Around The NFL breaks down what you need to know from all of Sunday's action in Week 7 of the 2025 NFL season. Catch up on each game's biggest takeaways using the links below:
LONDON
EARLY GAMES
LATE WINDOW
SUNDAY NIGHT
- REWATCH: Rams-Jaguars on NFL+ Premium
- READ: Rams' Stafford throws five TD passes in London rout of Jags
Jeremy Bergman's takeaways:
- Rams adapt without Puka Nacua, roll in London. No Puka Nacua, no problem. Without Nacua, the NFL's receptions leader and 36.6% of Los Angeles' passing offense who was sidelined by an ankle sprain, the Rams under Sean McVay made the unorthodox decision to lean on the tight end. L.A. utilized 13 personnel (1 RB, 3 TEs) on 24 of 59 non-kneel plays, per Next Gen Stats; the Rams ran just six such plays from 2021 through 2024. As a result, Matthew Stafford spread the ball around more than he had all year with 10 players recording receptions; three tight ends caught passes on Stafford's three first attempts, and the other one, Terrance Ferguson, reeled in his first career touchdown in the fourth quarter to salt the game away. L.A. moved the ball with ease in the first half, reaching inside the 10-yard line on three of its four drives and finishing those marches with TD tosses to Stafford targets obvious (Davante Adams, at home in the end zone with three short scores on the day) and surprising (Konata Mumpfield, reaching pay dirt on his second career catch). Stafford (21 of 33, 182 yards) finished with his fifth career five-TD day and his first for Los Angeles. The Rams were briefly slowed in the second half but still rumbled into their bye on a high, dominating an AFC opponent for the second straight week (by a combined score of 52-10) and securing at least a tie for first in the NFC West through seven weeks.
- Lawrence, Jags offense limp into bye. Jacksonville spent an entire week in London, re-acclimating to the familiar United Kingdom atmosphere ahead of Sunday's game. So how on Earth did the Jags, London's "home team," look so lost at Wembley? Trevor Lawrence's attack was awful from the jump, with the quarterback missing easy passes, receivers dropping the ones that found them and the run game left in Duval. Jacksonville's offensive line, which welcomed back center Robert Hainsey, let the Rams' front run wild. Seven players had at least three QB pressures -- Braden Fiske had eight! -- and six had at least one sack of Lawrence; that's two straight games that the Jags have given up seven sacks. Travis Hunter was a non-factor in the first half -- as was Brian Thomas Jr. for the entirety of the game. Hunter broke out in the final two frames, punctuating his international debut with his first career TD, albeit down four scores in the fourth quarter. Too little, too late for the 2025 No. 2 pick. Hunter's encouraging finish was the lone highlight for a Duval attack stuck in a soggy pitch. After their galvanizing win over Kansas City in Week 5, the Jaguars enter their bye losers of two straight and completely lost on offense. Life comes at you fast in the NFL, stateside or worldwide. Can the Jags rejigger their attack during the break, or will they let a competitive AFC South slip away?
- Master pummels protégé. Liam Coen was the latest Sean McVay disciple to parlay his time as an assistant to the Rams wunderkind into a head coaching job when the Jags hired him this offseason. In their first head-to-head meeting, the Jacksonville skipper was thoroughly outclassed. Trevor Lawrence, Coen's project, was off all afternoon. After promising to get dual-threat rookie Travis Hunter more involved, Coen's offense barely went to him in the first half; Hunter didn't play a single defensive snap in the first half (12 on the day) and only awoke on offense when the Jags were already down three scores. The Jags reached Rams territory on six straight drives on either side of halftime and scored zero points; a missed field goal was followed by three straight turnovers on downs. It didn't help that Jacksonville was also undisciplined, incurring 13 penalties for a season-high 119 yards, including one that wiped out a potentially game-changing punt-return TD. With the win over Coen's Jags, McVay moved to 5-7 against his former assistants as head coaches (5-2 if you don't count his awful record against Matt LaFleur).
Next Gen Stats Insight for Rams-Jaguars (via NFL Pro): Travis Hunter caught eight of his 13 targets for 101 yards and a touchdown, all career highs, against the Rams. From the slot, Hunter caught seven of eight targets for 90 yards, including his 34-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter. Hunter was more efficient against zone coverage, catching six of 10 targets for 51 yards, but more explosive against man coverage, catching two of four targets for 50 yards and a touchdown. Playing 12 snaps on defense, Hunter had one pass defensed while matched up against Davante Adams.
NFL Research: Matthew Stafford had five passing touchdowns in London, the most in an international game all time. Sunday's win was also Stafford's second career game with five passing TDs and zero interceptions (Week 12, 2015 versus Eagles with Lions) and his first career such game on the road. Meanwhile, Davante Adams became the first WR with at least three receiving TDs in an international game.
- REWATCH: Saints-Bears on NFL+ Premium
Eric Edholm's takeaways to come:
- Bears defense sets tone with four-takeaway game. Early this NFL season, the Jaguars were the takeaway kings, with 13 in their first four contests of the season. But the Bears have now upped the ante, forcing four Saints turnovers on Sunday and bringing Chicago’s four-game total to a stunning 15 takeaways. The Bears strip-sacked and picked off Spencer Rattler in the first 20 minutes, helping build a 20-0 lead. The Saints rallied to make it a one-score game in the third quarter, but the Bears’ defense picked off Rattler twice on New Orleans’ final three drives to preserve their fourth straight victory. Chicago’s defense also had four sacks and nine passes defended. It allowed two long TD drives to make things interesting, but the overall performance was strong, even with Bears defensive back Tyrique Stevenson (shoulder) missing the entire second half.
- Rattler took a step back. One of the more intriguing elements of the Saints’ season entering Sunday had been the respectable play of Spencer Rattler, who had only one turnover on the season so far. That number quadrupled against the Bears in Week 7. Rattler was strip-sacked on the opening drive, leading to a Bears field goal, and he threw three interceptions. All three picks were arguably on the QB, too. Rattler threw behind Mason Tipton on the first, overthrew Rashid Shaheed on the second and threw into traffic on the third. He had some success on some downfield shots to Chris Olave, but most of the game felt like a struggle. Rattler never got in a true rhythm as a passer and was constantly evading pressure and throwing from tough body angles. It didn’t help that the run game was stuck in neutral and that they all but abandoned it late in the third quarter, but Rattler’s struggles can’t be dismissed.
- Bears run game helped pick up the slack. Caleb Williams never truly found a groove as a passer Sunday, hitting on less than 60 percent of his passes and averaging only 6.6 yards per attempt. He threw a first-quarter pick that stalled the offense, and Williams and center Drew Dalman had all kinds of issues with snaps. One of those snap mishaps actually saved the Bears on fourth-and-goal because there was a false start, allowing them to kick a fortunate field goal. It was that kind of day. But the Bears’ run game helped fill the void, with D'Andre Swift continuing his hot streak and rookie Kyle Monangai having his best day as a pro. They scored the Bears’ two offensive TDs, combining for 205 yards on the ground and 232 yards from scrimmage. On a day when Williams was misfiring and doing little as a scrambler, Swift and Monangai were the heroes – along with a Bears offensive line that opened nice running lanes. This game wasn’t a Ben Johnson showcase, but it did show that the Bears have a Plan B when the pass game is sluggish.
Next Gen Stats Insight for Saints-Bears (via NFL Pro): Caleb Williams completed 7 of 8 passes for 102 yards against Saints blitzes, as they brought extra rushers on 28.6% of his dropbacks. Williams was significantly less effective when not blitzed, completing only 8 of 18 attempts for 70 yards, with an interception.
NFL Research: The Bears won four consecutive games within the span of a single season for the first time since 2018.
- REWATCH: Dolphins-Browns on NFL+ Premium
Nick Shook's takeaways:
- Browns deliver old-fashioned beatdown. Cleveland's defense has followed a consistently effective first-half playbook throughout most of this season but has failed to receive the same contributions from the offense, leading to second-half disintegrations and a collection of bitter losses. That changed Sunday thanks to an explosive touchdown run and the Browns' relentless defense, which capitalized on an ugly outing from Tua Tagovailoa, forcing three turnovers via interception (including one returned by Tyson Campbell for a touchdown). Statistically, this wasn't an overwhelming victory for the Browns but the tape doesn't lie. They dominated the Dolphins, exerting their will over Miami's offense and capitalizing on the takeaways to build an insurmountable lead in a runaway triumph.
- Dolphins descend to new low. After losing a heartbreaker in Week 6, Miami had a chance to bounce back against a struggling club in Cleveland on Sunday. Instead, the Dolphins played the role of doormat. Tagovailoa accounted for three interceptions for a second straight week, but the fashion in which he produced those giveaways was vastly different and typified the direction of these Dolphins. On Sunday, all three picks were the fault of the quarterback, each came in Dolphins territory, each preceded a Browns touchdown and each buried Miami deeper into a hole that appears increasingly inescapable. Whether it was penalties (11 for 103 yards), errant throws resulting in turnovers or poor discipline on defense, Miami couldn't get out of its own way all afternoon. Even worse, the Dolphins appeared to lose interest as the game grew more lopsided. Mike McDaniel was already on the hot seat entering Week 7; that seat might not exist by Monday afternoon.
- Have a day, Quinshon Judkins. Cleveland's season has been filled with struggles but Quinshon Judkins has enjoyed some bright spots in the first month and a half. Sunday represented a new peak for the rookie. Judkins' 46-yard touchdown run through the middle of Miami's defense injected life into what was a sleepy game and gave the Browns an early advantage to build upon. They did so by leaning almost exclusively on the Ohio State product, turning to him twice inside Miami's 5-yard line for two more scores, giving Judkins three touchdowns on the day and making him the face of the Browns' triumphant day offensively. While he averaged just 3.4 yards per carry -- a product of an unusual outing in which he was cut down for losses on multiple occasions but also ran hard enough to balance things out with positive gains -- Judkins paced the Browns' offense on a windy, rainy day in Cleveland.
Next Gen Stats Insight for Dolphins-Browns (via NFL Pro): Quinshon Judkins rushed 15 times for 69 yards and three touchdowns from jumbo sets (six-plus offensive linemen) in the Browns’ Week 7 win over the Dolphins. The Browns used an extra lineman on 22 of 52 plays overall (40.9%), the highest rate by any team in a game this season. Judkins became the first player since the start of 2022 to score three rushing touchdowns from jumbo in a game and gained the third-most rushing yards from jumbo of any player this season.
NFL Research: Miami's six points were the fewest allowed by the Browns since Week 9 of the 2023 season, a shutout win over Arizona. Cleveland also snapped its 11-game streak of scoring 17 or fewer points.
- REWATCH: Raiders-Chiefs on NFL+ Premium
- READ: Chiefs trick play underscores embarrassing day for Raiders
Eric Edholm's takeaways:
- Rice led Chiefs’ impressive offensive surge. Rashee Rice celebrated his return to action following a six-game suspension with two first-half touchdowns to highlight a strong offensive outing by the Chiefs. We’ve now seen what an offense with Marquise Brown, Xavier Worthy and Rice playing together looks like, and the results were impressive. The Chiefs ran 42 first-half plays (to the Raiders’ 14) and built a 21-0 lead, scoring on three drives of 84 yards or longer. Patrick Mahomes threw for 206 yards in the first half alone -- more than he did in five entire games last season. Impressively, he was still able and willing to spread the ball around to nearly all of his targets and make it an offense that looked very tough to defend. Mahomes’ day was done before the third quarter was over, allowing Gardner Minshew to get some snaps versus his former team. The only potential negative was an injury to Jawaan Taylor (shoulder), who replaced the absent Josh Simmons at left tackle.
- Raiders looked inept in all phases. This felt like one of the most lopsided games of the 2025 NFL season. The Raiders were pretty non-competitive out of the chute, running only 14 offensive plays and allowing 21 first downs in the first half alone. Losing defensive tackle Adam Butler (back) and defensive end Maxx Crosby (knee/back) only worsened the suffering. Knowing their only real shot of winning was getting a first-drive stop to open the third quarter, down 21-0, the Raiders allowed the Chiefs to march 65 yards for another TD. They then went three-and-out on offense. Vegas’ first real “stop” was holding the Chiefs to a short field goal late in the third quarter. The offense also shared the blame readily. Geno Smith completed a 6-yard pass to Jack Bech with 3:49 left in the first quarter … and Smith's next completion, a 4-yarder, didn’t come until the 2:09 mark of the third quarter. Smith was benched for Kenny Pickett, who fumbled on his first snap. The afterglow of last week’s win faded pretty quickly for the wayward Raiders. Don’t be shocked if Pete Carroll burns this game tape, using highly flammable accelerants.
- Chiefs’ defense gave Reid his first regular-season shutout. Hard to believe but true: Sunday was Andy Reid’s first-ever regular-season shutout win. The Chiefs shut out the Texans, 30-0, in the 2015 postseason, and they allowed only a safety in Reid’s Chiefs debut in 2013, but this was Reid’s first regular-season blanking -- in his 427th regular-season game. Reid has had some of the best defensive minds in recent history coordinating his units, with Jim Johnson in Philadelphia and Steve Spagnuolo, which makes the achievement all the more surprising. Shutouts are rare (only five since the start of the 2024 season), but the sentiment holds up. Kansas City’s defense certainly deserves praise for its dominant showing, even with it coming against an inept Raiders offense. The Raiders netted 27 yards on their first two drives and didn’t have another first down until the fourth quarter, netting 93 for the game. Pure dominance. If the Chiefs play this well in all three phases, they’re absolutely title contenders again.
Next Gen Stats Insight for Raiders-Chiefs (via NFL Pro): Patrick Mahomes only attempted one pass longer than 28.5 air yards on Sunday, a 40.3-air-yard completion to Tyquan Thornton.
NFL Research: The Raiders had only three first downs in the game, the fewest in the NFL since the Raiders had three in a Week 9 loss to the Falcons in the 2008 NFL season.
- REWATCH: Eagles-Vikings on NFL+ Premium
Kevin Patra's takeaways:
- Hurts divebombs Vikings. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts played his best game of the season. Whenever Philadelphia needed a play, the QB made a spot-on deep shot to put a dagger into an aggressive Vikings defense. The Super Bowl MVP made play after play out of the structure, keeping things alive for splash plays. Hurts might struggle with intermediate passing, but he thrives with one of the prettiest deep balls in the league. He threw a 37-yard TD to A.J. Brown, a 79-yarder to DeVonta Smith, a 26-yarder to Brown again. On Sunday, he went 5 of 5 for 216 yards and three TDs on passes of 20-plus yards. With Saquon Barkley and the Eagles running back still stuck in the next, Philly needed every one of Hurts' deep shots. It was apropos that Hurts iced the game with a 45-yard bomb to Brown. Sunday was the type of game that was a reminder of the upside of a bombs-away Eagles offense.
- Wentz stumbles way to two-pick day. Facing his former club, Carson Wentz' brutal second quarter had Minnesota scrambling. Wentz rushed a throw, leading to a pick-six. Then things got really wacky. On his next attempt, Wentz threw it backward for an 8-yard loss. The following snap, he got flushed from the pocket and threw a prayer that was intercepted. Wentz put up 313 passing yards, picking up chunk gains, repeatedly picking apart Philly cornerbacks with out routes, but the offense stumbled in scoring range. Kevin O’Connell’s crew went 1 of 6 in the red zone, the worst RZ TD rate for Minnesota in a game with six or more red zone drives since at least 2000. On a day the Vikings only punted once on nine possessions, the turnovers and settling for field goals were the difference. The loss isn’t all on Wentz’ shoulders, but it also wasn’t a performance that would make O’Connell reticent to turn to J.J. McCarthy if he’s healthy.
- Hunt’s pick-six leads Eagles defense. Young linebacker Jalyx Hunt dropped into coverage, snagged a pass seemingly thrown right to him, and sprinted to paydirt. It was a brilliant call from Vic Fangio that spun Wentz’ head. Hunt became the second Eagles defensive player at 250-plus pounds to score a TD this season. The rest of the NFL has had one such player (Cardinals linebacker Zaven Collins). A banged-up Eagles defense needed Sunday’s five-pressure performance from Hunt. Jalen Carter's return to action made a world of difference for Philly. The game-wrecking defensive tackle earned a game-high six QB pressures and owned the middle of the Vikings' offensive line. It’s a completely different Eagles D when he’s on the field. Elsewhere on defense, Quinyon Mitchell allowed just one catch for 10 yards on three targets against Justin Jefferson (20 snaps). The Eagles' defense still has holes at pass rusher and corner, but Sunday, they got the job done.
Next Gen Stats Insight for Eagles-Vikings (via NFL Pro): DeVonta Smith recorded a career-high 183 receiving yards and a touchdown on nine receptions, with most of his production coming on downfield passes (10-plus air yards). Smith was targeted six times downfield, catching five of those targets for 163 yards and a touchdown; 107 of those yards came on deep receptions (20-plus air yards).
NFL Research: Hurts generated the third perfect passer rating game in Eagles history (minimum 10 attempts). Others were Nick Foles in 2013 at Oakland and Donovan McNabb in 2007 versus Detroit.
- REWATCH: Panthers-Jets on NFL+ Premium
- READ: Jets bench QB Fields after ineffective first half in loss
- READ: Panthers QB Young suffers second-half ankle injury
Kevin Patra's takeaways:
- Horn’s two INTs propel Panthers over Jets. With the offense sputtering even before Bryce Young left with an injury, Carolina’s defense stood tall. The defensive line, led by Derrick Brown controlled things up front, stuffing the run and pestering Gang Green quarterbacks. Brown generated two sacks and seven tackles. Surging rookie Nic Scourton earned 1.5 sacks and added a team-high six pressures. His improved play has been a big part of the Panthers' turnaround. Carolina generated six sacks after having five entering the week. The crown of the defensive performance goes to Jaycee Horn, who made a spectacular one-handed interception in the end zone. He added another INT in the fourth quarter, squelching a Jets comeback attempt. After last season’s dismal output, Ejiro Evero has improved immensely during the Panthers' three-game win streak. On tap next week: Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills.
- Fields benched, but Jets offense still can’t get off the ground. Aaron Glenn pulled the plug on Justin Fields after another inefficient first half -- 6-of-12 passing for 46 yards with three sacks, 22 yards rushing. The issues remain the same for the QB: He holds it too long, struggles to read defenses post-snap, makes unforced errors and takes bad sacks. Tyrod Taylor took over in the second half. The passing offense perks up with the veteran, who can stay in rhythm in the short game. However, Taylor repeatedly missed deep, underthrowing several balls on which New York receivers beat defenders. Taylor went 1 of 7 for 35 yards with two INTs (8.3 passer rating) on passes of 20-plus yards, per Next Gen Stats. The reality is that there is no long-term answer at QB on the Jets roster.
- Panthers lose Young to injury. Panthers starting quarterback Bryce Young exited the game deep in the third quarter, slowly walking to the locker room. He was ruled out with an ankle injury. Before the injury, it was an up-and-down game from Young, who made an excellent improv play to find Xavier Legette for a TD but also missed a few layups. Andy Dalton entered, and the offense didn’t do much, generating four first downs with two three-and-outs on four fourth-quarter drives. However, the veteran ended the game with a nice lob to Legette. Young’s status will be one to keep an eye on during the week. Sidenote: With Chuba Hubbard return, the Panthers split carries between him and Rico Dowdle. Dowdle was the more productive, generating 79 yards on 17 carries to Hubbard’s 31 on 14 totes. The question is whether the Panthers will ride Dowdle, clearly the better back at this point, or continue to lean on both and hope Hubbard’s 2.2 yards per carry this week was a product of knocking off rust.
Next Gen Stats Insight for Panthers-Jets (via NFL Pro): The Panthers defense generated season highs in total pressures (16), pressure rate (36.4%) and sacks (6).
NFL Research: Carolina (4-3) is .500 or better through seven games for the first time since 2019 (also 4-3). The 2019 Panthers started 4-3, finished 5-11 (last in the NFC South) and Ron Rivera was fired mid-season.
- REWATCH: Patriots-Titans on NFL+ Premium
Nick Shook's takeaways:
- Patriots overwhelm Titans in runaway win. Mike Vrabel brought his team to Nashville with a clear intent on Sunday: Win the physical battle. The Patriots set the tone on their very first drive, repeatedly handing the ball to Rhamondre Stevenson for hard-earned rushing yards and moving into Tennessee territory before settling for a field goal. That brief limitation was not indicative of what was to come. New England regained the lead just before halftime, then exploded for two touchdowns in 11 seconds of game time midway through the third quarter, following up a 12-play, 88-yard touchdown drive with a fumble recovery and return for a score. In seemingly a flash, the Patriots took total control of this game and cruised to victory in emphatic fashion, sacking Cam Ward five times while delivering a statement to Vrabel's former team and moving forward with their fifth win of 2025.
- Struggles continue for Titans despite coaching change. Tennessee made the decision to fire Brian Callahan early in the week and entered Sunday hoping for a boost in performance with Mike McCoy serving as interim coach. Unfortunately, this game followed a familiar script. After competing and keeping things close for almost two quarters, the Titans lost Jeffery Simmons to a hamstring injury and watched their resilience leave with him. Tennessee surrendered a touchdown pass in the final minute of the first half, then melted down in the third quarter, losing all hope of a comeback before the fourth quarter arrived. Ward fumbled away possession in unfortunately familiar fashion, losing the ball while winding up to throw, and despite an impressive first half from the rookie, it was clear the Titans lacked the strength to overcome their sudden 18-point deficit. Tennessee isn't going to improve overnight regardless of who is coaching, and Sunday was a painful reminder of this.
- Maye continues to dazzle. Patriots second-year quarterback Drake Maye has been on a heater and compiled another fantastic outing in Nashville on Sunday, completing 21 of 23 passes that included some beautifully layered passes, perfectly placed and timed tosses and his latest majestic touchdown pass to Kayshon Boutte. Perhaps even more impressive, Maye took a hard hit to the back of his head, exited briefly and then returned in time to toss a touchdown pass to Austin Hooper that capped a key 11-play, 93-yard touchdown drive to tie things up at 10. Maye rolled from there, directing a well-balanced offense that acted like a boa constrictor in the second half, squeezing the life out of the Titans and earning yet another win for these ascending Patriots.
Next Gen Stats Insight for Patriots-Titans (via NFL Pro): Drake Maye recorded career highs in completion percentage (91.3%) and completion percentage over expected (+24.4%) on Sunday. Maye was particularly efficient on passes over 10 air yards, completing 7 of his 9 attempts for 149 yards and two touchdowns. Maye also added 62 rushing yards on eight scrambles, giving him 193 scramble rush yards this season, third in the NFL entering the Week 7 afternoon window.
NFL Research: With 222 passing yards and a 135.9 passer rating, Drake Maye became the third player under the age of 24 with 200-plus passing yards and a 100-plus passer rating in six consecutive games.