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NFL Week 7 Underdog Report: Browns and Eagles favored despite poor play
Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

NFL Week 7 Underdog Report: Browns and Eagles favored despite poor play

The Cleveland Browns, losers of three straight games, are expected to defeat the Miami Dolphins this week, while the Philadelphia Eagles, losers of two straight games, are favored over the Minnesota Vikings. We’ll see about that.

Miami Dolphins at Cleveland Browns (-2.5)

It’s been three weeks since the Browns have played a game at Huntington Bank Field, where the team registered its lone win, a 13-10 victory over the Green Bay Packers

A second win is certainly possible against an undisciplined Miami team with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on the hot seat for controversial comments about his teammates.

But the Dolphins have played better than their (1-5) record suggests, losing three games by one score and their last two by a combined five points. Head coach Mike McDaniel will likely be the next head coach fired after the Tennessee Titans moved on from Brian Callahan on Monday, but Miami's roster is still talented.

Running back De’Von Achane averaged 8.0 yards per carry for 128 yards and two scores against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday and is currently tied with Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs as the NFL’s 12th-leading rusher with 390 yards.

Browns running back Quinshon Judkins isn’t far behind with 383 yards, but he managed only 36 yards on 12 carries against the Pittsburgh Steelers last week.

Jaylen Waddle, Miami’s top-pass-catcher with Tyreek Hill out for the season, is the league’s 13th-leading receiver and had six catches in each of his last two games for a total of 195 yards. Meanwhile, third-round rookie Harold Fannin Jr. leads the Browns with 254 yards as the league’s 54th-leading receiver.

Of course Cleveland’s third-ranked defense should factor into the equation, but so will Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel. A third-round pick in this year’s draft, the former Oregon Duck took six sacks against the Steelers last week and is 0-2 in his two starts.

If he can’t match or exceed the efforts of Tagovailoa, Gabriel could easily go 0-3.

Philadelphia Eagles at Minnesota Vikings (+1.5)

Carson Wentz is 2-1 in three starts for injured quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who was limited in practice on Wednesday after suffering a high-ankle sprain against the Falcons in Week 2. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell remains non-committal as to who will start, but many believe Wentz will get the nod against his old team.

Wentz was a first-round pick of the Eagles in 2016 and helped Philadelphia win its first Super Bowl in 2017, but was traded to the Indianapolis Colts in 2021, one of four teams the 30-year-old quarterback has played for before joining the Vikings in the offseason.

Fortunately for him, Philadelphia’s defense looks nothing like last year’s top-ranked unit, and the sudden retirement of defensive end Za'Darius Smith certainly won’t help a team currently allowing the 12th-most yards (342.8).

Offensively, things are even worse with Philadelphia coming off upset losses to the Denver Broncos and New York Giants. The Eagles failed to complete a pass in the second half of a Week 4 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and rushed for -1 yard in a scoreless second half against the Giants last week.

The Vikings lost their last two games against the Eagles, but the Eagles haven’t won a game in Minnesota since 2019. With back-to-back road games scheduled for Weeks 8 and 9, the Vikings will look to take care of business at home.

Bruce Ewing

Bruce Ewing is 183 pounds of twisted steel and Happy Meals. His work has appeared on Yardbarker, 5th Down Fantasy, Inside the Iggles and MSN. Give a Philly fan a break and follow him on Twitter/X at @fantasybruce.

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