2020 Week 7 Predix: Battle of the Unbeatens in Nashville

Courtesy of Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

Written by Sam DeCoste

The NFL season is flying by with Halloween in sight. It genuinely feels like yesterday we saw the Chiefs take down the Texans in the rainy season opener, but in a blink of an eye, jack-o-lanterns are everywhere, and commoners are picking apples and pumpkins at their local farm, and embracing the spooky season. We're now entering Week 7 with storylines galore, including Jimmy Garappolo's return to New England, the Bucs taking on the Raiders on Sunday Night Football, and a battle of unbeatens in Nashville featuring the Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Week 6 produced plenty of upsets, and dropped 6 losses on my record. I did not regress from Week 5, however, I actually finished 8-6 back-to-back weeks. Consistency is everything, but 8-6 is not the consistent record I am looking for. Hopefully we can break the 9 win threshold this time around, and start hitting our stride with midseason almost upon us. Without any further delay, Week 7 is here. Enjoy my slate of enthralling football analysis!

Here are my records from this season:

Week 6 record: 8-6

Regular season record: 59-31-1

Lock of the Week record: 4-2

BYES: Colts, Dolphins, Ravens, Vikings

Giants @ Eagles

In any other division, a matchup between two teams each with one win through six games would be meaningless. However, in the NFC East, the winner of this game could feasibly be sitting in first place of the division at the end of the weekend. 

The Eagles played with heart against the Ravens, nearly mounting an improbable comeback. But with the Giants in town, Carson Wentz will be without his two best weapons on offense, Zach Ertz and Miles Sanders. Tracvis Fulgham, John Hightower, and Greg Ward appear to be Philly's remaining wideouts, and they will have to become Wentz's number one targets while the likes of Ertz, Jeffrey, and Jackson recover. Boston Scott showed he can thrive as the next man up last season, and he has a promising matchup against the Giants defense. The Eagles have to control the tempo, and avoid turning the ball over once again to wake up Friday morning with a divisional win.

It has been a season to forget already for the New York Giants, and their first win of the season was far from convincing. The Giants mustered 240 yards of offense and surrendered 337 yards to Washington, and were a two-point conversion away from losing. Daniel Jones cannot be New York's leading rusher again this week. Devonta Freeman is becoming more accumulated with Joe Judge's system, and should be the focal point for Thursday night. The Eagles give up 126 yards per game on the ground, and Freeman can run rampant if the Giants feed him. Darius Slayton and Golden Tate are also prominent threats on play-action if the running game is humming.

Even though the Giants are one game behind Dallas at the top of the division, the Eagles are substantially better coached, more talented, and likelier to win the division than the Giants. Philly comes out on top. 

Prediction: Giants 17, Eagles 21

Steelers @ Titans

After three weeks of limbo, the Steelers and Titans will square off 21 days after their scheduled kickoff date. Even after three weeks, the Steelers and Titans are each still undefeated, ready to battle in what could be a decisive game for the AFC playoff standings.

The Tennessee Titans are for real, and Derrick Henry should be considered a serious MVP candidate with his early performance this season. Henry will be the best player on the field on Sunday, and he is the engine of the Titans offense. He leads the league in carries with 123, yards with 588, is second in touchdowns with 6. Against a formidable Steelers defense, Henry will surely carry the rock another 30 times, and Ryan Tannehill will look for Corey Davis and Jonnu Smith to move the chains on play-action.

The Steelers front seven ranks second in the NFL in rushing defense, allowing just 66 yards per game, but Devin Bush's season-ending injury leaves them vulnerable. Without Bush, the Steelers are not built to contain the best running back in football over four quarters. Against any other running back, maybe. But not Derrick Henry. Ben Roethlisberger and the offense will be depended on to keep pace up with the Titans offense which has scored 42 points in each of their last 2 games. The Steelers would be wise to ride the hot hand with the rookie Chase Claypool, who has 5 touchdowns in the last 2 games. Juju Smith Schuster is also due for a dominant performance himself, and Jamews Conner is a capable back on the ground himself. But if the Steelers are forced to play from behind, the Titans pass rush can let loose, and Henry will grow stronger as the gang wears on. 

I seldom underestimate the Pittsburgh Steelers in AFC heavyweight showdowns, but they are not built to stop Derrick Henry, nor are they built to keep up on the scoreboard. The Titans will prevail and remain perfect.

Prediction: Steelers 17, Titans 24

Packers @ Texans

Aaron Rodgers visually checked out of Green Bay's blowout defeat to the Buccaneers, in a game which the Packers were schooled on both sides of the ball. But not to fret, the Packers can rebound in Houston, against the 30th ranked Texans defense. Aaron Jones is a very talented Aaron is his right, and he will be the engine of Green Bay's offense against Houston. The Texans rush defense ranks bottom in the league, allowing 179 yards per contest, which puts the running game in the spotlight. Discounting last week's blowout loss, the Packers are the highest scoring offense in the game, and last week was a big time blip.

The Texans gave Tennessee everything they had, but they fell short in overtime, whilst being posterized by Derrick Henry. The offense played their best game of the season, finally unleashing the speed of Will Fuller and Brandin Cooks for over the top deep passes. This is the identity of the Texans air raid offense, and it will have to build on last week to have a chance of outscoring Aaron Rodgers. Deshaun Watson was on the money last week with 335 passing yards and 4 touchdown passes, but it is likely Watson will be playing from behind against Green Bay as he has all season long. David Johnson toted the rock 19 times against Tennessee for just 57 yards, with the Titans stuffing the running game from the outset. Green Bay surrendered 113 yards and 2 touchdowns to Ronald Jones last week, which could bode promisingly for Johnson, and spice up the Texans offense which has been otherwise one-dimensional in 2020.

The first career matchup between Aaron Rodgers and Deshaun Watson should be an entertaining one, and a high scoring affair. Nonetheless, the 1-5 coach-less Houston Texans are a train wreck, and the Packers match up beautifully with the Texans defense. Green Bay takes it.

Prediction: Packers 26, Texans 21

Panthers @ Saints

Teddy Bridgewater makes his return to NOLA with his Panthers squad in Wild Card contention, and looking to bounce back from a flat performance against the Bears. Bridgewater will hope to avoid turning the ball over and settle down after throwing 2 interceptions, taking 4 sacks, and folding in the fourth quarter with the game in reach. The Panthers will look to run Mike Davis early to help settle Bridgewater's nerves, and set up the play-action with Robby Anderson and D.J. Moore. The Saints have started slow the past few weeks on offense, and if the Panthers can come out firing, they can force 41 year old Drew Brees to rally the troops in yet another come-from-behind effort.

Every week is seemingly a question of "will he or won't he?" He being Michael Thomas, who has played one game this season after injuring his ankle in Week 1, then was suspended by the team for disciplinary concerns, and is now nursing a hamstring injury with the Panthers next up. Thomas needs to return in a hurry for Brees' sake, who is ailing in the passing game of late. The offense runs through Alvin Kamara, who touched the ball 19 times for 167 yards in Week 5, and rallied the Saints from behind against the Chargers. Emmanuel Sanders stepped up to plate with 12 catches for 122 yards as well, and he will need to be Brees' go-to target every third down, especially if Thomas is still out. 

The Panthers led by Matt Rhule are a tough, competitive team, despite being projected as one of the worst teams in the NFC. They will the Saints down to the wire, as Saints fans are very accustomed to by this point. Coming off a bye week, the Saints are primed to defeat their division rivals and move to 4-2.

Prediction: Panthers 24, Saints 27

Browns @ Bengals

It was just five weeks ago that the Browns defeated the Bengals 35-30 on Thursday Night Football. Entering Week 7, the Browns are in prime Wild Card contention while the Bengals are still figuring themselves out, under the leadership of rookie quarterback Joe Burrow. 

In Week 2, the Browns steamrolled the Bengals on the ground with 215 rushing yards. Nick Chubb ran for 124 yards in that contest, but Kareem Hunt will make up for Chubb's absence. Hunt will be busy, and so will Baker Mayfield, who will remain starting quarterback after his benching in Week 6. Head coach Kevin Stefanski dispelled any semblance of a quarterback controversy, and the Browns are still Mayfield's team. He needs to rebound against Cincy and entrench himself back to the basics: no turnovers, and putting your best players in space. Mayfield can spread the ball out to Odell Beckham, Jr., Jarvis Landry, Austin Hooper, and David Njoku. The Bengals could be spread thin if Mayfield is capable of dishing it out, but that remains to be seen considering his form.

The Bengals had the Colts on the ropes a week ago. Against the number one defense in the NFL, Joe Burrow led the Bengals to a 24-7 lead in the second quarter before crumbling in the fourth quarter. Burrow and the Bengals held their own, and showed how great they can be. They pushed the Browns all the way in Week 2, and Burrow has settled down into the NFL lifestyle of late. The Bengals can slow the game down with the run game, and mitigate the pass rush of Myles Garrett. Burrow took 3 sacks for 31 yards against the Browns last time out, and he will need protection for the Bengals to have any shot this time. The Browns defense has been stretched very thin this season, and Burrow has a shot to exploit them this week.

The Browns are 4-1 in their last 5 meetings with their Ohio rivals, but this Week 7 AFC North matchup screams trap game. Cleveland is reeling from their loss to Pittsburgh, and it would not be surprising to see this edition of the Browns lose a game they should win on paper. The Bengals will take it in an upset.

Prediction: Browns 21, Bengals 27

Lions @ Falcons

Baby steps, Atlanta. The Falcons held on to their 23-0 lead against the Vikings and closed it out, sealing their first win of 2020. Going up against the 2-3 Lions, this promises to be a highly contested matchup.

Detroit won comfortably in Jacksonville last week, and they can even their record at .500 with a road win in Atlanta. The run game is beginning to thrive for Detroit, accumulating 180 total yards against the Jaguars, and setting D'Andre Swift loose for his best performance of the season with 116 yards and 2 touchdowns. Stafford was efficient but slightly off the pace. Going against the 31st ranked defense of the Falcons, Stafford is primed to dominate in the passing game, and the running game is bound to explode once again. Atlanta will not be able to slow Detroit's offense down, so as long as Stafford is on point and the running game is working, the Lions can roll this Falcons defense over.

Matt Ryan played his best game of the season in Minneapolis, throwing 371 yards and 4 touchdowns against the Vikings. The offense hit top gear and played their best game of the season, while the defense held the Vikings to 23 points and intercepted Kirk Cousins 3 times. Now they have to do it again. The Falcons benefited from having to game plan around a Dalvin Cook-less Vikings offense, but the Lions are at full strength, and more dynamic than the Vikings. The Lions have been decent on defense this season, and they will be harder to break down than the Vikings as well. If Julio Jones is at his best once again, and Calvin Ridley can find separation, the Falcons offense can blow the top off for the second week in a row, and keep up with Matt Stafford.

This should be one high scoring and entertaining battle of the Matts. While the Falcons finally have momentum to build on, the Lions are the more complete roster, and they match up better with Atlanta's horrific defense than the other way around. The Lions will grab the road win. 

Prediction: Lions 30, Falcons 24

Bills @ Jets

It has been a humbling two weeks for the Buffalo Bills following back-to-back defeats to the Titans and Chiefs. But what better way to bounce back than a road game against the winless Jets? 

For Buffalo to bounce back, they have to win in the trenches, with the ground game. Buffalo rushed for just 84 yards against the Chiefs and gave up 245 to the Chiefs led by Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Frank Gore should present a promising matchup for the Bills defense, anticipating that they load the box and force Joe Flacco to beat the Bills defense with his arm. On offense, Josh Allen will prioritize ball security and avoid throwing an interception after throwing 3 in his past 2 games. Stefon Diggs and Cole Beasley are in for standout performances, as well as John Brown if he is healthy. 

For the Jets, who were just blanked by the Dolphins, the only way should be up. Right? Anyone? The Jets offense is not built to move the ball in 2020's NFL, pounding the rock with 68 year old Frank Gore, and twilight Joe Flacco throwing the ball to Jamison Crowder and Breshad Perriman. Buffalo's defense handled them in Week 1 with Sam Darnold and Le"Veon Bell, but it would be unsurprising if the Jets were shut out back to back weeks, even against a struggling Buffalo defense. The Jets defense is not built to slow down Josh Allen or the Bills offense either, with the weapons scattered from Allen's rocket arm to the route running abilities of Diggs and Beasley. 

Josh Allen will rebound and remind the rest of the league that he is still one of the league's top quarterbacks. With the Patriots looming on Buffalo's schedule, it is imperative that the Bills have momentum to build on. They will. 

Prediction: Bills 27, Jets 16

Cowboys @ Football Team

America's Team is in a tailspin. The Cowboys were throttled at home by the Cardinals on Monday night 38-10, and reports are surfacing from the Dallas locker room that the coaching staff has already lost the players' trust and interest. The state of the union in Arlington is bleak, not to mention Dak Prescott is out for the year. Despite all the circumstances at play, the Cowboys may still be the favorite to win the NFC East. A win would solidify Dallas in first going into Week 8, and allow the team to settle town and for Andy Dalton to build rhythm with his receiving core. 

Washington fights to the end, and they have heart despite their woes. This team was a two-point conversion away from winning in East Rutherford and moving to 2-4, which would shockingly rank first in this train wreck of a division. The Football Team is poised for their greatest offensive performance of the season facing off against NFL's second worst defense against the run and worst in points allowed. The duo of Antonio Gibson and J.D. McKissic will see 30-40 carries and will look to control the game from the line of scrimmage. Dallas has struggled against the run mightily this season, and Washington's run game could potentially open up Washington's offense like never before this season.

This NFC East contest should be tight, and Washington will fight to the death. But the Cowboys have more talent and should have enough in the tank to carry them over the line somehow. 

Prediction: Cowboys 24, Football Team 16

Seahawks @ Cardinals

The Cardinals are back to 2 games above .500 after wins over the Jets and Cowboys, with the unbeaten Seahawks flying to Glendale this Sunday. The Cards rushing attack exploded with 261 rushing yards, and steamrolled the Dallas Cowboys. Kyler Murray stretched the ball downfield for some home run balls, but was wildly mediocre. Murray completed just 9 passes on Monday night, and played an inefficient game for the offense. Murray will likely have to go toe-to-toe with Russell Wilson, and whether Murray is capable of keeping up is up in the air. Kenyan Drake will be a crucial component to Arizona's game plan, and it is crucial that Kliff Kingsbury does not phase Drake out even if Seattle builds a double digit lead. The running game opened up the Cardinals offense last week, and there is momentum to be built on from Monday night.

After a week of rest, the Seahawks go back to work in Glendale looking to establish a considerable gap between them and the rest of the division. As great as the 5-0 record looks, the Seahawks are far from the perfect product. The Seahawks have the league's worst defense by 40 yards per game, and have been a liability all season long. They need to keep Kyler Murray in check, or else this could turn into a track meet. Wilson will make jaw-dropping throws all game long, and the speed of Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf should create plenty of problems for Arizona's secondary. With Chandler Jones gone for the season, Wilson will feel even more comfortable extending plays and finding his receivers in stride all game long. 

The Seahawks will be fresh off the bye, but the Cardinals will have the opportunity to build on their momentum from Monday night's dominant win. This matchup never disappoints, and in what should be a high scoring affair, the Seahawks should fly back to Seattle at 6-0.

Prediction: Seahawks 30, Cardinals 27

49ers @ Patriots

Jimmy Garappolo makes his long-awaited return to New England this Sunday, looking to take the NFC Champions above .500. Garappolo played a brilliant game against the Rams, throwing 3 touchdowns in a comfortable win for San Francisco. The Niners shorthanded and banged up defense also contained the Rams explosive and high scoring offense to just 16 points and 311 yards. They match up well with a Patriots offense which was held to 12 points by the Denver Broncos. With Mostert doubtful for Sunday, Jerrick McKinnon becomes the primary running back, and Bill Belicheck's primary focus. If McKinnon struggles early on, Garappolo will need to carry the offense on his shoulders and move the chains with George Kittle and Deebo Samuel. 

As poor as the Pats looked last Sunday, the lack of practice certainly hurt them, and it showed on the field. The Patriots were rusty after their de facto bye week, and Cam Newton was not himself. After a week to study the film and digest their horrific performances from top to bottom, the Patriots will come out firing against the 49ers. Newton will be on target this week, and should spread the ball around against a banged up 49ers secondary. The offense is built to matriculate the ball down the field with slow, 10-plus play drives to keep San Fran's offense on the sidelines. Look for James White to be featured heavily early on, and for Julian Edelman to break out of his early season slump with a breakout game as well. 

The Patriots seldom lose two consecutive games. The Patriots haven't lost 3 straight since the 2002 season, and the 49ers are not the team to buck that trend in their current state. New England will snatch the dub, but it will be a gritty defensive performance that seals the deal. 

Prediction: 49ers 13, Patriots 21

Chiefs @ Broncos

The Chiefs are due for an offensive palooza. While the Chiefs accumulated 245 rushing yards against Buffalo, the offense has been dormant all year long. They are bound for an offensive eruption, and Denver may be the site for a track meet on Sunday. Pat Mahomes is licking his lips at the prospect of unleashing Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman on the deep ball, after playing a more efficient style of offense built around the running game, and third down conversions to Travis Kelce. 

The Broncos looked impressive against the Patriots, but they are due for an emotional letdown. Denver's weaknesses from their road win over New England are bound to be exploited, including Denver's offensive ineptitude in the second half. Brandon McManus produced Denver's only points in the game, and Drew Lock's back to back interceptions nearly handed the game to New England. Philip Lindsay will be Denver's number one weapon on offense, and Melvin Gordon's availability could aid Denver's ability to control the clock. The passing game does not stack up against Kansas City for Drew Lock to drop back 60 times and keep up in a shootout, with the likes of Tim Patrick, Nick Vannett, and Jerry Jeudy in the receiving core. 

Denver has won two straight and they play with heart against the Chiefs. But Kansas City's talent will shine through over four quarters, and the Chiefs will fly back to Arrowhead at 6-1.

Prediction: Chiefs 29, Broncos 17

Jaguars @ Chargers

If football games were 3 quarters long, the Chargers would be a force to be reckoned with. Sadly, that is not the case, and the Chargers sit at 1-4 scrambling for answers. This team had the Chiefs, Buccaneers, and the Saints on the ropes, but failed to close it out each time. If the Chargers learn to finish a game and hold onto a lead, the NFL is in trouble. Justin Herbert is having a historic start to his NFL career, already throwing 9 touchdown passes in just 4 career starts, with just 3 interceptions. Herbert can continue his strong start to the season with a promising matchup against the Jags. 

The Jaguars were predictably thoroughly outmatched by the Lions last week, and it can be trickled down the running game failing from the word "go." James Robinson often drives the offense when it is at its best, but he carried the ball just 12 times for 29 yards, and the offense gained 275 yards total. Gardner Minshew will likely have to play keep-up like he did last week against the Lions and Matt Stafford, but the game script could unfold very similarly to last week as well. Robinson will be phased out of the play-calling, Minshew will be forced to drop back 50 times, and the Chargers defense can tee off.

This is one of the week's most lopsided matchups. The scoreline will reflect the gap in talent between the teams, and the Chargers will win comfortably. 

Prediction: Jaguars 14, Chargers 31

Buccaneers @ Raiders

The Bucs are really hitting their stride. Their Week 6 win over the Green Bay Packers was impressively complete and dominant, and a signature win for the Buccaneers. Tom Brady played a mediocre game through the air, but the ground game flourished with Ronald Jones, Rob Gronkowski is beginning to settle in and make consistent impact plays, and Chris Godwin has reentered the fold and is making an impact as well. On defense, the Bucs are currently the number one ranked unit in football. This team shut down Aaron Rodgers last week, and is primed to neutralize Derek Carr on Sunday night. 

Coming off a bye week, the Raiders will be confident they can pull off back-to-back upsets, after handing the Chiefs their first loss since Week 10 of last season. Henry Ruggs is going to be the X-factor, because his speed and downfield explosiveness opened up the offense for Las Vegas against Kansas City, and he can open the offense up against the Bucs top ranked defense. Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow can move the chains for Carr as well, and Josh Jacobs can control the game from the line of scrimmage. But the Raiders defense needs to keep Brady in check as well. Collapsing the pocket on Brady and clamping Mike Evans and Chris Godwin on the outside could make Sunday night a long four quarters for the 43 year old. 

This Super Bowl XXXVII rematch should be a fantastic football game, with two very balanced teams facing off in Vegas. While the Bucs have been inconsistent lately, their win over the Packers in Week 6 should set the stage for a primetime win over the Raiders. It will be close, but the Bucs should pull away with the win.

Prediction: Buccaneers 20, Raiders 17

Bears @ Rams

In the heavily competitive NFC West, the Rams sit at 4-2 following a decisive defeat to the 49ers last Sunday night. The Rams are clearly off pace from their offensive wizardry from just two seasons ago, but the pieces are still in place for a prominent NFC contender this season. Matching up against the Bears, the Rams need to regain their mojo on offense. Darrell Henderson has emerged as the top back in LA, and will tote the rock 15-20 times. Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods need more than 7 combined catches in order to open up the offense. The Rams offense is at its best when Jared Goff feels comfortable in the pocket to spread the ball out to every ball carrier lining up on the outside. The Rams can spread the Bears secondary out and control the game from the air.

Don't let the Bears' record fool you. The Bears are not as superb as the 5-1 record suggests. Chicago ranks 7th in overall defense, but the offense ranks 28th. The team gained just 261 yards against the Panthers, and Nick Foles averaged 5 yards per pass on 39 drop backs. If the Rams go up early on the Bears, Aaron Donald can tee off on the offensive line and wreck the offensive line. The Bears will tote the rock early with David Montgomery, but Foles and the passing game could be found out in a hurry if the Rams lead early. 

The Bears are strong at finishing one score games and making the final play to swing the game in their favor, but collectively, they are not a team worthy of their 5-1 record. The Rams are looking to bounce back after a flat performance against San Fran, and they should handle the Bears comfortably. This is my Lock of the Week.

Prediction: Bears 16, Rams 28