There were lots of questions about the Philadelphia Eagles as they headed to Minneapolis on Sunday to take on the Minnesota Vikings. The defending Super Bowl champs had lost two in a row and a lot of concerns were being directed at a stop-start offense and quarterback Jalen Hurts.
This is a good time for us all to remember that Hurts is a champion and he responded like one on Sunday as the Eagles fought past a good Vikings team for a 28-22 victory.
There were still moments where the offense got bogged down and there was still nowhere near enough coming from running back Saquon Barkley. But at key times – and when it mattered most – Hurts stepped up time and again for his team, leading from the front in one of the better passing displays of his career.
Hurts threw for 326 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. His quarterback rating was a perfect 158.3.
The moments were important, like a key third-and-13 scramble and completion to AJ Brown. But equally important was the aggression shown by Hurts and the entire Philadelphia passing attack.
The key now will be to find the consistency that has been lacking all season long. But, on this day, Hurts delivered a firm reminder that he can be one of the best deep-ball throwers in the league and someone who is fiercely competitive and driven to win.
Who's Hot…
Matthew Stafford… Operating without his leading wide receiver – and the NFL receptions leader – in Puka Nacua, Matthew Stafford barely looked concerned as he led his Los Angeles Rams to a 35-7 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. Stafford came out of the gate fast and while he targeted some young players, his greatest successes were touchdown hook-ups with Davante Adams. Three times! Stafford threw five touchdown passes on the day and never looked hassled or worried by Jacksonville's defense. When I look at the Rams I see a well-coached team with an upper-echelon quarterback and an aggressive, playmaking defense. So, why not them in the wide open NFC?
The Indianapolis Colts… The Colts continue to stand the test of time as we are now seven weeks into the 2025 season and they look like one of the best teams in the league after their 38-24 road win against the Chargers in Los Angeles. It was another complete team performance. Jonathan Taylor rushed for three touchdowns, Daniel Jones had a quarterback rating north of 113 and the defense made some big plays at timely moments; recording two interceptions (including one in the end zone) and three sacks. This is no longer a feel-good story, this is one of the best teams in the league and one that has the look of a genuine contender.
The Chicago Bears… Don't look now but the Chicago Bears have won four in a row to insert themselves into the NFC playoff conversation. Sunday's win over the New Orleans Saints (26-14) was a take-care-of-business game and was built a different way. Where Caleb Williams has shone at other times, this victory was powered by the rushing attack (222 yards and two touchdowns) and a defense that recorded four sacks and three interceptions.
Who's Not…
The Miami Dolphins… We've officially entered the 'by the time you read this' portion of Miami's season. In other words, by the time you read this article Mike McDaniel may not be this team's head coach anymore. I don't see any way back following the Dolphins' 31-6 loss to a Cleveland Browns team that also entered Week 7 with a 1-5 record. The bigger question for Miami is around the future of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who is guaranteed $54 million next season. Tua threw three interceptions on Sunday and was mostly awful – a week after he called out the team and his teammates for a lack of leadership and accountability. It's going to be a long trudge to the finish line for the Dolphins and big changes are coming for this underperforming team. And for the head man, they are likely coming very quickly indeed.
The Jacksonville Jaguars… That was a 'bury the film' game for the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium. Very little went right for Liam Coen's men, who have now dropped two in a row. There were penalties galore (including one that took a punt return touchdown off the board), inaccurate throws from Trevor Lawrence, dropped passes from his receivers and no signs of a go-to guy emerging on either side of the ball. For the second week in a row, the defense that led the league with 14 takeaways through five weeks failed to create a turnover. The closest Jacksonville came to a difference maker against the Rams was Travis Hunter, who went over 100 receiving yards and scored his first NFL touchdown. I think Jacksonville should veer away from the two-way experiment and feature Hunter almost exclusively on offense. With Brian Thomas Jr. in the doldrums, they are crying out for a number one wideout in their attack. That could be Hunter.
The Fast Five…
- The Dallas Cowboys are going to be a dangerous proposition for the remainder of the season because of a ferocious yet balanced attack led by Dak Prescott. In Sunday's 44-22 demolition of the Washington Commanders, Dak threw three touchdown passes. I don't think there has been a period like this in his career before – he is playing masterfully and should be an MVP candidate.
- It's hard to know if the Kansas City Chiefs are all the way back because of the level of their opposition on Sunday. But I do know that their 31-0 win over the Las Vegas Raiders has given Andy Reid's men a winning record for the first time this season. And it was a win so one-sided that Patrick Mahomes spent the entire fourth quarter basking on the bench. Look out, AFC!
- Bo Nix and Jaxson Dart put on quite the show as the Denver Broncos recorded a come-from-behind 33-32 win over the New York Giants in one of the games of the year to date. The Big Blue will be kicking themselves at blowing a big lead and then missing a late extra point, but both they and Denver should feel good about their respective quarterback situations moving forward.
- I think we may have seen the end of Justin Fields' run as the starting quarterback of the New York Jets. He was benched during Sunday's 13-6 home loss to the Carolina Panthers that has dropped the Jets to 0-7 in Aaron Glenn's first season in charge. Tyrod Taylor may be a steadier hand but, like Fields, he was also sacked three times on Sunday and that's not a great recipe for success.
- What a joy it was to watch Aaron Rodgers (41) and Joe Flacco (40) go throw for throw in Cincinnati's 33-31 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was a result that impacted three teams in the AFC North – it kept the Bengals alive, stopped the Steelers from opening some serious daylight and offered some hope for the Baltimore Ravens when Lamar Jackson returns from injury.
Fact of the Week
The Las Vegas Raiders didn't just get shut out in Kansas City – they got blanked in historic fashion. The Silver and Black ran just 30 total plays for 95 yards. That was the second-fewest plays run by a team in the Super Bowl era (Cleveland ran 28 against Pittsburgh in Week 1 of the 1999 season). The 95 total yards are the fewest in a game for the Raiders since Week 9 of 2008 (Atlanta) and the fourth-fewest in team history.
Final Thought…
Sean McVay changed how NFL owners think about young coaches in the hiring process when he took charge of the Los Angeles Rams at the age of 30 in 2017. The youngest head coach in NFL history de-bunked another theory on Sunday when he brought his Rams to London on the Saturday morning before the game at Wembley Stadium. For the past 18 years, we've debated whether it is better to come in on a Monday, a Tuesday or a Friday. Maybe none of it ever mattered? We have spoken in TV studios about the Monday-arriving team having a 14-0 lead over the Friday-arriving club. Maybe they were just a better team. More and more I am of the opinion that once that ball sails into the air and it is go time, the players and coaches just play football. And games are won and lost based on execution and play calls, not on sleep patterns and jet lag.
