We are now officially in the middle third of the NFL season, and as teams head into their bye weeks, injuries are stacking up and rookies are finally being given opportunities to shine as they become more acclimated to the pro game.

With that said, Week 7 was a doozie, starting with a Thursday night barnburner and rolling right through to Monday Night Football, with everything in between well worth watching.

So before we turn our attention to Week 8, let’s take a quick look back at the last set of games and review some of the best performances.

Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Week

Offensive – Travis Hunter | Wide Receiver | Jacksonville Jaguars

Travis Hunter was seen as a unicorn coming out of Colorado after winning the Heisman Trophy, and for many draft analysts, he was considered the best corner and wide receiver in the class. This led the Jaguars and their new leadership group to trade the farm to ensure they got their hands on the crown jewel of the draft.

Through the early part of the season, Hunter showed flashes, but for some reason wasn’t being targeted the way he should have been in Liam Coen’s Jaguars offence. However, with Brian Thomas Jr having a serious case of the yips when it comes to catching the ball, it made sense to throw it to your generational athlete who, by the way, has some of the best ball skills a prospect has had in some time.

This weekend, Hunter saw his first double-digit target game, with Lawrence throwing the rock to him 12 times. Hunter reeled it in eight times for 101 yards and a deep touchdown, which was also the first of his career. He showed all the traits people were drooling over during the draft process, and here’s hoping the Jaguars begin to treat him as their wide receiver one while Thomas Jr continues to struggle.

Honorable Mentions: Jaxon Dart and Quinshon Judkins

Defensive – Quincy Riley | Defensive Back | New Orleans Saints

Generally this season, the Defensive Rookie of the Week has gone to a pass rusher, as it can be slightly easier for their skills to translate into splash plays early in their NFL careers. However, this time around we’re looking to the New Orleans Saints who, despite a somewhat rough showing against Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears, found a bright spot in their defensive backfield.

That bright spot was rookie cornerback Quincy Riley out of Louisville, an early Day Three pick for the franchise.

Over the weekend, he held his own on the boundary against players like Rome Odunze. Riley was targeted in coverage six times and allowed just three receptions for 25 yards. In addition to his tight coverage, which included a pass breakup, the highlight of his day came in the first quarter when he jumped an out route and picked off Caleb Williams for the first interception of his NFL career.

Honorable Mentions: Nic Scourton and Derrick Harmon

Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week

Offensive – Christian McCaffery | Running Back | San Francisco 49ers

As a Christian McCaffrey fantasy owner, this performance was just phenomenal to see. On Sunday Night Football, the 29-year-old produced a vintage showing. On the ground, he had his best game by a long way, and personally, I think a lot of that had to do with George Kittle. At one point, when Kittle was on the park, they were averaging over six yards per carry, while without him out there, it dropped to around two yards per carry.

Regardless of that, CMC was a superstar on National Running Back Day, rushing for 129 yards and two touchdowns with an average of 5.4 yards per carry. He allowed the 49ers to stay on schedule throughout the game and proved to be the defining factor down the stretch.

However, in true McCaffrey fashion, it wasn’t just on the ground where he dominated the highly efficient Falcons defence. In the passing game, he made seven catches for 72 yards, consistently moving the chains when his team needed it most.

Honorable Mentions: Ja’Marr Chase and Jalen Hurts

Defensive – Micah Parsons | Edge Rusher | Green Bay Packers

The best defensive player in football showed exactly why the Green Bay Packers traded for him this offseason, and why many are still stunned that Jerry Jones decided to move on from him. This weekend against the Cardinals, Micah Parsons was a true force multiplier and will no doubt be in Jacoby Brissett’s nightmares for the next week.

For some reason, the Cardinals thought it was a good idea to leave Parsons on an island with their tackle multiple times. And when that is your plan for the most athletically dominant player in the league, you have a recipe for disaster. This led to Parsons generating eight pressures on the day, which is elite in itself, but it was his ability to actually finish plays that set him apart. He brought down Brissett a league-high three times in the matchup, stalling several of the Cardinals’ drives.

What also stood out as the icing on the cake of Parsons’ performance was the fact he also generated four stops on the day. These are tackles made at or behind the line of scrimmage, showing just how complete his outing really was.

Honorable Mentions: Jaycee Horn and Derrick Brown

Highlight Of The Week | Jaycee Horn Interception

The highlight of the weekend was simple for me, and it came in the Panthers vs Jets game. Now, I understand the game as a whole wasn’t exactly enjoyable for the neutral, but there was one player who no doubt brought some life to the contest.

That player was Panthers Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn, who made a play that the likes of Justin Jefferson or CeeDee Lamb would have been proud of. The moment came with 40 seconds left in the third quarter, with the Jets driving to make it a one-score game. On second and ten, Tyrod Taylor took a deep shot into double coverage, and Horn undercut the route. As he did, he stuck out a hand and came away with the most unlikely of interceptions, with all of his momentum forcing him into a pose that looked like the famous Jordan shoe logo.

It ended up being a critical moment in a game the Panthers would go on to win by just seven points. That interception likely wiped off the points the Jets would have needed to steal a win in this one

Honorable Mentions: Theo Johnson Touchdown and Pat Freiermuth 2nd Touchdown