The 2022 to 2023 NFL season thus far has been nothing short of exciting and full of surprises. As we are quickly approaching the halfway point of the season, I will be taking a look at the Week Seven match-ups and predicting the outcome for the first ten games on the slate.
Saints vs Cardinals
Cardinals Coming-Out Party. With the return of DeAndre Hopkins, the Arizona Cardinals finally showed their true form and beat the Saints in this Thursday night match-up. Expect big numbers from Hopkins in his return, even against the notoriously scrappy lockdown corner Marshon Lattimore. The Cardinals’ offence hasn’t looked right all year, and this could be the game where they finally get going.
Colts vs Titans
Writing this before Week Six and the Colts genuinely look disastrous. The loss of star running back Jonathan Taylor has not helped their cause (though he is expected to return for Week Seven). Matt Ryan looks like a shadow of himself, and Derrick Henry looks like his former self. Everything points to a win for the Tennessee Titans.
Giants vs Jaguars
This game is honestly difficult to predict—a game so bad it’s good? Obviously, for New York, Saquon Barkley will be a critical factor if they are to pull out a win. This offence has run directly through his rushing abilities and has been quarterback Daniel Jones’ only viable option. The Jaguars’ strong run defence will be the key match-up in this game, but I think Barkley can yet again lead the Giants to a narrow victory over Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars.
Buccaneers vs Panthers
The Buccaneers will win this game by a wide margin. With Christian McCaffrey going against the tough run defence of Tampa Bay, the Carolina offence should be contained. Tom Brady will likely use his aerial threats—Mike Evans and Chris Godwin—to run up the score early against the Panthers, and I expect a monster performance from Leonard Fournette in what looks to be a favourable game-script match-up.
Packers vs Commanders
Aaron Rogers and his duo of running backs will take on the Washington Commanders, which should be an easy win for the Green Bay Packers. Despite the lack of reliable wide receivers on the Packers, running backs Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon should be enough offensive power to defeat the disappointing Washington Commanders.
Lions vs Cowboys
Will the return of star running back D’Andre Swift be enough to overcome the absolutely indomitable Dallas Cowboys defence? Looking back at Week Five, we saw the New England Patriots blank the Lions in a 29-0 routing. Yes, they were missing D’Andre Swift, but that is no excuse with an elite backup running back in Jamaal Williams. With the potential return of Dak Prescott and home-field advantage, I am predicting an easy Dallas Cowboys victory this Sunday afternoon against the porous Detroit Lions’ defence.
Falcons vs Bengals
Still recovering from their 0-2 start, the Cincinnati Bengals are still looking to find their offensive groove. The team’s success seems to rely on Tee Higgins being healthy, but Joe Burrow is still struggling to release the ball in a timely fashion. On the other side, the Atlanta Falcons have been a very inconsistent offensive team. Their success will come with targets to Drake London and Kyle Pitts, but I think Cincinnati at home will win by a narrow margin in what looks to be a high-scoring match-up.
Browns vs Ravens
A close divisional match-up with two highly explosive offences. Running back Nick Chubb and Quarterback Lamar Jackson have been focal points of both teams’ success thus far in the season with their standalone rushing abilities. The Baltimore Ravens have a rock-solid defence, but the pair of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt seems unstoppable at this point in the season. However, Lamar Jackson’s rushing ability and the continued dominance of Mark Andrews will overwhelm the lackluster Browns’ defence.
Jets vs Broncos
Is this the game where Russell Wilson finally figures it out? I expect emerging running back Breece Hall to play a significant role against the Bronco’s lackluster run defence. However, the Jets’ defence has been arguably worse, and I’d expect that at this point in the season, the Broncos’ offence will begin to find a groove at some point in the game and pick apart the Jets for a statement victory.
Raiders vs Texans
The Texans’ offence is struggling. The team failed to put up more than 24 points in a single game through the first five weeks, while their defence has allowed an average of 19.8 points per game. I expect the Raiders not to take this game for granted and capitalize on this easy match-up. The Raiders are off to an explosive start and should be easily able to contain the weak Texans offence.
