NFL Week 7 winners, losers: Lions take control in cutthroat NFC North

It’s looking like no race for a division crown in the NFL is going to be tighter than the one in the NFC North.

The Detroit Lions knocked the Vikings down from the top of the division, giving Minnesota its first loss of the season. Both teams are 5-1, though the Lions have the tiebreaker with the head-to-head victory. The 5-2 Green Bay Packers, however, are not far behind after their huge takedown of the Houston Texans. While Jordan Love flashed some brilliance — amid the occasional mental mistake — it’s the Packers defense that's making the team look like an elite contender.

Here are the winners and losers from Sunday of Week 7 in the NFL.

WINNERS

Chiefs keep adapting, look like the best team in football

It seems like any time a key Chiefs player suffers an injury, they find a way to push their short-term replacement into becoming a steady contributor. Running back Isiah Pacheco is out? Enter Kareem Hunt, who was formerly with the team and may just help solve the offense’s red zone issues.

The Chiefs entered Sunday ranked 29 ^th in red zone efficiency (38.89%). In a 28-18 win against the San Francisco 49ers , Hunt recorded a pair of red zone rushing scores in the second quarter alone. In fact, Kansas City scored touchdowns on four of its five trips inside the 20. The Chiefs, winners of the last pair of Super Bowls, continue to look like the best team in football, and it’s because of their balance. Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s defense flies under the radar, but Kansas City (6-0) has one of the NFL’s smartest, contextually sound defenses. The Chiefs limited the Niners to 2-of-11 (18%) third-down conversions and intercepted Brock Purdy three times.

Jared Goff, Ben Johnson and the Lions take control of the NFC North

Coordinator Brian Flores and the Vikings entered Sunday with one of the fiercest defenses in the NFL, one that had confounded passers like C.J. Stroud and Brock Purdy. All Lions quarterback Jared Goff did was complete 22 of 25 throws for 280 yards and a pair of scores in a massive 31-29 win.

Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, sure to become a head coach in the next hiring cycle if he finds an opportunity to his liking, leaned on his dominant offensive line to bore running lanes, which only unlocked the play-action passing game. This is where Goff is most comfortable. It also mitigated the Minnesota pass rush and the misdirection and disguises Flores uses to generate pressure. Coach Dan Campbell, even after a disastrous fumble return gave Minnesota (5-1) a one-point lead, managed the clock perfectly inside two minutes. And so now the Lions (5-1) have claimed an early edge in the division.

All the players and the plays: Sign up for USA TODAY's 4th and Monday newsletter for exclusive NFL news.

Packers D completely erases C.J. Stroud, Texans passing attack

The Texans certainly miss star receiver Nico Collins, but they nonetheless have a dynamic passing attack behind quarterback C.J. Stroud. The Packers absolutely shut it down. Green Bay, in an intriguing matchup, held Stroud to 10 of 21 completions for 86 yards, a career low. Stroud did not throw a touchdown.

The leading Houston receiver was tight end Dalton Schultz (one catch, 28 yards). Stefon Diggs, who got into it with Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander , caught five passes on seven targets for 23 yards, 17 of them coming on one play. The defensive line deserves a ton of credit for delivering constant pressure on Stroud, but first-year defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, who spent six seasons in the NFL as a defensive backs coach, has molded the Green Bay (5-2) secondary into one of the top units in the league.

Eagles continue get-right stretch, pass rush rolls over another opponent

Philadelphia's defense entered Sunday coming off a season-best five-sack outing in a win over the Cleveland Browns. To follow that up, the Eagles terrorized Daniel Jones and the Giants, sacking New York eight times in a rout. The Giants could never find any solid footing on offense and scored just three points. Because of the sack yardage, New York finished with only 43 net passing yards.

It shows how dangerous Philadelphia can be, even though it converted just 1-of-13 third down tries. While the pass rush starred, so did Saquon Barkley, making his return to MetLife Stadium with 187 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on 19 touches. The NFC East is wide open, but the Eagles (4-2), now healthy on offense, are trending up.

LOSERS

Where do the Jets go from here?

It’s hard to see New York being true sellers at the trade deadline , given its many efforts to go all in on this build with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. But it’s also hard to see the Jets not trying to build for the future and recoup some of the assets they divested in acquiring many of their players now that New York (2-5) is sliding further down the standings after Sunday night's 37-15 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers .

Rodgers turns 41 in December and is under contract for one more season. Yet his play and his chemistry with his teammates has been acutely erratic. Even Davante Adams, the experienced Rodgers ally , didn’t have a reception in the second half against Pittsburgh on three targets. The Jets have lost four straight and need to clean mistakes rapidly; they have the New England Patriots (1-6) next, and they should win. But this season has been a case study of what happens when a team superficially polishes a deeply flawed and undisciplined roster: The issues linger.

A bad situation gets worse for the Browns

We’ve written in this space how impossibly onerous Deshaun Watson’s fully guaranteed contract is. Now, staring down a likely season-ending Achilles tear and lengthy rehab, there’s not even a guarantee that Watson will be fully healthy for the start of next season.

In any case, the Browns (1-6) still need to develop a plan for their future franchise quarterback because it has become clear that Watson is not that player. Still, according to Spotrac.com , the Browns owe Watson $92 million in base salary in 2025 and 2026, and the potential dead cap hit for a release is almost comical for how oppressively high it would be. The Browns are looking like a team that will be picking in the top five – potentially even first overall – in the 2025 NFL draft . Selecting a quarterback should be the priority. Either way, Watson presents a sunk cost that will continue to set the team back for years.

Falcons flop shows how far they have to go

Atlanta came into Sunday on a three-game winning streak, facing a Seahawks team on a three-game losing skid. The Falcons outgained the Seahawks 385-339. They recorded two more first downs than Seattle. Atlanta converted 8-of-15 (53%) third downs, compared to 4-of-11 (36%) for the Seahawks. Total offensive plays: Atlanta 71, 56. The Falcons lost by 20 points.

Atlanta was horrendous in situational football. With 10 seconds to go in the first half, on a third-and-15, the Falcons let Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith step into the pocket and deliver a 31-yard touchdown strike to DK Metcalf.  They allowed Seattle to score the game’s final 17 points. They were enforced for nine penalties (72 yards) and lost the turnover battle 3-0. All three giveaways were in the fourth quarter. One was a fumble return for a touchdown. The Falcons (4-3) have plenty of talent but no pass rush. They’re nowhere near being serious contenders.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL Week 7 winners, losers: Lions take control in cutthroat NFC North