NFL week 7 analysis: Five things we learnt

Week 7 in the NFL is over and it produced another stunning selection of games. Zander Swinburne examines who the real winner of the London game was, which team’s quarterback situation continues to get worse, as well as which player could play well into his forties

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Jacksonville’s win matters more to London than it does the Jaguars

In what was seen as another dire matchup between two of the NFL’s more unwatchable teams, the Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills produced one of the most memorable games to be held at Wembley Stadium. In a 34-31 win for the Jaguars, the London crowd was treated to touchdowns, interceptions, and three comebacks. Whilst the Jaguars were allowed to leave London with another victory on their 2015 record, the real winners were the NFL and the fans in the UK.

In the three years that Jacksonville have been coming to London, the Jaguars have done little to give its UK fan base, and more importantly any potential new fans, something to cheer about. Thrashings by the 49ers and Cowboys did little to entice new NFL fans to follow the Jaguars, and with their most recent Wembley game the final one of this year's trio to sell out, it became obvious that UK fans were becoming less keen to cheer on Jacksonville. Brits love an underdog, but they also struggle to embrace a team that loses over and over again.

Jacksonville’s performance on Sunday was at last what the UK was hoping to see. Whilst they did not play a flawless game, the Jaguars were exciting to watch, scoring touchdowns on both sides of the ball, as well as establishing a brilliant comeback drive to win the game. All this on a day when the NFL live streamed the game across the globe to more than 33 million people.

If building the UK fan base, in particular a Jaguars fan base, is the aim for Roger Goodell, then the league would have been relieved to watch ‘London’s team’ finally show a bit of flare. A winning team will entice new fans to attend next year, and Sunday’s game was evidence that Jacksonville are an improving team worth supporting.

So whilst Sunday’s win for the Jaguars was a small victory for a struggling franchise, it was a bigger triumph for the NFL in the UK and the fans pining for a permanent franchise.

Maybe Tom Brady really could play until he’s 50

As with most sports, American football is rarely played professionally over the age of 40. Kickers have traditionally been the players who continue to play well into their forties, mainly due to the lack of physical contact they receive.

The idea of a near 50-year-old NFL player may appear ludicrous, one player is playing at a level that may debunk the theory that the NFL is only a young man’s game. Tom Brady, quarterback for the New England Patriots, appears to be a player in his prime, despite being 38. Usually by this stage quarterbacks are unable to keep up with the requirements of the professional game, developing a weak throwing arm that makes the balls they throw look like they have parachutes attached.

Brady is proving the critics wrong, and Sunday’s 27-23 win over the New York Jets was a classic example of how a quarterback’s age is completely ineffective at determining his ability. Brady threw 54 times, completing 34 for over 350 yards and a brace of touchdowns. He was also able to lead a stunning comeback in the fourth quarterback, showing that even as the game reached its latter stages, he was still able to perform at his best.

After Brady admitted last week that he would like to continue playing for another 10 years, many no doubt laughed at the prospect. Brady’s recent performances, however, have shown that it would be premature to snigger at such a suggestion. With this, the NFL also continues to alter the rules to stop quarterbacks getting injured due to their substantial importance in the game, and thus the position could soon see itself get older, much in the same ways kickers have.

For years Tom Brady’s drop off has been speculated, when will it happen and just how much of decline will it be? So far this season, there has been not a hint of a decline and so as Brady continues to prove critics wrong, he simultaneously pushes back the retirement parties the rest of the AFC East are planning.

Andrew Luck looks like a completely different player

Often regarded as the NFL’s brightest future star, Andrew Luck’s first three seasons were nothing short of sublime. The immediate heir to Peyton Manning in Indianapolis, Luck showed just why he was tipped to be the next great NFL quarterback, leading his team to the play-offs as well as the AFC Championship game last year.

The s2015 season, so far, suggests another narrative, one where Luck has been more often seen as a hindrance to his team rather than an asset. Sunday’s 27-21 loss to the New Orleans Saints was another example of how he has failed to emulate his previous form. With two interceptions against New Orleans adding to Luck’s eight turnovers this year, the young quarterback is quickly developing an untrustworthy reputation, and he hasn’t even played every game this season. Matt Hasselbeck was forced to take the reins whilst Luck was injured; giving the Colts two divisional wins. Despite having not started a game since 2012, Hasselbeck was surprisingly effective and has since raised questions as to whether Luck should sit on the bench until he can return to his winning form.

The mere fact that Hasselbeck’s name is being brought up shows that the situation is going from bad to worse for Luck. If he was to be replaced by the 40-year-old backup, it would show that either Luck’s form was unlikely to return any time soon, or that he has a lingering injury that refuses to go away.

It hasn’t yet got the point where a benching is on the horizon, and will unlikely do so, but the Luck we once knew has, for the moment at least, disappeared from view.

Houston’s quarterback situation continues to get worse

The cameras from this year’s Hard Knocks may have deceptively shown otherwise, but it is clear that the Houston Texans quarterback situation is the worst in the league, and is only getting worse with each passing week.

After another loss on Sunday, Houston’s season prospects have gone from bad to worse and it all starts at the quarterback position. The Texans have been yo-yoing between Ryan Mallett and Brian Hoyer since week one and it has become impossible to determine who will be starting from one week to the next.

Evidence of this inconsistency is shown in the fact that Hoyer and Mallett have both played in four of Houston’s seven games. Despite being named the starter in pre-season, Hoyer was yanked before the first game was even over, and has now been put back in after Mallett failed to nail down the job. The lack of stability has created all sorts of problems for the franchise in terms of direction, and the situation became even more unusual when Mallett missed the team flight to Miami, something the simply doesn’t happen.

The Texans could have been a play-off contender this year, but the uncertainty at the position has all but determined their fate. It is difficult to assign blame entirely on head coach Bill O’Brien as he is forced to pick the best of a bad bunch. But with just two wins orchestrated by two different quarterbacks, it must surely be time to pick a player and stick with him as chopping and changing evidently hasn’t worked.

The undefeated continue to reign supreme

Every NFL season, there tends to be at least one or two teams that build a winning streak. The Patriots have become renowned for their undefeated runs, establishing the famous 16-0 season back in 2007.

This year, however, there have been a record number of undefeated teams. For the first time since the NFL merged in 1970, five teams have built a 6-0 record. The Patriots, Panthers, Broncos, Packers, and Bengals all remain undefeated and all deservedly so. Whilst the Patriots and Packers have flourished due to their MVP worthy quarterbacks, the Bengals, Panthers and Broncos have emerged as the more surprising group of teams to remain undefeated.

Despite a declining Peyton Manning, the Broncos have won their games through their defence, completely subduing their opposition. The Panthers and Bengals have improved in sync with the development of their quarterbacks. Both Cam Newton and Andy Dalton have improved dramatically during the off-season, in many ways carrying their offences to victory. The Patriots and Packers are the two favourites to remain undefeated, and have thus been tipped as Super Bowl contenders. Whilst their quarterbacks represent the best in the NFL, they also boast solid defences and talented offensive weapons.

The current winning streak will come to an end next week as the Packers play the Broncos, but don’t be surprised to see few faults from these teams during the rest of the season.