Only two of the 13 Week 7 matchups on Sunday pit two teams together who are both over .500. That doesn’t mean that there won’t be plenty of theatrics in this week’s Sunday slate of games which include a rematch of last season’s Super Bowl participants. Here are the five most intriguing Week 7 matchups that will take place on Sunday.
5. Baltimore Ravens (3-3) at Minnesota Vikings (4-2)
The Ravens are coming off a disappointing 27-24 loss in overtime to the Chicago Bears to fall back to .500 but still remain just a game out of first in the AFC North.
The Vikings moved into a tie for first in the NFC North with their 23-10 win over the Green Bay Packers in Week 6.
A key factor in Baltimore’s games have been whether or not they have won the turnover battle. In their three wins, they have a +8 turnover margin, but that drops down to -6 in their three losses. They have turned the ball over three times in each of their three losses but just three times combined in their three wins.
Baltimore has shown a surprisingly effective ability to run the football through six games but head to Minnesota to face a stout Vikings run defense. They are allowing just 78.7 rushing yards per game and 3.2 yards per carry, both of which rank third in the NFL. An Ameer Abdullah Week 4 rushing touchdown has been the only one they have allowed in six games.
4. New Orleans Saints (3-2) at Green Bay Packers (4-2)
Since starting 0-2, the Saints have won three in a row with the most recent win coming over the Detroit Lions by the score of 52-38. The Packers still remain tied atop the NFC North at 4-2, but lost 23-10 last week to the Vikings and are without superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers likely for the rest of the season.
It was known that the Saints would be able to score points but what has catapulted them back into the playoff picture has been the sudden improvement of their defense. Their Week 4 shutout victory over the Miami Dolphins was the first time they held an opponent scoreless since December 16, 2012. They forced five turnovers in their win over the Lions, as they intercepted Matthew Stafford three times and caused him to complete less than half his passes.
That opportunistic defense is facing a Green Bay team that will see Brett Hundley make his first career NFL start. A fifth-round pick in 2015, Hundley threw three interceptions in relief of Rodgers. Look for New Orleans to try to frequently pressure the quarterback and hope to cause him to make some critical mistakes.
3. Arizona Cardinals (3-3) at Los Angeles Rams (4-2)
After nearly blowing a large lead, the Cardinals were able to survive in Week 6 defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by the score of 38-33. The Rams have a half game lead over the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West and most recently defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 27-17.
The Cardinals sit at .500 despite being outscored on the year by 39 points.
They squeaked by with overtime wins over the Indianapolis Colts and San Francisco 49ers who are a combined 2-10. Last week could have been their first truly impressive win, except they let Tampa Bay back into the game. They are just a game behind the Rams in the NFC West, and a win (coupled with a Seahawks loss) would put them in a tie for first.
The Rams remain the surprise leader as the NFL’s highest scoring team, as they have averaged 29.8 points per game. It wasn’t all the offense though last week as Pharoh Cooper returned a kickoff 103 yards for a score, and Malcolm Brown returned a blocked punt for another touchdown. Jared Goff got off to a great start for Los Angeles but hopes to improve on his 48.5 completion percentage in the last two games.
2. Cincinnati Bengals (2-3) at Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2)
The Bengals are coming off a bye and have won two in a row after they defeated the Buffalo Bills 20-16 in Week 5. The Steelers handed the Kansas City Chiefs their first loss of the season in a 19-13 win last Sunday to move to 4-2. Pittsburgh has won four in a row in matchups between the two AFC North rivals including a playoff win over the Bengals on January 9, 2016.
Cincinnati has played superb defensely and will need for that to continue if they want their winning streak to extend. They rank second in both points allowed (16.6) and total yards allowed (262.8) per game. They are allowing just 4.4 yards per pass attempt which is the best mark in the NFL.
That isn’t great news for Ben Roethlisberger who is having somewhat of a shaky season. Through six games, he has more interceptions (8) than touchdowns (7). That includes a horrific five-interception performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5. He currently has the second-lowest quarterback rating of his career at 78.2.
1. Atlanta Falcons (3-2) at New England Patriots (4-2)
The Falcons are looking to avenge 28-3 on ‘Sunday Night Football.’ That’s the lead Atlanta held over the Patriots late in the third quarter of last season’s Super Bowl before losing 34-28. After a 3-0 start, The Falcons have now lost two in a row after blowing a 17–0 lead and falling 20-17 to the Miami Dolphins in Week 6.
New England is coming off a 24-17 win over the New York Jets and currently, hold a half-game lead in the AFC East.
For Atlanta to get the win, they need Matt Ryan to look more like the MVP winner he was last season. He has a 1:1 touchdown to interception ratio this year (6:6) after having over a 5:1 ratio in 2016 (38:7). His 87.3 quarterback rating would be the second-lowest of his 10-year career.
The perfect remedy for Ryan may be a Patriots pass defense that has allowed each opposing quarterback they have faced to throw for over 300 yards. They have allowed the most passing yards per game (324.8) and are tied with the Cleveland Browns for most passing touchdowns allowed (14).