
NFL WEEKEND PREVIEW: WEEK 7
Although the NFC North is currently stealing headlines due to its winning start to the 2024 NFL campaign, it is hard to look past a Super Bowl rematch when it comes to the biggest talking point on the Week 7 slate.
Sunday primetime pits the reigning champion — and still unbeaten in 2024 — Kansas City Chiefs (5-0) against a San Francisco 49ers side that is surely better than the 3-3 record it currently holds. This weekend’s marquee matchup, to be staged in Santa Clara, is a rematch not just of last season’s Super Bowl, but also of Super Bowl LIV. Overcoming a 10-point deficit en route to a 25-22 overtime win in Super Bowl LVIII allowed the Chiefs to become the first back-to-back Lombardi winners since the 2003-04 New England Patriots, but 49ers fans will not want reminding that they were on the losing end of both Super Bowl encounters against this weekend’s opponent, both of which involved significant comebacks.
KC is the last remaining undefeated team in the AFC, and is looking to become the seventh reigning Super Bowl champion to begin the following season 6-0 since 2000, joining the 2004, 2015 and 2019 Patriots, the 2011 Green Bay Packers, 2007 Indianapolis Colts and 2000 St. Louis Rams. A win this weekend would confirm just the third 6-0 start in Chiefs history but, as they are also coming off their bye week, it seems to bode well, given that head coach Andy Reid owns the highest winning percentage (.840) in the game following a bye week, going 21-4 overall and 8-3 with Kansas City.
Despite injuries bedevilling the champions — who have lost RB Isiah Pacheco and WRs Hollywood Brown and Rashee Rice from their offense already this season — QB Patrick Mahomes continues to keep the team chugging along. It’s not always pretty but, with the defense in game-winning form and RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire slated to return alongside the re-acquired Kareem Hunt after struggling with PTSD, it could be another long afternoon for the Niners.
San Francisco, meanwhile, head into what could be a pivotal matchup fresh from a morale-boosting win over NFC West rival Seattle on Thursday Night Football. The home team will not be without injury worries of their own, however, having added breakout RB Jordan Mason to the casualty list alongside usual backfield starter Christian McCaffrey, fellow RB Elijah Mitchell and a host of defensive stars, including Talanoa Hufanga and Javon Hargrave. On the plus side, QB Brock Purdy maintained his unbeaten record versus the Seahawks, with an eighth regular season performance that included at least three touchdown passes and zero interceptions. Purdy now has 12 games with a rating of 120+, tied with Russell Wilson for the most all-time by a QB in his first three seasons, and should have a full complement of receiving talent to throw to in front of the Levi’s crowd this weekend.
The NFC North — with Minnesota (5-0), Detroit (4-1), Chicago (4-2) and Green Bay (4-2) — has the highest combined winning percentage (.773) by a division entering Week 7 or later of any season in NFL history. The four teams also lead the NFL in point differential this season and represent four of the eight clubs with at least 10 takeaways: Vikings (+63-point margin, 13 takeaways), Lions (+60, 10), Bears (+47, 13) and Packers (+41, NFL-best 17 takeaways).
The division’s top two teams, the Vikings and Lions, meet for the first time this season in a lunchtime kickoff at U.S. Bank Stadium, as the still-undefeated Vikes attempt to preserve that record against a Lions teams seemingly finding its feet on offense after a slow start.
Detroit quarterback Jared Goff, with passer ratings of 155.8 and 153.8 either side of his team’s bye in Week 5, became the second QB in NFL history to record a passer rating of 150-or-higher in back-to-back starts, joining Drew Brees, who achieved the feat in Weeks 10-11 of the 2018 season. Goff, who tore the Cowboys apart in Dallas last weekend, now has 27 career games with at least 300 passing yards and a passer rating of 100-or-higher, tied with Kirk Cousins (27 games) for the second-most by a player in his first nine seasons all-time. Only Patrick Mahomes (28 games and currently in his eighth season) has more. On the ground, David Montgomery — with a fresh contract extension in his locker — and Jahmyr Gibbs remain prolific, while TE Sam LaPorta finally registered a touchdown in Dallas as he looks to return as a complementary piece to WRs Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams.
Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson, meanwhile, has 1,073 receiving yards in eight career games against Detroit and his 134.1 receiving yards per game average against the Lions is the second highest of any player against an opponent (minimum five games) in NFL history, trailing only Hall-of-Famer Terrell Owens’ 142 yards per game average against the Chicago Bears. The Vikings are also coming off a bye week, but Jefferson put up 92 yards against the Jets in London in Week 5 and is poised to pass the great Jerry Rice for the third most receiving yards in any player’s first five seasons. He has touchdowns in eight games against Detroit.
With Chicago on a bye to recover from their win over Jacksonville in London last weekend, the remaining NFC North team in action is Green Bay, who face Houston in the matchup the spawned the cover of this year’s Gridiron season preview. Fortunately, both cover stars — Texans’ C.J. Stroud and Packers’ Jordan Love — are fit to take the field in a battle of two of the league’s best young QBs. Both are coming off victories in Week 6, Stroud over New England and Love against Arizona, as the 5-1 Texans look to continue their strong start against a surging 4-2 Packers team that welcomed WR Romeo Doubs back into the fold with two TDs against the Cardinals.
With RB Joe Mixon back in the lineup, Houston displayed a more rounded offense once more, the former Bengal contributing two touchdowns of his own alongside one each for backfield colleague Dameon Pierce, WRs Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell and TE Dalton Schultz. Former Viking DE Danielle Hunter also looked in top form and will be chasing a repeat of his two forced fumbles and a sack the last time he lined up against the Packers.
Love, meanwhile, appears to be over the knee injury that kept him sidelined between Weeks 1 and 5, throwing for four touchdowns amid a season-high passer rating of 119.5 against Arizona. WRs Jayden Reed and Christian Watson joined Doubs on the scoresheet, while TE Tucker Kraft will look to re-insert his name alongside them this weekend. Safety Xavier McKinney failed, for the first time in six games, to snag an interception against the Cardinals, but still leads the NFL in picks as part of Green Bay’s impressive takeaway record.
Competing for Monday Night Football eyeballs, the prolific Tampa Bay and Baltimore offenses meet in Florida with both teams looking to improve on their current 4-2 record. The Buccaneers rank third in scoring offense this season (29.7 points per game), while the Ravens lead the AFC and rank fourth overall with 29.5 points per game, making it an intriguing battle between two different styles. Tampa defeated New Orleans 51-27 in an NFC South clash last week and became the fifth team in NFL history with at least 300 passing yards (325) and 275 rushing yards (277) in the same game, joining Miami (Week 3, 2023), San Francisco (Week 5, 2012), Dallas (Week 1, 1978) and Green Bay (Week 9, 1962) in that illustrious group. Wide receiver Mike Evans leads all active players with 99 touchdown receptions since he entered the league in 2014 and, with his next scoring reception, will become the fifth player in NFL history to reach the 100 career touchdown receptions mark through 11 seasons, joining Jerry Rice, Randy Moss, Marvin Harrison and Terrell Owens.
With Baker Mayfield at the helm, there are plenty of opportunities to go around in Tampa Bay, with Chris Godwin snaring two touchdown catches amongst 11 receptions and 125 yards last time out, and TE Cade Otton notching his first score of the season. The run game is not ignored either, with rookie Bucky Irving finding the endzone and both Rachaad White and Sean Tucker enjoying productive games.
Baltimore, meanwhile, leads the NFL with 1,232 rushing yards this season, the fourth-most rushing yards by a team in its first six games of a season since 1980. The Ravens became the second team in the Super Bowl era to record at least 150 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in each of its first six games of a season, joining the 1971 Oakland Raiders. Free agent acquisition — one that looks to rank amongst the best all-time — Derrick Henry leads all active players with 98 rushing touchdowns in 125 career games and, with two such scores last week, surpassed Adrian Peterson (97) for the fifth-most by a player in his first 125 games. Henry also has 25 career games with at least two rushing touchdowns, tied with Hall-of-Famer Marcus Allen, Shaun Alexander and Priest Holmes for fifth on that list.
With Henry and Evans on the same field, it will mark the first meeting between the active leaders in rushing and receiving touchdowns since Week 3 of the 2020 season, which featured Peterson and Larry Fitzgerald. That meeting also marked the last time two players each with 100 career touchdowns met in the same game.
The first game of the week provides an interesting subplot, as Sean Payton returns to New Orleans for the first time as the head coach of the Denver Broncos on Thursday Night Football. Payton won 152 games over 15 seasons as head coach of the Saints, including Super Bowl XLIV, and remains the most successful HC in franchise history. He returns with a Broncos side that sits at 3-3 through six weeks of the new season, and a rookie QB, in Bo Nix, that shows signs of improvement each time out. The Oregon grad threw for 216 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in last week’s defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers, and now has 1,082 passing and 180 rush yards on the year. Veteran WR Courtland Sutton hauled in his second TD of the season from Nix last weekend, while former Oregon teammate Troy Franklin caught the first scoring pass of his rookie campaign in the same game.
Payton will be up against a Saints team still struggling with the loss of QB Derek Carr, who had started the season in fine form, replaced by rookie Spencer Rattler who, despite a shaky start, put up impressive numbers (243 yards and a touchdown) on debut against the Buccaneers. Alvin Kamara, who posted 64 rush yards and a score against Tampa, is one of only three RBs with 60+ scrimmage yards in six games this season, alongside Najee Harris (Steelers) and Mason (49ers), while rookie WR Bub Means also got on the scoresheet, as did WR Rashid Shaheed, who recorded the second punt return touchdown of his career. Cornerback Paulson Adebo, meanwhile, shares top spot in terms of passes defensed this year, with 10, and recorded his third interception of the season against the Buccaneers.
The Cleveland Browns (1-5) host the similarly struggling Cincinnati Bengals (2-4) in their first AFC North game of the 2024 schedule, but will be looking to head coach Kevin Stefanski’s 9-3 home record in divisional games — including a 4-0 record against the Bengals — for inspiration this time around as their season threatens to spiral down the drain. Stefanski insists that it is his decision to keep Deshaun Watson under center — amid rumours that owner Jimmy Haslam may be the main instigator in that selection — but the HC must surely realise that the team’s most expensive asset is performing at far from optimal through six weeks. With WR Amari Cooper on his way to Buffalo via trade, the Browns will hope that the return of RB Nick Chubb from long-term injury will provide the spark the offense needs, especially against an instate rival.
The Bengals, meanwhile, showed signs of life in beating the New York Giants last week and will look to extend the 53-28 record they currently hold over their opponent, even if the home side has prevailed in each of their last five meetings. QB Joe Burrow completed 19 of 28 passes last week, for 208 yards, but his personal highlight was a career-long 47-yard scamper to paydirt, the second longest run by any QB this year — and only six yards shy of RB Chase Brown’s output all game! Brown did at least score too, and fellow RB Zack Moss, along with WRs Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins will look to restart their touchdown streaks this weekend.
The two defenses will also look to maintain impressive individual performances, with Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson recording another two sacks against NYG and Browns counterpart Myles Garrett providing athletic inspiration by hurdling the Philadelphia O-line to block a field goal attempt, leading to a Cleveland scoop-and-score for former Eagle Rodney McLeod.
The Eagles (3-2) and Giants (2-4) meet this week for Philly’s first divisional game of the year, but the storyline will be dominated by Saquon Barkley’s first game against the team that drafted him since moving to the City of Brotherly Love over the offseason. The former second overall pick rushed for 5,211 yards in 74 games for Big Blue — the fourth-most in Giants franchise history — and totalled 47 touchdowns (35 rushing, 12 receiving) for the team. Barkley is averaging 114.8 scrimmage yards so far this season, with five touchdowns through six games. WRs A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith both got on the scoresheet against Cleveland, but Philadelphia appears to have lost influential TE Dallas Goedert to a hamstring injury.
Like Cleveland, the Las Vegas Raiders will head into Week 7 without a star receiver, following Davante Adams trade to the New York Jets. The silver-and-black have played without Adams for several weeks while he nursed an injury of his own, and their offensive struggles led to Aidan O’Connell getting the start in Week 6 against Pittsburgh, going 27/40 for 227 yards, a touchdown and an interception. RB Alexander Mattison has been a rare highlight for the 2-4 Raiders this year, and will look to continue a run that has seen him notch two scores in three road games so far. Mattison had 70 scrimmage yards and a rushing TD in his only previous game against the Rams, while a member of the Minnesota Vikings, in 2021.
The Rams, meanwhile, have slumped to 1-4 and come off their bye week still without the services of WRs Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp, although the latter has practiced and may yet make an appearance on Sunday. That will come as some respite for veteran QB Matt Stafford, who has logged a passing TD in each of his 23 regular season home games with the Rams. In the absence of a prolific passing game, RB Kyren Williams has shouldered more of a load for L.A., and posted his eighth-straight game with a rushing touchdown and 100+ scrimmage yards last time out, in Week 5, against Green Bay. He can become the first player since 2022-spec Ezekiel Elliott to record a rush TD in nine straight games this weekend.
Sunday’s first game will also be London’s final appearance on the 2024 schedule, as the 1-5 New England Patriots visit the 1-5 Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium. While all but the diehards may opt to give the 0930 ET kickoff a miss, something has to give for two teams struggling to find form despite some semblance of talent on their rosters. The 26th regular season international game at Wembley since 2007 sees the Jaguars attempting to bounce back from defeat by Chicago at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last week, while the Patriots will continue with rookie Drake Maye under center as they look to improve a 3-1 International Series record. Replacing veteran Jacoby Brissett, Maye went 20/33 for 243 yards and three touchdowns on debut, becoming the fourth different rookie QB for the Patriots to throw for that many scores. WR Demario Douglas was Maye’s favourite target, hauling in six catches for a career-high 92 yards and his first touchdown of the season. WR Kayshon Boutte and TE Hunter Henry caught Maye’s other TD passes.
Jacksonville, meanwhile, continue with Doug Pederson as head coach, despite speculation that he may be fired following a poor display against the Bears. Now 6-6 in all International Series games, the Jaguars will hope for better support for QB Trevor Lawrence after a series of drops prevented a better Week 6 scoreline. Despite fumbling to start the second half, TE Evan Engram (10-for-102) returned to provide a security blanket for the quarterback, who recorded a third straight game with two touchdown passes and a 90+ rating for the fourth time in five London games.
The week’s remaining games pit Seattle against Atlanta, Tennessee at Buffalo, Miami at Indianapolis, Carolina at Washington, New York Jets at Pittsburgh and the L.A. Chargers at Arizona.
The ‘battle of the birds’ could go either way with QBs Geno Smith and Kirk Cousins both is solid form and supported by improving running back play from Kenneth Walker and Bijan Robinson respectively. Robinson produced 105 scrimmage yards and a career-high two touchdowns in the win against Carolina last week, while Cousins tossed another score to Drake London. Walker recorded his fifth rushing TD of the campaign as Seattle lost on TNF to San Francisco, while veteran WR Tyler Lockett grabbed his first score of the season in the same game. On defense, Seattle LB Boye Mafe has a sack in three of his last four games, while Falcons counterpart Nate Landman returned from injury to log eight tackles and a career-high two forced fumbles.
The Titans (1-4) come off their bye to face a Bills team in good form after a Monday Night Football victory over the Jets, and now reinforced by the acquisition of WR Amari Cooper from Cleveland. QB Josh Allen posted figures of 19/25 for 215 yards and two passing touchdowns against NYJ, and added a rushing TD for good measure, while rookie RD Ray Davis logged a career-high 152 scrimmage yards in the absence of starter James Cook. Cooper meanwhile, has a TD in each of his last three games against Tennessee, who will look to RB Tony Pollard to continue his strong start to the campaign in the absence of a productive passing game that saw QB Will Levis complete only 59.3 per cent of his passes last time out.
Miami leads the regular season series against Indianapolis by 46-28, and will hope that the current streak of four away wins in the last five meetings prevails as they look to get back to .500 on the season. Tyler Huntley looks set to continue at QB in the absence of both Tua Tagovailoa and Skylar Thompson, but needs to improve on the 58.1 per cent completion rate he posted in achieving his first career win in Week 5. With the passing attack curtailed by Tagovailoa’s absence, RB Raheem Mostert led the way last time out with 98 scrimmage yards, although rookie RB Jaylen Wright put up the most yards on the ground (86). The Colts, meanwhile, look to have a QB conundrum with the returning Anthony Richardson having to unseat the winning Joe Flacco to regain his spot as starter. The veteran posted his eighth consecutive game with at least two TD passes in Week 6 and could continue if HC Shane Steichen opts for the ‘hot hand’. Flacco is also 6-3 all-time against the ‘Fins. RB Jonathan Taylor should be back to full health this weekend to add another dimension to the offense alongside WRs Michael Pittman Jr and Alec Pierce. Taylor has 100+ scrimmage yards in five of his past six games, and a touchdown in nine of the last 10, and averages 87.3 yards on the ground this season.
Carolina (1-5) may get another taste of buyer’s remorse this weekend as they face a 4-2 Commanders team flying at the head of the NFC East under the guiding hand of new HC Dan Quinn and rookie QB Jayden Daniels, who would have been available with the first pick in the draft had the Panthers not traded the spot the previous year in order to snag Bryce Young. Andy Dalton has shown to be more productive under center than Young, but could not prevent another defeat in Week 6, against division rival Atlanta, even though he got WRs Diontae Johnson and Xavier Legette on the scoresheet. Daniels, meanwhile, also suffered a rare defeat in Week 6, going down 30-23 to Baltimore, but has already logged 1,404 passing yards and six touchdowns through the air this season for a rating of 107.1. The rookie now appears to have found a rapport with veteran WR Terry McLaurin, who has now put up four touchdowns across his last three of his last four games. RB Brian Robinson, meanwhile, has a touchdown in five of his last six outings, including all of the past three.
The Jets head to Pittsburgh with a new weapon in their arsenal, following the trade for Davante Adams that reunites the wideout with former Green Bay teammate Aaron Rodgers. The QB completed 23 of 35 attempts for a season-high 294 yards and two touchdowns on Monday Night Football, and now welcomes Adams — who brings 13 catches for 172 yards and a brace of scores from his last meeting with the Steelers — to the fold alongside Allen Lazard and Garrett Wilson. RB Breece Hall led the team with a season-high 169 scrimmage yards last time out, and has 822 all-purpose yards across eight games in primetime. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, look set to give veteran Russell Wilson first team reps in practice — and likely his Steelers debut — after six weeks struggling with a calf injury. Erstwhile starter Justin Fields has taken Pitt to a division-leading 4-2 record in Wilson’s absence, while RB Najee Harris is one of two players (alongside 49ers’ Jordan Mason) with 70+ scrimmage yards in six games this season.
Finally, the Los Angeles Chargers visit Glendale to take on the Cardinals in the second of the week’s two Monday Night Football fixtures. Coming off a bye, the Chargers moved above .500 with a divisional win over Denver that saw DC Jesse Minter take the reins after head coach Jim Harbaugh suffered a heart arrhythmia during the first quarter before returning to the sidelines. Chargers QB Justin Herbert completed a season-high 21 of 34 pass attempts for 237 yards and a TD toss to rookie Kimani Vidal, while the L.A. defense, led by Khalil Mack, Morgan Fox and Eric Molden stifled the Broncos. The Cardinals, meanwhile, succumbed to the surging Packers, and possibly lost standout rookie WR Marvin Harrison Jr to injury. That left TE Trey McBride to lead the team in receptions and yards, while QB Kyler Murray threw for one score, to WR Michael Wilson. Sean Murphy-Bunting recorded his first pick of the year against Jordan Love in the 34-13 defeat.