2022 NFL season, Week 7: What We Learned from Sunday’s games

Around The NFL breaks down what you need to know from all of Sunday’s action in Week 7 of the 2022 NFL season. Catch up on each game’s biggest takeaways using the links below:

MORNING GAMES

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Kevin Patra takeaways:

1. Dak Prescott‘s return gets Cowboys back in the win column. Prescott and the offense got off to a slow start, going three-and-out on back-to-back drives to open the game, but Dallas leaned on the ground game to outlast the Lions. Prescott missed a few throws, which isn’t surprising after missing five games due to a thumb injury. But the quarterback didn’t seem to struggle gripping the ball and ripped a few dimes into coverage. He got a cherry-on-top TD late, his first passing touchdown of the season. Prescott finished 19-of-25 passing for 207 yards and the score. You’d have liked to see a few more explosive plays against a Lions defense ranked the worst in the NFL coming in, but it was a positive return for Dak. The Cowboys repeatedly mashed the ball on the ground in the second half, earning 139 yards and two Ezekiel Elliott short TDs. Tony Pollard led Dallas with 83 yards on 12 carries.
2. Dallas D once again dominates. Dan Quinn’s defense consistently swarmed the ball and made big, game-changing plays. The Cowboys generated five second-half turnovers, including four straight drives to close the game. Trevon Diggs earned a diving interception on a deep shot. Dallas forced a Jamaal Williams fumble inside the 1-yard-line. Jourdan Lewis made an excellent diving INT. Sam Williams stripped Jared Goff on the penultimate Lions drive. Then Micah Parsons got in on the action with a game-ending forced fumble. With the game close in the second half, the Dallas D suffocated the Lions.
3. Lions offense goes silent. The script was flipped Sunday, with the Detroit defense playing decently well for once. But Goff and the offense didn’t score a touchdown for the second straight week. Goff had his worst game of the season, missing throws and being loose with the ball in the pocket. The QB’s first INT was a woefully underthrown ball. He then fumbled twice late with the score close to allow the Cowboys to run away with the game. Already a limited passer, Goff is brutal when turning it over. The Lions lacked explosive plays, particularly in the passing game, with just two catches of 20-plus yards. Amon-Ra St. Brown getting knocked out early with a concussion hurt, but it’s now back-to-back weeks that Ben Johnson’s offense has been slowed after a hot start to the season.

Next Gen stat of the game: Dak Prescott averaged 10.7 air yards per attempt. The QB attempted four deep passes on the day, none in the second half.

NFL Research: Trevon Diggs has 17 career interceptions, tied for most in the NFL since 2020. Diggs has played 35 NFL games. The only player with more interceptions in his first 35 games in the Super Bowl era was former Cowboys CB Everson Walls.

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Kevin Patra takeaways:

1. Titans’ defense forces three turnovers, suffocates Colts. Andrew Adams stepped in front of a Matt Ryan pass in the second quarter and dashed 76 yards for a touchdown. It was the only time the Titans reached pay dirt. Turnovers told the story. Tennessee scored 10 points off Colts turnovers to sprint to a 13-0 lead at halftime. With Indy driving late, trying to stay in the contest, cornerback Terrance Mitchell made an excellent play to strip Michael Pittman, helping secure the victory. Tennessee’s defensive line swarmed, sacking Ryan three times, forcing a ton of poor throws, and holding Jonathan Taylor to 58 yards on 10 carries. Bud Dupree earned eight QB pressures, six QB hits and a sack. It’s the type of performance the Titans paid Dupree big money for.
2. Matt Ryan’s miscues sink Indy again. Taylor returned, but the Colts offense didn’t look much different than previous weeks. Ryan threw the ball 44 times, completing 33 for just 243 yards (5.5 yards per attempt) with a TD and two brutal interceptions. Both picks came with Ryan seeing pressure and forcing the ball into coverage. Parris Campbell (10 receptions for 70 yards and a touchdown) coming to life the past two weeks has been a positive sign, but the rest of Indy’s offense is a malaise. Ryan played poorly under pressure Sunday and was often hit behind a struggling offensive line. The Colts’ offense lacks big plays, netting just one catch of 20-plus yards on the day. Outside of one 12-play TD drive, Indy’s offense couldn’t keep the chains moving. And when the Colts did start to move the ball, they turned it over. It’s a bad combo, especially on the road.
3. Tennessee saddles up Derrick Henry.Ryan Tannehill and the passing game struggled to gain traction before the quarterback injured his ankle in the second half. Tannehill would stay in the game, but the Titans leaned on Henry to seal the victory. The bruising back rushed for 128 yards on 30 attempts. He generated three 10-plus-yard runs, and a 21-yard gallop sealed the win. Henry leads the NFL with 18 games with 100-plus rushing yards since 2020. The Titans are 15-3 since in those games. Sunday marked Henry’s third straight game with 100-plus rushing yards, tied for the longest streak of the season. The Colts tried to load up to stop Henry. It didn’t work. The running back earned 126 yards on 29 carries versus seven-plus defenders in the box, per Next Gen Stats.

Next Gen stat of the week: Jonathan Taylor earned 23 yards on four rushes outside the box and had 47 yards on nine rushes versus light boxes.

NFL Research: Ryan Tannehill is 6-1 against the Colts as the Titans’ starting QB with 12 passing touchdowns, four interceptions, and a 102.9 passer rating over the seven games.

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Michael Baca’s takeaways:

1. Bucs offense is broken. It all started with Mike Evans outright dropping a would-be 64-yard touchdown pass on the game’s opening drive. It was that type of poor execution that doomed a Bucs team that scored just three points without turning the ball over, and did so against a one-win team led by an interim head coach. There were several more drops to be had from the Bucs receivers, but the Tom Brady-led offense was disconnected from the jump thanks to bad timing on pass plays, poor overall blocking and a lack of a running attack. It all amounted to suspect play-calling for an offense that converted just 2 of 12 third downs, 1 of 3 fourth downs and settled for a field goal in its lone red-zone possession. Brady somehow accumulated 290 yards passing (32 of 49 attempts) on the day, but Tampa continuously lost steam once crossing midfield and was faced with a damning third-and-long on virtually every drive. Brady’s frustrations were evident and so were his mistakes with a handful of inaccurate throws in key situations. The 45-year-old’s final pass of the day was also dropped, but this time by a Panthers defender on fourth down that essentially ended the game. The Panthers went on to keep the ball for six of the final seven minutes as the Bucs’ normally stout defense was ultimately failed by its offense.
2. No McCaffrey, no problem. Carolina’s first game after trading star running back Christian McCaffrey went exactly how you’d want it to go by gaining a season-high 173 rushing yards. D’Onta Foreman led the way with 118 yards (7.9 yards per carry) for another team-high mark this season, and broke the back of the Bucs defense with a 60-yard scamper late in the third quarter to set up a Panthers 14-0 lead going into the final frame. Chuba Hubbard scored that touchdown and added 63 yards (7.0 yards per carry) for a Panthers offense that bullied a tired Bucs defense as the game progressed. Backup quarterback P.J. Walker orchestrated it all and benefited from the run game, completing 16 of 22 passes for 177 yards and two touchdown passes.
3. Panthers stars prove their worth. Pass rusher Brian Burns and wideout D.J. Moore have been the subject of trade rumors for a franchise that’s seemingly headed toward a rebuild. Both they not only proved but raised their value on Sunday against the Bucs — should Carolina even want to go that direction. Burns found the team’s only sack of Brady while adding a QB hit and two tackles for loss, and came up with a big tackle on a crucial fourth-and-1 in the third quarter with Tampa nearing the red zone. Moore led all Panthers receivers with seven receptions for 69 yards and impressively caught the game’s first TD in toe-dragging fashion at the back of the end zone. The 25-year-old has gotten off to a slow start as he aims for a fourth consecutive 1,100-plus-yard season, but produced perhaps a timely reminder as to why he’s been one of the most underrated pass-catchers in the league.

Next Gen stat of the day: Mike Evans had 10.9 yards of separation on a would-be TD drop in the first quarter, which is the most separation on a drop this season.

NFL Research: Tom Brady was held to three points or fewer for only the fifth time in his career in the Week 7 loss to the Panthers. Brady had two such games in his first 20 seasons (all with the Patriots) and now has three such games in three seasons with the Buccaneers.

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Eric Edholm’s takeaways:

1. Taylor Heinicke overcomes a rough start to deliver a gutsy win. Replacing an injured Carson Wentz, Heinicke made his season debut Sunday – and it looked rough for a while. He started the game 2-of-9 passing for 21 yards, with a 63-yard pick-six that was clearly a risky throw to the perimeter. Earlier, when the Commanders were backed way up, Heinecke got away with a dangerous throw from his own end zone into double coverage. (He also was lucky that his own fumble run back for a score was called back by a soft penalty.) It wasn’t looking pretty for Heinicke, who is one of Washington’s 11 different starting quarterbacks since 2018 in their seemingly eternal search to get that position right. Well, he found some rhythm. Heinicke completed 13 of 16 passes after halftime for 162 yards and a touchdown and helped turn a deficit into a 23-21 win, the Commanders’ second straight. He led scoring drives of 74, 72 and 61 yards and made several clutch throws to Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel and others. It’s one start, but it was very encouraging – especially after how things looked early on.
2. What’s up with Aaron Rodgers? The Packers are now 3-4, having been outscored by 18 points this season, and the problems largely lie on the offensive side of the ball. There are legitimate reasons to fault the offensive line, the receivers and even the scheme – especially if you ask Rodgers. But … what about Rodgers? Early in the game, he looked tentative and conservative, unwilling to take anything resembling a risk downfield. His receivers let him down a few times, but many throws were over their heads or at their feet. Despite finishing the game with 35 pass attempts, he was under 100 yards passing until well into the fourth quarter. The Packers’ first third-down conversion came with just under six minutes remaining in the game, thanks to a Washington penalty. Rodgers hit Aaron Jones on a gorgeous TD throw to give Green Bay a chance, but their late rally fell short. This was a tough game for the entire offense, but Rodgers must be held accountable for his role in it.
3. The Packers blow another lead to fall below .500. After leading 14-3 (with the offense doing almost nothing), the Packers let the backup-QB-led Commanders take control of the game and win. It wasn’t too different than the Giants’ loss in London, leading 17-3 only to unravel late. They didn’t blow a lead against the Jets, but the Packers played passively and watched a 3-3 game at halftime turn into a three-score laugher for New York. The Packers did play well late in the overtime win over the Patriots, but that came against a third-string QB making his first NFL appearance. But for at least three games now – all losses – Green Bay looked incapable of making a game-changing play while its opponents dictated play. The defense not living up to its billing is a part we can’t overlook. But is the overarching issue with coaching? A lack of heart? Right now, this is not a good team, and we can’t figure out exactly what the issue is. Likely because there are many.

Next Gen stat of the game: Taylor Heinicke and Terry McLaurin connected for a 37-yard touchdown, a play that had a 19.8% chance of success. It was McLaurin’s 11th career reception with a completion probability under 25%, which is tied for the most in the NFL since 2019 with the Chargers’ Mike Williams.

NFL Research: Aaron Rodgers had only 47 passing yards (on 15 attempts) in the first half. Packers linebacker De’Vondre Campbell had more yards on his pick-six of Taylor Heinicke (63) than all of the Packers receivers combined in the opening half.

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Eric Edholm’s takeaways:

1. Danny Dimes is stating his case for a long-term extension. When the Giants declined Daniel Jones‘ fifth-year option this offseason, it came with a caveat from team owner John Mara, who said: “We’ve done everything possible to screw this kid up since he’s been here.” It was a meaty quote, and Jones’ (and the team’s success) this season are the real marrow of it. He’s been at his best this season by maximizing his running ability (a career-high 49.4 rush yards per game, including 110 and a rushing score Sunday), cutting down on turnovers (only four in seven games) and thriving when the game matters most (five game-winning drives). Doing so with a shorthanded offense – including losing two offensive linemen against the Jags – makes it all the more impressive, even if a smart offensive scheme clearly has been designed to take advantage of those traits. With the way things have gone so far this season, we easily could see this relationship continue in 2023 and beyond.
2. The Jaguars’ defense needs an intervention. Between the back-breaking penalties to wipe out big plays (or give the Giants new life) and its trouble adjusting throughout the course of a game, the Jaguars’ defense is officially in a slump. The penalties were killers, namely a fumble recovery and an interception that were called back, as well as three straight defensive penalties on the Giants’ go-ahead touchdown drive late in the game. After back-to-back three-takeaway performances to open the season, the Jaguars now have gone three straight games without forcing one. Tackling and attention to detail are big concerns, no doubt; a quiet pass rush also didn’t help. But there’s also a coaching element, we believe, as the Jaguars once again failed to adjust to their opponents’ tendencies. Last week they were getting peppered by crossers and in-cuts; this week it was not preventing Jones from doing damage outside the pocket, which is his bread and butter.
3. Saquon Barkley becomes a great closer. Entering Sunday, Barkley had done his most damage as a runner in the second and third quarters. But in this game, when the Giants trailed 17-13 and needed an offensive spark, Barkley delivered. Through the first three quarter, he ran 14 times for 38 yards, as the Jaguars ganged up on him. But in the fourth quarter, Barkley came alive with 10 carries for 72 yards, helping the team hang on despite a late rush from the Jaguars. He also added four catches in the game for 25 yards. Barkley was guilty of not in bounds late in the game, which helped open the door for Jacksonville to have a shot to win it. But when the Giants absolutely needed yards late, they called on Jones and Barkley to carry the ball to freedom and a shocking 6-1 record.

Next Gen stat of the game: Daniel Jones was 10 of 14 passing for 105 yards and a TD on play-action passes (which came on 45.2% of his dropbacks Sunday).

NFL Research: Jones joins Lamar Jackson as the only players in 2022 with 200-plus pass yards, 100-plus rush yards, as well as rushing and passing TDs in a game. Only Jackson, Kyler Murray, Josh Allen and Jones have done this in a game since 2016.

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Nick Shook’s takeaways:

1. The explosive Bengals are back! Cincinnati has shifted its offensive identity from one that mixed formations with the goal of keeping defenses off-balance to committing to the shotgun and letting it fly, and it’s paying off nicely. Thanks to a 344-yard first half, Joe Burrow had the football world on watch as he flirted with the all-time single-game passing yards record. He finished with a healthy 481 yards and three touchdowns (and added another score on the ground), powering a Bengals offense that racked up 537 yards of total offense and converted 7 of 11 third downs. It seems as if whatever the Bengals unlocked in the second half last week in New Orleans was also a revelation for Zac Taylor, who threw caution to the wind and directed his quarterback to air it out. They reaped the rewards Sunday.
2. Falcons still searching for consistency. Week 7 brought us another game in which the Falcons showed glimpses of figuring things out offensively, but ultimately fell short of putting it together for four quarters. Sunday was another case of the Falcons attempting to maximize chances provided by an offense that isn’t putting up big numbers and, for a moment, it appeared as if their approach might give them a decent opportunity to compete. Atlanta found some success in the middle portion of the game on the ground, but finished with just 107 yards. Marcus Mariota produced the exact same total through the air, and 75 of those yards came on one pass to Damiere Byrd for a touchdown. And because the Falcons couldn’t stop the Bengals through the air, their lower-caliber offense didn’t have much of a chance to make up the deficit.
3. Cincinnati’s defense is starting to come together. After holding the Saints to six points in the second half in Week 6 (despite allowing New Orleans to rush for 228 yards in the game), the Bengals carried over their positive momentum into Week 7, locking down on the defensive side and limiting Atlanta to 214 total yards of offense. Atlanta has found ways to score thanks to some timely defensive and special teams play — on Sunday, a long punt return by Avery Williams helped the Falcons tack on three once-unlikely points just before halftime — but Cincinnati served as a brick wall in the second half. Add in the three sacks recorded by three Bengals (Joseph Ossai, Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard), and the Bengals received a quality afternoon of play from their defense, even without recording a turnover.

Next Gen Stat of the game: Joe Burrow finished with 335 passing yards gained on passes of 10-plus air yards, the fourth-most on such passes in a game since the start of the Next Gen Stats era (2016).

NFL Research: Joe Burrow tied Matthew Stafford for the fourth-fastest quarterback to reach 9,000 passing yards, doing so in 33 career games.