NFL Weekly Wonder, Edition #7
By Peyton Schultze
Safety Justin Simmons and the Denver Broncos pulled off a huge win on the road in New England in Week 6, but they will have their hands full on Sunday with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs on the schedule (via USA Today).
Week 6 was truly one of the most unpredictable weeks to start the NFL season, with some very surprising outcomes all week long.
Full of blowout wins from underdogs and slight favorites, last week surely was one of the most shocking periods reaching near the halfway point of the season. From the 49ers’ impressive win over the Rams on Sunday Night Football to the Steelers’ throttling of the Browns at home in the early slate of game, there were plenty of key results that could have a real impact on the playoff race late in the year for both conferences. And with the next week of games coming up shortly, the attention in the league suddenly turns toward a Week 7 schedule full of important matchups considering the crowded playoff pictures in the AFC and NFC.
So what will we see in Week 7? Can the Broncos ride their momentum from last week and pull off a huge home win against the defending champions? Will Derrick Henry and Ryan Tannehill continue their fiery starts to the season? Will the Bears or Rams pull of a huge win for their playoff chance on Monday Night Football? And how will Green Bay respond from last week’s performance on the road this weekend against Houston? Let’s look ahead at a Week 7 slate full of must-win action for several teams featuring some hard-hitting matchups.
Game-by-Game Looks
The Giants’ record is still unimpressive to say the least, but they still have a fighter’s chance at a title in the NFC East after a home divisional win last week (via Big Blue View).
Thursday: New York G. @ Philadelphia (-3.5), 5:20 PM PT, FOX/NFL Network
An important game for the overall outlook of the NFC East in 2020 kicks off Week 7 in a battle of two divisional rivals looking to make their mark on the primetime stage. In years past, including a dramatic late season win against the Giants on Monday Night Football last season, Eagles’ quarterback Carson Wentz has had his way with the G-Men. However, with the way that New York is playing on the defensive side of the ball, the Giants are a team that can give Wentz and the Philadelphia offense some serious problems this year. This means that the key to the game is the turnover battle, which puts a lot of Daniel Jones. But head coach Joe Judge will have his team ready for a slugfest on Thursday and Jones will do just enough, including using his legs, to give the Giants a tight and much-needed win on the road in our upset of the week.
Philadelphia: 20 New York G.: 23
Sunday: Pittsburgh (-2.0) @ Tennessee, 10:00 AM PT, CBS
The marquee battle of Super Bowl contenders in the AFC kicks off the early morning slate of games on Sunday, as both teams enter play with undefeated records on the year. The Steelers’ dominant defense has once again been their calling card in 2020, but quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has also put up his fair share of solid numbers to help out a young offense. But while the Steelers have remained undefeated in the early stretch of the season, they have mostly cruised to some easy wins. The same can’t be said for the Titans, who have clutched out several games late in the 4th quarter on the backs of Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry. That’s the difference in this home game for the Titans, as they get to 6-0 and deliver the Steelers their first loss of the season.
Pittsburgh: 27 Tennessee: 28
Sunday: Detroit @ Atlanta (-3.0), 10:00 AM PT, FOX
A battle of two teams just hanging on by a thread in hopes of saving their season, Atlanta and Detroit head into this Week 7 matchup with plenty of uncertainty. The Falcons suddenly looked formidable last weekend in a duel with the favored Vikings, but their lack of consistency is a terrifying sign for people who may start to be gaining some confidence in picking the Falcons. Meanwhile Detroit cruised to a nice win coming off their bye week against Jacksonville in Week 6, putting up a nice outing on both sides of the ball. This makes us lean with an advantage toward Detroit, who could find themselves at 3-3 and right in the hunt for a potential seventh spot in the NFC playoff picture.
Atlanta: 21 Detroit: 27
Sunday: Cleveland (-3.0) @ Cincinnati, 10:00 AM PT, CBS
Arguably the most confusing opening line of the weekend is a battle of AFC North rivals, which already saw Cleveland come out on top earlier in the season. This likely has to do with quarterback Baker Mayfield’s questionable status heading into the Week after an abysmal performance in Week 6 and a nagging injury, but the Browns still have the firepower on offense if Mayfield can’t suit up and Case Keenum gets his first start of the year. The Bengals have been better than expected and are not as bad as their record shows with rookie signal caller Joe Burrow off to a fast start to his career, but don’t count on them to pull off an impressive win this weekend.
Cincinnati: 24 Cleveland: 31
Sunday: Buffalo (-13.0) @ New York J., 10:00 AM PT, CBS
A little surprising that the line isn’t even higher considering Buffalo is coming off two straight tough losses to AFC contenders, don’t expect much of a close battle in The Meadowlands this weekend. The Jets could get a nice boost of their own if quarterback Sam Darnold returns to the lineup after the terrible fill-in job from Joe Flacco, but it is hard to see New York going toe-to-toe with Buffalo. For the Bills, quarterback Josh Allen has not looked very good in two straight weeks, but a date with the league’s worst team right now should quickly get his confidence back. The Bills should roll to an easy win on Sunday morning, which really won’t be any close from the beginning.
New York J.: 13 Buffalo: 42
Sunday: Carolina @ New Orleans (-7.0), 10:00 AM PT, FOX
The Saints have been somewhat unpredictable when it comes to their success so far in 2020, which makes their matchup coming off a bye week a little hard to predict. Meanwhile, the rebuilding Panthers have been somewhat of a success story in 2020 with quarterback Teddy Bridgewater running the show, leading Carolina to a solid 3-3 record to keep them in the hunt for a playoff spot in the NFC. So who wins this tough divisional battle down by the bayou? It’s hard to flat out pick against the Saints in this situation coming off a bye, but the game could easily be a lot closer than the opening line suggests. Proceed with caution, but give the more experienced team the slight edge on Sunday.
Carolina: 23 New Orleans: 24
Sunday: Dallas (-1.5) @ Washington, 10:00 AM PT, FOX
The sky is certainly falling under the roof of AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, as the Cowboys’ season has been nothing short of a disappointment once again. That sensation reached its pinnacle on Monday night after a terrible loss to a scrappy Cardinals’ team, and Dallas is quickly searching for answers immediately. But even with Dallas struggling so much, this is a team that can thrash lesser rosters with poor quarterback play. That is exactly what Washington happens to be right now after another poor loss to the Giants last weekend, which means there could suddenly be a ray of hope in Dallas after another Cowboys’ win this weekend versus their storied rival.
Washington: 17 Dallas: 20
The 49ers suddenly found themselves back in the NFC West playoff race after a massive win against the Rams in Week 6 on Sunday Night Football (via Niners Nation).
Sunday: Green Bay (-3.5) @ Houston, 10:00 AM PT, FOX
One week ago, many people considered Green Bay the best team in all of football after their hot start to the season. Now, after a terrible game against the Bucs in Week 6, those same people have some serious doubts about how good this team actually is, which is a story to follow heading into the weekend. Meanwhile, quarterback Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans have not been spectacular in 2020, but have found a way to stay competitive against quality opponents all year long. This makes this weekend’s matchup in Houston a very intriguing one to watch, but expect a huge bounce back game from Green Bay on offense. With Houston’s defense still struggling to defend anyone and generate a huge pass rush outside of JJ Watt, the Packers should find their footing and re-establish themselves as a threat to win this year’s Super Bowl.
Houston: 23 Green Bay: 34
Sunday: Seattle (-4.0) @ Arizona, 1:05 PM PT, FOX
Arizona is fresh off a huge win on Monday Night Football against Dallas, but this Week 7 matchup against a Super Bowl contender in Seattle presents a much more challenging matchup for a team looking to be taken seriously. Russell Wilson still remains the favorite for league MVP after his red-hot start to the season, and the Seahawks have shown almost nothing on offense that should be troubling by any means with the starpower of weapons like DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. The Seahawks’ lack of a pass rush could help Kyler Murray and the Cardinals’ offense gain some confidence and put points on the board, but a Seattle team coming off a bye week still has the clear advantage heading into this weekend’s afternoon battle of NFC West supremacy.
Arizona: 27 Seattle: 38
Sunday: San Francisco @ New England (-3.0), 1:25 PM PT, CBS
Jimmy Garoppolo’s return to New England as the 49ers’ starter won’t end up being quite as interesting without fans in attendance, but the stakes are still extremely high this weekend. The Patriots’ are somewhat in must-win territory with the Bills separating themselves with an easy upcoming schedule, and the Niners’ continued race in the NFC West makes each of their games even more intense and focused. So who has the advantage this week after two polar opposite performances in Week 6? That advantage belongs to the 49ers on the road, who may use a similar gameplan to that of Denver last week by running the ball early and often. Expect a close one, but one that ultimately ends in a dramatic win for San Francisco.
New England: 21 San Francisco: 24
Sunday: Kansas City (-9.5) @ Denver, 1:25 PM PT, CBS
A team that Patrick Mahomes has dominated from the moment he entered the league, Denver heads into this Week 7 matchup with all eyes on them after an offseason of retooling to go head-to-head with teams like the Kansas City Chiefs. There’s certainly hope after the Broncos’ huge road win last week against New England, but the Broncos need to punch the ball into the endzone with quarterback Drew Lock at the helm if they want to make a statement to the league. Denver’s defense will make things at least somewhat difficult for Kansas City’s dynamic offense, but it won’t be enough to stop the defending Super Bowl champions in this divisional bout.
Denver: 20 Kansas City: 31
Sunday: Jacksonville @ Los Angeles C. (-8.0), 1:25 PM PT, CBS
The Chargers’ 1-4 record doesn’t show how fun and interesting this team has been to start the 2020 season, especially considering the immediate success from their future franchise quarterback in Justin Hebert. And now coming off an early bye week that gave players like Keenan Allen some time to heal and get back to full strength, Los Angeles might be able to go on a bit of a run here with the Jacksonville Jaguars first on their radar. The Jags are not the league’s worst team, but they are a squad that struggles to matchup up with dynamic offenses and strong pass rushes on a weekly basis. The Chargers happen to have both of those right now, and a nice and easy win this weekend should be on sight for the Bolts.
Jacksonville: 17 Los Angeles C.: 27
Sunday: Tampa Bay (-3.0) @ Las Vegas, 5:20 PM PT, NBC
Arguably the most interesting game of Week 7 after Tampa’s huge Week 6 win and the Raiders’ performance in their last outing, this Sunday Night Football battle is sure to be tight. The Raiders suddenly have the makings of a playoff team in the AFC after beating the Chiefs in Week 5, but they will need all hands on deck against Tom Brady and a ruthless Tampa Bay defense that just rattled quarterback Aaron Rodgers. If this game was in Las Vegas in front of all of Raider Nation to witness, the obvious pick would be to take the Raiders in their return to Sunday Night Football. But on a neutral field without any kind of outside factors impacting the game, take the better team in Tampa Bay in a thriller.
Las Vegas: 28 Tampa Bay: 31
Monday: Chicago @ Los Angeles R. (-5.5), 5:15 PM PT, ESPN
The only spread of Week 7 that we completely disagree with, the 5-1 Chicago Bears head on the road for a huge NFC battle with the LA Rams. Both of these teams could make the playoffs this season after nice starts to the season, but one thing to keep in mind in this game is their recent history against one another. Taking out outlier years that both teams had last year, the Bears and Rams both look much more like the 2018 versions of themselves. And while the Rams did make the Super Bowl that year, the Bears were a team that had, and still has, the exact formula toward beating a high-flying attack like LA: get to Jared Goff and take care of the ball on offense. This puts a ton of pressure of quarterback Nick Foles on Monday Night Football, but the veteran gunslinger will prove to be the Bears’ answer at the position again this week.
Los Angeles R.: 23 Chicago: 26
Daily Fantasy Targets
While his childhood friend Clayton Kershaw tries to take the Dodgers to the promised land in the 2020 World Series, Matthew Stafford is trying to develop a winning streak for the Lions and get this team back into the NFC playoff hunt (via Detroit Free Press).
Quarterbacks: Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions) and Justin Herbert (Los Angeles Chargers)
As he usually does, Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford has flown under the radar once again and remains a cheap play this weekend against a terrible Falcons’ defense. Stafford has always had the ability to have huge boom-or-bust potential from week-to-week, but this week presents an exciting opportunity given the veteran quarterback’s solid start to the year. Pairing Stafford with a top target like Kenny Golladay would also not be a bad choice by any means considering their special connection, which could easily see two or more touchdowns of their own on Sunday. Meanwhile, Chargers’ rookie quarterback Justin Hebert has quickly become a premiere fantasy option in his young career with his unique skillset. Combining a nice running ability with his massive arm, Herbert has excelled with the Bolts’ offense thus far. With a matchup on the way against a Jacksonville defense that has allowed a lot of big plays to opposing offenses all year long, it could be a big day for a Chargers’ offense that is looking to get in rhythm and secure their second win of the season.
Running Backs: Kareem Hunt (Cleveland Browns) and Ronald Jones II (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Running back Nick Chubb was the superstar on the field for the Browns when they faced the Bengals back in Week 2, but with him sidelined with an injury, running back Kareem Hunt should carry the load for the Browns’ offense on Sunday. Cincinnati’s defense has truly struggled against the run all year long, while the Browns’ run game has propelled this offense to new highs under head coach Kevin Stefanski. If the Browns use Hunt early and often on the ground and in the short passing game, Cleveland should be able to jump out of the gates to a quick start to put Bengals’ quarterback Joe Burrow in a tough position on the other side of the ball. Another ideal option to use this week could be Buccaneers’ running back Ronald Jones II, who has seemingly took over the lead back role for Tampa Bay in the early part of the season. With Jones in line for the bulk of the team’s rushes, the young running back is in position to score nearly every week with how well the Bucs are moving the ball on offense. This is a great sign for Tampa Bay as they head into battle against a weak run defense in Las Vegas, which means Jones could be in for another career-defining performance in primetime.
Wide Receivers: Stefon Diggs (Buffalo Bills) and Chase Claypool (Pittsburgh Steelers)
Stefon Diggs and Josh Allen have quickly formed an outstanding connection for the Bills’ offense, but their production has slowed down a little bit over the past two weeks. Expect that to change immediately with the Jets’ poor secondary incoming, which should be encouraging for Bills’ fans after two straight losses to the Chiefs and Titans. Diggs is the clear first option for Allen and the Bills’ passing attack, and his role as a game-changing playmaker who can generate big plays could be very intriguing against a defense that has allowed plenty of their own big plays. Diggs has always been great since he entered the league, but the surprise rookie standout of the 2020 season has been Steelers’ wide reciever Chase Claypool. Claypool’s massive size and sheer speed has completely changed the Steelers’ dynamic offense, and he appears to be in line for solid weekly production from now until the end of the season. So with a Titans’ defense that just was torched by Houston coming up this weekend, who says no to Claypool after two straight breakout games? This reciever is a rising star, and his impact on the Pittsburgh offense should only continue to grow with a favorable matchup on the way this weekend.
Tight Ends: Noah Fant (Denver Broncos) and Hunter Henry (Los Angeles Chargers)
The Broncos’ passing attack was decent in Week 6 despite their inability to punch it in the endzone, but it could take a step forward this week with tight end Noah Fant on track to return to the lineup. Fant’s blend of size and speed at the position presents a matchup problem for nearly every team in the league, including a Chiefs’ defense that has not faired well against the position so far in 2020. The Chiefs are likely going to focus their effort on stopping the Broncos’ run game early this weekend, and quarterback Drew Lock should look in Fant’s direction plenty of times down the field and on third-down on Sunday. For the Chargers, however, Hunter Henry remains an elite fantasy target for the position given his reliability when it the lineup. Wide reciever Keenan Allen is questionable for this weekend’s matchup versus the Jaguars, and his potential departure from the starting lineup could mean an increased share of passing targets coming in Henry’s direction against the Jaguars’ struggling defense. Henry should see red-zone targets and balls on third-down on Sunday, which could put him in a position to be a top-three finisher at the position this weekend.
Defenses: New York G. (vs. Philadelphia) and Washington (vs. Dallas)
Looking for some potentially ugly play on offense this week? Look no further than both of the NFC East divisional matchups this week, where both games have a chance to be low-scoring and turnover-heavy. For the New York Giants, their play on the defensive side of the ball has been their biggest surprise of the season so far in 2020. But if they want their season to get back on track and steal a divisional win on Thursday against a rival in Philadelphia, they will need to get after quarterback Carson Wentz early and often. Wentz has been certainly been better in the past couple of weeks, but his tendency to turn the ball over at somewhat of an extreme rate could backfire if he continues to not be in perfect rhythm with his battered receiving group. Meanwhile, the Washington defense could cause just as much havoc this weekend against Dallas as Arizona did in Week 6. Washington has one of the best pass rushes in the entire league, and the mismatch on the interior line between them and a beaten-up Cowboys’ offensive line could make things ugly for signal caller Andy Dalton. If you’re looking for a low-end, low-price candidate on defense this week, Washington could be your go-to at home against their oldest rival.
Fanatical Focus
Cowboys’ Running Back, Ezekiel Elliott
Elliott’s disappointing start to the season has plenty of question marks surrounding the Cowboys’ offense, especially considering his sudden fumbling problem that has plagued this offense (via New York Daily News).
Although the 2020 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays is taking place right across from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, things could not be gloomier for fans in the Dallas area right now. Although their football team technically is holding onto first place in the rotten NFC East, the Dallas Cowboys sit at 2-4 on the season with an injured quarterback and arguably the worst defense in the NFL. Their biggest failure of the season came this past week on Monday Night Football, when the Cowboys were flat out embarrassed by a young Arizona Cardinals’ squad that is still rebuilding and in the midst of trying to get back to the playoffs. So who is to blame for this sudden disaster, and are the 2020 Cowboys going to prove to be the exact same as the 2018 and 2019 Cowboys over the next few weeks?
In year one of the Mike McCarthy era in Dallas, many people presumably expected huge years from Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper, and Ezekiel Elliott, the Cowboys’ elite big three on offense. But while Prescott jumped out to a huge start before suffering a season-ending ankle injury and Cooper has remained a steady presence in a loaded group of wide receivers, Elliott appears to have taken a step backward since McCarthy arrived in town. Maybe it’s due to an inflated contract that has Cowboys’ fans worried about his own future, a sudden fumbling problem, a lack of imaginative playcalling, or even the sudden erosion of a once-dominant offensive line, but the star running back has really struggled for the first time in his career based off his prior accomplishments.
Keep in mind, though, Zeke still ranks 8th in the league in rushing yards right now with 413 of his own on the season so far, to go along with six total touchdowns. But based on the Cowboys’ expectations coming into the year, it was fair to assume Elliott would be producing bigger numbers through this point in the season. And gone now are the former critics of head coach Jason Garrett, a constant punching bag for fans when the team was down and whose tenure in Big D was constantly filled with controversy as to how he ran his offense. Yet the attention in that department has now shifted to that of McCarthy, who can be at least held somewhat responsible for his shaky time in Green Bay alongside Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers. Despite having two of the best players at the position during his time, McCarthy’s time with the Packers was surrounded by the constant notion that Rodgers and company were not given enough resources to compete for a Super Bowl every year. The same can’t be said for these Cowboys though; they run out arguably the best group of wide receivers in the league to go along with their bona fide star running back in Elliott.
So with that being said, how can they Cowboys get on a little bit of a roll here and try to make the playoffs? Although many would disagree and say that Dallas should trade some of their heavier assets to contenders in order to clear cap space for the future of the team, owner and general manager Jerry Jones does not appear like he is in a position to start rebuilding these Cowboys once again after such an immediate short-term plan put in place. But with Prescott out of the lineup for the year and with major questions already surrounding their head coach, maybe Dallas will at least try to consider trading a star player like Elliott to a running back hungry team like the Buffalo Bills or Chicago Bears if the team keeps losing and their hand is eventually forced.
With quarterback Andy Dalton now under center and lacking the explosiveness of one of the league’s best quarterbacks in Prescott, the Cowboys’ formula on offense must be to run the ball early and often with Elliott. Dallas’ biggest problem on offense to begin the year has been their terrible starts in first quarters in which they have turned the ball over at an extremely high clip, and committing to the run game early could be an answer. Yet Elliott needs to be held just as responsible as anyone; his major fumbling problem and casual disinterest at times should have the organization really worried for his short-term future with the team.
The Cowboys have some winnable games on their radar over the next few weeks, including a big one this weekend against their most bitter rival in Washington, which could determine the overall outlook of their season. If the Cowboys get going and get on a bit of a winning streak, they could win an easy NFC East division and try an upset a fringe contender in a likely first-round matchup played in Dallas. But if the Cowboys keep losing and lose some traction in the division to Philadelphia or even the New York Giants, Dallas could be forced to move some pieces for the sake of the organization’s future financial plans. And if that becomes an increasingly more likely opportunity, look for nearly every team in the league to fixate their interest in one of the league’s best running backs, who may be looking for a new home much quicker than he thought when he signed a six-year, $90 million dollar contract back in September of last year.