Vincent Frank
There are a lot of intriguing games around the National Football League this week. From a matchup between two teams who almost met in the Super Bowl last February to Cam Newton and Aaron Rodgers going at it, we can expect some really good football throughout the weekend.
As we have done each week this season, it is time to check in on the top storyline for each Week 7 NFL game.
New York Jets at New England Patriots: Rex Ryan’s Time in New York Running Out?
Now at 1-5 on the season, the Jets are facing the real possibility of playing out the string for the remainder of the season. With question marks at quarterback, the Jets don’t even have the benefit of checking in to see if a youngster can progress under center. After all, it’s evident that Geno Smith isn’t the long-term solution there.
Rather, what was once a promising season following a Week 1 victory over the Oakland Raiders has turned into a complete mess. And Ryan himself has indicated that the team needs to show improvement in order for him to keep his job. The issue here is that Thursday night’s game starts a string of four outings against opponents who are currently at least .500 on the season. What if the Jets head into their by with a 1-9 record, would the brass in New Jersey consider firing Ryan at that point?
Minnesota Vikings at Buffalo Bills: Teddy Bridgewater Looks to Bounce Back
Courtesy of USA Today: Bridgewater needs more protection.
After throwing three interceptions against the Detroit Lions last week, Bridgewater looks to rebound in his third career NFL start. While Buffalo isn’t nearly as good as the Lions on the defensive side of the ball, it has the talent to cause some issues for Bridgewater through the air, especially with pressure from one of the best fronts in the NFL. Led by Jim Schwartz, its defense ranks second in the league with 19 sacks. That’s going to be an issue with Matt Kalil struggling horribly in pass protection this year.
In order for Bridgewater to have success, he’s going to have to go with the quick hit passing game and get Cordarrelle Patterson involved. Jerick McKinnon, who has apparently replaced Matt Asiata as the Vikings primary ball carrier, will also have to provide some balance on offense. At 2-4 on the season, this game is pretty much a must win for Minnesota. And in reality, Teddy’s performance will dictate whether it remains anywhere near the powers to be in the NFC North heading into Week 8.
Atlanta Falcons at Baltimore Ravens: Mike Smith’s Seat Increasingly Hot
Many people (myself included) chalked the Falcons disastrous 2013 campaign up to injuries. And while they have suffered the same fate from a health standpoint this season, Smith has to be feeling the pressure. This is a team that came a couple plays away from earning a Super Bowl trip two years ago. And now, it’s on the verge of selecting in the top-10 of the draft once again. No matter the injuries, that’s something that owner Arthur Blank and Co. simply won’t accept as a standard for the talented team.
Losers of four out of five, the Falcons must find a way to right the ship against a vastly improved Ravens team on the road Sunday. If not, they will fall to 2-5 and completely out of the NFC Playoff race. That result could very well lead to Smith’s hot seat heating to all new levels.
Cleveland Browns at Jacksonville Jaguars: Browns Look to go Two Games Over .500
Courtesy of the Post-Gazette: Is Hoyer prepared to lead the Browns to the playoffs?
This matchup against the Jaguars starts a string of three games for the Browns against teams that currently have a combined one win this season. At 3-2, Cleveland can easily find itself with six wins at about the midway point in the year. It’s now going to be about showing that it can dominate inferior opponents on a consistent basis. In reality, a loss in any of these three games (the next two being against Oakland and Tampa Bay) wouldn’t be considered a success.
Brian Hoyer, who completed just eight passes in Cleveland’s win against the Pittsburgh Steelers last week, will have the advantage of going up against a Jaguars pass defense that ranks 30th in the NFL against the pass and is allowing a ridiculous 108.7 quarterback rating. That should be enough for him to get back on track and the Browns to win their fourth game of the season.
Carolina Panthers at Green Bay Packers: Teams with Division Championship Aspirations
Carolina and Green Bay head into Week 7 in first place, but both have had their issues thus far this season. For the Panthers, it’s been all about a lackluster defensive effort. They rank 26th in the league in total defense and 24th in points allowed. Now going up against a Packers offense led by Aaron Rodgers on the road, Carolina is going to have its hands full.
On the other hand, the Packers have righted the ship following a 1-2 start. They have won three consecutive games by an average of nearly 19 points per outing. A win here by Green Bay could put the Detroit Lions on notice in the NFC North and curtail what has been a mediocre early-season for the Panthers.
Miami Dolphins at Chicago Bears: Dolphins Look to Stay Relevant in AFC Playoff Race
Following a last second loss to the Green Bay Packers, Miami finds itself 2-3 on the season and just one game ahead of the New York Jets for last place in the AFC East. However much that loss might have hurt Miami’s playoff aspirations, it cannot afford to dwell on the past here. The Dolphins will be lining up against a Bears team that has been mediocre in its own right. Since a big Week 2 win over the San Francisco 49ers, the Bears have lost two of three and are giving up an average of 27.3 points per outing. In what has to be considered a must win here, Ryan Tannehill and the Dolphins passing game needs to get it going against a Bears defense that is much improved against the pass.
Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts: Two of the Best Teams in AFC go Head-to-Head
Courtesy of USA Today: Andy Dalton is looking to calm things down in Cincinnati.
Indianapolis has won four consecutive after opening the season with two straight losses. During that four-game winning streak, Andrew Luck and Co. are averaging nearly 35 points per outing. With that said, the question here is whether Indianapolis can do this against above-average competition. After all, those four wins have come against teams with a combined record of 9-15.
That opportunity will present itself against a Bengals team that is winless in its last two games but sits atop the AFC North with a 3-1-1 record. For the Bengals, it will be about returning to early-season form after being blown out by the New England Patriots in Week 5 and tying the Carolina Panthers last Sunday.
This really is a barometer game for both squads. Stuck between elite status that includes the Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers in the AFC and more mediocre clubs, the winner here will make a statement that it belongs in the conversation with Denver and San Diego as the best team in the conference.
New Orleans Saints at Detroit Lions: Yet Another Must Win for New Orleans
Coming off their bye with a 2-3 record, this is going to be a difficult game for a Saints team that will likely be without star tight end Jimmy Graham. Can Drew Brees and Co. take on the best defense in the NFL on the road and come out with a win to even their record heading into Week 8? That’s a question that may very well decide whether this team is set to contend in the NFC moving forward. Unfortunately for the Saints, they have lost six in a row and 13 0f their last 19 away from the Superdome. That shouldn’t inspire too much confidence that they will be able to beat what is a vastly improved Lions team led by first-year head coach Jim Caldwell.
Seattle Seahawks at St. Louis Rams: Banged up Seahawks Look to Rebound
Seattle confirmed that it is going to be without the services of Pro Bowlers Max Unger and Bobby Wagner, who both suffered injuries against the Dallas Cowboys last weekend. This would likely hurt against a better team, but the Rams are playing like absolute crap right now. They have lost four of five to open the season and their only win has come against a horrible Tampa Bay Buccaneers squad.
With that said, this has the markings of a trap game for the defending champions. Sandwiched between a Week 6 loss to Dallas and a road outing against the Carolina Panthers, it is possible that Pete Carroll’s squad could overlook the last-place Rams. Also taking into account how well St. Louis played at home against the Seahawks in a 14-9 loss last season, and you can bet this game will be closer than most people anticipate. A loss here for the third-place Seahawks would really put into question whether they are truly the best team in the NFL.
Tennessee Titans at Washington Redskins: Draft Pick Positioning
Isn’t it sad that this is the primary storyline for a Week 7 game? But outside of where these two teams will be selecting next year, there really isn’t much to look at here. Tennessee and Washington are a combined 2-9 on the year without much hope of getting back into contention for a playoff spot.
I guess we could potentially look at Kirk Cousins and how he performs with Robert Griffin III seemingly close to returning. In any event, this is going to be one of the worst games of an otherwise promising weekend of football.
Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers: Huge AFC West Matchup
USA Today: Can Rivers keep his MVP-caliber play up?
At 5-1, San Diego shares the best record in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys. And dating back to Week 14 of last year, the Chargers are 9-1 in their last 10 regular season games. Coming off a bye, Alex Smith and the Chiefs are in near must-win mode in the AFC West. They simply cannot afford to fall any further behind in one of the best divisions in football.
This is one of those divisional games that’s going to be well played with a ton of drama throughout. The difference maker here is going to be Philip Rivers and whether he can continue his MVP-caliber play against a good Chiefs defense. If that happens, the Chargers should move to 6-1 on the season. If not, Kansas City has a chance to even its record at 3-3.
New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys: Jason Garrett and Co. Going for Six in a Row
Fresh off a dominating victory over the Seattle Seahawks last week, Tony Romo and the Cowboys are seeking their first six-game winning streak since 2007. They will taking on the Giants in what is their first NFC East matchup of the season. New York had won three consecutive itself before being shutout 27-0 by the Philadelphia Eagles last week. To add insult to injury, quite literally, Victor Cruz was lost for the season in that game.
This game is much bigger for the Giants than the Cowboys. They could either be within one game of Jason Garrett’s squad or three games out entering the midway point of the season. The issue here for New York is that its taking on DeMarco Murray, who is on pace to break multiple NFL records, with a rush defense that is yielding 116.3 yards per game on the season. Look for Dallas to continue pounding the ball in what will be a hard-fought rivalry game.
Arizona Cardinals at Oakland Raiders: Derek Carr Looking for First NFL Win
Carr may be coming off a four-touchdown performance against a good Chargers defense last week, but his Raiders are still winless entering Week 7. Now going up against one of the best teams in the NFL, the Raiders are in desperation mode. For his part, Carr is on pace for 3,300 yards and 26 touchdowns. Those numbers are good enough to put him in the conversation for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
It’s now all about Carr helping his team earn its first win of the season. The good news here is that the Raiders offense will be lining up against a Cardinals defense that ranks in the bottom quarter of the NFL in total yards against. If Oakland can get something going through the air, it will take pressure of what has been a disastrous defense. That’s going to be the key here for the home team.
San Francisco 49ers at Denver Broncos: Statement Game for Injury-Ravaged 49ers
USA Today: Kaepernick will have to continue his exceptional road play come Sunday night.
This was one Richard Sherman tipped pass from being the Super Bowl matchup last February. And now, both teams are considered top contenders to get back to the big game. Adding more intrigue to the matchup is the fact that San Francisco went hard after Peyton Manning before he signed with Denver prior to the 2012 season. And adding even more intrigue, the 49ers are only one of two teams that Manning has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns against in his career.
While San Francisco’s defense ranks among the top in the league in every single major statistical category, it’s likely going to be without the services of future Hall of Fame linebacker Patrick Willis, who suffered a toe injury Monday night against the Rams. This means that three of San Francisco’s starting linebackers, all of whom have been All-Pro performers, will not suit up against Manning on the road. Needless to say, Colin Kaepernick will have to lead the 49ers offense to a great performance if they are going to pull out the victory. Fortunately for the 49ers, Kaepernick should be up for the task. He has tallied 21 total touchdowns compared to just one interception in his last 10 regular season road starts.
Houston Texans at Pittsburgh Steelers: Both Teams Looking to Prove They’re Worth Taking Seriously
Interestingly enough, this game might be bigger for the Steelers than the Texans. First off, they are playing at home against an inferior team. Secondly, the AFC North is a much different monster than the AFC South. Simply put, Pittsburgh (who is in last place right now), cannot afford to drop to 3-4 on the season. For Mike Tomlin’s squad, this season has been a story of inconsistency. It has yet to win two games in a row. It looks dynamic on the offensive side of the ball one week, only to look completely lost the following week. And to be honest, that has to drive Tomlin crazy.
Houston finds itself in second place in the AFC South and just one game behind the division-leading Indianapolis Colts. While a loss here woudn’t necessarily be the best thing in the world, the Texans have a larger margin for error considering the division they play in. They also have somewhat of an advantage with Arian Foster lining up against a Steelers defense that has given up 150-plus rushing yards in half the team’s games this year.
Photo: USA Today
