Week 7 features the third International Series game of the season in London -- available exclusively on NFL Network. The rest of your Sunday will be filled with key divisional matchups, some make-or-break games, and even a Super Bowl LVIII rematch.
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Sunday, Week 7 -- Top 5 games to watch
- WHERE: Wembley Stadium (London)
- WHEN: 9:30 a.m. ET | NFL Network, NFL+
Both New England and Jacksonville need wins here. At 1-5, the Jaguars and Patriots at risk of losing what little grasp they have left of playoff hopes. Through six weeks, the Pats are averaging 13.8 points per game (31st) with a -60-point differential (30th). The Jags have done slightly better offensively, averaging 18.8 points per game (22nd) but their -65-point differential is 31st in the league. It’s not the prettiest game of Week 7, but there are many key similarities that could make this competitive.
Drake Maye had his first start last week as New England’s signal-caller, and despite it being against Houston, one of the league’s top defenses, it went pretty well. The Jaguars' defense should be an easier task for the rookie as they give up the second-most points (29.7) and yards (390) on a per-game basis. The same can be said for Trevor Lawrence and the Jags' offense, which face a Pats defense that ranks in the bottom third of both categories, as well.
NFL Pro Insight for Patriots-Jaguars
In his Week 6 starting debut, Maye was pressured on just under half of his drop backs (47.6%), completing eight of his 15 attempts for 81 yards and an interception. When not pressured, Maye went 12 of 18 for 162 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Among quarterbacks who threw short passes in Week 6 (under 10 air yards) he had the sixth-most completions.
The Jaguars have generated pressure on 26.9% of opponents’ drop backs, the third-lowest mark in the league. Facing a quarterback throwing the short pass, their pressure rate through six weeks is 18.8%, also the third-lowest in the league.
- WHERE: Levi's Stadium (Santa Clara, Calif.)
- WHEN: 4:25 p.m. ET | FOX, FOX Deportes
A Super Bowl LVIII rematch! This portends to be a tight game with good matchups all over the field.
The Niners’ 3-3 record isn’t exactly indicative of the potential of this team, but it does expose a weakness. They are 0-3 this season in close games (seven points or less). However, even without a key member of their offense (Christian McCaffrey), they’ve moved the ball remarkably well, averaging 420 yards per game (second in the league). They’ve been their own worst enemy at times this season, so it’s really a matter of which version of this team shows up.
The Chiefs’ defense has been a bright spot for this team amid the struggles on offense, and even those struggles haven’t deterred this 5-0 squad. How long a team can last without its RB1 and WR1 remains to be seen, but if any team can keep it rolling, it’s this one.
NFL Pro Insight for Chiefs-49ers
Brock Purdy has thrown past the sticks (beyond the first-down marker) at the highest rate in the NFL this season (50.8%). He has been effective pushing the ball past the sticks, completing 60.6% of his passes (fifth in the NFL) despite throwing into tight windows at the fourth highest rate (34.0%).
The Chiefs have forced the highest tight window rate on passes beyond the sticks (41.9%), translating to the second lowest completion percentage (40.3%).
- WHERE: U.S. Bank Stadium (Minneapolis)
- WHEN: 1 p.m. ET | FOX
This NFC North matchup is the only Week 7 game featuring two teams in the Power Rankings' top five.
Let’s start by addressing the elephant in the room. The Lions lost Aidan Hutchinson -- better known as the bulk of their pass rush -- to a season-ending leg injury. How they will respond going forward remains to be seen, and this week presents perhaps the toughest test in doing so. Offensively, the Lions are elite in every sense of the word -- they lead the league in points per game (30.2) as a two-headed monster, ranking fourth in rushing efficiency and fifth in passing efficiency.
The Vikings' record speaks for itself as they are one of two undefeated teams and currently rank No. 1 in the Power Rankings. They have been juggernauts through five weeks. Their +63-point differential (first) is in large part due to a defense that’s holding teams like the Texans to seven points.
Notably, the Vikings enter this game off a bye week. Per NFL Pro, teams that are undefeated (5-0 or better), playing at home, and coming off a bye week are 9-0 all time in the game following, and have won by an average of 19.8 points.
NFL Pro Insight for Lions-Vikings
Sam Darnold led the NFL in yards per attempt (12.3), touchdown passes (nine) and total EPA (+27.7) against man coverage through the first four weeks of the season. He completed seven of 10 such passes for 203 yards and three touchdowns when targeting Justin Jefferson, the most such yards between any QB-receiver duo during that span.
The Lions defense leads the NFL in interceptions (six) and completion percentage over expected allowed (-12.9%) when playing man coverage this season.
- WHERE: Lambeau Field (Green Bay, Wis.)
- WHEN: 1 p.m. ET | CBS
The Texans enter this game on a three-game winning streak after putting a beatdown on the Jags in London last week. Joe Mixon’s return to the offense was noticeable and reinforced the dual threat that is the Texans' offense. They’ve got a stiffer test this week against Green Bay, which leads the league in takeaways (17) through Week 6.
Jordan Love is coming off a four-touchdown performance that’s put Green Bay in the win column for two straight weeks with wins against the Rams and Cardinals. Houston’s defense will put pressure on Love fast and hard, so this should be a good test of whether the Packers can hang with the league’s elite.
NFL Pro Insight for Texans-Packers
The Texans have generated a league-high 43.1% pressure rate this season, allowing opposing quarterbacks to generate a league-low -67.9 passing EPA when doing so. They have been led by Danielle Hunter (32 pressures) and Will Anderson Jr. (28 pressures), who rank second and seventh in pressures generated this season, respectively. The Texans are the only team with multiple players with at least 25 pressures this season.
Love has completed 18 of his 45 passes for 250 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions when facing pressure this season, recording a completion percentage over expected of -12.2 on such pass attempts (lowest in the NFL).
- WHERE: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
- WHEN: 1 p.m. ET | FOX
Seattle is at a critical point right now. Starting 3-0 and then dropping three straight games is not ideal for a team that stands to be without key defensive starters for the foreseeable future. The defense has done OK (emphasis on the OK part) given those circumstances, but the offense hasn’t been good enough. Talent is not the issue but consistency seems to be.
The Falcons are off to a roaring 4-2 start. The last time Atlanta started the season at 4-2 was 2016, when it went on to lose Super Bowl LI. Kirk Cousins is leading the offense in the right direction and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson is doing a good job at utilizing all the Falcons' weapons. Defensively, they’ve allowed struggling teams to stay in games, but overall, the Falcons are not to be overlooked.
NFL Pro Insight for Seahawks-Falcons
Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith has been at his best when kept clean this season, recording a 61.7% success rate when not pressured (first), compared to 30.2% when under pressure (21st).
The Falcons have only pressured quarterbacks on 23% of their dropbacks -- the only team in the league under 25%. Despite this, they keep the offense in front of them as they have allowed the second-lowest air yards per attempt (5.4) and have only allowed 4.1 yards after catch per reception (second) on plays without pressure.
