Well, last week, I made the mistake of convincing myself that I would write this while I was on break. I was wrong. So the new goal is to get this one done before I leave for the weekend. That should work better.
Anyway, this week was a little boring. The Tim Tebow and Christian Ponder eras seem to have officially begun, the Dolphins, Rams and Colts continue their furious race for Andrew Luck, and while some may have been disappointed, I don’t think anyone was surprised that the Niners knocked the Lions from the ranks of the unbeatens. Of course, then you have the post-game handshake. I don’t understand the NFL’s logic in not fining Jim Schwartz or John Harbaugh, but when the leaders of two teams that may well be the faces of your league for the near future come inches from physical conflict, something has to be done. The NFL made a mistake in not punishing the coaches, and the coaches are making a mistake in acting like children, rather than manning up and apologizing. That being said, let’s get on to Week 7. It’s not just new QBs that are mixing things up this week.
Last Week: 9-4
Overall: 39-19
Houstan Texans (3-3) at Tennessee Titans (3-2):
I didn’t have the chance to do more than checking the score on the Texans-Ravens game last week, but from the looks of it, Baltimore had things wrapped up against Houston for most of the game. That’s not surprising, given that Houston’s one offensive danger right now (Arian Foster) was going up against Baltimore’s strongest aspect (run defense). Houston faces a similar situation here. Tennessee may still be struggling to figure its offense out, but the defense seems to be having no issues, and another week without Andre Johnson in an opponent’s stadium is going to knock Houston back in the AFC South race even further. The Texans aren’t out of that race just yet … they’re just not in it right now, either.
Tennessee Titans: 24-17
Atlanta Falcons (3-3) at Detroit Lions (5-1):
Both teams have to be looking at this game as a must-win. The Falcons have to prove they can get back on track inside their division, and the Lions need to take at least one-of-two in this two-game stretch to show that this isn’t a repeat of 2007. Matt Stafford has to get over himself, though. He’s looked jittery in nearly every first half this season, and after registering the safety last week, he couldn’t seem to make up his mind about what to do next. The Falcons’ D should offer a lighter test than last week, but he’ll still feel pressure. Atlanta’s defense has to perform, though. Matt Ryan and Michael Turner have been getting the job done on offense, but they simply cannot win when they have to score 35 points per game, especially when they’re walking into Ford Field and Ndamukong Suh and Co. are going to be chasing Ryan all day long.
Detroit Lions: 28-17
Seattle Seahawks (2-3) at Cleveland Browns (2-3):
This could very well be the battle for the last chance to have a .500 record for these two. Thanks to a surprising start by the 49ers, both teams seem all but eliminated from playoff contention and are now just trying to be respectable. The Seahawks’ newfound passing attack, aided by a healthy Sidney Rice and previously unknown Doug Baldwin – seriously, nfl.com doesn’t even have a profile page on this game – looks dangerous at times. Cleveland, on the other hand, has managed to field a fairly effective defense, while an offense that looked just a little talent away from exploding last year is now sputtering along. As evenly matched as these two teams are, though, edge has to the home-field advantage and a, hopefully, now-healthy running back tandem in Cleveland.
Cleveland Browns: 21-20
Denver Broncos (1-4) at Miami Dolphins (0-5):
If I didn’t know any better, I’d say Denver did this on purpose. Tebow will be recording his first start just a few miles south of where he helped lead Florida to two national championships in college. Odds are, half the fans at Sun Life Stadium will be there to watch Tebow, not the Phins. The Broncos lost Brandon Lloyd to a trade during the week, which will hurt, but Miami can’t know exactly what to expect from Denver’s offense this week. The Broncos’ porous D should help keep Miami in the game, but it just doesn’t have enough weapons to keep up with Denver (which is really sad, by the way).
Denver Broncos: 31-20
San Diego Chargers (4-1) at New York Jets (3-3):
The Jets still look shaky, at least on offense, but the defense has been as reliable as any in the league so far. San Diego has won game after game of close calls, against opponents it should’ve handled. Philip Rivers is consistent as always, but the defense will have to make a statement game against Mark Sanchez and all his playmakers in the Meadowlands. And that’s just not going to happen.
New York Jets: 24-21
Chicago Bears (3-3) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-2):
Back to the grinder for Chicago. This team can’t seem to get two weeks’ respite from one of the toughest schedules in the NFC. The Bears demolished Minnesota on primetime, scoring in just about every way possible, but that was an unraveling Vikings team. This is a Buccaneers team that suffered its biggest humiliation in years two weeks ago and has to still be trying to erase that loss from their minds. LeGarette Blount’s probably still out for the Bucs, but the running game, if anything, seemed to pick up last week. Add to that, Josh Freeman seems to finally be returning to 2010 form, and the Bears are gonna have a hard time keeping up with Tampa Bay.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 24-17
Washington Redskins (3-2) at Carolina Panthers (1-5):
I said Miami was going to lose because it wouldn’t know how to handle a new quarterback. This time, I think Washington is going to lose because it’s using a new quarterback. One reason why is the reason for the change. In Washington, it’s almost a turnstile system. Mike Shanahan did this with Donovan Mcnabb and Rex Grossman last year, and now he’s doing it with Grossman and John Beck this year. Teams don’t sync well when they have to alternate between two quarterbacks, which puts the pressure on Washington’s defense – although it’s a very good D – to handle things. However, even if Washington’s offense does move the ball, let’s be honest: Carolina’s D isn’t getting any worse. It just … can’t. Carolina’s offense, though, has kept the Panthers in every game, even ones they had no right to contend in. That’s thanks to Cam Newton, who continues to impress despite being the only consistent weapon Carolina has.
Carolina Panthers: 30-21
Kansas City Chiefs (2-3) at Oakland Raiders (4-2):
Jason Campbell going down for six weeks is painful for everyone. Campbell’s loss may have just cost him a career starter spot, simply because Oakland’s best option was to bring in a former Pro Bowl quarterback. Oakland’s playoff chances are hurt, because it’s signed an out-of-football quarterback and expects him to learn a whole bunch of plays and be ready to start within five days. Against the league’s worst, that’d be hard enough. Against Kansas City, which is coming off a bye and seems to have finally found a running game – which is the one thing Oakland has trouble stopping, keep in mind – it’s going to take a monumental performance by Carson Palmer to keep the Raiders’ win streak going here.
Kansas City Chiefs: 21-17
Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) at Arizona Cardinals (1-4):
Arizona has looked better in recent weeks. Kevin Kolb seems to finally be getting comfortable, and Beanie Wells is simply coming alive. But Pittsburgh’s offense finally seems to meshing, and the charges that Pitt’s defense seems to old are long in the past. Arizona should have no trouble keeping this a close game, but if Troy Polamalu does play, Pittsburgh just has too much of an advantage here.
Pittsburgh Steelers: 31-20
St. Louis Rams (0-5) at Dallas Cowboys (2-3):
I’d be willing to bet that St. Louis got a steal with Brandon Lloyd for a max fifth-round pick. When Danny Amendola returns next year, Sam Bradford is gonna have a nearly unstoppable receiving tandem. Problem is, that’s next year, not this year. Lloyd should be able to get going immediately, but the Rams have way too many issues to fix right now. Tony Romo and the Cowboys have this thing about giving up late-game leads, but Rob Ryan’s defense isn’t going to let this become a game, and Romo should have a week to almost relax before getting back to choking up big games.
Dallas Cowboys: 28-13
Green Bay Packers (6-0) at Minnesota Vikings (1-5):
I think it’s funny how San Francisco’s whipping on Tampa Bay was a statement game for the 49ers, while the Bears whipping of the Vikings, on primetime, was just a sign of Minnesota’s unraveling. True, it’s probably because Minnesota is much worse than Tampa Bay, but it’s still amusing. The Vikings, on paper, should not be this bad. Their rush defense is nearly as good as ever, and they have always been a run-oriented team. True, “inept” is an understatement when it comes to Minnesota’s passing game, the Vikings seem to have enough pieces to still salvage a respectable season. Of course … that’s when they’re not playing Aaron Rodgers. In a dome.
Green Bay Packers: 27-24
Indianapolis Colts (0-6) at New Orleans Saints (4-2):
The Colts are incredibly lucky at this point. They don’t even have to try to throw these games, because they just keep facing the NFL’s best, nearly week after week. It puts them in perfect position for the Luck Sweepstakes (though I still think disregarding Peyton Manning is a mistake). The Saints have been looking suspect for weeks now, and Tampa Bay managed to expose just enough problems for a win. Indianapolis probably won’t have the same luxury, especially since Sean Payton should be around for the fourth-quarter playcalls this week. New Orleans needs to fix those cracks quick, if it wants to hold onto its playoff spot, though.
New Orleans Saints: 34-17
Baltimore Ravens (4-1) at Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5):
Poor NFL. It just cannot catch a break with these primetime games. None of them are working out like normal. True, Jacksonville is at home this week, but when the team can’t seem to sell out its games at rock-bottom prices, that doesn’t really count. The Jags have a decent defense, but odds are, the Ravens defense will be outscoring most offenses this week. It’s a perfect matchup for Baltimore, and it’s not gonna be pretty.
Baltimore Ravens: 34-3
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