NFL 2021 Week 7 Picks

Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us yet again. The week that will be offers some intriguing matchups and hopefully closer games compared to Week 6. I'll be keeping an eye on the Bengals-Ravens, Lions-Rams, and Colts-49ers games this week. For this post I'll be doing a preview of the week as well as my picks for the week's games. Let's get to work!

Week 7 Preview

The seventh week of the NFL's regular season will start in Cleveland, Ohio and finish up in Seattle, Washington. There will be a 13-game slate this week as 26 teams will play. The week has a Thursday night game, six early games, four late games, a Sunday night game and a Monday night game. Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers will have a bye this week. FOX will have the single, regional game and CBS will carry the doubleheader again this week. Let's get to the picks!

Week 7 Picks

Note: TW is me and CV is Cardinal Viking, my former roommate. All game times are in US Eastern.

Denver (3-3) @ Cleveland (3-3) (FOX/Amazon/NFL Network; 8:20 pm): TW: Broncos; CV: Browns
Both teams lost last week as the Broncos lost to the Raiders and the Browns lost to the Cardinals. Both teams had really bad losses but I think the Broncos seem to be the better team off in this matchup as they don't have players banged up. Cleveland really can't catch a break as both Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt could miss this game. Baker Mayfield could have a rebound game like he has in the past but without a running game that he's been blessed with, he could be in hot water. Denver seems like the less banged up club going in so I'll take them.

Atlanta (2-3) @ Miami (1-5) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Falcons; CV: Falcons
Last week the Falcons were on a bye and the Dolphins lost to the Jaguars. Miami played alright but ultimately lost to the winless Jaguars last week. Miami's inability to stop the offense was the biggest culprit and I think they will have a tough time to win this one. Matt Ryan and company are coming off a bye week that gave them extra rest after playing overseas in Week 5. Miami didn't get that luxury sadly and I think that will play into this one. I'll take the Falcons.

Carolina (3-3) @ NY Giants (1-5) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Panthers; CV: Panthers
Both teams lost as the Panthers lost to the Vikings and the Giants lost to the Rams last week. Carolina started out at 3-0 and are now staring at a not a healthy .500 record. New York couldn't really get anything going on offense and couldn't stop the Rams either. Chubba Hubbard has been a solid choice at running back for Carolina and they can rely on Sam Darnold to keep them in games. I just question how well their defense can do against the Giants. Daniel Jones can play well but Saquon Barkley has had some injury issues this early in the year. They'll need to get to a good start as Carolina is no slouch on defense. 

Cincinnati (4-2) @ Baltimore (5-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Ravens; CV: Bengals
Both teams got wins last week as the Bengals beat the Lions and the Ravens beat the Chargers. Cincy has had a good season in its helm as Joe Burrow has remained upright and not injured. Baltimore got its offense going against the Chargers and blew them out of the water. I think the Ravens great offense will keep going into this game but they're going to face a challenge in the 8th ranked rushing defense that Cincy possesses. Baltimore's defense is good too and we will have to see how they can slow down the Burrow to Ja'Marr Chase connection. I'll take the Ravens

Kansas City (3-3) @ Tennessee (4-2) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Titans; CV: Chiefs
Both teams won their games last week as the Chiefs beat the Football Team and the Titans beat the Bills. Kansas City found themselves at a challenge this year and their problems that they had in the Super Bowl (offensive line and defense) reared its ugly head this season. Patrick Mahomes didn't play that great against Washington but he did enough to bring the Chiefs back. Tennessee seems to have the offense that can keep Mahomes off the field as they have Derrick Henry and a quarterback in Ryan Tannehill that can grind you to dust. I'll take the Titans. 

NY Jets (1-4) @ New England (2-4) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
The Jets had a bye and the Patriots lost to the Cowboys last week. New York is the better rested team as they had the bye last week. New England played a competitive game against Dallas and came close to winning. Mac Jones hasn't been terrible but he hasn't been great either in his rookie year. Zach Wilson has been terrible but after all he plays for the Jets so you have to give him some leeway. New England's saving grace this year has been their defense which is currently ranked 17th in total yards allowed with 359.2 yards/game. I'll take the Pats.

Washington (2-4) @ Green Bay (5-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Packers; CV: Football Team
The Football Team lost to the Chiefs and the Packers beat the Bears last week. Washington had a competitive game against the Chiefs and kept with them during the first half. Washington's running attack has been a decent unit with 106.3 yards/game which gives them 19th in the NFL. They face a Packers team that did well on offense and played even better in defense, especially in on pass defense. If Washington wants to win this one they'll need to get Taylor Heinicke to take his chances down the field. I don't see it happening as this seems like a tough one to climb. I'll take the Pack

Detroit (0-6) @ LA Rams (5-1) (FOX; 4:05 pm): TW: Rams; CV: Rams
Last week the Lions lost to the Bengals and the Rams beat the Giants. Jared Goff faces off against his old team and Matthew Stafford faces against his old team in this game. Detroit was expected to not have a great season but certainly not a season like this. They've been close in some of their games but couldn't quite find the winning one. The Rams have had a great year out of Matthew Stafford. I think the game means a bit more to Matthew Stafford facing off against his old team that he had played for 11 seasons. I think he would like nothing more than to beat them and I think the Rams will. 

Philadelphia (2-4) @ Las Vegas (4-2) (FOX; 4:05 pm): TW: Raiders; CV: Raiders
Last week the Eagles lost to the Buccaneers and the Raiders beat the Broncos. Philly came close to beating the defending champs and their pass offense has done well despite having a 2-4 record. Las Vegas played their hearts out amid all the controversy over the Jon Gruden emails. They had a great day out of Kenyan Drake as well as Derek Carr. Las Vegas's defense will face a tough task in trying to slow down Jalen Hurts who can beat you with his arm and legs. I think it'll be a close one but I think the Raiders will win. 

Chicago (3-3) @ Tampa Bay (5-1) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
The Bears lost to the Packers and the Buccaneers beat the Eagles last week. Chicago showed some signs of life on the running game with Khalil Herbert and Damien Williams as the runningbacks. After that loss to the Packers, you have to feel that they have some sort of demoralization on their team. They face a tough task in trying to beat the Tom Brady Buccaneers. Tampa hasn't missed a beat as defending champs and Tom Brady has certainly lead the way in that. I'll take the Buccaneers.

Houston (1-5) @ Arizona (6-0) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Cardinals; CV: Cardinals
The Texans lost to the Colts and the Cardinals beat the Browns last week. JJ Watt and DeAndre Hopkins will face against their old team in the Houston Texans. They won't face against against head coach Bill O'Brien but they still feel that they would like to have some sort of revenge against Houston. The Cardinals have been playing outstanding football on offense with a solid support in defense. I'll take the Cards.

Indianapolis (2-4) @ San Francisco (2-3) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Colts; CV: Colts
The Colts beat the Texans and the 49ers had a bye last week. San Francisco had a bye last week and they certainly needed one as they were banged up on offense. Trey Lance won't likely make the start but it is possible that a banged up Jimmy Garoppolo could get the nod from Kyle Shanahan.  Indianapolis would like to get back to a winning record come playoff time and they can against the 49ers. Carson Wentz played a solid game last week and the week before. It'll come down to him again this week. I'll take the Colts.

New Orleans (3-2) @ Seattle (2-4) (ESPN; 8:15 pm): TW: Saints; CV: Saints
The Saints were on a bye and the Seahawks lost to the Steelers last week. New Orleans came off of a bye and are the well rested team in this game. The real question is how well they can be consistent as they can be either a great team that dominates opponents or a team that has its wheels fall off. That being said I feel they are the better team on paper. Seattle won't likely have Russell Wilson again and will have Geno Smith to lead them to a win. I personally don't see it happening. I'll take the Saints. 

Early & Late Game TV Pairings

Note: Games in bold are games being shown in my area.

CBS Early

Kansas City @ Tennessee
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

Cincinnati @ Baltimore
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

NY Jets @ New England
Andrew Catalon, James Lofton

CBS Late

Chicago @ Tampa Bay
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

Houston @ Arizona
Greg Gumbel, Adam Archuleta

FOX Single

Washington @ Green Bay
Joe Davis, Greg Olson

Carolina @ NY Giants
Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth

Atlanta @ Miami
Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston

Philadelphia @ Las Vegas (LATE)
Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

Detroit @ LA Rams (LATE)
Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez

For more information on which game is being shown in your area, check out: NFL 2021: Week 7 Maps.  

2021 Pick'em Records:

My record:

Week 1: 7-9
Week 2: 10-6
Week 3: 10-6
Week 4: 9-7
Week 5: 12-4
Week 6: 11-3

Total: 59-35

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-10
Week 2: 12-4
Week 3: 13-3
Week 4: 10-6
Week 5: 10-6
Week 6: 12-2

Total: 63-31

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2

2019: 161-94-1

2020: 167-88-1 

NFL 2018 Week 7 Picks

Hello readers! That time of the week is almost upon us again as the National Football League enters into its 7th week of competition. The week offers a few games of offense vs defense, some sleeper games, and an all-NFC matchup on CBS for a late game. In this column, I'll go through the picks as well as my take on the NFL in London.

A Not So Jolly Good Time

In 2007, the NFL decided to have a game outside of North America for the first time. The chosen site was Wembley Stadium, in London. The first game was held on October 28th, 2007 between the New York Giants and the Miami Dolphins. The Giants would win the contest 13-10.

While I do believe it can bring in a new market for the league, in a market that is heavily into Association football (soccer), cricket, and rugby (a rougher version of American football), it's not quite a huge investment to venture into. There has been talking of a team (like the Jacksonville Jaguars) to play quite a number of games in London. The idea might look good on paper but it has its drawbacks. Here's why:

• There's a large time difference between the Eastern Standard/Daylight Time to London's time zone, British Standard Time. A five hour time difference. Depending on the time in the UK to the US, there's a possibility of people not even watching it. 
• There's no guarantee that it will work. There was a thing called NFL Europe in the late 1990's to mid-2000's to help showcase the game. Why not just bring NFL Europe back if you're so desperate in bringing the game to another continent? 
• The travel budget would be through the roof for not just the home team but the road team as well. Body clocks would be messed up. If you're so concerned with player safety, shouldn't your first priority be on the fact that if a player isn't mentally ready to play a game, how is he even ready physically to play it as well?

If you want to spread the game to other areas, do it in North America, it saves money on travel. Granted the NFL does a game in Mexico as a showcase, it would be good to bring it into Canada as well. You already have the Canadian Football League playing a different variation of the game. It's not like the Canadian market is devoid of football. Just seems silly to me. Thankfully I'm not the only one who feels this way. 

Cool video of the week

When it comes to music I like to listen to a variety. Whatever sounds good to me, I like. The strange thing about music is that there is so much of it. So much that you never really hear it often because the radio never plays it, the song is chosen over for its singles, or artists that have more success tend to not put in their underrated work on their "greatest hits" albums. When it comes to these I listen to Spotify's "Sirius XM Deep Tracks" playlist or just search a random artist and listen to their "underrated" albums, often times their early work. 

One such example of one song that I've been binging lately is an instrumental. The song is called "Summer Madness" by Kool & The Gang. The song was included on their 1974 album, Light Of Worlds, while not released as a single. The cool video of the week is an extended version of the song. Quite the song to chill out after a long day. 

Week 7 of the NFL starts in Glendale, Arizona and ends in Atlanta, Georgia. Truly a sea to shining sea (in reverse) sort of week. On the slate is 14 games. There will be a Thursday night game, a Sunday morning game, seven early games, three late games, a Sunday night game, and a Monday night game. The Pittsburgh Steelers, Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, and Oakland Raiders will be on the bye week. FOX will have the single, regional game, while CBS will have the doubleheader. Let's get to work!

Denver (2-4) @ Arizona (1-5) (FOX/NFL Network): TW: Broncos, CV: Broncos
Both teams took losses last week as the Broncos lost to the Rams and the Cardinals to the Vikings. The week starts out with a sleeper. The game will come down to if the Broncos running game will have a good start against a 31st ranked rush defense in the Cardinals. The Cardinals offense needs to get back to basics and use David Johnson a lot with a few pass plays. Cardinals defense needs to step up as well because the Cardinals offense has struggled.

Tennessee (3-3) @ LA Chargers (4-2) (CBS): TW: Chargers, CV: Chargers
The Titans took a loss against the Ravens and the Chargers got a win against the Browns last week. The game will be on at 9:30 am Eastern time, televised nationally (which is somewhat of a nice thing if you're a morning person). The Chargers should get a win based on the fact that they have a proven quarterback in Philip Rivers and a balanced offensive attack with Melvin Gordon III helming the ground game. The Titans got a shellacking against the Ravens last week and I just don't feel haven't recovered from it. I'd be surprised if the Chargers lose this game.

Buffalo (2-4) @ Indianapolis (1-5) (CBS): TW: Colts, CV: Colts
Both teams ended up in the losing column last week as the Bills lost to the Texans and the Colts to the Jets. The two teams aren't that great. The Colts seem to be more built on offense than the Bills are. The Bills defense would have the edge in the game but you can't get much out of your defense if your own offense can't sustain a drive. I like the Colts with their offense.

Carolina (3-2) @ Philadelphia (3-3) (FOX): TW: Eagles, CV: Panthers
The Panthers lost to the Redskins and the Eagles got a win against the Giants last week respectively. The game really looks good on paper. The Eagles seem to be back to form after having a sluggish game against the Vikings a few weeks ago. The game feels like a shootout bound to happen as both offenses are roughly in the middle of the pack (Panthers are 22nd overall on offense, Eagles are 18th). I think the game will come down to whoever makes the most stops and can make the big play. The Eagles have a better defense overall (ranked 12th compared to the Panthers 14th). I'll take the Iggles.

Cleveland (2-3-1) @ Tampa Bay (2-3) (FOX): TW: Browns, CV: Buccaneers
The two teams took losses last week as the Browns lost to the Chargers and the Buccaneers lost to the Falcons. I know what you're thinking, why the Browns? Are you crazy! Yes and no. Yes, I am crazy, I have a bit of a lead overall on Cardinal Viking. I'm willing to take a risk. No, in that if the Browns take advantage of Buccaneers turnovers which Jameis Winston has a tendency to throw interceptions in games (already has 4 interceptions on the season), they can make life rough on Tampa. The Browns have a solid defense (okay 28th overall in defense). Maybe I am crazy.

Detroit (2-3) @ Miami (4-2) (FOX): TW: Lions, CV: Lions
The Lions were on a bye and the Dolphins got a huge win against the Bears last week respectively. The Dolphins got a boost on offense with Brock Osweiler at quarterback last week and they could very well continue that trend with the Lions coming to Florida. The Lions are ranked 7th in pass defense on the season so if they can create turnovers and let the Lions offense do their thing then they can come out with a victory. Or the Lions could do Lions things and sleepwalk through the entire game. If Brock Osweiler does careful passes and plays well on defense they can get a win as well.

Houston (3-3) @ Jacksonville (3-3) (CBS): TW: Jaguars, CV: Jaguars
The Texans got a win against the Bills and the Jaguars lost to the Cowboys last week. The two teams are pretty similar in terms of rankings. The game will come down to who can dominate in pass defense as both teams have legit pass defenses, thus causing the opponent to be more one dimensional. The Jaguars have had a rough patch so far this season and I feel they'll get back to winning ways with this game.

Minnesota (3-2-1) @ NY Jets (3-3) (FOX): TW: Vikings, CV: Vikings
Both teams got a win last week as the Vikings beat the Cardinals and the Jets to the Colts. The two teams on offense are very different you have a good rushing offense in the Jets and a passing offense in the Vikings. The Vikings defense has been mediocre to what we've been accustomed to but still solid. The matchup I feel that will be a factor is the Vikings defense versus the Jets offense. Will the Vikings defense shut down Sam Darnold and the Jets? I feel it will be the case.

New England (4-2) @ Chicago (3-2) (CBS): TW: Patriots, CV: Patriots
The Patriots got a win against the Chiefs and the Bears lost to the Dolphins last week. The classic great offense vs great defense. The Bears had an off game against the Dolphins last week but should come back a bit better against the Patriots, since I mean you're playing against the GOAT. The game will come down to whichever team can control the line of scrimmage, which at the end of the day is the biggest factor of any football game. Can the Patriots get off to a good start? Or will the Bears hinder Tom Brady & company? I like the Patriots as they can do trickery against a defense and can play well enough on defense to give Brady enough time to win.

New Orleans (4-1) @ Baltimore (4-2) (FOX): TW: Ravens, CV: Saints
The Saints were on a bye and the Ravens got a win against the Titans last week. The game is another case of offense vs defense. The Saints have a great offense as is their custom, and the Ravens have a great defense. I feel it will be a matchup between the Ravens offense vs the Saints defense. Can the Saints defense stop the Ravens enough to give Drew Brees a chance to do his thing on offense? I like the Ravens as they are good on offense but better on defense (9th on offense and 1st on defense).

Dallas (3-3) @ Washington (3-2) (CBS): TW: Redskins, CV: Cowboys
The two teams got a win last week as the Cowboys beat the Jaguars and the Redskins beat the Panthers. Here is an interesting fact: The last time CBS showed a Cowboys/Redskins game was in Week 17 in 1993, and here's the crazy thing: Jim Nantz was the play-by-play commentator in both that game and this game. Illuminati aside, the game will come down to the matchup of the Cowboys wide receivers vs the Redskins defense. Will the Redskins secondary shut down the Cowboys passing attack and give Alex Smith a shot on offense to have the Cowboys defense on the field the longest. The Redskins have a solid running game and if they play balanced football on offense they should get a win.

LA Rams (6-0) @ San Francisco (1-5) (CBS): TW: Rams, CV: Rams
The Rams got a win against the Broncos and the 49ers lost to the Packers. Another all-NFC matchup on CBS. The Rams just look better on both offense and defense. The Niners had a good showcase against the Packers defense last week but its the Packers defense. I think the Rams will stay undefeated after this game but it will be a close game and it's a divisional rivalry game.

Cincinnati (4-2) @ Kansas City (5-1) (NBC): TW: Chiefs, CV: Chiefs
The two teams took losses last week as the Bengals lost to the Steelers and the Chiefs to the Patriots. The Chiefs offense has been stellar so far this season and they didn't let up against the Patriots. The Bengals on defense are ranked 29th overall, not a good sign against the 5th ranked offense in the Chiefs. I'll take the Chiefs as they have more offensive weapons than the Bengals but it will be a good showcase of offensive football. Which defense can make the most stops will be the key.

NY Giants (1-5) @ Atlanta (2-4) (ESPN): TW: Falcons, CV: Falcons
The Giants lost to the Eagles and the Falcons got a win against the Buccaneers last week. The week wraps up with a decent offensive matchup as both teams have great wide receivers but not quite great quarterbacks. The game will really come down to which defense for both teams will show up. The Giants are ranked 14th in overall defense but have given up 30+ points in the last two games and the Falcons defense are ranked 30th overall. I'll take the Falcons on a whim and a gut feeling.

Local TV schedule (via 506sports.com, subject to change):

FOX Single:
Minnesota @ NY Jets
Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis

CBS Early:
New England @ Chicago
Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts

CBS Late:
LA Rams @ San Francisco
Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon

For more info on which game is played in your area, check out: NFL 2018, Week 7 Maps

2018:
Week 1: 10-5-1
Week 2: 6-9-1
Week 3: 8-8
Week 4: 12-3
Week 5: 6-9
Week 6: 10-5
Overall: 52-39-2

Cardinal Viking
2018:
Week 1: 8-7-1
Week 2: 9-6-1
Week 3: 5-11
Week 4: 9-6
Week 5: 9-6
Week 6: 6-9
Overall: 46-45-2

Have a good rest of the week, enjoy the games, and I'll see you guys on Monday or Tuesday for the recap. 
-Tom