Vikings Remain NFL's Last Unbeaten Team After Week 7 Upsets

The Minnesota Vikings stand as the NFL's only remaining undefeated team after a tumultuous Week 7 saw both the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs fall.

San Francisco, hampered by a significant number of injuries, lost 29-20 to the Atlanta Falcons. Despite opening the season 6-0, the 49ers surrendered a 14-3 lead. Quarterback Brock Purdy threw two interceptions in the game, the second of which occurred near midfield with under three minutes remaining and the team down by six points. The Falcons capitalized on four San Francisco turnovers, scoring 13 points.

"We had the momentum, we were moving the ball well, I feel like we were running the ball really well offensively and then all of the sudden it’s like a couple plays make you feel like dang, we’re not doing our job," Purdy said after the game. "Obviously, the most important thing is protecting the football. That’s really the number one thing in our organization as an offense. … and so when you do have those kind of costly mistakes, it does make you feel like all right we’re not doing anything, we’re not putting up points like we need to. It starts with me at quarterback and I think it bleeds into everybody else, too." The 49ers will have a bye week to regroup before hosting the Las Vegas Raiders on November 8.

Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs, who had already used their bye week, were shut out by the Seattle Seahawks' defense in a 20-3 defeat. Seahawks' "Dark Side" defense limited star running back Kenneth Walker III, who entered Week 7 leading the NFL in rushing, to 36 yards on 14 carries. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed only 57.6% of his passes and for the first time in his career, did not guide the Chiefs' offense into the red zone.

"You don’t want to perform like this in prime time in a big moment like this," Mahomes stated. The Chiefs, now 5-1, face a pivotal AFC West matchup next Sunday against the Denver Broncos (5-2).

The Vikings, who improved to 6-0, secured a narrow 16-10 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Minnesota's defense was instrumental, holding the Colts to 218 total yards. The Vikings' offense, however, generated only 275 total yards, with Kyler Murray throwing for 150 yards.

"You can’t get down on it right now, just because it’s still relatively early enough that we’re catching our stride," said Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell. "But at the same time, we know, with the type of teams that are going to be on our schedule the rest of the way and where we want to go with this team, we’ll keep progressing."

Minnesota faces a challenging upcoming schedule, including road games against the Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills, followed by consecutive road games against the Green Bay Packers and the San Francisco 49ers. The team will need increased offensive production to maintain its perfect record in a competitive NFC North division where four teams currently hold winning records.

In another notable game, the Detroit Lions narrowly defeated the Green Bay Packers 23-20 after coach Dan Campbell's aggressive fourth-and-1 play call from his own 24-yard line with under five minutes remaining backfired. Jahmyr Gibbs was stopped for a loss, giving the Packers possession, but they were unable to score. The Lions then drove for the game-winning field goal.

Campbell defended his decision, stating, "Well, I thought we would get it, No. 1. I really believed we would get that. No. 2, I knew we would get the ball back if it didn’t work out. And those were the key thoughts."