NFL Week 7 lowlights: Aaron Glenn's game management, blowout Panthers loss and more

After consecutive wins, the Panthers (3-3) entered Week 7 looking as though they had turned a corner and were set to run away with a dreadful NFC South. Instead, Carolina only has one more win than the last-place New Orleans Saints (2-5) and a tough road test on Thursday night against the Green Bay Packers (4-3) looming. Sunday's game marked a huge missed opportunity, one the Panthers may find difficult to get back.

Worst quarterback performance: Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones

The Colts once again find themselves in need of a quarterback.

Jones has been a shell of his 2025 form since returning from a season-ending Achilles injury, and Week 7 marked his nadir.

In a 16-10 road loss to the Minnesota Vikings (6-0), Jones was 13-of-22 for 108 yards. When accounting for his rushing and sack totals, the 202X first-round pick accounted for 77 yards on 30 plays, a paltry 2.6 yards per dropback, which RotoWire's Ian Hartitz noted ranks second-worst among qualifying quarterbacks this season.

Afterward, Jones didn't sound surprised at all by the lack of success in the passing game, telling reporters that he "expected it to be this kind of game."

Head coach Shane Steichen echoed that sentiment when detailing his run-first strategy against a blitz-heavy Vikings defense, telling reporters, "The game plan today was to go in and run the football."

To be fair, it was a solid strategy as the Colts finished with 154 rushing yards. Steichen needed more from his quarterback, however, yet he didn't appear concerned about the lackluster effort, adding in his post-game remarks that he has "a ton of faith" in Jones while shrugging off a game-sealing interception as something "that happens in football."

The Colts should expect far more from the quarterback position, but Steichen appears content with mediocrity.

Worst performance, offense: Saints rushing attack

It's hard not to feel sorry for second-year Saints quarterback Tyler Shough. On Sunday, he was the entire New Orleans offense.

The Saints forgot to pack a rushing attack for the NFL's first game in Paris, a 16-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2), with running backs Alvin Kamara and Kendre Miller combined for 11 yards on 14 carries. Shough was the team's leading rusher with seven yards.

Several factors contributed to the struggles, including running backs simply not playing well, linemen unable to open holes and a capable Steelers rush defense that allowed a season-low 2.4 yards per attempt to Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving in a Week 6 overtime win.

New Orleans can't expect to win many games when its offense is as one-dimensional as it was on Sunday. While Shough has shown promise in his 16 NFL starts, he won't be able to do it alone.

Worst performance, defense: Houston Texans rushing defense

The Texans entered Week 7 stout against the run, ranking third in yards per attempt (3.4) while holding their first five opponents under 100 rushing yards. But that stifling unit was nowhere to be found in a stunning 27-21 home overtime loss to the New York Giants (4-2-1), who ran all over Houston.

Giants running back Cam Skattebo exited the doghouse after fumbling issues earned him a spot on the bench in last Sunday's loss to the Saints and had the first 100-yard game of his career, finishing the game with 124 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. During overtime, he put New York in scoring range with a 42-yard scamper up the middle of Houston's defense, then backup Devin Singletary ended the game with a 30-yard rushing touchdown on the next play from scrimmage.

The Texans (2-5) have a lot to fix on their bye week, but head coach DeMeco Ryans probably didn't expect his rushing defense to be near the top of the list.

Worst clock management: New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn

The clock is running out on Glenn, and not just because he refuses to use his timeouts.

Late in the second quarter of an embarrassing 28-25 loss to the previously winless Miami Dolphins (1-5), Glenn declined to use any of his three timeouts in an effort to get the ball back for his offense as the Dolphins drained the clock on a 15-play, 91-yard touchdown drive, eventually scoring with only six seconds left in the half. 

Afterward, the second-year Jets coach attempted to explain his reasoning. The response should have owner Woody Johnson considering a coaching change by Monday.

"Maybe we should've called our timeouts to get it back," Glenn said, "but at that point, we just felt like we were going to stop them and be able to get the ball back."

That makes zero sense. Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis picked up a fresh set of downs on the first play after the two-minute warning, meaning the Jets (2-5) couldn't simply play defense and get the ball back without stopping the clock.

Glenn, had he been paying attention, would have known he needed to use his timeouts to get the ball back after that first-down pickup. Instead, he allowed the Dolphins to run again on the ensuing first down without calling a timeout.

With New York getting possession to start the second half, Glenn's team could have managed points on back-to-back possessions with more careful consideration from their coach. Those minor details matter when attempting to maximize a talent-deficient roster, and they're ones Glenn consistently overlooks.