NFL Week 7 picks

Whew! Homecoming at the University of Illinois kept me hopping, but I have time to post this before I fly home.  I'm hoping to watch most of the Bears game in the airport!

What an odd NFL season we are experiencing! Only seven weeks in and there are no unbeaten teams. Stranger, the best NFC record is 4-2, thanks to losses by all three one-loss NFC teams last week.

San Francisco won their first game last week, leaving just two winless teams. Buffalo faces the tough Baltimore Ravens, but Carolina hosts the one-win 49ers. Can the winless teams find their first win? Let's see...

Sunday early games:
Buffalo Bills (0-5) at Baltimore Ravens (4-2): Buffalo will remain winless. Many people believe Baltimore might be the best team in the AFC. With three teams in the conference with better records, and two of them having beaten Baltimore, I'd say that claim is inflated. However, there is no doubt that their defense is still tough, and that'll rattle the Bills. RAVENS, 20-16

Cincinnati Bengals (2-3) at Atlanta Falcons (4-2): Speaking of claims of the best team in their conference, many people have anointed Atlanta the best team in the NFC. They match the best record, and the Falcons certainly have shown themselves to be capable of that title. While it's too early to tell who will continue to shine in the NFC, the Falcons are more than capable of overshadowing the Bengals. FALCONS, 27-20

Cleveland Browns (1-5) at New Orleans Saints (4-2): The Saints offense is finally coming together, and that will make life tough for the Browns. What will make it tougher? The Saints defense has been strong this season. SAINTS, 26-16

Jacksonville Jaguars (3-3) at Kansas City Chiefs (3-2): Kansas City's Cinderella season may be eclipsing, and their defense is the culprit. Fortunately, they host the Jaguars, whose offense has been self-imploding for most of the season. If this isn't a chance for the Chiefs' defense to get ironed out, they won't get another one. CHIEFS, 24-13

Philadelphia Eagles (4-2) at Tennessee Titans (4-2): The game of the former starter backup QBs as Kevin Kolb leads the Eagles into Tennessee to face Kerry Collins. Collins rejuvenated the Titans offense last week on Monday Night, just as Vince Young did last year when he come in. Maybe rotating QBs is what Tennessee needs. The Eagles seem to have revolving QBs, despite what Andy Reid says. So, which one will do better? Defense could be the difference, and that tilts slightly in the Eagles direction. However, if special teams step up, the Titans could win. EAGLES, 23-20

Pittsburgh Steelers (4-1) at Miami Dolphins (3-2): Big Ben is back, and he had a huge week last week. Of course, that was against the Browns. The DOlphins have a better defense, but somehow I think Ben will still want to perform. Combine that with the Steelers own tough defense, and that makes a long day for Miami. STEELERS, 27-13

San Francisco 49ers (1-5) at Carolina Panthers (0-5): Carolina has looked pretty pathetic. They got a bye last week, so they might have taken a look and figured out a way to fix some of those problems. Also, the 49ers game last week may have been an aberration, and they'll fall back to their losing ways. However, I think the 49ers may be coming together, and I'm not sure Carolina knew what their problem was. Until I see otherwise, I still have to favor San Francisco. 49ERS, 20-13

St Louis Rams (3-3) at Tampa Bay Bucs (3-2): It's not a rerun of the "Greatest Show on Turf", but the Rams are definitely moving the ball. Can they hold up against the tough Bucs defense? Perhaps, but the Rams have to prove it to me. BUCS, 23-20

Washington Redskins (3-3) at Chicago Bears (3-2): The Bears offensive line is pathetic, but the Redskins offense stinks pretty badly, too. The Bears defense is the better one, as is their special teams, so I have to favor them in this game. BEARS, 17-13

Sunday late games:
Arizona Cardinals (3-2) at Seattle Seahawks (3-2): As their records indicate, this could be a close game. Seattle started the season strongly, but was declining until their defeat of Chicago last week. Arizona has been sporadic, but they seem to be improving. Having a bye last week will benefit Arizona, too. CARDS, 20-16

New England Patriots (4-1) at San Diego Chargers (2-4): What has happened to the Chargers offense? This team is in dire need of a strong victory. Unfortunately, that won't come this week. They face a Patriots team that is back in a groove. Even if the offense comes alive, which I think could happen, the Patriots defense will stuff it enough. PATS, 24-20

Oakland Raiders (2-4) at Denver Broncos (2-4): Despite the records, I don't think these teams are evenly matched. The Broncos don't have much of a running game, and that one-sidedness makes them vulnerable. The Raiders, though, make way too many mistakes. Given a strong passing team a short field to work, and you can't stop them. BRONCOS, 23-16

Sunday night: Minnesota Vikings (2-3) at Green Bay Packers (3-3): Minnesota played a close game against the Cowboys, but they don't have the steam for a battle with the Packers. PACK, 27-20

Monday Night Football:
New York Giants (4-2) at Dallas Cowboys (1-4): This is a crucial game for the Cowboys. The NFC may be down, so an 8-8 team might make the playoffs, but the Cowboys need to get onto the winning track soon. Unfortunately, that won't be this week. Their offense is still struggling, and the Giants defense is stingy. GIANTS, 23-13