There’s an inherent risk in anointing anyone as “back” based on a single game; we all know this. It’s also impossible to ignore that J.J. McCarthy marched the Giants offense into Houston, and dismantled the defense without it looking particularly difficult.

It wasn’t always pretty from McCarthy, especially late in the game — but that didn’t matter. When the dust settled, he still finished 20-for-28, and 272 yards. Touchdowns eluded McCarthy, but critically so did interceptions. What he did was exactly what a John Harbaugh quarterback needs to do: manage what he could, didn’t overextend, and controlled the game to the point the defense and run game could carry them over the line.

There are unquestionably things McCarthy still needs to work on. While his short passing over the middle of the field was good, he’s still not comfortable throwing deep into the middle and threading the ball against high safety coverage. The Giants’ QB only attempted four passes in the middle third of the field, only one of which was completed for 10+ yards. This is a skill he needs to develop in order to become a complete quarterback, because making comfortable outside throws with beneficial leverage is only part of playing the position in the NFL. The Texans used a strategy that took the middle of the field away, but there were still opportunities left on the table. Middle field plays are where teams most often generate explosives through YAC, and ignoring that will stifle the offensive potential of the Giants.

Nevertheless, the team won. It was a big win, a signature win — and helps cement New York as a team to watch in the East.

This result might be easy for Vikings fans to wave off and attribute it to being an anomaly — but perhaps they shouldn’t be so quick to discount what McCarthy has done since the trade. This marks the second week in which the third-year QB has shown up. Through two games he’s now 31-for-49 (63.2%), 515 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT — for a passer rating of 96.9. We really could be seeing the next QB who was labeled a bust, found a new home, and flourished as a result. Moreover, he’s currently doing what the Vikings can’t right now, which is utilize his primary receiver. Malik Nabers had 7 receptions for 111 yards with McCarthy at QB, while Justin Jefferson continues to struggle to get his production, managing just 4 catches for 44 yards against the Colts.

This element is critical because it was one of the biggest selling points for making the switch at QB to Kyler Murray. Jefferson wanted a quarterback who could his make big plays, and yet he still failed to eclipse 100 receiving yards in any game this season. That means it’s time to address the real elephant in the room, and where this season could get really awkward for the Vikings on the back end: Kevin O’Connell’s future.

It’s impossible to justify firing a head coach when a team is 6-0, but nobody is under the illusion that O’Connell is the vector for success in Minnesota. This season has been the Brian Flores show, as he continues to display his absolute mastery of defense to create not just the best unit in the NFL this season, but one of the most dominant defenses of the last 20 years. The Vikings may have been able to stash Flores in a coordinator role for the last two years, but the noise he’s made in 2026 will make him impossible to ignore for a team needing a coach in 2027.

That leaves us with the following scenario: The Vikings are winning because of Brian Flores. There’s a QB in J.J. McCarthy, who is developing for another team, because O’Connell, vaunted as a “QB whisperer,” couldn’t develop him. The worst part of Minnesota right now is their offense, which is supposed to be O’Connell’s forte — and they have a defensive coordinator who could easily leave at the end of the season, causing mammoth regression, unless the team is willing to part ways with a coach who has a dominant record on paper.

Minnesota is unquestionably a team to watch this season because of their defense, but fans also have to pay attention to what is happening with the Giants — because that could determine their future.

Now onto the winners and losers of Week 7

The Panthers gave the most pathetic performance of the weekend at a pivotal moment in their season. Sunday was their chance to truly assert themselves as the class of the NFC South, in a game they should have been able to win against the Buccaneers — but instead they got absolutely embarrassed.

In a stroke of beautiful irony, the Panthers got mauled in the run game on the same day that Luke Kuechly entered the team’s ring of honor. They could have used Kuechly out there, because Tampa Bay ran 30+ times in the first half for the first time since 1980, correctly identifying that the Panthers had absolutely no way of stopping them. Boos rained down on the field, as rightfully so, as every single phase of the game failed to make for the most godawful complete game of the weekend.

Bryce Young did not see the field well against the Tampa blitz, and when he did, there was no opportunity to throw because a porous offensive line allowed pressure from every angle. The run game for the Panthers wasn’t working because of bad blocking, receivers didn’t fight for balls they needed to — and everything just looked anemic.

The defense was a mess too, as Bucky Irving, Kenny Gainwell, and Sean Tucker combined for 246 rushing yards, with an average of 5.5 yards per carry. At that point, it didn’t even matter that Baker Mayfield only threw the ball 11 times, because he basically had an afternoon off.

Oh, for good measure Carolina also had a muffed punt on special teams, a blocked extra point for a score, and allowed big returns all afternoon. It was just a disaster.

The Panthers feel like a team that is allergic to success. They make the difficult look possible, then flub games that should be easy. There’s not enough focus or accountability happening when things go wrong, as head coach Daves Canales takes far too passive a “we’ll get ‘em next time” and “we’ll look at the film.” At some point there needs to be a real fire to make this team tougher, and learn to put some wins together.

Winner: The state of Ohio

The Bengals are quietly putting together a solid campaign in the brutal AFC North, and beating the Ravens (who are still without Lamar Jackson) was a necessary step to step over them in the standings. Now they’re only 0.5 games behind the Browns and Steelers, which gives them a real chance. Joe Burrow was dealing all afternoon, and everything is clicking offensively for the Bengals. The defense is better than it has been in recent years, but still a real concern as this team pivots into being a contender.

Then there’s the Browns, who are 5-2. It’s not like beating the Titans is some mammoth achievement worthy of heaping praise, but you can only play the schedule in front of you, and Cleveland is doing just that. I don’t pretend to really understand exactly how the Browns are 5-2 right now, but they are. The fans deserve it, so they should relish how it feels to be a top-tier team.

The Texans put themselves in a position where it’s growing increasingly difficult to see how this team can make the playoffs. Every game is a must-win thanks to the hole they dug themselves early in the season, and they just keep playing flat, uninspired football — particularly on the defensive end, which was supposed to be their strength this season.

What we’ve witnessed in 2026 is a Texans offense that finally found its footing, only to then watch as the defense has gone to hell. While Houston has struggled against the pass for much of this year, they have been rather good at stopping the run — until Sunday. At pivotal moments, they allowed massive, gashing runs to Cam Skattebo, including in overtime, which set up the game-winning touchdown.

Nothing is working for this team, and 2026 is starting to feel like a write-off. Catching the Jaguars will be difficult enough, but it will be nearly impossible to compete for a Wild Card considering the strength of the AFC North this season.

Winner: Bo Nix and the Broncos

Look, I still don’t think Bo Nix is a very good quarterback — but he did a lot to quiet his critics with a huge game against the Cardinals. Using his legs is key to opening up the Denver offense, and that is what this team should lean on moving forward.

The Broncos also got a huge boost courtesy of the Seahawks handling the Chiefs on Sunday Night Football. This really opens up the AFC West to give Denver a chance to compete in a way that didn’t feel entirely possible before. The best news for Denver is how atrocious Kansas City looked in general, as well as the Seahawks giving them a blueprint to stop Patrick Mahomes.