Some NFL teams rally late, but a few others can’t avoid disappointing upsets
Time for a game. Fill in this blank with an NFL team: Just when we started to trust _____________ they went and laid an egg on Sunday.
It’s a trick question You’d need way more than one blank to include all the teams that were entirely disappointing in Week 7. A couple teams were at least fortunate enough to save themselves from what would have been a terrible loss.
The Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills looked like they were in real trouble in the fourth quarter. The Lions, who were working their way into the circle of trust with a 4-2 start, looked like the same old inconsistent Lions when they fell behind by 10 points to the Saints in the fourth quarter. But the Lions got a long touchdown from Golden Tate, a huge interception and a leaping touchdown catch by Corey Fuller in the final two minutes to get a 24-23 win.
The Buffalo Bills also avoided a bad home upset. They trailed the Minnesota Vikings most of the game, but Kyle Orton led a late drive and hit rookie Sammy Watkins for the game-winning touchdown with one second left to pull off a 17-16 win.
Now that the pleasantries are done, let’s look at some of the disappointments on Sunday, because there were a few. The Seahawks lead the list. The defending champs are now a mediocre 3-3 after a 28-26 loss to St. Louis. That loss came despite an incredible game from quarterback Russell Wilson. The Seahawks might regret this loss when it’s time to sort out the playoff picture.
The Seahawks weren’t the only disappointing team. The Bengals weren’t favored to win at Indianapolis, but they were a huge disappointment based on how badly they got beat in a 27-0 rout. Then flip a coin to see if the Bears or Browns feel worse after Week 7.
The Browns were one of the NFL’s hot teams after blowing out the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. They were 3-2, and quarterback Brian Hoyer was one of the league’s best stories. The Jacksonville Jaguars were 0-6. The Browns were favored by more points than they have been for any road game since re-entering the NFL in 1999. And they lost. Not only did they lose, they lost bad. The Jaguars won 24-6 and it wasn’t all that close.
Hoyer struggled badly. Hoyer completed just 16-of-41 passes for 215 yards. The Browns were supposedly entering an easy stretch in their schedule, but it hasn’t started well.
Like the Browns, the Chicago Bears were big favorites and blew it. The Miami Dolphins controlled the game from the start, winning 27-14. The Bears’ defense hasn’t been great, and even more surprising, the offense has been prone to struggling for long stretches. At 3-4, two games behind the Lions and red-hot Green Bay Packers, the Bears are in some trouble.
A couple teams had late rallies to avoid what would have been really tough losses. Some teams weren’t so lucky. When we get to December, they’ll be reminded of those upset losses in Week 7.
– – – – – – –
Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
