Who needs to bounce back in NFL Week Seven?

Another week down and we enter Week Seven with no undefeated teams left standing. Week Six saw some big injuries, big plays and big upsets. I’m not seeing Week Seven being any different, another week with more storylines you couldn’t draw up. 

Let’s get this going with Week Seven of the bounce back…….. 

1. Jalen Hurts

Hurts comes off the back of a lacklustre performance which saw him cough up three picks to a stacked Jets defense. I personally just thought he looked a little uncomfortable and maybe not as pumped up as he should’ve been.

That’s okay, it will happen but you don’t want that performance when you face the Dolphins next. Hurts already has more interceptions this season than all of last year. That can be viewed in different ways, but I’m concerned. The Eagles will be good, that’s a definite, but if Hurts doesn’t find the mojo he had last year and continues to turn the ball over, then the Eagles will be good but they won’t be Super Bowl bound.

Hurts can likely use this as fuel, if he wants to take the Eagles one step further this year, he has to. 

2. Tampa Bay offense

All the credit goes to Detroit, they had a good game plan and made the plays when they needed to. But, Mayfield and co had chances, that is what will hurt and that is why they made their way onto the bounce back.

Dropped passes, penalties, balls overthrown, all added up to this Bucs offense just never leaving first gear. Now they face the Falcons who are not at the level of the Lions and I’d really like to see a fast start for one. More aggression for two and for three, I’d like to see them much more clinical. If they can hit two out of those three, they will get themselves back into winning ways. 

3. Geno Smith

Smith and the Seahawks went down to the Bengals, but they could have so easily won that game. Smith wasn’t pressured the whole game – he actually, on many occasions, had time and that seemed to be the issue, which is odd. When he had time in the pocket he just couldn’t do anything with it.

He didn’t like what he saw downfield and the Bengals defense did a great job at rattling and confusing Smith all night long. They won’t face the same hurdles against the Cardinals but the Cardinals will fight for everything.

Smith needs to be more decisive making plays. At times against the Bengals, he was too hesitant and couldn’t get the ball out, even when the game was on the line. This is a personal note, but get D.K involved early, it will only make Smith’s role easier, it’s an uphill battle just having him there without really being there. 

4. New York Giants

The Giants actually gave themselves a chance against the Bills. I did not think I would be close to saying that pregame. Now they face the Commanders and they have to ask themselves, if we are going to win more games, who will they be against?

This is a winnable game, but the key thing has to be not hurting themselves – one issue is the amount of self inflicted damage so far this season from the Giants. Some really silly and uncalled for mistakes cost them in big moments against Buffalo and they need to make sure that they have resolved those issues.

If they do that then maybe, just maybe, the Giants can keep themselves in this one long enough to have a chance come the final two minutes, to win the game. 

5. Tennessee Titans

With Tannehill having an ankle concern and after a really poor, uncreative display in their loss to the Ravens in London… I actually wonder how the Titans bounce back. They are now likely to play one of their young QBs as the starter, neither of whom looks NFL ready.

They continue to count on the King to run them to victory, but they really need more than just him if they are going to stay relevant. Hopkins comes off the back of a 20 yard game and I struggle to see where the spark is going to come from. Who or what is going to bring this offense into 2023 and say ‘you didn’t count us out did you?’ Now they face a bye week and when they return to action they face off with the Falcons.

I truly think that is now a huge game for both teams, more so the Titans. We need to see something other than Henry, Henry, play action and then repeat. They need to add another dimension, some trickery or they are going to find themselves really struggling to win games, especially against teams who are effective in the red zone. Titans are heading towards a rebuild in my eyes now.