Top 10 Most Surprising NFL Teams of Week 7 (2022)
Carolina without a doubt earns the top spot this week. The Panthers are reeling and in full-on tank mode, and they aren't even trying to hide it. Matt Rhule is gone, and they made a blockbuster trade with San Francisco to send off their star offensive weapon in Christian McCaffrey. Yet, they not only won, they blew Tampa Bay out of the water.
No CMC? No problem. Say hello to Chuba Hubbard and D'Onta Foreman. No Baker Mayfield or Sam Darnold? No problem. Let PJ Walker lead the offense. Somehow, after all that has happened with Carolina over the last few weeks, they looked like a competent team.
You thought Indy beating KC was the upset of the year? No, this is by far the biggest upset of the season considering the state the Panthers are in at the moment. The Colts look like a Super Bowl contender in comparison.
Tampa Bay honestly did not even look like a professional football team with how badly they performed. They looked absolutely awful in every aspect of the game and completely self-destructed. So much so they not only lost but got the doors blown off by a Carolina team openly tanking their season away.
Tom Brady, you know Father Time is undefeated? If it's not obvious he's reached his end, I don't know how else to tell it to you. Tom Brady, you may have made Adam Schefter look like a clown, but at what cost? Sometimes legends don't go out with a bang but a whimper. I'm not saying that's what's happening, but it's certainly looking like a very real possibility. You better get things figured out quickly. Although you play in a weak division, don't overlook your opponents.
The Seattle Seahawks won this game somehow thanks to Kenneth Walker and Marquise Goodwin. Not only did they win, it was a beatdown. Pete Carroll and John Schneider may have saved their jobs. Remember when they were on the chopping block? Yeah, well now that same Seahawks team everyone thought would be toast without Russell Wilson, and nobody had any expectations for whatsoever heading into this season, is leading the NFC West thanks to the renaissance resurgence of Geno Smith.
At this rate, it's looking like the Seahawks won that Russell Wilson blockbuster trade with Denver. Oh, and the draft class they built in 2022 has quietly had an immediate impact.
Chicago won this game decisively. A cold and rainy night in Foxborough should have set up well for the Patriots, but Da Bears held firm on defense. Mac Jones looked rough in his return, so Bill Belichick swapped in Bailey Zappe to provide a spark plug for the Patriots' offense. Yet the Bears' defense quickly got back on track and clamped down on New England.
What was more surprising about this game was the Bears' offense functioning. They scored in every quarter when they had struggled so far. Not sure what to expect now that Robert Quinn is gone, but at least they won this game. It's a promising performance to build off of.
In 2020, Washington after 87 years got rid of the Redskins trademark due to it being labeled racist to native culture. It was named the Washington Football Team until February... read more
The Commanders won...? With Taylor Heinicke? I don't think anyone had any expectations for this team to win this game despite being at home and the Packers' recent skid. Yet Washington had some swagger in them.
The NFC East is actually turning out to be a scary good division, and while Washington is probably the weakest of these teams on paper, they shouldn't be written off completely. I can't explain how or why, but somehow this team had a certain confidence to them like they had nothing to lose, and that's how they won the game. I'd say it was more on the Packers' miscues if anything, but still, they had a chance to win the game. Yet, Washington prevailed.
How about those Giants? This was a surprisingly good game. My one complaint was the refball. They tried their hardest to help Jacksonville win. It came down to the wire, but that has been the major recurring theme for the Giants this season. They find a way to win.
It doesn't matter how they do it. They make it work. That's how they are here at 6-1. I've said it for weeks now, but Brian Daboll has them well-coached. Daniel Jones isn't making nearly as many miscues as in years past. He's not elite by any means, but he's managing games well.
The Giants feed off playing mistake-free football and capitalizing on their opponents' mistakes. It's a formula that seems to be working out well for them.
The Jets won one of the ugliest games I've seen. Thankfully, this wasn't a prime-time game. It doesn't matter that they didn't look good. They got the job done. Unfortunately for them, they lose Breece Hall and Alijah Vera Tucker for the season. It's a damn shame, but here's James Robinson to hopefully ease the pain.
Either way, this team is still ahead of the Patriots in the standings, and no, this is not a mirage. I can't tell how good they are exactly, but one thing is for certain: these are not the same Jets of old. This is a different era.
Los Angeles, can you explain what the hell that was to me? I get the team is injured, but the Seahawks aren't supposed to be good. Justin Herbert looked just okay. The team itself felt like they were playing down to the competition. That won't cut it. If you're trying to win the division, that's not how you do it. Talk about the analytics all you want. That doesn't explain getting smacked around at home.
How did you let the Bears' offense function? Wasn't your defense supposed to be good? And you were at home at Foxborough. This game should've gone the other way around, if I'm being completely honest.
One thing I don't like is the two-quarterback system you've got going. Pick Mac Jones or Bailey Zappe, not both. It never works out well for a team. Just ask Carolina how that went for them with Matt Rhule.
This felt like a game you couldn't afford to lose. Now look, you're in last place in the division. Maybe we really are in the end times.
I'm convinced the Packers are actually bad at this rate. Not only that, but Aaron Rodgers isn't happy either. He's pointing the finger at his own team. They, for some reason, don't run the ball like they should until it's far too late to do anything, and the only receivers getting any attention are Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb.
The defense bailed the Packers out for the most part. Amari Rodgers muffing a punt certainly doesn't help matters any. Losing to the Jets, Giants, and Commanders in consecutive weeks is not a good look, and if you thought next week would get easier, I've got news for you. Next week is at Buffalo, so good luck with that.