NFL Week 7: Rodgers, Stafford and Burrow Make History

Rodgers, Stafford and Burrow Dominate a Record-Filled NFL Week 7

Week 7 of the NFL season delivered history, comebacks and surprising results across the league. Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford climbed the career record books, while Joe Burrow engineered one of the most dramatic second-half turnarounds of his career. Rookies, young stars and veteran quarterbacks all added to the week’s story.

The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles, both 2-4, still had a Monday night showdown ahead. That game could give one of them a step toward winning a messy NFC East.

Rodgers Moves Into Third Place on the All-Time Touchdown List

Rodgers threw his 540th career touchdown pass as the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the New Orleans Saints 16-10 in Paris. The score moved him past Peyton Manning (539) for third place in NFL history. Only Tom Brady (649) and Drew Brees (571) now sit ahead of him.

The win also gave Rodgers his 20th victory at age 40 or older, which makes him the second quarterback in league history to reach that mark. Brady is the only other quarterback with at least 20 such wins, and he finished with 68. Rodgers also collected his 115th win against NFC opponents, tying Brees for the second-most in NFL history.

The result marked the Steelers’ first win in a Paris game. On the other side, the Saints struggled to move the ball on the ground, and their run game fell to a new low with just 18 rushing yards.

Stafford Rewrites the Rams Record Book

Stafford threw for 195 yards and three touchdowns to become the Rams’ career leader in passing touchdowns. The Los Angeles Rams beat the Las Vegas Raiders 35-21 and looked like the team many had favored to win the Super Bowl. Los Angeles took a 28-6 lead into the second half before the Raiders made a push.

Stafford now has 155 touchdown passes in a Rams uniform, one more than previous record holder Roman Gabriel. The reigning MVP also holds Detroit’s franchise record with 282 touchdown passes with the Lions. That makes him the only player in NFL history to lead two active franchises in career passing touchdowns.

“It’s nice feeling a little bit more comfortable in the fourth quarter, and that’s just a testament to how the guys played,” Stafford said. “Great team effort. I thought our coaches did a great job of giving us a plan that we felt great about coming in here to execute. Just proud of the way we worked throughout the week, and I think that showed today. We’re going to have to keep doing that and doing it at a high level.”

The Rams improved to 3-4 and still have a long way to go to overcome their slow start and numerous injuries. History offers some hope, though. Since the playoffs expanded to 14 teams in 2020, 10 of 41 clubs have made the postseason after opening 3-4, while just 4 of 33 have done so after starting 2-5.

Nacua, Allen and the Ground Game Deliver

Las Vegas native Puka Nacua entered the game questionable with a calf injury, and his availability stayed in doubt until game day. He still caught eight passes for 68 yards and a touchdown. Tight end Davis Allen added two touchdown catches, his first trips to the end zone this season.

“I’m super grateful for everybody in the training room and also the belief in coach (Sean McVay) and everybody for me to be able to go out there and still perform,” Nacua said. “The communication, I think, (for) Matthew is something that he prides himself in, but especially when not being able to get some of those (practice) reps. The time to mentally still (get) a rep and have that conversation so we know where we can be on the same page.”

Kyren Williams and Blake Corum combined to rush for 192 yards and two touchdowns. For the Raiders, Kirk Cousins passed for 295 yards with touchdowns to Tre Tucker and running back Ashton Jeanty. Las Vegas fell to 3-4 and lost its fourth straight game.

Burrow Ignites a 35-Point Bengals Comeback

Burrow looked ordinary in the first half, completing 6 of 12 passes for just 43 yards as the Cincinnati Bengals trailed the Baltimore Ravens 13-0 at halftime. He then went 16-of-18 for 249 yards and four touchdowns after the break, posting a perfect 158.3 passer rating. His four touchdown passes tied his career high for a half, and his 249 yards ranked as the sixth-most in any second half of his career.

The Bengals scored 35 unanswered points and won 35-13. That total tied the second-most second-half points in franchise history and marked their most since Oct. 29, 1989. The collapse left the Ravens at a crossroads, with one report saying they need an identity check after their latest meltdown.

Rookies, Quarterbacks and Surprising Results Around the League

Rookie Omar Cooper Jr. became the 12th player in NFL history with at least two 100-yard receiving games in his first three career games. The last player to do it was Puka Nacua in 2023. Cooper and Kenyon Sadiq are the only rookies this season with at least 100 receiving yards and a touchdown catch in a game, and Cooper has done it twice.

Bo Nix made headlines with his legs, wowing with a 62-yard run as the Denver Broncos beat the Arizona Cardinals 30-16. The Broncos continue to stand by “our guy” at quarterback. Jared Goff also continued his perfect start, with 14 touchdown passes and no interceptions.

The San Francisco 49ers dropped their first game of the season, falling 29-20 to the Atlanta Falcons after what one report described as a step back. The Miami Dolphins finally got over the hump, edging the New York Jets 28-25 for their first win of the season. Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers blew out the Carolina Panthers 43-13, even though Baker Mayfield attempted only 11 passes in his return.

Other Week 7 Scores

Chicago Bears 30, New England Patriots 24, in the Bears’ first home game since Mike Ditka’s death.
Cleveland Browns 27, Tennessee Titans 24.
Minnesota Vikings 16, Indianapolis Colts 10.
New York Giants 27, Houston Texans 21, in overtime.
Detroit Lions 20, Green Bay Packers 17.
Seattle Seahawks 20, Kansas City Chiefs 3.

The Colts’ loss left coach Shane Steichen saying he is not mulling a quarterback change despite Daniel Jones’ struggles. With Week 7 in the books, the record chase, the playoff races and the quarterback questions all carry into Week 8.