Week 7 sees more important matchups on the field. The Chiefs have another test, against a strong 4-2 Cincinnati Bengals team. The New York Jets can stay in the AFC East win with a third straight home win, but a hot Minnesota Vikings team comes to town this week. And the Jaguars need to get back on track, as a loss to the Houston Texans would put them behind in the AFC South.
Week 5 was my strongest picks week of the season (9-6) but I improved again in Week 6, going 11-4. This brings my season total to 50-41-2
Thursday Night
Denver Broncos (2-4) at Arizona Cardinals (1-5)
The Cardinals are 1-1 over the past two weeks, showing signs of life in both games. The Broncos are winless on the road this season, and are on a four-game losing streak. Signs point in Arizona's favor.
Then why is Denver still favored by 1.5 points on the road? Simply put, they're a better football team. The defense that kept the game very close against the Rams should be able to match up with the Cardinals. Case Keenum might even get back on track himself. Denver with the road win to end the streak.
Broncos win 27-13
Sunday
Tennessee Titans (3-3) vs. Los Angeles Chargers (4-2) in London
Sunday morning, 9:30 AM on the East Coast, an insane 6:30 AM on the West Coast, there will be some AFC football in London. The Titans have been up and down all season, but hit a low with a shutout home loss last week. The Chargers are quietly putting together a solid season. While the defense can't be trusted to win games, the offense can. I think Philip Rivers uses his veteran-savvy as an advantage overseas, to push the Chargers to 5-2.
Chargers win 24-16
New England Patriots (4-2) at Chicago Bears (3-2)
Premature panic in New England was... premature? Shocking. The Patriots battled the AFC's best last week, the Kansas City Chiefs, and won at the buzzer. Tom Brady can still beat anyone in the league. The Bears have been formidable so far, and are 2-0 in Chicago. I could almost see Brady struggling against the Bears defense. Even if they can limit him, Belichick and New England's defense will give Mitch Trubisky headaches.
Patriots win 20-13
Buffalo Bills (2-4) at Indianapolis Colts (1-5)
The Colts are 1-5, but have played hard in each of their losses. The offense has also been solid, so Andrew Luck should be set up for a good Sunday. The Bills throw Derek Anderson out at quarterback and if Indy can't beat him.. it'll be a very long season.
Colts win 31-14
Detroit Lions (2-3) at Miami Dolphins (4-2)
After dropping two straight games, the Dolphins grinded out a win against the Bears to remain tied for 1st in the AFC East. Miami could stay relevant even longer, with the perplexing Lions coming to town. Detroit has beaten Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady this season, but has looked bad in three losses. Brock Osweiler returns to start in Week 7, and that might not be such a bad thing. Miami wins again to put a little pressure on the Patriots. We'll see how long they can sustain that pressure.
Dolphins win 27-23
Minnesota Vikings (3-2-1) at New York Jets (3-3)
For the third straight week, the Jets play at home in MetLife Stadium, which could bode well for building momentum. Their two game winning streak has come from bullying the Colts and Broncos in North Jersey. But the Vikings represent a different challenge. Kirk Cousins will be the best quarterback New York has played this year. And save for an embarrassing loss to the Bills, Minnesota played well in their other five games (3-1-1, tie with the Packers, tight loss to the Rams)
The Vikings are bouncing back from an early season struggle, and the Jets are right in the cross-hairs. Gang Green can still make noise in 2018 if they win upcoming games against the Bears, Dolphins, and Bills, but their winning streak comes to a halt here.
Vikings win 27-16
Carolina Panthers (3-2) at Philadelphia Eagles (3-3)
Last week, the Eagles got back on track with a Thursday Night Football win.. over one of the worst teams in the NFL. Still, Carson Wentz has had an impressive season so far, and Philadelphia believes their win over the Giants will serve as a turning point for the season.Carolina is 0-2 on the road this season, with losses in Atlanta and Wahington. The Panthers three wins came over the Cowboys, Giants, and Bengals. The mixed resume tells us pretty much who the Panthers are: an average to slightly above average team. This should be a competitive game but I'll take the reigning Super Bowl champs at home.
Eagles win 24-21
Cleveland Browns (2-3-1) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-3)
Tampa Bay has fallen off since a 2-0 start. This will be the second week of Jameis Winston starting, so maybe some strides will be made. The Browns have been competitive for almost the entire season: last week was their first loss by more than 4 points. Despite being blown out by the Chargers, I think Baker Mayfield puts together a solid road win in Florida.
Browns win 27-20
Houston Texans (3-3) at Jacksonville Jaguars (3-3)
The Jaguars were embarrassed by the Cowboys and beaten by the Chiefs, and no longer look like a shoo-in for the AFC South crown. The Texans are coming into their own with a three game winning streak after an 0-3 start. Approximately one year ago, DeShaun Watson was taking the league by storm, and it looks like he's back. The Jaguars slide continues, raising questions about their playoff viability.
Texans win 24-16
New Orleans Saints (4-1) at Baltimore Ravens (4-2)
Two four win teams clash in Baltimore. The Ravens are coming off a shutout win on the road over the Titans, but now the defense has to deal with Drew Brees. The Saints defense is no powerhouse though, so the game will be decided by how well Joe Flacco can exploit it. Give me the Ravens in one of my least confident picks of the week, this one's a toss-up.
Ravens win 28-27
Los Angeles Rams (6-0) at San Francisco 49ers (1-5)
It turns out the only thing that can slow the Rams offense down is some snow. LA "only" put up 23 points, in the snow, against a solid Denver defense, in one of the toughest road stadiums in the NFL. Jared Goff and company should be back over 30 points, as they were each of the last three weeks, when they play the 49ers. Though San Francisco played the Packers to the very end of Monday Night Football, the Rams are better than the Packers in all facets of the game.
Rams win 36-17
Dallas Cowboys (3-3) at Washington Redskins (3-2)
The Cowboys feel good about themselves after blowing out the Jaguars and creating a three-way tie (in the wins column) for the NFC East. The Redskins are 2-1 at home, and Dallas has lost all three games played outside of Jerry World. This should be a classic, grind to the finish NFC East matchup. I could see either team winning, but I'll take the Redskins at home and with Alex Smith.
Redskins win 23-20
Sunday Night
Cincinnati Bengals (4-2) at Kansas City Chiefs (5-1)
Kansas City has been fielding AFC challengers for weeks. They beat the rival Broncos in Denver, a tough environment, before beating lasy year's AFC runner-up Jaguars. Last week, the Chiefs undefeated season came to an end, but it's hard to think of a more encouraging loss than their narrow one to the New England Patriots. The Chiefs are 5-1 despite having only two home games so far.
The Bengals are one of the AFC's best in the early season, but were outdueled by the Steelers last week. A loss here turns an exciting 4-1 start into a mediocre 4-3 record. Cincinnati has a lot to play for here, but can they keep up with Mahommes, Hill, and the Chiefs offense?
Chiefs win 28-20
Monday Night
New York Giants (1-5) at Atlanta Falcons (2-4)
I've been a proponent that the Falcons are better than their record suggests. They've been putting up 30-40 points per game in Weeks 2-6! Their defense obviously has some holes, to be losing games where the offense put up 37 (lost to Saints) and 36 (lost to Bengals).
Luckily, they don't have to worry about the Giants. Though Barkely, Beckham, and Eli could put up some points, Atlanta outscores them in the dome.
Falcons win 38-24
More
Bye Week
- Green Bay Packers (3-2-1)
- Oakland Raiders (1-5)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2-1)
- Seattle Seahawks (3-3)
Header photo: Lynne Sladky, AP
Chargers photo: Getty Images / NBC San Diego
Adam Thielin photo: Eric Hartline / USA TODAY Sports
Chiefs photo: Sports Illustrated / Yahoo Sports
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