Yardbarker's NFL Week 7 game-by-game analysis, grades

JETS (1-5): One week after posting arguably the best game of his career, Sam Darnold put forth by far the worst performance of his young career. He was about as bad as a quarterback can be, turning the ball over five times and averaging 2.7 yards per attempt across 27 attempts. Darnold became the first quarterback since Nathan Peterman in 2017 to throw for under 100 yards and at least four interceptions. The last quarterback to do that on at least 25 pass attempts was Jake Delhomme in 2008. Darnold's 2.7 yards per attempt was the worst average by a quarterback to throw at least 25 passes since Charlie Whitehurst in 2014. The Jets thought their returning quarterback was giving them new life, but in the primetime spotlight, he embarrassed himself and the organization in grand fashion. Darnold needs a spectacular turnaround next week to make up for this horrible effort. GAME GRADE: F  | NEXT: @ Jacksonville (Sun.)

-- Michael Nania

PATRIOTS (7-0): New England has a +175 scoring margin, the best mark through seven games in league history. The only other team in the Super Bowl era to have a scoring margin of better than +150 through seven games was the 2007 Patriots (+159), who finished undefeated on their way to a Super Bowl loss. The Patriots defense has been unbeatable, as Monday night marked their third defensive shutout of the season, their fourth game without allowing an offensive touchdown, and their seventh consecutive game allowing 10 points or fewer to the opposing offense. New England is allowing only 4.6 yards per pass attempt, an absurdly good number. It is hard to believe that it is even possible for a team to hold that mark seven games into a season, especially in the pass-first modern NFL. This Patriots team looks unstoppable. GAME GRADE: A  | NEXT: vs. Cleveland (Sun.)

-- Michael Nania

RAVENS (5-2): As a Seahawk, safety Earl Thomas was the premier centerfielder in the NFL. He typically played in the deep middle, often erasing mistakes of the 10 players in front of him. Baltimore’s defense is much different and far more diverse. In fact, Ravens coverage schemes are among the most complex in the league. In his return to Seattle, the Ravens used Thomas all over the defense, causing great problems for Russell Wilson and Co. Thomas blitzed and played near the line of scrimmage, causing havoc against Seattle's run game. With newly-acquired Marcus Peters, who took Wilson’s first interception of the season to the house, the Ravens defense should be much better in the secondary. Looks like Baltimore owns the AFC North. GAME GRADE: A | NEXT: Bye | vs. Patriots (Sun. Nov. 3)

-- Matt Williamson

SEAHAWKS (5-2): Russell Wilson and Seattle’s offense, which had carried a below-average defense to a 5-1 start, finally showed some cracks against the Ravens, despite Baltimore’s defense coming into the game ranked 18^th in the league in points allowed. Wilson threw a pick-six to new Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters, turning a 10-6 Seahawks lead into a 13-10 deficit. That was one of two defensive scores by the Ravens -- Marlon Humphrey took D.K. Metcalf’s fumble back for a touchdown to seal the win late in the fourth quarter. Seattle is still in good position in the rugged NFC, but the game should serve as a painful lesson that its offense must be superb most weeks. A potentially foreboding statistic: Four of Seattle’s five victories have been by four points or less, so while it is 5-2, a run of undisciplined football similar to Sunday could knock the Seahawks down quickly.  GAME GRADE: F | NEXT: at Falcons (Sun.)

-- Chris Mueller

EAGLES (3-4): Philadelphia's defense was awful, especially against the run. The Eagles entered the game ranked second in rushing yards allowed per game (72.8), rushing yards per attempt allowed (3.3) and rushing touchdowns per game allowed (0.7). But Ezekiel Elliott ran for 111 yards (on 22 carries) and a TD. Including the playoffs, Philadelphia had gone 11 straight games without allowing a 100-yard rusher. The last player to do it against the Eagles was also Zeke, who rushed for 113 yards in a Cowboys victory in Week 14 last season in Arlington, Texas. Elliott has earned the label of Eagle-killer: In five games against them, he has averaged 163 scrimmage yards. The sputtering Philly defense seems to have two great bounce-back opportunities ahead of it against the Bills and Bears. GAME GRADE: F  | NEXT: vs. Buffalo (Sun.) 

-- Michael Nania

COWBOYS: (4-3): Dak Prescott looked like himself again, taking advantage of the struggling Eagles secondary to throw for 239 yards on 27 passes (8.9 yards per attempt). His top target was AMARI COOPER, who had five catches for 106 yards. The return of starting tackles La'el Collins and Tyron Smith was huge; Dallas allowed only three quarterback hits on Prescott, less than half the total it allowed in its Week 6 loss to the Jets (eight). The returning tackle duo was forceful in the run game as well. The Cowboys ran for 189 yards -- 5.3 yards per attempt --  and three touchdowns against an Eagles defense that entered the game ranked second in rush defense DVOA. GAME GRADE: A+  | NEXT: Bye | at NY Giants (Mon., Nov. 4)

-- Michael Nania

49ERS (6-0): Field conditions in Landover, Md., were atrocious, with driving rain turning FedEx Field into a quagmire, but San Francisco kept chugging along thanks to yet another dominant performance from its defense. Case Keenum had virtually no chance, and Washington couldn’t establish the running game despite Bill Callahan’s desire to do so. San Francisco’s streak of holding opponents under 200 yards is now at three games, and it has not allowed more than seven points in a game during that span. The 49ers are the first team since 2005 (New England) to post three straight games with those defensive numbers. They have a chance to make history next week, as no team post-merger, and only two since 1950, have managed that level of dominance for four straight contests. San Francisco is 6-0 for only the third time in franchise history, the first since 1990. A win next week would put them in commanding position in the NFC West. GAME GRADE: B | NEXT: vs. Panthers (Sun.)

-- Chris Mueller

REDSKINS (1-6): The 49ers' stingy secondary was already going to be enough of a problem for the Redskins' abysmal passing attack, but then the weather became a factor. Playing on a muddy field against an elite defense, Washington was held to 50 yards passing, its worst total in a game since 1980. Quarterbacked by vet CASE KEENUM, the Redskins dropped back to pass only 15 times, averaging only 3.3 yards on those plays. In the past four games, the Redskins' passing game has averaged only 103.8 yards. Entering Week 6, two wide receivers in the league (the Bucs' Chris Godwin and Saints' Michael Thomas) averaged more yards per game on their own. Washington deserves credit for not forcing Dwayne Haskins into action before deeming he's ready, but the results are going to be extremely ugly while it waits for its quarterback of the future. GAME GRADE: C-  | NEXT: at Vikings (Thu.)

-- Michael Nania

RAIDERS (3-3): Oakland’s secondary was again no match for an all-time talent. The Raiders had largely limited passers since Patrick Mahomes’ nuclear second quarter in Week 2, but Aaron Rodgers shredded them for 429 yards without top target Davante Adams. Rodgers threw five touchdown passes in a game for the first time since September 2015 and set a yards-per-attempt single-game high (13.8). Wideout Jake Kumerow breezed past Daryl Worley for a touchdown shortly after Derek Carr’s fumble-touchback, and the Gareon Conley-Karl Joseph tandem allowed Marquez Valdes-Scantling to break open for a 59-yard gain on the second half’s first play. Conley’s whiff on a fourth-quarter tackle created a 74-yard Valdes-Scantling touchdown. The Raiders signed two defensive backs (Lamarcus Joyner and Nevin Lawson) and drafted three (Johnathan Abram in Round 1, Trayvon Mullen in Round 2 and Isaiah Johnson in Round 4). Only Joyner has played a key role. Compounded by a lack of a reliable pass rush, Oakland’s secondary issues remain. GAME GRADE: D | NEXT: at Texans (Sun.)

-- Sam Robinson

PACKERS (6-1): Aaron Rodgers (429 yards passing) was the headliner with five passing touchdowns and one running score, but running back AARON JONES merits kudos too. Although he dropped an easy touchdown pass on Monday night, he's making good strides as a receiver. Against the Raiders, he ran wide receiver routes downfield from out of the backfield. He was especially impressive contorting his body and adjusting to a Rodgers pass for Green Bay’s first touchdown, a 21-yarder. Jones (four catches, 33 yards) also was used in Jet motion, catching the ball on a shovel pass in stride. With Davante Adams (turf toe) still sidelined, eight Packers caught more than one pass. Now if only Jones, who rushed for 50 yards, can improve in pass protection ... GAME GRADE: A | NEXT:  at Chiefs (Sun.)

-- Matt Williamson

JAGUARS (3-4): Jacksonville has its formula, and while it may not be pretty, it can be effective. Leonard Fournette hammered at a weak Bengals run defense for 131 yards, and the Jaguars forced four Cincinnati turnovers, picking off ANDY DALTON three times. Buckle in for the rest of the season, Jaguars fans, because the AFC South remains up for grabs, and it's likely Jacksonville will play mostly close games the rest of the way. Of the Jags' four losses, only one, their opening defeat against the Chiefs, came by more than one score. Whether or not Jacksonville challenges for the division or a wild card hinges on Gardner Minshew’s development. A potential positive on that front: Minshew completed only 15 of 32 passes but managed 255 yards nonetheless. He had 8.0 yards per attempt, an excellent number. GRADE: B + | NEXT: vs. Jets (Sun.)

-- Chris Mueller

BENGALS (0-7): In another miserable performance by Cincinnati, its awful running game stood out. Led by quarterback ANDY DALTON (33 yards) -- yes, you read that right -- the Bengals finished with 33 yards rushing. Gio Bernard rushed four times for zero yards. Alex Erickson lost two yards on two carries. "Star" running back Joe Mixon carried 10 times for two yards. His best rush? Four yards. To say the least, Cincinnati was at a major disadvantage in the trenches against a good Jaguars defensive line. To top off the ineptitude, Cincinnati's worst-in-the-NFL rush defense was gashed for 216 yards, 131 by Leonard Fournette. Bengals first-year head coach Zac Taylor has a rep as an offensive guru. Cincinnati's offense is simply offensive. GAME GRADE: D | NEXT: vs. Rams (Sun.)

-- Matt Williamson

DOLPHINS (0-6): The Dolphins have taken halftime leads twice and trailed by one score at the break in two other games. The Dolphins lost a 14-9 halftime lead Sunday. A Ryan Fitzpatrick red-zone interception cost the visitors a potential two-score lead and sparked the Bills’ comeback. Preston Williams then fumbled in Dolphins territory, and Buffalo safety Micah Hyde returned a Miami onside kick attempt for a touchdown. This was at least an original conclusion to an otherwise familiar script. The Bills outscored the Dolphins 22-7 after halftime; teams have outscored the winless squad 113-20 in the second half. This Miami edition was never designed to win many games, but its inability to compete in the second half reflects poorly on the coaching staff – which will likely be back next season – and undercuts the team’s incremental improvements. GAME GRADE: C-minus | NEXT: at Steelers (Mon.)

-- Sam Robinson

BILLS (5-1): Seventeen-point underdogs, the Dolphins neared a two-score lead late in the third quarter. The Bills prevented that with a 98-yard drive, their longest in 19 years. Leading 14-9, the Dolphins held the ball for 9 minutes, 59 seconds to start the second half. Tre’Davious White ended that march with a sideline interception at the Bills’ 2; Buffalo’s subsequent journey changed the game. JOSH ALLEN went 6-for-6 on this 12-play drive, and Frank Gore converted two third downs. Each Allen pass on the possession went to a first-year Bills wideout – John Brown, Duke Williams and Cole Beasley – and the second-year passer often criticized for his inaccuracy ended perhaps his signature NFL possession by rifling a 20-yard TD to Brown. This drive was 14 yards longer than any Allen-led Bills march. The Bills’ defense protected the 17-14 lead and is easily the stronger Buffalo unit, but this Week 7 drive represented growth for a developing offense. GAME GRADE: B | NEXT: vs. Eagles (Sun.)

-- Sam Robinson

RAMS (4-3): The stars led the way for the Rams, but it wasn’t QB Jared Goff and RB Todd Gurley who made the biggest impact, but rather defensive tackle Aaron Donald and cornerback JALEN RAMSEY. Ramsey, acquired earlier in the week from Jacksonville, forced a fumble that Atlanta managed to recover and held JULIO JONES to a relatively quiet afternoon (6 catches, 93 yards, nine targets). Donald had a strip sack of Ryan that he recovered himself. The Rams’ offense still wasn't great, particularly a running game that was again mostly silent (90 yards), but Los Angeles forced two turnovers, knocked Ryan from the game, and dominated after the Falcons’ opening drive. Atlanta did not have a drive over 50 yards and failed to run a play in the red zone until late in the fourth quarter, when the game was long decided. San Francisco has a dominant defense and Seattle has Russell Wilson, so the Rams will need to lean on their stars to stay close in the division race. GRADE: A-minus | NEXT: vs. Bengals (Sun.)

-- Chris Mueller

FALCONS (1-6): Head coach Dan Quinn's seat can't get much hotter. Atlanta's embarrassingly bad defense, which entered Week 6 ranked 32nd in points allowed per drive, continued its struggles. Playing at home, it yielded 30 points and 381 yards to a Rams team coming off of a game in which it scored seven points. A dormant pass rush is a huge reason for Atlanta's defensive struggles. The Falcons failed to sack Jared Goff, marking their franchise record-setting fourth straight game without a sack. Even the pressure hasn't been there. Atlanta had only three hits on Goff, and has averaged only two hits per game over its sack-less streak.  GAME GRADE: F  | NEXT: vs. Seattle (Sun.)

-- Michael Nania

TEXANS (4-3): Houston had a chance to make a statement in Indianapolis, but the Texans fell largely because they became one-dimensional offensively. After a three-game stretch in which Houston rushed for an average of 165 yards, the Texans only totaled 100 against Indy; 32 came on three runs by Deshaun Watson. Houston’s offensive balance had been an underrated part of its success this season; the Texans entered the game with the fifth-most rushing yards in the league. Part of that was Watson, but most of it was Carlos Hyde and Duke Johnson. The two could only muster 69 yards on 19 combined carries, and unsurprisingly, Houston’s pass protection and passing game struggled as a result. Houston is 5-2 in its past seven divisional games, but both losses are to the Colts. The Texans will get another crack at Indy, but they must survive road dates with the Jaguars and Ravens first. GRADE: C-minus | NEXT: vs. Raiders (Sun.)

-- Chris Mueller

COLTS (4-2): Indianapolis’ perceived advantage coming into its showdown with the Texans was its balance across the board. But its trump card in a back-and-forth game was Jacoby Brissett, who recovered from a pair of mediocre performances to thoroughly outplay Deshaun Watson. Brissett (326 passing yards) engineered four touchdown drives — all of which he finished by throwing for a score — out of Indianapolis’ first seven possessions.His work was all the more impressive in light of the Colts’ relative inability to run. When healthy, Indy is the most balanced team in the AFC South. Brissett now has 14 touchdowns against only three interceptions; if he continues to play anywhere near the level he did Sunday, the Colts will be the team to beat in the division. Indianapolis’ upcoming schedule -- vs. Denver, at Pittsburgh, vs. Miami, vs. Jacksonville -- affords it the opportunity to create separation from Houston in the division. GRADE: A-minus | NEXT: vs. Broncos

-- Chris Mueller

CARDINALS (3-3-1): Arizona has won three in a row to climb back to .500, but Kyler Murray (14-for-21, 104 yards) is still a work in progress. Its three wins have come against three of the NFL's worst teams. The Cardinals' best quality? They protect the football. No turnovers against the Giants, the team's third straight game without one. That streak will be put to the test in the next month, as the Cardinals will play San Francisco twice. Early predictions of total doom for the Cardinals, however, should be tabled for now. Arizona delivered an out-of-character effort, but it was a good thing. The much-maligned Cardinals’ defense suffocated DANIEL JONES, sacking him eight times. New York had just 128 yards in the second half. GAME GRADE: B | NEXT: at Saints (Sun.)

-- Chris Mueller

GIANTS (2-5): DANIEL JONES has officially hit the rookie wall. He had an ugly game against the Cardinals, averaging only 6.4 yards per attempt (223 yards on 35 attempts), throwing an interception, and fumbling three times. (He lost two.) Jones also took a eight sacks for 67 yards, many of which were his fault. His net yards per attempt (pass yards minus sack yards) average in the game boiled down to a brutal 3.6 (league average: 6.4). The Giants have averaged 12 points over their past four games after scoring 32 points in Jones' debut in Tampa Bay. Turnovers are a major issue for the rookie, who has 12 in his five starts. The arm talent is there for the Duke product, but he must get better. GAME GRADE: D  | NEXT: at Lions (Sun.)

-- Michael Nania

SAINTS (6-1): New Orleans' defense entered Week 7 on a tear, allowing 5.9 yards per pass attempt and 3.2 yards per rush attempt from Weeks 4-6. At Soldier Field, the Saints were even more dominant, holding the Bears to 4.6 yards per pass attempt and 2.4 yards per rush attempt. The secondary forced MITCH TRUBISKY into many checkdowns, holding him to only 7.4 yards per completion, well below the league average of 11.4. Allowing big plays through the air was one of New Orleans' few defensive issues coming in (they entered Week 7 allowing the fifth-most yards per completion at 12.7), so that was a huge sign of progress. Cameron Jordan kept rolling, sacking Trubisky twice -- his second straight game with two sacks. New Orleans has allowed fewer than 260 yards in four straight games, its longest such streak since 1992. GAME GRADE: A+ | NEXT: vs. Cardinals (Sun.)

-- Michael Nania

BEARS (3-3): The Saints had zero respect for the Bears' passing game, nor should they have as Chicago is in contention for having the NFL’s worst quarterback situation. MITCH TRUBISKY had garbage time production against lax coverages, but by no means should he ever attempt 54 passes in any game. This passing game is a disaster. The Bears rushed only seven times, coaching malpractice in a game like this. Chicago converted just two third-down opportunities and had the ball only 22 minutes, 34 seconds at home. Thanks to Chicago's lackluster offense, the Bears' defense was on the field way too much. It's a good unit, not quite as stellar as last season's.Throughout the fourth quarter, Chicago’s pass-rush no longer had any burst, and the Bears struggled to get multiple tacklers to the ball. GAME GRADE: D-minus | NEXT: vs. Chargers (Sun.)

-- Matt Williamson

CHARGERS (2-5): Often scrutinized for their inability to close out games, the Chargers have strolled into a new sector of crunch-time ineffectiveness. Their latest agonizing defeat featured two final-minute touchdowns overturned by replay, and Melvin Gordon’s subsequent bid at a winning score ended with a fumble that sealed the loss. This marks the fifth Chargers turnover in a goal-to-go situation this season. That already ties the most such turnovers a team has totaled in any of the past 15 seasons, according to ESPN Stats and Info. Gordon and Austin Ekeler have combined for three fumbles at the 1-yard line. This loss drops the Bolts to three games behind the Chiefs. This looks like a lost season – one of many this franchise has endured this decade. GAME GRADE: C | NEXT: at Bears (Sun.)

-- Sam Robinson

TITANS (3-4): Marcus Mariota figures to be anchored to the bench for the foreseeable. That's because under Ryan Tannehill, the offense looked its best since Week 1. Tannehill led the Titans to two fourth-quarter touchdowns that provided the decisive points. The game marked the first time all season that the Titans posted 300 yards passing, though two sacks dropped Tannehill’s net just under 300. Most encouraging about Tannehill’s performance was that he found his two most dynamic targets frequently, and with a high rate of success. Corey Davis and A.J. Brown, who came in with a combined 30 catches on 50 targets, had 12 catches for 144 yards on 15 targets. Mariota’s inability to hit them with regularity was arguably his biggest problem, and contributed to an offensive withering that saw the Titans score 20 or more points only twice in their first six games. GAME GRADE: B + |  NEXT: vs. Bucs (Sun.)

-- Chris Mueller

VIKINGS (5-2): A huge area of concern for the offense lately is the lack of a true third receiver. This looked to be exacerbated when Adam Thielen left the game with a hamstring injury on a spectacular, first-half touchdown grab. Sometimes injuries create opportunities in the NFL, and tight end IRV SMITH stepped up. Without a great third wideout, the Vikings use a lot of double-tight end sets, but tight end Kyle Rudolph no longer is a good option in the passing game. Smith, a rookie from Alabama, is proving to be a dangerous and much more athletic option than Rudolph. He can align all over the formation, and is beginning to come into his own. Smith (five catches for 60 yards) only trailed Stephon Diggs (7 catches, 142 yards) in receiving production for Minnesota. GAME GRADE: A minus | NEXT: vs. Redskins (Thurs.) 

-- Matt Williamson

LIONS (2-3-1): Marvin Jones put on a show against the Vikings, catching 10 balls for 93 yards and four -- yes, FOUR -- TDs. Jones dropped what should have been his third touchdown at the end of the first half, but a few plays later, he snatched another TD pass by high-pointing the ball in single coverage to tie the score at 21 at halftime. With Matthew Stafford and the passing attack going deep more than ever in 2019, Jones fits in extremely well. With the attention receiver Kenny Golladay receives on a weekly basis, more big games from Jones could be in store. Jones, who has a slender build (6-foot-2, 199 pounds) and long limbs, has great speed but is also proving to be an improving and potent contested-catch receiver. Jones and Danny Amendola, two distinctly different types of receivers, accounted for 24 targets of Stafford’s 45 passing attempts. Amendola moved the chains, but it was Jones who provided Detroit with nearly all its points. GAME GRADE: C +  | NEXT: vs. Giants (Sun.)

-- Matt Williamson

CHIEFS (5-2): It has taken at least 12 wins to secure the AFC’s No. 2 seed in 15 of the past 16 seasons. The Patriots’ 11 were enough in 2018. With the Chiefs’ primary competition for that No. 2 spot being the Texans and Ravens, a Patrick Mahomes return following Kansas City’s Week 12 bye would not make another playoff bye impossible in a weak conference. Backup QB Matt Moore being the next man up, however, makes that destination improbable. Fortunately for the Chiefs, the AFC West may not have a team ready to capitalize on Mahomes’ injury. The Chiefs boast far more talent than the Raiders; the Chargers may have too many injuries to take advantage of this opportunity. Nine or 10 wins might be enough to clinch this division. If Mahomes can return on the timetable this “best-case scenario” creates, the Chiefs may still be in decent position – even if multiple losses occur in the meantime. GAME GRADE: A | NEXT: vs. Packers (Sun.)

-- Sam Robinson

BRONCOS (2-5): Troy Aikman lobbed multiple jokes at the Broncos’ offense toward the end of Thursday night’s debacle, with Joe Flacco being the FOX analyst’s primary target. The immobile passer has been brutally ineffective when pressured this season, and pressure came frequently Thursday. The Chiefs registered nine sacks. It now looks like Garett Bolles, a 2017 first-round pick, is unsalvageable as a starter. Denver’s left tackle/hold machine was whistled for three more holding infractions against the Chiefs. Bolles has an NFL-most nine holding penalties this season, matching his career high. He has been whistled for a stunning 27 holds in 39 career games, impeding the Broncos’ annually anemic offense (post-Peyton Manning). Ace offensive line coach Mike Munchak inability to revive Bolles’ career points to another high-profile John Elway draft misstep. Denver’s GM took Bolles a year after his first-round Paxton Lynch pick derailed the Broncos’ blueprint. Both quarterback and left tackle remain glaring weaknesses for the struggling team. GAME GRADE: F | NEXT: at Colts (Sun.)

-- Sam Robinson

BROWNS (2-4): As the Browns entered their much-needed bye week to sort out several key problem areas, it is curious that they moved on so quickly from Austin Corbett, a 2018 second-round pick. He was pegged as Joe Thomas’ replacement at left tackle, but the reality is that Corbett is best at guard. That's where the Rams, who traded for him, will play Corbett. Is there another shoe to drop in Cleveland on the woeful offensive line? They have been linked to the Redskins' Trent Williams, one of the few players who is on a tier with a great player like Thomas. But if Williams can’t be added, the Browns must rely on scheme to help their troubled front five. Freddie Kitchens will need to go back to using more heavy personnel and keep extra blockers in protection. This is what worked so well after Kitchens took over in 2018, but the Browns have often bagged that strategy this season and suffered for it as a result. NEXT: at Patriots (Sun.)

-- Matt Williamson

STEELERS (2-4):  The bye week came at a good time for Pittsburgh, which has several key players injured. MASON RUDOLPH, the unquestioned starting quarterback, should return in Week 8 from a concussion. But one injury that significantly impacts this team is the loss of Stephon Tuitt, Pittsburgh’s best player this season on either side of the ball. The defensive end was hitting his stride before suffering a torn pectoral muscle and is lost for the season. The Steelers' defensive line has good depth, and Tuitt's absence could pay off for Javon Hargrave, who will play a lot with Tuitt out. Pittsburgh also will probably move Cameron Heyward around its defensive front to find mismatches.  NEXT: vs. Dolphins, Mon., Oct. 28)

-- Matt Williamson

PANTHERS (4-2): The Panthers could not have dreamed of getting more from KYLE ALLEN, who is ranked fifth among qualified quarterbacks in passer rating (106.6). Allen's 107.5 passer rating over his five starts is the fifth best in league history over a quarterback's first five career starts, trailing only Ben Roethlisberger (108.8), Tony Romo (115.8), Patrick Mahomes (116.3) and Kurt Warner (131.4). He is the third quarterback over the past 15 years to win his first five starts, joining Mahomes and Jimmy Garoppolo. Allen will be tested mightily following the bye week, with his next three games coming against the 49ers (second in defensive DVOA), Titans (10th), and Packers (seventh). That's a huge step up in competition from what he's faced so far ⁠— the average defensive DVOA rank of Allen's opponents from Weeks 3-6 was just 22nd. NEXT: at 49ers (Sun.)

-- Michael Nania

BUCCANEERS (2-4): The Buccaneers have played a tough slate of offenses, as five of their six games have come against teams who through six weeks scored more points per drive than the league average (1.90). Despite that, Tampa Bay's defense has made some impressive strides under new coordinator Todd Bowles. The unit that ranked 32nd in defensive DVOA a year ago is now ranked 17th. Great run defense is the primary reason, as the Buccaneers are tops in rush defense DVOA, yards per rush attempt allowed (2.9), and rushing yards per game allowed (68). End William Gholston and outside linebacker Carl Nassib lead the way, as each player ranks top 10 at his position in run stop percentage. NEXT: at Titans (Sun.)

-- Michael Nania