WEEK 7 PREVIEW
Buccaneers (2-3) at Bills (3-2)
TV: Sunday, 1, Fox (Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston, Laura Okmin)
The matchup: Bucs QB Jameis Winston injured his right (throwing) shoulder in the second quarter of last weekend’s loss to Arizona and left the game. His status for this week is uncertain. Journeyman QB Ryan Fitzpatrick replaced Winston, and after a rough start he threw for 290 yards and three touchdowns as the Bucs scored
27 points in the fourth quarter. Bills coach Coach Sean McDermott and his staff used the bye week to find answers for their anemic offense, which ranks
27th in points and 31st in yards per game. Particular focus has been paid to the offensive line. The Bills led the league in rushing the last two seasons but have dropped to 17th this season. The lack of a legitimate passing game has hurt, but so has the O-line’s subpar play. The average number of receptions (4.8) and yards per game
(63.2) by Bills WRs is the worst output by an NFL receiving corps since at least 2001.
Bengals (2-3) at Steelers (4-2)
TV: Sunday, 1, CBS (Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson)
The matchup: The Bengals won two in succession before their bye week, and they’re optimistic about their chances to play themselves back into contention in the AFC North. WR A.J. Green is having arguably the best season of his career, and QB Andy Dalton has been better since a slow start that led to a change at offensive coordinator. The defense has been excellent, especially over the last two weeks, but the Bengals still have O-line issues and need more playmakers to step up and complement Green, but they have enough talent to win this weekend and post enough wins the rest of the way to be in the postseason mix. The Steelers responded from a tumultuous week with a big win at Kansas City. RB LeVeon Bell looks as if he has shaken the early-season rust he had after sitting out training camp and the preseason. With two outstanding defenses in this game, protecting the ball will be key.
Ravens (3-3) at Vikings (4-2)
TV: Sunday, 1, Fox (Greg Gumbel, Trent Green, Jamie Erdahl)
The matchup: The most consistent elements of the inconsistent Ravens are their inability to sustain anything offensively and to stop the run. They managed 24 points vs. the Bears without scoring on offense. Baltimore allowed 231 rushing yards in Week 6. Their 141.3 weekly average is up from 89.4 last season (fifth in the NFL). The Ravens must establish a deep passing game early and ride the run game. The Vikings have their own QB story: Backup Case Keenum continues to win, starter Sam Bradford’s knee could sideline him indefinitely and Bradford’s predecessor Teddy Bridgewater was cleared to resume practicing for the first time since his August 2016 knee injury. Bridgewater is beloved in Minnesota, but Keenum sports a 93.1 rating and should keep the job for now.
Jets (3-3) at Dolphins (3-2)
TV: Sunday, 1, CBS (Dan Hellie, Chris Spielman, Peter Schrager)
The matchup: The Jets’ vaunted pass rush, featuring DT Leonard Williams and DE Muhammad Wilkerson, has seven sacks in six games, with no sacks from the defensive line. With Dolphins C Mike Pouncey possibly out with a concussion, there should be opportunities to pressure QB Jay Cutler. Dolphins fans called for his benching all week before Cutler tossed two TD passes as Miami stormed back from a 17-point deficit to stun the Atlanta Falcons 20-17. The Dolphins, however, have yet to score on the ground. All five offensive TDs have come through the air. The Falcons game was the first time they scored at least 20 points.
Cardinals (3-3) at Rams (4-2)
TV: Sunday, 1, Fox ( Sam Rosen, Ronde Barber, Kristina Pink) from Twickenham Stadium, London
The matchup: The addition of RB Adrian Peterson is giving the Cardinals renewed hope after his successful debut in the win against Tampa Bay, and a win in London against the Rams could go a long way toward reasserting the Cardinals as a legitimate contender. How well the team’s aging stars — Peterson, QB Carson Palmer and WR Larry Fitzgerald — travel will be the key to Arizona’s offensive success. Sean McVay’s first season as Rams head coach has gone better than expected, and now they have an opportunity to solidify themselves as a division title contender. In his only game against the Cardinals, QB Jared Goff was sacked seven times and fumbled twice. The Rams have a better offensive line this year, but last year they averaged 175.5 total yards in two meetings with the Cardinals, scoring only 20 points in the two-game split.
Panthers (4-2) at Bears (2-4)
TV: Sunday, 1, CBS (Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts, Evan Washburn)
The matchup: Panthers QB Cam Newton attempted a career-high 52 passes against the Eagles, the byproduct of RBs Jonathan Stewart losing 4 yards on eight carries and Christian McCaffrey rushing four times for 8 yards. The Panthers are 28th in rushing yards per carry. C Ryan Kalil, inactive since Week 2 (neck), should return from a five-game absence to help inject life into the struggling run game. Chicago, behind RB Jordan Howard (career-high 36 carries for 167 yards), earned its first road win since Week 16 of 2015, breaking a 10-game skid with a 27-24 overtime victory over the Baltimore Ravens. The Bears defense kept Baltimore out of the end zone and has held four of its first five opponents to two offensive TDs.
Titans (3-3) at Browns (0-6)
TV: Sunday, 1, CBS (Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta)
The matchup: RB DeMarco Murray is still the guy who gets everything rolling for the Titans, though RB Derrick Henry had 131 rushing yards and a 72-yard TD run in Week 6 against the Indianapolis Colts. When the Titans can run, QB Marcus Mariota finds a lot more space to use his talents and throw the ball downfield. Mariota will love what he sees from a Browns defense that has been gashed by good running backs and the short passing game. He’ll see lots of openings. The Browns weren’t competitive last weekend in a blowout loss at Houston. The first start for QB Kevin Hogan was a total disaster, and coach Hue Jackson turned back to rookie QB DeShone Kizer as this weekend’s starter. The Browns must win the turnover battle to have a chance.
Saints (3-2) at Packers (4-2)
TV: Sunday, 1, Fox (Kenny Albert, Charles Davis, Pam Oliver)
The matchup: After playing miserably in back-to-back losses to open the season, the Saints defense has done an about-face and played complementary football during the three-game winning streak. Thus, the Saints find themselves in the thick of the NFC South race, a half-game behind leader Carolina (4-2). Now it faces a relatively green quarterback in Brett Hundley, who takes over for Packers two-time MVP Aaron Rodgers, who broke his right collarbone in a 23-10 loss at Minnesota. Hundley, who threw three interceptions vs. the Vikings, makes his first NFL start. In addition to Rodgers, Green Bay also has to overcome an injuryravaged secondary and O-line, which lost three starters against Minnesota.
Jaguars (3-3) at Colts (2-4)
TV: Sunday, 1, Fox (Tom McCarthy, Steve Beuerlein, Steve Tasker)
The matchup: Jacksonville’s defense played superbly again, but the Jaguars ultimately were done in by two costly specialteams TDs in a 27-17 loss to the Rams. To keep their hopes of making a run for the AFC South title alive, a win over the Colts is critical. The Jaguars have outgained the Colts in four consecutive meetings but have won only two of those games. Winning the turnover margin is crucial. Indianapolis limped into the season without starting QB Andrew Luck, but with Luck’s return inching closer, the Colts are still hanging around while other AFC South teams deal with devastating injuries. Speedy Colts WR T.Y. Hilton was often covered by CB A.J. Bouye when Bouye was with the Texans, and he’ll likely see plenty of him again in this matchup.
Cowboys (2-3) at 49ers (0-6)
TV: Sunday, 4:05, Fox (Thom Brennaman, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews)
The matchup: RB Ezekiel Elliott won a temporary restraining order this week, overturning his six-game suspension for now, so he’s likely to play. That’s the good news. The bad news? The team’s shaky defense ranks in the bottom five in points allowed (26.4 per game) and has allowed 328 rushing yards in its last two games, which could be a boon to 49ers RB Carlos Hyde, who scored two TDs in a loss to the Redskins. Niners coach Kyle Shanahan replaced veteran QB Brian Hoyer with third-round draft choice C.J. Beathard, and the rookie led the Niners to the brink of a comeback victory. But the Cowboys have the tools to make Beathard sweat. DE DeMarcus Lawrence leads the NFL with 8½ sacks, and he has help in DE David Irving, who sacked Aaron Rodgers twice in his season debut following a performance-enhancing drug suspension.
Seahawks (3-2) at Giants (1-5)
TV: Sunday, 4:25, Fox (Andrew Catalon, James Lofton)
The matchup: Seattle’s defensive line, already without DE Cliff Avril (neck), might be hobbled further by DE Michael Bennett’s sore foot. The good news is that the Seahawks secondary is healthy and playing at an elite level. After upsetting the Broncos in Denver for their first win, the Giants still have a long way to go for any hope of getting back to playoff contention. QB Eli Manning and a group of little-known leftovers are doing what they can to stay relevant in the absence of star WR Odell Beckham Jr., who’s out for the season. The Giants defense did its part last weekend, forcing three turnovers while holding Denver to 10 points. Seattle’s offense has had plenty of struggles, and New York has enough pieces on defense to stay close.
Broncos (3-2) at Chargers (2-4)
TV: Sunday, 4:25, Fox (Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon)
The matchup: Despite outgaining the Giants 412-266, with 20 first downs to New York’s 12, the Broncos had three turnovers and no takeaways and scored one TD in four trips to the red zone in the loss. Denver has scored 42 points in its last three games. The Broncos have played four of their first five games at home, and this begins a stretch of three in a row on the road. The Chargers are suddenly winning close games after losing three by a total of seven points. Besides pressuring Broncos QB Trevor Siemian, the Chargers hope to do what the Giants did to Denver’s running game. C.J. Anderson, Jamaal Charles and Devontae Booker had 15 attempts for 38 yards. Siemian was sacked four times vs. the Giants and 17 times overall in five games.
Falcons (3-2) at Patriots (4-2)
TV: Sunday, 8:30, NBC (Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya)
The matchup: Consecutive home losses to Buffalo and Miami have left the Falcons and
2016 league MVP QB Matt Ryan struggling to find a true identity. WR Julio Jones has no touchdowns yet despite leading the Falcons with 25 catches for
367 yards. A healthy WR Mohamed Sanu (hamstring) would limit double coverage against Jones. Patriots QB Tom Brady maintained his dominance of the Jets after rallying his team from a 14-0 deficit. He and coach Bill Belichick just seem to find a way to win. Brady entered the game with a bum left shoulder and exited with his NFL-record 187th regular-season victory. The Patriots lead the AFC East despite struggling on defense, committing self-inflicted mistakes and failing to adequately protect Brady. The Pats’ weak pass defense might revive Ryan. All six opposing quarterbacks have thrown for at least 300 yards vs. the Pats, an NFL record.
Redskins (3-2) at Eagles (5-1)
TV: Monday, 8:30, ESPN (Sean McDonough, Jon Gruden, Lisa Salters)
The matchup: The Redskins hung on for an ugly home victory against the 49ers to stay within striking distance of the NFC East lead. QB Kirk Cousins came up big in an 84-yard fourth-quarter TD drive. The Redskins defensive backfield is really banged up, but CBs Josh Norman (broken rib) and Bashaud Breeland (knee) could possibly return. The Eagles defense, led by DT Fletcher Cox and S Malcolm Jenkins, is dominant at times, while QB Carson Wentz is looking more like an elite quarterback. The Eagles might feel like they’ve arrived, but coach Doug Pederson is tryng to keep his players hungry, reminding them that they followed last season’s 3-0 start by losing nine of their next 11.