NFL Week 7 Picks: 10 Players Ready for a Breakout Game

Every year, there are players that don't live up to expectations.

Draft busts come to mind, but this year players like Larry Fitzgerald, Brett Favre and Chad Ochocinco are having seasons to forget.

We've yet to reach the halfway point of the season, so there is still time to turn it around. The state of the league right now says that no one is eliminated from playoff contention just yet. It's wide open.

Here are 10 players I expect to break out this week.

Brandon Jacobs

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - OCTOBER 17: Brandon Jacobs #27 of the New York Giants against the Detroit Lions at New Meadowlands Stadium on October 17, 2010 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

Brandon Jacobs, the Giants' 6'4", 260-pound bruiser, has been mediocre since the Giants won Super Bowl XLII. He shuffles his feet too much and fails to take advantage of the fact that he is as big as and faster than the players trying to take him down.

He has shown flashes in recent weeks, and I expect him to come out playing angry and determined in New York's rivalry game at Dallas.

He's a fiery player, and he will break out this week.

Brent Celek

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PHILADELPHIA - OCTOBER 03: Brent Celek #87 of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates his fourth quarter touchdown against the Washington Redskins on October 3, 2010 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Redskins defeated the Eagles 17

After having a breakout season last year, Brent Celek seems to be suffering from a slight hangover.

It could be that Kevin Kolb does not favor him as a target the way Donovan McNabb did, but he is simply not producing as he did in 2009.

Tennessee is ranked 23rd in the NFL in pass defense, and Kolb will be without DeSean Jackson. Look for Celek to see a ton of targets this game and break out of his slump with his first 100-yard receiving game of the season.

Knowshon Moreno

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DENVER - SEPTEMBER 19: Running back Knowshon Moreno #27 of the Denver Broncos runs through a hole as safety Earl Thomas #29 of the Seattle Seahawks looks to make a tackle during NFL action at INVESCO Field at Mile High on September 19, 2010 in Denver, Co

It has been well documented that the Denver Broncos are a terrible rushing team. Luckily for them, they face the Oakland Raiders this week.

With one of the worst rush defenses in football, the Raiders will give up a big game to Moreno, a highly-touted youngster who still has much to prove.

The Broncos will blow the Raiders out early and rely on the run game to kill the clock and close out the victory.

Andre Carter

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LANDOVER - SEPTEMBER 12: Andre Carter #99 of the Washington Redskins defends during the NFL season opener against the Dallas Cowboys at FedExField on September 12, 2010 in Landover, Maryland. The Redskins defeated the Cowboys 13-7. (Photo by Larry French

Andre Carter, the Redskins' resident sack artist, has accumulated just one quarterback takedown this season.

Expect him to rack up two or three more this week against the Bears as he breaks out of his slump.

The Bears' protection and offensive scheme in general is laughable, and it's going to allow Carter to feast on poor, defenseless Jay Cutler.

Alex Smith

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SAN FRANCISCO - OCTOBER 17: Alex Smith #11 of the San Francisco 49ers walks off the field after they beat the Oakland Raiders at Candlestick Park on October 17, 2010 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Alex Smith has been wholly ineffective this season. That being said, he's facing the Carolina Panthers this week—it may be his one chance at a big game.

As a competitor and a first overall draft pick, Smith realizes the gravity of this game. If he plays poorly against the only team in the league worse than his own, his job is all but lost.

Expect a motivated Smith to come out and have a great game against the Panthers.

Chad Ochocinco

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CHARLOTTE, NC - SEPTEMBER 26: Chad Ochocinco #85 of the Cincinnati Bengals during their game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on September 26, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Chad Ochocinco has been overshadowed by his fellow wide receiver and reality television cast mate Terrell Owens.

He has only one game with more than 100 yards receiving, and that was in Week 1, the same week he caught his last touchdown pass.

Atlanta has the 25th-ranked pass defense in the league; expect Ochocinco to break the 100-yard mark and carry that success into the coming weeks.

Willis McGahee

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BALTIMORE, MD - OCTOBER 10: Willis McGahee #23 of the Baltimore Ravens prepares to run against the Denver Broncos at M&T Bank Stadium on October 10, 2010 in Baltimore, Maryland. Players wore pink in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The Ravens

Willis McGahee needs to break out this week if he has any hope at all of salvaging this season.

His Baltimore Raven team will put a beatdown on the Buffalo Bills early, allowing the Ravens to turn to their running game to kill the clock.

There will be no need to risk the legs of Ray Rice in a blowout, so expect McGahee to get plenty of carries against his former team, allowing him to break out and gain over 100 yards on the ground.

Nnamdi Asomugha

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OAKLAND, CA - JANUARY 03: Nnamdi Asomugha #21 of the Oakland Raiders in action against the Baltimore Ravens during an NFL game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on January 3, 2010 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

Nnamdi Asomugha has yet to pick off a pass this season, and many will attribute that to his lack of targets this season.

While that may be true, you know Asomugha wants to notch at least one this season.

Going up against the pass-happy Broncos, he should have his shot. Expect him to pick off Kyle Orton once or twice this game, but don't expect the Raiders to do anything with the ball once he gets it for them.

Brett Favre

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MINNEAPOLIS - OCTOBER 17: Quarterback Brett Favre #4 of the Minnesota Vikings looks on during the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Mall of America Field on October 17, 2010 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings defeated the Cowboys 24-21. (Photo by J

Brett Favre has simply not been Brett Favre this season. Whether it is injuries or simply Father Time finally catching the Old Gunslinger, he just hasn't put up the numbers we are accustomed to seeing.

This week, that will change.

He is going up against his former team in Lambeau, and Favre was never one to shy away from the spotlight.

He loves these high drama, high intensity games, and I expect him to turn his season around this weekend at Green Bay.

Larry Fitzgerald

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GLENDALE, AZ - OCTOBER 10: Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald #11 of the Arizona Cardinals runs onto the field during introductions to the NFL game against the New Orleans Saints at the University of Phoenix Stadium on October 10, 2010 in Glendale, Arizona.

Shockingly, Larry Fitzgerald has yet to crack the century mark in receiving yards this season. Expect that to change as his team faces one of the worst pass defenses in the league in Seattle.

Max Hall has a big arm, and Fitzgerald simply catches everything.

This week, Fitz will finally get 100 yards receiving as he leads his team to victory.

Mike Osterberg is a student at Penn State University and a writing intern at BleacherReport.com. Follow him on twitter @Mike_Osterberg.