks to their counterparts above them all failing. For the last month now Cincinnati have maintained their steady rise up as they look to regain their form of last year. The defence has been stellar throughout and with the offence slowly getting there, it’s beginning to spice up in the AFC.
Up next: vs. Atlanta, Sunday 6 p.m. BST/GMT
Baltimore Ravens (3-3)
Last Week – 4th
Baltimore really has the quarterback, weapons and coach to compete with the ‘Big 3’, but their lack of execution in the fourth quarter is killing them. In all three of their losses, they have blown second-half leads of at least 10 points.
During these bottles, they have only trailed for an astounding total of 120 seconds in their three losses. The Ravens still rank No. 3 in overall DVOA, No. 3 in offensive DVOA and No. 15 in defensive DVOA. This rank is a vote of confidence on what Lamar Jackson brings to the table, but also just because there are no other better options.
Up next: vs. Cleveland, Sunday 6 p.m. BST/GMT
San Francisco 49ers (3-3)
Last Week – 5th
San Fran has been on the rise the last couple of weeks and with one of the best defences in the league and look to be one of the better competitors in the NFC. But with all the strange upsets over the weekend, the Niners loss to Atlanta was one of the most surprising.
A few key players were missing in Trent Williams and Nick Bosa but injuries happen to every team and it’s hard to use it as an excuse. Though a strange thing the 49ers did this week was stay over in West Virginia. This was their second consecutive game on the East Coast so saving themselves the travel, they stayed over on that side of the country. It was an interesting decision and clearly didn’t play out, so back to California for the game of the week against the Chiefs,
Up next: vs. Kansas City, Sunday 9:25 p.m. BST/GMT
Dallas Cowboys (4-2)
Last Week – 7th
All signs point to Dak Prescott returning against the Lions on Sunday, and what better way to try out his new thumb than against the worst defence in the league.
The Cooper Rush train had to end at some point and he went out diligently against Philly. But realistically Rush deserves great credit for the hope he restored in this team after how sour things seemed when Dak went down in Week 1. With an explosive push rush now and formidable defence alongside them, things are looking up for them Cowboys.
Up next: vs. Detroit, Sunday 6 p.m. BST/GMT
Minnesota Vikings (5-1)
Last Week – 10th
Every week this team keeps on winning, yet every week I still remain unimpressed with them. I don’t mean to beat up on teams every week and if there are Vikings fans that read this, I’m not apologising but your record hides up the problems.
Minnesota ranks 17th in overall DVOA, 14th on offence, 21st on defence. Of the five teams they’ve beaten, none have a winning record, and only the Skylar Thompson/Teddy Bridgewater-led Dolphins had one entering their matchup with Minnesota. Now it’s fair that you can only beat what’s in front of you, but this type of play isn’t going to be sustainable when the playoffs come around.
Up next: Bye week
Los Angeles Chargers (4-2)
Last Week – 9th
It wasn’t the prettiest of wins on Monday night against Denver, but they got there in the end.
I mentioned in a preview to the game, that the Chargers’ performance can depend on how well they run the ball. When it’s going smoothly they are like a well oiled machine that few teams could beat. The problem is how inconsistent they have been in the run game with the injuries to Corey Linsley and Rashawn Slater. The centre and left tackle have not been available as much as LA would have liked and it is holding them back when trying to run the ball down defences throats. Denver’s defence is elite and Monday was a prime example of when their run game gets stopped, problems start to occur for Los Angeles.
New York Giants (5-1)
Last Week – 11th
At this point, we all have to put our hands up and say fair play to what the Giants are doing. Stopping Lamar Jackson isn’t an easy task, yet week in-week out, New York keeps beating these teams no one gives them a chance against. Going into the year they were primed for a high draft pick and five wins on the season might have been a success. Yet they’ve gone and got five wins across six weeks, and with an easier schedule among the league, what’s stopping them from going to the play-offs?
Giants winning despite the metrics
The main question is how sustainable is this way of winning for New York. Three of their wins have been comebacks of at least 14 points, while they possess a bottom tier quarterback and 30th ranked DVOA defence. Whether they can keep this up we will see, but at the end of the day all that matters is the record tally.
Up next: at Jacksonville, Sunday 6 p.m. BST/GMT
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-3)
Last Week – 6th
When Brady made his big U-Turn out of retirement, I’m sure this is what he wasn’t expecting. Right now this Buccaneers side is being carried by a defence while it waits for its offence to pick things up.
To be fair it’s not the worst situation for Brady to be in. This Tampa defence is great and can carry the load, while Brady and his weapons get themselves on the same page. Now whether they can do that will be the question, but knowing Brady it’s normally a safe bet to back him.
Up next: at Carolina, Sunday 6 p.m. BST/GMT
New England Patriots (3-3)
Last Week – 18th
I’ve come up with a Hollywood story here, let me set the plotline.
A senior does his duties and breaks the records as he becomes a legend for his respected college. Now our main character here wants to go to the big league, but they don’t care about records and want to know how athletic he is. Our star here isn’t very athletic so he falls all the way down Day 3 of the Draft and an old man that wears a sleeveless hoodie likes what he sees. Nothing is given to him and he must watch from the bench until the star QB gets injured and his name is called upon. From that moment the rest is history and he goes on to win seven Super Bowls.
Sounds familiar right. That’s the career for Bailey Zappe!!!
Up next: vs. Chicago, Tuesday 1:15 a.m. BST/GMT
Los Angeles Rams (3-3)
Last Week – 13th
The stories that dominated the headlines for the Rams this week was the Cam Akers situation. Akers is physically healthy, but the relationship between him and Sean McVay has been simmering throughout training camp, when Akers missed time with what the team said was a soft tissue injury. Afterwards McVay publicly said he needed more ‘urgency’ from Akers, as a trade now seems near.
The Rams may not have the most dynamic set of weapons like they once had, but it’s hard to believe they won’t be able to improve upon their No. 25 ranking in offensive DVOA after the bye.
Up next: Bye week
New York Jets (4-2)
Last Week – 22nd
With Sauce Gardner, Breece Hall, Garrett Wilson and Max Mitchell, the Jets are one of only two teams in the league, with four rookies who have each played 200 snaps on offence or defence. The excitement about the resurgent Jets is not just because they’re playing well, but because they look like they have a young core that they can develop into building blocks for this team.
Not too many people can ever say they have the bookies favourite for Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Up next: at Denver, Sunday 9:05 p.m. BST/GMT
Tennessee Titans (3-2)
Last Week – 15th
No Titans football last Sunday, but if you didn’t hear Tennessee beat Alabama. If you’re from the area and happen to see a goal post laying about let the university know, they’re missing one.
Up next: vs. Indianapolis, Sunday 6 p.m. BST/GMT
Las Vegas Raiders (1-4)
Last Week – 17th
Up one spot and they probably spent all weekend in the casino. Nice work Vegas. If you just keep taking a bye week every week, you’ll probably be in the top-10 sooner rather than later.
Up next: vs. Houston, Sunday 9:05 p.m. BST/GMT
Atlanta Falcons
Last Week – 21st
Arthur Smith has really brought that Tennessee run game with him, and seemingly done it without Derrick Henry. Atlanta ranks No. 1 in rushing DVOA and third in rushing yards per game, with three 50-yard runs in Sunday’s win over the Niners. The big question now is whether he can start getting their unicorn Kyle Pitts more involved. Getting his first TD of the season last Sunday was a good start.
Up next: at Cincinnati, Sunday 6 p.m. BST/GMT
Seattle Seahawks
Last Week – 24th
After the offence carried the Seahawks defence through the first five games of the season. Seattle shut down Kyler Murray to nine points thanks to a surprise performance from a run defence that had been exposed through the start of the season.
All while the offence remains consistently good, with rookie Kenneth Walker shooting onto the scene this week winning Smashmouthing Football’s ‘Rookie of the Week.’
Up next: at Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday 9:25 p.m. BST/GMT
Green Bay Packers
Last Week – 12th
As sluggish as the Packers’s offence has been, the defence is arguably now their biggest disappointment, ranking 24th in DVOA and 32nd against the run. It sounds strange but as a Lions fan I was over the moon when Rodgers extended his stay in Green Bay for this very reason. As much as people think the salary cap is a myth, it’s not and the Packers had to let go of some good players to keep them under it. A guy like Za’Darius Smith would come very handy for this defence now but instead they have to keep an ageing quarterback who will be gone in two years.
Up next: at Washington, Sunday 6 p.m. BST/GMT
Miami Dolphins
Last Week – 14th
It’s never easy winning in this league when your starting quarterback goes down and it’s even tougher when the backup quarterback also follows suit. With the carousel of quarterback-backs coming through in Miami, you’d think it would make life easier when throwing to Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
Well that’s partly true as they rank first in EPA per play against man coverage. The problem that comes with that is opposing defences have started to steadily decline in man coverage plays, with Minnesota this Sunday only running this scheme 6.8% of the time.
Up next: vs. Pittsburgh, Monday 1:20 a.m. BST/GMT
Indianapolis Colts
Last Week – 25th
Matty Ice keeping things cool
Indy’s offence has been nothing short of abysmal this season, ranking dead last in the majority of statistics, but Sunday’s performance was the turnaround fans have been waiting for. Part of the reason for that was the emergence of rookie Alec Pierce who went on to catch the winning touchdown in their come from behind win. Credit to Matt Ryan as well, who got the passing game going by completing a staggering 42 passes for 389 yards and three touchdowns.
Up next: at Tennessee, Sunday 6 p.m. BST/GMT
Jacksonville Jaguars
Last Week – 16th
The Jaguars rank last in the league in Football Outsider’s variance, meaning they have been the least consistent team in the league on a week-to-week basis. That’s what happens I guess when you go from beating the Chargers by 28 points to losing at home to the Texans. Don’t be surprised when they beat the 5-1 Giants at home this week then.
Up next: vs. New York Giants, Sunday 6 p.m. BST/GMT
Cleveland Browns
Last Week – 20th
Despite the losing record Cleveland was keeping games close before this weekend against the Patriots, with their first three losses all being one score games. That changed when the Patriots beat them badly in their own backyard, as the Browns now run the risk of being out of the playoff race before Deshaun Watson even gets under centre. Their next two games are back-to-back AFC North affairs against the Ravens and Bengals, in what will be crucial games for the future of their season.
Up next: at Baltimore, Sunday 6 p.m. BST/GMT
New Orleans Saints
Last Week – 23rd
Ja’Marr Chase’s 60-yard touchdown catch Sunday was the longest winning touchdown scored with less than two minutes in a game since the Dolphins famous lateral touchdown on the final play of their 2018 win against the Patriots. As well as the Saints played, it felt like a fairy story waiting to come true for Chase and Burrow in Louisiana and it did.
Up next: at Arizona, Friday 1:15 a.m. BST/GMT
Arizona Cardinals
Last Week – 19th
Things keep going downhill for the Cardinals after a nine-point performance and an injury to Marquise Brown, who potentially could be for the year. The one last hope for them is the return of DeAndre Hopkins this week. The Cardinals are 16-10 with him and 5-8 without him. With this last throw at the dart board, if it seemingly fails, it might be time for a coaching and general manager change in Arizona.
Up next: VS. New Orleans, Friday 1:15 a.m. BST/GMT
Pittsburgh Steelers
Last Week – 29th
In a tale of events that no one saw coming, Kenny Pickett went down with a concussion during Sunday’s game against Tampa Bay, and Mitch Trubisky came in and saved the day. Now Trubisky put on a good performance but you would hope Pittsburgh aren’t too hasty and bench the young guy before things really even got started. That said, with a matchup against Miami this week, we would rather not have controversy of two recently concussed players going head-to-head.
Up next: at Miami, Monday 1:20 a.m. BST/GMT
Denver Broncos
Last Week – 26th
Denver entered Monday night ranked second in defensive DVOA and played to that level, getting after Herbert throughout. The defence looks well-coached and strong, which sadly still can’t be said for the offence. I feel like a broken record banging on about it every week, but you can tell some of the starting players in that offence are not happy. With a trade deadline looming, moves may or may not be made but something needs to change in personnel for sure.
Up next: vs. New York Jets, Sunday 9:05 p.m. BST/GMT
Detroit Lions
Last Week – 28th
Off a bye week, it felt like the perfect time for this team to huddle up, hash things out and get healthy. However, only negative news continued to come out of Detroit. Last year’s second round pick Levi Onwuzurike had potential career ending back surgery, 13 players are still on the injury reports and Dan Campbell announced the owner is frustrated with how things have developed. It’s really going to be a tough few months unless they turn it around and fast.
Up next: at Dallas, Sunday 6 p.m. BST/GMT
Washington Commanders
Last Week – 31st
Thursdays Night Football seems to be an offensive curse, but the Commanders escaped Chicago with a win. It just so happens Carson Wentz escaped with a fractured finger that’s going to require surgery, keeping him out for four to six weeks. Ron Rivera gets his wish of a new quarterback and will have to choose between backup Taylor Heinicke, or let the young gun rookie Sam Howell have a crack. This Sunday, Heinicke gets the nod.
Up next: vs. Green Bay, Sunday 6 p.m. BST/GMT
Chicago Bears
Last Week – 27th
The running debate in Chicago seems to be what’s the bigger issue on offence, and which person is going to lose their job because of it come the end of the season. On one hand you have Justin Fields, who can make the case for the lack of talent around him, though his reaction after his helmet interception doesn’t do himself any favours.
Fields is 23rd of 33 quarterbacks in EPA per dropback, while the offence is 30th in DVOA. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy has somehow structured an offensive system that is entirely uninterested in working around Fields’ pros and cons, which is rarely a good idea. There’s plenty of weeks remaining so we’ll see how this debate plays out.
Up next: at New England, Tuesday 1:15 a.m. BST/GMT
Houston Texans
Last Week – 31st
Davis Mills and the offence are playing their way to a new quarterback next offseason, which is exactly what the doctor ordered for the rebuilding Texans. Houston ranks 27th in offensive EPA per drive and Mills is at the centre to all the inefficiency. Only Baker Mayfield has a lower EPA per dropback average through Week 6 than Mills, and his coach just got fired.
Up next: at Las Vegas, Sunday 4:05 p.m. BST/GMT
Carolina Panthers
Last Week – 32nd
Steve Wilks was given the interim job after Matt Rhule’s firing last week and he had a fun science experiment in his first game in charge.
The Panthers attempted 21 passes on the weekend with the travel average of such passes being 0.9 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. Yep on average they throw the ball less than 1 yard every time. I’m as mind-boggled as you are reading that stat. How does that even happen?
Unsurprising in TruMedia’s database, that is the lowest average depth of target they have ever recorded in their eight years of existence.
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