Week 7 NFL Preview

Three of my four games of the week turned out to be close battles while the one I was most looking forward to turned into a blowout. The Giants and the Saints were billed as possibly the two best teams in the NFC and when the day ended only the Saints looked to be a top team. The Giants had benefited from a very favorable schedule to start the year while the Saints have showed they are dangerous on both sides of the ball and might finally have a balanced offense. As I expected, the Saints' offense against the Giants' defense was the ultimate factor. The Giants' defense certainly doesn't look as strong as many originally thought. The Vikings definitely looked like one of the best teams for the first three quarters against the Ravens. They had a fourth quarter letdown and if it were not for a missed field goal they would have lost the game. Finishing strong will be something the Vikings will look to work on going this week. The Bears had a chance to tie the game and possibly win against the Falcons, but a couple miscues at the end cost them big time. The Falcons continue to show that last year was not a fluke. The Broncos continued to show that they are for real this year as they fought off the last surge by the Chargers to remain unbeaten. This division could be a two team race between the two or the Broncos can continue to spread the gap between them.

The Redskins were able to give the gift a win to another team as the Chiefs finally got in the win column. The Eagles had a big letdown against the Raiders. The Buccaneers, Rams, and Titans continue to lose.

All and all, I went 10-4 last week and brings my total to 67-23 after six weeks.

Now for Week 7:

Games of the Week:

Vikings at Steelers: The Vikings have come out of the gate strong and look to be a top team not only in NFC but the whole NFL. The Steelers are the defending champions and after their rough start, they are back on track and under the radar. Brett Favre has continued to play well so far and rookie WR Percy Harvin has made an impact early on. The Steelers will look to show that they are still worthy of being repeat champions and both the passing and rushing games have picked up since the first few weeks. Pick: Steelers

Falcons at Cowboys: The Falcons have been playing very well early on while the Cowboys are up and down on a week to week basis. The Cowboys have the talent to be better than they have showed while the Falcons' offense has many weapons themselves. Pick: Falcons

Sunday Night: Cardinals at Giants: The Giants stumbled against the Saints last week and look to get back on track against the Cardinals. Its a battle between the last two NFC representatives in the Super Bowl. Both Eli Manning and Kurt Warner will need to have big games for their respective teams to win. The Giants looked exposed on defense last week. They will right those errors. Pick: Giants

Monday Night: Eagles at Redskins: The Eagles looked very bad last week, but the Redskins are in complete disarray. This is a perfect game for the Eagles to get back on track and get any wrinkles out of their offense. The Redskins will continue to show that they are definitely not an elite team and will continue to give victories away. This is the first time all year that they will face a team with a win. Wow. Pick: Eagles

Rest of the pack:

Packers at Browns: The Packers will probably have little trouble scoring a lot of points on the Browns while the Browns will struggle to score a few points. Pick: Packers

Chargers at Chiefs: The Chiefs tasted victory last week, but the Chargers will be a stiff test. QB Phillip Rivers will look to throw a lot and should be able to get the Chargers back in the chase in the AFC West. Pick: Chargers

Colts at Rams: The Rams are still winless and will mostly be that way unless a miracle happens against the Colts. Pick: Colts

Patriots at Buccaneers: The Patriots will head to London and pick up where they left off against the Titans when they face the Buccaneers. Pick: Patriots

49ers at Texans: These two teams are in the middle of the pack in the NFL with the ability to join the top team conversation if they can stay consistent. The Texans offense is a little too explosive and should be the difference if they are on their game. Pick: Texans

Bills at Panthers: The Bills have struggled on offense and the Panthers have not looked good on either side of the ball. You have to figure that QB Jake Delhomme will get in a rhythm at some point. Pick: Panthers

Jets at Raiders: The Jets have looked good at times and have looked bad at times. The Raiders are generally bad, but have gotten lucky twice this year. This is a good game for QB Mark Sanchez and the Jets to right their ship before it starts to sink. Pick: Jets

Bears at Bengals: These two teams have both played above expectations especially the Bengals. The big surprise for them is the play of HB Cedric Benson. He was cut from the Bears and it will be a big game for him as he faces his former team. Pick: Bengals

Saints at Dolphins: The Saints have weathered different challenges each week and this week they will go up against the Wildcat. It should keep the Saints' defense on it toes and might be able to neutralize the Saints' offense. QB Drew Brees is still too good and the Saints should clear another hurdle and stay unbeaten. Pick: Saints

The season is getting closer to the halfway point and playoff teams will start to emerge. There are four unbeatens left; how many will remain with three of them playing this week?