Week 7

THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:

PITTSBURGH STEELERS (4-1) vs. CINCINNATI BENGALS (2-4)

Thursday Oct. 16 @ 8:15 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime

Six division rivalry matchups on seven Thursday nights. Either this will be a close fiery showdown that nobody expects or the predictable blowout that causes us to fall asleep midway through the third quarter. When I look at this game, it can really go either way.

The Steelers are 0-6 in divisional matchups on the road on Thursday Night Football, so this is more than a trap game for them. They are 4-1 while the Bengals have lost four straight and are forced to start Joe Flacco at quarterback. Tomlin was not afraid to throw some bulletin board material at Cincinnati for saying that it was unwise for them to make a trade with a division rival for a position they are desperately hurting at right now. I am paraphrasing because I do not have the exact quote in front of me, but it is somewhere around the block.  On the surface, Pittsburgh should win this game easily. The Bengals defense is still atrocious and their offense is absolutely nothing without Joe Burrow. However, if Jameis Winston could pull off an upset against this team in Cleveland last year, then maybe Flacco still has something left in the tank. 

If you are the Cincinnati Bengals, if you trail by double digits entering the halftime break, it is going to take a miracle to make a comeback. Their offense showed some positive flashes last week against the Packers in the second half, but they were shut out in the first 30 minutes and the defense predictably got picked apart. Last week, Pittsburgh did a good job neutralizing Myles Garrett and company by allowing zero sacks while holding onto the football. Normally, this would mean a big game for Trey Hendrickson, but he is out with a back injury. All Cincinnati has to do is keep this game close and an upset is not out of the realm of possibility.

FINAL LOCK: I am going to go with the upset here and pick the Cincinnati Bengals. However, I have been wrong with my primetime predictions over the last couple of weeks, so this might be jinxing them. Obviously, Pittsburgh has the better football team, but they always have that one game where they find a way to lose against an inferior opponent. Knowing that they have yet to beat a division rival on the road on this stage, that streak might continue against a still-talented Bengals offense, despite not having Joe Burrow in the lineup.

FINAL SCORE: CIN 23-17

ONE LAST GAME IN LONDON:

LOS ANGELES RAMS (4-2) vs. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (4-2)

Sunday Oct. 19 @ 9:30 a.m. ET on NFL Network

The Jaguars will be heading back to their unofficial second home in London to welcome the Los Angeles Rams in what is expected to be a very exciting showdown. Both teams are 4-2 and in need of a win to stay in the division race, yet they will have to overcome a couple of obstacles along the way. 

For the Rams, it is figuring out how this offense can operate without Puka Nacua. He got injured in the first half against the Ravens on Sunday and his status is in question for this week. The silver lining is that LA still has Kyren Williams in their backfield and Davante Adams to remind us that he was one of the best receivers in the league at one point, yet what happens when the Jaguars try to take one of those two players away? This Jacksonville defense has some weak spots in terms of yards allowed, but they are a top ten scoring unit and they lead the league in takeaways, so one little slip-up could swing the entire momentum of the game. Somebody like Tutu Atwell or Jordan Whittington is going to have to make a couple of big plays for the Rams to have a fighting chance because while they have a solid defense, it can only do so much if they are given a short field or if they are out there for too long.

The reason why the Jaguars lost was very simple: their defense did not force a turnover as they let Sam Darnold nearly throw for 300 yards, they could not run the football, and Trevor Lawrence got sacked seven times. Unfortunately for them, this Rams defense is a stronger and more dangerous unit to go up against. Trevor Lawrence’s numbers were pretty solid last week with over 250 yards and a couple touchdown passes, but the only way for him to win is if he has a clean pocket with zero turnovers. LA happens to have the second leading sacker in the NFL Byron Young, along with a plethora of guys that can attack the pocket like Jared Verse, Kobie Turner and Braden Fiske. If Jacksonville can win the trenches, then they can keep this Rams team on its heels. 

FINAL LOCK: I like the Jaguars in this game. I am not completely confident because I do not know what to expect from Trevor Lawrence against this Rams defense, but if this is a low scoring game, then I trust Jacksonville to run the football better. If Puka Nacua cannot play on Sunday, this LA passing game has a high chance of struggling, so the only way for the league’s leading passer to flip the script is if he has one of his better showings.

FINAL SCORE: JAX 24-20

THE 1:00 SLATE:

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (2-4) vs. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (3-3)

I hope the Raiders enjoyed their free win against the Titans for as long as they did because now they have to go on the road to play a Chiefs team that is healthy and reinvigorated. It says a lot when I have more faith in Aidan O’Connell to pull off an upset than Geno Smith because this is not looking like a good matchup.

Smith is leading the league in interceptions with 10 in six games. He has also been sacked eighteen times, which is tied for the third most in the National Football League. For the record, Sam Darnold is 4-2 with the Seahawks and has only turned the ball over three times with just seven sacks taken. I get that Brock Bowers has missed the last couple of weeks with a knee issue, but injuries are not the reason why this team has the record that they have right now. The only way I can see the Raiders pull off an unthinkable upset is if either Smith has the game of his life or that defense plays exactly the way they did on Christmas at Arrowhead Stadium and shut down the Chiefs from start to finish. Otherwise, I do not see this as a close game whatsoever. 

I should just end it here but there is one more fact I should point out. Kansas City will be getting wide receiver Rashee Rice back from his suspension, so now their offense is fully healthy again. Great! Now, they do have to take account of the fact that the Vegas defense had six sacks last week, but their offensive line is absolutely atrocious. The only way that this is going to be a close game is if the Chiefs commit too many penalties or the defense starts to ache a bit heading into the fourth quarter. However, as long as they stay true to themselves and not get over their heads, they will be fine.

FINAL LOCK: Yeah, this is not going to be close whatsoever. The Chiefs just have a vastly superior football team and the Raiders are still one of the worst teams in the league. Whoopee, you beat the Titans last week and got Brian Callahan fired. Congratulations. Now you have to play a real team and it is not going to be pretty.

FINAL SCORE: KC 37-13

MIAMI DOLPHINS (1-5) vs. CLEVELAND BROWNS (1-5)

The fact that both of these teams only have one win at this point in the season is just absolutely pitiful. It makes more sense for the Browns because they do not have a true tone-setting quarterback, but what the heck is the Dolphins excuse? Their defense is atrocious, the offense screws up at the worst possible time, there is absolutely no leadership whatsoever, and Mike McDaniel just keeps losing grip of his job security as the days go on. This is why I will not be surprised if Cleveland finds a way to win this game.

It would be unfortunate if Kevin Stefanski somehow lost his job in the middle of the season because he is a two time Coach of the Year winner. Obviously, it was not him that had the final say on the Deshaun Watson contract, yet Stefanski was brought in for offense and it has not been good since they traded away Baker Mayfield. The only time it has been anywhere decent was when Joe Flacco took over in 2023 and miraculously guided them to the playoffs, but even then, they had a really strong defense that season. Having said this, there is one thing that the Browns can do to win this game, which is run the football. Quinshon Judkins has had a strong rookie season so far with close to 400 yards and three touchdowns, and now he gets to go up against the worst rushing defense in the league. However, quarterback Dillon Gabriel is going to need to have a decent game himself because he got sacked six times and scored just nine points against the Steelers on the road last week. As long as he has a clean pocket and does not make any mistakes, then I think this Cleveland defense can take care of the rest.

Last week against the Chargers, the Dolphins offense had an up-and-down performance. They led by four at halftime, despite a dropped pass from Jaylen Waddle that led to an interception. Then in the third quarter, they looked atrocious and fell behind 26-13 early in the fourth. Finally all of a sudden, they scored 14 unanswered points to take a one point lead, only for Ladd McConkey to get behind the defense for a 42 yard catch-and-run that set up a game winning field goal for LA. At this point, it is not a question of whether or not Miami is more talented; it is if they are going to find a way to screw up this week. Tua Tagovailoa threw three interceptions last week and there is a good chance that he will struggle again with Myles Garrett on the other side of the line. The Browns are third against the run and seventh against the pass, so unless Gabriel has a turnover-laden afternoon, then I see this defense playing really well on Sunday.

FINAL LOCK: Ladies and gentlemen, I am going with the upset here and I am picking the Browns to win at home! I do not care that the Dolphins have more talent on their offense anymore. They lost all credibility and respectability the minute they missed the playoffs last year. I trust Cleveland to use an old-school approach of running the football and playing solid defense to get through and win the game.

FINAL SCORE: CLE 24-20

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (4-2) vs. TENNESSEE TITANS (1-5)

Mike Vrabel is back in Tennessee for a revenge game against the team that threw him under the bus in a power struggle. That general manager ended up getting fired, along with the head coach that replaced Vrabel. Now the Patriots are in first place in the AFC East while the Titans are one of the worst teams in the league. Either this is going to be a trap game or New England is going to make this one of the biggest blowouts of the season.

Drake Maye has been an absolute stud this season. He has 10 touchdown passes and only two interceptions. He has the second highest completion percentage, he is fifth in passing yards and he has the fourth highest passer rating. Maye has played like a top five quarterback this year, make no mistake about it, and Vrabel has his team heading in the right direction at the perfect time. Their defense is one of the best scoring units in the league, the passing game is starting to come into its own, but the rushing attack needs to have a big performance on their end for this team to keep their winning streak alive. 

The Titans, on the other hand, are just an absolute dumpster fire. Since trading AJ Brown, they have fired two general managers and two head coaches. The only reason why this team is not number 31 on the power rankings is because the Jets do not have a win right now. Cam Ward gets eaten alive in the pocket on a consistent basis, the running game keeps going in circles, their receivers barely do anything and the defense gets exhausted if they are on the field too long. Three years ago, Brown absolutely torched Tennessee’s secondary and got Jon Robinson fired the next day. Now it is time for Vrabel to get his comeuppance on Sunday afternoon.

FINAL LOCK: A part of me is thinking that this is going to be a trap game, but for the most part, I think the Patriots are going to steamroll the Titans from start to finish. Vrabel has clearly established a strong foundation in Foxboro and there is no question that his players are going to be more motivated than ever to get him his revenge win.

FINAL SCORE: NE 34-13

CAROLINA PANTHERS (3-3) vs. NEW YORK JETS (0-6)

If there is any time for the Panthers to get their first road win of the season, it has to be against the worst team in the National Football League. Right now, the Jets are a travesty. Their head coach is way over his head, the offense is nowhere near meeting expectations and the defense has plenty of holes on all three levels. Knowing how Carolina has performed these last two weeks, this should be a blowout, but something tells me this will be a scrappier game than expected.

Even though New York is 0-6, their defense actually had one of its better showings last Sunday against the Broncos. They held Bo Nix and company to just 13 points, they forced their first takeaway of the season and they forced a safety to give New York the lead! However, their offense had one of the worst performances I have seen in NFL history as they gave up nine sacks and totaled 82 yards! Now their best player Garrett Wilson is expected to miss time, which is a huge loss because he is almost literally the only player that gets thrown the football that is not a running back or Mason Taylor. Yeah, they are screwed.

I would say that the biggest thing the Panthers have to do to win is not turn the ball over, but we saw them do it in the first half two weeks in a row and they still found a way to win. However, now that they are on the road, the worst case scenario is that Carolina reverts back to what they were against the Jaguars and Cardinals. The biggest X factor? Bryce Young. In the last couple of victories against Miami and Dallas, he has been decent, yet a lot of the credit on the offensive side should be attributed to running back Rico Dowdle for nearly 480 combined scrimmage yards. Fortunately, the Jets defense gives up 130 yards on the ground, so there is a good chance that we might be set up for another strong performance. All Young has to do is continue to play the way he has over the last few weeks and the Panthers will finally have a winning record.

FINAL LOCK: I think that Carolina is going to win, but I have a strange feeling that this is going to be a pretty ugly game. Whoever can win the trenches will be able to dominate the time of possession, so as both teams stand, the Panthers do a better job of that than the Jets. Plus, it says a lot when I have more faith in Bryce Young than Justin Fields.

FINAL SCORE: CAR 17-14 

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (1-5) vs. CHICAGO BEARS (3-2)

If you thought the last two games were too close to call for the Bears, well do not be surprised if they somehow stumble into a tight finish against the New Orleans Saints. It will not matter how many takeaways the defense gets on Sunday, their offense will find a way to let the opposition hang around for too long.

The biggest reason why Chicago has the record that they have right now is because of their defense. Is it a great unit? Absolutely not. They have let up the second most rushing yards in the league and they have allowed the sixth most points. However, they are second in takeaways with 12, behind the Jacksonville Jaguars. In the last two weeks, they totaled seven against Geno Smith and Jayden Daniels, yet the Bears have won by the same score of 25-24. To the offense’s credit, they have made timely plays down the stretch in both showing, yet they kick more field goals than touchdowns early on. This offense has to get off to a strong start early and not take their foot off the gas because the team they are going up against does not like to go away, whether they win or lose.

I like that the Saints have not been the dumpster fire that I honestly expected them to be at the start of the year, but the reason why they are 1-5 is because they cannot take advantage of their opportunities at the most critical points of the game. They were able to beat the Giants at home by double digits, yet their defense forced five turnovers that included the scoop-and-score to get them to that point. New Orleans also needs to start fast and not falter apart. Otherwise, the result is just going to be another agonizing defeat.

FINAL LOCK: There are two reasons why I am slightly favoring the Bears right now. Number one is because they are at home but the second and more important one is that this is a revenge game for Dennis Allen. It is not surprising that the Chicago defensive coordinator is going to be just a little more motivated to rub it in against the team that fired him in the middle of the 2024 season. Until the Saints can finally prove that they can show up in the clutch, then they are not going to be favored in any other game they play in this year.

FINAL SCORE: CHI 26-18

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (4-2) vs. MINNESOTA VIKINGS (3-2)

I was prepared to give the Eagles a victory for this week, but after watching them in their last two games, I honestly don’t know. The Vikings might have a lot of question marks at the quarterback position, but they still have a talented offense and an aggressive defense that can go toe-to-toe with anyone. This especially includes a Philly team that is showing way too many cracks on both sides of the ball.

The Eagles offense is pathetic for the simple fact they have no identity. They hardly run the football, they barely get their best players involved and even the offensive line has shown its flaws. Jalen Hurts has been sacked 18 times, which is tied for the third most with Geno Smith and Drake Maye. To his credit, he has thrown eight touchdown passes and only one interception, yet the rest of his statistics are mediocre at best. Offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo is this close to getting fired before the trade deadline, which will make it the fourth straight year where Hurts will have a new playcaller. I understand that this team just won the Super Bowl but this organization is not exactly the best when it comes to continuity.

For Minnesota, the key to win is simple: make sure the quarterback does not screw up. Whether it is Carson Wentz or JJ McCarthy, one of them is going to be the X factor in this matchup. The Eagles defense has been a subpar unit at best, but it still is a group that has enough playmakers to swing the momentum around. The only question is who will be healthy enough to take the field? Last week against the Giants, they lost Quinyon Mitchell with a hamstring injury and if he is not going to be healthy to play, then this thinned out secondary is going to have trouble against the dynamic combo of Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.

FINAL LOCK: This can really go either way because we still do not know who will officially be starting for the Vikings, but I like their chances of pulling off an upset. Their defense has allowed the fifth fewest points in the NFL and they are the second best against the pass. However, the one way Philadelphia can win is if they run the football! They have one of the best running backs in the league, yet they hardly use him, so his production is going to be paramount for the team’s success.

FINAL SCORE: MIN 27-17

THE 4:05/4:25 WINDOW:

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (5-1) vs. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (4-2)

The Colts are back in So-Fi Stadium on Sunday afternoon, this time to take on the Chargers. There is no question that we should expect a grudge match between two division leaders. However, the story of this game is not necessarily about who will show up in the final minutes, but who is going to screw up at the most inopportune of times. 

As it stands right now, LA has not looked promising over the last few weeks after starting the year 3-0. Yeah they were able to beat the Dolphins off a walkoff field goal, yet they blew a 13 point lead and all it took was an electrifying play from Ladd McConkey just to get in scoring range. One quarter, they look solid. Yet they flame out like an egg in the next. This week, the Chargers are going up against the typical “bend but don’t break” defense. The Colts give up a lot of yards and they are prone to surrender points off of turnovers, yet they also rank top ten in takeaways. LA’s offense has been battered with injuries in the running game and on the offensive line, so the only way they can manage to scrape a win out is if they do not turn the ball over! Two weeks ago against Washington, a 10-0 lead was surrendered and the play that started it was a lost fumble from Quentin Johnston. If the Chargers can win the turnover battle, they will win the game. Pure and simple.

The same can be said for the Colts because in their only loss to the Rams in the same stadium, three turnovers ended what could have been an undefeated start through the first six weeks of the season. Daniel Jones is having a tremendous year. He is seventh in passing yards, third in completion percentage and tenth in passer rating. Jonathan Taylor is looking like the best running back in football right now. However, the LA defense is fourth in passing yards allowed, despite being subpar against the run. If this turns into a high-scoring affair, then Jones has to be the biggest reason why they win. That is not taking anything away from Taylor, but the quarterbacks are going to take the spotlight and one of them is going to get the majority of the credit for the win.

FINAL LOCK: I am slightly favoring the Chargers to win because they are at home. Something else to monitor are the injuries the Colts suffered this past week. Charvarius Ward suffered a concussion in pregame warmups, they do not have Kenny Moore due to an achilles and Jaylon Jones is on injured reserve. I expect both offenses to play valiantly, but I would not want to put the ball in Justin Herbert’s hands in the final seconds.

FINAL SCORE: LA 31-28

NEW YORK GIANTS (2-4) vs. DENVER BRONCOS (4-2)

Beating the Eagles at home on Thursday Night was one thing and it was a really impressive victory. However, this road game against the Broncos is going to be a true test for the Giants. Denver has one of the best defenses in the National Football League, but the inconsistent Bo Nix might keep New York in this matchup for as long as possible.

Dart and running back Cam Skattebo were dominant against what was supposed to be a vaunted Philadelphia defense at the start of the year. However, the Broncos present a bigger challenge in one of the toughest cities to play for any football player. They are second in total yards per game, third against the pass, sixth in rushing, second in points and number one in both the red zone, as well as on third down. For the Giants to win, this offense is going to have to replicate what they did last week against Philadelphia, but that will nowhere near be an easy feat to accomplish. There is no question that Dart is the truth, but this will be his toughest test yet.

The only way that this game is going to be close is if Bo Nix does not have a good performance. Last week against the Jets, he was utterly atrocious, especially in the second half. If it were not for the defense playing out of their minds, the Broncos would have handed New York its first win of the season. The Giants have an average defense at best, but they have more than a few playmakers that can disrupt the game. Denver has the league’s leading sacker in Nik Bonitto, but Brian Burns is not too far behind with seven and a half. There is also Dexter Lawrence, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter that can attack the pocket and force a fumble here and there. The secondary has not been great, which is somewhat expected when Shane Bowen is the defensive coordinator, but we just watched Cordale Flott come up with a momentum-swinging interception last Thursday against Philadelphia. The bottom line for Denver’s offense is that they cannot play the way they did in London. Otherwise, it will be a matter of time before the rookie Dart shows up in the clutch in another vintage performance.

FINAL LOCK: There is no excuse why the Broncos should not win this football game. They are at home with the better defense and their offense has the better head coach calling the shots. If Denver somehow loses, then there will be nobody else to blame but themselves. From the Giants perspective, however, one win could officially shut down the narrative that Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen will be fired at any point in the season.

FINAL SCORE: DEN 28-17

GREEN BAY PACKERS (3-1-1) vs. ARIZONA CARDINALS (2-4)

The Packers have been one of the best teams in the NFL to start the year while the Cardinals have fallen off a cliff after starting the season 2-0. This is looking like a bad mismatch entering Sunday afternoon, but something tells me that this is going to be a closer game than expected. However, Arizona nearly upset the Indianapolis Colts on the road with Jacoby Brissett.

There were a couple reasons why the Cardinals ended up losing. The first was that their defense got completely torched, especially in the second half. The second was that the offense could not take advantage of their chances in both halves. Brissett looked decent with 320 yards and a couple touchdown passes, yet he threw an interception in the red zone that led to a Colts touchdown and then they could not convert on a fourth down attempt that sealed the deal. Kyler Murray is expected to play after missing last week with a foot injury, yet I do not even believe that he improves their chances of winning. Although the Packers defense has been shaky, Arizona’s offense goes one dimensional at the worst possible time. The only way for the script to flip is if Murray has the game of his life.

Green Bay took care of business at home last week against a Bengals team quarterbacked by Joe Flacco. After a bad interception on the opening drive, Jordan Love and Josh Jacobs led the Packers to a 10-0 lead at halftime and put up points on every one of their second half possessions. However, I am just hoping that their defense does not stumble into another tight finish. They went from being the best unit in football after three weeks to a group that has been really mediocre. For them to avoid another humiliating loss like they had in Cleveland, this team has to be in sync from start to finish. No excuses whatsoever.

FINAL LOCK: The Packers are just a better football team with a more promising future. The Cardinals, on the other hand, are a few more losses away from everybody else questioning if Jonathan Gannon and Kyler Murray should stay with the franchise moving forward. I do not expect this to be a blowout, but I do believe that Green Bay will make a few more plays down the stretch that will allow them to pull away.

FINAL SCORE: GB 26-17

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (3-3) vs. DALLAS COWBOYS (2-3-1)

I know that a lot of people believe that the Commanders are going to win this game via blowout, but this is being played in Dallas. The Cowboys offense has been outstanding all season long and they have been better at home than on the road. This can really go either way, but I expect this to be a high-scoring affair.

It can be easy to point out that Washington turned the ball over three times at home on Monday Night Football and lost on a last-second field goal. However, their defense has been incredibly mediocre all season. They are respective in some categories like being sixth in sacks, yet they only have three takeaways. The Cowboys offense has been statistically strong over the last three games and they did not have CeeDee Lamb in any of them. Dak Prescott has been playing like an MVP candidate with over 1600 passing yards, 13 touchdown passes and only three interceptions. Javonte Williams is fourth in rushing and George Pickens has been having the best season of his career. However, you look at the other side of the football and it is a mess.

The Cowboys have the worst passing defense, the fourth worst rushing group, they allow the second most points and they are dead last on third down. Wasn’t Matt Eberflus supposed to be a good defensive coordinator? Congratulations, you are the Mike Nolan of the 2025 season. If Jayden Daniels does not have a strong performance against this garbage heap of a unit, then that would be absolutely stunning. Fortunately, he will more than likely get Terry McLaurin back from a quad injury, which will open up their passing game. All Washington has to do is throw last week in the trash and have a clean performance, then they can just escape with a win.

FINAL LOCK: Call me crazy but I like the Cowboys in this one. I have no faith in their defense whatsoever, but because they are at home, I expect their offense to be the biggest reason why this team gets in front in the final minute. Add a long field goal from Brandon Aubrey and you have yourself an upset.

FINAL SCORE: DAL 34-30