Top 7 From Week 7: Sunday Shockers

10/23/2023

By: Jeff Yoder

7-On-7: The 7 Biggest Storylines From a Sunday of Shockers & Awful Officiating in NFL Week 7

Well friends, your guess is as good as mine. For the third straight week, we ranked a new No. 1 team in our weekly power rankings only to watch them fall from the throne almost instantly. The Ravens didn’t just beat the Lions on Sunday after we slotted Detroit at No. 1, they rolled ‘em with flare. Lamar Jackson gets this week’s game ball, and LJ is quickly making his case for MVP. Week 7 Sunday in the NFL came with some upset victories all across the league. Three one-win teams were victorious — Patriots, Bears and Broncos — and Bill Belichick’s 300th career win came on the heels of our Sunday column calling for the Pats to move on (what do I know?). Then, the primetime showcase featured an Alabama reunion between Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa, as well as the most beautiful jerseys, I don’t know, ever? There’s a reason the Eagles’ kelly green throwbacks broke the record for most sales by a retro uniform.

To top it all off, NFL officiating had some head-scratchers all day long. It’s 49ers-Vikings tonight on Monday Night Football, but let’s rerun Week 7 Sunday with a 7-on-7 drill.

7 Biggest Week 7 Storylines

1. Ravens Rock the Lions: Detroit entered Sunday with one loss on the resume (an overtime loss, no less), but the Ravens gave the Lions a reality check. Lamar Jackson racked up 393 yards and 4 touchdowns in an absolute clinic against the Lions defense. Baltimore won convincingly (38-6), and they might’ve turned the corner and unleashed one of the league’s most potent offensive attacks. The Ravens and Lions are both 5-2, but one of those 5-2 records feels a little stronger today.

2. Belichick’s 300th Win: The Patriots’ 1-5 start was the worst for the franchise since 1995, and that had many sportswriters (me included) calling it the impending end of the Bill Belichick era. News broke on Sunday that Belichick had secretly signed a multi-year extension in the offseason, then the Pats stunned the Bills (29-25). Belichick joined Don Shula and George Halas as the only coaches with 300-plus wins. And Buffalo is quickly becoming the league’s biggest case of “are they/aren’t they.”

3. Eagles Fly in Primetime Throwbacks: An Alabama reunion took center stage in primetime with former Crimson Tide teammates Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa squaring off in Philadelphia. The Dolphins made it a game with a pick-six in the third quarter, but Hurts and the birds — rocking those kelly green throwbacks — held the Miami to just one offensive touchdown and pulled away late (31-17). The Eagles were 4-for-4 on the “tush push” and they improved to 6-1.

4. National Tight End Day: Sunday was National Tight End Day in the NFL, a holiday started by 49ers tight end George Kittle. Tight ends around the NFL popped off for big days. Chiefs TE Travis Kelce (12 receptions, 179 yards, 1 TD) had the best performance with Taylor Swift in the booth. Dallas Goedert (Eagles), Darren Waller (Giants), Mark Andrews (Ravens) and other TEs found the end zone. Go big fellas.

5. Cleveland, Colts, Controversy: Colts fans had some warranted beef with the officials after a barn-burner in Indy with the Browns. Indy held a 38-33 lead before they forced a strip-sack and fumble recovery that would’ve iced the game. A defensive holding call kept the ball with Cleveland, and a questionable pass interference call on the ensuing play gave the Browns the ball at the 1-yard line. They scored (39-38), and Colts fans were sick. Browns DE Myles Garrett was a monster in this one (2 sack-fumbles, 1 blocked field goal).

6. Mahomes Magic on Display: The Chiefs were doing Chiefs things again on Sunday with you-know-who in attendance, and the Mahomes-to-Kelce combo was cooking. Mahomes threw for 424 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT while finding Kelce a dozen times for 179 yards and a score. The Chiefs took down the Chargers (31-17), and Kansas City has won six straight since their opening-night loss to the Lions by one point. The Chiefs (6-1) own the NFL’s longest active win streak at six games, and (spoiler) they’ll be the No. 1 team in this week’s rankings.

7. Bears, Bagent, Beileve It: Here’s a fun one. The Bears and Raiders were both without their starting quarterbacks on Sunday. Enter Tyson Bagent — a former Division II star who stepped in for the injured Justin Fields. Bagent was an efficient 21-for-29 with 162 yards and a touchdown to lead the Bears over the Raiders (30-12). Chicago’s defense stepped up, and Chicago found their second win of the season.

All Week 7 Scores & Highlights

Jaguars def. Saints (31-24)

Bears def. Raiders (30-12)

Browns def. Colts (39-38)

Patriots def. Bills (29-25)

Giants def. Commanders (14-7)

Falcons def. Buccaneers (16-13)

Ravens def. Lions (38-6)

Steelers def. Rams (24-17)

Seahawks def. Cardinals (20-10)

Broncos def. Packers (19-17)

Chiefs def. Chargers (31-17)

Eagles def. Dolphins (31-17)

Tonight (Monday Night Football)

49ers at Vikings (8:15 pm ET, ESPN)

The Ringer: The Hot Read, Week 7: Lamar Jackson for MVP

FTW: Myles Garrett Jumped Over the Colts Line for the Coolest FG Block

CBS Sports: Bill Belichick Joins Don Shula & George Halas as Only Coaches With 300 Wins

Photo: Patrick Smith / Getty Images