NFL Week 7: Patriots, Giants escape with wins

Another NFL Sunday has come and gone, leaving more questions than answers. Let’s try to wrap our heads around it all in this week’s NFL Debrief.

Denver lost by 10 points. San Francisco lost by 23. Houston had its way with Baltimore, finished the game with 30 points to spare in the win.

Sanchez completed 68 percent of his passes, throwing for 328 yards, along with one touchdown and an interception on the day. There were some ill-advised decisions by the quarterback, but also several times he was let down by his receivers, including a critical late drop by rookie Stephen Hill which allowed the game to go to overtime.

Why can’t McCourty just have a good day? I have a feeling that if he found a Boardwalk sticker while playing the McDonald’s Monopoly Game, he’d find that on his next trip his 20-piece Chicken McNuggets was actually a 20-piece court summons for unpaid parking tickets.

Despite Mark Sanchez nearly “Sanchizing” the opportunity with a sack on third down, Nick Folk kicked a 43-yard field goal to give New York a 26-23 lead with only a little over a minute remaining. The ensuing kickoff return was just a boring old kickoff return. My expectations were set much higher.

Gronk now has five TDs on the season. He’s been everything Pats fans and fantasy owners could ask for. He probably won’t reach his record heights of last season, but there’s no question that he’s one of the best tight ends in the league.

Also he’s a very thirsty man.

Cleveland Browns running back Trent Richardson was ineffective Sunday, rushing for only eight yards, while trying to play through an injury. When he didn’t play in the second half, many questioned whether he re-injured his ribcage, but Browns head coach Pat Shurmur revealed that, in fact, Richardson was simply benched because it was clear he wasn’t nearly at full strength to begin with.

Richardson told FOX Sports Ohio’s Pat McManamon after the game that, among other things, outsiders didn’t realize how bad the injury is. Here are some key quotes. Click through the above link for Richardson’s full comments:

Entering Week 7, Gabbert has thrown for 796 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions and is at 54.6 percent on his attempts, and the Jaguars are 1-4. Still, Gabbert is the future for the Jags, and this year is crucial for his development. They hope he gets back on the field soon.

To give him credit where credit is due, Sanchez first pump-fakes an interception before throwing one:

Under duress it’s time for Carson to prove he’s still go it. Awareness, poise, self-belief... Palmer showed none of these qualities when he decided to flip the ball 15 yards down the field to glory.

The ball gets batted right into the arms of a fellow defended. Oh Raiders, you’re out-Raider-ing yourself.

According to Rule 8, Section 1, Article 8 of the NFL Rule Book (PDF), “[i]t is a foul for illegal touching if a forward pass (legal or illegal), thrown from behind the line of scrimmage ... (b) first touches or is caught by an eligible receiver who has gone out of bounds, either of his own volition or by being legally forced out of bounds, and has re-established himself inbounds.”

The announcers thought Williams was allowed to catch it because he had re-established himself in bounds, but as the rule shows, that is not the case. As for those arguing for illegal contact on the Saints for bumping the receiver out of bounds? Rule 12 states that rules governing illegal contact end when the quarterback leaves the pocket.

The Houston Texans torched the Baltimore Ravens 43-13 to claim the best record in the AFC.

Fantasy studs/duds:

Cruz got behind the defense, despite the fact that plenty of Redskins defensive backs were in the area. Once he caught the pass, no Redskin was able to chase him down as he went all the way to the end zone.

The catch gave Cruz a final stat line of seven catches for 131 yards and the touchdown. Manning, meanwhile, finished with 337 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions, furthering his reputation as a clutch quarterback.

(None. A fumble by Moss ends it. This game is fast.)

Jeff Fisher is a man of many talents -- a gifted football coach, a modern Renaissance man, and proud owner of one of the better hair-beard pairings in the NFL. What does a man of so many gifts have to teach the referees of the NFL?

“Have you ever killed a wild pig? It’s pretty simple. You throw it on its back, let him know who’s boss -- then end his pig life”

Losing Fletcher has repercussions far beyond his production. His leadership that will be missed even more than his dominant defense. He was on pace for one of the best years in his career, already amassing 54 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and five passes defended in six games. Fletcher may not be the Redskins’ highlight reel player, but he’s their most reliable defensive player. Any loss, no matter how short, is a concern.

No further updates have been released at this time, but it’s hard to imagine one of the NFL’s iron men will miss any significant time. Fletcher has started every game he’s played in since 2000.

Take a closer look at just how crazy it was that Morgan didn’t touch the turf.

For more on the Saints, check out Canal Street Chronicles or for more news and notes from around the league, head on over to the SB Nation NFL hub.

For more on the Cleveland Browns, visit Dawgs By Nature, or for more news and notes from around the league, check out the SB Nation NFL hub.

Over his last three-and-a-half games, Flacco now has 2 TD and 4 INT, dropping his fantasy status to IR. (Ineffective Reserve.) Meanwhile, the Houston Texans seem to be taking a large lead in the AFC as the most dominant team.

His schedule has been favorable lately, so he isn’t likely going to keep up the hot streak going for the rest of the season.

On this 16-yard touchdown run, his first of the season, Johnson actually had some pep in his step.

Getting on the outside, turning it on, then an impressive four-yard dive into the end zone.

For more on the Colts, visit Stampede Blue, or for news and notes from around the league, head on over to the SB Nation NFL hub.

Vilma was told he would be eased into the lineup and can expect anywhere from 20 to 30 plays in his first game back.

The Colts are currently favored by 3.5 points. Get the latest odds at OddShark.com.

Game Date/Time: Sunday, Oct. 21; 1 p.m. ET

The Steelers have won four straight against the Bengals, and 10 of their last 11 in Cincinnati. The banged up Steelers squad they see on Sunday is likely their best chance to go against recent history.

Game Time: 8:20 p.m. ET

Television Coverage: NBC

Odds: Pittsburgh is favored by one point

CHARGERS vs. BROWNS - Sunday, 1 P.M., CBS

FORECAST - Partly sunny, slight chance of an isolated storm, breezy

Winds: East 10-20 mph

Kickoff – 85

Half Time - 85

Second Half – 85