NFL Predictions Week 7: Picking All 13 Winners

Last Week:  9—4

Season:  61—29

Wow!  It's already Week 7 of the NFL season.  What a far cry from the near football Apocalypse we all had to endure all summer. 

Some interesting division battles are shaping up with some unexpected faces in the forefront.  The trade deadline has passed.  Injuries and quarterback changes are making headlines each week now. 

It's safe to say the football we all know and love is going strong.

Let's jump in and pick some Week 7 winners and losers.

Chicago Bears @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday, 1:00 PM

The Bears and the Buccaneers are taking their show to London this week.  I do feel for Tampa Bay that this game counts as a "home" game for them.

The Buccaneers though, are coming off a huge must-win game over the Saints to take over first place in the NFC South.  They will have to put jet-lag and sight-seeing behind them because they face a resilient Chicago Bears team this week.

I counted Chicago out last week against Minnesota and they came through in a big way, winning the contest 39—10.  Previously the Bears had dropped three of four and looked totally incapable of protecting Jay Cutler.

The week before the Bucs beat the Saints they had lost 483.  Quite a turnaround for both teams.  Each of these teams play their best football at home, by far.  This week they are both far from home and should produce a very interesting football game in their search for a 2011 playoff birth.

Both teams are nearly identical in their offensive and defensive numbers for the year.  Tampa Bay has been more consistent offensively if you look past their blunder in San Francisco.  After what the 49ers did to Detroit a week ago though, I am a believer in their defense.

Whoever gets their running game on track first in this one and can sustain drives will win.  Although I would take Matt Forte over Earnest Graham any day, the Bucs have ran the ball more effectively this season and I'll take them in this one.

Prediction:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers over Chicago Bears     23—16

Atlanta Falcons @ Detroit Lions, Sunday, 1:00 PM

The Detroit Lions have another home game this week where they will welcome the up and down Atlanta Falcons to Ford Field.

The Lions may have finally been beaten by the defensive-minded 49ers last week, but they played another solid game.  This week their biggest challenge will be to stop Michael Turner a week after allowing over 200 yards to Frank Gore and company.

The Lions front four brings a ferocious pass rush, but has been hit pretty hard against the run to begin the season.  They should see a heavy dose of Turner this Sunday, but should be able to slow the Falcons in the red-zone.

As far as the Lions running game goes, it looks to be without the electrifying Jahvid Best this week after he suffered a concussion against the 49ers.  The Falcons may be without an important offensive cog of their own this week.  Julio Jones has yet to join in the Falcons in practice this week due to his injured hamstring.

A week ago without Jones the Falcons were able to win due to three interceptions on defense.  They were only able to find Roddy White twice though.  The Lions defense is only allowing 205 passing yards per game and should give Matt Ryan trouble this week as well.

The Falcons road woes have been pretty apparent this season and Ford Field has proven itself a tough venue to win in this year.  I like the Lions to force a few turnovers as they have done in their five wins this season and get that losing taste out of their mouth, whether it is with or without Best.

Prediction:

Detroit Lions over Atlanta Falcons     2723

Houston Texans @ Tennessee Titans, Sunday, 1:00 PM

The ailing Texans with a beat-up Matt Schaub and still out Andre Johnson are watching their shot at the AFC South crown dwindle before their eyes.  They have a shot to take first-place back this week against their only real competition in the division, the Tennessee Titans.

The problem is the game will be played in Tennessee where the Titans have been lights-out.  Tennessee has allowed 13.5 points per game and only 230 yards per game at home this season.

It will be another bruiser of a game for Arian Foster who has had to run against Pittsburgh, Oakland and Baltimore in consecutive weeks.  This week may be his toughest test as the Titans only allow 52 yards per game on the ground in Tennessee.

A week off may have been just what the doctor order for the Titans and star running back Chris Johnson.  They suffered their worst defeat of the season to the Steelers entering their bye week and got another lackluster performance from Johnson.

Johnson went without a training camp or preseason for the second straight season.  Johnson averaged 4.05 yards per carry prior to his week off in 2010 and came back out averaging 4.65 per carry afterward.

The Titans will be expecting that kind of resurgence if they want to maintain their division lead.

Getting the Texans at home while they are banged up is a big advantage for this Titans bunch and they will take the come out full-force in this one.

Prediction:

Tennessee Titans over Houston Texans     2616

Denver Broncos @ Miami Dolphins, Sunday, 1:00 PM

Interesting set-up here, the win-less Miami Dolphins may have their best shot at a victory this weekend over the 1—4 Denver Broncos, but they will be honoring their opponent's quarterback before the game.

Yes, Tim Tebow and his NCAA Champion Florida Gators team will be honored at Sun Life Stadium on Sunday.  What an odd scenario for Tebow's first starting nod that is not due to injury.

To the game, Tebow will surely be fired up after his pre-game celebrations in a familiar Stadium, and will make some exciting plays.  He may run for a touchdown or two, but in the long run he is completing less than 50 percent of his passes for his career, including 4-of-10 passing a week ago in clean-up duty.

Matt Moore didn't have a dream outing in his first start either.  He had two interceptions and failed to lead a touchdown drive.  I do like the fact that that Miami has a seemingly fired up Brandon Marshall who talent-wise is certainly among the league's elite.

A shocking trend would be that Miami is 1—11 in their last 12 home games.  Something has to give there, right?  Eventually they will right the ship in both Denver and Miami, but for now it will be two pretty poor team's fighting for a much needed win.

I'll take the team whose once-backup and now starting quarterback has completed over 50 percent of his passes on the season, albeit by a small, small margin.

Prediction:

Miami Dolphins over Denver Broncos     2423

San Diego Chargers @ New York Jets, Sunday, 1:00 PM

I promise I was ready to make the play towards the Jets this week.  They are 3—0 at home, they just got a tune-up game against the Dolphins and they usually play up to the big AFC  competition. 

Then Rex Ryan had to take a shot a Norv Turner.  It may not be that big of a deal in the grand scheme of professional athletes doing their jobs out there, but I think it will give the Chargers some extra motivation.

I am going to take the Chargers here, they have a balanced offense with a lot of talent.  They can do what the Cowboys did in New York week one and move the ball on the Jets on their home field. 

The Jets have been giving up some uncharacteristic totals on the ground this year and the Chargers' Ryan Mathews has proven to be the explosive-play back they drafted him to be.  Unless Darrelle Revis can coax Phillip Rivers into throwing a couple of untimely interceptions the Chargers will have to much firepower for the Jets to keep up with.

I'll take Turner's Chargers to put Ryan's boys in their place this week in what has been an unexpectedly inconsistent season for the Jets.

Prediction:

San Diego Chargers over New York Jets    27—20

Seattle Seahawks @ Cleveland Browns, Sunday, 1:00 PM

We have a battle of 2-3 teams in this one that are fighting to stay alive in their respective divisions.  Both teams have struggled mightily on offense this season, especially on the ground.  Cleveland has been the worst of the two, failing to gain even 85 yards on the ground in their last three contests.

The Seahawks are one of the league's best against the run, allowing just 3.1 yards per rush this year and will likely shut down the disappointing tandem of Peyton Hillis and Montario Hardesty in this one.  The Browns west-coast offense is built around a consistent running game to open up the passing game and has seen Colt McCoy struggle to complete passes at times this year.

They are at home, but have only managed to go 12 with a one-point victory over the lowly Dolphins in Cleveland this year.  The Seahawks were last seen winning by 11 on the road in New York and may be on he rise. 

They had a week off to prepare for this Browns team and the extra preparation should show this week.  I'll take Marshawn Lynch and company to take it to the Browns in Cleveland.

Prediction:

Seattle Seahawks over Cleveland Browns     17—13

Washington Redskins @ Carolina Panthers, Sunday, 1:00 PM

The consensus this week is that the Panthers will take it to the Redskins and newly anointed starter John Beck.  While I do believe the Redskins and John Beck will struggle to move the ball at times this game will be far from a blowout.

The Redskins defense is allowing just 16 points per game and will likely be the toughest test the young Cam Newton has faced all season.  The Panthers did win a defensive slug-fest at home against the Jaguars which offers a similar style of play to the Redskins.

The Panthers and the Redskins have trouble stopping the run, allowing 4.8 and 4.6 yards per carry, respectively.  I think this will take some of the pressure off of John Beck, but more importantly allow Newton to keep drives alive against a very stingy Washington defensive unit.

I think the lack of playing time in games will certainly hurt Beck and the Redskins offense, but the defense knows who is starting and will make them play even harder.

In the end, there will be enough mistakes offensively to bury the Redskins, but if I were betting against the spread I would certainly take Washington and the points.

Prediction:

Carolina Panthers over Washington Redskins     2019

Kansas City Chiefs @ Oakland Raiders, Sunday, 4:05 PM

There are a lot of questions circling the quarterback situation in Oakland.  It sure would be nice if Carson Palmer was ready to go against the reigning AFC West champion Chiefs, especially given the price they paid for him.

If Palmer is a little rusty and Kyle Boller goes, it will more than likely be a low scoring affair.  A lot will be put on the backs of Darren McFadden and Oakland's No. 2 ranked rushing attacked, but the Chiefs fare well against the run allowing just 3.8 yards per carry.

It does need to be mentioned that the Chiefs have turned it around rather nicely after their opening decimation in Weeks 1 and 2.  They have now won two straight games and will look to win in Oakland to pull to .500. 

The Raiders are 4-2 and know this is a great opportunity to make the playoffs for the first time since 2002 when they lost in the Super Bowl.  I believe they made a great move in getting a quarterback who was able to take the Bengals to the playoffs twice.

For now, there will be a little rust to get over for Palmer even if he does go which will make this a very close game.  The Chiefs are playing much better, but I don't think the Raider's are going to drop this one with the level of optimism in town, especially against a team they beat twice last year.

Prediction:

Oakland Raiders over Kansas City Chiefs     2723

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, 4:05 PM

The Arizona Cardinals will look to end a four-game losing streak against the NFL's No. 1 defense.  They may remember the opponent well, they were so close to shocking them in the Super Bowl almost three years ago.

The Steelers defense may rank No. 1, but they are banged up at some key positions and are still failing to stuff the run the way they are accustomed to, allowing 4.6 yards per rush.  They will see a lot of Beanie Wells trying to exploit that problem this week, as Kevin Kolb's late frustrations will surely continue. 

Kolb hasn't started his Arizona Cardinals career off the way he envisioned.  He has more interceptions than touchdowns and leads a passing game that averages just 237 yards per game.

The Steelers offense has looked great at times with the seemingly unstoppable Ben Roethlisberger to Mike Wallace connection and a strong rushing attack.  Last week though, they almost gave one up to the Jaguars while gaining just 70 yards of offense in the entire second half.

They have to find their stride early in this one and the defense should be able to stifle the Cardinals stumbling offense.  Pittsburgh has been a different team on the road, going just 1—2 and allowing 24 points per game versus just 10 paints per game at home.

Still, the defenses ability to shut down the opposition's passing game will be the key factor in winning this game.

Prediction:

Pittsburgh Steelers over Arizona Cardinals     27—17

St. Louis Rams @ Dallas Cowboys, Sunday, 4:15 PM

The St. Louis Rams will face the Dallas Cowboys this week to try and renew their season and make a last stab at another playoff shot.  They barely missed out last year and had high hopes coming into the season, but find themselves at 0—5 and now face the league's No. 5 defense.

The Dallas Cowboys lost another heart-breaker last week in New England.  They went conservative in the end, obviously trying to avoid a Tony Romo meltdown and it came back to bite them.  Now they face a vastly inferior team in the Rams and have a great shot to get back to .500. 

They also have a great chance to end a streak of 11 straight games decided by four points or less.  The Rams have the pieces, especially after adding a play-maker on the outside in Brandon Lloyd.  The problem has been the offensive line allowing Sam Bradford to take a beating and now they must stop the league's premier pass rusher in DeMarcus Ware.

Bradford is expected to play, but has been questionable all week with an ankle injury.  If A.J. Feeley gets into the game it could be a disaster for the Rams. 

The Cowboys are again dealing with injuries of their own, Felix Jones is expected to be out which would give Tashard Choice and DeMarco Murray a chance to shine against the NFL's worst rush defense. Either way the Cowboys will look to transform their red-zone woes by finding their stars near the end-zone.  They had to settle for field goals twice last week after finding Choice and backup tight end Martellus Bennett.

The Cowboys over-match the Rams on all fronts here and will use this as a tune-up game before diving into the meat of their season.

Prediction:

Dallas Cowboys over St. Louis Rams     3413

Green Bay Packers @ Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, 4:15 PM

The Green Bay Packers are absolutely rolling.  They will visit the Minnesota Vikings who have finally given up on Donovan McNabb after a 1—5 start.  First-round draft choice Christian Ponder will get his first career start against the defending champs. 

The Packers will be all over him early with their pass rush and will give him some looks he hasn't seen before with the versatile Charles Woodson.  With Ponder at the helm it can't get much worse for the Vikings which is the good news.  The McNabb lead Vikings averaged just 167 yards through the air.

I expect the Vikings to look a little better at home this week than they did in Chicago where they had a big letdown on Sunday night. 

Adrian Peterson will be called upon to help the youngster out in this one and he's been amazing at home this year.  He has amassed six of his seven touchdowns in his three home games this year.  While I think he will have a strong outing, it won't be enough to beat Green Bay.

The Packers offense is moving at an amazing pace and Aaron Rodgers is just not making mistakes, he comes in with 17 touchdowns and just three interceptions.

The Vikings in years past have been a great match-up with the Packers, but as we saw against Chicago they have truly fell to the bottom of the NFC North.

Prediction:

Green Bay Packers over Minnesota Vikings    3120

Indianapolis Colts @ New Orleans Saints, Sunday, 8:20 PM

About the only thing against Jimmy Graham right now is the fact he was the one tackled into Sean Payton, breaking his leg.  Graham has now had four straight 100-yard games and is becoming a real bright spot on the New Orleans offensive unit.

He will be Drew Brees favorite target once again this week.  Mark Ingram and company should have a good outing too against the poor Colts rush defense that's allowing 136 yards per game.

While the Colts have played tough in each of their six losses and Curtis Painter has been a vast improvement over Kerry Collins, they haven't had to keep up with a team like the Saints yet.

The Saints are coming off a tough divisional loss at the Buccaneers and will relish in being home for this one.  They will come out firing and will be too much for the Colts to keep up with.  This is one of those games where everyone wishes Peyton Manning was playing so we could see a shootout, but he's not playing and it won't be a shootout.

The Saints win a one-sided game in the Superdome this Sunday night.

Prediction:

New Orleans Saints over Indianapolis Colts     3724

Baltimore Ravens @ Jacksonville Jaguars, Monday, 8:30 PM

Maurice Jones-Drew has been about the only constant for the Jaguars, he hasn't had less than 84 yards rushing in a game all season.  He's not getting in the end-zone thought, and that would be the fault of the passing game.

Rookie Blaine Gabbert has completed less than 50 percent of his passes on the season and the Jags are only getting 137 passing yards per game.  That's a good quarter for Tom Brady or Drew Brees.

The Ravens won't give them much of a break this week, they are allowing just 5.6 yards per pass and are even better against the run.  They have made much better offense than Jacksonville's look absolutely silly and a frustrating outing is ahead for Gabbert and the Jaguars.

Ray Rice and the running game has been consistent enough, and Joe Flacco has been there for the big game through the air when needed.  With the play of Ray Lewis and the defense right now though, the offense isn't being asked for much.

The Ravens are a true contender this year with wins over the Steelers, Jets and Texans already and won't likely slip up in this one in Jacksonville.

Prediction:

Baltimore Ravens over Jacksonville Jaguars     26—13