NFL winners and losers, Week 7: Steelers’ Russell Wilson switch looks genius
Each week of the NFL season, The Baltimore Sun will recap the best and worst from around the league. Here are our winners and losers from Week 7:
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WINNER: RUSSELL WILSON
In the beginning of Sunday night’s game, it felt like Steelers coach Mike Tomlin made the wrong decision.
Making his first start of the season after being sidelined by a calf injury, Wilson struggled as the Jets took a 15-6 lead midway through the second quarter. The Pittsburgh crowd grew restless as Justin Fields, who played well enough to lead his new team to a 4-2 start, watched from the sideline.
How did Wilson respond? By leading the Steelers to 31 unanswered points in a 37-15 victory over Aaron Rodgers and the Jets. The 35-year-old Wilson finished 16 for 29 for 264 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a score, providing a lift for an offense that had been good but not great with Fields under center.
Most notable was Wilson’s connection with wide receiver George Pickens, who benefitted from Wilson’s downfield aggressiveness with five catches for 111 yards and his first touchdown of the season. The emergence of the enigmatic receiver is huge, considering he’s talented enough to be a true No. 1 target but has struggled to be consistent with his effort and attitude.
Of course, Wilson doesn’t deserve all the credit. Undrafted rookie Beanie Bishop Jr. had two huge interceptions that led directly to a pair of Steelers touchdowns, including a one-handed grab over the middle that helped Pittsburgh cut the lead to 15-13 at halftime. Bishop later picked off a pass that bounced off Jets wideout Garrett Wilson and returned it all the way to the 1-yard line, setting up Pittsburgh for an easy touchdown and a 23-15 lead.
The Steelers also recorded their second blocked field goal of the season late in the third quarter to keep it an eight-point game, leading to players mobbing special teams coach Danny Smith on the sideline. The defense held wide receiver Davante Adams to just three catches for 30 yards in his Jets debut, frustrated Rodgers all night and allowed just 54 rushing yards.
In the end, it was a stroke of genius for Tomlin.
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LOSER: SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
It might be time to write off the 49ers as serious Super Bowl contenders.
That probably seems like an overreaction to Sunday’s 28-18 loss to the Chiefs, but mounting injuries have robbed this team of its best players. Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk suffered a season-ending knee injury Sunday, joining running back Christian McCaffrey, safety Talanoa Hufanga, defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and linebacker Dre Greenlaw on the sideline for an extended period of time. Wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings were also out against Kansas City, leaving tight end George Kittle and running back Jordan Mason as quarterback Brock Purdy’s top playmakers. Unsurprisingly, the offense struggled to score, going 2 for 4 in the red zone and 2 for 11 on third down while Purdy threw three interceptions.
At 3-4, it’s going to be an uphill battle for San Francisco to even make the playoffs. Every team in the NFC North has a better record and point differential, while the Seahawks, Buccaneers, Falcons, Cowboys, Eagles and Commanders are also ahead in the standings. Each of the Niners’ next six opponents are .500 or better, and their remaining schedule is the eighth toughest in the league, according to FTN Fantasy’s DVOA.
Although the roster is unquestionably among the league’s best when healthy, San Francisco is simply running out of time. Even if McCaffrey returns, the 49ers might already be too far down the standings to make a playoff run and could decide to prioritize his long-term health instead.
Over the past three years, the Niners have ranked second, third and fifth in overall efficiency as measured by DVOA. This year, they’re 11th, including one of the league’s worst special teams units. The margin for error is slim, and coach Kyle Shanahan might not be able to overcome it.
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WINNER: SAQUON BARKLEY
Barkley said it wasn’t a “revenge game,” but he sure played like it was.
In his return to MetLife Stadium on Sunday, the star running back rushed for 176 yards and a touchdown in the Eagles’ dominant 28-3 win over the Giants. According to ESPN’s Field Yates, those 176 yards are the second most by any player in NFL history in a game against his former team. In six seasons in New York, Barkley eclipsed 170 rushing yards in a game just once, with 189 in an overtime win over Washington in 2019.
Playing behind a much better offensive line, Barkley is on pace for nearly 2,000 rushing yards, making his three-year, $37.5 million deal he signed this offseason look like a steal. That’s a number the Giants were unwilling to offer, and unsurprisingly it has come back to bite them. Owner John Mara feared as much when he told general manager Joe Schoen on “Hard Knocks” earlier this year that “I’ll have a tough time sleeping if Saquon goes to Philadelphia.”
Mara’s worst nightmare was realized when Barkley took a handoff 55 yards to set up the Eagles’ first touchdown early in the second quarter. The former Penn State star reached a career-high 21.93 mph on the run, according to Next Gen Stats, the second-fastest speed by a ball carrier this season. If the Giants had any doubt that Barkley lost a step, he showed that he might only be getting better.
He even took the high road when asked about his feelings of returning to his old stadium, despite seeing fans burning his Giants jersey in the parking lot before the game.
“To be honest, I’m so happy this game’s over,” Barkley said. “I don’t think I should get — besides today — any more questions about the Giants. But like I always said, I’m thankful for that organization. They’re the team that drafted me. I still got nothing but love and respect for all the guys over there, but I’m happy to be an Eagle.”
There’s really no way to defend the Giants letting Barkley go. Running back contracts have historically been a bad investment, but elite players are worth the price, as the Ravens are finding out with Derrick Henry. Barkley was the face of the franchise, and without him, the Giants have one of the worst offenses in the league. They only won one playoff game with him on the roster, but that was hardly his fault. Why not keep one of the best players on the team, regardless of circumstances? The Giants are paying the price.
