NFL Week 7 takeaways, questions, fantasy spin on Sunday’s games

The Sunday slate for Week 7 of the 2026 NFL season kicked off in Paris between the Saints and Steelers. Pittsburgh dominated in the run game, with Jaylen Warren leading the way on 18 carries for 101 yards, and the Steelers held off New Orleans in the NFL’s first game in France.

Later in the afternoon, the Buccaneers dominated the Panthers in QB Baker Mayfield‘s return, the Vikings remain undefeated, and the Bengals handled business in Baltimore.

Keep checking back as the afternoon slate of games kicks off, and our NFL Nation reporters react to all the action, answering lingering questions coming out of each game and detail everything else you need to know for teams that played Sunday. Fantasy football analysts Matt Bowen and Michael Florio also have fantasy takeaways from each matchup.

Let’s get to it with the biggest lessons from Sunday.

Jump to:
SF-ATL | CIN-BAL | IND-MIN
PIT-NO

Catch up on Thursday’s game:
NE-CHI

Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

Falcons

Have the Falcons figured out their offensive formula? Atlanta has flashed a potent offense before, but in those games — wins over the Packers and Saints — it was carried by running back Bijan Robinson and wide receiver Drake London. On Sunday, quarterback Michael Penix Jr. got contributions from a host of players, including a third straight game with a touchdown for tight end Kyle Pitts Sr.. Even Nick Muse, the team’s fourth tight end, caught a touchdown pass, the first of his career. The Falcons offense looked very West Coast against the Niners, ironically. Going into the fourth quarter, 20 of Penix’s 29 pass attempts were five air yards or fewer.

What to make of the QB performance: The scouting report on Penix coming in was that he struggled under pressure. The 49ers, though, were barely able to get close to him. Penix was pressured on three of his 34 dropbacks (9%), that’s the lowest pressure percentage by a 49ers team in a game since Week 16 of 2024. Overall, Penix ended up with 25-of-34 passing for 213 yards with three touchdowns. — Marc Raimondi

Next game: at Buccaneers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

play

Michael Penix Jr. connects with Kyle Pitts to give the Falcons the lead

49ers

How badly do the 49ers need their Week 8 bye after their first loss? Desperately — and that isn’t an overstatement given the issues laid bare in Sunday’s defeat. The timing of the bye with the Nov. 10 trade deadline approaching should accelerate the desire to make moves sooner rather than later. San Francisco expects to welcome DE Nick Bosa, WRs Mike Evans, Demarcus Robinson and Deebo Samuel Sr., CB Upton Stout and S Marques Sigle back from injury soon after the bye. That will help in a lot of ways but the lack of pass rush against Atlanta should also serve as an impetus for the Niners to make a meaningful addition or two on the defensive line in the coming weeks.

Most surprising performance: The whole team. Through their 6-0 start, the 49ers have avoided big mistakes, but they were guilty of many on Sunday. That included a pair of costly interceptions, two fumbles, silly penalties at inopportune times and more special teams struggles. Perhaps they were due for a clunker, but 7-0 was there for the taking if they’d at least played a clean game. — Nick Wagoner

Next game: vs. Raiders (Nov. 8, 4:05 p.m. ET)

Fantasy football takeaway: After a rough start to the season, this Falcons pass game is settling in with Penix under center, which creates more consistent opportunities for London. In Sunday’s win over the 49ers, London scored 19.6 points and caught his first touchdown of the season, and he’s had 18 or more points in three of his past five games. London fits as a lower-tier WR1 for Week 8. — Bowen

Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

Bengals

Could this win jump-start Cincinnati’s season? It certainly could have that effect. Between last season’s final meeting against the Ravens and the first half of Sunday’s game, Cincinnati was outscored 34-0 and looked lifeless. But things flipped for the Bengals in the second half. Cincinnati scored 35 straight points and later iced the game with an interception by linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. It was a gut-check performance for a Bengals team that couldn’t afford to lose to a Baltimore team playing without quarterback Lamar Jackson (ankle).

What to make of the QB performance: Joe Burrow was absolutely sublime in the second half. After the offense posted the lowest yardage total of his career (59 yards), Burrow led the offense on five straight TD drives in the second half. He was 22-of-30 passing for 292 yards and four TDs in a resounding and needed win. — Ben Baby

Next game: vs. Titans (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

play

Joe Burrow connects with a leaping Ja’Marr Chase for a TD

Ravens

Are the Ravens already out of the AFC North race? Baltimore fell to 0-2 in the AFC North for the first time in 19 years. Since the formation of the AFC North in 2002, only one team has started 0-2 in the division and went on to win it (2022 Bengals). The biggest issue is the lack of explosiveness without Jackson. Tyler Huntley went 8-of-13 for 62 yards with a fumble and an interception in the second half. In 14 quarters with Jackson this season, the Ravens have scored 116 points and 14 offensive touchdowns. In 14 quarters with Huntley, Baltimore has totaled 53 points and five touchdowns. There is hope that Jackson can return next Sunday, but it could be too late to make up ground in the AFC North.

Trend to watch: The Ravens continue to be the NFL’s best at blowing leads. After failing to hold a 13-0 halftime lead, Baltimore has now blown 17 double-digit leads since 2020, which are the most in the NFL. In all three losses this season — Saints, Browns and Bengals — the Ravens have held double-digit leads. — Jamison Hensley

Next game: at Bills (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

Fantasy football takeaway: Ravens RB Derrick Henry failed to post double-digit points for the second straight game, rushing for 45 yards on 17 carries while adding one reception for four yards (5.9 fantasy points). Henry is seeing consistent volume (at least 18 touches in every game in 2026), but he has been inefficient on goal line opportunities, and his lack of receiving usage caps his ceiling. Henry should be viewed a touchdown dependent, lower-tier RB1 for Week 8. — Bowen

Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

Vikings

Why did the Vikings’ offense struggle? This was supposed to be a big day. Most of the Vikings’ injured offensive players returned to the field, giving them a nearly full complement of running backs, receivers and tight ends. But if it weren’t for quarterback Kyler Murray‘s 35-yard scramble to convert a third down on the first play of the fourth quarter, it’s possible the Vikings would have failed to score a touchdown in a game for the third time in 2026. They seemed out of sync from the start, when coach Kevin O’Connell called four consecutive runs for Aaron Jones Sr., and never found a rhythm. It was enough to get through Sunday but certainly doesn’t look playoff-caliber.

Most surprising performance: Linebacker Blake Cashman. He is having a strong season in a contract year, but Sunday’s effort was arguably beyond anything he has produced in his eight-year career. He affected the Colts’ passing game from all angles, finishing with two sacks, four pass breakups and 12 tackles. — Kevin Seifert

Next game: at Lions (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

play

Kyler Murray scrambles 35 yards to give the Vikings a 1st down in the red zone

Colts

Will the Colts find any offensive traction this season? It’s difficult to judge an offense against the blitz-crazy Vikings’ defense, but it’s hard to win with a quarterback who had fewer than 100 passing yards prior to the game’s final drive. Daniel Jones was under pressure at times in the game, with Minnesota registering 10 quarterback hits. But he was also responsible for some of that by holding the ball in the pocket and allowing pass rushers time to beat their blockers. On the positive side, Jones didn’t commit any turnovers until the final last-gasp series. But when he avoids risks, that presents its own set of problems.

Most surprising performance: Defensive tackle Adetomiwa Adebawore. He continued to make waves even in his part-time role. He registered two sacks on Sunday and harassed Murray throughout the game. He also was a factor in the run game, chasing down running back Aaron Jones Sr. on a sweep from the backside of the defense for a minimal gain. Adebawore now has four sacks this season, matching a career high. — Stephen Holder

Next game: at Jaguars (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

Fantasy football takeaway: Vikings RB Jordan Mason returned, finishing with 63% of snaps, 17 opportunities, 68 yards and just 6.8 fantasy points. Aaron Jones Sr. did get the start and the bulk of the work on the opening drive, but Mason saw more after that. Mason, who is a better fit in the Vikings rushing attack, is still a flex option moving forward. He would elevate to RB2 if Jones, who exited in the fourth quarter with an injury, were to miss time. — Bowen

Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

Steelers

Are the Steelers embracing their RB-led identity on offense? This game was right on time for the Steelers, whose running game properly supported their 42-year-old quarterback with 5.4 yards per carry. Jaylen Warren is the Steelers’ best offensive player. Opposing coaches agree. And, for the fourth game this season, he produced 125-plus scrimmage yards, tying Kansas City’s Kenneth Walker III for most in the NFL. This offensive line is opening holes for Warren and Rico Dowdle, the bruising complement to Warren’s burst. They closed out the game late, and Pittsburgh ran 12 plays for 79 yards with six offensive linemen on the field today (had zero such plays entering the game). The passing game needs more explosive plays. But the running game can handle the rest.

Trend to watch: The Steelers’ second-half adjustments defensively were encouraging. The Steelers were blitz-heavy in the first half, coming for quarterback Tyler Shough 50% of the time. Shough went 9-of-10 for 98 yards and a TD on those plays. So, defensive coordinator Patrick Graham dropped the Steelers into coverage more often in the second half, blitzing twice on 21 attempts — both blitzes coming on the Saints’ failed final offensive drive. Timely defense for the Steelers, who held the Saints to 18 rushing yards, the fewest for New Orleans since 1999. — Jeremy Fowler

Next game: vs. Browns (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

play

DK Metcalf’s 51-yard catch sets up a Darnell Washington TD

Saints

Can the Saints get healthy and get help coming out of their Week 8 bye? New Orleans quarterback Tyler Shough entered Sunday’s game with an injured non-throwing hand, and he appeared to take a hit on his throwing hand as well. Shough could likely use the week of rest to get healthy, but he’s not the only one. The Saints don’t have a run game and have relied heavily on Shough. Could running back Travis Etienne and wide receiver Jordyn Tyson make their debuts after the bye to give the Saints much-needed help? The Saints are also missing left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr., who went on injured reserve in late September following ankle surgery.

What to make of the QB performance: Shough was playing injured and without the benefit of a run game, and he tried to put the game on his shoulders. That had mixed results, as the 27-year-old turned the ball over with a red zone interception but also threw for 278 yards and a touchdown. — Katherine Terrell

Next game: vs. Browns (Nov. 8, 1 p.m. ET)

Fantasy football takeaway: Steelers RB Jaylen Warren led the Pittsburgh backfield with 21 touches for 137 total yards (16.7 fantasy points), and he’ll remain a weekly RB2. Rico Dowdle also played a key role, rushing for 41 yards on nine carries while adding six receptions for 45 yards (14.6 fantasy points). Given the structure of this Pittsburgh system — which is based on run game volume and quick passing — Dowdle projects to have flex value moving forward. — Bowen