The Sunday slate for Week 7 of the NFL season features many crucial games. NFC North contenders Detroit and Minnesota face off for the first time this season; Green Bay’s trying to keep pace but faces the 5-1 Texans at home; San Francisco and Kansas City meet in a rematch of Super Bowl LVIII.

With just Dallas and Chicago on a bye this week, there’s one more NFL game this week compared to Weeks 5 and 6. USA TODAY Sports will provide live updates on the latest actives and inactive players heading into NFL’s Week 7 1 p.m. ET slate of games on Sunday:

NFL Week 7 inactives

Players’ names which are italicized indicate they are listed as questionable entering today’s games or did not practice on Friday.

Atlanta Falcons

LB Troy Andersen (knee)
CB Antonio Hamilton (back)
DL Brandon Dorlus
OL Jovaughn Gwyn
OL Elijah Wilkinson
T Brandon Parker
DL Kentavius Street

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Buffalo Bills

LB Eddie Ulofoshio
S Mike Edwards (illness)
LB Joe Andreessen
G/C Will Clapp
DT Zion Logue

Carolina Panthers

RB Jonathan Brooks (knee)
LB Claudin Cherelus (hamstring)
LB Josey Jewell (hamstring, groin)
T Taylor Moton (elbow)
LB Jon Rhattigan (knee, illness)
DE A’Shawn Robinson (knee)
LB Jadeveon Clowney (shoulder)
TE Tommy Tremble (back, concussion)

Cincinnati Bengals

WR Trenton Irwin
DE Cedric Johnson
OT/G Andrew Stueber
DT Lawrence Guy
TE Tanner McLachlan
DT Jay Tufele

Cleveland Browns

RB Jerome Ford (hamstring)
S Ronnie Hickman Jr. (ankle)
CB Kahlef Hailassie
LB Nathaniel Watson
DT Quinton Jefferson
QB Jameis Winston (emergency 3rd QB)

Detroit Lions

DL Isaiah Thomas
S Loren Strickland
G Kevin Zeitler (groin)
TE Parker Hesse
OL Giovanni Manu
WR Isaiah Williams

Green Bay Packers

DT Devonte Wyatt (ankle)
TE John FitzPatrick
S Kitan Oladapo
DL Brenton Cox Jr.
G/C Jacob Monk
T Travis Glover

Houston Texans

LB Azeez Al-Shaair (knee)
CB Kamari Lassiter (shoulder)
LB Henry To’oTo’o (concussion)
S Jimmie Ward (groin)
WR Robert Woods (foot)
G Nick Broeker
WR Steven Sims (back)

Indianapolis Colts

CB Chris Lammons (ankle)
RB Jonathan Taylor (ankle)
DE Genard Avery
C Danny Pinter
WR Anthony Gould
LB E.J. Speed (knee)

Jacksonville Jaguars

CB Tyson Campbell (hamstring)
RB Travis Etienne Jr. (hamstring, out)

Kansas City Chiefs

DE Michael Danna (pectoral)
RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire
OL C.J. Hanson
OT Ethan Driskell
DT Marlon Tuipulotu

Las Vegas Raiders

LB Tommy Eichenberg (quadricep)
LB Kana’i Mauga (knee)
G Dylan Parham (foot)
DE Janarius Robinson
CB Sam Webb
WR Jakobi Meyers (ankle)
RB Dylan Laube

Los Angeles Rams

WR Cooper Kupp (ankle)
CB Tre’Davious White
RB Cody Schrader
DE Jonah Williams
DE Desjaun Johnson

Miami Dolphins

RB Jeff Wilson Jr
CB Ethan Bonner
S Jevon Holland (hand)
LB Channing Tindall
OL Andrew Meyer
DE Emmanuel Ogbah (biceps)
QB Skylar Thompson (ribs)

Minnesota Vikings

LB Blake Cashman (toe)
CB Akayleb Evans (hip)
CB Dwight McGlothern
RB Myles Gaskin
DL Levi Drake Rodriguez
T Walker Rouse
QB Brett Rypien

New England Patriots

T Vederian Lowe (ankle)
WR Javon Baker (illness)
LB Curtis Jacobs (knee)
CB Jonathan Jones (shoulder)
G Mike Jordan (ankle)
RB Rhamondre Stevenson (foot)
LB Sione Takitaki (knee)
CB Marco Wilson (groin)

New York Giants

T Christopher Hubbard
P Jamie Gillan
CB Adoree’ Jackson
S Anthony Johnson
OLB Boogie Basham

Philadelphia Eagles

TE Dallas Goedert (hamstring)
T Jordan Mailata (hamstring)
DT Byron Young (hamstring)
CB Eli Ricks (groin)
G/T Darian Kinnard
G Trevor Keegan

San Francisco 49ers

WR Jauan Jennings (hip)
K Jake Moody (right ankle)
K Matthew Wright (shoulder, back)
TE Brayden Willis
LB Jalen Graham
OL Ben Bartch
CB Darell Luter Jr. (pelvis)

Seattle Seahawks

CB Tre Brown (ankle)
T Stone Forsythe (hand)
CB Riq Woolen (ankle)
LB Trevis Gibson
G Sataoa Laumea
DT Cameron Young
DT Myles Adams

Tennessee Titans

WR Treylon Burks (knee)
DL Keondre Coburn (knee)
LB Caleb Murphy
RB Tyjae Spears (hamstring)
QB Will Levis (right shoulder)
CB L’Jarius Sneed (quadriceps)
OL Leroy Watson
TE David Matin-Robinson

Washington Commanders

DE Dorance Armstrong (rib)
S Tyler Owens (shin)
LB Dominique Hampton
G Chris Paul

The report card is back this week after a well-deserved break, and some teams need a break as well (hi, friends in Norman and Lincoln).

But all is not lost for other teams that like not giving the ball to opponents or can complete a pass if their lives depended on it, as we inch closer to the reveal of the first College Football Playoff rankings.

The same goes for grading from last season: High marks will only be given to the spectacular, and failing grades have no chance of being reversed.

Here is the Week 8 analysis of how fans, teams, players, and coaches fared: 

Wisconsin strength coach Brady Collins … brave soul

There is something special about keeping your word, especially when comes to braving cold temperatures for no other reason than to inspire a football team.

Collins did exactly that when he said he would jump into Lake Michigan if the Badgers beat Northwestern.

After Wisconsin dispatched the Wildcats, 23-3, Collins went ahead and plunged into the frigid lake with the team cheering him on. After splashing around for a few seconds while being totally hyped up, Collins had the good sense to step out of the lake.

Any coaches making similar promises to jump in the lake will have to wait until next year, as it was Northwestern’s final appearance at the makeshift stadium this year. The new Ryan Field is still scheduled to be ready in time for the 2026 season.

Splish, splash: A+

The worst and best of the rest

This week’s tribute to DeSean Jackson.

Drop it like it’s hot: F

Head games in West Lafayette

Rumblin’, bumblin’: A-

High hurdles

Olympics ready: A

When keeping it real goes wrong

Flex while team gets tail kicked: Expulsion

Get off me, son.

Truck stickin’: A+++

Answer: No idea

Candidate for the circus: Graduation

Stretch Armstrong

Paydirt denied: A

They said it

‘Your whole network doubted us, and the refs tried to rob us with calls in this place,’ Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said about ESPN and the media when a crucial pass interference call vs. Texas was overturned after a time stoppage for fans throwing trash on the field.

***

‘Let me just say this to you guys so everybody hears me very clearly,’ Maryland coach Mike Locksley told the Washington Post about the recent rash of weapon brandishing celebrations around college football. ‘I had a son that was murdered with a gun. Getting up and pointing and acting like you’re shooting a gun or you got a gun is not something that is funny to me or my family.

‘And if that’s how you want to represent making a big play, then this program probably isn’t the one you should be in.’

***

“Not to bring anything personal into this with Louisville, great city, love the people, but Miami is gonna smoke them,” said top-ranked golfer Scottie Scheffler, and Saturday’s College GameDay guest picker. Scheffler was arrested in May before the second round of the PGA Championship by Louisville cops after a traffic violation.

***

‘Our kicking game’s atrocious so if you can kick and you’re at Arizona State, email me, right? We’re gonna have kicking tryouts on Monday, so bring it on. Kicking tryouts Monday, let’s go,’ said Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham. ‘Yeah, I’m dead serious. We’re gonna put it out on our socials, we’re gonna have a kicking tryout Monday. We gotta find somebody who can make a field goal.’

Arizona State kickers have made 7 of 13 field goals in 2024, including missing two (from 48 and 41 yards) on Saturday in a 24-14 loss to Cincinnati. Dillingham later apologized for his comments.

Stats for you

0: Points allowed by Indiana in the first quarter.

7: Opening drive touchdowns for Army in seven games this season

9: No. 1 vs. No. 2 regular season matchups all-time in FCS history. No. 2 leads No. 1, 6 to 3, after second-ranked North Dakota State beat South Dakota State 13-9 on Saturday.

22: Consecutive games Duke had lost to Florida State before Friday night’s 23-16 win over the Seminoles.

620: Passing yards for Western Carolina (FCS) quarterback Cole Gonzales. Gonzales completed 35 of 55 passes and threw five touchdowns in a 52-20 win against Furman.

The Dog of the Week

Nebraska at Indiana

Now to the game:

The pups had the rare chance to partake in seeing two Power Four teams with winning records, with the victor having a chance to make a dent in the national championship picture. Like most games that end up in this space, one team decided that it couldn’t be bothered to compete, and the other had better things to do the rest of the day, so they decided to make quick work of their opponents.

For Nebraska, the wounds will need some serious licking after a 56-7 whipping as the Hoosiers were treated to their first sellout at Memorial Stadium in three years. Five turnovers by any team will most certainly lead to a number other than zero in the loss column, and it led Indiana to post its most lopsided conference win in history and an enjoyable afternoon for the doggies with plenty of treats and belly rubs.

(This story was updated to change a video.)

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The New England Patriots had an opportunity to make their Week 7 battle with the Jacksonville Jaguars a one-score game midway through the fourth quarter.

The Patriots were trailing the Jaguars by 15 points before rookie quarterback Drake Maye found veteran receiver K.J. Osborn for a 22-yard score. Many presumed New England would kick the extra point to cut Jacksonville’s lead to eight, but first-year head coach Jerod Mayo decided to go for two instead.

The decision didn’t pay off. Maye appeared to find Ja’Lynn Polk breaking open toward the pylon, but the receiver slipped to the ground and couldn’t make the grab. The pass fell harmlessly to the ground as a result and allowed the Jaguars to maintain a two-possession lead with 8:22 left in regulation.

Why did the Patriots go for two when down 15? Mayo explained the decision during his postgame news conference.

‘At some point in time, you have to go for two,’ Mayo noted while referencing the 15-point deficit. ‘I just wanted to at least know what situation we were gonna be in with more time on the clock. So we went for two on the first one.’

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Mayo’s decision comes amid a growing trend of NFL coaches attempting two-point conversions after scoring touchdowns when down 14. The logic is that a successful convert would give the trailing team a chance to win after another touchdown. Meanwhile, the trailing team would still be down just one score even with a failed conversion.

That calculus changes in a 15-point game. The decision to go for two comes with more risk, as a failure on the try makes it a two-possession game.

That outcome transpired in the Patriots-Jaguars game. The failure made it harder for the Patriots to come back from their 25-16 deficit in what ultimately ended up being a 32-16 loss.

But while the decision may have backfired, Mayo was still comfortable with his choice at the end of the day.

‘I’m sure other people see it a different way,’ Mayo said. ‘It’s just a philosophical thing.’

Indiana football has hit its first major road block of the 2024 college football season.

Hoosiers starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke has already been ruled out of Saturday’s Big Ten matchup against Washington due to a thumb injury, per reports from Michael Niziolek of the Indianapolis Star and Zachary Osterman of The Herald-Times (Bloomington, Indiana).

Rourke is out indefinitely following the injury but should return during the 2024 season, per the reports.

It’s a tough break for the sixth-year transfer senior and Indiana starting quarterback. Rourke has worked himself into the Heisman Trophy race with 1,941 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and three interceptions. He has helped lead Indiana to a 7-0 start, with the Hoosiers sitting atop the Big Ten standings with a 4-0 conference record.

Redshirt sophomore Tayven Jackson relieved Rourke following the injury and is expected to earn the start vs. the Huskies. Jackson completed 7 of 8 passes for 91 yards and two touchdowns and added two rushes for 21 yards.

Here’s what you need to know about Rourke’s injury and the latest updates:

Kurtis Rourke injury update

Rourke appeared to hit his hand on a Nebraska player’s helmet late in the second quarter. He remained in the game for a few snaps to close the first half. However, he did not immediately come back out of the locker room with his teammates after halftime.

With Indiana holding a 28-7 halftime lead, Rourke finished the day completing 17 of 21 passes for 189 yards, one touchdown and an interception. His turnover was on an end-of-the-half Hail Mary throw after sustaining the thumb injury.

Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti offered an update following the game:

“I know people are going to ask me about Kurtis,” Cignetti said. “Thought he played really well in the first half. He had a thumb on a helmet, nail kind of came off. We’ll know more tomorrow. But optimistic.”

For a guy who says he doesn’t watch ESPN talking heads, Kirby Smart sure seemed to know a lot about what those talking heads said regarding Georgia.
Steve Sarkisian relishes chance for Georgia-Texas rematch.
Believe this: Georgia restored its SEC frontrunner status. After Saturday, there should be no doubting that.

AUSTIN, Texas — For a guy who says he doesn’t watch the ESPN talking heads, Kirby Smart sure seemed to know a lot about what those talking heads said regarding his team this week.

Mostly, they said Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs wouldn’t beat No. 1 Texas.

Georgia bottled up that doubt and turned it into fuel.

‘Our whole program was being doubted,’ Smart said Saturday after No. 4 Georgia’s 30-15 victory that quieted critics. ‘I mean, did you watch the show this morning?’

That show he’s referencing is ESPN’s ‘College GameDay,’ and the vote on that pregame program went unanimous, 5-0, in favor of Texas winning this game.

Smart said he busied himself in morning meetings and didn’t watch ‘GameDay,’ but he received ‘8,000 texts about it.’

‘Somebody was doubting us,’ Smart said.

A lot of somebodies.

And that’s when Georgia thrives.

‘No flinch,’ Smart said of his team. ‘They’re not backing down.’

Georgia football dines on doubt, feasts on Texas

Two years ago, Georgia’s Nolan Smith memorably chirped to a reporter after the Bulldogs repeated as national champions that the undefeated season proved people wrong who thought Georgia would finish 7-5. Who those people were, nobody knows, because Georgia opened that 2022 season ranked No. 3.

Throughout that season, Smart and quarterback Stetson Bennett IV also played up the idea of Georgia being doubted, even though the Bulldogs were on the shortlist of teams expected to vie for the national championship.

It became almost impossible for Georgia to use doubt as a lightning rod last season, because the Bulldogs were ranked No. 1 for three straight months before losing to Alabama in the SEC Championship.

Then, Georgia opened this season ranked No. 1. The doubters had gone to the mattresses, but they returned in force after Georgia, as a slight sportsbook favorite, lost 41-34 at Alabama last month.

Georgia survived Kentucky and Mississippi State in underwhelming fashion.

Where had the Georgia team that dominated Clemson in the season opener gone?

Lo and behold, the Bulldogs were decided underdogs against Texas.

‘Nobody gave us a chance. Your whole network doubted us,’ Smart told ESPN afterward. ‘Nobody believed us.’

Is it time to start doubting Texas Longhorns?

This result should restore widespread belief that Georgia possesses enough talent to win a national championship – and the doubt relocates to Texas. Are the Longhorns for real, or did they benefit from a manageable first-half schedule? None of Texas’ first six opponents will be ranked come Sunday.

Texas bullied those overwhelmed opponents, but Georgia’s defensive front tore apart the Longhorns’ veteran, beefy offensive line.

Seven sacks. Ten tackles for loss. Twelve stops on third downs. Four stops on fourth downs. And a three-hour nightmare for Texas quarterbacks.

Georgia’s defense repeatedly set up its offense for gimme putts. That came in handy and helped offset Carson Beck’s three interceptions. None of Georgia’s first five scoring drives traveled more than 34 yards or spanned more than three minutes. The Bulldogs needed just 283 yards of offense to produce a statement victory.

Quinn Ewers or Arch Manning? Steve Sarkisian offers answer

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian shut down the idea of quarterback controversy, with both his actions and words. He returned to Quinn Ewers after halftime after trying Arch Manning in the second quarter. Sarkisian declared after the game that Ewers remains Texas’ starter.

‘We’ve got to do a better job around him,’ Sarkisian said.pi

Fact is, neither Texas quarterback fared well, and it wouldn’t have mattered who started, for as poorly as the offensive line protected them.

The Longhorns’ defense kept Texas in the game, and it rallied after trailing 23-0 at halftime. Sarkisian seemed to relish the idea of a possible rematch with Georgia either in the SEC Championship, the College Football Playoff or both.

‘Hopefully, we get another crack at them,’ Sarkisian said.

The second crack won’t go any differently than the first unless Texas finds a way to slow Jalon Walker, who had three sacks, one fumble recovery, and one swaggering strut after he wrecked Manning.

 Asked why Texas struggled to handle Georgia’s defensive front, Sarkisian started rattling off numbers – as in, the jersey numbers of Georgia’s standout personnel.

‘You don’t (recruit as well as Georgia did) for six straight years and not have good defensive personnel,’ Sarkisian said.

True enough, but Texas’ offensive line had been a team strength for six games. If that line isn’t up to handling elite defensive fronts, then it’s fair to doubt whether the Longhorns belong in the ranks of the elite.

‘We can sit around here and throw a pity party for ourselves,’ Sarkisian said, ‘but I don’t know what good that will do for us. How do we recalibrate?’

To help with that recalibration, take it from Georgia, a dose of doubt can do a program good.

‘Maybe they didn’t doubt us,’ Smart said, while continuing to discuss the TV pundits he claims not to watch. ‘They just believed more in Texas than us.’

Believe this: Georgia restored its SEC frontrunner status. After Saturday, there should be no doubting that.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.

Subscribe to read all of his columns.

(This story was updated to change a video.)

Not only are the Kansas City Chiefs on a quest for another Super Bowl-title defense, but they also feature one of the most-followed romances in the world with tight end Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift.

The football star and pop icon became the talk of the year in 2023 when Swift showed up at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 3 of the 2023 season. From that point on, sports and music fans have watched their love story grow as Swift embarked on her Eras Tour while Kelce and the Chiefs attempted to win their second consecutive Super Bowl. It all culminated in Las Vegas in February when Kansas City won another title and the couple got to celebrate the repeat championship together.

The couple remains strong in 2024 with Swift seeing Kelce play, and they recently attended a Cleveland Guardians-New York Yankees playoff game together. But don’t expect to see Swift cheer on her beau this weekend. She’ll be starting the final leg of her Eras Tour, which began Friday in Miami. She has a concert scheduled Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium.

While the Chiefs have been successful when Swfit is in the crowd, it’s not the end of the world for Kansas City and Kelce. The tight end has had some solid numbers without her.

Travis Kelce stats without Taylor Swift in attendance 2024

This will be the third game Swift has missed in 2024 – she’s missed both road games against the Los Angeles Chargers and Atlanta Falcons. In the two games, Kelce has a combined 11 catches for 119 receiving yards, which is actually more yards than the combined total from games she’s been at. Here are his stats at the games she has missed:

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Week 3 vs. Falcons: four catches, 30 yards
Week 4 vs. Chargers: seven catches, 89 yards (season-high)

Kansas City is 2-0 when Swift isn’t there and 6-2 in the situation dating back to last season.

Travis Kelce stats with Taylor Swift in attendance this season

Swift has been at every home game for Kansas City this season. She saw the Chiefs’ season-opening victory over the Baltimore Ravens, the win over the Cincinnati Bengals and the Monday night game against the New Orleans Saints.

Kelce did have a slow start to the season, but Swift did see him haul in a season-high nine catches against the Saints. In three games with Swift watching, Kelce has a combined 13 catches for 109 receiving yards. Here are his stats at the games she has seen:

Week 1 vs. Ravens: three catches, 34 yards
Week 2 vs. Bengals: one catch, 5 yards
Week 5 vs. Saints: nine catches (season-high), 70 yards

The Chiefs are 3-0 with Swift watching and, dating back to last season, are 13-3 when she’s in the crowd.