“It goes without saying, winning against a good team in a hostile crowd on the road, it’s just an absolutely huge win.” Those words were uttered by former 2-time Super Bowl Bowl and 5-time MVP, Peyton Manning. Winning is hard in the NFL, but doing it on the road is even harder. To be considered a championship contender, teams show their mettle by winning on the road and under trying circumstances. In week 7, the Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions face this scenario. Both teams have identical 5-1 records to start the season and are underdogs entering week seven. How will they fare in these headline matchups? These are two of the five games we will discuss in the five hottest matchups of week 7.
Last week: 4-1
Overall: 18-12
1. Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Sunday, 1 p.m., Fox
These two teams are coming off terrible losses in week 6. After starting 2-0, the Falcons have come back down to earth going 1-3 in their last four games. Last week, Desmond Ridder continued to show his inconsistency by completing 28 of 47 for 307 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. The turnovers by the quarterback were the key difference in a 24-16 loss at home to the Washington Commanders. On the other hand, the Bucs struggled mightily going 2 for 12 on third down and out-possessed by the Lion 36 to 23 minutes. This will be an important game for both teams because the division race remains wide open. However, I have the Buccaneers bouncing back at home and Baker Mayfield outplaying Ridder to propel his team to a win.
Bucs 24-Falcons 20
2. Detroit Lions at Baltimore Ravens -Sunday, 1 p.m., Fox
This is the best afternoon matchup on Sunday. Last week, the Ravens bounced back from a disastrous defeat to the Steelers by defeating the Tennessee Titans in London. The offense is still not humming, but it represents an improved showing. The 2023 Detroit Lions are better than the 2022 team because their defense is a legitimate top-10 unit in the league. Last week, the unit smothered and harassed Baker Mayfield and the Bucs by holding them to 6 points. What makes them even more dangerous as a team is that they have a top-10-ranked offense. The Lions have defeated the Chiefs, Packers, and Bucs on the road, and I feel they will slightly be the better team on Sunday.
Lions 20-Ravens 17
3. Pittsburgh Steelers at Los Angeles Rams-Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET Fox
It will be interesting to see whether Aaron Donald or T.J. Watt will have a bigger impact on the outcome of this game. The player that makes the big play will put their team in the driving seat. Also, the Steelers have the rest advantage in this game having returned from their bye week. The team defeated the Ravens before the bye but is struggling offensively to score against teams. In week 7, the Rams’ defense will be a frightening proposition for the Steelers given how they dominated against the Cardinals. I believe the Rams hold the edge because Matt Stafford has a remarkable connection with Cooper Kupp, Tua Atwell, and Puka Nacua against a shaky Steelers secondary.
Rams 23-Steelers 18
4. Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs-Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET CBS
The Chargers will look back on the Cowboys’ loss as a missed opportunity if they fail to make the playoffs. The team was sloppy in committing penalties, and star quarterback Justin Herbert looked very average in the primetime matchup. On a short week and on the road, they now face their arch-rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs’ defense has surprisingly outplayed the offense this season, and I expect the unit to slow down the Chargers’ offense. The Chargers defense looks even more suspect in the secondary following the trade of JC Jackson to the Patriots. I expect Patrick Mahomes to light up the scoreboard for a big win.
Chiefs 33-Chargers 23
5. Miami Dolphins at Philadelphia Eagles-Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET NBC
It feels like this game could potentially be a Super Bowl preview. A subplot to the game is that it will be the first matchup between Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts. After Tua was named starter at Alabama, Hurts decided to go into the transport portal and play at Oklahoma. The Miami Dolphins rebounded from their defeat to the Bills by winning in back-to-back blowouts to take the lead in the division. The Dolphins’ offense looks unstoppable, and the Eagles are still licking their wounds after an embarrassing loss to the New York Jets last week. However, I have the Eagles bouncing back at home in a high-scoring contest. I think the Eagles will clinch the game with a big sack or turnover in the fourth quarter.
Eagles 34-Dolphins 30