NFL Week 7 Sunday winners, losers: Chiefs win Super Bowl rematch, Vikings lose originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Spooky season has taken over the NFL.
With Halloween quickly approaching, teams across the league have started showing their true colors.
Whether it was a last-second kick or an upset road win, Week 7 provided plenty of surprises through the early window of games on Sunday.
The late window featured just three games, with one rout, one close affair and a Super Bowl rematch that was riveting for unconventional reasons.
Here are all the winners and losers from Sunday’s action:
WINNER: Star running backs
It was a good day to be a running back.
The league’s brightest stars came to play on Sunday, with Saquon Barkley, Jahmyr Gibbs, Bijan Robinson, Kenneth Walker, Joe Mixon, Josh Jacobs and Aaron Jones all scoring touchdowns and carrying their teams.
Barkley was a standout performer in his first trip back to MetLife Stadium to face the New York Giants, with 176 rushing yards and a touchdown in the Philadelphia Eagles‘ win. Gibbs (160 total yards, two TDs), Walker (93 total yards, two TDs), and Mixon (124 total yards, 2 TDs) each starred in their victories, while Jones (116 total yards, 1 TD), Robinson (143 total yards, 1 TD) and Jacobs (92 total yards, 1 TD) shined in defeat.
LOSER: Vikings, finally
The Minnesota Vikings are no longer undefeated.
In a back-and-forth NFC North battle, the Detroit Lions beat the Vikings 31-29 to put both teams at 5-1 this season. The Lions overcame a 10-0 deficit at the end of the first quarter to take a 21-10 lead into the break. Despite trailing 28-17 in the fourth quarter, Brian Flores’ defense carried the Vikings back to the lead 29-28.
Then, Jared Goff took the Lions on a 44-yard drive in the final two minutes to set up a 44-yard game-winning field goal by Jake Bates. Both teams proved themselves in this one, as it should be a battle to win this division all year long.
WINNER: Bengals inch closer to .500
After starting the season 0-3, the Cincinnati Bengals are quietly back in the mix.
Joe Burrow and Co. put together a solid 21-14 win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday in an AFC North rivalry game. Deshaun Watson left with an Achilles injury in the first half, and backup Dorian Thompson-Robinson was unable to get anything going in the second half before he too left with an injury.
Burrow finished the game with 181 yards and two touchdowns — one to Ja’Marr Chase and one to Tee Higgins. Thompson-Robinson struggled in his first action of the season, going 11 of 24 for 82 yards and two interceptions. Jameis Winston tossed a touchdown in the closing moments to make it a one-score loss.
LOSER: Texans defense can’t hold on
In a battle of two rising young teams, the Green Bay Packers defeated the Houston Texans 24-22 on a last-second field goal by newly-signed kicker Brandon McManus.
Houston took a 22-21 lead on a field goal by Ka’imi Fairbairn with 1:44 to play. But DeMeco Ryans’ defense, which had held the Packers to just seven points in the entire second half, let Jordan Love march down the field to set up the 45-yard kick.
Love finished the game with 220 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, while C.J. Stroud struggled with just 86 passing yards and 10 of 21 completions. Both teams are now 5-2 on the season.
WINNER: Anthony Richardson returns with a victory
It wasn’t always easy, but the Indianapolis Colts were victorious in Anthony Richardson’s return from injury.
Shane Steichen’s team held on for the 16-10 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Indy, though Richardson had an uneasy performance. The second-year QB had 129 passing yards and 56 rushing yards while completing 10 of 24 passes. Two field goals in the fourth quarter were the difference, as Miami’s offense with Tyler Huntley (who got injured) and then Tim Boyle remained ineffective.
The Colts are now 4-3 with help from both Richardson and veteran Joe Flacco this season. The Dolphins, on the other hand, are 2-4 with Tua Tagovailoa eligible to return from his concussion next week.
LOSER: Panthers somehow look worse
The Andy Dalton purple patch has, predictably, run its course. The Panthers were routed by the Washington Commanders 40-7, who moved to 5-2 despite Jayden Daniels leaving early with a rib injury and being ruled out.
Dalton completed 11 of 16 passes for 93 yards and two picks, with nothing else going right for them. Maybe just keeping Bryce Young playing was the right move for reps purposes, as it doesn’t do the sophomore much better to sit and watch.
Marcus Mariota stepped in for Daniels and shined, going 18-for-23 on completions for 205 yards and two touchdowns while Brian Robinson Jr. continued his form with another rushing touchdown.
WINNER: Kyren Williams carries Rams in rough QB display
The Los Angeles Rams picked up their second win of the season, but it was far from pretty. Matthew Stafford struggled at home, completing just 14 of 23 passes for 154 yards and a pick, though Cooper Kupp wasn’t able to go.
It was worse for the Las Vegas Raiders, as Gardner Minshew replaced the injured Aidan O’Connell early on and struggled mightily himself, mustering only 15 of 34 completions for 154 yards, no touchdowns and three picks in the 20-15 defeat.
But Kyren Williams led the way for Los Angeles, rushing in two touchdowns to go with 76 rushing yards on 21 carries. The 3.6 average is far from ideal, but the Rams need wins anyway they can get them and this result summarized that.
LOSER: 49ers still can’t beat Chiefs
The San Francisco 49ers fell to a deplorable 0-5 record against the Kansas City Chiefs under Kyle Shanahan. Two of those notably came in the Super Bowl, with the 49ers failing to avenge their recent big-game loss in the rematch at home, falling 28-18.
Patrick Mahomes had far from a good performance — 16-for-27 completions for 154 yards, no touchdowns and two picks — as the 49ers defense showed signs of improvement, but it didn’t matter.
San Francisco’s offense continued to struggle against Steve Spagnuolo, with Brock Purdy completing just 16 of 30 passes for 202 yards and three picks — one in the end zone — in spite of Brandon Aiyuk’s knee injury and Deebo Samuel’s illness preventing them from making an impact.
The Chiefs stayed perfect at 6-0 while the 49ers fell to 3-4 ahead of a “Sunday Night Football” clash against the Dallas Cowboys next week, a must win at this stage of the season.
