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Another one is in the books as we turn the page past NFL Week 7. Despite saying it’s “not a revenge game,” Saquon Barkley’s performance suggested otherwise. Meanwhile, the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers have to have some serious concerns after Sunday. But who else cracked Sportsnaut’s biggest winners and losers from NFL Week 7?
Winner: Parker Washington, Jacksonville Jaguars
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A back-and-forth game suddenly got a lot more exciting when second-year-pro Parker Washington took a punt return 96 yards for a touchdown. Amazingly, somehow Washington managed to slice through New England’s special teams without even being touched, using pure speed and vision in the open field to give the Jaguars a commanding 22-10 lead.
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Loser: Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll
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Congratulations to Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll, they have officially placed themselves on the hot seat. Schoen, the New York Giants’ GM, arrived here thanks to deeming Saquon Barkley replaceable, but Devin Singletary has proven him wrong by recording 239 yards compared to Barkley’s 658. Meanwhile, Daboll can’t scheme up an offense to put his $160M QB in a position to succeed. Neither should be allowed back in the Giants’ facility ever again.
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Winner: Saquon Barkley
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The worst-kept secret in the NFL was that Saquon Barkley would be an excellent signing for the Eagles. He’s instantly proven to be one of their best players. Barkley averaged a video game-like 10.4 YPC against his old team to get up to 176 yards on the day. Now he ranks third in the NFL in rushing yards after racking up 658 yards and five touchdowns through six games. He’s been worth every penny, and then some.
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Winner: Detroit Lions
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The Minnesota Vikings held the NFC North division crown through the first six weeks after an undefeated start. But the Detroit Lions just went into U.S. Bank Stadium and snatched the division lead back. Jared Goff was nearly flawless and Brian Branch recorded his fifth takeaway of the season. The Lions are officially back on the Super Bowl train, but they remain one of just four franchises who have never even made an appearance in the NFL Championship game.
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Loser: Miami Dolphins
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The Miami Dolphins are an absolute mess without Tua Tagovailoa. Mike McDaniel may operate one of the best schemes in the NFL, but without a competent QB who can make all the throws, Miami has become the league’s worst scoring offense. That continued on Sunday, with the Dolphins squeaking out just 10 points in a very winnable matchup against the Colts.
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Winner: Green Bay Packers
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All the Packers needed was a kicker who could do his job to beat a very good Texans team in Week 7. Brandon McManus, who was just signed on Wednesday, came through with a clutch 45-yard game-winning field goal, sending the Packers to 5-2. This one was a full team effort. Jordan Love made mistakes (two interceptions), but he and the rest of the team did just enough to escape with a big win.
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Loser: Tennessee Titans
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The Tennessee Titans are on the fast track to earning the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Yet, maybe that can finally fetch them the franchise quarterback they desperately need. No one really expected the Titans to topple a contending Bills team, but losing 34-10? That’s just embarrassing.
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Winner: Keon Coleman and Amari Cooper
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Amari Cooper may have just arrived, likely making him Josh Allen’s new top target. Yet, it was Keon Coleman who thrived in Buffalo’s 34-10 win over the Titans by blasting off for 125 yards on four receptions. However, Cooper was also more productive than expected, racking up a healthy 66 receiving yards plus a touchdown in four receptions.
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Loser: Cleveland Browns
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Injuries don’t typically make someone a loser. But when you’re the Cleveland Browns, it does. Only because they hitched their Super Bowl hopes on a fully-guaranteed $230 million quarterback who they now won’t get more than seven games from this season. Yet, considering Watson has led Cleveland to the NFL’s lowest-scoring offense, perhaps it was time to see what another QB could do anyway. Still, Watson getting hurt is just about the worst thing that could happen to Cleveland.
Now he has no shot at generating any trade value at all, and his remaining contract makes him one of the toughest players to trade in NFL history. With two more years on Watson’s deal, at $46 million apiece, Cleveland’s stuck here, in the doldrums. Heck, Watson’s career may even be over at this point.
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Loser: Carolina Panthers
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We didn’t expect a one-win Carolina Panthers team to beat a two-loss Washington Commanders squad. Yet, it’s never good to get blown out. The Panthers really didn’t even put up a fight, waiting until the fourth quarter to get on the scoreboard, but it didn’t matter in the 40-7 loss. The Panthers are still one of the worst teams in the NFL, it doesn’t matter who coaches the team or starts at QB.
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Loser: San Francisco 49ers
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It looks like the Super Bowl wasn’t a fluke. The San Francisco 49ers still aren’t on the Kansas City Chiefs’ level. While the 49ers kept it competitive, even picking off Patrick Mahomes twice, there’s a reason why the Chiefs are the NFL’s lone undefeated team after seven weeks. This was always going to be a tough matchup, but falling to 3-4 has to be concerning for Kyle Shanahan.
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