NFL Week 7 Preview
There was no shortage of headlines from Week 6 of the NFL season. To name a few, Aaron Rodgers suffered a potential season-ending injury, Adrian Peterson proved critics wrong in his debut with the Cardinals, and the refs secured a Patriots win over the Jets. Also this week, there were 14 non-offensive Touchdowns between all 14 games. It will be hard to top that, but this week has potential to do so. There are plenty of good games on the board, but I have 4 that stand out.
The Must See Games of the Week
#1: Falcons vs Patriots
Who doesn't love a Super Bowl rematch? It's a great opportunity to see how the defending Conference Champs have changed over the offseason. So far it looks as though both teams have dropped off since their last battle. It looks like the Falcons haven't recovered well from that devastating day. They could very easily be 1-4 right now. The offense is a far cry from what it was last year, and the defense hasn't gotten any better. They have really only played one good game. The rest have been fairly mediocre.
The Patriots haven't been any better. Their defense has been atrocious. Only two teams have given up more points per game, and no one has given up more yards. New England's run game is average, which means Brady has been the only thing keeping them in it.
It's hard to say who is better at this point. Both are certainly not playing their best. I do think that the Super Bowl loss is haunting the Falcons. Playing the the team that started this isn't going to help. I could see the Falcons losing in similar fashion, and a collapse could begin from there.
Outcome: Patriots win 24-27
#2: Redskins vs Eagles
Before the season started, I said the Cowboys and Giants would both make the playoffs again. As it turns out, I was very wrong. The Eagles seem to be the early favorites to take the East. Philadelphia is doing just about everything right. Carson Wentz has been great, running game is very good, and the defense has been solid. particularly in stopping the run. Their only loss was to Kansas City.
The Redskins are probably their biggest competition. The Skins may not have the same firepower that the Eagles have, but they hold their own. Just like the Eagles, Washington lost to Kansas City. Their only other loss was to the Eagles themselves. The Redskins didn't look great in that game, but they should come back better. When a team loses the first time, they are more willing to make changes when facing a team the second time around. The Redskins know they need to change it up. The Eagles may be hesitant to change what worked last time.
This is a must win for the Redskins. falling two games behind and losing the tiebreaker over the Eagles will make a playoff run that much harder. Unfortunately for Washington, this game is on Monday Night, and no one is worse than them on Monday. The Skins have lost 17 of their last 18 on Monday Night Football. With a record like that, it's kinda hard to see them pulling off a win.
Outcome: Eagles win 20-23
#3: Chiefs vs Raiders
Coming into Week 6, the Chiefs were the only undefeated team left in the NFL. It seemed as though they could do no wrong. Alex Smith and Kareem Hunt were putting up insane numbers, and it didn't seem like anyone could stop them. Then they went and laid an egg against Pittsburgh. The Chiefs only gained 251 total yards with just 13 points. They did all that against one of the most dysfunctional teams in the league as of late. Although that was probably just a fluke, you have to wonder what the Chiefs will be moving forward.
The Raiders also had a rough game last week... and the 3 weeks before that. Many had high expectations for this team, including me, and the Raiders have not met any of them. You could blame a couple losses on Carr's health, but how do you explain that game Washington? I don't believe that this is a bad team, but something is clearly wrong.
One of these teams will get back on track on Thursday Night. Even though I fully believe the Chiefs are better, I think the Raiders will pull off the upset. Why? I'm a big believer in Derek Carr. And if Carr is really as good of a QB and a leader as I think he is, he will find a way to win this game. I usually don't say things like that because I know that football is the ultimate team sport. However, in this situation, I think Carr will win this game.
Outcome: Raiders win 28-30
#4: Panthers vs Bears
This game may sneak under the radar in Week 7. Most people probably won't look at this and see a great game, but I do. The Bears are better than people think. They may only have two wins, but they have a great running game, good O-Line, good pass rush, and a seemingly good rookie QB. They definitely have their flaws, but I wouldn't group them with the bottom-tier teams.
The Panthers are what they always are, inconsistent. One week they are blowing people away and everyone is raving over them. Next thing you know they give fuel to the critics and fall apart. Most of the time their success revolves around Newton. When he plays well, they usually win. When he doesn't, they rarely do.
In the end I don't think the Bears can quite get the upset win here. Carolina's run defense has been strong, and if the Bears can't run the ball, they probably won't win. I don't think Carolina will run away with it, they should win a close fight.
Outcome: Panthers win 20-16
The Lesser Games of the Week
Bills over Buccaneers
Titans over Browns
Saints over Packers
Jaguars over Colts
Rams over Cardinals
Dolphins over Jets
Viking over Ravens
Cowboys over 49ers
Seahawks over Giants
Steelers over Bengals
Broncos over Chargers
