NFL: Richard Graves gives the lowdown on all the Week Seven action

Sky Sports News' Richard Graves previews the weekend's NFL action and gives his predictions for the next round of games.

Bye teams: Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19

Cincinnati Bengals @ Indianapolis Colts - Live on Sky Sports 2, 5.30pm

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This could be one of the best match ups in week 7. The Bengals who were once 3-0, haven't won in 2 games after Sunday's tie with Carolina while the Colts who were once 0-2 are now riding a 4 game winning streak!

Bengals QB Andy Dalton is once again expected to be without his star WR AJ Green as he nurses a toe injury so Mohammed Sanu will again be asked to fill the breach after having 10 catches for 120 yards and a TD against the Panthers while RB Giovani Bernard proved he's a home run hitter from anywhere on the field with his 89 yard TD run. 

The Colts are full of confidence with Andrew Luck pulling the strings from QB and WR TY Hilton having his best game of the season as he hauled in 9 catches for 223 yards and a TD in last Thursday night's win over the Texans.  On the road and minus AJ Green, the Bengals winless run could be set to continue.

Pick: Indianapolis Colts

New York Giants @ Dallas Cowboys - Live on Sky Sports 2, 9pm

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A week ago, this looked like one of the best games in week 7 but after the Giants emphatic loss in Philladelphia, it'll be a big surprise if they can beat a Dallas team which has been the talk of the NFL all week. 

The Giants looked more like the week 1 team which couldn't do anything right in Detroit as they lost 27-0 to the Eagles and to compound their problems, they lost WR Victor Cruz for the season with a knee injury. 

Few expected Dallas to win in Seattle. No one expected them to dominate the Super Bowl champions as they did. The Cowboys ran the ball for 162 yards, Seattle hadn't allowed more than 62 rushing yards in a game this season. Dallas held the ball for over 37 minutes to Seattle's 22 minutes and a Defense which was supposed to be overwhelmed by the Seahawks completely shut down the champions as Marshawn Lynch managed just 61 yards on the ground. 

At a time when many believe this to be a Quarterback driven league, the Cowboys are relying on their Offensive line and the League's leading rusher, DeMarco Murray - and it's proving to be a winning formula. Murray will be the first Running Back in NFL history to start the season with 7, 100 rushing yard games if he does it this weekend, breaking Jim Brown's record which has stood since 1958.

Pick: Dallas Cowboys

Atlanta Falcons @ Baltimore Ravens

Atlanta's Offensive Line has been ravaged by injuries this season and it's beginning to show. Chicago were able to sack QB Matt Ryan 4 times, limit Atlanta to just 12, 1st downs and grabbed an interception on their way to a 27-13 win in the Georgia Dome. It's a result which leaves the Falcons in 3rd place in the NFC South with a 2-4 record. On the positive side, Guard Justin Blalock did return but he couldn't prevent the Falcons slipping to a 3rd successive defeat. 

The Ravens wrapped up their 4th win of the season inside the 1st qtr as they romped to victory over the hapless Tampa Bay Buccaneers. QB Joe Flacco threw for 306 yards and 5 TDs and Baltimore are now just half a game outside of 1st place in the AFC North. Given Atlanta's injury problems, it's tough to see how they stop a Ravens team which is rolling and returns home after back to back road games. 

Pick: Baltimore Ravens

Tennessee Titans @ Washington Redskins

The Titans were indebted to Sammy Hill, who blocked Josh Scobee's Field Goal attempt as time expired to record their 2nd win of the season. It was a far from convincing performance though against the winless Jaguars and heading to Washington will be a far from straight forward task. 

The Redskins sit bottom of the NFC East with just 1 win but were within 4 points of the Arizona Cardinals before QB Kirk Cousins tossed 3 interceptions in the 4th qtr on Sunday. The Redskins have now lost 13 of their last 14 games. Still, with WR DeSean Jackson able to stretch the field and Alfred Morris at RB, the Redskins will see this a great opportunity to change their fortunes. 

Pick: Washington Redskins

Seattle Seahawks @ St. Louis Rams

The reigning Super Bowl champions will have a point to prove this weekend and the lowly Rams are likely to feel the full force of it. 

Seattle suffered only their second home defeat in 21 games with Russell Wilson at QB on Sunday in a game where they were outplayed on both sides of the ball and their Offense was limited to just 206 total yards. Expect them to revert to a heavy dose of Marshawn Lynch running the ball against a Rams team which ranks just 20th in Rush Defense, giving up nearly 140 yards per game. 

The St. Louis Rams are now 1-4 after surrendering a 14-0 lead to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night and sit bottom of the NFC West. This could hardly be a tougher match up for the Rams in a division which many believe to be the toughest in the NFL. 

Seattle now have a 3-2 record, leaving them 3rd in the division and with plenty of motivation as they head to their divisional rivals.

Pick: Seattle Seahawks

Cleveland Browns @ Jacksonville Jaguars

The Cleveland Browns are legitimate players in the AFC North and the Pittsburgh Steelers experienced first hand just how much this team has improved. The Browns ran the ball for 158 yards with Ben Tate scoring 2 TDs while TE Jordan Cameron had a big day, hauling in a TD pass and 101 receiving yards. It leaves Cleveland just a game outside first place. Now they head to Jacksonville to face a side who are still looking for their first win of the season. 

The Jaguars had a chance to change that on Sunday but saw a 55 yard Field Goal attempt blocked as the seconds ticked down. Rookie QB Blake Bortles again impressed, throwing for 336 yards and a TD but the Browns are a much tougher proposition. They are on a 2 game winning streak and have shown the character and talent to handle any situation. 

Pick: Cleveland Browns

Minnesota Vikings @ Buffalo Bills

The Minnesota Vikings have already lost QB Matt Cassel to injury and they'll be losing rookie, Teddy Bridgewater soon as well if they can't protect him any better than they did on Sunday. Detroit sacked him 8 times in the 17-3 loss as Bridgewater finished up throwing 3 interceptions and no TDs. 

The Bills will look to take advantage of a Vikings Offense which ranks 27th in the NFL but their highly touted Defense will have to play better than they did against the Patriots. Tom Brady threw the ball all over the field, finishing with 361 yards and 4 TDs. 

On the other side of the ball Buffalo must establish the run. Fred Jackson was their leading rusher against New England but he finished with 10 carries for a meagre 26 yards. Whoever manages to establish control at the line of scrimmage will win this game.

Pick: Buffalo Bills

Miami Dolphins @ Chicago Bears

While Chicago got a big win in Atlanta last weekend, the Dolphins managed to lose a game they appeared to have won against Green Bay. Aaron Rodgers had the audacity to pull a "Marino" in Miami as he fake spiked the ball and completed a pass before firing a game winning touchdown to Andrew Quarless in the dying seconds, sending the Dolphins to a 2-3 record - now a game and a half behind 1st placed New England in the AFC East. 

The Bears were impressive in their win over the Falcons. For once QB Jay Cutler didn't throw an interception and his team reaped the rewards as he threw for 381 yards and a TD. WRs Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery both had over 100 receiving yard games as Chicago improved to 3-3. Rodgers was able to unlock Miami's Defense threw the air - expect Cutler and the Bears to do the same. 

Pick: Chicago Bears

This is an intriguing match up. The Saints much vaunted Offense has been misfiring this season but they've had a bye week to iron out their problems. Now they go to Detroit - a team known for its Offense but one which boasts the NFL's no. 1 ranked Defense. 

This game will be missing big name players. Saints TE Jimmy Graham is expected to be out for a couple of weeks with a shoulder sprain. The Lions will be hoping RB Reggie Bush can return from an ankle sprain but some reports suggest star WR Calvin Johnson may not return until week 10!

Detroit were able to rely on the Defense to get the win in Minnesota, sacking Teddy Bridgewater 8 times but it's unrealistic to think they'll be able to hold the Saints to less than the 17 points Detroit scored in Sunday's win. The Saints have been simply awful on the road - losing their last 6 regular season games - but they've had 2 weeks to prepare for the Lions and they need the win to stay in touch with the Panthers in the NFC South.

Pick: New Orleans Saints
 

Carolina were lucky in the end to get out of Cincinnati with a tie as Mike Nugent pushed a 36 yard FG wide but it's a result which now gives them a game and a half lead at the top of the NFC South. QB Cam Newton showed glimpses of his old elusive form as well - leading the team with 107 rushing yards and scrambling for his first TD of the season. He also threw for 284 yards and 2 TDs. 

Aaron Rodgers appears to be making good on telling everyone in Green Bay not to panic. Since starting the season 1-2, he's now led the Packers to 3 straight wins and they're now tied for 1st place in the NFC North with a 4-2 record. As impressive as Rodgers was though, there must be concern in Green Bay at their inability to run the ball.

A week after having a big game against Minnesota, RB Eddie Lacy was held to just 40 yards on 14 carries. If the Packers can resolve this, then Defenses around the league will be in trouble. 

Pick: Green Bay Packers
 

The Chargers continue to roll. While Dallas were getting the accolades for winning in Seattle, San Diego were doing what was expected - beating the Raiders! That win gives them the same 5-1 record though - tied for best in the NFL. Rookie RB Branden Oliver starred for the second straight week as he recorded another 100+ yard game and scored a TD. 

The Chiefs are coming off a bye week but desperately need this win to stop the Chargers and the Broncos pulling away from them in the AFC West. They possess the no. 1 ranked Pass Defense but if they can take away the ariel threat, San Diego have already shown they can move the ball on the ground as well. For the Chiefs to win, RB Jamaal Charles will need to have a big day but Lynch couldn't do it for the Seahawks in San Diego earlier in the season and it'd be a surprise if the Chiefs have more success.

Pick: San Diego Chargers

Arizona Cardinals @ Oakland Raiders

The Raiders showed more spirit in their first game under interim Head Coach, Tony Sparano but it wasn't enough to get the win against the Chargers. Now the Arizona Cardinals come to town and - the Broncos aside - they've swept all before them this year. 

QB Carson Palmer returned after missing a month with a shoulder injury to lead the Cardinals to victory over the Redskins on Sunday and WR Larry Fitzgerald found the End Zone for the first time this season. 

Oakland's rookie QB Derek Carr was once again impressive, showing poise and a big arm as he threw for 282 yards and 4 TDs as the Raiders held the lead with 10 minutes left to play but their Defense couldn't stop the Chargers. The Oakland Raiders are now 0-5 for the season and it's tough to see them recording a first win this weekend

Pick: Arizona Cardinals 

San Francisco 49ers @ Denver Broncos

Broncos QB Peyton Manning is another man on the verge of NFL history. This weekend he can pass Brett Favre's all time touchdown record and everyone in Denver expects him to do it, albeit against a 49ers Defense which has improved in recent weeks.

Denver are just half a game behind the Chargers in the AFC West while Monday night's win moved the 49ers above Seattle in the NFC West and it was a breakout game for San Francisco QB Colin Kaepernick as he threw for over 340 yards and 3 TDs. 

The Broncos Defense is a stiffer challenge for Kaepernick, ranking 4th in the NFL and 5th in points allowed. This will be a good test of whether the 49ers are over their early season issues on Offense - to win in Denver would make everyone take notice. 

Pick: Denver Broncos

MONDAY, OCTOBER 20

Houston Texans @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Two teams desperately needing a win to maintain their Play-off chase close out Week 7. The Houston Texans have now lost 2 straight games while the Steelers were humbled in Cleveland. 

The Texans problems lie with their Offense. They have to make faster starts, having failed to score a single point in the 1st qtr of either of their last 2 games. While Ryan Fitzpatrick is a game manager at QB, he's not the top end QB this team needs. 

Pittsburgh have that player in Ben Roethlisberger but their problems lie with their Defense - something I thought I'd never say about a Dick LeBeau led group. The Steelers are giving up 23 points per game and on Sunday trailed 21-3 by Half Time to the Browns. 

On the plus side they have the League's 2nd leading rusher in Le'Veon Bell and if they can get him going against Houston that will take the strain off both Roethlisberger and their Defense but the Texans will look to Arian Foster to do the same thing after he enjoyed a second straight 100 yard game. Home advantage may be the difference in this one.

Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers

Watch the New York Jets take on the New England Patriots on SS2 from 1.25am on Friday, followed by the Cincinnati Bengals @ Indianapolis Colts and New York Giants @ Dallas Cowboys live on Sky Sports 2 from 5.30pm on Sunday.