The Baltimore Ravens were not able to escape their disappointment even during the bye-week, as they are now solely responsible for the last position in the AFC North.
The Baltimore Ravens were not able to escape their disappointment even during the bye-week, as they are now solely responsible for the last position in the AFC North.
Week 7 saw a classic shootout involving the two oldest NFL quarterbacks. Aaron Rodgers, Joe Flacco and the Bengals won a thrilling game in primetime with a score of 33-31.
Rodgers, 42, seemed to go back in time with his vintage performance that included four touchdowns and two interceptions. Jaylen Warren, who returned to the field, led the way with 127 yards of rushing on 16 carries. Pat Freiermuth, the tight end, was the top receiver with 111 yards, two touchdowns and a highlight catch-and run score that covered 68 yards.
The Steelers’ defense was unable to stop Flacco, who is 40, from flying through the air. This was especially true on the wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase passes, which resulted in 161 yards of yardage and a touchdown. The unit’s performance was even more surprising, as they only managed two sacks on the immobile Flacco who played behind a weak offensive front.
Pittsburgh is still the best team in the division with a 4-2, but the lead they once held has shrunk down to one game. The schedule for the rest of the season will be difficult.
Flacco, in his second game after being traded to Cincinnati has won over yet another AFC North fanbase as he smashed the Steelers of the division for the Bengals first win since week 2.
Flacco finished the night with a total of 342 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions in 47 attempts. Chase and Tee Higgins, another star wide receiver, combined for 257 yard and two touchdowns. Chase Brown’s best game this season was his 108 rushing yard on 11 carries. After a solid sophomore season, this was the first game in which the third-year runningback had surpassed 50 rushing yardage.
Cincinnati didn’t record a single sack against Rodgers, despite the absence of their best edge rusher Trey Hendrickson. Both safety Jordan Battle and cornerback DJ Turner managed to grab interceptions that were instrumental in the Bengals victory.
With a new quarterback, the Bengals now only trail the division leader by one game and have a renewed sense of energy.
The Cleveland Browns’ win over the Miami Dolphins was their second of the season and the result was one of the most surprising of all the games in Week 7.
Quinshon Judikins, a rookie running back who was drafted in the second round, continues to be a rising star. The Dolphins saw him rack up 84 yards on the ground and score three touchdowns. Dillon Gabriel, a third-round rookie quarterback, completed 13 of his 18 passes for an impressive 116 yards and zero touchdowns. Gabriel has not thrown an interception since assuming the starting role. Harold Fannin Jr., a rookie tight end, led the team in receiving yards with 36. David Njoku was out with a knee problem.
The Browns defense shut down the Dolphins by intercepting quarterback TuaTagovailoa 3 times, recovering a fumble and securing 4 sacks. Cleveland acquired cornerback Tyson Campbell via a trade for Greg Newsome II. Campbell was one of those players who had an interception.
The Browns have moved up to second place in their division after Sunday’s win.
The Ravens did not lose a single game in Week 7 but, with the Browns winning the AFC North, they lost ground. This week, all eyes will be focused on Lamar Jackson and his practice status. On Wednesday, he returned to practice in a limited way. However, it is still not certain that he will play on Sunday.