Ibrahim and Keller make their picks for Week 7 of the NFL season
[WSU defensive backs' helmets waiting to be picked up prior to football scrimmage, Aug. 19, 2023, in Pullman, Wash.
WSU defensive backs’ helmets waiting to be picked up prior to football scrimmage, Aug. 19, 2023, in Pullman, Wash.](https://dailyevergreen.com/200727/sports/week-7-picks-bears-continue-their-win-streak-as-49ers-lose/#photo)
(Keller)
Patriots vs. Bears- New England is heading into Thursday Night Football on a three-game win streak and an offensive resurgence after a tough start to the season. Drake Maye has headlined the play, throwing for 10 touchdowns and just one interception in their past three games. The Pats did just lose Romeo Doubs to the injury reserve, yet with the return of A.J. Brown and the rest of the offense playing at a high level, this unit has the talent to beat anyone.
It is a similar scene for Chicago. The Bears looked elite with Williams back under center against Atlanta. Williams threw for 300 yards and a touchdown in his return. Dennis Allen’s defense got the job done as well, holding the Falcons’ elite offense to just seven points until their fourth-quarter comeback. This matchup boils down to which defense can make more impact plays. With two of the hottest offenses in the league facing off, this is sure to be a high-scoring matchup. New England’s defense might be better on paper, but Chicago’s ability to hold back Atlanta’s offense was impressive, and I think they can get it done again on primetime.
Prediction- Bears 23-17 (Actual Score: Bears 30-24)
Steelers vs. Saints- New Orleans and the Steelers are facing off in Paris next Sunday, marking the first Paris game in the history of the NFL.
Pittsburgh is coming off a tough win against Tampa Bay. Outside of a fourth-quarter comeback, Aaron Rogers and company were unable to get anything rolling. It should be a different story against the Saints. The Saints are currently ranked No.30 in rushing defense, per Fox Sports. Just two weeks ago, Jaylen Warren had his best game this season against the Colts’ No. 21-ranked rushing defense, rushing for 101 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. The pass game has looked strong as well, as rookie Germie Brenard has had back-to-back breakout games.
For New Orleans, it’s all offense. The defense has been a liability, and the offense has had to compensate all season. Tyler Shough and the pass game are borderline elite, yet the run game has struggled to find its groove. Pittsburgh’s comeback against one of the best defenses in the league last week showed the strength of Mike McCarthy’s unit. While I see Shough and company putting up a fight, the Steelers offense will wreak havoc on the Saints defense.
Prediction- Steelers 34-21
Buccaneers vs. Panthers- The 1-5 Buccaneers are coming off a strong defensive performance against the Steelers. Despite allowing the fourth-quarter comeback, they held the unit to just three points through three quarters. Todd Bowles’ defense has been playing elite football all season, ranking No. 5 in total defense and No.2 in rushing defense this season, per Fox Sports. Where the defense struggles is in the secondary, ranking No.20.
This is a dream matchup for Carolina, as Bryce Young and the pass game have been the leading factor in their success. Young looks like the player they drafted him to be. Teteroia McMillan and Jalen Coker have made Young’s life easy, pairing up to be one of the best pass-catching duos in the league thus far. While Jalon Daniels and Tampa Bay’s offense have given defense trouble these last two weeks, Carolina’s elite pass game is the deciding factor in this one.
Prediction- Panthers 28-16
Dolphins vs. Jets- The Dolphins offense has continued to find their groove in their last two games, managing to keep their last two losses against the Vikings and Bengals within one score. Ollie Gordon II has been excellent filling in as the RB1, rushing for 236 yards and three touchdowns since taking over the backfield. The pass game has been rather weak for Miami, as Malik Willis has only two passing touchdowns on the season.
The Jets have started strong in Aaron Glenn’s second season. Geno Smith and the pass game have been one of the better units in the league. Smith has thrown one interception all season, coming this past Sunday against New England. Garret Wilson, Adonai Mitchell and rookie Omar Cooper Jr. have all been viable options as well, making this offense a challenge for any defense to contain. While I do see Ollie Gordon II giving New York’s run defense a run for its money, the Jets offense may be too much for Miami to contain. As long as Glenn’s defense can do its job, this looks to be a win for the Jets.
Prediction- Jets 20-10
Giants vs. Texans- Houston has won two in a row after a thrilling win against Jacksonville across the pond. C.J. Stroud has been playing at an MVP level, throwing for 1,714 yards and nine touchdowns on the season, throwing just one interception thus far. The wide receiver room has also been a highlight for Houston, as Nico Collins continues to thrive. Marvin Harrison Jr. looked great in his debut, catching three balls for 34 yards while playing less than 15 snaps. With the return of Tank Dell against New York, this is looking to be a fun debut for one of the best passing attacks in the league.
The Texans are up against a strong opponent this week, as the Giants defense has been the highlight for them this season. New York’s front seven has been balling as of late, as Abdul Carter, Arvell Reese and others in that unit have found their flow. The secondary has been borderline elite as well, ranking No. 5 on the season, per Fox Sports. The Giants offense has also found some life recently, and has proven they can outscore plenty of elite offenses. Houston’s defense will need to stay strong if they want to win this game, and DeMeco Ryans is the right coach to do so.
Prediction- Texans 31-20
Bengals vs. Ravens- Baltimore’s offense came back down to earth against Cleveland. Derrick Henry and the run game went nowhere, as Henry only managed 58 yards on 17 carries, along with a fumble. Yet the pass game was a big highlight, as rookie Ja’Kobi Lane was solid coming off of injury, and Zay Flowers continued to look like a true wide receiver, even with Tyler Huntley at the helm. Cincinnati is coming off a bye in Week 6, and has looked great against strong opponents thus far. Joe Burrow and the offense have been rolling as of recently, yet defensively it seems they aren’t the unit they appeared to be early on.
Where this game lies is in Baltimore’s defense. Jesse Minter’s unit has not looked as expected to start the season, and they have a strong matchup against an elite Bengals offense. It does seem that Lamar Jackson may be out for another week, yet Cincy always seems to struggle in divisional matchups. With how smoothly the Ravens offense has managed to run even without Jackson under center, I see them pulling away with a bounce back win.
Prediction- Ravens 17-14
Browns vs. Titans- Tennessee managed its first win of the season in Week 6, beating the Colts 26-20. The Titans have had a rough start to the season. Cam Ward and the offense have struggled to gain any momentum all season, primarily due to having one of the worst offensive lines in the league. This is surely to be a key matchup in this one, as Cleveland’s front seven has been dominant. The defense has been rather mediocre as well, as outside of forcing a few turnovers, they have not looked like one of the league’s best.
Cleveland is also coming off a win, squeaking out a 13-10 win against Baltimore. The defense was the highlight, stuffing Derrick Henry and the run game, and forcing Huntley to throw the ball. With how the defense has looked this season, I expect this to be a much harder matchup than Indy was for the Titans. While Tennessee’s defense has done a good job of forcing turnovers against good teams, Cleveland’s offense has done a great job of keeping the ball out of harm’s way. As long as the offense can keep the ball safe and allow the defense to do its thing, I do not see Tennessee pulling off the upset.
Prediction- Browns 28-13
(Ibrahim)
Colts vs. Vikings- The Colts fired their general manager Chris Ballard earlier this week. History says that a fire sale of their roster is on the way. The Colts’ 2026 campaign has been a dumpster fire, with expectations going out the window after a quarter of the season. Their defense has been a mess, trading away star linebacker Zaire Franklin before the season has shown to be a mistake. For the Colts, the only way up is to trade key pieces to get their draft capital back. They currently do not have a 2027 first-round pick, but if they move RB Johnathan Taylor, LG Quenton Nelson and DT Deforest Buckner, they will get a plethora of picks.
The Vikings just have to keep on winning. While they have not looked good offensively, their defense has been everything. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores has shaped this defense into a top-three unit in the NFL once again. As long as QB Kyler Murray does not create short fields for the opposing team, they have a clear path to winning the NFC North or at least making the playoffs.
Prediction- Vikings 22-16
49ers vs. Falcons- The 49ers may be the hottest team in the NFL right now. QB Brock Purdy is playing like an MVP candidate. However, with WR Mike Evans not playing and some other injuries, Purdy and the 49ers offense could be in trouble. The Falcons offense is high-scoring with QB Michael Penix Jr. in, and if they get in a shootout, the Falcons defense is good enough to create turnovers and timely stops.
For the Falcons, the blueprint to win is simple: get Bijan Robinson the ball early and often. And I do not mean 20 touches. I mean 30 to 35 touches. To win this game, the run game has to be effective and needs to create explosives. If the Falcons can not turn the ball over and rush for over 150 yards, they could win this game. But if they turn it over, it will get tricky for them.
Prediction- Falcons 23-20
Broncos vs. Cardinals- In what will be the most boring game of the weekend, two teams with mediocre quarterbacks play inconsistent football. However, the two are somehow coming off the two most impressive wins of the season. The Cardinals beat the Rams, and the Broncos beat the Seahawks. The winner of this game will be whoever wins the turnover battle and time of possession.
For the Broncos, QB Bo Nix needs to finally pick up his play and be dynamic in both the downfield passing game and run game.
Prediction- Broncos 13-10
Packers vs. Lions- The Packers are getting superstar RB Josh Jacobs back after he missed the first six games of the season. Jacobs could still be suspended by the league after his offseason domestic violence case. But the Packers’ run game has been lacking, and getting Jacobs back is big for their offense nonetheless.
The Lions, similar to the Falcons, need to spam their star running back. Jahmyr Gibbs is electric in both the run and pass game and should be featured in such a manner, especially against an elite defense like the Packers. If the Packers can run the ball and open up the play-action pass game for QB Jared Goff, they can have their way with the Packers’ secondary.
Prediction- Lions 37-23
Rams vs. Raiders- The Raiders started 3-0 and sit at 3-3. However, their losses have been good losses outside of the Patriot blowout loss. For the Raiders, they need to get RB Ashton Jeanty and the run game going. They are only averaging 79 rushing yards per game. If they get Jeanty going, they can win this game.
As for the Rams, they are in desperate need of going on a win streak, coming off a loss to the Cardinals. They have a bad taste in their mouth and could come into this game looking for blood. If defending MVP Matthew Stafford can find his 2025 self and get the Rams’ offense going, it could get ugly for the Raiders’ defense.
Prediction- Rams 30-20
Chiefs vs. Seahawks- The Seahawks have lost three of their last four by a combined eight points. They cannot afford to keep dropping close games, and there is no better game to get on track than to beat an undefeated Chiefs team led by QB Patrick Mahomes. The Seahawks defense needs to keep doing what they do: stopping the run and creating turnovers. As for their offense, QB Sam Darnold needs to stop throwing interceptions. That is what has plagued the Seahawks. Darnold has thrown seven interceptions, and most have come on ill-advised throws.
For the Chiefs, their defense needs to create turnovers and get after Darnold. On offense, they need RB Kenneth Walker to get going and be active like he has all season. Walker has been the best free agent signing in all of the NFL this season. But the Seahawks have a top run defense, so Mahomes will need his receivers and star TE Travis Kelce to get going and keep them ahead of the sticks.
Prediction- Seahawks 23-20
Cowboys vs. Eagles- The Cowboys’ offense has been disappointing, to say the least. They have all the talent in the world offensively with Dak Prescott at quarterback. Whether it is coaching or lack of production from the players is unknown and most likely a mix of both. But the Eagles’ defense is not really a “get right” against type of defense. Prescott and the Cowboys’ offense will have to be on their A-game to win.
For the Eagles, this season is a scrap with QB Jalen Hurts missing the rest of the season with a blood clot injury. There is no reason for the Eagles to keep winning games, as their season is capped at a wildcard spot max.
Prediction- Cowboys 27-24
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