Each week, we break down all the games this weekend and who our predicted winner will be. Through 7 weeks, we are 66-41-1 in what has been an unpredictable season full of many surprises.
Baltimore Ravens at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers looks nothing like the team that just won the Super Bowl a mere couple years ago. It’s not just Brady being distracted, but the defense is falling apart week after week. The Buccaneers have just lost back to back games against the Pittsburgh Steelers & Carolina Panthers in embarrassing fashion. Right now, just about every team in the NFL could beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and that includes the Baltimore Ravens who they face on a short week. Things are not going to go well for Tampa Bay and Baltimore’s running game is going to have a field day.
Winner: Baltimore Ravens
Denver Broncos vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (London)
Hopefully a trip overseas will make both of these teams get their act together. Both teams are performing well below expectations and are dealing with their own struggles. The Broncos offense with and without Russell Wilson cannot score in the red zone and the Jaguars cannot finish down the stretch. The Jaguars look like the best 2-5 team in the NFL right now and with the way the Broncos are playing on offense, we find it hard to believe that the Broncos have a chance of winning.
Winner: Jacksonville Jaguars
Miami Dolphins at Detroit Lions
With Tua starting the game, the Dolphins are 4-1 with the one loss coming when he left the game early. The Lions have the league’s worst defense which spells trouble for them this Sunday as the Dolphins have 2 of the top 4 receivers in most receiving yards this season in Tyreek Hill & Jaylen Waddle. It’s going to be ugly for the Lions as the Dolphins continue their winning streak with Tua under center.
Winner: Miami Dolphins
Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons
Both the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers have both pulled off surprising upsets lately over the 49ers and the Buccaneers respectively. Somehow both these teams can end up winning the division with the way the Buccaneers have been. The Panthers are riding it out with PJ Walker with his play last week and we don’t blame them. The Panthers should and it’s going to make for a close game this weekend against the Falcons as neither teams have a defense. We’re giving the edge to the Falcons with Marcus Mariota having a solid outing.
Winner: Atlanta Falcons
Chicago Bears at Dallas Cowboys
One of the lowest scoring offenses in the NFL faces the defense who’s giving up the 2nd fewest points per game. The Bears offense is not great and the Cowboys who just stopped the high scoring Lions offense isn’t going to let the Bears do much against them. Once again, the Cowboys defense carries them to a victory as the Cowboys continue to have Dak recover and thankfully it’s poor teams in his first 2 weeks back from injury.
Winner: Dallas Cowboys
Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings
One of the games we’re really looking forward to this weekend is the Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings. The Cardinals looked much better last week as they had DeAndre Hopkins back from suspension which brought new life into this offense. Their offense looks like a legitimate threat after their discombobulated start to the year they had and they face an offense that’s been on a groove all season in Minnesota. Minnesota has gotten better on the defensive end and has held some good offenses on their way to a 5-1 start. The Vikings defense prevails as the Cardinals defense can’t catch up with Justin Jefferson and Dalvin Cook.
Winner: Minnesota Vikings
Las Vegas Raiders at New Orleans Saints
Both the Las Vegas Raiders and New Orleans Saints enter this game performing below expectations with their 2-5 records. We think both teams are better than what their 2-5 record says, but the Raiders especially. They had an 0-3 start in one possession games and then the offense started clicking the last 3 weeks with Josh Jacobs putting up a career year. The Saints offense is struggling with the injuries to Jameis Winston, Michael Thomas, & Jarvis Landry. The Raiders offense has more firepower right now and should get them one step closer to a .500 record.
Winner: Las Vegas Raiders
New England Patriots at New York Jets
The Patriots are currently at the bottom of the AFC East and we think they’re going to stay that way. The Patriots actually benched quarterback Mac Jones this past weekend as they got destroyed by the Chicago Bears of all teams. The Patriots face a New York Jets team who is surprisingly 5-2 riding a 4 game win streak which includes wins over the Miami Dolphins & Green Bay Packers. Both teams that are another level above the Bears who the Patriots couldn’t manage to beat at home in prime time. The Jets somehow are 6-2 in what’s been a great season for them.
Winner: New York Jets
Pittsburgh Steelers at Philadelphia Eagles
There’s only one undefeated team left in the NFL and that’s the Philadelphia Eagles. They’ve had their fair share of challenges this season to claim that title, but we’re not sure if the Steelers are going to put up much of a fight. When the Steelers played the Bills, our Super Bowl favorites, they lost by over 30 points. We don’t see them improving much off of that, despite their upset over the Buccaneers and near upset over the Dolphins. The Eagles are in a completely different class than the Steelers and it’s going to be that way for a while.
Winner: Philadelphia Eagles
Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans
The Tennessee Titans are looking like the runaway winner of the AFC South early on as their only 2 losses were to the Super Bowl favorite Buffalo Bills and the New York Giants who are 6-1. The Texans are at the bottom of an already weak division and need a win to keep in playoff contention, but we don’t think that’s going to happen. The Titans defense is keeping them on their winning streak and we don’t expect that to change against one of the league’s worst offenses.
Winner: Tennessee Titans
Washington Commanders at Indianapolis Colts
Both teams enter this game playing on their 2nd quarterbacks, the Washington Commanders as a result of Carson Wentz being placed on the injured reserve and the Indianapolis Colts by choice due to the poor play of veteran Matt Ryan. The Matt Ryan trade seemed like a bargain in the offseason, but he truly looks washed up and at the end of his career as due many of the aging quarterbacks. Sam Ehlinger will get his first career start as he’s leaped over Nick Foles & Matt Ryan on the depth chart. The Colts are mixing it up and we’re unsure of how Ehlinger will fare as a starter. Based on what we’ve seen from other quarterbacks placed in his position, their first starts have been a bit rocky. The Commanders leaned on Taylor Heinecke last season to start which he led them to a 7-10 record on the year. Last week, Heinecke stepped back into action for the injured Wentz and made some key plays late in the game to hold off the Green Bay Packers. If Heinecke and company can hold off Aaron Rodgers, we’re confident that they can do the same for Ehlinger and the Colts.
Winner: Washington Commanders
San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams
The NFC West showdown of 2 teams who are going through some struggles this season and hoping to get that turned around. The 49ers are dealing with a lot of injuries on defense that’s led to them losing a couple games straight while the Rams offense hasn’t performed anything like its team last year. Cooper Kupp has still remained reliable, but that’s about it and Cam Akers is being benched due to frustrations with playing time as he is seeking a trade. The Rams are making a poor decision with them not playing Akers as he improves their offensive attack when on the field. The Rams missed out on trading for Christian McCaffrey who the 49ers just picked up a week ago and are thrilled about. McCaffrey saw limited action last week as he was new to the team within just a couple days of their game on Sunday. This week, McCaffrey should be the starter for the full game and that’ll go very well in their favor to take down the Rams as they should have more players healthy and ready to go.
Winner: San Francisco 49ers
New York Giants at Seattle Seahawks
The Giants are rolling to 6-1 as Danny Dimes is playing at the best level of his career. The Giants are 2 wins over their entire 2021 win total and every game they’ve played in has been a one score game. The Giants should have another close one as Geno Smith & Kenneth Walker have also exceeded expectations for what was supposed to be one of the bottom teams in the NFL. The Giants improve to 7-1 on the road moving to 3 games over their 2021 win total in another closely fought battle.
Winner: New York Giants
Green Bay Packers at Buffalo Bills
The Packers have lost 3 games in a row to the New York Giants, New York Jets, and now the Washington Commanders. Aaron Rodgers is having a career worst season as a starter and clearly misses Davante Adams as he looks lost with the current receiver group. The Packers defense hasn’t been any help as they’ve made players like Taylor Heinecke and Zach Wilson look like stars. The Packers now face the best quarterback in the NFL in Josh Allen which is not going to fare well for them. The Bills offense is averaging 29.3 points per game and should surpass that mark in their inevitable beat down over Green Bay.
Winner: Buffalo Bills
Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns
The AFC North rivalry showdown is set for Halloween Night and there’s going to be plenty of tricks and treats in store for us. The Bengals don’t need to travel far as they visit cross state rival Cleveland Browns. The Browns are going to be in for a frightening night as Joe Burrow & Ja’Marr Chase give them something to have nightmares about. The Bengals offense is going to tear on the Browns defense as the Halloween Haunting prevails.
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