Week 7 began with an interesting matchup on paper with Broncos Head Coach Sean Payton taking his team to his former stomping ground in New Orleans to play the Saints. It was the first time Payton has returned to the city after initially retiring in 2022. Payton enjoyed a happy homecoming because the Broncos dominated the Saints 33-10 on the road. The Broncos executed the perfect game plan by taking the pressure off rookie quarterback Bo Nix in running the football 225 rush yards. As a result, the Broncos led the time of possession 33 to 27 minutes and forced six sacks from the Saints. The Broncos are now a surprise contender for a playoff spot after moving to a 4-3 record. In this article, we will break down the five hottest games and make predictions.
1. Detroit Lions (4-1) at Minnesota Vikings (5-0)-Sunday, 1 p.m., Fox
This game is a tone-setter because the winner will grab the early in the NFC North, which has emerged as the toughest division in football. Last week, the Lions roared into Dallas and destroyed the Cowboys in an embarrassing loss for the home team. The Lions will want Jared Goff and David Montgomery to replicate their performance because of their involvement in all five touchdowns on the day. However, they will be facing a Vikings team possessing one of the best defenses in the league. The Vikings are ranked fourth in the league in allowing only 15.2 points per game, and Brian Flores has the unit playing confidently. I like the Vikings in the matchup because I think the Lions will miss Aidan Hutchinson in these big games, and the team needs to swing a trade for a top pass rusher. The Vikings will pull this off in a close game, and remain perfect.
Vikings 27-Lions 23
2. Houston Texans (5-1) at Green Bay Packers (4-2)-Sunday, 1 p.m., CBS
This game features two of the best young quarterbacks in the league and the potential to be faces of the league soon. Despite missing his top Wide Receiver in Neco Collins, C.J. Stroud took full advantage of a struggling Patriots defense. Stroud completed 20 of 31 passes for 192 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. Also, Joe Mixon bounced back from injury to tally 13 carries for 102 yards and a touchdown. Stroud and company will face a stiffer test from Packers defense that held the Arizona Cardinals. In fact, the unit has held their last three opponents to just 12 points in the second half. Last week, Jordan Love had his best game of the season by completing 22 of 32 passes for 258 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. The success of the offense against Arizona was their ability to establish the rushing game because they combined for 179 yards. I think this will be a high-scoring thriller, but the Texans are playing back-to-back road games, and the absence of Nico Collins will be missed with the Packers grabbing the win.
Packers 30-Texans 24
3. Kansas City Chiefs (5-0) at San Francisco 49ers (3-3)-Sunday, 4:25 p.m., Fox
This is the best game of the weekend because it is the rematch of Super Bowl LVIII in which the Chiefs prevailed 25-22 in overtime to claim their 3rd title in 5 years. The Chiefs are coming off a bye, while the 49ers enjoyed a mini-bye after playing on Thursday Night Football. The big stat heading into the matchup is that Andy Reid is 21-4 after a bye, but one of those losses was against the Eagles last season in a Super Bowl rematch. The difference in this game is that the 49ers have been inconsistent on defense, while the Chiefs have been stellar despite a tougher schedule. Patrick Mahomes is surprisingly an underdog in this matchup despite a 10-3 in such a scenario and a 4-0 record against the 49ers head-to-head. I think he will make more plays at the end of the game to win another one-scoring game.
Chiefs 24-49ers 20
4. New York Jets (3-3) at Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2)-Sunday, 8:20 p.m., NBC Peacock
I think this most intriguing matchup of the weekend because of the drama surrounding the teams. After a tough loss on Monday Night Football, the Jets decided to go all-in by acquiring Davante Adams in a trade to reunite him with Aaron Rodgers. It feels like Rodgers is out of excuses if he fails to win football games, and the pressure will intensify on Sunday Night Football. On the other sideline, the Steelers made a peculiar move by having Russell Wilson take the first-team snaps in practice despite Justin Fields winning 4 of the first six games. Fields has not been stellar with just 1106 passing yards, five rushing touchdowns, five passing touchdowns, and one interception, but he has not been terrible either. It feels like both teams are under the microscope in this primetime matchup. However, my issue with the Jets is their struggles on the offensive line and T.J. Watt’s ability to wreck the offense through sacks and forced fumbles. Last week, he had two forced fumbles against the Raiders. I think the Steelers’ defense is the most elite unit in this matchup, and it will make life difficult for Aaron Rodgers.
Steelers 20-Jets 17
5. Baltimore Ravens (4-2) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-2)-Monday, 8:15 p.m., ESPN
This will be a matchup of former Heisman Trophy winners when Lamar Jackson heads to Florida to face Baker Mayfield. This game can be tone setter for the Buccaneers, who are flying under the radar as one of the good teams in the NFC. The Bucs had an incredible second half last week against the Saints by scoring 27 points and shutting out the home team after trailing by three points at halftime. If he can beat the Ravens at home then Mayfield may even be considered a front-runner for MVP because he currently leads the league with 15 touchdowns. However, I think the Ravens are hard to stop because Derrick Henry and Jackson are nightmares for the defense. The duo also allows the Ravens to get early leads, run the clock, and keep their defense fresh to attack their opponent. This game will be a high-scoring thriller, and Lamar will make enough plays at the end to seal it.
Ravens 33-Buccaneers 30
Last week: 5-0
Overall: 20-10