National Football League

NFL Week 7 Overreactions: 5 Things Completely Blown Out of Proportion

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 1:03 a.m. ET

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After a wild slate of games, results, and performances, let’s get hyperbolic with overreactions to all of the NFL Week 7 action

NFL Week 7 is in the books and everything happened. There are no more undefeated teams left in the NFL, the Cleveland Browns still haven’t won a game, and the marquee matchup of the week ended with 12 total points and no winner. Welcome to the calamity that is the 2016 NFL season.

More so than in most seasons, it feels like it’s impossible to grasp what’s happening with the majority of the teams around the league. Just last week, I dubbed the Buffalo Bills Super Bowl contenders. And while that was an overreaction and meant to be overstating the fact, they still had no business losing to the Miami Dolphins. But it happened in Week 7.

With this kind of season, though, things open up for immense knee-jerk reactions. It’s incredibly easy to look at one week and simply freak out about what happened. So naturally, that’s what we’re going to do on a week-to-week basis. With all of the hyperbole and freaking out possible, we’ll overreact in the biggest ways possible.

Here are the overreactions to NFL Week 7.

Oct 23, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford (8) is hit by Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham (55) during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

5. Call It a Season, Vikings

Remember the days just a week ago when the Minnesota Vikings looked unbeatable? They had a defense that looked impenetrable and Sam Bradford was having the best season of his career. Looking at their schedule, going something like 10-0 to start the 2016 season seemed legitimately in the card. In Week 7, they looked nothing akin to that same team at all. In fact, let’s just write them off after the way they looked against the Philadelphia Eagles.

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Just one week prior, the Eagles had a bear of a time trying to handle the pass rush of the Washington Redskins. In case you were blissfully unaware, the Washington defense is absolutely horrendous this season. Subsequently, the Vikings defense should have been able to cause all kinds of problems for a Philly offensive line sans Lane Johnson due to suspension. Though they made life hard early on and turned the game into a turnover fest, they faded tremendously.

As if Carson Wentz and the Eagles offense finding success wasn’t enough, let us not forget that Bradford looked horrendous in this game. Sure, the Philadelphia defense is a stout unit. However, Bradford went from having his best season ever to looking worse than he ever has before. Even his checkdown throws looked horrendous.

It was a nice run for Minny to go 5-0, but they’re done. Stick a fork in ’em.

Oct 23, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Kevin Hogan (8) looks to pass against the Cincinnati Bengals in the first half at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

4. Kevin Hogan is the Next Great Mobile Quarterback

The follies at quarterback continued for the Cleveland Browns in NFL Week 7 as rookie Cody Kessler was forced into an early exit from the contest due to a concussion. That brought in another rookie, one who started the season on the practice squad, in Kevin Hogan. Yes, Hogan struggled largely when it comes to throwing the football. But the Browns should adopt the Wildcat exclusively because the Stanford product is the NFL’s next great running quarterback.

I mean, did you see the ferocity and speed that he showed off on his touchdown run, the first score of his career? He looked like Bo Jackson out there dicing up the Cincinnati Bengals. As stated, you probably want to shy away from letting him throw the ball. Though that’s normally a prerequisite to playing quarterback, Hogan isn’t particularly adept in that department. However, he’s a weapon when he tucks the ball and takes off.

After all, the loss on Sunday moved the Browns to a dismal 0-7 on the week. Subsequently, they need anything they can to differentiate them. Let Hogan go to work with his legs. That’s a far better option than trying to let him do things with his arm and anything that changes the course would be welcomed at this point in Cleveland.

Oct 23, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) looks to pass the ball during the second half at MetLife Stadium. The Jets defeated the Ravens 24-16. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

3. Ryan Fitzpatrick is Totally, Completely, Definitely Fixed

All it took was 1.5 quarters of being benched in favor of Geno Smith for New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and he’s back to being a superstar. Nevermind the fact that the Baltimore Ravens are probably not a good football team given what we’ve seen from them; Fitzpatrick is back and is going to lead the Jets back to prominence after his and the team’s abysmal start to the 2016 season.

In relief of Geno, Fitzpatrick came in to go 9-of-14 passing for 170 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions. All of the turnover woes are behind him now. There’s absolutely no way, no chance, and no scenario where he isn’t fixed. He got a wake-up call and now he’s going to stop throwing the ball to the opposition.

This had to just be the genius of Todd Bowles. Everyone knows that the Jets don’t actually want Geno Smith to play quarterback for them. The Jets head coach simply knew that this was necessary to remedy the issues with the Jets veteran quarterback. What a coaching move—even more so that it worked. Just go ahead and start pencilling Fitzpatrick in for the MVP conversation going forward now that he’s all fixed after Week 7.

Oct 23, 2016; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi (23) runs the ball against the Buffalo Bills during the second half at Hard Rock Stadium. The Miami Dolphins defeat the Buffalo Bills 28-25. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

2. Jay Ajayi Will Break Eric Dickerson’s Single-Season Record…in 10 Games

Apparently Jay Ajayi as the No. 1 running back for the Miami Dolphins makes it impossible for him to rush for fewer than 200 yards in a game. The second-year running back followed his coming out party against the Pittsburgh Steelers with another monster game, this time against a Buffalo Bills team that had won four-straight games before coming down to South Beach. Now Ajayi is leading the way and going to find himself in the record books.

Eric Dickerson rushed for 2,105 yards in 1984, a single-season rushing record that has stood for over three decades now. Over the last two games, Jay Ajayi has rushed for 418 yards. If he continues on this pace, he’s going to be flirting with that record by the end of the season, even though he didn’t take over as the featured back until Week 6. And since he clearly can’t be stopped, he’s going to do it.

Who would’ve thought that the Dolphins had a record-setting running back on their roster and still felt it necessary to sign Arian Foster this offseason? That’s a waste of money that could’ve been used to sure up that defense. However, with Ajayi rushing for over 200 yards per game from here on out and certainly not trailing off from that pace, who needs a defense?

Oct 23, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals kicker Chandler Catanzaro (7) reacts after missing a field goal in overtime as punter Ryan Quigley (9) and Seattle Seahawks middle linebacker Bobby Wagner (54) react at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

1. Ban Ties

While everything else said has been dripping with hyperbole and a bit of satire to this point, I’m at least 80 percent serious when I say that ties need to be done away with. Yes, there was little offensive competency outside of Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson on Sunday Night Football against the Seattle Seahawks. However, a game with that level of defensive play, physicality, and stakes ending in a tie just feels completely wrong.

Seriously, there’s nothing less satisfying than a tie in a football game. It feels wholly and completely unnatural as a result. Someone should’ve come through in the end and emerged as the victor between the NFC West foes on Sunday night. However, they now have an extra column filled when it comes to their record with a stupid tie.

While I understand that playing multiple overtimes would be incredibly taxing, I don’t see why the NFL couldn’t come up with some solution. If the first overtime ends in a tie, maybe adopt the college football format for overtime from that point on. Alternating possessions happen until one team wins. That seems like a much better option than this lukewarm nonsense that is the Cardinals and Seahawks tying.

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