Here are nine things that stood out from Sunday’s games in Week 7 of the 2019 NFL season:
9. The Saints may have survived a crisis
The Saints defeated Chicago, 36-25, for their fifth consecutive win. That alone sounds great. But they’ve done it all without quarterback Drew Brees, who injured his thumb in Week 2. The fact that running back Alvin Kamara and tight end Jared Cook were out for this game makes it even more impressive. Give credit to backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who threw for 281 yards and two touchdowns against the Bears. Head coach Sean Payton is doing the best coaching job of his career. Bridgewater has gone 5-0 as a starter and earned himself a big contract for next year in New Orleans or elsewhere. But it appears as if the need for Bridgewater could be done for this year. Brees told Fox broadcaster Troy Aikman that the plan is for him to return next week against Arizona. Combine Brees with the best defense Payton ever has commanded, and the Saints are a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
8. Derek Carr will be Jon Gruden’s best QB ever
Yeah, the Raiders lost, 42-24, to the Packers. But the Packers are one of the league’s best teams, and Lambeau Field is one of the most difficult venues for a visiting team. But forget all that for a moment and look at this game from Oakland’s point of view. The Raiders are on the verge of turning the corner in Gruden’s second season of his second stint with the team. To this point, Rich Gannon is the best quarterback Gruden has coached. But Gannon was mediocre before he joined Gruden and became a product of the coach’s system. Gruden also won a Super Bowl with Brad Johnson in Tampa Bay. But the reality was Johnson was just good enough to get things done with a great defense. Carr can be better than both. He showed signs of that Sunday as he completed 22 of 28 passes for 293 yards and a touchdown. Accuracy is what matters most to Gruden. By the time this team gets to Las Vegas next year, Carr will be the best quarterback Gruden ever has coached. Plus, Gruden has a history of rocky relationships with his quarterbacks. He’s got a good relationship with Carr, as the coach and quarterback have talked about living in the same neighborhood in Las Vegas.
7. Curb your aggressiveness
Philadelphia’s Doug Pederson is noted for aggressive decision making. That’s not unusual for a football coach. But Pederson might have been too aggressive in this case. Pederson did two things before the game even started that almost certainly contributed to his team’s loss to Dallas. First, in the days leading up to the game, Pederson guaranteed a Philadelphia win. That kind of thing might have worked in the Joe Namath days, but you’re going to do more harm than good to your team in the age of social media with that kind of bulletin-board material. Second, Pederson went against his style – and the style of most coaches – on the opening coin toss. Most coaches that win the toss defer and elect to receive the second-half kickoff. Pederson used to be no exception. The last time he won a toss and decided to receive the opening kick was in 2016. But Pederson won the toss Sunday and decided to receive. That backfired. The Eagles quickly turned the ball over to set up an early Dallas score. More bad news for Pederson: Since 2002, teams that start 3-4 have reached the playoffs only 14% of the time.
6. Buffalo’s Brandon Beane should be Executive of the Year
Head coach Sean McDermott is getting much of the credit for Buffalo’s 5-1 start. That’s well deserved, and Sunday’s win against Miami was another notch in his belt. But there’s someone else who deserves as much praise for building a team that’s hanging close to New England in the AFC East. That’s general manager Brandon Beane. Not many people know his story, but the man has more than paid his dues. He started off as a media relations intern with Carolina. He then was hired by the Panthers for an entry-level position in the personnel department. He did things like arrange team flights and hotels and made coffee for his bosses. All the while, Beane was watching how general manager Marty Hurney handled personnel and the salary cap. He gradually climbed through the ranks and finally got his shot in Buffalo. He’s making the most of it.
5. Have the Cardinals turned the corner?
Arizona won its third game in a row with a six-point road victory against the lowly New York Giants. But let’s not say the Cardinals have turned the corner yet. They’re improving, but they still have a long way to go. Rookie quarterback Kyler Murray didn’t have a lot to do with this win. He threw for only 104 yards. The Cardinals won because they played respectable defense, but mostly because back running back Chase Edmonds ran for 126 yards and three touchdowns while getting most of the work while David Johnson deals with an injury. Arizona still isn’t a good team overall. The turning point will come next season if Murray continues to progress.
4. Adam Thielen should get part of Kirk Cousins’ salary
Cousins, the Minnesota quarterback, is making $28 million this year. That seemed like a joke early in the season, because the Minnesota passing game was ridiculously bad. But, three weeks ago, receiver Adam Thielen publicly criticized Cousins. That did the trick, and Cousins suddenly flipped a switch. He had his third straight great game in Sunday’s victory against Detroit. Cousins threw for 337 yards and four touchdowns, including a touchdown to Thielen. Thielen’s speech might have saved Minnesota’s season.
3. Frank Reich should be Coach of the Year
The 4-2 Colts moved into first place in the AFC South after defeating Houston, 30-23. Did anybody see that coming when franchise quarterback Andrew Luck abruptly retired late in the preseason? Give Reich credit for not panicking. He turned things over to backup Jacoby Brissett and has been rewarded handsomely. Brissett had the best game of his career against the Texans. He completed 26 of 39 passes for 326 yards and four touchdowns. The Colts wouldn’t be in any better shape if Luck was playing.
2. Aaron Rodgers has entered the MVP race
Rodgers had his best game in years as the Packers moved to 6-1 with a 42-24 victory against the Raiders. Rodgers had a perfect passer rating, threw for 429 yards and five touchdowns and ran for another score. That’s a big improvement over last year, when Rodgers was feuding with former head coach Mike McCarthy. Rodgers was the league’s MVP in 2011 and 2014. He’s playing that way again and that’s mainly because he’s on the same page with new coach Matt LaFleur. It also should be noted Rodgers did all this without top receiver Davante Adams, who missed the game with a foot injury.
1. Dan Quinn can’t survive
Atlanta is 1-6, and Quinn could be gone as soon as Monday. Sure, Falcons owner Arthur Blank said last week that he’s not ready to fire Quinn. The popular speculation is that Quinn will last at least until the Week 9 bye. Forget that after Sunday’s 37-10 loss to the Rams. Quinn, who lost quarterback Matt Ryan to an ankle injury late in the game, could be gone sooner — because Blank isn’t the most patient owner. Quinn is supposed to be a defensive guru. Defensive gurus don’t give up 37 points. It’s never ideal to change coaches in the middle of the season. But Atlanta has three former head coaches — Dirk Koetter, Raheem Morris and Mike Mularkey — on its staff. Any of them could step in and do as well as Quinn. General manager Thomas Dimitroff, who has been in place since 2008, also could be in jeopardy.
Pat Yasinskas has covered the NFL since 1993. He has worked for The Tampa Tribune, The Charlotte Observer and ESPN.com and writes for numerous national magazines and websites. He also has served as a voter for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
