Durkin: Week 7 NFL Picks
By Dan Durkin--
(CBS) Six weeks into the season, five unbeaten teams remain, three of which are on a bye this week (Cincinnati, Denver and Green Bay).
Will the Jets take down the Patriots? Will the Eagles tame the Panthers?
Here's my take on how Week 7 plays out. I correctly picked the Seahawks over the 49ers on Thursday night, as many did.
(Home team in all CAPS)
BILLS 23, Jaguars 20 -- 8:30 a.m. in London
I can't say it enough: If the NFL wants to gain popularity abroad, it must stop sending awful teams over the pond. Blake Bortles is playing the best football of his young career and will have some success against a shaky Bills defense, but not enough.
RAMS 27, Browns 16 -- noon
Fresh off a bye week, the Rams should dominate the Browns. The training wheels have been taken off rookie running back Todd Gurley, who will have his way against the league's worst run defense.
Steelers 24, CHIEFS 20 -- noon
The Steelers are likely turning to Landry Jones this weekend in Kansas City. All things considered, Pittsburgh's held it together well without Ben Roethlisberger and will take advantage of a suspect Chiefs secondary.
DOLPHINS 30, Texans 20 -- noon
Miami looked reborn under new coach Dan Campbell, which begs the question, "Why did it take so long to fire Joe Philbin?" The Dolphins have recommitted themselves to the run game, which will open up play-action opportunities.
PATRIOTS 31, Jets 24 -- noon
It will be strength on strength when the Patriots have the ball, so this game boils down to who comes up bigger when the Jets have the ball. The Jets offense is playing well, but I don't trust Ryan Fitzpatrick in crucial moments.
LIONS 27, Vikings 23 -- noon
The Lions weren't nearly as bad as their record indicated last week, and their offense definitely got on track against the Bears. The Vikings pose a physical challenge, but I expect the Lions' passing attack to make the difference.
Falcons 28, TITANS 17 -- noon
Atlanta's had 10 days to rest after suffering its first loss of the season. The Falcons are better than the Titans in general, let alone when they're led by fill-in quarterback Zach Mettenberger.
REDSKINS 23, Bucs 20 -- noon
This game features two turnover-prone quarterbacks, so it will come down to who protects best up front. The Redskins defense will be the difference in a close game.
COLTS 31, Saints 24 -- noon
It's a potential shootout in Indianapolis. The Colts will find holes in the Saints' leaky secondary and keep New Orleans winless on the road.
CHARGERS 27, Raiders 20 -- 3:05 p.m.
The Chargers will be able to move the ball with ease through the air against the Raiders. Their challenge becomes stopping Raiders running back Latavuis Murray, which they should as they pick up a win at home.
GIANTS 30, Cowboys 24 -- 3:25 p.m.
The Cowboys have had extra time to prepare for this game, but there are still too many moving parts with this team on offense. The Giants looked awful on Monday night but will rebound at home.
PANTHERS 24, Eagles 20 -- 7:30 p.m.
The Panthers' 5-0 record is a bit of a misnomer. They've beaten four bad teams and an overrated Seahawks team on the road, but the bottom line is they're stacking wins. The Eagles are still out of sorts, and the Panthers defense will keep Carolina undefeated.
CARDINALS 37, Ravens 24 -- Monday night, 7:30 p.m.
The Ravens' pass defense has become one of the league's worst, particularly at giving up explosive plays. The Cardinals' high-flying passing attack will carve up the Ravens in the desert.
Season record through Week 6: 59-33 (Last week: 10-4)
Dan Durkin covers the Bears for CBSChicago.com and is a frequent contributor to 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter at @djdurkin.
