2019 NFL power rankings, Week 7: 49ers jump, Cowboys slump
2-3-1. Previous: . Arizona Cardinals. 24. team. 32.
Recap: Big Red was looking to make it two straight wins as they hosted the slumping Atlanta Falcons. It was a tale of two halves in the desert for the Arizona offense as Kliff Kingsbury’s team rolled up 300 total yards and 20 points before intermission and then gained 142 yards and added 14 points in the final two quarters. Rookie quarterback Kyler Murray was not sacked, throwing for 340 yards and three TDs. Running back David Johnson ran for 34 yards and one score and caught six passes for 68 yards and another touchdown. The Cardinals squandered a 27-10 lead, went ahead in the fourth quarter and got a break when the Falcons’ kicker Matt Bryant missed a PAT late.
Next Week: After a trip to Cincinnati and then back to the desert, the Cardinals had east once again and take on the 2-4 Giants at Met Life Stadium. It shapes up as a battle between the first two quarterbacks taken in the 2019 NFL Draft in Murray and New York’s Daniel Jones. The clubs last met in 2017, a 23-0 home win for Arizona.
Playoff hopes: When you’re the only team in the division that sports a losing record after six weeks of play, making a run at the post season is a near-impossible task. Still, the Cardinals have won consecutive games for the first time since closing the 2017 with a pair of victories. In any case, Murray and the offense are starting to find their groove.
48. . 2-4. Previous: . Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 23. team
Recap: Thanks to a 20-14 Thursday night victory back in Week 2, the Bucs were in position to sweep the Panthers for the first time since 2016. The clubs would clash in London, England and it proved to be a rough start of the day for quarterback Jameis Winston. He turned over the football three times in the first half and in the third quarter, threw his third interception of the game. Bruce Arians’ team would trail 34-10 with 14:55 remaining in the game but would narrow the gap to 11 points. But there would be a fourth Winston interception with less than three minutes to play, capping off a game in which the Bucs turned over the ball seven times in their 11-point setback.
Next Week: After their clash with the Panthers in London, Arians’ squad will get two weeks to get ready for its next contest as the Buccaneers return to the field in Week 8 and head to Nashville. Tampa Bay has dropped nine of the previous 11 lifetime meetings between the clubs and are 0-7 lifetime on the road in this interconference setting.
Playoff hopes: Make it two straight losses to teams in the NFC South. The Bucs’ defense continues to make life far too easy for opposing quarterbacks. Combine that with a shaky pass protection and Winston’s tendency for a bad day and Arians’ club has been entertaining but not overly successful. The mistakes continues to hurt this team.
Next: Nos. 22 and 21