What happened Sunday in the NFL: Scores, highlights and 5 things to know from Week 7

It was another good week for horse-themed NFL teams, and a mixed bag overall some of our preseason favorites. Full scores, highlights and the important things to know from Week 7 await.

by Ryan Van Bibber, Eddie, and Danny Kelly

Oct 20, 2014, 12:12 PM UTC

Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

1. Path to the Super Bowl probably not through Seattle

By Danny Kelly

It's been a tough week in Seattle. Admitting the decision to give up a first-round pick and change for Percy Harvin was a terrible one, the Seahawks traded the supremely talented but troubled star to the Jets for a mid- to late-round conditional pick. They followed that up on Sunday with their second straight loss, this time to their division rivals from St. Louis. Seattle falls to 3-3 and with another win by Arizona in Oakland, the Cardinals move to 5-1 and are in full control of the NFC West. Meanwhile, the Cowboys beat the Giants to move to 6-1, the Lions pulled off another win to go to 5-2, and the Packers beat the Panthers in convincing fashion get to 5-2 themselves. The Seahawks finished 13-3 in 2013 to grab the #1 seed, and while the path to the Super Bowl in the NFC went through CenturyLink Field last year, it's looking very unlikely that will be the case this season.

So what's going on with the Seahawks? Well, first of all, Seattle's normally top-tier special teams units completely fell apart in St. Louis, allowing a 75-yard kick return in the first quarter and a 90-yard punt return touchdown in the second. The final bow on Seattle's special teams' disaster of a day went on after the Seahawks' defense had forced the Rams into a fourth-and-3 from the St. Louis 18-yard line with 2:55 remaining. The Hawks, trailing by two, were going to get a shot at driving down the field in the final two and a half minutes to kick a field goal to win the game, except Jeff Fisher had other ideas. Punter Johnny Hekker faked the punt, instead passing to a streaking Benny Cunningham down the sideline, picking up 18 yards to seal the win for the Rams.

The Seahawks’ defense made up the core of their identity in their Super Bowl season last year, putting together a statistically historic campaign, but through six games this season they’re not playing up to those standards. Seattle has only five takeaways through six games (they had 17 at this point last year), and has only sacked the quarterback seven times (16 in 2013). The pass rush works in concert with the back-seven, and neither the front nor secondary is affecting the quarterback enough in 2014, whether it’s sacks, quarterback hits, or tight coverage downfield. If the Seahawks want to challenge for a playoff spot this season, the defense will have to start catching some of its dropped interceptions, the pass rush will have to start turning pressures into sacks, and the two will have to work together more effectively.

As for the the newly Harvin-free Seahawks’ offense, after getting off to a slow start in the first half, they broke loose in the second, firing on all cylinders and providing a glimpse of what the front office believes they can do as they get back to their roots without Harvin.

Here’s what Seattle’s final three drives looked like:

No wonder Fisher decided to go with a fake punt instead of giving Seattle the ball back. Russell Wilson became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 300-plus yards while rushing for 100-plus yards, and shrugged off some of the issues he'd had over the last few weeks. Wilson and the offense's play were the silver lining for them this week, and if that unit can pick things up over the next few weeks, it will give Seattle a shot to get back to their winning ways.

2. What’s wrong with the Bengals?

By Eric Sollenberger

After a 3-0 start, Cincinnati has gone 0-2-1 in its last three. Their defense in those first games against the Ravens, Falcons, and Titans was giving up an average of only 11 points per game. In their last three against the Patriots, Panthers, and Colts they're allowing an average of 35 points. The Bengals are regressing faster than any other team in the NFL.

It's not like the team has a robust offense, either. Andy Dalton is a pretty okay quarterback who will make some pretty okay throws and some really bad ones. That's who he is and that's just how he's always going to be. The QB struggled to get into a rhythm against the Colts and ended up with a paltry 126 yards. Giovani Bernard had no running room, and Cincinnati offense didn't even cross the 50-yard line until the fourth quarter. The Colts have a decent defense but there's really no reason for the league's fifth-best offense to get shutout in this fashion.

The wheels aren’t falling off in Cincinnati, they’ve already been off for three weeks.

Photo credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

While the Colts didn't light up the scoreboard to the extent that the Patriots and Panthers have done against Cincinnati's revolving door defense, they dominated the game in every other category. Indianapolis got their running game going and controlled the clock, nearly doubling up the Bengals in terms of time of possession. Andrew Luck continued his streak of five consecutive 300-yard performances, finishing with 344 yards and a couple of touchdowns. Even the 27-0 final score doesn't tell the full story of how thorough of a beat-down this was. The Colts had over 500 yards from scrimmage, outgaining the Bengals by 371 yards ... approximately the distance that Marvin Lewis' leash has shortened over the last three weeks.

3. Peyton Manning breaks all time TD record; the Broncos are the real deal

By Danny Kelly

Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning threw his 507th, 508th and 509th career touchdowns Sunday night against the Niners (he also threw his 510th, just for good measure), and jumped into the top spot all time for career passing touchdowns. This is what the record breaker looked like:

Manning’s list of NFL records is long and illustrious, but this one might be the most impressive and indicative of the legendary player he is. No matter which team you cheer for, I think it’s easy to give Manning a standing ovation and a tip of the cap for what he’s done in his career.

It wasn’t just a historic night for Manning personally; it was a statement win for Denver, as the Broncos trounced the Niners, 42-17, and affirmed their position as the favorites to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl again this year.

Manning passed for 318 yards and had as many touchdowns passes (four) as incomplete ones. He connected with Demaryius Thomas eight times for 171 yards and two touchdowns, and added touchdown passes to Wes Welker and Emmanuel Sanders.

Broncos vs. 49ers

Watch Peyton Manning's postgame interview What we learned from Denver's dominant night

Denver's offense remains among the league's most prolific, but their defense is playing at another level this year with the help of a few key offseason additions in DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib, and T.J. Ward, not to mention the return of Von Miller. The Broncos held San Francisco to 3-of-13 on third down, 3.4 yards per rush, and a paltry 4.4 yards per offensive play.

Many believe that John Elway put together a team this season that could match up better with the NFC West style of punch you in the mouth football. Well, they’ve now beaten the Niners and Cardinals and taken the Seahawks to overtime, so it looks like his formula for toughness is paying off.

4. DeMarco Murray makes history and the Cowboys keep rolling

By Danny Kelly

DeMarco Murray rushed for 128 yards and the Cowboys improved to 6-1 with a home win over the Giants, holding on to the pole position as the No. 1 team in the NFC right now.

Murray's seventh straight 100-plus yard game to start the season set an all time record, eclipsing the great Jim Brown. Behind an excellent, mauling offensive line, Murray's rushed for 913 yards this season, 371 yards more than the next-closest running back, Le'Veon Bell, and he's on pace for 2,086 yards on the season, which would be third all time. Incredibly, Murray is on pace for 427 carries this season if the Cowboys keep playing their hot hand -- for comparison, LeSean McCoy's 314 last year was tops in the NFL.

Cowboys vs. Giants

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Tony Romo had another very efficient day, throwing for 279 yards and was 17-of-23 passing the ball, with three touchdowns and one pick. The Cowboys are incredibly balanced on offense and are getting surprisingly awesome performances from their defense, particularly Comeback Player of the Year candidate Rolando McClain. A bruising, seemlingly unstoppable run game, an explosive and efficient passing offense, and a strong defense that's playing fast and loose -- that's an equation for sustained success.

5. The NFC South is a Superfund site

By Ryan Van Bibber

Remember when this division was going to rival the NFC West for the toughest division in the NFL? We're used to seeing hazmat suits in Tampa Bay, but the Falcons, Panthers and Saints look like radioactive orbs of toxic sludge nearly halfway through the season. All three teams lost on Sunday (the Buccaneers were off, or they probably would have, too), and Carolina sits on top the division standings with a 3-3-1 record. It's the only division in the NFL without a winning team.

The Falcons have been hit hard by injuries, especially on the offensive line. They lost center Peter Konz on Sunday, who was already filling in for Joe Hawley. Matt Ryan was sacked four times, and the offense mustered just four yards per play against Baltimore.

Carolina’s defense was the key to its success last season, but the unit’s been badly exposed this year, allowing an average of 27.9 points per game. Part of that can be explained by the absence of Greg Hardy. However, the front seven should be deep enough to generate pressure without him. They’re not even giving Ron Rivera a chance to recapture the Riverboat Ron mystique.

The Saints are the most confusing team of the bunch. Drew Brees and Co. moved the ball well enough for three quarters. Pressure from the Lions defense finally got to him in the closing frame. He was forcing passes, and put one right into the hands of Detroit's Glover Quin. Rob Ryan's defense turned in another shaky performance, and the Lions rallied from a 13-point hole with two touchdowns (without Calvin Johnson) in the last four minutes for a 24-23 win.

Saints vs. Lions

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It doesn’t get any easier for the NFC South next week. Carolina hosts a Seahawks teams that’s bound to be more than a little pissed off at the world. The Saints take on the Packers, and the Falcons get Detroit. The Buccaneers have the most winnable game of them of all, but beating the Vikings might be too much to ask for Lovie’s bunch right now. It sets up a big division showdown in Week 9 between the Saints and the Panthers in Charlotte. The winner of that one might get the division crown by default.