The List: Steelers top the Titans to Remain the NFL’s only Unbeaten Team

Coming into Week 7 of the NFL season, only three undefeated teams remained. With the Steelers and Titans facing one another, that number was almost guaranteed to drop. The league’s other perfect team, the Seahawks, faced a tough test from the NFC West-rival Cardinals. Since 2015, the series stands 5-4-1 in favor of Seattle, but seven of the games were within one score at the end.

As always, here are the good, bad, and ugly moments from this week in the NFL.

THE GOOD

Steelers defeat Titans to remain only unbeaten team: 

Despite his team nearly surrendering a 27-7 lead, Ben Roethlisberger won his 150th game after the Steelers withstood a late Titans rally to post a 27-24 victory on Sunday afternoon. The game featured two undefeated squads and had originally been scheduled for Week 5, but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Roethlisberger threw for 268 yards and two touchdowns, but he also had three interceptions, including two in the second half that allowed Tennessee to get back into the game.

Pittsburgh got two touchdown passes from Roethlisberger to Diontae Johnson, as well as a rushing score from Benny Snell Jr., to build their 20-point cushion. The Titans struck back quickly, with Ryan Tannehill finding A. J. Brown for a 73-yard score early in the third quarter. A Roethlisberger interception led to a 51-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski, closing the gap to 27-17. After a Steelers punt, Tannehill and Derrick Henry led the Titans on a 12-play, 70-yard drive that was capped by a Henry touchdown run.

Pittsburgh took over with 10:08 left and picked apart the Tennessee defense little by little. Roethlisberger led his team on a 16-play drive that took 7:33 off the clock, and he was poised to finish off the game when he threw an interception at the Titans’ 20 with 2:35 remaining. Tannehill responded with another long drive, but Gostkowski missed a game-tying 45-yard field goal attempt with 19 seconds left.

James Conner had a game-high 82 yards rushing, and Johnson (80 yards and two touchdowns) and JuJu Smith-Schuster (85 yards) each had nine receptions for Pittsburgh. The Steelers have never lost a game in which they have held a 20-point lead (now 225-0-1). Tannehill threw for 220 yards and two touchdowns, Brown had six catches for 153 yards and a score, and Henry had 75 yards rushing and a touchdown for Tennessee.

Seahawks surrender a late lead and lose their first game of the season: 

Kyler Murray threw for 360 yards and three touchdowns, and added 67 yards and a rushing score as the Cardinals overcame a 10-point deficit in the final three minutes of regulation and beat the previously undefeated Seahawks, 37-34, in overtime on Sunday night. Murray found Christian Kirk for their second scoring connection with 2:33 left and, after a Seattle punt, he led Arizona on a 54-yard drive in just 52 seconds, leading to a game-tying 44-yard field goal by Zane Gonzalez as time expired.

Seattle used up nearly half of the overtime period, but never reached the Arizona side of the field before punting. The Cardinals used the running game (most notably a 32-yard gain by Chase Edmonds) to get into Seahawks territory, but Gonzalez missed a 41-yard field goal with 2:47 left in the extra session. Russell Wilson threw an interception, giving Murray a chance at midfield with 57 seconds on the clock. Passes to DeAndre Hopkins and Larry Fitzgerald set up Gonzalez, who redeemed his earlier miss with a 48-yard kick.

Hopkins (10 catches for 103 yards and a touchdown), Fitzgerald (8-62), and Kirk (5-37 and two scores) were the receiving stars, and Edmonds added 145 total yards (58 rushing, 87 receiving) for Arizona. Wilson threw for 388 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions, and he also ran for a team-high 84 yards. The game marks the first time since at least 1948 that two quarterbacks had at least 300 yards passing and 50 yards rushing in the same game (although very few quarterbacks threw for 300 yards before that point). Tyler Lockett had an NFL season-high 200 yards receiving and tied for the most with 15 receptions and three scores. Carlos Hyde added 68 yards and a touchdown rushing for Seattle.

Check out Darren Braxton’s breakdown of the Sunday night game here.

Second “Battle of Ohio” was a barnburner: 

Baker Mayfield threw for 297 yards and five touchdowns to lead the Browns past the Bengals, 37-34. Although the pace started slow, the teams began to emulate their early-season showdown, which ended 35-30 in favor of Cleveland on Thursday night in Week 2.

Mayfield threw two early touchdowns to Harrison Bryant, but 2020 top pick Joe Burrow threw for a touchdown and ran for another score as the Bengals took a 20-17 lead into what would be a wild fourth quarter. The teams exchanged touchdowns with Mayfield hitting tight end David Njoku and running back Kareem Hunt, and Burrow countering with passes to Tee Higgins and Giovani Bernard for a 34-31 Cincinnati advantage with just 1:09 remaining.

The Browns quickly marched down the field, with Mayfield completing a couple of key first-down passes, including a 30-yarder to Rashard Higgins. Cleveland finished things off with Mayfield’s 24-yard pass to Donovan Peoples-Jones with 15 seconds left. Bernard’s long kickoff return set up Cincinnati at its own 42, but Burrows’ last-chance pass fell incomplete.

Rashard Higgins had a game-high 110 yards receiving and Hunt led all players with 76 yards rushing for the Browns. Burrow threw for an NFL week-high 406 yards and three scores, and Tyler Boyd had 11 catches for 101 yards and a touchdown for the Bengals.

Best of the Rest: 

Justin Herbert passed for 347 yards and three touchdowns, and he also ran for a team-high 66 yards and a score as the Chargers came back to beat the Jaguars, 39-29. Los Angeles took a 16-0 lead, but Jacksonville went up 21-16 early in the third quarter, thanks to a pair of scores by James Robinson (one rushing and one receiving) and a 16-yard return of a blocked punt by Daniel Thomas. Herbert put the Chargers back in front with a 26-yard touchdown pass to Virgil Green, but Gardner Minshew II found Chris Conley with a 28-yard pass that put the Jaguars up 29-22 with exactly three minutes left in the third.

Less than a minute later, Herbert tied the score with a 70-yard pass to Jalen Guyton. Dede Westbrook fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Chargers recovered. Before the quarter ended, Herbert added his rushing score and Los Angeles took the lead for good. Keenan Allen had 10 catches for 125 yards to lead Los Angeles. Minshew threw for 173 yards and two touchdowns, and Robinson added 119 rushing yards and a score for Jacksonville.

Drew Brees threw for 287 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Saints to a 24-21 win over the Panthers. Alvin Kamara had 148 total yards (83 rushing, 65 receiving), and Marquez Callaway added eight receptions and 75 yards for New Orleans. Teddy Bridgewater had 254 yards and two touchdowns for Carolina, with DJ Moore catching both scoring passes and totaling a game-high 93 yards receiving. Will Lutz kicked the go-ahead 43-yard field goal with 7:59 left for the Saints.

Aaron Rodgers outplayed Deshaun Watson, posting 283 yards and four touchdowns in a 35-20 Packers win over the Texans. Davante, Adams had 196 yards and two touchdowns, and Jamaal Williams added 77 yards rushing and a score for Green Bay. Watson finished with 309 yards and two touchdowns with Randall Cobb registering 95 yards for Houston. The Packers starting were without running back Aaron Jones, who missed the game with a calf strain.

Patrick Mahomes threw for 200 yards and a touchdown, and the Chiefs scored in all three facets of the game in a 43-16 win over the Broncos. Rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire and backup quarterback Chad Henne had rushing scores for Kansas City, Byron Pringle returned a kickoff 102 yards for a touchdown and Daniel Sorensen returned an interception for a score for the second straight week. Drew Lock, playing for the first time since suffering a shoulder injury in Week 2, had 254 passing yards and a rushing touchdown, but he threw two interceptions and was sacked three times. Melvin Gordon also had a rushing score, but he lost two fumbles.

Tom Brady threw for 369 yards and four touchdowns, and he also added a rushing score in a 45-20 Buccaneers win over the Raiders in a game that was moved from Sunday night to late afternoon. Scotty Miller had a game-high 109 yards receiving and a touchdown, and Chris Godwin added 88 yards and a score for Tampa Bay. Derek Carr had 284 yards and two touchdowns for Las Vegas, who activated four starting offensive linemen from the reserve/COVID-19 list before the game. Nelson Agholor posted 107 yards and a score for the Raiders.

Jeff Wilson Jr. ran for 112 yards and three touchdowns, and the 49ers defeated the Patriots, 33-6, giving New England its worst home loss since Bill Belichick started coaching the team in 2000. Former Patriot backup Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 277 yards and two interceptions, and Brandon Aiyuk added a game-high 115 yards receiving for San Francisco. Former NFL MVP Cam Newton had just 98 yards passing and threw three interceptions before he was pulled early in the fourth quarter. Nick Folk kicked two field goals to account for all of the Patriots’ points.

Finally, Jared Goff threw for 219 yards and two touchdowns and the Rams defeated the Bears, 24-10, on Monday night. Los Angeles spread the offensive wealth around, with running backs Darrell Henderson Jr. (15 carries for 64 yards) and Malcolm Brown (10-57 and a touchdown sharing the load) and Goff distributing his passes between seven receivers.

Nick Foles had 261 yards passing, but he threw two interceptions and was sacked four times. The Bears got their only touchdown when Rams receiver Robert Woods fumbled with safety Eddie Jackson scooping up the ball and returning eight yards for a score. Another star on Los Angeles’ side was punter Johnny Hekker, who had five punts and pinned Chicago inside its own 10-yard-line all five times.

Stat Leaders: 

Bengals’ quarterback Joe Burrow led all NFL passers with 406 yards, but his three touchdowns were not enough to beat Baker Mayfield and the Browns. Russell Wilson (388 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions) was outplayed by Kyler Murray (360 yards and three scores) as the Seahawks fell to the Cardinals. Also throwing for 300 yards this week: Tampa Bay’s Tom Brady (369 and four touchdowns against Las Vegas), Philadelphia’s Carson Wentz (359 and two touchdowns against the Giants on Thursday night), Los Angeles Chargers rookie Justin Herbert (347 and three scores vs. Jacksonville), Matthew Stafford (340) and Matt Ryan (338) in the Detroit-Atlanta game, Deshaun Watson (309 and two touchdowns in a loss to Green Bay) and Josh Allen (307 in a Buffalo win over the Jets). Although they did not throw for 300 yards, Mayfield and Aaron Rodgers are worthy of a mention. Mayfield had 297 yards and five touchdowns in a win over the Bengals and Rodgers totaled 283 yards and four scores in a Packers’ win over the Texans.

Only three running backs hit the 100-yard mark in Week 7. Washington rookie Antonio Gibson led the way with 128 yards and a touchdown in a win over Dallas. Fellow rookie James Robinson had 119 yards in a Jaguars win over the Chargers and Jeff Wilson Jr. put together a 112-yard, three-touchdown performance to lead the 49ers over the Patriots. Although he only had 63 yards, Toddy Gurley scored two touchdowns, although I’m sure he wanted to give one of them back (more on that later).

Seattle’s Tyler Lockett and Green Bay’s Davante Adams put together the two best receiving performances so far this season. Lockett had 15 receptions for 200 yards and three touchdowns, but the Seahawks fell to the Cardinals, and Adams totaled 13 receptions for 196 yards and two scores in a Packers’ victory. Other star receivers this week included Tennessee’s A. J. Brown (153 yards and a touchdown in a loss to Pittsburgh), Keenan Allen (10 catches for 125 yards in a Chargers’ win over the Jaguars) and Diontae Johnson, who had 80 yards and two scores in a win over the Titans, but he suffered a lower leg injury in the game.

National Tight End Day:

 Although it doesn’t have the same appeal as, say, National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day (April 2) or even National Produce Misting Day (October 2 and yes, that IS a real thing), the NFL has decided to adopt National Tight End Day as the fourth Sunday in October.

Originally, the idea was just a way for 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to motivate his tight ends before a Sept. 16, 2018 game against the Lions, but it took off after star tight end George Kittle started using the term more and more. The “holiday” caught on throughout the league last season and on Sunday, many top tight ends were wearing microphones during their games.

No tight ends had 100 yards receiving on National Tight End Day, but quite a few had at least 50. Among them are: Philadelphia’s Richard Rodgers (six catches for 85 yards), Atlanta’s Hayden Hurst (6-68), Buffalo’s Tyler Kroft (4-64), Tampa Bay’s Rob Gronkowski (5-62 and a touchdown), Denver’s Albert Okwuegbunam (7-60), Washington’s Logan Thomas (4-60 and a score), Detroit’s T.J. Hockenson (5-59 and a game-winning touchdown), Arizona’s Dan Arnold, Cleveland’s Harrison Bryant (4-56 and two scores), San Francisco’s George Kittle (5-55), Cincinnati’s Drew Sample (5-52), and Las Vegas’ Darren Waller and Pittsburgh’s Eric Ebron (both 6-50).

Ravens acquire pass rusher Ngakoue from Vikings:

On Thursday afternoon, the Ravens acquired defensive end Yannick Ngakoue from the Vikings for a 2021 third-round pick and a conditional fifth-round pick in 2022. Minnesota had only acquired the pass rusher two weeks before the season began after sending two draft picks to Jacksonville. Ngakoue had five sacks, 12 tackles, and two forced fumbles in six games with the Vikings. He was selected to the Pro Bowl after posting a career-high 12 sacks with the Jaguars in 2017. The trade reunites Ngakoue with former Calais Campbell, who created a formidable defensive end pairing for three seasons in Jacksonville.

Linebacker Golden sent back to Cardinals:

Markus Golden is going back to where he started his NFL career. The Giants sent him to the Cardinals for a 2021 sixth-round pick on Friday. Golden had 10 sacks and 72 tackles with New York last season, but struggled in 2020, amassing just 1½ sacks in seven games. He totaled 19 sacks in four years with Arizona, including a career-high 12½ in 2016. The Cardinals took the former Missouri product late in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft. 

Cowboys trade defensive end, Griffen, to Lions:

 The Cowboys got into the trade market about a week before the deadline, sending defensive end Everson Griffen to the Lions for a conditional sixth-round pick on Tuesday. Griffen registered 2½ sacks in seven games after signing with Dallas in the offseason. He spent his first 10 years with Minnesota, earning four Pro Bowl selections and amassing 74½ sacks, including a career-high 13 in 2017.

Buccaneers giving Brown another chance: 

Antonio Brown is on an NFL roster for the first time in more than a year. The mercurial wide receiver signed a one-year deal worth $1 million with the Buccaneers late Friday, but he could earn up to $2.5 million with incentives. Brown spent his first nine seasons with the Steelers, earning seven Pro Bowl and four All-Pro selections. He also was a reserve in Pittsburgh’s Super Bowl XLV loss to the Packers as a rookie in 2010. Brown’s totals of 837 receptions, 11,207 yards, and 74 touchdowns all rank second in Steelers’ history behind Hines Ward.

Brown has had quite a few bumps in the road recently. He was traded to the Raiders in March 2019, forced his way out of Oakland by arguing with teammates, coaches, and even general manager Mike Mayock, as well as missing time due to frostbitten feet and refusing to wear a helmet that matched the NFL’s new concussion guidelines. Off the field, he had trouble with women and moving van drivers, and he also threw furniture off an apartment balcony. Brown was released by the Raiders and only lasted about a week with the Patriots before he was cut on Sept. 20, 2019. The Buccaneers are hoping Brown can mesh well with Tom Brady and the other veterans on their team. He joins a talented receiving corps that includes Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, and Scotty Miller.

THE BAD

Longtime Vikings star Blair passed away: 

Matt Blair, a six-time Pro Bowl linebacker during a 12-year career with the Vikings, passed away on Thursday at age 70 due to complications from dementia. Blair, a former Iowa State star, played in Super Bowls IX and XI with Minnesota. A special teams performer with a knack for blocking kicks, Blair was also a member of the 1974 All-Rookie Team and earned All-Pro honors in 1980. He finished his career with 20 fumble recoveries, 16 interceptions, and eight sacks. Blair was diagnosed with dementia in 2015, and he was told the likely cause was chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease. 

Scoring a touchdown at the wrong time: 

Every player wants to score a touchdown, but sometimes it’s best to stay out of the end zone. If that doesn’t make sense, here is how that can happen. The Falcons and Lions played a back-and-forth game on Sunday. Atlanta took an early lead on a passing touchdown from Matt Ryan to Calvin Ridley, as well as a Todd Gurley rushing score. Detroit countered with a D’Andre Swift touchdown and three field goals by Matt Prater to take a 16-14 lead with 3:41 left

The Falcons moved methodically down the field, with Gurley’s ground game and a Ryan’s passing attack that featured Russell Gage. Atlanta had a 1st-and-goal from the 10 with 1:12 remaining. All that was needed was for the offense to take time off the clock and hold onto the ball then have a short field goal attempt to win the game in the closing seconds. Gurley broke free and forgot about this fact until the very end of his run, but it was too late. The ball crossed the goal line for a touchdown and Ryan found Ridley with the two-point pass for a 22-16 advantage.

Matthew Stafford took over with 1:04 remaining and picked apart the Atlanta defense with first-down passes to tight end T. J. Hockenson, as well as wide receivers Danny Amendola and Kenny Golladay. The Lions finished off their comeback with Stafford finding Hockenson with an 11-yard pass as time expired for a 23-22 win.

Stafford finished with 340 yards and a touchdown, Golladay was the game’s top receiver with 114 yards, and Marvin Jones Jr. added 80 for Detroit. Ryan had 338 yards and a touchdown, Gurley had two scores on the ground and Julio Jones finished with eight catches for 97 yards to lead Atlanta.

The Lions made Richie Dordas’ list of the biggest winners and losers in Week 7. 

Defensive struggle in AFC East game: 

The Jets decided not to have head coach Adam Gase call the offensive plays on Sunday, instead of giving those duties to coordinator Dowell Loggains. The change made little difference, as New York fell to 0-7 after an 18-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

New York’s defense played well early, allowing the offense to take a 10-0 lead on a La’Mical Perine five-yard touchdown run. Although he didn’t score, Josh Allen got more confident as the game went on. He finished with 307 yards and led the Bills to six scoring drives, all culminating in Tyler Bass field goals. Cole Beasley posted game-highs with 11 catches for 112 yards.

Sam Darnold returned for the Jets after missing the past three games with a shoulder injury. However, the Buffalo defense held New York to 190 yards and sacked Darnold six times.

Panthers release cornerback Apple: 

On Tuesday, the Panthers released Eli Apple, a top-10 draft pick by the Giants in 2016. Apple made four tackles in two games with Carolina this season, but missed time with ankle and foot injuries.

Eagles trio tops Week 7 injuries: 

Before last Thursday’s game, the Eagles placed Zach Ertz on injured reserve with a high ankle sprain. The star tight end is expected to miss four to six weeks with the injury, which he sustained during a Week 6 loss to the Ravens. Philadelphia will also be without two more starters who were injured in the win over the Giants. Right tackle Lane Johnson may miss several weeks after suffering a sprained MCL. Wide receiver DeSean Jackson could need surgery after suffering a high ankle sprain during a punt return late in the game.

Barkley to have surgery on knee: 

Giants star running back Saquon Barkley, who is already out for the rest of the season after sustaining a torn ACL in Week 2, had reconstructive surgery on October 29. The 2018 Offensive Rookie of the Year could be ready for the 2021 training camp. Barkley has 2,344 rushing yards, 1,219 receiving yards, and 23 total touchdowns in three seasons with New York.

Hunter’s season over after neck surgery: 

Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter announced he will undergo surgery to clean up a herniated disc in his neck, which will cause him to miss the rest of the season. Hunter began experiencing the issue in August and has not played this season. He made the Pro Bowl in each of the past two seasons after registering 14½ sacks in each campaign. 

Torn ACL ends Beckham’s season: 

An MRI on Monday revealed that Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. suffered a torn ACL against Cincinnati, ending his season early. Beckham tried to make a tackle after Darius Phillips intercepted Baker Mayfield in the first quarter, but he limped to the locker room and did not return. The three-time Pro Bowler and 2014 Offensive Rookie of the Year had 23 catches for 319 yards and three touchdowns in seven games with Cleveland this season.

Thomas not punished, but still out: 

Saints coach Sean Payton said Michael Thomas’ punishment for punching teammate Chauncey Gardner-Johnson in practice last week is over, but the star wide receiver did not play against the Panthers on Sunday due to hamstring and ankle injuries. New Orleans was also without its other starting receiver, as the team put Emmanuel Sanders on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Friday.

Chargers’ quarterback cleared to come back: 

On Thursday, the Chargers announced that quarterback Tyrod Taylor has been medically cleared to return to football activities. Taylor has been out since Week 2 after a team doctor accidentally punctured his lung while giving him a shot of painkillers to address rib discomfort.

Injuries pile up during Sunday’s games: 

Several players sustained concussions in Week 7, including Cowboys quarterback Andy Dalton, Seahawks cornerback Shaquill Griffin, Jets wide receiver Breshad Perriman, Patriots wide receiver N’Keal Harry and Broncos running back Phillip Lindsay.

Cardinals running back Kenyan Drake will miss several weeks with an ankle injury and Arizona linebacker Isaiah Irving sustained a neck injury. Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin underwent surgery after fracturing his left index finger against the Raiders, and he will miss at least one week. Other Week 7 injuries include: Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (lower leg), Saints tackle Terron Armstead (arm), Jaguars wide receiver Dede Westbrook (knee), as well as 49ers running back Jeff Wilson Jr. (ankle) and wide receiver Deebo Samuel (hamstring).

Washington cornerback Landon Collins suffered a torn Achilles in Sunday’s win against the Cowboys and he will miss the remainder of the season. A former All-American and member of Alabama’s National Championship team in 2013, Collins also missed the final four games of the 2018 season as a member of the Giants with a partially torn rotator cuff.

THE UGLY

A close game in NFC East on Thursday night: 

Most people would consider a one-point game to be a good contest, but there were plenty of mistakes in Thursday night’s contest between the Eagles and Giants. The scoring began after a hard pass from Giants quarterback Daniel Jones bounced off the hands of tight end Evan Engram to Jalen Mills for an interception. Carson Wentz ended the drive with a touchdown on a sneak. Jones responded by connecting with former Eagle Golden Tate for a 39-yard scoring pass. Wayne Gallman scored in the third, but the biggest play belonged to Jones, who took off on the first play of the drive and beat everyone down the field … until he ran out of gas and tripped at the eight-yard-line after an 80-yard run. Philadelphia bailed out New York with a pass interference call before Gallman’s run. Jones added a passing touchdown to Sterling Shepard to put New York up, 21-10, with just 6:21 remaining in the contest.

However, that’s when the fun began. Blown Giants coverage allowed a Wentz to John Hightower pass for 59 yards and, two plays later, Greg Ward caught a three-yard touchdown pass. Although the two-point conversion failed, the Eagles were down six points with 4:42 on the clock. Gallman had two big runs to start the next possession, but New York’s offense sputtered, with Engram letting a sure first-down pass slip from his grasp just before the two-minute warning.

Wentz found Richard Rodgers with two big first-down passes and Boston Scott added 34 total yards on the drive, including an 18-yard touchdown catch. After another failed two-point attempt, the Eagles led 22-21 with just 40 seconds left. The Giants started off their final series with a holding penalty, their ninth infraction of the game. Two plays later, Jones was hit by Brandon Graham and Vinny Curry recovered the fumble to preserve the one-point win.

The star of the game was Wentz, who threw for 359 yards and two touchdowns, and he also added a running score. Rodgers had 85 yards receiving and Travis Fulgham added 73 for Philadelphia. Jones passed for 187 yards and two touchdowns, and he had a game-high 92 yards on the ground. Shepard was New York’s leading receiver with 59 yards and a score.

All this does is show fans another way the Giants can lose a game to Philadelphia (as if the 61-yard Jake Elliott field goal in 2017 wasn’t bad enough). Also, did I mention the NFC East is atrocious? Yeah, Philadelphia leads with a 2-4-1 record. The Giants are 1-6 and on the shortlist for the top overall draft pick, but at least the other New York team still has a better chance at this point.  

For more on the Thursday night game between the Giants and Eagles, read Juan Guarin-Camargo’s story. 

Another injured Cowboys quarterback: 

The Washington Former Redskins battered the Dallas Cowboys in a 25-3 victory on Sunday. Adding injury to insult, a hit by Washington linebacker Jon Bostic knocked out Dallas quarterback Andy Dalton midway through the third quarter. Bostic was ejected and Dalton suffered a concussion.

Kyle Allen threw for 194 yards and two touchdowns, Terry McLaurin had 90 yards receiving and a touchdown, and rookie running back Antonio Gibson added 128 rushing yards and a score for Washington. Amari Cooper led Dallas with 80 yards receiving, but the Cowboys had just 142 yards of offense, and Washington defenders registered six sacks.                   

Former 49ers Stubblefield star sentenced: 

Dana Stubblefield, a three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle and a member of the 49ers squad that won Super Bowl XXIX, will spend at least the next 15 years in prison after he was sentenced by a California court on Oct. 22.

Stubblefield went on a babysitting website in 2015 and arranged an interview with a then-31-year-old developmentally disabled woman. After the interview, Stubblefield texted the woman that he wanted to pay her for her time that day. When she returned, he held a gun on her and proceeded to assault her.

He has been held in Santa Clara County Main Jail since the verdict. The sentence was issued in San Jose after a judge denied Stubblefield’s motion for a retrial. California’s Sixth District Court of Appeal denied a similar motion in mid-October.

Not only is Stubblefield 6-foot-2 and 300 pounds, but he obviously felt his tremendous size was not enough and decided to use a gun as well. The situation offends me on multiple levels. First, men should always be respectful of a woman who is acting respectably. Second, do not take advantage of the developmentally disabled. As someone who has worked with people who have special needs in multiple capacities, this really bothers me. The official sentence is 15 years to life, and honestly, I’m hoping for the latter in this case.

COVID-19 issues continue in the NFL: 

The coronavirus may have slowed a bit from earlier in the season, but several teams dealt with roster issues this week.

The Panthers placed offensive linemen Tyler Larsen, Michael Schofield, and Trent Scott, as well as kicker Joey Slye, on the reserve/COVID-19 list this week. On Monday, Carolina released cornerback Josh Hawkins after video surfaced of him dancing in a Charlotte restaurant without a mask. Bills tight end Dawson Knox tested positive for coronavirus late last week, and the team placed fellow tight ends Lee Smith, Tommy Sweeney, and practice squad player Nate Becker on the reserve/COVID-19 list as isolated close contacts.

The NFL handed down its punishment to the Titans for their COVID-19 protocol violations, fining the team $350,000. Now, the league is looking into the Raiders. Last week, Las Vegas placed rookie cornerback Damon Arnette on the reserve/COVID-19 list and announced last Wednesday that right tackle Trent Brown had also tested positive for coronavirus. Eventually, the other four starting offensive linemen were being held out of practice, as well as safety Johnathan Abram, who missed Sunday’s game against Tampa Bay. Center Rodney Hunter, guards Gabe Jackson and Denzelle Good, and right tackle Kolton Miller passed all their tests so they were activated for the game.

Upcoming games: Week 8 of the NFL season features several meaningful division games. The 5-2 Bills take on the Patriots in the AFC East, the 6-0 Steelers and 5-1 Ravens square off in the AFC North and the 5-1 Seahawks tangle with the 4-3 49ers in the NFL West. Also, the 5-2 Bears battle the 4-2 Saints and Tom Brady faces the Giants for the first time as a Buccaneer on Monday night.

Writer

-By: Kevin Rakas