A mollywhopping? Thrashing? Shellacking? Pummeling? Battering? However you choose to describe the Baltimore Ravens’ one-sided victory over the Detroit Lions, Lamar Jackson and his team sent a loud and clear message to the rest of the NFL in Week 7.
Jackson played at an MVP level Sunday afternoon at M&T Bank Stadium and the Ravens looked like clear-cut Super Bowl contenders and arguably the best team in the AFC. As the final score of 38-6 suggests, the game was never competitive. The Ravens were so good that the Lions looked nothing like a team that had come out of the gates this season a 5-1 offensive juggernaut.
Jackson went 17 for 21 for 255 yards with a pair of touchdowns, adding 26 yards and one rushing score in the first half alone. Ravens had 355 total yards compared to Detroit’s 97 within the first two quarters and nearly doubled the Lions in time of possession. Baltimore forced a turnover on downs with a fourth-and-goal stop early in the third quarter to maintain momentum and then extended their lead on the ensuing drive. Gus Edwards took a short dump pass 80 yards to flip the field and Mark Andrews’ second touchdown of the game put the Raven up 35-0 and they were able to coast for the rest of the second half.
“Today was lights out,” Andrews told reporters in Baltimore after the game. “I think just by Lamar, obviously (offensive coordinator Todd Monken), from the top down on the offensive side of the ball. Those two guys were elite.”
The most anticipated game of Week 7 was the Sunday nighter between the 5-1 Eagles and 5-1 Dolphins. The Chiefs improved to 6-1 and don’t forget the 49ers are also looking to do the same Monday night against Minnesota, but when all is said and done the 5-2 Ravens might just be the most well-rounded team near the top of the standings.
Bills can’t prevent the Belichick bounce-back
Bill Belichick became the third head coach in NFL history to record 300 career wins, joining Don Shula (328) and George Halas (318), as his New England Patriots upset AFC East rival Buffalo in dramatic fashion. Belichick and the Pats subsequently avoided a rare four-game losing streak. The 2020 season, New England’s first in two decades without Tom Brady, is the only year since 2002 in which the Patriots lost four consecutive games. The Patriots had been outscored 93-20 during their three-game losing streak and two of those losses were literally the two most lopsided losses of Belichick’s career from a point differential standpoint.
The Patriots gave up a 12-point lead, their biggest lead of the 2023 season so far, in the fourth quarter but Mac Jones was able to lead a rare game-winning drive that was capped off by him connecting with tight end Mike Gesicki on the game-winning touchdown with 12 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
Mahomes continues dominance vs. AFC West
Patrick Mahomes did what Patrick Mahomes does. He picked up another win against an AFC West opponent, improving to 29-3 all-time in the regular season against a divisional foe. The Chiefs beat the Chargers 31-17 with Mahomes throwing for 424 yards and four touchdowns. Kansas City has won six in a row after dropping the season opener by one point to the Lions. They can keep rolling against the AFC West next week at Denver.
National Tight Ends Day celebrated by many
If you were unaware, Sunday marked National Tight Ends Day in the NFL and the day featured several standout performances from the many of the best at the position.
Chiefs superstar Travis Kelce finished with 179 receiving yards and a touchdown on 12 catches Sunday and became the first player in the past five years (including wide receivers) to record back-to-back games with at least 100 first-half receiving yards. Kelce caught his 50th career touchdown pass from Mahomes. That duo needs one more to tie former Saints teammates Drew Brees and Jimmy Graham for fourth-most on the NFL’s all-time list of QB-to-TE touchdowns.
Kelce wasn’t alone… Andrews of the Ravens had his second two-TD outing of October, Darren Waller had his best game in a couple years and his first breakout performance with the Giants to the tune of 98 yards and a touchdown, Gerald Everett caught a touchdown pass in a second consecutive losing effort for the Chargers, Dalton Kincaid led all Bills players in receiving yards, and Gesicki had that game winner against Buffalo as mentioned above.
Browns lean on defence as Watson goes down again
Deshaun Watson’s return to action after missing the past two games with a shoulder injury was short-lived. The Browns starting quarterback went down on the same play he threw his third interception of the season. Watson finished one of five for five yards and that pick before heading to the locker room. He was cleared to return when evaluated for a concussion but Browns coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters following the game he kept Watson out for precautionary reasons.
Stefanski added he expects Watson back under centre in Week 8 when Cleveland faces Seattle. The Browns leaned on its elite defensive unit that had four sacks, four turnovers and scored a touchdown in the second quarter. The defence sealed the victory by forcing a Minshew fumble on Indy’s final offensive snap of the day.
Falcons somehow escape Week 7 as division leaders
Atlanta is the only NFC South team above .500 after seven weeks and that’s hard to believe if you watched them nearly bungle things against the Bucs on Sunday. Although not listed on the team’s injury report, onlookers were shocked at the lack of Bijan Robinson who, according to Falcons coach Arthur Smith on the broadcast, was apparently not feeling well. The standout rookie running back was a complete non-factor. Robinson had zero touches and only played six snaps in the opening half and finished the game with one carry for three yards. Instead, Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson led the way on the ground and QB Desmond Ridder chipped in with his team’s only touchdown.
The Falcons could’ve and probably should’ve won by double digits except adding to Atlanta’s up-and-down afternoon was Ridder’s untimely turnovers. The Falcons left points on the board at the end of the first half when Ridder was sacked and fumbled with less than 30 seconds remaining in the second quarter when the score was 10-10. Later, with his team leading 13-10, he was stripped of the football just as he was crossing the goal line for what would have been his second touchdown of the game and the play was ruled a fumble and touchback. Ultimately Ridder was able to redeem himself and lead the Falcons down the field for a winning drive thanks partly to two passes for 56 yards to tight end Kyle Pitts before Younghoe Koo kicked a walk-off 51-yarder to move them to 4-3.
