NFL Week 7 is here with a couple of big interconference matchups. a contender that should be on upset alert and some high-profile injuries.
As NFL Week 7 arrives, there is an overarching theme to look for. There are also some key under-the-radar matchups, a couple of rivalry games and a couple of battles between potential Super Bowl contenders.
We’re also closing in on the Oct. 31 trade deadline, so rumors and buzz will ramp up on that front in the coming days.
But here are the five most significant storylines to watch in NFL Week 7.
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5. Jordan Love’s turn to drink the get-well tonic known as the Broncos defense
First-year starter Jordan Love has struggled with turnovers and accuracy and the Green Bay Packers (2-3) come off their bye on a two-game losing streak. The good news for the Cheesehead faithful is that the Denver Broncos (1-5) are coming to Lambeau Field.
Denver is 30th in the NFL in pass defense, allowing 268 yards per game and that total includes a matchup with the New York Jets, who are being extremely conservative with Zach Wilson.
Love is completing only 55.6% of his throws and has six interceptions to go with eight touchdowns. But he’s been hampered by a running game that misses injured Aaron Jones (questionable to return from his hamstring injury this week).
No less an authority on Green Bay quarterbacking than Aaron Rodgers said Love will be fine, telling Packers fans during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” last week to, “Just take some deep breaths.”
4. Kansas City Chiefs need to be on high alert
The Kansas City Chiefs come off a win on Oct. 12 over the Broncos and at 5-1 have a two-game lead over the Las Vegas Raiders in the AFC West. They host the Los Angeles Chargers (2-3) on Sunday. The Chargers are on a short week after a tough Monday night loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
All of that data indicates the Chiefs have every advantage coming in. Kansas City also re-acquired wide receiver Mecole Hardman Jr. from the New York Jets. The Chiefs’ receiving corps has struggled, with rookie Rashee Rice leading the group with 21 catches for 245 yards and two touchdowns.
Veterans Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore have combined for 35 catches and 353 yards with two touchdowns. Hardman should be able to seamlessly re-enter the Kansas City offense.
But the Chargers aren’t afraid to play at Arrowhead Stadium. They are 3-2 in their last five trips to Kansas City and their 27-24 loss on Sept. 15, 2022, broke a two-game winning streak against the Chiefs at Arrowhead.
Division rivals are less likely to fall victim to home-field mystique because they visit every year. Kansas City is forewarned.
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3. The dreaded ‘potential Super Bowl preview’
Every interconference game is a potential Super Bowl preview, so throwing that descriptor around too liberally renders it meaningless. That said, there are two very interesting interconference games on the NFL Week 7 slate.
The 5-1 Detroit Lions go to M&T Bank Stadium to face the Baltimore Ravens (4-2), who are on jet-lag week after returning from London. Detroit has won four in a row and are 13-3 in their last 16 games. dating back to Week 9 of last season. The banged-up Ravens successfully cleared customs with their win over the Tennessee Titans and their defense is allowing just 229.3 yards per game in their last three contests.
The other interconference game of note is set for Lincoln Financial Field, where the 5-1 Miami Dolphins visit the 5-1 Philadelphia Eagles. The Dolphins bring the NFL’s No. 1 offense to face the Eagles, who lost their first game last week at the Meadowlands to the Jets. Philadelphia has the No. 9 defense in the league to go with the No. 2-ranked offense.
Are they Super Bowl previews? We won’t know that until January. So let’s just call them very interesting interconference matchups.
2. ‘Bill Belichick Watch’ in full effect
The New England Patriots are 1-5 for the first time since 1995 but on the bright side, they scored two actual, honest-to-goodness touchdowns last week in their 21-17 loss at Las Vegas. Ezekial Elliott’s touchdown run with 8:56 left in the third quarter on Sunday snapped a stretch of 167:42 without the Pats finding the end zone in possession of the football.
Mac Jones is playing with his head on a swivel, only rather than surveying defenses, he looking to see if Bailey Zappe is running toward the huddle to replace him. The third-year pro has thrown seven interceptions to just five touchdowns.
The good news is that New England is very efficient in the red zone, converting 70% of their opportunities into touchdowns. The bad news? They’ve only reached the red zone 10 times in six games. Ouch.
Bill Belichick has been the ruler of The Patriot Way since 2000 and this current edition is the worst the team has looked during his tenure. Speculation and rumors of his impending demise run rampant around the league.
Hosting the high-powered Buffalo Bills on Sunday likely does little to quell that talk.
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1. Follow the bouncing quarterbacks
Quarterback injuries are piling up, with seven starters on the injury report for this week. Justin Fields of the Bears sprained his thumb last week and is doubtful to go against the Raiders, who listed Jimmy Garoppolo as questionable with a back injury.
Also questionable? Josh Allen (shoulder) of the Bills, Daniel Jones (neck) of the New York Giants, Trevor Lawrence (knee) of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Ryan Tannehill (ankle) of Tennessee and Deshaun Watson (shoulder) of the Cleveland Browns.
That doesn’t include two starting quarterbacks on injured reserve (Aaron Rodgers of the Jets and Anthony Richardson of the Indianapolis Colts) and one on the physically unable to perform list (Kyler Murray of the Arizona Cardinals, still recovering from last year’s ACL injury).
Lawrence is reportedly a game-time decision for the Jaguars at New Orleans on Thursday night. Watson didn’t practice Wednesday and has missed the last two games for Cleveland with a strained rotator cuff. Richardson is reportedly out for the season and will have his right shoulder surgically repaired. He sprained his AC joint two weeks ago against the Titans.
The NFL has done just about everything to protect quarterbacks from contact but, alas, the game is still football and until they just give up and throw a belt with flags on the passers, injuries are going to happen.
Considering this is NFL Week 7, this list will undoubtedly lengthen as the season progresses.
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