NFL Week 7 grades: Cowboys earn 'A' for crushing Commanders, Broncos and Giants get same mark
Here are the grades for every NFL team that has played in Week 7
By
John Breech
•
18 min read
Welcome to the Week 7 grades!
If you like record-setting performances, then you're going to like what happened at the quarterback position this week. There were several huge performances:
- Matthew Stafford: The Rams QB threw five touchdown passes against the Jaguars in London, which set the NFL record for the most passing touchdowns in an international game.
- Drake Maye: The Patriots QB completed 91.3% of his passes, which broke Tom Brady's franchise record of 88.5%. Yup, that means that Maye is already breaking Brady's records. The Patriots appear to have finally found Brady's heir.
- Patrick Mahomes: The Chiefs QB threw for 206 yards and three touchdowns on Kansas City's first three drives, becoming the first QB since at least 2000 to top 200 yards with three TD passes on the first three possessions of a game.
- Jalen Hurts: The Eagles QB finished with a perfect passer rating of 158.3 by going 19 of 23 for 326 yards and three touchdowns. Hurts, who is the first QB this season to finish with perfect passer rating, averaged 14.2 yards per attempt.
- Bo Nix: The Broncos quarterback threw for two touchdowns and ran for two touchdowns during the fourth quarter of Denver's wild comeback win over the Giants. That made Nix the first QB in NFL history to record two passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns in any quarter of any NFL game ever.
Let's get to this week's grades, starting with Broncos' wild win over the Giants.
Denver 33-32 over N.Y. Giants
| B- |  |
| This will certainly go down as one of the worst regular-season losses in Giants' history. New York blew a 19-0 lead in the fourth quarter during what can only be described as a total meltdown. The Giants defense gave up 227 yards of offense in the FOURTH quarter alone. Offensively, there was a crushing interception thrown by Jaxson Dart, which overshadowed a wildly impressive game by the rookie QB. The Giants also weren't helped by the fact that Jude McAtamney missed two extra points. This was a painful loss, but the main takeaway for the Giants should be this: They proved that they can play with any team in the NFL and that should give them plenty of confidence going forward, but it will be interesting to see how they respond to this soul-crushing loss. | |
| B- |  |
| The Broncos deserve a "D-" for their play during the first three quarters of this game, but then they rebounded to pull off one of the all-time comebacks in NFL history. The comeback happened because Bo Nix was absolutely clutch during a fourth quarter where he totaled 222 yards (174 passing yards, 46 rushing yards) and FOUR touchdowns (Two rushing, two passing). It was a heroic performance from a QB who appears ready to take the next step. The Broncos scored the second-most fourth quarter points in a game in NFL history. This is the kind of win that can spur a team to big success going forward. | |
San Francisco 20-10 over Atlanta
| C |  |
| The Falcons lost this game because the 49ers made big plays and Atlanta didn't. Every time the Falcons needed a clutch play, they came up empty on both sides of the ball. Offensively, they were hurt by an ugly sequence during the final two minutes of the first half: First, Michael Penix Jr. lost a fumble that led to a 49ers field goal. And then, on Atlanta's next possession, he got penalized for intentional grounding, which cost the Falcons a chance at getting some points before halftime. They also took Bijan Robinson off the field for a key fourth-and-1 play in the fourth quarter that ended up failing (Atlanta was trailing just 13-10 at the time). Defensively, the Falcons couldn't get off the field: They allowed the 49ers to convert 60% of their third-down attempts. This was the Falcons' second outdoor game of the season and they've now been outscored 50-10 in those two games. That could be a problem going forward for a team that still has four more outdoor games. | |
| A- |  |
| The 49ers' offensive game plan was pretty simple on Sunday night: Get the ball to Christian McCaffrey. The 49ers star running back seemed to love the plan, because he responded with one of his best games of the season: He has his first 100-yard rushing game since 2023, going off for 129 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries. The shifty and elusive McCaffrey also caught seven passes for 72 yards. The biggest question for the 49ers going into this game was how would the defense look without Fred Warner and the unit passed its first test with flying colors. Robert Saleh's group held Bijan Robinson in check, and overall, the defense had an impressive night. Despite all the injuries, the 49ers have managed to get to 5-2, and now, they feel like one of the more dangerous teams in the NFL. | |
Dallas 44-22 over Washington
| D- |  |
| The 2025 Commanders just aren't as good as the 2024 Commanders right now. This team has taken a huge step back and that's happened for multiple reasons. For one, Jayden Daniels isn't playing as well as he did last year, but he's also dealing with nagging injuries and the fact that his best receivers are banged up (Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel didn't play in this game). The Commanders defense continues to be a huge problem. The offensive injuries will heal, but if Dan Quinn can't get his defense turned around, this team is going to have a hard time competing in the NFC East. | |
| A |  |
| This was easily the Cowboys' best all-around performance of the season. The defense has struggled at times this year, but against the Commanders, it was dominant. From DaRon Bland's pick six to the team's four sacks, the Cowboys brought the hammer down on Washington. Offensively, Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Javonte Williams looked like a reincarnation of the Dallas' 1990 triples. And then there's Brandon Aubrey, who set an NFL record with his fifth career field goal of 60 yards or more. The Cowboys haven't won two straight games at any point this season and if they want to prove they can be a playoff contender, they're going to need to play like this more consistently. | |
Indianapolis 38-24 over L.A. Chargers
| A |  |
| The Colts might have the best offense in the NFL and a big reason for that is because Daniel Jones is playing the best football of his career. Jones threw for 207 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, including a TD pass to Michael Pittman on fourth down in the second quarter. Shane Steichen clearly has full confidence in Jones and the offense: He had his team go for it on three different fourth downs and the Colts converted them all. The defense did get gashed up some by Justin Herbert, but most of that came in the second half after Indy had taken a 31-10 lead. The defense did come up with some big plays: Grover Stewart and Nick Cross both picked off Herbert in the first half when the game was still close. We started this grade by saying the Colts might have the best offense in the NFL, but the truth is, they might just be the best overall team. | |
| C- |  |
| This was a total meltdown by the Chargers in every phase of the game. Defensively, Khalil Mack made his return for L.A., but the Chargers simply had no answers for anything the Colts did on offense. Indy was able to move at will through the air and on the ground. Justin Herbert and the offense put up huge numbers in the second half, but by then, they had already dug themselves a hole that was too deep to get out of. The Chargers scored just three points in the first half and that number could have been higher, but they had two drives derailed by Herbert interceptions. Even the Chargers special teams struggled: They gave up a back-breaking 81-yard kickoff return in the second half. The Chargers went into Week 7 in a tie for first place in the AFC West, but based on how they're playing, it seems unlikely that we'll see them in that top spot again this season. | |
Green Bay 27-23 over Arizona
| B- |  |
| Showing up late was the theme of the week for the Packers. First, their plane showed up five hours late to Arizona, and then their offense didn't show up until the second half. The Packers were able to get a TD on three of their final four possessions, which is how they were able to steal the win. Josh Jacobs, who almost didn't play, willed Green Bay to a win with two second-half touchdowns. Of course, the star of the game for the Packers was probably Micah Parsons, who had three sacks, including one that came on Arizona's final possession as the Cardinals were driving for a possible game-winning score. Since tying the Cowboys in Week 4, the Packers haven't looked impressive, but they also haven't lost, and in the NFL, that's all that matters. | |
| B- |  |
| With this loss, the Cardinals have now tied the NFL record for most consecutive losses by four points or less (This was the fifth straight time that it's happened). What this team has needed for the past five weeks is for the offense or defense to make a big play in the fourth quarter, but that just hasn't happened. The offense failed on two fourth downs in the fourth quarter that might have helped Arizona win the game. The defense also had a chance to win this in the fourth quarter, but they gave up two touchdown drives to Green Bay. If this team could close out a game, they could potentially be 7-0 -- again, all five losses have been by four points or less -- but they haven't been able to, and now, the Cards just took one step closer to throwing away another season. | |
Philadelphia 28-22 over Minnesota
| B+ |  |
| The Eagles won this game because Jalen Hurts was perfect. Hurts, who threw for 326 yards and three touchdowns, finished with a perfect passer rating of 158.3. He came up with clutch play after clutch play, including a 37-yard TD to A.J. Brown on fourth down in the first quarter and a 45-yard pass to Brown on a third down in the fourth quarter to ice the game. In between those two throws, Hurts kept feeding DeVonta Smith, who caught nine passes for 183 yards. This Eagles went into Week 7 with the worst passing offense in the NFC, so this was a performance they absolutely needed. The ground game is still struggling, but when Hurts is playing like this and the defense comes up with big plays, Philadelphia is almost impossible to beat | |
| B- |  |
| If Carson Wentz had any chance of keeping the Vikings' QB job, he probably blew it in this game. Wentz threw two costly interceptions, including a pick six in the second quarter that put the Eagles up 14-3. The Vikings were also surprisingly let down by their passing defense. Brian Flores' unit had only surrendered 157.6 yards per game going into Week 7 -- the second-lowest number in the NFL -- but they got torched for 326 yards by Jalen Hurts. With their third loss, the Vikings have now matched their loss total from all of last season. This team is good, it just doesn't feel like it's good enough to beat the best teams in the NFC | |
Cleveland 31-6 over Miami
| F |  |
| This was a sloppy game for the Dolphins and that starts with Tua Tagovailoa, who threw three interceptions, including a pick six (The pick-six wasn't his fault, but he did throw an ugly interception at his own goal line that set up a Cleveland TD in the fourth quarter). Tua is making $53.1 million per year and he's simply not living up to his contract (He went 12 of 23 for 100 yards before being benched). Miami's defense did its best to keep the Dolphins in this game -- the unit only gave up 66 yards in the second half -- but it couldn't overcome all of the offensive mistakes. At the rate things are going, Mike McDaniel might not last much longer with the Dolphins. | |
| A- |  |
| For the first time in two years, the Browns won by at least 25 points and they did it with a dominating performance by their defense. The defense picked off Tua Tagovailoa three times, including a pick six from Tyson Campbell in the third quarter. Jim Schwartz's unit dominated the Dolphins on third down, holding them to just one conversion on 13 attempts. Offensively, Quinshon Judkins (84 yards, three touchdowns) carried the team on a wet, windy day in Cleveland. The Browns' special teams even came up with a big play with a fumble recovery on a kickoff in the second half. This team is definitely talented enough to win a few more games on its schedule. | |
New England 31-13 over Tennessee
| A |  |
| With Mike Vrabel returning to Tennessee, the Patriots made sure their coach was able to get revenge on his old team. When Vrabel was with the Titans, he never had a franchise QB, but he has one in New England with Drake Maye, and Maye went off, completing a franchise-record 91.3% of his passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns. Of course, Vrabel is a defensive-minded coach, so the thing that he probably liked the most about this win was the way his defense dominated and that starts with K'Lavon Chaisson. Not only did he get two of New England's five sacks, but he also returned a fumble for a touchdown. The Patriots are now 4-0 on the road this year and Vrabel has them looking like a serious playoff contender. This team might even be able to end the Bills' reign atop the AFC East. | |
| D- |  |
| You have to give the Titans some credit: In their first game under interim coach Mike McCoy, they came out on fire in the first quarter. Cam Ward threw for 101 yards and a touchdown during the opening quarter that saw Tennessee jump out to a 10-3 lead. However, things quickly went downhill after that and the Titans just ended up getting overwhelmed by a more talented team. Ward was under constant pressure, especially during a second half where he was sacked four times (He was sacked five times in the game). The Titans defense didn't do much to slow down a New England offense that scored on four of its first five possessions. Basically, the Titans have a lot of problems and it's hard to see McCoy fixing them before the end of the season. | |
Chicago 26-14 over New Orleans
| D |  |
| When you're a bad team, you can't afford to turn the ball over and the Saints turned the ball over four times in this game. Spencer Rattler lost a fumble on the Saints' opening drive and then followed that up with three interceptions. Those turnovers led to 10 pivotal points for the Bears. This loss wasn't all on Rattler, though. The defense had no answers for a Bears rushing attack that totaled 222 yards. If the Saints are going to win games this year, they have to play nearly perfect football and they were nowhere near perfect in Chicago. | |
| B+ |  |
| D'Andre Swift suddenly looks unstoppable. One week after going off for 108 yards against the Commanders, Swift topped himself by rushing for 124 yards to lead a Bears rushing attack that went over 220 yards. The Bears got a huge performance in this game from a defense that recorded as many sacks (4) as turnovers (4). If you can run the ball and play defense, you can win games late in the season and with a record of 4-2, this Bears team is likely going to be playing important games late in the season. | |
Kansas City 31-0 over Las Vegas
| F |  |
| The Raiders went into this game missing their top two receiving weapons (Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers) and it showed. Geno Smith had nowhere to go with the football and the rushing attack was nonexistent (Ashton Jeanty ran for just 21 yards against the Chiefs). The offense has struggled at times this season, but it hit rock bottom in Kansas City and the defense wasn't much better. The Raiders offense only ran 30 plays in the game, which was the fewest run by any team in 26 years. The Raiders just didn't look prepared to play and that falls on coach Pete Carroll. | |
| A+ |  |
| For the first time all season, Patrick Mahomes had his full arsenal of weapons available to him on offense and it definitely showed. With Rashee Rice back from his six-game suspension, Mahomes went off with 286 yards passing and three touchdowns in just three quarters of action (He spent the fourth quarter on the bench). Rice, who didn't really show any rust, had a team-high seven catches that went for 42 yards and two touchdowns. Mahomes kept the Raiders defense guessing on a day where six different receivers finished with at least 35 yards. As good as the offense was, the defense might have been better: The unit didn't allow a third-down conversion while also holding the Raiders under 100 yards of total offense. The defense also pitched the team's first shutout in 14 years. After struggling at times through the first six weeks, the Chiefs officially look like a serious Super Bowl contender. | |
Carolina 13-6 N.Y. Jets
| B+ |  |
| The Panthers won this game because their defense feasted on one of the worst offenses in the NFL. Derrick Brown was an absolute wrecking ball: Not only did he lead the team in tackles, but he also recorded two of their six sacks. Jaycee Horn also came up big with two interceptions in the second half. Offensively, the Panthers might have to give some serious thought to letting Rico Dowdle be the main guy in the backfield. Chuba Hubbard got the start, but Dowdle came in and rushed for 79 yards on just 17 carries. It's hard to say how good the Panthers are, but they've now won three in a row and it might be time to take them seriously. | |
| C |  |
| For the second straight week, the Jets defense brought its "A" game, but once again, that went to waste because the offense can't move the ball. Jets coach Aaron Glenn benched Justin Fields in the second half in hopes that Tyrod Taylor would bring a spark, but all be brought was two interceptions. The receivers couldn't get open, Breece Hall couldn't find a hole to run through and the quarterbacks got sacked a total of six times. If this offense doesn't figure things out soon, this team might not win a game this season. | |
L.A. Rams 35-7 over Jacksonville in London
| A |  |
| The Rams made a bold travel decision by flying in to London just 24 hours before the game and it definitely paid off. Los Angeles came out on fire in the first quarter: Matthew Stafford threw for 94 yards and two touchdowns in the opening quarter (He finished with 182 yards and five touchdowns). With Puka Nacua out, Davante Adams became Stafford's go-to guy with five catches for 35 yards and three touchdowns. Stafford kept the Jags defense on its heels by completing at least one pass to 10 different receivers. The Rams defense was just as good as the offense: Nate Landman (1.5) and Byron Young (1.5) combined for three of the team's seven sacks. This was a statement win for a Rams team that suddenly looks like one of the best in the NFL. | |
| D |  |
| The Jaguars have played more games in London than any other NFL team, but you wouldn't know it based on how things played out Sunday. The Jags came out flat with just 20 yards in the first quarter and by the time the period was over, they were already trailing 14-0. From there, it was all but over. The defense couldn't stop Matthew Stafford and the offensive line couldn't protect Trevor Lawrence, and when you combine those two things, that's how you get blown out by 28 points. The Jags could have kept this game close, but they had four failed fourth downs that all came inside the Rams' 30-yard line. Lawrence, who completed just 47.8% of his passes, was erratic at times, but he also got no help from a receiving group that dropped several passes. Travis Hunter did have a breakout game on offense with eight catches for 101 yards and a TD, but that was about the only bright spot for Jacksonville. The Jags' surprising 4-1 start is now nothing but a distant memory with two straight losses. | |
Cincinnati 33-31 over Pittsburgh (Thursday)
| C |  |
| The Steelers defense might officially be a problem. For the third time this year, the Steelers surrendered more than 30 points and this time around, they got torched by a quarterback (Joe Flacco) who had only been with his team for nine days. T.J. Watt was a nonfactor and the Steelers just couldn't slow down a Bengals offense that piled up 470 yards. The Steelers offense did manage to keep pace in this shootout thanks to Aaron Rodgers and his four TD passes, but the four-time MVP also threw two costly interceptions. At 4-2, the Steelers have time to fix things, but they're going to need to do it quickly with the Packers, Colts and Chargers coming up in the next three weeks. | |
| B+ |  |
| Joe Flacco has only been with the Bengals for nine days and he's already figured out how to unlock the offense: Throw to Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. The Bengals' new QB threw for 342 yards and three touchdowns with 257 yards and two touchdowns going to Chase and Higgins. Chase caught a franchise-record 16 passes for 161 yards. The team still has plenty of issues on defense, but the encouraging part for Cincinnati is that the unit did come up with several big plays, including two interceptions of Aaron Rodgers. If the defense continues to improve and offense keeps playing at this level, there's no reason the Bengals can't be a threat to win the AFC North. | |
