Monday Playbook: More changes for the Carolina Panthers?

• Surging Giants set to face sagging foe
• MVP might keep his crown
• More divisional matchups on tap

Now that you've slept on the scores and digested the stats, here's an in-depth look at Week 7 of the NFL season, with observations and analysis by the USA TODAY Sports team.

Take your time reading it, while Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano comes up with another silly collegiate idea that has made him one of the most disliked people in the NFL less than half a season into his pro career.

Ten things we learned in Week 7

1. The New York Giants are 5-2 ... again. This is the eighth time in Tom Coughlin's nine seasons with the team they've had that record after seven games. And the one time they didn't, they were 6-1. That's a testament to Coughlin's ability to get his team out of the gate strongly, but also sign that the NFL is back-loading the Giants' schedule with tough opponents to set up juicy late-season matchups for TV. The Giants haven't finished so well during Coughlin's tenure (27-37 in the second half of the regular season, though their 8-3 postseason record has made up for that), which is why he's made it a point of emphasis to avoid that late speed bump this year. With games against the Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers before a rematch with newly discovered nemesis Robert Griffin III and the Washington Redskins, Coughlin had better hope that message stuck.

2. Jonathan Dwyer could rejuvenate the Pittsburgh Steelers running game. With that big lower body and those tree-trunk legs, he looks like an old-time Steelers power running back, especially when he's running through tacklers as he did on runs of 14 and 32 yards to help seal a victory over the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday night. The former sixth-round pick ran for 122 yards on 17 carries, lifting a running game that was briefly ranked last in the league. Even when Rashard Mendenhall and Isaac Redman come back from injuries, the Steelers should keep giving Dwyer the ball.

3. Good teams bounce back strong, and the Houston Texans are a good team. After a disappointing loss to the Green Bay Packers one week after linebacker Brian Cushing suffered a season-ending knee injury, the Texans went up 29-3 on the Baltimore Ravens in the first half and never allowed it to be a close game. "Two weeks ago we lost a great player, we had to adjust," coach Gary Kubiak told his team in the postgame locker room. "We got a little stung last week, but we came in here, and what we found out today is we're going to keep playing great defense all year long." Four sacks, two interceptions, a defensive touchdown and a safety is great defense for Houston, which would love another shot at the Packers. The way both teams are playing, it's possible.

4. Cam Newton needs a body language coach. The swaying, the rolled eyes, the tilted head, the hunched lean on the podium — it's all a terrible look for a franchise quarterback. Coaches around the league always have instructed quarterbacks on how to handle what happens during a play and, when that doesn't go so well, how to act after it. In addition to not showing up his receivers, the quarterback has to stand tall and project an image of calm confidence to his teammates. Watch Newton's postgame press conference, complete with his saying he's going to bring in "a suggestion box" for people to tell him what's wrong. He looks like a beaten man. Is that the quarterback you'd go to war with? Something tells us wide receiver Steve Smith might give Newton another strongly worded pep talk about his attitude soon.

5. Now, for the opposite approach, we go back to East Rutherford, N.J., where Ahmad Bradshaw was throwing his helmet, yelling at Coughlin and smacking wide receiver Victor Cruz in the side of the head. Bradshaw is a fiery competitor who has barked at teammates in the past, and Coughlin even lauded him for his determination a few weeks ago. But that was some kind of display on Sunday. Bradshaw, who had only 43 yards on the ground but scored a touchdown, played against the Redskins despite a lingering foot issue that had him listed as questionable. He was fired up from the start and perhaps felt he needed an emotional jolt to fight through the pain and get through the game. He should think about toning it down this Sunday. As for his screaming match with Coughlin, the coach (whose grammar is usually better) said it's "between he and I," and the running back did not address reporters after the game. Bradshaw did tweet, however, that he's on board any Super Bowl Express: ""I'm all in! Jus gotta believe! #Ny #gmen #2rangs."

6. The Dallas Cowboys' scoring offense remains anemic. And it's not a good time for that, seeing as how the Giants are on their way to town with a chance to build a three-game spread in the win column between them and the team that beat them in the opener. The Cowboys had only one touchdown on Sunday — a 26-yard pass from Tony Romo to Miles Austin in the third quarter — and have scored over 20 points only once since Week 1. It came against a poor-tackling Carolina Panthers defense. The Cowboys have moved the ball well (387.4 yards per game) but are minus-seven in turnovers and have scored touchdowns on only 42% of their possessions in the red zone.

7. The New England Patriots aren't the same old blow-a-team's-doors-off squad. They smashed the Tennessee Titans in Week 1 and pulled away from the Buffalo Bills late last month, but they're having trouble finishing games. Even their 10-point victory over the Denver Broncos was destined to be tighter until the Broncos' costly fumble as they were driving for a score. Sunday's squeaker over the New York Jets never should've even sniffed overtime. In years past, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick would've made sure to put that one away. This year's team just doesn't look to have that competitive edge. And those boos you heard at Gillette Stadium in the fourth quarter tell you the fans are aware of what's missing.

8. Those Oakland Raiders are going to be a sneaky team the rest of the way. Had the Jacksonville Jaguars not lost Maurice Jones-Drew and Blaine Gabbert, the Raiders would be 1-5. Instead, they're 2-4 and would be at .500 if they had edged out the Atlanta Falcons last week. Now, they have games against the Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans Saints, Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns (teams that are a combined 9-23) along with a matchup against the battered Baltimore Ravens, who suddenly look a lot less daunting despite their 5-2 record. If Darren McFadden and the running game can just get going, look out for Dennis Allen's squad.

9. The Arizona Cardinals are in serious trouble. And that's a shame because their season started off so well. Without Kevin Kolb, their offense doesn't stand much of a chance. John Skelton (25-for-36 for 262 yards, one TD and one interception) was decent in Sunday's loss to the Minnesota Vikings, but the awful interception he threw that Harrison Smith returned for a touchdown in the third quarter was a killer. And that defense giving up 153 yards rushing to Adrian Peterson is a terrible sign. So is the upcoming schedule: the San Francisco 49ers at home and then on the road against the Packers and Falcons. This previously perfect team could be 4-6 by Thanksgiving.

10. Drew Brees is on pace to set some more silly records. The New Orleans Saints quarterback is a threat to his own mark of 5,476 passing yards from last season given he's currently on pace to throw for 5,592. He's also throwing 45.5 passes per game. At that rate, he'll throw 728 passes this year. Repeat: Seven hundred twenty-eight. The record is 691 by Drew Bledsoe in 1994. Brees' slinging it is the only hope the Saints have this season, so we're not about to go suggesting he put himself on a pitch count.

Taking stock

Here's a glimpse at the NFL market and whether we're getting in or getting out.

BUY: Andrew Luck's wheels. The Indianapolis Colts quarterback ran for 957 yards in three seasons at Stanford. So stop acting so surprised he ran for two scores Sunday. (Maybe he was sending a message to RGIII.)

SELL: The return of Chris Cooley following the Achilles' injury to Washington Redskins tight end Fred Davis. If rumblings are accurate and Cooley's on his way back, it won't be a return to his previously productive ways. And watch out: Guys coming off the couch are susceptible to injury.

BUY: Aaron Rodgers' completion percentage. It's now 69.8% after he completed 30 of 37 passes Sunday. Look for it to crack 70 soon and to threaten the NFL record of 71.2% set by Drew Brees last season.

SELL: Greg Schiano's tactics. First the kneel-down shenanigans. Now, the attempt to draw a false start on a field goal that instead netted a penalty on his squad. Just stop with the antics and play the game. What's next, the Fumblerooski?

BUY: Mark Sanchez's productive day (328 passing yards). You know we've been supportive of the New York Jets quarterback. He looked much more comfortable Sunday. On the final play, no one was open and two Patriots defenders came free. Not his fault.

SELL: The Jacksonville Jaguars' chances with Chad Henne (9-for-20 for 71 yards). Get well soon, Blaine Gabbert.

BUY: Redemption for Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski. He had a rough first quarter of the season, namely with the big miss against the Arizona Cardinals in a Week 2 loss. Sunday, he hit from 43 to force overtime and 48 to win it in the extra period.

SELL: Any defense that lets New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz run through the secondary for a 77-yard touchdown inside the final two minutes of a game. The Washington Redskins did just that. It's mind-boggling the number of times defensive backs, who should be playing deep centerfield as they protect leads in the waning moments of a game, have been burned deep.

Week 7 awards

Comeback player of the week: Terrell Suggs defied medical odds with his freakish super-healing powers, returning not only to play Sunday nearly six months after tearing his Achilles' tendon but performing at a high level (sack, batted pass and four tackles). The 2011 defensive player of the year was Baltimore's one and only defensive stud in a demoralizing blowout.

Surprise performance: Colts coach Chuck Pagano was out of the hospital and home watching his surprising team improve to 3-3, surpassing their 2011 win total after six games while being led by rookie quarterback Andrew Luck's two rushing scores. Pagano's courageous, fighter's approach in his battle against a treatable form of leukemia continues to inspire his young, rising team.

Biggest disappointment: The Panthers inspired a lot of preseason believers, including center Ryan Kalil, that they would earn a playoff berth this season. Kalil took out a full-page ad in The Charlotte Observer, guaranteeing the Cam Newton-led Panthers would win Super Bowl XLVII. Now at 1-5, they might be guaranteed something more unexpected — they're in the race for first overall draft pick.

Under the radar: Texans tight end Owen Daniels leads his 6-1 team with four touchdown receptions, as many as receivers Andrew Johnson and Kevin Walter combined. He's become a bona fide threat on crossing patterns across the middle and in the red zone off Matt Schaub's play-action bootleg passes.

Chris Johnson had all but disappeared off the grid. But the much-maligned Titans tailback kicked off bottom with his 195-yard,one-touchdown rushing effort, including an 83-yard scoring sprint. Just like the CJ2K of old.

The Saints have been written off by some at 2-4. But they get assistant head coach Joe Vitt back from his six-game suspension and Drew Brees is back in radar-lock form after throwing for 377 yards and four touchdowns in Sunday's 35-28 win against Tampa Bay.

Under the microscope: Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Dave Wannstedt. At home before their raucous fans, the Bills scored 34 points and should have won, only to surrender a last-minute, game-winning touchdown on fourth down to Titans receiver Nate Washington in a 35-34 loss.

Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron forgot to feed Ray Rice at a time when Joe Flacco was getting pounded into the Reliant Stadium turf. Rice carried just six times for 35 yards in the first half. The Ravens' offensive stud got only three more carries for 7 yards the rest of the day.

With last week's approval of new Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, coach Pat Shurmur is officially on the hot seat. While rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden continues to show progress, throwing for 264 yards and two touchdowns, Shurmur inexplicably failed to go for it on fourth-and-1 in a close game. He also followed a flaw of his mentor Andy Reid, abandoning the run game too soon in a 17-13 loss to another rookie quarterback, Luck.

We'd be concerned if we were ...

Robert Griffin III, who is running out of weapons before the season's halfway point. Bad enough that deep threat receiver Pierre Garcon is lost indefinitely with a torn tendon in his foot, as first reported by USA TODAY Sports' Mike Garafolo. Now tight end Fred Davis is done with what appears to be a torn Achilles' tendon.

Cardinals quarterback John Skelton, who seems to have gotten his job back only temporarily. He proceeded to throw a pick-six, get sacked seven times by the Vikings and caused coach Ken Whisenhunt to work out free agent Vince Young, who at least can run and protect himself behind Arizona's sieve of an offensive line.

We'd feel pretty good if we were ...

Eli Manning, who can still conjure fourth-quarter comeback magic when needed. Manning pulled off a 77-yard, last-minute catch-and-run touchdown to Victor Cruz that notched the team's first win in the rugged NFC East — when the Giants were staring at an 0-3 divisional start.

Texans coach Gary Kubiak, whose 6-1 team is clicking on all cylinders again after some wondered if they were still suffering from a hangover following the loss of defensive leader Brian Cushing to a season-ending knee injury two weeks ago. If they can sustain in a victory-challenged AFC, the Texans appear on their way to a double-digit winning season and a likely first-round playoff bye.

Robert Griffin III — yes, mixed feelings for RGIII — who earned the ultimate props from Giant skeptic Osi Umenyiora, who used to call him, "Bob.'' Umenyiora (and the rest of the Giants) respects the rookie's dazzling game. Said Umenyiora: "Best quarterback we've played this year for sure."

Don't be surprised if ...

Aaron Rodgers is headed for back-to-back MVP awards. One week after his six-touchdown skewering of Houston, his hot streak continued. Rodgers completed 30 of 37 passes for 342 yards with three touchdowns against St. Louis, including an eye-popping scoring strike to Randall Cobb — while Rodgers rolled left.

With the trade deadline moved back from the Tuesday after Week 6 to the Tuesday after Week 8, one contending team makes a play for Carolina's seemingly forgotten running back, DeAngelo Williams, who had just two carries for the fast-fading Panthers on Sunday. He could help a team that still believes it can make a wild-card run — say the Detroit Lions — or maybe even the Jets, who are a run-game weapon away from complementing their quarterback.

The Patriots kick their suddenly sputtering offense back into gear and are 7-3 when they meet the Jets again on Thanksgiving night. After all, New England has three straight should-win games against St. Louis, Buffalo and Indianapolis, who are a combined 9-11.

The winner of Sunday's game between the Dolphins and Jets decides who emerges as one of the AFC's wild-card teams. The Jets won in overtime at Miami earlier in the season, but that was with the help of since-injured Santonio Holmes. But with Dolphins rookie Ryan Tannehill coming of age — and off the bye — this game could be just as tough.

Jonathan Vilma, Scott Fujita, Will Smith and Anthony Hargrove get the transparent appelate hearing they've sought from former
NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue. He's always been known for being fair and thorough. Vilma's attorney, Peter Ginsberg, has pointed out some possible conflicts of interest for Tagliabue on the NFL side. But Tagliabue also is a patron saint of New Orleans Saints fans: He persuaded team owner Tom Benson to keep the team in the Big Easy when Benson was mulling a move to San Antonio, Texas.

Saints picking up bodies, momentum

The New Orleans Saints are building a comeback in incremental fashion — one piece at a time.

After four losses come two wins in a row. Linebacker Jonathan Vilma returned, if only for a weekend, though the defense continued to struggle in Sunday's 35-28 win at Tampa.

But now another bit of good news: The six-game suspension of assistant head coach Joe Vitt has ended, and the interim coach is back to work, replacing interim-interim coach Aaron Kromer.

"Obviously, he's a big piece to the puzzle," says Saints quarterback Drew Brees. "We all love Joe Vitt. He brings a certain element, a certain intensity. I miss his stories. I miss sitting next to him on the bus ride over to games. I miss just seeing him every day."

Vitt and suspended head coach Sean Payton haven't been far from this team's thoughts as they've worked to right the ship, nearly capsized by the bounty scandal which continues with former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue expected to soon decide on player appeals.

"These are our guys," offensive tackle Jermon Bushrod told USA TODAY Sports. "This is our family you're talking about. So we look up to these coaches. And we feel for them, because we know if we were sitting at home for the first seven weeks of the NFL season, it would (stink), too.

"(Joe Vitt) is going to be excited to see us, and we're going to be excited to see him, and it's just going to be time to get down to
business."

Vitt will hit the ground running: The Peyton Manning-led Denver Broncos welcome the Saints for a Sunday night visit.

Buc bucks up

Overshadowed by the Saints' victory Sunday was a career performance by Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman, who snapped a four-week long turnover streak.

He found himself in a shootout with Brees and more than held his own, passing for a career-high 420 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.

If not for Mike Williams being shoved out of bounds before catching a nullified touchdown on the game's final play, Freeman would have taken Brees and the Saints to overtime. And don't for one minute buy that old quarterback line about playing opposing defenses, not opposing quarterbacks.

"He knew who he was facing," said Bucs defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. "He knew who the other side had. He came out and showed that he could do it, too."

The Bucs might have had one more touchdown if Vincent Jackson hadn't been chased down from behind by safety Malcolm Jenkins on a 95-yard sprint down the sideline, the longest offensive play in team history and the first time since 1994 that an offensive play over 90 yards didn't go for a touchdown.

Said Bucs coach Greg Schiano: "Our quarterback had tremendous output and production. Again, missed opportunities both defensively, offensively, and even in the kicking game. If you make one of those plays, who knows?"

Before Sunday, Freeman had passed for 300 yards in a game just four times in 45 NFL starts. Now he's done it in consecutive
weeks, with a combined 748 passing yards, six touchdowns and one interception in a 38-10 rout of the Kansas City Chiefs and the 35-28 loss to New Orleans.

Freeman's never had a two-week stretch like this — not even at Kansas State. And you have to go back to his final college season to find the last time he cracked the 350-yard barrier (478 yards, three interceptions in a loss to Oklahoma).

Yet the 2009 first-round pick took no solace in his unprecedented spike in production, saying after the defeat, "It's just win-loss
to us. It's black and white."

Looking ahead

As the season plods toward the midway point, Week 8 offers five key divisional matchups:

1. Dolphins (3-3) at Jets (3-4): Miami has been a surprise in the bunched-up AFC East. Coming off the bye, the Dolphins should be rested vs. the Jets, who come off an overtime loss to the Patriots.

2. Colts (3-3) at Titans (3-4): The Colts got a lift from Andrew Luck's legs instead of his arm vs. the Cleveland Browns. He'll need both in an AFC South matchup vs. rejuvenated Chris Johnson and the Titans.

3. Raiders (2-4) at Chiefs (1-5): In the battle to stay out of the AFC West cellar, the Chiefs have had the bye week to rest up, while the Raiders rallied for an overtime win against an equally challenged Jaguars team.

4. Giants (5-2) at Cowboys (3-3): Another big NFC East contest for the defending Super Bowl champions. The Giants will be looking for revenge: The enigmatic Cowboys beat them in the nationally televised season opener.

5. 49ers Niners (5-2) at Cardinals (4-3): This NFC West contest features two of the league's better defenses, but two teams headed in opposite directions. The Cards, once 4-0, are reeling, while the 49ers, who did just enough to beat Seattle on Thursday night, again look like an elite team.

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Contributing: Mike Garafolo, Jim Corbett, Robert Klemko and Scott Zucker, USA TODAY Sports