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Though the Bengals had a week off, it doesn't mean we're fully taking a break from some of our weekly features. While we can't give out Bengals MVP, "Unsung Hero" and Play of the Week awards, we can still broaden our horizon and take a look at some of the best and worst moments of the weekend around the NFL.
The Best of Week 7 Around the NFL:
T.J. Yeldon and the Jacksonville Jaguars: The rookie running back had a good day against a supposedly vaunted Buffalo Bills defense, with the Jaguars pulling out a comeback win. After shooting out to a 27-3 lead, the Jaguars allowed the Bills to take a 31-27 lead with about five minutes to play. Jacksonville rallied late and pulled out a 34-31 win across the pond in London.
The Minnesota Vikings nip at Packers' heels: The Vikings were an en vogue team for NFL pundits to choose for a playoff trip in 2015, and the beginning of the season didn't start off so smoothly for Minnesota. However, Teddy Bridgewater and Co. traveled to Detroit to face their division rivals and had a win in their sights. They pulled out a nine-point margin of victory over the Lions, which really was more impressive than that and improved to 4-2.
Ryan Tannehill backs his Interim Head Coach: Dan Campbell took over a bad situation in Miami after the firing of Joe Philbin. Since then, he has injected enthusiasm and fire into the Dolphins, as was evidenced by their trouncing of the Houston Texans. At halftime, Miami held a 41-0 lead and ended up solidifying a 44-26 win to add to Campbell's resume.
Jets don't back down to New England: Though the Patriots came away victorious, the J-E-T-S didn't go away quietly. New England has an impressive autumnal resume at home, but Gang Green went toe-to-toe with the perennial AFC East champs and almost pulled out a victory.
Kirk Cousins groin-kicks the media: After falling down to a 24-0 deficit to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Washington Redskins made a historical comeback in front of their home crowd. After taking the team on his back and getting a 31-30 win, Cousins was seen in the tunnels on his way back to the locker room hollering at some media members in a rush of emotion from the win.
Oh, those scrappy Raiders: Oakland has been a bit of a roller coaster this year, but they've had some impressive performances. Probably their most impressive in quite some time occurred on Sunday in a demolition of the Chargers in San Diego to the tune of a 37-29 win, with many of the Chargers' points coming in garbage time. The Raiders once held a 31-3 lead in the game, which is a stark contrast to how the series has gone recently.
The Worst of Week 7 Around the NFL:
Veteran Pro Bowl quarterbacks look silly: Philip Rivers had a rough day against Oakland, with most of his stats coming in garbage/catch-up time, but he wasn't alone. Matt Ryan struggled on the road against the Titans, who had a backup quarterback in the lineup, while Colin Kaepernick reverted to a wide-eyed rookie against the Seahawks. Week 7 was not a good one for some past and current stars in the NFL.
What's Going on with the Bills?: Another en vogue pick for the postseason this year was the Buffalo Bills. They have had a tough stretch on their schedule this year, which included the Patriots and Bengals through their first six games, but they looked to rebound against the lowly Jaguars. They didn't, and the defensive-minded Rex Ryan has the Bills' defense performing like a shell of itself from years prior.
The Ugliness of 2 Games: While the Steelers vs Chiefs and Saints vs Colts games came down to the wire, both were pretty brutal to watch. Pittsburgh committed three turnovers, while Kansas City's offense was largely ineffective for most of the afternoon; the Chiefs came out with a 23-13 win. Meanwhile, poor tackling, turnovers, penalties and other miscues were omnipresent in Indianapolis, creating a sloppy outcome. The Saints shot off to a fast start and the Colts struggled for the rest of the game to catch up.
Cleveland gonna Cleveland: While Josh McCown has provided some sparks of hope for Browns' fans, the offense was utterly incompetent on Sunday. Fantasy Football owners who had the Rams' defense did dances, but The Dawg Pound was quieted while their team was on the road in St. Louis. McCown also left the game injured, leaving Johnny Manziel to take over.