Like an object in your rearview mirror, the NFL trade deadline is closer than it appears. Tuesday will mark two weeks before the Nov. 10 deadline, and there will be a tsunami of rumors and reports about the comings and goings of players between now and then. Key among them will be All-Pro running back Jonathan Taylor, arguably the biggest prize of this cycle. 

The Indianapolis Colts are a clear seller as the deadline approaches. Before Week 7, the club fired general manager Chris Ballard. Then, a loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday has since dropped the franchise to 2-5 on the year and has them on a three-game losing skid. They have two more games before the deadline, traveling to Jacksonville next week to face the Jaguars, who are 4-2 and will be coming off their bye week. In Week 9, they'll host the Dallas Cowboys. 

On the lookahead lines, Indy is a 7.5-point underdog to Jacksonville and a 1.5-point underdog at home to Dallas, so the oddsmakers have them favored to go 0-2 over that stretch. That'd bring them to 2-7 on the season as they reach the deadline, which would only further embolden them to sell off major pieces as they look to refill the cupboard to better jumpstart their rebuild. 

So, who should target Taylor and pull the trigger on a blockbuster to bring him to town? Isn't it obvious? 

The Cincinnati Bengals should be pushing their chips into the middle of the table to try and land Taylor. The back is the missing piece that could help take Joe Burrow back to the Super Bowl and, this time, win it. 

On Sunday, Cincinnati pulled off a comeback victory over the Baltimore Ravens thanks to a second-half explosion from the offense. Burrow threw for four touchdowns over the final two quarters as part of a 35-0 run to move them to 4-2 on the season and put them firmly in the mix in the AFC North race. 

Burrow's touchdown barrage and 249 passing yards in the second half were awe-inspiring. It's also unsustainable. 

What was missing from Cincinnati's victory was a running game, and that's been a common theme for the team throughout the first half of the regular season. As a team, the Bengals are averaging 82.9 rushing yards per game, which ranks in the bottom third in the NFL. Their 3.6 yards per carry average is also lackluster. Moreover, Cincinnati has just 44 rushes that have gone for five-plus yards and a league-low five explosive rushes (12-plus yards). 

The combination of Chase Brown and Samaje Perine isn't giving the Bengals a rushing attack that opposing defenses need to worry about. Brown is averaging a career-low 3.5 yards per carry, while Perine's 4.1 yards per carry is his lowest since 2022. 

For a team in a Super Bowl-or-bust window, this is a clear area of need, and there is a clear answer currently on the trade market in Taylor. So far, Taylor has 11 explosive rushes, and his 2.89 yards per carry after contact is better than the 2.46 yards per carry after contact the Bengals are averaging. 

Taylor could be Cincinnati's version of the trade the San Francisco 49ers made leading up to the 2022 deadline when they landed star running back Christian McCaffrey. He proved to be the central engine of the Niners' second half as they reached the NFC Championship, and that has remained the case over the last handful of years, including a Super Bowl LVIII appearance.  Taylor is every bit as capable of making that type of impact on the Bengals, and Cincinnati is at the precise moment in the franchise's history to go all-in and outbid the rest of the league for the star back. 

Game Balls

How Game Balls work: Six are awarded to standout players from the slate of teams that won their contests, and only one player on a team can get a game ball. 

• Week 7 stats: 17 carries, 124 yards rushing, 1 rushing touchdown; 1 reception, -3 yards receiving

After not registering a single touch last week, Skattebo emerged from John Harbaugh's doghouse and redeemed himself in Week 7 as the Giants took down the Texans in overtime. The second-year back was at the center of the winning effort, including a 42-yard rush in overtime that helped springboard New York. His 124 rushing yards are a career high. 

• Week 7 stats: 14-of-21 passing, 208 yards passing, 2 passing touchdowns; 8 carries, 37 yards rushing, 1 rushing touchdown

The Miami Dolphins are finally in the win column. The Dolphins enjoyed their first win of the Jeff Hafley era, going into MetLife Stadium and taking down the Jets, 28-25. Willis did damage with both his arm and his legs in the winning effort and is the second quarterback in franchise history with a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown in consecutive games. 

• Week 7 stats: 12 tackles, 2 sacks, 4 passes defended, 3 quarterback hits 

The Vikings linebacker was all over the place in Sunday's 16-10 win over the Colts to keep Minnesota undefeated on the year at 6-0. Cashman's 4.5 sacks on the season are already tied for his career high, while the Vikings defense is allowing just 12.3 points per game so far this season (fewest in the NFL). 

• Week 7 stats: 8 receptions, 129 yards receiving; 3 carries, 23 yards rushing

The Browns' first-round rookie had his coming-out party in Week 7, tallying career highs across the board. In the 27-34 win over Tennessee to move Cleveland to 5-2 on the season, Concepcion was a central figure in the offense. His 10 targets were a season-high, as were his 129 receiving yards. Todd Monken even got him going in the ground game as he carried the ball three times for 23 yards, another season high. 

• Week 7 stats: 22-of-30 passing, 292 yards passing, 4 passing touchdowns; 2 carries, 12 yards rushing

Burrow was perfect in the second half of Cincinnati's win over the Ravens on Sunday. He orchestrated a 35-0 run over the final two quarters to erase a 13-0 halftime deficit. In the second half, Burrow completed 16 of 18 throws for 249 yards and four touchdowns, giving him a perfect 158.3 passer rating over that stretch. 

• Week 7 stats: 9 tackles, 2 passes defended, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble

Bates was one of the main faces of a strong defensive effort by the Falcons as they handed the 49ers its first loss of the season. Both of his turnovers came in the second half, with the interception preventing a scoring opportunity as he approached the Atlanta 10-yard line. Then, his forced fumble on George Kittle effectively ended the game. This was Bates' sixth career game with an interception and a forced fumble, tied for the second-most in the NFL over the past 40 seasons and trailing only Rod Woodson (7). 

Notable Week 7 gaffes

Jesse Minter's fourth-and-2 gamble fails

One of the big momentum shifts, as the Ravens allowed 35 unanswered second-half points to the Bengals, came in the opening seconds of the fourth quarter. At the time, Baltimore was trailing Cincinnati 14-13, but had the ball on the Bengals 12-yard line. That led to a decision for coach Jesse Minter, facing a fourth-and-2. He could either opt to keep the offense on the field in hopes of moving the sticks and eventually finding the end zone. Either that, or he could kick it to retake the lead and make it a 16-14 game. 

While keeping the offense on the field (which is what he ended up doing) can be argued, the play call was ... puzzling. The Ravens called a passing play on the fourth-down attempt, and Tyler Huntley, who was filling in for the injured Lamar Jackson, failed to connect with rookie tight end Josh Cuevas and turned the ball over on downs. Cincinnati took possession and scored six plays later to extend its lead. 

This is a scenario where the obvious answer is the right one—just give the ball to Derrick Henry. That is why you have a back of his caliber, and that's even more true when you factor in having a backup quarterback under center. 

Panthers comedy of errors in blowout loss

The glass may have shattered with the Carolina Panthers. Not only did they lose on Sunday, but they were blown out by the Buccaneers, 43-13. That happened even as Baker Mayfield attempted just 11 passes in his return and threw for 64 total yards. Some of the damage done to Carolina was self-inflicted. For instance, wideout David Moore muffed a punt in the fourth quarter, which Tampa Bay recovered, giving them an instant red zone opportunity. They eventually settled for a field goal to make it a double-digit lead. 

On the next possession, Bryce Young committed one of his three turnovers on the day as he was strip-sacked by Al-Quadin Muhammad, and Calijah Kancey scooped up the loose ball for a 32-yard touchdown return. 

Even when the Panthers tried to punch back, they found a way to shoot themselves in the foot. After the strip-sack, Young completed a 50-yard touchdown pass to Darren Waller. On the extra point attempt, however, the kick was blocked and returned by the Bucs to give them a 2-point conversion. 

What could go wrong essentially did go wrong for Carolina on Sunday. 

Jets can't punch it in at the goal line 

Remarkably, Aaron Glenn is STILL winless in the AFC East. On paper, his first division victory was gift-wrapped for him in Week 7 as New York took on the previously winless Dolphins at home. However, Miami rolled into MetLife Stadium and pulled off the upset win, 28-25. Part of the reason Glenn's club came out on the losing end of things was due to a poorly executed red zone trip in the fourth quarter. 

Trailing 21-14, the Jets got the football all the way down to the Miami 1-yard line. Despite having a first-and-goal from the 1-yard line, the Jets ended up having to settle for a field goal. 

This is how the following plays went after reaching the goal line: 

• First-and-goal: -1 yard run
• Second-and-goal: -1 yard run
• Third-and-goal: Sack (12-yard loss)
• Fourth-and-goal: 33-yard field goal 

That inability to punch it in proved to be the scoring swing in the losing effort. 

Peaky Blinders in ... Paris? 

The NFL made history with its game in Paris, France on Sunday, where the Steelers took down the Saints, 16-10. In previous international games, some players have given a tip of the cap to the host city in some form, sometimes even through their pregame outfit. However, Pittsburgh seemed to have missed the mark with its fashion choice. Several Steelers players -- including Aaron Rodgers -- were seen arriving at Stade de France dressed as characters from the show Peaky Blinders. 

If you haven't seen the show before, it's essentially about a gang from England. Of course, that would've been an entertaining nod had this game been played in London, but the fact that it was taking place in Paris felt ... odd. 

Did the Steelers forget what country they were in? Was this just an early Halloween costume? The questions are endless. 

Two-minute drill

Here are some of my quick-hitting takeaways/notes from Week 7:

• J.J. McCarthy was fantastic in his first Giants start. The numbers don't exactly jump off the page, but he made some elite throws, including a laser to Malik Nabers on the sideline just before halftime. As crazy as this would've sounded in the summer, this version of McCarthy is capable of leading the Giants to a division title. 
• Pittsburgh may be 5-2 and in solid position in the AFC North race, but I still see a low ceiling for this club, particularly on offense. They are one of the many clubs that should look to add at the deadline -- particularly at receiver -- if they truly want to make the most of Aaron Rodgers' final season. 
• The Saints had the fewest rushing yards (18) by any team with at least 15 carries in a game since the Broncos in 2021. They're also the first team since the 2022 Buccaneers to have a leading rusher with 7 yards or fewer. 
• It felt like Week 7 was a scheduled loss for the 49ers. They were depleted by injuries and were looking ahead to the Week 8 bye week. After the week off, I expect them to once again look like arguably the team to beat in the NFL.
• The Falcons are 3-2 with Penix as the starter this season, and the quarterback became just the fourth player in team history to have consecutive games with at least 200 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, and no interceptions. 
• Is Deshaun Watson one of the most clutch quarterbacks in the NFL this season? Already, he has four game-winning drives this season. On those drives, the Browns quarterback is 21-of-27 for 229 yards, 2 touchdowns, and no interceptions. 
• The Tennessee Titans have tied the NFL record for the longest stretch without back-to-back wins (65). 
• The Vikings' offense isn't as explosive as it's been with other quarterbacks in Kevin O'Connell's system, but it doesn't matter if the defense holds clubs to fewer than 13 points per game. 
• In case you were wondering, the Colts can cut Daniel Jones this offseason and create $38 million in cap space with a post-June 1 designation. 
• Tampa Bay's 64 passing yards were the third-fewest in a 40-point game in the last 50 seasons. 
• This was the first game in Patrick Mahomes' career without a red zone drive.
• Jaxon Smith-Njigba now has the most career games with at least 150 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown in Seahawks history (5). 
• Lamar Jackson will make his return next week in Buffalo, but they are in a sneaky big hole in the division race after beginning the year 0-2 against AFC North opponents. 
• This is the first time that the Texans have begun the year 0-4 at home in franchise history. 
• Bo Nix had 11.1 air yards per attempt in Denver's win over the Cardinals. He entered the game with a league-low 4.9 air yards per game on the season. 
• Trey McBride has at least seven receptions in nine straight games, which is an NFL record for a tight end. 
• It didn't burn him on Sunday, but Dan Campbell going for it on fourth-and-1 from his own 24-yard line was reckless. They turned the ball over, but were fortunate that Green Bay missed the 35-yard attempt to take a lead with just over three minutes left. 
• Don't let the 3.3 yards per carry average fool you. Josh Jacobs looked in his first game back with the Packers. He was especially impactful as a receiver, catching five of his seven targets for 55 yards and a touchdown. 
• Still undefeated (6-0): Minnesota Vikings
• Still winless (0-6): Los Angeles Chargers
• On the bye in Week 8: New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, Houston Texans