NFL Analysis
10/20/24
9 min read
Biggest Winners, Losers From 2024 NFL Week 7
NFL Week 7 was one of the best Sunday afternoon slates of the year, with several games coming down to the final kick. We saw the Lions and Vikings exchange haymakers all afternoon, and the Packers kick a winning field goal against the Texans in a massive NFC-AFC battle.
But what player was the most impressive in Week 7? And which ones left a lot to be desired? Here are the biggest winners and losers coming out of another great week of NFL action:
Week 7 Winners, Losers
Honorable Mentions:
Winner: Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills
Loser: Mike McDaniel, HC, Miami Dolphins
Winner: Dexter Lawrence, NT, New York Giants
Loser: Calvin Ridley, WR, Tennessee Titans
⬆️Winner: Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
You just knew that Saquon Barkley would have a big game against the Giants at MetLife Stadium. Barkley doesn’t hold any ill will against the Giants, but it’s always fun to have a big game against your former team. And did he ever.
Barkley was the best player on the field in Week 7, and his big-play ability helped the Eagles after another scoreless first quarter. He had three runs of 30 or more yards against the Giants, finishing the game with 176 rushing yards on just 17 carries.
This was the fourth time in Barkley’s career that he averaged at least 10 yards per rush, but it was the first time he did it on 15 or more carries. His 176 rushing yards were the second-most of his career, and at one point, Barkley had 92 rushing yards above expectation, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
The Eagles are at their best when they can stay balanced on offense, which means a heavy dose of Barkley. A.J. Brown has certainly helped this offense get back on track, and they have the playmakers to make a run in the NFC.
If Barkley can stay healthy, he can put together his best season yet and prove that he can be a difference-maker at the running back position.
⬆️Winner: Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions
The Lions have playmakers galore on offense, but Jahmyr Gibbs is a bit of a unicorn in today’s NFL. There aren’t many backs in the league with his skillset and athleticism.
And time again, he delivers big plays whenever the Lions need them the most. Week 7 was no expectation as he had a 45-yard touchdown to cut the Vikings lead down to 10-7. Two possessions later, Gibbs would get into the end zone for his second touchdown to extend the lead.
Gibbs...GONE 🙌#DETvsMIN | 📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/VGvo0LHytf
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) October 20, 2024
Gibbs finished the game with 160 yards on 19 touches, and he averaged 7.7 yards per carry. Gibbs has now played 21 career regular season games, and he’s averaged at least 5.0 yards per carry in 14. In fact, this is the seventh time that he’s averaged at least 6.0 yards per carry in a single game.
The Lions will need to have an efficient offense to combat the loss of Aidan Hutchinson. Luckily for Detroit, it has the playmakers to accomplish that. Expect Gibbs to get even more looks moving forward, as he might just be Detroit's best offensive weapon. And that certainly says something when you play with Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta, David Montgomery, etc.
⬆️Winner: Steve Spagnuolo, DC, Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are no longer an offensive team that can play in a shootout every week. While they can occasionally play those games, they don't have the offensive firepower to get into high-scoring matchups. But that doesn't mean they don't have an identity.
This is a defensive-focused team that can stop even the most complex offenses in the NFL.
Week 7 was another great example of how great Steve Spagnulolo is as a defensive coordinator. Despite losing both starting outside cornerbacks during the game, Spagnulolo's defense created three interceptions on Brock Purdy in San Francisco. Two of the INTs came in Kansas City territory, with one occurring in the red zone. His unique blitz packages confused Purdy all game and had him second-guessing every read.
The Chiefs are 6-0, and most of the credit is due to their defense. They have not allowed more than 18 points in any of their last three games, and the 49ers were held to just 12 points until the 1:08-minute mark in the fourth quarter. Kansas City also held Purdy to a 0.0 passer rating in the first quarter, as the offense was completely stumped.
Kansas City is 6-0, and it has a healthy lead over everyone else in the conference. And even if the offense continues to struggle, the defense will keep the team alive in just about every game.
⬇️Loser: Daniel Jones, QB, New York Giants
There is no denying that the loss of LT Andrew Thomas (foot) is a big one for the Giants. He is the best player on their offense, and no one can replace him. Having said that, quarterbacks across the NFL are always dealing with offensive line injuries and can still find some level of success.
However, as we’ve seen in the past few seasons, Daniel Jones can't overcome offensive line injuries.
Sunday was another example, as the Giants were missing Thomas but did have their other four starters on the offensive line. Jones took seven sacks before eventually being replaced by Drew Lock. Way too often, Jones dropped his eye level and looked at the pressure rather than finding open receivers.
He did his offensive line no favors by holding onto the ball as long as he did. There was no deep passing attack, as the Giants finished the game with 43 passing yards on 37 dropbacks. In fact, he had no completions beyond 15 air yards on Sunday.
This is one of the worst passing charts that you'll see all season. Of his 14 completions, 12 were within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage.
These games have become far too common for Jones and the Giants, and they won't stop anytime soon, especially with the Pittsburgh Steelers up next on the schedule.
With the Giants sitting at 2-5, it appears it’s another lost season, and time for Jones to prove that he is a franchise quarterback is running out. If there's another poor performance in Week 8, we could see Lock starting sooner rather than later.
⬇️Loser: Anthony Richardson, QB, Indianapolis Colts
It’s rare when the winning quarterback ends up on this list, but we need to have a conversation about Anthony Richardson. The Colts won 16-10 against the Dolphins, but this was not a pretty win by any means.
Indianapolis had just 284 yards of offense, 155 of which came on the ground. They were 4-13 on third down and averaged only 5.4 yards per pass.
Richardson finished the game 10-of-24 for 129 yards and zero touchdowns. At one point, he was 4-of-18 passing. He has now played in nine NFL games and has five games in which his completion percentage was 50 percent or worse.
He has just one career game where he’s completed 18 or more passes, and that was in his first NFL start against the Jaguars (24-37 for 233 yards)
Richardson adds a ton of value with his legs, but he just might not be an NFL passer. That’s frustrating, considering how good all of the weapons are around him. The Colts will stick with Richardson moving forward because they have to find out whether or not he can be the long-term answer at quarterback.
The hope is that he can improve with more playing time, as this was just his ninth start. However, his inaccuracy remains a huge issue and one that needs to be solved quickly if the Colts want to make a run to the postseason.
⬇️Loser: The Carolina Panthers
No one was expecting the Carolina Panthers to beat the Commanders in Week 7. By the time kickoff started, the Commanders were 8.5-point favorites at home with arguably the hottest quarterback in the league.
However, this game was over pretty quickly, as Andy Dalton threw a pick-six on the first possession. By halftime, the score was 27-0, and that was with Jayden Daniels leaving due to a rib injury early in the first quarter. Daniels attempted just two passes before being ruled out, and it was Marcus Mariota who entered the game in his behalf. And, of course, Mariota carved up the Panthers, throwing for two touchdowns in one of the ugliest games of the season.
The Panthers benched Bryce Young after two games this season, believing that he was the primary reason for Carolina’s struggles. While they did win against the Raiders in Week 3, this team has had a major freefall since. They have now lost four straight games, all by double digits. The last three losses have all been by 18 or more points.
There is no doubt that the Panthers are the worst team in the league, and there might not be a close second. Not only do they not have a franchise quarterback, they have few building blocks for the future.
The Panthers couldn’t be further away from contention right now.
