NFL Week 7, What did we learn? As fans, there are things we learn each week while watching our favorite league, The NFL. Yes, Tua is back, and the Dolphins look better with him behind center, but we knew that coming into this week. Last week we learned that we don’t really know these Jets and Giants. They proved again this week that they are teams to watch this year. Hopefully the early prediction for Breece Hall, Jets running back, are wrong and he can get back on the field this season. The Chiefs are still good (we knew that too), and even without Tyreek Hill they are an explosive offense with many interchangeable weapons. A fan would almost be tempted to say, we learned this week that Mecole Hardman is alive. Just kidding, besides that fan would simply sound like a bitter fantasy football player. So, what did we learn this Sunday in the NFL? There were a lot of great discoveries this week in the NFL, but here are the top three things we learned this week:
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- Josh Jacobs is the TRUTH, this season.
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In the Hall of Fame Game, which marks the beginning of the pre-season, the Raiders played their #1 Running Back, Josh Jacobs, in the first two series of the game, giving him five carries which he took for 30 yards. Those 11 snaps set the NFL rumor mill ablaze, as most media members thought his usage in a meaningless game meant that he was on the trading block. Though he averaged 6.0 yards per carry and looked incredibly explosive, many believed that Jacobs’s time in Vegas had ended. They were wrong. For the last three games, Josh Jacobs has displayed all the promise he showed as a member of the Crimson Tide. Against the Broncos, he ran the ball 28 times for 144 yards. Jacob followed that performance with a 154-yard rushing day against the Chiefs. This week Josh Jacobs DOMINATED the Houston Texans. He was unstoppable this week, with 20 carries, 143 yards, and three touchdowns. Jacobs averaged 7.2 yards per carry. Breaking News – The Raiders are not going to trade Jacobs. The Raiders will ride Josh Jacobs until this train stops. If you are a fantasy player and have a chance to make a deal for Jacobs, Do IT!
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2. The Seahawks Upgraded at QB this Off-Season.
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In September, I would have been crucified if I had written an article stating the Seahawks upgraded at quarterback this off-season. NFL Facebook pundits would have questioned my mental capacity, the website’s authenticity, and my moral makeup, as they would have blamed the publishing site “clickbait.” At this point in the season, and after seeing Russell Wilson with the Broncos, NFL fans are much more willing to listen to this take. Geno Smith is not a perfect QB, and he is also not a QB that makes a fan base feel like they don’t have to look for a better QB in the future. Nevertheless, Smith is the best QB for the Seahawks this season. Coming into this week, Geno Smith leads the league in pass completion percentage with 73.4%. Amongst starting quarterbacks, he ranks only behind Tua and Josh Allen in terms of QB Rating with 108.1. Smith is one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the NFL. Before Sunday, Smith had only thrown two interceptions to nine touchdowns. Smith has had a remarkable season leading his team to a record of 4-3 this year. It helps to have playmakers like rookie running back Kenneth Walker and DK Metcalf, but that’s the beauty of Smith. Smith gets the ball in the hands of his playmakers, and Pete Carroll can trust Geno to protect the ball and run the offense as scripted. Russell Wilson would not be playing as well with this Seahawks team. Therefore, making Smith the starter in Seattle this season was an upgrade, and the Seahawks are reaping the benefits of trusting in Geno.
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3. Burrow and the Bengals are Finding their Stride.
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At the end of last season, it was a pleasant surprise to see Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl. The Bengals had made significant roster moves, signing defensive end Trey Hendrickson and safety Von Bell and drafting Joe Burrow’s LSU running mate, wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. Last season it was evident that all the work they did to revamp their roster paid off. The Bengals noticed they needed to rebuild their offensive line and spent this off-season trying to “sure up” the protection around Burrow. After a strong off-season, pundits believed the Bengals were ready to start this season where they left off last season. Losses to the Steelers and Cowboys quickly led Bengals fans to wonder if they had “changed their stripes” back to the pre-Burrow Bengals. For the last two weeks, the Bengals have shown all the explosion and excitement of last year’s team. The three-headed monster at wide receiver in Chase, Higgins, and Boyd is playing well again. Chase is tied for the lead in touchdown receptions with Buffalo wide receiver Stephon Diggs. For the second week in a row, Tyler Boyd showed how explosive he has the potential to be in this offense. This week Boyd caught eight passes for 155 yards and a touchdown. Trying to stop Chase and Boyd is a significant task, and if a defense can manage to stop them, there is still the consistent threat of Tee Higgins. Higgins made his presence felt this week with five catches for 93 yards. It seems that a trip back to Louisiana was all Burrow needed to get his Mojo Back. For the second week in a row, Burrow has thrown three touchdowns. Last week in the Bayou, Burrow threw for 300 yards; this week, he eclipsed 480 yards passing. With the effective running of Joe Mixon, this is the offense every expected to see from the Bengals this season, and NFL fans are starting to see it. It helps to play against the worst passing defense in the NFL, the Falcons, and for the New Orleans Saints to be missing their top cornerback. You can expect the Bengals to keep up their offensive production for at least the next four games as they face the Brown, Panthers, Steelers, and Titans. For each of the following four defenses, Joe Burrow and the Bengals will face ranks toward the bottom of the league in passing defense.
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Share with us the top three things you learned while watching the games this Sunday.
