Monday Night Football closed Week 7 with two opposite games.
First, the Baltimore Ravens and Tampa Bay Buccaneers played to a shootout, with the former triumphing 41-31. However, it deserves some context as the Ravens trailed 10-0 before putting up 34 unanswered.
Tampa Bay trailed 34-10 in the fourth but scored a few touchdowns late to make the score line more flattering. But, in the process, the Bucs may have lost a star for the season, among another potentially important loss.
The second game saw the Los Angeles Chargers at the Arizona Cardinals in a more tightly contested affair, with the latter coming out victorious 17-15 thanks to a game-winning field goal from 32 yards out.
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Let's analyze both games further with winners and losers:
WINNER: Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry continue to power Baltimore
Baltimore, now 5-2, perhaps is a star wideout away from being considered the most threatening contender. Of course, Lamar Jackson will once again be tested in the playoffs, but he's pushing for a third league MVP.
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Moving to 23-1 against NFC teams, Jackson threw for 281 yards on 17 of 22 completions for five touchdowns and no picks, including 59-yard and 49-yard dots to Rashod Bateman.
Derrick Henry continued his rushing prowess, logging 169 yards on 15 carries with a long of 81.
DERRICK HENRY BREAKS OFF AN 81-YARD RUN.
— NFL (@NFL) October 22, 2024
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Once Baltimore is in the lead, Jackson continued to prove it is a tough unit to slow down. With the addition of Henry, the efficiency has augmented. Now, imagine if the Ravens can somehow get Jackson a real WR1...
LOSER: Buccaneers lose both star wideouts
The Bucs dropped to 4-3 after the result, but things are looking bleak despite being above .500 still. Tampa Bay held a 10-0 lead early but began to unravel after losing Mike Evans to the hamstring injury he was trying to manage. It's not yet clear how long Evans will be out.
But even worse, Tampa Bay may have lost Chris Godwin for a lengthy period. In the final minutes as the Buccaneers forced the issue trying to close the scoreboard gap, Godwin's ankle appeared to bend awkwardly on a tackle. He was carted off in an air cast and is believed to have a dislocated ankle.
Godwin has been one of the top receivers this season, but injuries continue to hold him back. However, Todd Bowles' playcalling could've easily avoided this one. Godwin is slated to hit free agency in the offseason.
WINNER: Cardinals stay close in NFC West
The NFC West has usually been a stalwart division, but that hasn't been the case this season. Neither of the San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks or Los Angeles Rams look like legitimate contenders for differing reasons, so the Cardinals have a chance if they can stay close.
Wins like this will keep them in the conversations even if they aren't marginally better than San Francisco or Seattle. At 3-4, Arizona is level with the 49ers and a game behind Seattle.
Kyle Murray had far from a good game, but the Cardinals benefitted from Los Angeles' offensive woes despite Justin Herbert's big night.
LOSER: Chargers waste Justin Herbert's strong throwing outing
It took seven weeks, but Herbert finally delivered a 300-plus passing-yard performance. But it didn't matter, as the Chargers couldn't find the end zone a single time and settled for five field goals from Cameron Dicker.
Herbert threw for 349 yards on 27 of 39 completions, no touchdowns and no picks while taking three sacks. J.K. Dobbins didn't have a good ground showing, while Will Dissly led Los Angeles in the receiving department. Perhaps that's the problem.
Los Angeles also lost two fumbles via Jalen Reagor and Teair Tart, who had intercepted Murray but failed to hang onto the football on the return and saw Arizona recover. The 3-3 Chargers host the New Orleans Saints next.
