Lamar Jackson Leads the Best Performers of Week 7 in the NFL

There were significant moments across the NFL in Week 7, not least a milestone win for one of the winningest coaches in league history.

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick won his 300th game during a dramatic upset win over division rival Buffalo Bills. The Pats coach is now just the third head coach to reach the mark, joining Don Shula and George Halas. Quarterback Mac Jones, who had come under fire for poor play this season, completed more than 80 percent of his throws, two of them for touchdowns.

As good as Jones was, and despite strong performances from Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker TJ Watt and Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett in their teams’ respective wins, three quarterbacks led the way this week with their individual exploits.

Quarterback Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens rushes with the ball against the Detroit Lions at M&T Bank Stadium on October 22, 2023, in Baltimore, Maryland. Jackson was one of the three quarterbacks who led the way this week with their individual exploits.
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Lamar Jackson

Jackson played on an MVP level in a win against a Detroit Lions team that entered Sunday’s contest on a four-game winning streak. The Lions had won their last four games by at least 10 points before Jackson threw for 357 yards while completing 77.8 percent of his passing attempts.

Jackson threw three touchdowns and rushed for another in the 38-6 victory. A concern for the Ravens was their offense too often settling for field goals this season. That wasn’t a problem against the Lions, with the Ravens scoring five touchdowns in six red zone possessions.

Jackson led the Ravens to touchdowns on their first four possessions. His 12-yard touchdown to Nelson Agholor at the 3:11 mark gave the Ravens a two-score lead.

Jackson stood his ground as the pocket collapsed, rolled out to evade defenders, and threw the ball to Agholor in the end zone. It’s the type of play few quarterbacks can make, and Jackson made it look easy. The Ravens are 5-2, and their next game is against the Arizona Cardinals.

Patrick Mahomes

Mahomes might have made the list even with just his first-half performance. The defending league MVP threw for 321 and three touchdowns in the first half en route to a 31-17 victory against the Los Angeles Chargers.

By the end of the game, Mahomes had gained over 400 yards for the 10th time in his career. It was the fifth game with 400-plus passing yards and at least four touchdown passes for Mahomes, the most recent coming in November 2021.

His third touchdown Sunday marked another score for the duo of Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce. With Taylor Swift in attendance, the tight end fought into the end zone from a yard out, one of his career-high 12 catches on the day.

Kansas City is on a six-game winning streak and heads to Denver for next week’s game against the Broncos.

Jalen Hurts

Hurts overcame the adversity of a pick-six, a fumble, and an injured leg during the Philadelphia Eagles win against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday Night Football.

Hurts bounced back from throwing an interception on a tipped pass that tied the game at 17 when linebacker Jerome Baker scored on a 22-yard return. On the following drive, Hurts guided the Eagles’ eight-play, 75-yard touchdown drive capped off with a 14-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Brown giving the Eagles a lead they wouldn’t let go. Brown had 10 receptions for 137 yards and a touchdown on the night.

The Eagles entered the game after a disappointing defeat against the New York Jets the previous week. Hurts and the Eagles are 6-1 and face the Washington Commanders on Sunday.