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With each passing week, teams are expected to make strides to solidify their identity and standing within the league. Who will make surprising steps forward and who will regress unexpectedly in Week 7? In a sport that is characterized by parity, the Baltimore Beatdown staff attempts to determine who will get a mark in the win column for every matchup. Have an opinion? Vote in the polls at the bottom of this article or leave a comment.
Current standings:
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- Frank (56-35)
- Sage (55-26)
- Kyle A. (54-37)
- Kyle B. and readers (53-38)
- Vas (52-39)
- Jake (51-40)
- Logan and Zach (50-41)
- Dustin (49-42)
An analysis of the Baltimore Beatdown staff picks
Consensus winners
- The Chargers defeat the Titans (LAC -6.5)
- The Vikings beat the Jets (MIN -3.0)
- The Patriots hand the Bears their second consecutive loss (NE -3.0)
- The Falcons take advantage of a struggling Giants team (ATL -5.5)
Philip Rivers is quietly having a stellar season in his 15th year as a pro, throwing 15 touchdowns to just three interceptions and posting a 115.1 passer rating through six games. In contrast, the Titans were demolished last week by the Ravens and appear to be in free fall with an ailing Marcus Mariota.
While Sam Darnold and the Jets have outperformed expectations, Minnesota is on a two game win streak and looking to make ground in a tightly packed NFC North. Chicago’s loss to the Brock Osweiler and the Dolphins was one of the more shocking storylines from last week, and there is no relief in facing the defending AFC champion Patriots after they were able to outlast the Chiefs prolific offense in a Sunday Night Football shoot out in Week 6.
With each passing week, the scrutiny builds for the New York Giants. Despite break out performances from rookie Saquon Barkley, the Giants are once again stuck as a bottom feeder team. Atlanta is a disappointing 2-4, but Matt Ryan still connects with Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley enough to bring the Falcons aerial attack into the top five.
‘Lone wolf’ picks
- Kyle B. is the only writer who predicts the Bills will beat the Colts (IND -7.5)
- Logan (once again) is solo in thinking the Rams undefeated season will end when they face 49ers this week (LAR -9.5)
When a franchise has a revolving door at the sport’s most important position, it is difficult to have confidence in the team’s ability to execute, particularly on the road. Derek Anderson, the latest quarterback for Buffalo, has a 20-27 career record as a starter. While Indianapolis has just one victory in 2018, the Colts are scoring almost double the amount of points Buffalo is averaging per game, as the Bills are dead last with 12.7.
The 49ers put up a valiant fight against the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football, but that showing alone was not inspiring enough for the majority of Beatdown contributors to pick against the Rams this week. While Sean McVay’s squad is likely to drop a game at some point, San Francisco’s 13th ranked run defense will have a tough task trying to contain Todd Gurley who leads the league in rushing yards.
Can the Ravens keep Brees at bay?
Every time New Orleans and Baltimore face off, it is noted that the Ravens are the only NFL squad Drew Brees has never beaten. Brees is 0-4 against the Ravens; however five out of nine Baltimore Beatdown writers predict the league’s third ranked offense will defeat the Ravens number one defense on Sunday.
Still, the Ravens return from their road trip with a slight edge (BAL -2.5) over one of the hottest teams in the NFL. The Saints have not dropped a game since their Week 1 loss to the Buccaneers, and they are averaging a league-high 36 points per game. If the Ravens defense can contain Brees, Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara, the national respect they are garnering will continue to grow.
All writers’ picks can be found in the table below.
NFL Week 7 Picks
| Games | Frank | Sage | Kyle A. | Kyle B. | Vas | Jake | Logan | Zach | Dustin | BB Readers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | Frank | Sage | Kyle A. | Kyle B. | Vas | Jake | Logan | Zach | Dustin | BB Readers |
| Broncos at Cardinals | Broncos | Broncos | Broncos | Cardinals | Cardinals | Broncos | Broncos | Cardinals | Broncos | Vote |
| Saints at Ravens | Saints | Ravens | Ravens | Ravens | Ravens | Saints | Saints | Saints | Saints | Vote |
| Titans at Chargers | Chargers | Chargers | Chargers | Chargers | Chargers | Chargers | Chargers | Chargers | Chargers | Vote |
| Browns at Buccaneers | Browns | Browns | Buccaneers | Buccaneers | Buccaneers | Buccaneers | Browns | Buccaneers | Buccaneers | Vote |
| Panthers at Eagles | Eagles | Eagles | Panthers | Eagles | Eagles | Eagles | Panthers | Eagles | Eagles | Vote |
| Vikings at Jets | Vikings | Vikings | Vikings | Vikings | Vikings | Vikings | Vikings | Vikings | Vikings | Vote |
| Lions at Dolphins | Lions | Dolphins | Lions | Lions | Lions | Dolphins | Lions | Lions | Lions | Vote |
| Patriots at Bears | Patriots | Patriots | Patriots | Patriots | Patriots | Patriots | Patriots | Patriots | Patriots | Vote |
| Bills at Colts | Colts | Colts | Colts | Bills | Colts | Colts | Colts | Colts | Colts | Vote |
| Texans at Jaguars | Jaguars | Jaguars | Texans | Jaguars | Jaguars | Jaguars | Jaguars | Texans | Jaguars | Vote |
| Cowboys at Redskins | Redskins | Cowboys | Redskins | Redskins | Cowboys | Redskins | Cowboys | Cowboys | Cowboys | Vote |
| Rams at 49ers | Rams | Rams | Rams | Rams | Rams | Rams | 49ers | Rams | Rams | Vote |
| Bengals at Chiefs | Chiefs | Chiefs | Chiefs | Bengals | Chiefs | Chiefs | Bengals | Chiefs | Chiefs | Vote |
| Giants at Falcons | Falcons | Falcons | Falcons | Falcons | Falcons | Falcons | Falcons | Falcons | Falcons | Vote |
| Week 6 Record | 11-4 | 11-4 | 9-6 | 8-7 | 8-7 | 7-8 | 8-7 | 10-5 | 11-4 | 10-5 |
| Season Record | 56-35 | 55-36 | 54-37 | 53-38 | 52-39 | 51-40 | 50-41 | 50-41 | 49-42 | 53-38 |
Vote in the polls below for every Week 7 game!