6 Biggest Takeaways from Week 7 in the NFL
With Week 7 of the NFL in the books, let’s look at the biggest takeaways from the weekend
1. Chiefs aren’t slowing down
Last year around this time, the Chiefs went into a huge slump after starting 5-0. This year, the Chiefs don’t look like they plan on slowing down. They have a more dynamic quarterback and their weapons improved by adding Sammy Watkins in the offseason. And while the defense hasn’t looked great, they plan on getting safeties Eric Berry and Daniel Sorensen back soon. Although it won’t make the defense elite, it should make it so that they don’t have to win every game in a shootout.
2. Gruden is getting ready for Vegas
The Raiders are moving to Las Vegas. So Jon Gruden has given up on Oakland. His stockpiling picks by trading away some of his best players. Rumor has it that he’s also shopping Karl Joseph. And I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw Derek Carr dealt this offseason, especially if there’s a quarterback in the draft that Gruden likes. However, one thing’s for sure: Gruden better hit on these picks. If he got rid of his best players for picks that turn into busts, then he may be out of Las Vegas sooner rather than later
3. The Bears are competitive, but not quite playoff ready
The Bears are 3-3, with their three losses being to the Packers, Patriots, and Dolphins by a combined 11 points. This team is young and is clearly ready to compete against any team. However, they just don’t quite have enough to be a playoff team yet. Mitch Trubisky has looked better this year but still has another big step to take. He makes some nice throws but also misses too many open receivers. I also think his confidence is shaken, causing him to take off and run sooner than he should. Remember, he only had 13 college starts and spent a year in the archaic offense of last year’s Bears. This team could still make a push if they beat the teams that they should beat (Like the Jets and Bills the next two weeks) and if they can go 3-2 in the division the rest of the season (Sweeping the Lions and splitting with the Vikings seems very possible).
4. Hue Jackson will get fired soon
The Browns made a nice comeback down 14 against the Buccaneers on Sunday. However, both teams decided to go back and forth with turnovers and bad plays. The game eventually ended when Chandler Catanzaro hit a 59 yard field goal, leaving Baker Mayfield stunned. After the game, Hue Jackson said he’s going to get himself more involved in the offense. Remember the last time Jackson was involved in the offense? The team was atrocious and went 1-31. A dose of Hue Jackson is not what this offense needs. And if we see the offense begin to digress due to Hue’s meddling, we could see him fired before the season is over.
5. The Giants are in trouble
After going 11-5 in 2016, the Giants regressed and went 3-13 in 2017. People in the organization blamed injuries and the offensive line. New York addressed the offensive line through free agency and the draft. The Giants then made the unpopular pick of passing on a quarterback at number two and drafting the dynamic Saquon Barkley. Now, the Giants sit at 1-6 and don’t look good at all. The offensive line is still bad and Eli doesn’t look great (possibly because of the offensive line). And with next year’s QB draft class looking weaker than this years, the Giants could be in trouble for a long time. They need to tear it all down and start over and look towards the future.
6. The Cowboys may have made an important move towards a playoff push
Amari Cooper is good. That’s why the Cowboys traded a first round pick for him. And they desperately needed wide receiver help. Although they are currently 3-4, that division is still up for grabs. With Cooper and Zeke, Dak should have enough weapons to get the offense going. If the offense doesn’t improve and the Cowboys finish the season below .500, then they might need to start looking at other options at QB this offseason
-Stephen Brown III (@sbtrey23)
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