It’s already NFL Week 7, and that means we have 15 more matchups to preview. Just like last week’s NFL schedule, we have an early Sunday duel in London but this time, there are also two Monday Night Football matchups.
Yet, there’s a lot more to look forward to than just a few extra primetime matchups. Below, we dive into one bold prediction for each game on the Week 7 NFL schedule.
Related: NFL Week 7 predictions: Projecting every game for Week 7, from Texans vs Packers to Chiefs vs 49ers
Bo Nix sets new career-high in passing yards as Broncos beat Saints
As expected, Bo Nix has been inconsistent as he goes through his rookie season, where he’s completed just 61.1% of his passes (28th in NFL). Last week, he went up against the league’s best-scoring defense. But this time, he goes up against Sean Payton’s former team, led by his hand-picked defensive coordinator, Dennis Allen. Nix’s career-high in passing yards came in Week 2 at 246, but don’t be shocked if he sets a new personal best in Week 7.
Related: Week 7 fantasy rankings: Best QB, RB, WR and TEs to start, sit this week
Jaguars rush for 200 yards in win over Patriots
Offensively, the Jaguars have had some rough days at the office this season, with three games racking up fewer than 300 total yards. Last Sunday, the Jags gained a season-low 68 rushing yards. That can’t happen again, and we’re expecting Doug Pederson to place a heavy emphasis on the ground game against a mid-tier Patriots run defense. The Jaguars had a season-high 158 rushing yards in Week 4, so getting to 200 would be a significant accomplishment in Week 7.
Related: NFL coaches on the hot seat 2024: Measuring NFL coaching hot seat after Week 6
Falcons record season-high three sacks in win over Seahawks
No one has recorded fewer sacks than the Falcons, who average 0.8 per game. The most Raheem Morris’ defense has gotten in a single game this season is two, in their season opener against the Seahawks. They’ve even had two games with zero sacks, including last week. Meanwhile, no one passes the ball more than the Seahawks, who average 41.8 attempts per game. This could present the Falcons with the perfect opportunity to record a new season-high three sacks in what could be a big win over the Seahawks.
Related: 2024 NFL QB Rankings
Josh Allen demolishes Titans’ NFL-best passing defense for 350 yards in Bills win
Josh Allen is an annual MVP candidate, and he’s back as a frontrunner again this season, even after the Bills moved on from Stefon Diggs. Amari Cooper has a chance to take over the WR1 duties in Buffalo, but he could need some time to get on the same page with his new QB. As good as Allen and the Bills have been, he still hasn’t topped 263 passing yards this season.
This week, he faces a Titans defense that has a new coordinator yet leads the NFL in yards per passing attempt allowed (4.7 YPA). But have a look at the QBs they’ve faced (Caleb Williams’ debut, Aaron Rodgers’ 2nd game, Malik Willis, Tyler Huntley and Joe Flacco). The Titans have had an excellent start, but one can only keep Allen down for so long. We wouldn’t be shocked if the Bills QB gets off to a strong start with a new season-high 350 passing yards against a Titans team prone to making mistakes, even if they’re usually on offense.
Related: NFL Playoff Predictions
Bengals score 50 points in win over Browns
When was the last time the Bengals scored 50 or more points? You’d have to go all the way back to Week 12 of the 2004 season, when Carson Palmer, Rudi Johnson, Chad Johnson, and T.J. Houshmandzadeh combined for six touchdowns in a 58-point performance against the Browns. As good as those big cats were, these Bengals are even better. But we like the Bengals’ chances to go off for 50 partially thanks to how pathetic Cleveland’s offense is right now. After trading Amari Cooper, we expect the Browns to be even worse, even if he leads the NFL with six drops.
Related: Kevin Stefanski explains Cleveland Browns decision to stick with Deshaun Watson
Texans force Jordan Love to commit career-high four turnovers in Packers loss
The Texans are a well-built team on both sides of the ball. So are the Packers. In one of the best matchups on the Week 7 NFL schedule, the Texans will do their best to repeat a blueprint similar to the one the Vikings used to force Jordan Love to throw three interceptions in a Week 4 loss. Yet, the Texans’ pass rush could also surprise the Packers QB with a strip-sack, giving Love his first four-turnover game in the NFL.
Related: 4 stats to know for Houston Texans vs Green Bay Packers, impact on matchups
Tyreek Hill goes berserk with 200-yard day in wild Dolphins win over Colts
Miami’s offense has been horrid since Tua Tagovailoa’s injury, averaging just 10 points per game. But Mike McDaniel has to have some sneaky tricks up his sleeve coming out of the bye. Expect those to revolve around getting his best player the ball. Tyreek Hill hasn’t topped 70 yards since Week 1, so he could be ready to explode against a Colts passing defense that has allowed the seventh-most passing yards in the NFL this season.
Related: 2024 NFL Power Rankings
Lions become first team to hold Vikings under 20 points in big NFC North win
Only the Vikings and Chiefs remain undefeated through six weeks. But the Lions aren’t far behind, at 4-1. They also have two of the season’s most impressive wins, most recently crushing the Cowboys by 38 points. But do the Lions have the Vikings’ number? Dan Campbell’s team beat his purple and gold NFC North rivals both times last year, and they could become the first team to do so in 2024, holding the Vikings to fewer than 20 points in the process.
Related: Vikings vs Lions is a DVOA Dream
Eagles record new season-high six sacks in win over Giants
The Eagles struggled to get to quarterbacks through the first four weeks of the season, recording a total of six sacks. Last week, they cranked up the effort to record five against a beaten-up Browns offensive line. We could see part of the same against a Giants line that just lost All-Pro left tackle to injury and could be scrambling for a replacement. We’ll go out on a limb and say the Eagles’ hot streak continues with a season-high six-sack performance.
Related: 4 New York Giants trade candidates ahead of Nov. 5 deadline, including a recent first-round pick
Matthew Stafford’s Rams score 40 points in convincing win over Raiders
The Rams have been one of the most injury-riddled teams in the NFL through six weeks. But Cooper Kupp could be set to return for the first time since Week 2. The time couldn’t be better as the Rams come out of a bye taking on a Raiders defense that allows the sixth-most points in the NFL. Sean McVay’s tired of seeing an offense score 19 or fewer points in three out of the past four games and could get aggressive against a Raiders team that isn’t built to compete.
Get the latest Los Angeles Rams news and rumors from LAFB Network
Andy Dalton, Panthers get shocking win over Commanders
Jayden Daniels and the Commanders have been one of the best storylines of the 2024 NFL season. But there could be a time when we see this young team come back down to earth, and it could come against a Panthers team that scratches and claws their way to another win. Carolina ranks in the bottom five in points scored and allowed, but they have averaged a respectable 359.7 yards per game in their past four outings.
Both QBs have 300-yard games, but Chiefs beat 49ers on Patrick Mahomes rushing TD
Both the 49ers and Chiefs have allowed three 300-yard passing games apiece this season. Yet, surprisingly, Patrick Mahomes and Brock Purdy each only have one game with 300 or more passing yards this season. We expect both quarterbacks to be at their very best in this Super Bowl rematch, but just wait until Mahomes surprises everyone by scoring the game-winning touchdown with his feet instead of his golden arm.
Related: 4 stats to know for Kansas City Chiefs vs San Francisco 49ers matchup, analysis
Sauce Gardner records two interceptions in Jets win over Steelers
Sauce Gardner has spent 202 snaps in coverage, yet he’s only been targeted 15 times, which is the fifth-lowest rate in the NFL this season. Teams know better than to test Gardner, but he still manages to get his hands on a few footballs each season. The All-Pro corner didn’t record a single pick last year, but we’d bet he’s chomping at the bit to secure his first turnover of the season. We wouldn’t even be surprised if he manages to force Justin Fields to get benched after one pick, then gets Russell Wilson for another INT later on.
Related: 2024-25 Super Bowl Odds
Mike Evans records 150+ yards in Buccaneers win over Ravens
Mike Evans is one of the most consistent receivers in NFL history, recording 1,000-yard seasons in 11 consecutive years. Yet, he doesn’t have a single game over 100 yards this season. Right now, Evans is not on pace to record another 1,000-yard season, but perhaps that changes with a monstrous 150-yard day in a big Bucs win over the Ravens on Monday night.
Related: 2024-25 NFL MVP Odds
Justin Herbert blasts off for four TDs in Chargers win over Cardinals
The Chargers have largely kept Justin Herbert under wraps as he continues to recover from an ankle sprain. But now that he’s had an extra week coming out of the bye, Herbert could be feeling a bit more spry. Jim Harbaugh’s QB hasn’t had a three touchdown game yet this season, which means he’s due for a big performance on Monday night.
Get the latest Los Angeles Chargers news and rumors from LAFB Network