NFL Week 7 Essentials
Sunday, Oct. 25
Buffalo at Jacksonville:
We’re back at London’s Wembley Stadium for an early morning kickoff as the Bills look to get back above .500 against the struggling Jaguars. It remains to be seen whether Tyrod Taylor can return from his knee injury, but backup EJ Manuel held his own against a solid Bengals defense, passing and running for scores in a 34-21 loss. The Jags hope to have running back TJ Yeldon in the lineup after he sat against the Texans with a groin injury.
Cleveland at St. Louis:
The Browns have played consecutive overtime games and have been involved in four epic finishes since Josh McCown returned from a concussion that cost him a Week 2 start. Their last three contests have each ended on game-winning field goals. Considering how effective McCown was in moving the ball against Denver, one of the NFL’s top defenses, it’s a safe bet he’ll hold on to the QB job as long as he stays healthy. Another fierce defense awaits as the Browns visit the Rams, who come in fresh off a bye week.
Pittsburgh at Kansas City:
The Steelers will either have Ben Roethlisberger back or be forced to turn to third-stringer Landry Jones, since it sounds like Mike Vick is a no-go due to a small tear in his hamstring. Roethlisberger says he won’t know if he’ll be able to play until we get deep into the week, so Jones will likely get the bulk of the snaps in preparation for his first NFL start. He threw for a pair of touchdowns in the 25-13 win over Arizona, picking up the win despite Pittsburgh trailing 10-6 when he took over for Vick. The sloppy Chiefs predictably struggled in their first action without Jamaal Charles, losing 16-10 in Minneapolis after failing to score a single point through the first three quarters.
Houston at Miami:
The Dolphins finally got the anticipated production out of their front seven against Tennessee, wreaking havoc in the backfield and emerging with Week 6’s most lopsided win. With J.J. Watt and the Texans also coming off a win, both teams here view this underrated matchup as an opportunity to get the ball rolling on a winning streak. Brian Hoyer validated Bill O’Brien’s decision to go back to him at QB over Ryan Mallett by throwing for 293 yards and three touchdowns, connecting with DeAndre Hopkins 10 times. That combination will need to remain among the NFL’s most productive for the Texans to get a win in South Florida.
N.Y. Jets at New England:
The Patriots knew that with every team in the division seemingly improved, winning the AFC East for a seventh consecutive time wouldn’t be as easy as it has been. The Jets have emerged from the pack as the top contender, led by Darrelle Revis' return to the secondary and improved QB play they’ve gotten from Ryan Fitzpatrick, so this looms as Week 7’s marquee matchup. New England will be playing in Foxboro for the first time since Sept. 27 but are beginning a stretch of three in a row at home. Bill Belichick has beaten the Jets in eight of the last nine meetings, but this will be his first look at the Todd Bowles-led version.
Minnesota at Detroit:
The Lions became the final team to break through and earn a win this season, beating Chicago in OT on Sunday. They’ll wrap up their three-game homestand against a Vikings squad they fell to 26-16 in Week 2, so we’ll know whether to write them off prior to their trip to London to face Kansas City next week. Matthew Stafford wound up throwing for 405 yards and four touchdowns against Chicago, but the fact beating the Bears in the final minutes of OT required that much production and a controversial touchdown tells you all you need to know about where the Lions find themselves entering this one. The Vikings are quietly running sixth in the NFC, in line for a playoff spot but have plenty of room for offensive improvement. Teddy Bridgewater threw a pair of interceptions and Adrian Peterson managed just 60 yards on 26 carries against Kansas City as the defense was forced to bail out an anemic attack. Rookie WR Stefon Diggs did make seven grabs for 129 yards and could emerge as weapon going forward.
Atlanta at Tennessee:
After dropping their first game in New Orleans, we’ll see how the Dan Quinn gets his Falcons to bounce back from adversity. With Devonta Freeman leading the NFL in touchdowns and Julio Jones battling through injuries to remain among the league’s top targets, Atlanta doesn’t lack for firepower. Still, it has struggled with turnovers for a couple of weeks, dating back to requiring OT to get past Washington at home. The Titans haven’t won since the season opener despite the fact they’ll be playing their fourth consecutive home game. Marcus Mariota has been hit hard during his rookie season and will be down a key offensive lineman with center Brian Schwenke lost to a fractured ankle.
Tampa Bay at Washington:
Jameis Winston’s pro career got off to a rocky start against Mariota’s Titans, but he’s now currently ahead in wins and could get his team back to .500 by pulling out a win here. This is a big game for head coaches Lovie Smith and Jay Gruden, each trying to gain traction in their second season at the helm. Unlike Smith, who is coming out of a bye week and has had more prep time, Gruden is heading into his after this contest, which puts added pressure on Washington to win and avoid taking a three-game losing streak into their break. Kirk Cousins struggled again last week against the Jets and has failed to capitalize on the momentum of his fourth-quarter comeback against Philadelphia.
New Orleans at Indianapolis:
With Drew Brees’ injured throwing shoulder feeling better, the Saints’ prospects have dramatically improved as they go in search of their first road win. The Colts got Andrew Luck back and had some positive stretches in Sunday night’s loss to New England, so they’ll be looking to get things together here and keep the sharks from circling around beleaguered head coach Chuck Pagano. If they lose, Indianapolis would be staring at a 3-4 start with games at undefeated Carolina and home against unbeaten Denver prior to its bye week.
Oakland at San Diego:
The Chargers have dropped consecutive games to the Steelers and Packers that they came tantalizingly close to winning, but no one on that offense is quitting on Philip Rivers. The key variable here will be Keenan Allen’s availability, as the NFL’s leader with 53 receptions left the field on Sunday with a hip flexor injury that may require him to miss a game. The Raiders are coming off their bye week and are eager to snap a two-game losing streak and get back to .500. Since Denver is running away with the AFC West, this takes on increased importance since it lumps the loser in with last-place Kansas City in a seemingly insurmountable hole.
Dallas at N.Y. Giants:
It sounds like Dez Bryant is going to try and be a part of this one, as the injured Cowboys wide receiver has been back on the field for conditioning drills in aiming to return from foot surgery earlier than expected. He’ll have a new quarterback in Matt Cassel, who takes over for an ineffective Brandon Weeden. The Cowboys have also promised to increase new running back Christine Michael’s responsibilities, so the Giants will essentially be seeing a new-look squad that has had a bye week to heal up and implement new wrinkles.
Philadelphia at Carolina:
Fresh off a thrilling win in Seattle, the Panthers will look to slow down Chip Kelly’s Eagles on Sunday night. Cam Newton is playing like an MVP candidate and a defense that got LB Luke Kuechly back from a lengthy battle with concussion symptoms has a primetime stage to put their talent on display. Although Carolina certainly benefited from a light early schedule, beating the Seahawks on the road opened up a post-bye stretch that the team was pointing towards as a national coming out party. The Panthers host Indianapolis next Monday night and then welcome in the Packers on Nov. 8, so the tests intensify. If they’re able to thrive at home, their Super Bowl odds should drop dramatically. Entering the week, Sportsbook.ag had them 11-to-1 to win the NFC and 22-to-1 to win SB 50.
Monday, Oct. 26
Baltimore at Arizona:
The Ravens are 1-5 and a sizeable underdog to go down again here. Between injuries, inconsistent play from Joe Flacco and an inability to get stops against opposing passers, Baltimore looks destined to miss the playoffs for the second time in three seasons. Aside from their 2013 demise, the Ravens have won a postseason game every year since 2008, so we’ll see if John Harbaugh finds a way to get his team to at least go down swinging. The Cardinals come off a loss in Pittsburgh but are 9-2 at University of Phoenix Stadium under head coach Bruce Arians.
