The NFL Roundup 2019: Week 7 – What We Learned

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

​I think what truly makes Week 7 in the NFL so valuable, is that this is when teams are more or less exposed for what they truly are. For the bad ones that have been flirting with success, regress to their losing ways, while the great ones… put on one hell of a show. And that’s something that was evident all weekend long and it helps to give us a little insight as to how much longer we will have to wait for our favorite teams to be ready to compete for a championship, or how far they might go in the playoffs and with that in mind, let’s dive in and discuss the highs and the lows of this weekend’s slate of games and what they taught us.
 
The Denver Broncos are devoid of leadership.
A lot of things went wrong for the Denver Broncos on Thursday Night, to the point where it became clear that they are nowhere near ready to contend for the Lombardi Trophy. But what truly caught me off guard in regard to the Broncos, was the sheer lack of leadership present during this game. Because at no point, did I see the veterans on this squad do anything to keep the minds of their teammates focused on this matchup. Especially on offense. Because Joe Flacco was just lethargic during this game and no one on the defense seemed inclined to push harder when the score piled up, and a team that has no drive or ambition is a scary prospect indeed, because they give up a whole lot quicker when things go south. So, here’s to hoping the players, and the coaches for that matter, try and light a fire under this squad, or the rest of their season will be filled with more ugly and apathetic losses like this one.
 
Ryan Tannehill actually managed to impress in his first start with the Titans.
I have to admit, that I was a tad harsh on Ryan Tannehill last week when I said we shouldn’t expect that much of him in Tennessee’s matchup with the Chargers, and well, #17 saw to it that I need to eat a little crow today. Because he was quite impressive in his first outing as the captain of the offense for the Titans since he completed 79% of his passes and threw for over 300 yards with a pair of touchdowns thrown in for good measure as well. In fact, his only glaring mistake was a lone INT, but almost completing 80% of his passes is no small feat and he drove the offense nicely and this, is precisely what Tennessee needs right now, a game manager who can make some big plays happen and if he continues to play like this in the weeks to come, then the Titans are going to have a wondrous second half of the season.
 
The Buffalo Bills are legit.
I won’t lie, it felt quite strange to type those words, but they are in fact, truth. Because the Buffalo Bills are playing some incredible football right now, in every phase of the game. For their defense is stifling, and if by chance a team figures out what they’re up to, they adjust accordingly and quickly, allowing for them to close out games in stellar fashion. Plus, that offense is equally as impressive, thanks to QB Josh Allen’s dynamic play and all of these elements have made this team fun to watch again, and they’re quite the force to be reckoned with on the field. Which means it would be wise for every football fan to keep an eye on this team, because they are going to do some impressive things down the stretch.
 
The NFL’s ejection problem continues to rear its ugly head.
You know, I totally understand the fact that this game is emotional and that sometimes tempers flare on the field. Because that’s just human and I don’t know of anyone that enjoys being pushed around when they are a professional that knows their biz. But once again, we are seeing a rash of excessive tempers flaring on the field since two ejections occurred on Sunday for fist fighting and honestly, I just don’t get what it is going to take to get these guys to quit throwing punches. Because at some point, one of these altercations is going to get someone hurt, and it’s not like we’re seeing the coaches get these guys under control. So maybe it’s time for suspensions for players who throw punches during a game? Or they owe the league their game checks for the ejection? Either way, something needs to be done about this since it’s happening more frequently, and the league needs to crack down on this quickly before it gets out of hand.
 
The Chicago Bears have a quarterback conundrum on their hands.
Last year, it seemed as though the quarterbacking woes that the Bears had suffered through, had finally come to an end. For Jay Cutler was gone, a bright and shining new rookie had arrived and his first year under center ended with a playoff appearance. But something has clearly changed in Chi-town and the honeymoon with Mitch Trubisky is over because things are bad under center again in the Windy City. For #10 is struggling to produce this season and he’s having health issues and those behind him aren’t faring much better either. Which means a full-blown quarterback quagmire is on the franchise’s hands and honestly, I’m not sure how they fix it. Because Trubisky has regressed, so perhaps it is time to tinker with the playbook and cater an offense to Mitch’s skill set or the playoffs hopes that this team has right now, might fade away.   

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