NFL Week 7 featured multiple teams earning credibility as Super Bowl contenders, including perhaps the Los Angeles Rams. Unfortunately, it also exhibited how far the league’s worst teams have fallen, and it showed how inconsistent others are (like the Carolina Panthers).
Here is a look at the highs and lows of a weekend that showed teams separating from the pack:
Highs
1. Los Angeles Rams finally emerge
The Rams franchise once stood as one of the NFL’s model organizations. They held the NFL record for consecutive division titles with seven (1973-1979) until last year and consistently contended for playoff berths through 1989. However, poor front office decisions eventually led to the downfall of the Rams.
The franchise re-emerged briefly between 1999-2004, and even won a Super Bowl. However, the Rams’ floundered back into oblivion once again due to their inept front office and poor coaching. Overall, the team has posted only four winning seasons since 1990.
Head coach Sean McVay and his staff quickly changed the culture of the stagnant Rams. They installed a new offense and poured energy and creativity into a franchise long bereft of either. Suddenly, the Rams enter their bye with a 5-2 mark and hope for greater things in the near future. Their 33-0 demolition of the Arizona Cardinals in London showed that this team is solid on both sides of the football. Moreover, the win also exhibited that the Rams are still growing. This team is dangerous, and it’s only scratching the surface of its potential.
All hail the return of the Rams. It has been a long time coming.
2. Carson Wentz and the Philadelphia Eagles are Super Bowl contenders
While the Rams are certainly happy with their decision to select Jared Goff No. 1 overall in the 2016 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles enjoy the services of their improving franchise quarterback Carson Wentz.
Wentz completed 17 of 25 for 268 yards, four touchdowns, and an interception in a 34-24 victory over the Washington Redskins on Monday night. He also rushed eight times for 63 yards. Yet, it’s not his numbers that set him apart from much of the league; it’s his leadership. The Eagles responded well to Wentz from the moment he took the reins of the team, and now he has them on the road to a Super Bowl. The Eagles might just be the best team in the NFC.
Lows
1. Time for an Indianapolis Colts reload
The Indianapolis Colts covered their issues for years thanks to great quarterback play from future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning and his replacement Andrew Luck. Both players led the Colts so well that the front office and coaching staff often relied on them to win games with significant holes on the roster. Those holes are clear more now than ever with Luck still recovering from a major injury.
The Colts ran into a buzz saw at home against one of the best defenses in the league. The Jacksonville Jaguars deserve credit for what they did to the Colts on Sunday, but let’s not ignore the issues with the roster that allowed for the embarrassing 27-0 result.
The Colts have failed to maintain the offensive line, and the numbers show it. Their sacks allowed ranking dropped every year, from 8th in 2014 to last in the league this year.
Depth issues plague the rest of the roster as well. The Indianapolis front office failed to keep up with the needs of the team, and now the Colts face a long road back to respectability. It’s time for the Colts to start over.
2. The Jekyll and Hyde Carolina Panthers
Is there a bigger mystery to the NFL right now than the Carolina Panthers? One week, the Panthers put it all together offensively, and the next they don’t show up at all. Truthfully, the Panthers’ performance shouldn’t surprise anyone. They are following the ups and downs of their quarterback Cam Newton.
Newton’s numbers tell the tale of the Panthers’ season. He has completed 66 of 112 passes for 617 yards, one touchdown, and eight interceptions in Carolina’s three losses. However, Newton’s stats tell a different story in the team’s four wins. Newton completed 82 of 119 passes for 1070 yards, eight touchdowns, and two interceptions in those games.
One problem facing Newton continues to be the offensive line. Opposing defenses have been feasting on the Panthers in the trenches all season. The Chicago Bears proved that again with five sacks in a 17-3 victory over the Panthers on Sunday. Expect the Panthers’ inconsistent play to continue until they figure out how to protect their starting quarterback.
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