Pick 6: NFL Week 7
Week 6 was highlighted by great QB's doing what they do best. Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Ben Roethlisberger all put together game-winning drives in the final minutes. The Packers and Steelers both needed those wins to stay in the mix in their divisions. The Patriots were in less need of a win as the other two, but handing the Chiefs their first loss had to feel pretty great.
Now we're on to week 7. As always, we're gonna pick 6 games. This time we start out on another continent.
Titans vs Chargers
The first game this Sunday will be played at Wembley Stadium in London, England. The Chargers are technically the home team, and fittingly so. They are used to playing in a soccer stadium without any of their own fans in sight, so they'll feel right at home. In all seriousness, both teams are fighting hard for a division title. The Chargers are trailing the Kansas City Chiefs, who finally lost a game last Sunday. Kansas City isn't giving L.A. any room for error, so every game is big for the Chargers. The Titans are locked in a three-way tie for 1st place at the moment. Tennessee, Houston, and Jacksonville are all at 3-3, but the Titans stand in the top spot with wins over both of the others. Gaining separation early in the year would be a huge boost for this team in a tight race.
It's hard to tell how good these teams really are. The Chargers have had the misfortune of playing both the Rams and the Chiefs. Unsurprisingly, they lost both. I can't knock them for that. They have won all their other games, but none of those presented a real challenge. Tennessee is one of those teams that appears capable of beating almost anybody. However, nothing seems like a sure win either. They beat the Jags and Eagles in consecutive weeks, but followed that up with an ugly 13-12 loss to the Bills and an even uglier shutout against Baltimore. It's anybody's guess what this team will do on any given week.
I believe the Titans have an underrated defense, but it just isn't good enough to support their abysmal offense. They only average 263 yards and 14.5 points per game. In the league today, no defense can consistently support that. The Chargers have a really solid, balanced offense. The move the ball well through the air and on the ground and they don't give it away easily. I hope the Titans enjoy the London scenery, because that'll be the best part of their trip.
Chargers win, 22-10
Patriots vs Bears
The Bears laid a huge egg in Miami last Sunday. In a game where neither team seemed to want to win, the Bears had mistakes in every facet of the game. Untimely turnovers, horrible tackling, questionable play calls, and even a missed field goal plagued the team in the 31-28 OT loss. They can't afford to make the same mistakes this time. If there's one thing that New England does best, it's crush you for your mistakes. They do their best to force you out of your comfort zone, and then they pounce on each and every mistake. Chicago needs go clean up their game.
Beating the Patriots is one of the hardest things in the league to do. Just ask Kansas City. But the Bears have a shot. For starters, the Bears are 2-0 at home, while the Pats are 0-2 on the road. The bigger factor is Matt Nagy. Nagy comes from the Andy Reid school of coaching, and apparently, that's where you learn how to score on the Patriots. The Chiefs under Reid have scored 40+ in their last three meetings with New England. Doug Pederson, another one of Reid's students, scored 41 on them in Super Bowl LII. Some of that magic must have rubbed off on Matt Nagy. The Bears' offense could do some work this week.
The Bears defense could cause some trouble for New England. but knowing the Patriots, they'll probably do fine. Brady and the rest of this offense thrives off of short, quick passes. This kind of style will get the ball out before even Khalil Mack can get to Brady. Then it's in the hands of the secondary to stop this team, and I'm not sure they can do that. It could be a back and forth battle all day. The Patriots don't lose those too often.
Patriots win, 30-27
Panthers vs Eagles
The Panthers and Eagles are two of the most well balanced teams in football. They have pro bowl caliber passers, capable backfields, and solid defenses. Both also have top notch coaches. However, despite all of that, they've gotten very little attention this year. Make no mistake, these teams are good. Although Philadelphia hasn't been the same as last, already matching their loss total from 2017, they are still contenders to win it all.
However, I do think the Panthers are a little more dangerous. I've said for quite some time that they would be great if Cam Newton was a little more stable. Well guess what, Cam has been just that. His play, although the numbers aren't as flashy, have been rock solid week to week. His completion percentage is up, and he seems to be a better pocket passer in general. We haven't seen any emotional outbursts either. Cam seems to be a changed man, at least for the time being. As long as that continues, Carolina is a force to be reckoned with.
Panthers win, 28-20
Texans vs Jaguars
If the Titans do lose, one of these teams will take their spot at the top of the AFC South. At this point, I'm not sure any of them deserve it. All of them seem to be riding the line of mediocrity. Both of these teams have good but under-performing defenses, and offenses that are supremely average. Occasionally, they will show a breakout performance, but more often than not, they look like .500 teams. However, that is usually good enough in the AFC South. Each division win will be huge for all these teams.
Neither offense is going to have a good time this Sunday, but Deshaun Watson will have the worst. Houston's O-line is terrible. Watson is the most sacked QB in the league, and it will probably stay that way for a while. Jacksonville's pass rush hasn't been the same as it was last season, but they'll fare well this week. Watson will be under heavy pressure all day, which will make everything difficult for the Texans. The Jags won't see the endzone much, but their defense will win the game for them this week.
Jaguars win, 17-9
Saints vs Ravens
The highest scoring offense in the league is set to take on the best scoring defense in the league. The New Orleans Saints are averaging a whopping 36 points per game, while the Baltimore Ravens are only surrendering a measly 12.8 points per game. Adding to the excitement, Drew Brees is trying to become the 3rd QB in NFL history with a win against all 32 teams. The Ravens are the last team in his way. At 39 years old, this could very well be his last chance. It won't be easy. The Ravens are fresh off a dominant shutout performance over Tennessee, in which they recorded 11 sacks. They seem to have returned to classic Raven form.
Brees himself has played pretty well against Baltimore. In his three meetings as a Saint, he threw 3 TD's in all of them and has a passer rating of 95.5. The problem was, as it always is with the Saints, their defense blew it. They gave up 30+ points in all of those games. The Saints' defense was better last year, but they've pretty much settled back into their old ways. It's hard to win in Baltimore without a defense of your own. You can't be relying on Brees to give you 30+ points against this defense. Brees should have another solid showing, but his defense will fail him again.
Ravens win, 30-24
Bengals vs Chiefs
Right now any game the Chiefs are in feels like a must watch. They have one of the most electrifying offenses that we've seen in years. You get the sense that they can score any way, any time, against any defense. I almost assume they're going to score 40+ every game. And it feels like they have to score that much with the defense behind them. The Chiefs are playing in a lot of close games because their defense has been a revolving door. That's why these are must see games. No matter who they are playing, they seem to find themselves in a shootout. This week will certainly be no exception.
The Bengals in recent years have been known for bruising defense with a pretty weak offense. They've pulled a full 180. This defense is right down there with Kansas City's. Their saving grace has been a much improved offense. This is an offense that scored 34 points on Baltimore. Something no one else has come close to this year. They're gonna score a lot of points this week.
However, the Chiefs will come out on top once again. The Bengals are a formidable opponent, but the Chiefs are clearly a better team, and they have home field. They'll walk out with a narrow win in another shootout.
Chiefs win, 41-35
