NFL Rewind

STORY OF THE WEEK

The NFL’s vaunted parity is nonexistent this year.

Just look at the standings. The St. Louis Rams, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 0-7 after getting bludgeoned again Sunday by a combined 77-13. For the season, rookie coaches Steve Spagnuolo and Raheem Morris have been outscored 414-156. St. Louis visits Detroit (1-5) this week with a chance to get halfway to the Lions’ record 0-16 disaster of 2008.

Of course, the Rams, who still don’t have a rushing touchdown, and the Bucs, who have scored 21 total points in the first and third quarters, aren’t the only terrible teams.

The Lions, who had a Week 7 bye, are 1-22 since Week 16 of 2007. Tennessee, which was also idle, is 0-6 heading into game against Jacksonville.

After stunning Washington in Week 6, Kansas City reverted to form Sunday, getting pounded 37-7 by San Diego to fall to 1-6 this year and 3-29 dating to mid-2007.

And then there’s Cleveland, which sank to 1-6 after getting wasted 31-3 by Green Bay on Sunday. The Browns led 3-0 early in the second quarter, but that was it from an offense that has scored six or fewer points in four games under Eric Mangini.

TEAM OF THE WEEK

ARIZONA CARDINALS

That the Cardinals beat the New York Giants was impressive. That they did it back east, where they win as often as it rains in Phoenix, was stunning. That they did it with defense was critical. This wasn’t the usual Kurt, Larry and Anquan Show.

New coordinator Bill Davis’ defense forced four turnovers and held Eli Manning and Co. to just a field goal during the final 32 minutes in winning 24-17. Arizona was outgained and outpassed but still beat a top team on the road. That bodes well for the 4-2 defending NFC champions, who don’t face another winning team until December.

FIVE TRENDS FROM WEEK 7

UP: After losing at home to Cleveland in Week 5 and losing quarterback Trent Edwards in Week 6, the Bills could’ve begun preparing for 2010. Instead, Buffalo (3-4) rallied to beat the Jets 16-13 last week in overtime and surprised Carolina 20-9 on the road Sunday.

DOWN: On Oct. 17, the Giants were unbeaten and generally regarded as the NFL’s top team. Now they’re dealing with a second straight loss. Both defeats have come to fellow division leaders, but new coordinator Bill Sheridan’s defense still has allowed 72 points in two weeks.

UP: Passing for 143 yards is nothing to brag about, but rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez is still feeling good after he and the Jets ended a three-game skid by routing the Raiders 38-0 on the road. The Jets forced four turnovers and ran for 316 yards, making them the first team to rush for at least 300 yards in consecutive games since the 1975 Bills.

DOWN: The Dolphins were up 34-24 early in the fourth quarter at home against New Orleans. It seemed that Miami was headed to a third straight victory after an 0-3 start while dealing the Saints their first loss of the year. Instead, the defense allowed drives of 79, 60 and 64 yards to fall behind 40-34 before an interception return sealed the defeat.

UP: They’re still three games behind Denver in the AFC West and already have lost at home to the Broncos, but the Chargers are smiling again after winning for the first time since Week 3. A 37-7 rout of divisional rival Kansas City on the road doesn’t prove anything, but it clearly was San Diego’s best day of a disappointing first half of 2009.

NEXT MAN UP

List of big injuries from Week 7:

RB Leon Washington (leg), N.Y. Jets: An important piece of a sensational Jets ground game, Washington’s season ended when he broke his right leg on his first carry of Sunday’s 38-0 rout of Oakland. The break was so severe that Washington, a backup to Thomas Jones, had surgery immediately after the game.

DE Ty Warren (ankle), New England: One of the mainstays of the Patriots’ defense, Warren was carted off during the fourth quarter of the 35-7 conquest of Tampa Bay in London. At least Warren and the Patriots have a bye this week to recover.

WR Andre Johnson (chest), Houston: The best player during the Texans’ eight-season history is day-to-day after suffering a lung contusion on a hit during the fourth quarter of the 24-21 victory over San Francisco. David Anderson stepped in, but that’s replacing 38 catches, 634 yards and four touchdowns with 12 catches, 110 yards and no scores.

C Rudy Niswanger (knee), Kansas City: Niswanger injured his left knee during the first quarter of the 37-7 spanking by San Diego and couldn’t return. Left tackle Wade Smith moved to center to replace Niswanger, with Barry Richardson filling in for Smith.

DT Sedrick Ellis (knee), New Orleans: Already without starting tackle Kendrick Clancy (knee), the Saints lost Ellis to a sprained right knee during the second quarter of a 46-34 win over Miami. Former St. Louis bust Anthony Hargrove replaced Ellis.

NUMBERS GAME

Interesting stat about the Week 7 games:

189

Rushing yards, a career high, that Cincinnati’s Cedric Benson torched Chicago for Sunday. The running back, the fourth overall pick in the 2005 draft, claimed last week that the Bears blackballed him after cutting him in June 2008.

HOT SEAT

Whose performance in Week 7 puts him in the spotlight for next week:

LOVIE SMITH

In February 2007, Smith was the toast of Chicago, having coached the Bears to the Super Bowl for the first time in 21 seasons. Chicago lost to Indianapolis that rainy night in Miami and is just .500 since after crashing to 3-3 this year with Sunday’s 45-10 whipping by the Bengals in Cincinnati.

Smith, the defensive coordinator of St. Louis’ 2001 NFC champions, is no longer looking like a wizard on that side of the ball. The formerly feared Bears defense was 21st last year and is 16th this year after the Bengals ripped them for 448 yards.

Quarterback Jay Cutler, just given a long-term deal, was intercepted three times. Cutler has an 82.9 rating. Kyle Orton, the quarterback for whom Cutler was traded in April, has a 100.1 rating and has thrown just one interception for the 6-0 Broncos.