Week 7 NFL Preview

Picks and Predictions

Week 7 NFL Preview

Last week I went 9-5 as Tom Brady broke my heart on a last second touchdown pass. Carson Palmer proved why I should never pick him to beat a team over .500. The Broncos and the Chiefs remain undefeated. They are the last two teams with an unblemished record after the Saints fell from the undefeated ranks last week. The Jaguars, Buccaneers, and the Giants are still looking for their first win. This is a tough week for the NFL, as we will see some tough division battles this week.

Seattle @ Arizona (Thursday game): Seattle looked average at home last week when they beat a Titans team without Jake Locker. Seattle’s defense is good, but Seattle’s offense has been inconsistent this season. Russell Wilson will have a tough task against a pretty good Arizona defense. Patrick Peterson is the best corner in the NFL. Sorry, Richard Sherman, but you aren’t as good as Peterson when it comes to one- on-one coverage. This will be a tough game for the Seahawks to win, but I think Seattle gets it done by a field goal. I will never pick Carson Palmer to win a game against a better team, he just doesn’t have it any more. Palmer will get picked at least once by the best secondary in the league, Seattle.

The pick: Seattle Seahawks

Cincinnati @ Detroit: The Bengals survived a late rally by the Bills last week to win in overtime. The Lions looked good against a tough Cleveland defense. The Lions and Matthew Stafford got Calvin Johnson back last week once again proving that they are a different team when he is on the field. The Bengals play extremely poorly on the road, especially Andy Dalton. They went to Cleveland and Chicago with bad results. Just last week the Bengals struggled against an injury-ridden Buffalo Bills team on the road. Andy Dalton will face significant pressure this week with Ndomukong Suh and the rest of that Detroit defensive line. I think that Matthew Stafford tears up the Bengals defense as Andy Dalton continues his struggles away from the jungle.

The pick: Detroit Lions

Tampa Bay @ Atlanta: Atlanta has been the league’s most disappointing team so far this season. If they have any chance of turning this season around they will have to beat a winless Tampa Bay team this week. This is a must-win game for the Falcons. Probably for Falcons coach Mike Smith as well. His seat is feeling awfully warm after multiple playoff debacles in Atlanta. Atlanta lost Julio Jones for the season (sorry, fantasy owners), but the Falcons should be well prepared for the Bucs coming off a bye week. Matt Ryan always plays exceptionally at home, and the Bucs are winless. Greg Schiano is also on the hot seat, but that offense is just pitiful. Tampa’s defense will give them a chance, but Atlanta has to have this game.

The Pick: Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo @ Miami: Buffalo and former practice squad quarterback Thad Lewis looked good against the Bengals last week.  They just have too many injuries to beat Miami in Miami. Ryan Tannehill and the Dolphins had a bye last week, so they had plenty of time to prepare for the Bills. But the Dolphins offensive line is historically bad. They are on pace to break the record for most sacks allowed in a single season. They need to fix the O-line for this game because Mario Williams will be coming after Tannehill this week. But, the Bills just don’t have the fire power on offense to win this game.

The pick: Miami Dolphins

New England @ New York (Jets): Tom Brady and the Patriots were given a victory against the Saints last week. New England is 5-1, but they continue to take hits. Vince Wilfork and Jerod Mayo are out for the season, and that’s not even the worst of their injuries. Top corner Aquib Talib, top pass catchers Rob Gronkowski and Danny Amendola are also out for the Pats this week. Meanwhile the Jets continue to play outstanding defense. There is nobody in the league who plays Tom Brady better than Rex Ryan. Geno Smith has proven he has what it takes to play in the NFL the last couple of weeks. I expect a very tight game, but I think Rex Ryan and the Jets beat the Pats at home.

The Pick: New York Jets

Dallas @ Philadelphia: Tony Romo and the Cowboys got a big win over the Redskins last week at home. It should be a tougher task to go to Philly. The Philly offense is extremely good, but that defense is the worst in the NFL. Nick Foles will move the ball against Dallas, but can the defense get a stop? Dez Bryant will have a big game as Dallas rolls into Philly to take control of that division.

The Pick:  Dallas Cowboys

Chicago @ Washington: RG3 is not the same quarterback he was last year. People are calling for Kirk Cousins to come in, but what good will it do when the defense can’t stop anybody. Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall should have a field day on that Washington secondary. The Bears can score in bunches, and they will score a bunch of points on the Redskins defense on Sunday. Plus, that Bears defense is pretty good. Charles Tillman is expected back this week so that should anchor an already good Bears secondary. Big edge to the Bears.

The pick: Chicago Bears

St. Louis @ Carolina: Cam Newton grew up last week against Minnesota. Not only did he have the stats, but his team won 35-10. Ron Rivera has his defense playing great this season. That front seven is legit, as they are putting up some crazy numbers. St. Louis had the upset of the week. They absolutely blew out the Houston Texans. Sam Bradford had a big day. But they were able to run the ball on Houston. They won’t be able to run the ball on Carolina this week. I expect Cam Newton to have another exceptional week against the Rams.

The pick: Carolina Panthers

San Diego @ Jacksonville: The Jags played Denver tough last week, but it still wasn’t anywhere near good enough to win. Whoever the Jags start at quarterback will simply not be good enough to win a game. San Diego is coming off a Monday game in which they beat down the Colts. I expect a similar beat down when they travel to Jacksonville this week.

The pick: San Diego Chargers

San Francisco @ Tennessee: The 49ers looked strong last week against the Cardinals. Collin Kaeperknick has been average at best, but Michael Crabtree and Mario Manningham are close to coming back. Tennessee has an awfully good defense. They can get to the quarterback, stop the run, and play the pass. But I have no faith in Ryan Fitzpatrick. Especially against a healthy San Francisco defense. I think San Fran pulls away late.

The pick: San Francisco 49ers

Cleveland @ Green Bay: Green Bay beat Baltimore in Baltimore last week. But it was not exactly a successful trip as top targets Randall Cobb and James Jones went down. The bad news for Cleveland is that Jordy Nelson is still healthy. Cleveland’s defense is pretty good, but Aaron Rodgers is a “Baaad Man”. This game will be close, but at the end of the day one team has Aaron Rodgers and the other has Brandon Weeden.

The pick: Green Bay Packers

Houston @ Kansas City: Houston got blown out at home last week to the lowly Rams. Meanwhile, the Chiefs remain undefeated by playing great defense and turnover free football. Houston has a chance because they are fighting for their pride. But I can’t see them beating KC at Arrowhead, which set a record for the loudest stadium of all time last week.

The pick:  Kansas City Chiefs

Baltimore @ Pittsburgh: Steelers won a game last week! Big Ben and the Steelers won a defensive game against the Jets. This is going to be a key game for the Steelers. If they win this game, they are back in the division hunt. If they lose, they are pretty much done. Baltimore continues to be inconsistent. Ray Rice isn’t 100 percent, and Joe Flacco hasn’t looked good. This one should be interesting. Could go either way.

The pick: Baltimore Ravens

Denver @ Indianapolis: Peyton Manning returns to Indy for the first time since he left. Jim Irsay’s comments have certainly made this game more interesting. Peyton will be ready and the Broncos get Von Miller back this week. The Colts offense looked average at best last week on Monday night. They can’t outscore the Broncos on Sunday night as Peyton teaches Andrew Luck some things in the process. Broncos, big.

The pick: Denver Broncos

Minnesota @ NY Giants: These two teams are bad. Minnesota is so bad that they are starting a quarterback that they signed two weeks ago in Josh Freeman. The Giants are winless and among the worst teams in the league. If they can stop Adrian Peterson, then they should be able to win this game on Monday night. I can’t believe the Giants are favored, but they are. Look for a big game from Eli Manning after Cam Newton tore Minnesota up last week.

The pick: NY Giants