NFL Week 7 preview

Thursday, 8:20 p.m. ET (NFL NETWORK)

The Broncos gave it the ol' college try against Jared Goff and the Rams, but like the five teams before them, they came up short. To their credit, Denver held Goff in check, sacking him five times and generally harassing him all afternoon. However, there was the little problem of Todd Gurley, who went off to the tune of 208 yards and two touchdowns. After dealing with that offense, seeing the Cardinals on a short week must be a sight for sore eyes, and bodies. Arizona is trying to get Josh Rosen going, but the real problem is that David Johnson hasn't found anything close to his groove yet. Johnson is averaging 3.2 yards per carry, and while he's probably been hurt by the tumult at quarterback, he simply hasn't been able to be the dominant force he was in 2016. Any chance Arizona has of winning the game rests with number 31. While the Cardinals are already out of the playoff picture, Denver is on life support, but a loss here would functionally end its season.

Sunday, 9:30 a.m. ET (CBS - Game at Wembley Stadium)

Are the Chargers the biggest threat to the Patriots and Chiefs in the AFC? There's a convincing argument to be made that they are, especially in light of the fact that they strolled into Cleveland and absolutely crushed the Browns, mostly on the ground. Melvin Gordon keyed a running game that rolled up nearly 250 yards, made Philip Rivers' day an easy one and thrashed a Cleveland team that just came off a hard-fought home win over Baltimore. The Chargers' two losses are to the Chiefs and the Rams, arguably the two best teams in football. The Titans are 3-3, and while they aren't the worst team in the league, they may have delivered 2018's worst offensive performance last week against Baltimore. Marcus Mariota was sacked 11 times, and Tennessee managed only seven first downs. Per Pro Football Reference, a team has managed seven first downs against 11 sacks precisely two other times in NFL history, both in the 1960s. You'll not be surprised to learn that both of those teams also lost. That said, this game is in London, so some weird things could happen.

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

Fresh off a thriller at home against the Chiefs, the Pats travel to Chicago, where the challenge won't necessarily be winning a shootout, but rather avoiding a ferocious Bears pass rush led by Khalil Mack. Chicago has forced at least two turnovers in every game this season, but as we all know, New England is a different beast altogether — and the Bears somehow gave up 541 yards against Miami, including 380 through the air to...Brock Osweiler. Mitch Trubisky was solid against the Dolphins, except for a horrible interception at the start of the fourth quarter. He'll have to be nearly perfect to beat Tom Brady and the Pats, and the Bears will have to win the time of possession battle to have a reasonable chance at victory. New England is still tied for first in its division by virtue of Miami's win over Chicago last week, but the Pats are starting to have that look of a team that's going to be hard to stop. That's bad news for the rest of the NFL.

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

You know things are bad when reports leak out that Bills head coach Sean McDermott is at risk of losing the locker room if he starts Nathan Peterman again. The Bills are rudderless with Peterman at the controls of the offense, so much so that one wonders if they'd be better off just dusting off the Wildcat formation for LeSean McCoy. I say that only half kidding, by the way. As it is, Derek Anderson will start for Buffalo. Indianapolis has problems of its own —mainly the fact that Andrew Luck, despite four touchdowns and 301 yards against the Jets, also threw three interceptions and couldn't get the drop on rookie Sam Darnold. The Colts' defense didn't exactly harass Darnold into a bad day, either and gave up 42 points. As bad as things are in Indy, they seem exponentially worse in Buffalo, which is why a Bills win in this one would be a truly stunning outcome and signal big trouble for the Colts. If you don't have a rooting interest in this one, and the game is being shown in your market, I'm sorry.

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)

If you needed proof that the NFL is a strange and unpredictable league, look no further than Brock Osweiler's performance last Sunday against the Bears. Most people, myself included, assumed that game would be something of a bloodbath, given the strength of Chicago's defense and the fact that Osweiler is, well, Osweiler. Of course, that was not the case, as he threw for 380 yards and led the Dolphins to a shocking victory that kept them tied for first in the AFC East. Ryan Tannehill can't go, so can Brock make it two in a row? He'll have a decent chance, given the Lions' weakness against the run. Their shortcomings in that particular area should lessen the pressure on any opposing quarterback, though Detroit's offense is capable of holding its own. The Lions were massively outgained in their Week 5 win over Green Bay, but forcing three turnovers balanced the scales. A more balanced, less high-wire act would probably be a welcome change for Matt Patricia. 

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)

Sam Darnold showed out against the Colts, but Indy's defense isn't close to what Minnesota brings to the table. Minnesota stifled the Cardinals and got a big game on the ground from Latavius Murray. The Vikings are part of a crowded NFC North that figures to remain so, given the likelihood that the Bears lose to New England. A win could vault Minnesota into first place. The Jets' defense is pretty stout in its own right and ranks higher than the Vikes', but Minnesota's numbers were inflated by a bad performance against the Rams. Harrison Smith is the kind of player who could give Sam Darnold fits and might force the Jets to be more conservative with their play calling so as to mitigate their turnover risk. If this game comes down to a battle of quarterbacks, one has to give the advantage to Kirk Cousins, even on the road. Then again, the Jets are 3-3, and even though they've had some real clunkers, they've won two games in a row. Remember: The NFL is weird.

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)

Philly is still trying to find itself this year, and while Carson Wentz's play has steadily gotten back to expected levels, the Eagles are only 3-3. The combined record of the three teams the Eagles have beaten: 4-14. The Panthers, at 3-2, trend much more toward good than bad and should challenge Philadelphia much more than the Giants or Colts did. How you feel about this game probably depends on how you feel about the Eagles moving forward and whether or not you think they're finding their sea legs or were a one-year wonder. The Panthers aren't a bystander, of course, but they are hard to figure. Their wins over the Bengals and Cowboys look solid, but their loss to Washington is puzzling. Everyone knows what they're capable of on both sides of the ball, and the names jump off the page, but the results don't match. And if Graham Gano doesn't make a low-probability field goal, they're 2-3. This one feels like a random blowout for one team. Which one is anyone's guess.

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)

I was all ready to buy Cleveland Browns stock, and then they went out and got smoked by the Chargers. Baker Mayfield, exciting as he can be, is experiencing some growing pains. The Browns' defense is trending the wrong way. It bent but didn't break against the Ravens, but in two of the last three games, it's been lit up for big yardage and big point totals. There's too much talent there for that trend to continue, but Jameis Winston has plenty of talent around him, as well as a running game starting to find its footing. The Bucs fired high-priced defensive coordinator Mike Smith, hoping to fix what ails their league-worst outfit. This might be a game that both gets the Browns' offense going but continues their defense's woes. Myles Garrett has only one sack in his past three games, after notching four in the season's first three. A return to that earlier form would help the Browns immensely and keep them in the AFC playoff discussion.

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

How the mighty have fallen. It was a few weeks ago, Week 2, to be exact, that the Jags were riding high, having throttled the Patriots to move to 2-0 on the year. The defense was rolling, Blake Bortles suddenly looked great, and Jacksonville was looking like a trendy Super Bowl pick. The Jags have since lost three of their last four, including a truly ugly affair with Tennessee and a humiliating blowout to Dallas last week. The scrutiny surrounding Bortles is reaching a fever pitch, and the only thing the Jaguars have going for them is the fact that they play in the mediocre AFC South. Houston is 3-3 as well, but it's arrived at that record differently, reeling off three straight wins after an 0-3 start. Deshaun Watson's season has been a tale of four mostly good to very good starts, bookended by two puzzling awful performances. Houston will have its work cut out for it against a Jacksonville defense doubtless smarting after getting walloped, but it might not take a ton of points to win this game. Houston's remaining schedule is easier than Jacksonville's, so a win for the Texans could go a long way.

Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET (FOX)

Drew Brees is the league's all-time leading passer, and he's had a week to rest. But the party is most definitely over for him now that he has to take his show on the road against Baltimore. The Ravens humiliated the Titans last week, sacking Marcus Mariota 11 times while surrendering a mere seven first downs. This profiles as one of the most interesting offense vs. defense showdowns of the week, and in fact, the Saints have the league's best scoring offense and Baltimore its best scoring defense. Terrell Suggs will of course be under the microscope, but perhaps the most interesting chess match will be between Eric Weddle and Brees. Weddle's primary strength is playing the run and getting the Ravens lined up properly, but he can be had in pass coverage. That figures to be a problem against the surgical Brees, whose connection with Michael Thomas has been lights out. Thomas has caught 46 of his 49 targets this year for an obscene, league-leading 94 percent catch percentage. This should be a great battle. 

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)

The 49ers battled hard in Green Bay, only to have Aaron Rodgers torture them late and steal a victory. Their reward for that hard-luck loss is a date with the Rams, who may well be the NFL's best team and just came off a gut-check road win in Denver, where they proved they could win while not at their best. The Niners will have to contend with the Rams' offense, but also Aaron Donald, who has quietly been his usual dominant self despite Los Angeles' occasional overall struggles on defense. Donald registered 10 quarterback hurries last week and is the single-most disruptive defensive force in the league, with Khalil Mack being the only realistic contender to his throne. C.J. Beathard has been very game in place of Jimmy Garoppolo, but he'll have to put up big points and try to deal with what likely will be a constantly collapsing pocket. A strong rushing attack would help the Niners' upset bid tremendously — and despite Donald's excellence, L.A. is still vulnerable in that area.

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)

Two of last week's more surprising results came courtesy of these two NFC East squads. Washington stifled the Panthers, and Dallas drilled the Jaguars in truly astonishing fashion. Was either result sustainable? Both teams forced turnovers, but the Cowboys were statistically dominant and never let Jacksonville in the game. Dak Prescott finally flashed some of his rookie-year form, and Ezekiel Elliott was a force to be reckoned with on the ground. If Adrian Peterson is effective for Washington, it'll have a very good chance to win, but his play has been anything but predictable. In his three good games this year, he has 313 yards on 66 carries for a tidy 4.7 yards per carry average. In his two bad games, the total is 15 carries for a paltry 26 yards. He hasn't strung together two good ones in a row, and Dallas' defense is second-best in the league in terms of yards per carry against. If the Cowboys get up early and force Washington to pass, it could be a long day for the home fans.

Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)

The Bengals are likely still smarting from another infuriating loss to the Steelers, one that saw them rally late, only to leave too much time for Ben Roethlisberger to engineer a game-winning drive. Their consolation prize is a date with the Chiefs in prime time, and even though K.C. fell from the ranks of the unbeaten, Patrick Mahomes impressed many with his torrid second half in New England. The Bengals struggle mightily against the pass, which makes this a bad matchup for them, to say the least. If this one turns into a shootout, and there's precious little reason to think it won't, things would seem to obviously favor the Chiefs. One player to watch is Cincinnati's Tyler Boyd, who had two more touchdown catches against the Steelers, bringing his season total to four, and who leads the Bengals in receptions this season. Boyd is quickly emerging as a viable Robin to A.J. Green's Batman, and he gives Andy Dalton yet another weapon to turn to. This might not be a close game, but it should be plenty entertaining.

Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)

One imagines ESPN's corporate brass salivating over this game before the season. The big-market Giants, featuring Odell Beckham Jr. and Saquon Barkley, taking on the Falcons, who most everyone had pegged as a serious NFC contender. Instead, the teams are a combined 3-9, the Giants are in total disarray, and Atlanta will have to fight hard to somehow work back into the NFC playoff chase. Not exactly what the suits had in mind, methinks. In any case, Barkley alone is reason enough to tune into this one, and with Atlanta shorthanded thanks to an injury to Devonta Freeman, the Giants might be able to keep things close by pinning back their ears and going after Matt Ryan. That said, Ito Smith has been serviceable enough in the Atlanta backfield, and Ryan still has more weapons and a much better offensive line than Eli Manning. If the Giants lose this one, expect things to get truly ugly in the Big Apple.