The Indianapolis Colts and Green Bay Packers won in walkovers during action in Week 7 of the NFL season. Elsewhere there was more excitement, with the St. Louis Rams holding on against a furious second-half push to beat the Seattle Seahawks, the Detroit Lions rallying against the New Orleans Saints, and the Buffalo Bills scoring a touchdown with a second remaining on the clock to edge the Minnesota Vikings.
In Buffalo, Kyle Orton connected with rookie wide receiver Sammy Watkins for a 2-yard touchdown and a 17-16 victory with just a second remaining, capping a 15-play, 80-yard drive. The duo hooked up in the end zone twice in the game. Orton threw for 283 yards and Watkins 122 yards receicing. However, the news wasn't all good, as C.J. Spiller broke his collarbone and is feared lost for the remainder of the year.
In St. Louis, the Rams ran out to a 15-point lead at the half but had to hold tight in the second half while Russell Wilson and the Seahawks put the pressure on. A gutsy fake punt and controversial non-call by the refs on a Rams fumble helped put a stop to that momentum, and the Rams were able to run out the clock for a 28-26 win. The Seahawks have now lost in back-to-back weeks. Wilson passed for 313 yards and two touchdowns, and added 106 yards and a score on the ground. Austin Davis tossed for 152 yards and two TDs for the Rams.
In Detroit, the Lions rallied from 13 points down in the fourth quarter to beat the Saints, 24-23. Matthew Stafford found Golden Tate for a 73-yard touchdown pass with 3:38 remaining to bring the game within a score, then a Glover Quin interception gave the Lions good position with about three minutes remaining. Stafford hit Corey Fuller from 5 yards out with 1:48 remaining, and Detroit's defense held on for the win.
The late afternoon/evening slate had no shortage of intrigue. Perhaps most importantly, the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys established themselves as forces to be reckoned with.
The Cowboys were tied with the New York Giants at halftime, but pulled away courtesy of big plays from DeMarco Murray and Dez Bryant, and turnovers forced by the defense. Murray ran for more than 100 yards for a seventh straight game to start the season, setting an NFL record. The Giants played much better than they did in a blowout loss to Philadelphia, but they fumbled the ball over twice when they had momentum on offense, ultimately falling to the Cowboys 31-21.
The Chiefs beat a San Diego Chargers team many considered to be the hottest in the NFL. Phillip Rivers had his worst game in what had otherwise been an MVP caliber season, going 17-for-31 passing for 205 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Kansas City's 3-3 record doesn't look like much, but it is poised for a run off wins over the Chargers and Patriots in its last three games.
Denver capped the day with a dominant 42-17 win against San Francisco. Peyton Manning shredded the 49ers, setting the NFL record for career passing touchdowns in the process. The offense was dialed in, but the defense was just as impressive. Von Miller and others applied consistent pressure on Colin Kaepernick, shutting down the 49er attack.
Sunday's complete schedule and results are listed below.