Week 7 NFL Rundown: A Replay of Superbowl LVIII
by Tyler Doty | by Tyler Doty
Week 7 NFL Rundown
There’s been some separation at the top of each conference, as teams start to make their claim toward a potential playoff spot. We’re still a long way from teams thinking about the postseason, but the games are starting to mean more for the teams who are making their case. For example, the Atlanta Falcons are now 4-2, but they’re 3-0 in the NFC South. They’ve already beaten all three of their division rivals, putting everyone chasing them behind the proverbial eight-ball.
On the other side of the coin, there’s been no separation in the NFC North because the teams haven’t been playing each other. Through six weeks, there has been one division game: Minnesota’s win over Green Bay. And that game represents the difference between first place and last place, as the 5-0 Vikings lead the North while the 4-2 Packers sit in the basement. However, Detroit and Chicago have yet to play a division game, so this race is only getting started.
Here’s a look at some of the highlights for Week 7 for your NFL predictions.
Houston Texans vs. Green Bay Packers
The Texans keep proving themselves week after week as the class of the AFC South. That’s not necessarily a big statement given how badly Tennessee and Jacksonville have botched the first third of the season, but the Texans do have a win over Buffalo in there along with their victories inside the division.
They’re also beating the teams they should beat and doing it in a consistent manner. Houston has allowed 20 or 21 points in three consecutive games, so the Texans know exactly what they need each week in order to win.
The Packers remain an enigma. They’re 4-2, but Green Bay’s record seems to be a soft 4-2. Their four wins came over Arizona, Los Angeles, Indianapolis and Tennessee, which own a combined record of 7-15. The losses came to Minnesota and Philadelphia, both of whom are at .500 or better. The Packers are competing each week, but it’s uncertain as to how good they really are. Jordan Love has looked very good the past three weeks since returning from injury, and he’s thrown for at least two touchdowns in every game he’s played this year. But the defense might have a hard time holding up; it’s allowed at least 30 points in both defeats.
Seattle Seahawks vs. Atlanta Falcons
The Seahawks’ 3-0 start seems so far away now. The problem is that the Seahawks are far removed from the Legion of Boom days and can’t really stop anybody except Miami’s backups. Outside of the 24-3 win over the Dolphins, the Seahawks have allowed 29.4 points per game. That includes giving up 29 points to Daniel Jones and the New York Giants, who haven’t broken 21 points in any other game this year.
And that makes this a really awful time to play the Falcons, who seem to be coming into their own on offense. Atlanta has won three straight and has scored at least 26 points in each games. The Falcons struggled early as Kirk Cousins got himself healthy and got himself acquainted with his new team, but they now seem to have things figured out.
With Seattle struggling to stop anything right now, the Falcons have a big edge. The pressure is all on the Seahawks here, as they can’t fall further behind San Francisco if they’re going to have any hope in the NFC West.
Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Francisco 49ers
And the 49ers now get the rematch they’ve wanted since losing in overtime last year. San Francisco has had no success against Patrick Mahomes, losing two Super Bowls and two regular season matchups to the Chiefs since Mahomes took over. Last year marked the first time the 49ers held the Chiefs to under 30 points, but they still lost the game in overtime.
And that’s because Kansas City, for all of its offensive prowess, knows how to play defense. In five games this year, three teams have failed to score 20 points against the Chiefs, and the Ravens just barely got to 20. The Chiefs rank ninth in the league in defense and fourth in stopping the run.
But that gives San Francisco some hope, because the 49ers can move the ball through the air as well as on the ground. The Chiefs aren’t nearly as strong against the pass as they are against the run, so much depends on Brock Purdy and whether he’s hitting his passes. Purdy hasn’t been great this season, but he’s completing his passes, even if the San Francisco offense hasn’t been scoring enough yet. The Chiefs have to keep everything in front of them to keep Purdy from nickel-and-diming them to death.
New York Jets at Pittsburgh Steelers
It’s now or never for the Jets. Aaron Rodgers has all of the weapons around him that he wants. He’s no longer dealing with former coach Robert Saleh. He supposedly has all the pieces in place to get the offense rolling, and the Jets still have the defense to control the game if the offense gets out of neutral.
But at 2-4, the questions about the Jets on offense are starting to pile up. And facing the Steelers isn’t a great way to find answers. Pittsburgh has held four opponents to 13 points or less and kept everyone except Indianapolis to 20 or less. The Steelers win with defense, no matter who the quarterback is. This isn’t a good spot for the Jets to try to get healthy.
Baltimore Ravens at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
This is the price you pay when you win your division: a difficult schedule the next year. The Bucs drew the Ravens for their AFC North game, while the Falcons got the Steelers. Of course, it didn’t work for Atlanta, as it lost to Pittsburgh anyway. But the Bucs now catch the Ravens on a four-game win streak and with Lamar Jackson’s offense clicking on all cylinders.
Tampa Bay has shown no consistency this year. When things have been good, the Bucs have blitzed Washington, Detroit and New Orleans. When it goes wrong, Denver snowballed Tampa Bay. This is the kind of game where the Bucs prove if they’re really a contender beyond the NFC South.
