2023 Picks, Week 7

Last week, when I was wondering aloud whether the 49ers and Eagles would both be undefeated when they played each other, I figured probably not.  I just wasn't sure who'd lose first.  Little did I know, they'd both get their first loss within a few hours of each other on the road against an AFC team you wouldn't expect.  Or maybe we should've with the Browns' and Jets' defenses.

As a result of those losses, we've now got a whole bunch of 5-1 teams.  Five of them in fact.  Although, with the Eagles meeting the Dolphins this week, we do know that they won't all be 6-1.  (There are also five 1-5 teams and the Panthers are 0-6, so it's basically half the league that's either in a really good or really bad position.)

Thursday Night: New Orleans (Loss)

Raiders (3-3) at Bears (1-5): Chicago-Sure, they haven't been playing the best opponents.  But the Bears have certainly looked much, much better over the past few weeks.  So good, in fact, that I can actually see them winning this week.  The Raiders have won two in a row, but those were both at home.  Let's see how they play on the road.

Browns (3-2) at Colts (3-3): Cleveland-Color me surprised after the Browns completely shut down previously unbeaten San Francisco last week.  Talk about a confidence builder!  Was it a one-week thing where they simply took advantage of the matchup?  Possibly.  And teams will certainly be watching that film to make sure they know what to do against Cleveland moving forward.  Fortunately for them, even if the Colts do that, their offense still isn't good enough to do much of anything against them.

Bills (4-2) at Patriots (1-5): Buffalo-Oh, how the mighty have fallen!  If not for one play against the Jets, New England would be winless.  And, frankly, it doesn't really show signs of getting any better.  They cannot score!  Yet, despite being benched twice in the last two weeks, they're sticking with Mac Jones.  If this is Belichick's New England farewell, he surely isn't going out with a season to remember.  At least, not for the good reasons.

Commanders (3-3) at Giants (1-5): Giants-If not for some poor clock management, the Giants very well might've beaten the Bills last week.  It's amazing what a difference Saquon Barkley makes (even without Daniel Jones)!  And, now that they're done with that gauntlet of an early-season schedule, maybe they can start thinking that it's possible to turn things around.  Also, I know I keep harping on this, but it's ridiculous that their first Sunday afternoon home game of the season is in Week 7!

Falcons (3-3) at Buccaneers (3-2): Atlanta-Because the Bucs already had their bye, they're in first place by a half-game in the NFC South.  It feels like every division game in the NFC South is almost worth double, since it doesn't seem like any of those four teams has a shot at a wild card.  So, that makes this one very important for both teams.  I have a feeling Atlanta goes on the road and moves into first place.

Lions (5-1) at Ravens (4-2): Detroit-This is perhaps the most underrated game of the week.  But take a look at the standings and you'll see both the Lions and Ravens in first place.  Detroit's position atop the NFC North is much more comfortable than Baltimore's in the AFC North, and it'll stay that way after the Lions win this one.  They're proving that all of the hype surrounding them entering the season was entirely justified.

Steelers (3-2) at Rams (3-3): Rams-We found out this week that, because Stan Kroenke doesn't want to make the field wider to accommodate soccer, SoFi Stadium won't be hosting any games at the 2026 World Cup after all.  A dumb decision to be sure, but he built that place for the Rams, who'll be playing their third straight home game against the Steelers.  They lost to Philadelphia, then bounced back with a win over Arizona.  The Steelers are rested and coming off their bye, so this one could be interesting.  I do think the Rams manage to get back over .500 heading into their trip to Dallas, though.

Cardinals (1-5) at Seahawks (3-2): Seattle-San Francisco's loss suddenly makes winning the NFC West a much more attainable goal for the Seahawks.  There's still a long way to go.  I understand that.  But the schedule's about to get a whole lot harder (starting on Thanksgiving, they have a four-week stretch where they go San Francisco, Dallas, San Francisco, Philadelphia).  So, the Seahawks need to bank wins now.  And the Cardinals at home is a game they absolutely should win.

Packers (2-3) at Broncos (1-5): Green Bay-The Packers return from their bye week to visit Sean Payton's Broncos.  It's been a rough go of it for him so far during his first season in Denver, which, frankly, isn't really a surprise.  A lot of work needs to be done in order to make that team competitive again.  As for the Packers, it didn't take them long to move on from Aaron Rodgers.  A win here, and they get to 3-3.

Chargers (2-3) at Chiefs (5-1): Kansas City-That opening night loss to Detroit is now a distant memory.  Kansas City hasn't really played its best football yet, but has somehow won five in a row.  So, in other words, it's been typical Chiefs.  This week, they face the Chargers at home, and it should be business as usual.  Whether the Chiefs play well or not, they'll do what they usually do and win a division game.

Dolphins (5-1) at Eagles (5-1): Philadelphia-I've been critical of some of the Sunday Night Football selections this season, but they ended up with a good one here.  Sure, they're playing up the Jales Hurts vs. Tua angle, but they quarterback two of the best offenses in the entire NFL.  And this could end up becoming a shootout.  Somebody's getting handed their second loss.  Miami's first came in Buffalo, which is by far the best team they've faced this season.  Now they play a second good team, and the result should be the same.

49ers (5-1) at Vikings (2-4): San Francisco-While that loss was certainly unexpected, it may end up being a good thing for the 49ers.  It brought them down to Earth a little, and it took the pressure of trying to remain undefeated off them.  It'll likely end up being a minor blip, too.  When they go to Minnesota on Monday night, they'll get back on track.

This Week: 0-1
Last Week: 10-5
Overall: 59-35