Despite a schedule that featured some of the ugliest NFL games imaginable (Seahawks-Browns), a number of interesting storylines evolved from week seven games.
The top storylines from Sunday’s games are below, in no particular order:
- Tim Tebow.
I highlighted Tebow’s accomplishments today in this article. With the winless Dolphins leading 15-0 midway through the fourth quarter, Tim Tebow put the Broncos on his back with a pair of long scoring drives, both capped off by touchdown passes, and a successful two-point conversion scramble, to tie the game at 15 with just 17 seconds remaining. In overtime, linebacker DJ Williams forced a Matt Moore fumble and Matt Prater nailed a 52-yard field goal to complete the comeback for the Denver Tebows.
- DeMarco Murray.
Murray, a third-round draft pick this past April, turned in one of the greatest games by a running back in Dallas Cowboys history. In fact, he surpassed Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith’s record for single-game rushing yards (237). He rushed for 253 yards on 25 carries, including a 91-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Even more impressive is the fact that he didn’t even start the game. His 253 yards, the ninth highest single-game total in NFL history, ended a two-game losing streak and put the Cowboys in position to contend in the competitive NFC East.
- Plaxico Burress.
Burress has had a quiet season since signing with the New York Jets after his release from prison this summer. He entered the game with 14 catches for 218 yards and two touchdowns. In today’s victory over the San Diego Chargers, he caught three touchdown passes for just the second time in his career. The Jets overcame a ten-point halftime deficit to defeat the San Diego Chargers 27-21.
- Carson Palmer.
Signed by the Oakland Raiders earlier this week to replace injured quarterback Jason Campbell (broken collarbone), Palmer did not start in today’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Kyle Boller did. But Boller threw three interceptions and was benched at halftime for Palmer. So what did Palmer do? He also threw three interceptions, and the Raiders suffered an embarrassing 28-0 shutout loss to the Chiefs.
- Tony Gonzalez.
Gonzalez is easily the greatest tight end in NFL history. In today’s game against the Detroit Lions, he moved past Cris Carter (1101 catches) and Marvin Harrison (1102 catches) into second place on the all-time receptions list. He finished the day with five catches for 62 yards in the Falcons’ upset victory.
- Arian Foster.
Foster turned in one of his finest days as a pro, rushing 25 times for 115 yards and two touchdowns, and grabbing five passes for 119 yards and a third touchdown. He became just the fourth player in the last 40 seasons to rush for 100 yards, catch 100 yards, and score three touchdowns in the same game (Brian Westbrook did it for the Eagles in 2007). The Texans steamrolled over the Titans, 41-7, and regained control of the AFC South.
- Green Bay Packers.
The Packers remained the NFL’s only unbeaten team, defeating the Minnesota Vikings 33-27. Aaron Rodgers led the Green Bay attack by completing 24 of 30 passes for 335 yards and three touchdowns. He became the first player in NFL history to top a 110 passer rating in the first seven games of a season. Following their bye week, the Packers will travel to San Diego for one of their tougher matchups of the season.
- St. Louis Rams.
The Rams remained right in the middle of the hunt for Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck by dropping a 34-7 contest to the Dallas Cowboys. They allowed Cowboys’ rookie running back DeMarco Murray to rush for 253 yards. And they scored just seven points, which is to be expected when the starting quarterback (AJ Feeley) hasn’t made a start in four years.
- Kansas City Chiefs.
The Chiefs jumped right back into the AFC West race by winning their third consecutive game, a 28-0 stomping of the rival Oakland Raiders. It was the first loss in the division by the Raiders since the 2009 season. The Chiefs’ defense led the way with six interceptions (three off of Boller, and three off of Palmer).
- Detroit Lions.
Two weeks ago, the Lions were on top of the world. They were 5-0 and appeared to be a virtual lock to reach the postseason for the first time since the 1999 season. But they lost to the San Francisco 49ers last week (remember the Schwartz-Harbaugh scuffle?) and suffered an equally disappointing loss to the Atlanta Falcons today, dropping them to 5-2 on the season. They’re still one of the top teams in the NFC but it is the Detroit Lions, and the playoffs are no longer a certainty. Oh, and the injury to quarterback Matthew Stafford definitely won’t help.
