Week 7 on the NFL schedule is almost in the books (we still have Monday Night Football to go), and the best performances deserve to be recognized by our MMQB staff. Even if you’re feeling down because your team didn’t win, maybe one of your favorite players or coaches will get awarded a game ball. Let’s go!
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John Pluym: Taylor Heinicke, QB, Commanders. Maybe Ron Rivera should get my game ball after keeping this team focused on the job on the field after what’s been happening off the field with Commanders owner Daniel Snyder. But I’m going to go with Heinicke, who outplayed Aaron Rodgers in a huge 23–21 win for Washington. Heinicke faced constant pressure from the Packers but still threw for 200 yards and a pair of touchdowns. One of his best passes of the day was his completion to Terry McLaurin on third down to help run the clock down and seal the victory. Heinicke had a Packer in his face and lofted a perfect pass to the sideline, where McLaurin was waiting to haul it in for a first down. The Commanders improved to 3–4 to match the Packers, who have lost three consecutive games for the first time since 2018. The big question now is whether Heinicke can play well enough to hold onto the starting job while Carson Wentz recovers from a broken finger on his throwing hand.
