NFL 2024 Week 7 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come to an end. The week that was Week 7 brought us some interesting storylines. Such storylines like Sean Payton returning to New Orleans, a run fiesta in London, a "White Out" in Green Bay of sorts, a back-and-forth affair in Minnesota, a rematch in San Francisco and when it is all said and done, the Kansas City Chiefs are still the last undefeated team left in the NFL.

NFL Week 7 Freaky Stat

From 2006 to 2021 when Sean Payton coached the Saints, he only had two games where he lost at home by 20 points. The Saints achieved that mark in just two consecutive weeks. 

NFL Week 7 Recap

Denver 33, New Orleans 10

Pick: Broncos

Sean Payton's new team beats his old team in his return to New Orleans. Bo Nix had 16 of 26 passes completed for 164 yards. Nix the runner had 10 carries for 75 yards with a 32-yard run in the game being the longest run. He had no touchdowns or interceptions in the win. Javonte Williams was a force to be reckoned with in the game. He had 14 carries for 88 yards and scored two touchdowns from 8 and 5 yard plays. Troy Franklin had five catches for 50 yards in the game with a 30-yard play being the longest pass play. The defense took advantage of a Spencer Rattler fumble that was snagged by Cory Barton for a touchdown. Wil Lutz hit four field goals in the game for Denver. Denver had 389 total yards in the game. It was a no-contest as Denver held the only lead in the game. For the Broncos, they get out of the .500 column and enjoy a long rest at 4-3. 

Spencer Rattler hit 25 of 32 passes for 172 yards. He didn't throw a touchdown pass or an interception in the game except for the fumble previously mentioned. Needing a jump start, the Saints went with Jake Haener who threw 3 of 4 passes for 38 yards and a touchdown pass to Cedrick Wilson Jr. The Saints running game wouldn't do a whole lot in this one as Kendre Miller had six carries for 36 yards. Alvin Kamara had just seven carries for 10 yards. Cedrick Wilson Jr. had six catches for 57 yards in the game to be the Saints leading receiver. New Orleans had 271 total yards in the game. For the Saints, its their fifth-straight loss after going on a 2-0 start to start the year. 

Next week:

Denver: vs Carolina
New Orleans: @ LA Chargers

TW: 1-0

New England 16, Jacksonville 32

Pick: Patriots

The Jags run game run over the Pats in London. Drake Maye hit 26 of 37 passes for 276 yards with two touchdowns. The first touchdown went to Jamycal Hasty on the Patriots first drive of the game. It would be last touchdown for the Pats until the 4th quarter with a Joey Slye field goal that the Patriots scored in the 1st half. The 2nd touchdown went to KJ Osborn on a pass to a very tight window. A pass that veterans would hit. The Patriots run game would not get a lot of rushing yards in the game as both Drake Maye and Rhamondre Stevenson both rushed for 18 yards respectively while Maye had 15 yards as a longest run. Hunter Henry was the leading receiver for the Patriots with eight catches for 92 yards. It was a long day for Ja'Lynn Polk as he was targeted three times for no catches. New England had 295 total yards in the game. The big thing in the game was the defense allowing 171 rushing yards. For the Patriots, they head back home with a 1-6 record. 

Trevor Lawrence hit 15 of 20 passes for 193 yards with a touchdown pass to Brian Thomas Jr. that was the first of three touchdowns the Jags scored in the 2nd quarter. Thomas Jr. was the leading receiver for the Jags with five catches for 89 yards and had a huge 58-yard big play. Tank Bigsby was the star in the game for the Jaguars who had 26 carries for 118 yards and scored two touchdowns from 1 and 4 yards.  The Jaguars had a special teams touchdown as Parker Washington took a punt return to the house for a 97-yard score. The longest punt return in Jaguars history. The key to the win was the run game as inside runs were the name of the game. One big drive the Jaguars had was from 11 minutes but unfortunately was a turnover on downs result. The Jaguars had 364 total yards in the game. For the Jaguars, they improve to 2-5 and head back home in the states. 

Next week:

New England: vs NY Jets
Jacksonville: vs Green Bay

TW: 1-1

Cincinnati 21, Cleveland 14

Pick: Bengals

The Battle of Ohio! Joe Burrow hit 15 of 25 passes for 181 yards with two touchdowns. Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase were the players that caught the passes from Burrow. Chase Brown had 15 carries for 44 yards in the game. Tee Higgins had four catches for 82 yards with a 25-yard play being the longest in the game for the Bengals. Cincinnati didn't have a lot of offensive yardage but they won regardless, they had 223 total yards in the game. The special teams of the Bengals had a boost in scoring as Charlie Jones had a 100-yard kick six in the opening kickoff. For the Bengals, they improve to 3-4 on the season, might have to keep on them if they can get going.

Cleveland had a trying day. DeShaun Watson hit 15 of 17 passes for 128 yards. He would not finish the game as he suffered an Achilles injury that results in a season-ending injury. Dorian Thompson-Robinson saw some play time but he hit 11 of 24 passes for 82 yards and two interceptions. Jameis Winston, the journeyman, hit 5 of 11 passes for 67 yards with a touchdown pass to David Njoku. Thompson-Robinson had three catches for 44 yards with a 34-yard run being the longest Browns play in the game. Nick Chubb made his return since Week 2 and had 11 carries for 22 yards and a touchdown on a 1-yard play. Myles Garrett had a thing or two to say about fans booing Watson's injury. The Browns had 336 total yards in the game For the Browns, they drop to 1-6 on the season.

Next week:

Cincinnati: vs Philadelphia
Cleveland: vs Baltimore

TW: 2-1

Detroit 31, Minnesota 29

Pick: Lions

The Battle of the North in the Twin Cities. Jared Goff hit 22 of 25 passes for 280 yards with two touchdowns. Amon Ra St. Brown and Kalif Raymond were the Lions that caught the two passes. Jahmyr Gibbs had 15 carries for 116 yards and had two touchdowns from 45 and 8 yard plays. Amon Ra St. Brown was the leading receiver for the Kitties with eight catches for 112 yards. Detroit had 391 total yards in the game. It was a game of leads as the Vikings had a 10-0 lead early but would regain the lead with a 28-17 margin but the Vikings would soar back to get to a 29-28 lead. Jake Bates would hit the go-ahead field goal from 44 yards to give the Lions the final lead of the game. For the Lions, they get to 5-1 and now have a 1st place lead in the NFC North.

Sam Darnold hit 22 of 27 passes for 259 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The touchdown pass went to obviously Justin Jefferson. Aaron Jones who was questionable for this game, had a 34-yard run that ended in him in the endzone for a touchdown. He had 14 carries for 93 yards in the game. Justin Jefferson had seven catches for 81 yards to be the leading receiver for the Vikings. Ivan Pace Jr. had a huge role in the game as he recovered a David Montgomery fumble for a touchdown on a 36-yard return. A big thing for the game was a missed opportunity to go up by three points but a failed two-point conversion happened that would keep the Lions in a possession range. For the Vikings, their undefeated bid ends as they drop to 5-1.

Next week:

Detroit: vs Tennessee
Minnesota: @ LA Rams (Thursday night)

TW: 3-1

Houston 22, Green Bay 24

Pick: Packers

Love-Stroud did not disappoint. CJ Stroud hit 10 of 21 passes for 86 yards in the game. A quiet day for him. Joe Mixon carried the ball 25 times for 115 yards with two touchdowns from 4 and 2 yard plays. Mixon had a 32-yard play that was the longest gain for the Texans in the game. Dalton Schultz had one catch for 28 yards and was the leading receiver for the Texans. Kaimi Fairbairn hit three field goals in the game for Houston. The biggest thing for the Texans was obviously the low output of passing yards. They also had an interception that their defense had but would not capitalize on it with a touchdown but with a field goal. Houston had 197 yards of offense in the game. For the Texans, they drop to 5-2 for the season.

Jordan Love hit 24 of 33 passes for 220 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Dontayvion Wicks, Tucker Kraft and Josh Jacobs were the Packers that caught the passes from Love. The first interception happened in the 1st quarter but would result in a Texans field goal. Romeo Doubs had eight catches for 94 yards in the game. Josh Jacobs had 12 carries for 76 yards in the game. The longest play for the Pack was a 30-yard pass play to Wicks. Green Bay had 277 total yards in the game. Brandon McManus would hit the game-winning field goal from 45 yards as time expired. McManus was picked up by the Packers this week. For the Packers, they get to 5-2 on the season.

Next week:

Houston: vs Indianapolis
Green Bay: @ Jacksonville

TW: 4-1

Miami 10, Indianapolis 16

Pick: Colts

Anthony Richardson returns against Miami. Tyler Huntley hit 7 of 13 passes for 87 yards with a touchdown to Jonnu Smith on the 2nd drive of the 1st quarter. Huntley would leave the game with an injury. Tim Boyle hit 8 of 13 passes for 74 yards. De'Von Achane had 15 carries for 77 yards in the run game. Jonnu Smith had seven catches for 96 yards for the Dolphins. Miami had 337 total yards in the game. The points weren't there for the Dolphins as ultimately points scored is the reason why you win games. For the Dolphins, they drop to 2-4 on the season.

Anthony Richardson made his return to the Colts, much to my shock. He hit 10 of 24 passes for 129 yards while rushing 14 times for 56 yards. Tyler Goodson had 14 carries for 51 yards with a touchdown to be the only score for the Colts. Michael Pittman had three catches for 63 yards in the game. Indianapolis had 284 total yards in the game. Only pitfall for the Colts was a fumble in the redzone. Can't have that sadly. For the Colts, they move up to above .500 with 4-3.

Next week:

Miami: vs Arizona
Indianapolis: @ Houston

TW: 5-1

Philadelphia 28, NY Giants 3

Pick: Eagles

Saquon Barkley makes his return to New Jersey. Jalen Hurts hit 10 of 14 passes for 114 yards with a touchdown and had seven carries for 22 yards with two touchdowns. The Hurts touchdown went to AJ Brown on a 41-yard play that gave the Eagles a 14-0 lead with the point after in the 2nd quarter. The star of the game was Saquon Barkley who had 17 carries for 176 yards with a touchdown. He had a 55-yard in the game but it wasn't a touchdown. Brown had five catches for 89 yards to be the leading receiver for the Eagles. Philly had 339 total yards in the game and most of the yardage was on the run. It was a revenge game for Barkley who played for the Giants in the previous five seasons. For the Eagles, they improve to 4-2 on the season.

Daniel Jones had 14 of 21 passes for 99 yards in the game. His backup Drew Lock didn't do much either with 3 of 8 passes for 6 yards. Tyrone Tracy Jr. had six carries for 23 yards. Malik Nabers made his return after dealing with an injury the previous two games. He had four catches for 41 yards with a 14-yard play being the longest gain for the Giants. The only points was a Greg Joseph field goal from 38 yards in the 2nd quarter. The Giants had 119 yards of offense in the game. For the Giants, they drop to 2-5 on the season.

Next week:

Philadelphia: @ Cincinnati
NY Giants: @ Pittsburgh (Monday night)

TW: 6-1

Seattle 34, Atlanta 14

Pick: Seahawks

The Battle of the Birds in Atlanta. Geno Smith hit 18 of 28 passes for 207 yards with two touchdowns. The first went to DK Metcalf for a 31-yard play and the 2nd went to Kenneth Walker III for a 17-yard play. Jaxon Smith-Njigba played quarterback for a snap and hit a 35-yard play to Metcalf. Kenneth Walker III had 14 carries for 69 yards with a touchdown. DK Metcalf had four catches for 99 yards in the game. Seattle had 339 total yards in the game. A key to the game was how well the defense would handle the Falcons offense. The team had previously allowed 30+ points in quite a few games and even had a fumble-six that was recovered by Derick Hall for a score. They would handle the Falcons offense well. For the Seahawks, they improve to 4-3 on the season. 

Kirk Cousins had 24 of 35 passes for 232 total yards with a touchdown pass to Drake London but also had two interceptions in the game. Bijan Robinson had 21 carries for 103 yards with a touchdown and had a 26-yard gain both on the ground and receiving that was the longest for the Falcons. Kyle Pitts had seven catches for 65 yards in the game. Atlanta had 385 total yards in the game. The key obviously for the Falcons was to keep up the good momentum but the Cousins turnovers and the fumble cost the Falcons the game. For the Falcons, they drop to 4-3 as their 3-game winning streak ends. 

Next week:

Seattle: vs Buffalo
Atlanta: @ Tampa Bay

TW: 7-1

Tennessee 10, Buffalo 34

Pick: Bills

Buffalo manhandles the Titans. Mason Rudolph made his first start for the Titans in this game. He hit 25 of 40 passes for 215 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Nick Westbrook was the player that caught the pass from Rudolph for a touchdown. Along with the interception, the Titans also fumbled in the game. Tony Pollard had 16 carries for 61 yards in the game. Chigoziem Okonkwo was the leading receiver for the Titans had four catches for 50 yards. The Titans needed more production on offense and they kind of did get that result for the first three quarters. Tennessee had 289 total yards in the game and drop to 1-5 on the season.

Josh Allen hit 21 of 33 passes for 323 yards with two touchdowns. The first went to Ty Johnson and the 2nd went to his newest weapon in Amari Cooper. Cooper was acquired via trade from Cleveland. Ray Davis had five carries for 41 yards with a touchdown. James Cook had 12 carries for 32 yards with a touchdown. Keon Coleman had four catches for 125 yards with a 57-yard gain being the longest in the game. Buffalo had 389 total yards in the game. The trade for Cooper was kind of necessary in an effort to dethrone the Chiefs in the AFC. It should be noted that they play the Chiefs at home on November 17th. For the Bills, they move up to 5-2 on the season.

Next week:

Tennessee: @ Detroit
Buffalo: @ Seattle

TW: 8-1

Carolina 7, Washington 40

Pick: Commanders

The Commanders win but it came at a cost. Andy Dalton hit 11 of 16 passes for 93 yards and two interceptions. He would get benched for Bryce Young. Young wouldn't do a whole lot as he had 2 of 2 passing for -4 yards. Yikes. Chuba Hubbard had the only touchdown in the game as he rushed for six on a 4-yard play. Hubbard had 17 carries for 52 yards in the game. Jatavion Sanders had six catches for 61 yards with a 29-yard play being the longest for him. Carolina had 180 yards of offense in the game. Safe to say that the defense and turnovers were the factors in this game. For the Panthers, they drop to 1-6 on the season.

Jayden Daniels had 2 of 2 passing for six yards and rushed for 50 yards on three carries with a 46-yard run being the longest in the game for Washington. He would not finish the game as he took a hit to the ribs and was enough for him to go back to the locker room for x-rays and was put on street clothes the rest of the game. Marcus Mariota, the journeyman, hit 18 of 23 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns. Zach Ertz and Ben Sinnott were the players that received the passes from Mariota. Brian Robinson Jr. had 12 carries for 71 yards with a touchdown run. Terry McLaurin had six catches for 98 yards in the game. Washington, despite the loss of Daniels, had 421 total yards of offense in the game. Austin Seibert had four field goals in the game while getting a 49-yard field goal to go through the goal posts. For the Commanders, they keep pace with the Eagles in the NFC East race. 

Next week:

Carolina: @ Denver
Washington: vs Chicago

TW: 9-1

Las Vegas 15, LA Rams 20

Pick: Rams

A rough one in Inglewood for the Raiders. Aidan O'Connell hit started for the Raiders and hit 6 of 10 passes for 52 yards. He would leave the game with a broken thumb. His replacement was Gardner Minshew. Minshew didn't help the Raiders case as he hit 15 of 34 passes for 154 yards and three interceptions. Alexander Mattison had 23 carries for 92 yards in the loss. Brock Bowers had 10 catches for 93 yards. The scoring would come from Daniel Carlson who hit five of five field goals with a 47-yard attempt being the longest for him in the game. Las Vegas had 317 yards of offense. For the Raiders, they drop to 2-5 on the season.

Matthew Stafford hit 14 of 23 passes for 154 yards with an interception. Kyren Williams was the scoring machine for the Rams as he had 21 carries for 76 yards with two tuddies. Tyler Johnson had four catches for 57 yards with a 37-yard gain being the longest in the game for the Rams. Tutu Atwell had six catches for 51 yards. The Rams defense got a score on a Gardner Minshew sack which caused the ball to fumble and was recovered by Kam Curl for a 33-yard return for a score. Safe to say the Rams kept this game a close one than it should've but the Rams offense needed someone to step up with Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua unavailable. Los Angeles had 259 total yards of offense. For the Rams, they improved to a 2-4 record.

Next week:

Las Vegas: vs Kansas City
LA Rams: vs Minnesota (Thursday night)

TW: 10-1

Kansas City 28, San Francisco 18

Pick: Chiefs

A rematch that ended up being in favor of the Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes hit 16 of 27 passes for 154 yards with two interceptions. Mahomes the runner did better as he had five carries for 39 yards with a touchdown. He had a 33-yard run that was the longest run in his career. Kareem Hunt had 22 carries for 78 yards with two touchdowns. Noah Gray had four catches for 66 yards. Travis Kelce had four catches for 17 yards. Mecole Hardman had two carries for 38 yards with a touchdown. Kansas City had 329 total yards of offense in the game. The passing game wasn't there for the Chiefs as Patrick Mahomes has six touchdowns and eight interceptions this season. For the Chiefs, they keep the undefeated streak alive and keep a 12-game winning streak going (including the playoffs) at 6-0.

Brock Purdy would have a tough time as a passer in this game as well. Purdy hit 17 of 31 passes for 212 yards with three interceptions. Purdy the runner had eight carries for 27 yards with two touchdowns. Jordan Mason had 14 carries for 58 yards. George Kittle had six catches for 92 yards with a 41 yard play in the game. San Francisco had 310 total yards in the game. The miscues on offense and turnovers doomed the 49ers in the game as they kept this game close but imagine if they didn't have those turnovers. Brandon Aiyuk would play in the game but he is likely out with a possible ACL tear. The receiving corp was diminished as Jauan Jennings was out and Deebo Samuel as well. For the 49ers, they drop to 3-4 on the season and have yet to beat Patrick Mahomes.

Next week:

Kansas City: @ Las Vegas
San Francisco: vs Dallas (Sunday night)

TW: 11-1

NY Jets 15, Pittsburgh 37

Pick: Steelers

Steelers win big as the team celebrates the 50th anniversary team that won Super Bowl IX. Aaron Rodgers had a rough one as he hit 24 of 39 passes for 276 yards with a touchdown pass and had two interceptions. The touchdown pass went to Tyler Conklin. Breece Hall had 12 carries for 38 yards with a touchdown and had six catches for 103 yards. The 57 yard play was the longest play for the Jets as it was a Rodgers to Hall connection. Davante Adams, the recent acquisition from Las Vegas, had three catches for 30 yards. The Jets had two touchdowns with a two-point conversion in the 1st half. They would not score again in the 2nd half. The Jets had 323 total yards in the game. The offense was quiet in the 2nd half when they were supposed to be the biggest offense in the game coming into this season. At least better. For the Jets, they drop to 2-5 as their season is now slipping away.

Russell Wilson made his debut as a Steeler in this game. He hit 16 of 29 passes for 264 yards and two touchdowns. George Pickens caught the first touchdown and Van Jefferson caught the other touchdown. Wilson would also get a touchdown via running into the endzone. Najee Harris had a great day as he had 21 carries for 102 yards with a rushing touchdown of his own. George Pickens had five catches for 111 yards to be the leading receiver for the Steelers. Pittsburgh had 409 total yards in the game. They got off slow in the game but would heat up afterwards. For the Steelers, they improve to 5-2 to keep up the pressure against the Ravens in the wild AFC North race.

Next week:

NY Jets: @ New England
Pittsburgh: vs NY Giants (Monday night)

TW: 12-1

Baltimore 41, Tampa Bay 31

Pick: Ravens

A wild one in Tampa Bay. Lamar Jackson hit 17 of 22 passes for 281 yards with five touchdown passes. Tying a franchise single-game record. Derrick Henry caught one, Rashod Bateman caught one, Justice Hill caught one and Mark Andrews caught the last two for scores from Jackson. Derrick Henry had a good game as he had 15 carries for 169 yards with a 81-yard run being the longest in the game. Rashod Bateman had a 49-yard touchdown play but had a 59-yard play that was the longest passing play for the Ravens. The game was pretty much in hand by the start of the 4th quarter. The close score would come from the Buccaneers in garbage time. Baltimore had 508 total yards in the game. For the Ravens, they get to 5-2 and Lamar Jackson now has a 23-1 record against the NFC in the regular season.

Baker Mayfield hit 31 of 45 passes for 370 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. The two interceptions came to Marlon Humphrey who committed the robbery during the 2nd quarter. Mike Evans had one and Rachaad White had two touchdowns in the game. Bucky Irving had a touchdown run while getting nine carries for 23 yards in the game. Rachaad White had the leaging rusher for 10 carries for 40 yards in the game. Cade Otton had eight catches for 100 yards. The loss might've been more costlier as Mike Evans went down on a hamstring injury and Chris Godwin went down with a leg injury during the 4th quarter. Tampa Bay had 481 yards in the game. The defense really had a letdown in the game as they couldn't stop the Ravens offense. They kind of got run over by a buzzsaw. For the Buccaneers, they drop to 4-3 on the season.

Next week:

Baltimore: @ Cleveland
Tampa Bay: vs Atlanta

TW: 13-1

LA Chargers 15, Arizona 17

Pick: Chargers

A battle in the desert. Justin Herbert hit 27 of 39 passes for 349 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. JK Dobbins had 14 carries for 40 yards in the game. Will Dissly had eight catches for 81 yards in the game. The Chargers offense would be a quiet one as the Chargers had just five field goals and would not see a player touch the endzone in the game. They would not see a goal-to-go situation in the game. They did have a redzone drive but it would end up being a field goal. Los Angeles had 395 total yards in the game. For the Chargers, they drop to 3-3 in the game.

Kyler Murray hit 14 of 26 passes for 145 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Murray would also get a touchdown run in the game. The Murray touchdown went to Greg Dortch. James Conner had 19 carries for 101 yards in the game. The Murray rushing touchdown was from 44 yards. James Conner had two catches for 51 yards in the game. The Cardinals had 326 total yards in the game. The Cardinals would have more touchdowns than the Chargers but would rely on their kicker less. Chad Ryland would come into the clutch and hit a 32-yard field goal that gave the Cardinals a two-point win. For the Cardinals, they improve to 3-4 on the season.

Next week:

LA Chargers: vs New Orleans
Arizona: @ Miami

TW: 13-2

Records

2024:
Week 1: 14-2
Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 10-6

Week 4: 10-6
Week 5: 3-11

Week 6: 13-1

Week 7: 13-2

Total: 73-34

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 

2021: 173-98-1
2022: 166-103-2
2023: 161-111

See you all on Wednesday/Thursday for the Week 8 Picks post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom

NFL 2024 Week 7 Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us yet again. The week that was Week 6 was a good week for picks as I had a - record. It feels like the crop of teams are starting to pull away with good records vs teams with bad records. There still is a large group of teams that are at 3-3 and are in the middle ground. Games I'm keeping an eye on this week are the Broncos-Saints, Lions-Vikings, Eagles-Giants, Chiefs-49ers and Ravens-Buccaneers matchups. In this post, I will do a preview of the week ahead, my picks for the games, and the Early & Late Game Broadcast pairings that FOX and CBS will have. Let's get to work!

Week 7 Preview

The seventh week of the National Football League's regular season will start in New Orleans, Louisiana and finish up in Glendale, Arizona. The week will have a 15-game slate where 30 teams will play. Teams on a bye will be the Chicago Bears and the Dallas Cowboys. The week will feature a Thursday night game, a Sunday morning game, seven early games, three late games, a Sunday night game and two Monday night games. For matchups, there will be six interconference games, three division games, four AFC games, and two NFC games. The doubleheader will be carried by FOX while CBS will have the single, regional game this week. 

Week 7 Picks

Note: All game times are in US Eastern. TW is me.

Denver (3-3) @ New Orleans (2-4) (Amazon; 8:15 pm)

Pick: Broncos

The Broncos lost to the Chargers and the Saints lost to the Buccaneers last week. Denver had been on a winning streak this season. Much to a lot of surprise of the pundits. I had felt that the Broncos were missing pieces that they needed to be where they are at right now. At least for now, the Broncos are ahead of schedule. Bo Nix and the offense has been improved but he's about the only offense that the Broncos use. I would like to see Javonte Williams go a bit more in games and take over them. The Denver defense has been the biggest surprise of the season for the Broncos. They are holding down teams to keep their offense in games. 

New Orleans last week hit their lowest low it seems. The defense let the Buccaneers walk over them and put up 51 points at home. The highest scoring offense through two weeks of the season now has a point differential of +20 now. The sad part is that Derek Carr will not be able to play until likely Week Week 11 or 12. Spencer Rattler will be the quarterback that will lead the way. He will have a challenge this week. The Saints defense is currently ranked dead last in yards/game with 395.8 yards/game. I think the Saints will have a hard time in this game. 

All-time series: Broncos lead 9-3

New England (1-5) @ Jacksonville (1-5) (NFL Network; 9:30 am)

Pick: Patriots

The Patriots lost to the Texans and the Jaguars lost to the Bears last week. New England made the bold move to start Drake Maye last week. The rookie's debut was promising but not guaranteed. The quarterback threw three touchdowns but threw two costly interceptions. I think with a solid offensive line, I think the quarterback can do even better. The rest of the team kind of fell apart, especially the defense. Keep in mind that Jerod Mayo is a defensive minded head coach. Definitely seems that if they had a solid defense, they could win more games. The lack of Rhamondre Stevenson hurts the Patriots running game from going off.

Jacksonville is the other 1-5 squad in the AFC that has seen a tough start to their season. The Jaguars are a strange team, their offense should be a lot better than it should be. They just haven't had a good start on offense and carry it to a win. Fortunately the Patriots defense is an average unit when it comes to giving up yardage. Defensively, they could either find a tough challenge in taking on Drake Maye who has a small sample size of film to study on. Perhaps if they can blitz a lot maybe they can ravage them. If they can shut down the running game like the Texans did, they could come away with a win. I don't trust either team but I like the Patriots.

All-time series: Patriots lead 12-2

Cincinnati (2-4) @ Cleveland (1-5) (CBS; 1:00 pm)

Pick: Bengals

The Bengals beat the Giants and the Browns lost to the Eagles last week. Cincy had a must win situation in New York and they took it with a grain of salt. They didn't win in spectacular fashion but they made a few key plays in the win. What they face this week is a Browns team that is going downhill. The Bengals defense will have a tall task to be had in this game but the Browns offense is kind of rough around the edges. The Bengals just need to sustain the drives to keep the Browns defense on the field.

Cleveland has had a rough time this season. Much to everyone's surprise, DeShaun Watson has been playing pretty rough football in the 2024 season. Sadly the contract that he was given is pretty much a guaranteed reason why they have to play him. Gotta get some value from him. The Browns should get some help coming back. Nick Chubb will be returning to the fold to try his hand in getting the Browns a win. I am not sure if it'll be enough. I'll go with the Bengals.

All-time series: Bengals lead 53-48

Detroit (4-1) @ Minnesota (5-0) (FOX; 1:00 pm)

Pick: Lions

The Lions beat the Cowboys and the Vikings were on a bye last week. Detroit got a big win against the Cowboys. They didn't just win in a back-and-forth fashion, they won in a blowout fashion by taking advantage of Cowboys turnovers and had their way with the Cowboys defense. The thing with the Lions offense is that they are not afraid to be versatile. They have so many players that can hurt you. We will have to see if the loss of Aidan Hutchinson will be a factor in this game. Hutchinson got injured in the blowout win against Dallas. 

Last time we saw Minnesota was in London in a win against the Jets. The Vikings looked alright but kind of looked vulnerable. Despite the turnover fest that Aaron Rodgers was offering to the Purple Gang, they only won by six points. I think the plus side for the Vikings is that they can stop the run well. Which is also something that the Lions do good at. I don't think we've seen Sam Darnold face adversity before yet this season. I think the Vikings might see their undefeated season come to an end at home.

All-time series: Vikings lead 80-43-2

Houston (5-1) @ Green Bay (4-2) (CBS; 1:00 pm)

Pick: Packers

The Texans beat the Patriots and the Packers beat the Cardinals last week. A marquee game in the CBS early slot. CJ Stroud looked a bit rough around the edges in the early part of the season. It almost seemed like he was having a sophomore slump. Last week's win was a pivotal one as the running game got going. Joe Mixon got going last week and the Texans will need him to do well this week. The offense will face off its bigger test in the Packers defense. A defense that only allowed 13 points last week.

Green Bay looks to be a good team that has a solid balanced offense. Their wide receiving corp isn't full of big names but they get it done. Josh Jacobs is a solid #1 running back. If Jordan Love gets injured again, Malik Willis just comes off the bench and just fires off touchdowns like he was just playing for 20 seasons. The defense has been a bit of a concern for the Pack. Particularly their run defense. They somehow managed to shut down the Cardinals running game. Perhaps the fact the offense was putting up points like a pinball was a factor as well. Joe Mixon could be a problem. I think the Packers take down the Texans.

All-time series: Packers lead 4-1

Miami (-) @ Indianapolis (-) (FOX; 1:00 pm)

Pick: Colts

The Dolphins had a bye and the Colts beat the Titans last week. Last time we saw Miami was a struggle but a win nonetheless against the Patriots. Their offense did enough to get the win while holding the Patriots to just 10 points. Tua Tagovailoa won't be able to play until next week at the earliest as he is on the Injured Reserve. Tyler Huntley will be starting again. Fortunately, the Colts defense isn't really good. Another problem is the health of De'Von Achane as he is the workhorse of the Dolphins running game. It might be a struggle for the Dolphins.

The Colts have had a decent start to the season. It could've been worst. Anthony Richardson is out for a good portion of the time and Joe Flacco is back in the fold to throw passes again. The veteran has been a solid contributor to the Colts passing game. The Colts running game has played decent and the wide receiving corp has been enjoying the passes from Flacco. The defense hasn't been playing up to par that they should. Their rush defense is 2nd to last. The Dolphins running game might be trying to go a bit more to relief the pressure on Tyler Huntley. I think the Colts are still the better team but I will take them by a field goal.

All-time series: Dolphins lead 48-28

Philadelphia (3-2) @ NY Giants (2-4) (FOX; 1:00 pm)

Pick: Eagles

The Eagles beat the Browns and the Giants lost to the Bengals last week. The rivalry renews as Saquon Barkley returns to New York where he was drafted and played for so many seasons. The Eagles didn't really show to be a great team against the Browns. At least didn't blow out the Browns as well as they should. Their defense kept the Browns to 16 points. The Eagles didn't really show that they were the team to beat but a win is a win. I think the offense will need to play better.

New York had looked like a good team for at least a hot second. The loss to the Bengals proved that them in primetime in the Daniel Jones era is pretty bad. Fortunately for the G-men, this game is a 1:00 pm game. Tyrone Tracy Jr. is a solid option at running back and could provide a good option to help Daniel Jones out. Malik Nabers has been fun to watch but he has missed a few games due to a concussion suffered in the Cowboys game. I think the Giants will need to keep driving down the field to win this game. Keep Jalen Hurts on the sideline. I'll take the Eagles.

All-time series: Eagles lead 93-88-2

Seattle (3-3) @ Atlanta (4-2) (FOX; 1:00 pm)

Pick: Seahawks

The Seahawks lost to the 49ers and the Falcons beat the Panthers last week. Seattle has had a rough time in the last few weeks. Their defense when they were at 3-0 was in the 10's in the points/game column. Since then they've given up 30+ points. Not a good sign as they head down to Atlanta with an offense that is pretty good. The running game needs to get back together and run it down the Falcons throats. Geno Smith deserves some of the blame but when you can't stop an opposing defense, its kind of difficult to win games.

Atlanta has been playing pretty well of late. It helps when you got Kirk Cousins. The offense is pretty good as they have a balanced attack. Drake London is an underrated receiver and is probably Cousins favorite target. The tandem of Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier is a versatile duo at running back. I think the defense might have a challenge in facing Kenneth Walker III as the Falcons rush defense is ranked 25th in the league by allowing 142.7 yards/game. I feel the game is a toss-up, I'll take the risk and take the Seahawks.

All-time series: Seahawks 12-9

Tennessee (1-4) @ Buffalo (4-2) (CBS; 1:00 pm)

Pick: Bills

The Titans lost to the Colts and the Bills beat the Jets last week. Tennessee is a strange team. They can look good for one moment and then look bad the next. Will Levis isn't a great quarterback, he's more of a below average quarterback at most times. A bright spot on the team is Tony Pollard as he helped the Titans get a touchdown. The Titans defense is actually a decent unit with just allowing 110 points so far this season. Only the Steelers have allowed opponents score less. This game will be a big one for Will Levis as they are facing against the class of the AFC other than the Chiefs.

Buffalo had its issues earlier in the season. Certainly all teams have that lows of low at times. The offense is still pretty good as Josh Allen can beat you with his arm and his legs. Despite no James Cook in the lineup, the Bills have a good option in Ray Davis. Obviously, James Cook is the better option as he can both run and catch the ball. The Bills got a boost in their wide receiving corp as they got Amari Cooper from Cleveland to solidify a corp that hopes to help overthrow the Chiefs come January. I'd like to see the Bills throw the ball a bit more as they have a chance to test the Titans #1 ranked pass defense. I'll take the Bills.

All-time series: Titans lead 30-20

Carolina (1-5) @ Washington (4-2) (CBS; 4:05 pm)

Pick: Commanders

The Panthers lost to the Falcons and the Commanders lost to the Ravens last week. Carolina has been what their record has shown: pretty bad. The offense hasn't really shown any improvement from last year it seems. They've only scored just 103 points so far this season. Though the offense has seen some improvement with Andy Dalton, I don't think they're lighting up the scoreboard much. The defense isn't that much better either. Chuba Hubbard has been the best option for them on offense other than Andy Dalton. The offense should do okayish in this game but I fear the defense will be ran over in this game.

The Commanders have been a nice surprise so far this season. Jayden Daniels looks like to be the frontrunner of rookie of the year for offense. The thing that makes the Commanders nasty is their physical style of running the ball. Both Brian Robinson and Jayden Daniels has 300+ rushing yards with five and four touchdowns respectively. The defense will have a decent test as they are facing off against Chuba Hubbard which isn't a slouch at running back. The defense of Washington should try to get some turnovers in this game as they are tied for worst with seven interceptions and seven fumbles. lost. I'll take the Commanders.

All-time series: Commanders lead 10-7

Las Vegas (2-4) @ LA Rams (1-4) (CBS; 4:05 pm)

Pick: Rams

The Raiders lost to the Steelers and the Rams had a bye last week. Las Vegas has had a tough go of it of late. The team traded Davante Adams to the Jets for a 3rd (or possibly a 2nd) round pick to the Jets. Their quarterback situation is kind of a mess. The running game isn't getting a lot of yardage. The defense is not doing a whole lot either. Maxx Crosby getting involved in coaches' personal space. Hard to say if the Raiders can overcome this but it's not great in Raider nation.

The last time we saw the Rams it was a close loss to the Packers at home. The offense kind of kept pace with the Pack while the defense held the Packers to just 24 points. The injury situation to their wide receiver group is a bit of a question. Cooper Kupp has been injured since Week 2 and Puca Nacua hasn't yet played yet this season. Kupp is likely going to return at some point this season. Suffice to say, I think the Rams can win this game with a running game plan geared towards giving Kyren Williams the ball. Tutu Atwell should see some more catches as well. I'll take the Rams.

All-time series: Raiders lead 8-7

Kansas City (4-1) @ San Francisco (3-3) (FOX; 4:25 pm)

Pick: Chiefs

The Chiefs had a bye and the 49ers beat the Seahawks last week. Last time we saw the Chiefs was a beatdown on the Saints on Monday night. They did not have Rashee Rice in that game but they did get Travis Kelce going in the game. Certainly joyful for Taylor Swift. The defense has kept up where they left off last season. The offense is much of the same but did get a boost in the wide receiver group in JuJu Smith-Schuster coming back. Oh and this is also a Super Bowl rematch.

The 49ers have had their ups and downs this season. Suffice to say the defending NFC champs are still a formidable team. Their running game has been one of their strong suits despite Christian McCaffrey being injured and not likely going to play until Week 10. Jordan Mason has been the solid contributor to their team. The Niners will need him and Isaac Guerendo to step up against the Chiefs. Brock Purdy has stayed relatively the same. I think its more of their game plan with a lead that has been their struggle. They haven't quite closed out games like they should. Example is the losses to the Rams and Cardinals. They cannot let off the gas against the Chiefs, they will not let themselves beat themselves up. I'll take the Chiefs in a rematch.

All-time series: Chiefs lead 9-7

NY Jets (2-4) @ Pittsburgh (4-2) (NBC; 8:20 pm)

Pick: Steelers

The Jets lost to the Bills and the Steelers beat the Raiders last week. New York decided to go in a different direction last week in head coach and offensive coordinator. Despite the changes, the Jets didn't win their game against Buffalo last week. It seems that the Bills are still the class of the AFC East. The Jets got Davante Adams via trade. Further proving that the Jets should be the New York Jetpackers. Will it make that much of a difference in this game? I'm not sure but Aaron Rodgers and Adams has had history together. 

Pittsburgh got a bit of news on the starting front. Russell Wilson will suit up as he becomes the #1 starter for this game. Justin Fields was a good option but the passing game was somewhat lacking compared to the rushing attack. Eventually it was going to happen I felt. In terms of veteran presence Wilson definitely has that over Fields. The defense will surely appreciate a boost in scoring. It'll give them a break for sure. I don't trust the Jets even with the new addition. I'll take the Steelers. 

All-time series: Steelers lead 20-7

Baltimore (4-2) @ Tampa Bay (4-2) (ABC; 8:15 pm)

Pick: Ravens

The Ravens beat the Commanders and the Buccaneers beat the Saints last week. Baltimore played well against the Commanders. The game was what to expect from two teams that are good. The running game has been their strong suit and Derrick Henry has been their tank. The running back has had a bit of a renaissance as well. The defense has been playing well as well. The Lamar Jackson case for MVP has been never been better. The Ravens will face another test in the Buccaneers.

Tampa Bay had a chance to win against the Saints. They proved to be more of a chance against them as they put up 51 points. It was a game that despite the turnovers they still put the hurt on the Saints. Oddly enough it was a 31-27 game and then all hell broke loose. The Saints offense couldn't tackle at all. The Buccaneers offense is good but I question how well they can do against the Ravens. Could this game be a Super Bowl preview? I think the key for the Buccaneers is better ball protection. If the offense can keep the Ravens off the field, they should handle themselves well. I'll take the Ravens.

All-time series: Ravens lead 5-2

LA Chargers (3-2) @ Arizona (2-4) (ESPN+; 9:00 pm)

Pick: Chargers

The Chargers beat the Broncos and the Cardinals lost to the Packers last week. This game will only be on ESPN+ and not on TV. Kind of a dick move NFL. The Chargers got Justin Herbert back last week and looked good for the most part. With a week of rest in his belt, I think Herbert will get better. I think the Chargers running game has been the part that has impressed me most. Getting JK Dobbins in free agency has been solid as the runner as scored three touchdowns and has 438 yards rushing. Gus Edwards hasn't been bad either. I think we'll see how good the Chargers defense is in this game.

Arizona had looked promising going into the game against Green Bay. Then people forgot how rough around the edges their defense is. They're currently ranked 29th in rush defense in allowing 153 yards/game from the ground. Might spell good news for JK Dobbins. The rushing game of the Cardinals should try to get going in this game. At least give some help to Kyler Murray. The defense will have its trials in this game. I think I'll go with the Chargers.

All-time series: Chargers lead 11-4

Early & Late Game TV Broadcast Pairings

Note: Games in bold are being shown in my area, check local listings

FOX Early

Philadelphia @ NY Giants 

Chris Myers, Mark Sanchez

Detroit @ Minnesota

Adam Amin, Greg Olson

Seattle @ Atlanta

Kenny Alber, JOnahan Vilma

Miami @ Indianapolis

Kevin Kugler, Daryl Johnston

FOX Late

Kansas City @ San Francisco
Kevin Burkhardt, Tom Brady

CBS Single

Houston @ Green Bay

Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

Tennessee @ Buffalo

Andrew Catalon, Tiki Barber, Jason McCourty

Cincinnati @ Cleveland

Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleata

Las Vegas @ LA Rams (Late)

Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

Carolina @ Washington (Late)

Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

For more information on which game is being shown in your area check out: NFL 2024: Week 7 Maps

Records

2024:
Week 1: 14-2
Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 10-6

Week 4: 10-6
Week 5: 3-11

Week 6: 13-1

Total: 60-32

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 

2021: 173-98-1
2022: 166-103-2
2023: 161-111

See you all after the Monday night game for the Week 7 Recap! Enjoy the games!

-Tom