“You are what your record says you are.” The line was made famous by former Cowboys and Giants coach Bill Parcell. It can be a philosophy that can guide us in every aspect of life because we are ultimately judged by the results we deliver. In sports, although past accomplishments and success can mean a lot to a fanbase, Bill Parcells knew it was only his record each year that mattered. With seven weeks completed in the NFL season and nearly at the midpoint of the season, Bill Parcell’s words should be ringing in the ears of Fans, Coaches, and General Managers. So look at the standings, your team’s record is likely a reflection of who they are in 2022. In this article, we break down the top headlines from week 7.
1. Is it time to panic?- I felt the Buccaneers and Packers would bounce back after a disastrous week six because they were playing the Panthers, and Commanders respectively. However, the games turned out to be disastrous for both legendary quarterbacks. The Panthers entered the game with a 1-5 record, had fired their coach Matt Rhule and their starting quarterback, Baker Mayfield was out injured. The Buccaneers failed to deliver right from the outset, and Mike Evans started in the worse manner by dropping a wide-open walk-in touchdown. Carolina was the more physical team by outrushing the Bucs 173-46 yards. Brady was efficient in completing 32-49 for 290 yards but went 2 for 12 on 3rd downs. It led to an embarrassing final score of Panthers 21- Bucs 3. In Washington D.C., the Packers stormed out to a 14-3 lead, and they were in control of the game. Shockingly, Taylor Heinicke led his team back and even slightly outplayed Aaron Rodgers. The Commanders proved the theory that the more physical team usually wins by outrushing the Packers 166-38. Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady’s teams are now a combined 6-8, and these legendary quarterbacks are searching for answers. Who could have predicted that? As Alicia Keys famously sang, “No One.”
2. High Octane Offenses-last season, the Bengals and the Chiefs faced off in the AFC Championship Game, and both were at their best in Week 7 from an offensive standpoint. The Bengals were throttled by a Falcons team that could be considered part of the surprise package in a wild NFL season. Joe Burrow carved up the defense by completing 34 of 42 passes for 481 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-17 win. The air attack was so dominant that Tyler Boyd and Ja’Marr Chase combined for 16 catches, 285 yards, and three touchdowns. Another electrifying offensive performance was in the Bay area., where Patrick Maholmes decided to open up a clinic on Sunday against one of the top-ranked defenses in the San Francisco 49ers. Maholmes completed 25 of 34 passes for 423 yards, three touchdowns, and an early interception in the 44-23 bludgeoning. San Francisco was on a six-game home streak, and they had no answer for Juju Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling who tallied ten catches for 235 yards and a touchdown. Maholmes improved to a 13-2 record against the top-ranked defense in his career and has scored an average of 29 points. Elite!
3. East Divisions Rule-an unusual trend in Week 7 continued, and the AFC and NFC East continued to excel in 2022. The NFC East went 3-0 impressively with the Giants, Cowboys, and the Commanders winning. The Giant defense was stout in keeping the Jaguars’ Christian Kirk out of the end zone in the waning seconds of the game to preserve a narrow 23-17 win and go to an impressive 6-1 record. The Cowboys rebounded with Dak Prescott under center behind and a good defensive performance in which they forced five second-half turnovers to win 24-6 over the Lions and improve to 5-2. The AFC East went 2-1 with the Patriots’ surprising loss at home to the Bears on Monday Night Football. The Jets played an ugly defensive battle with the Broncos in the Mile High City to win the game 16-9. It will not be a game replayed on NFL films, but the team got the job done and now have a 5-2 record. Tua Tagovailoa returned for the Miami Dolphins after the controversy surrounding his concussion protocol to help the Dolphins a 16-10 victory at home against the struggling Steelers. These divisions are proving they are the best and did so without their best teams playing this week, the Bills and Eagles. Now that is impressive!