HOW TO WATCH WEEK 7 OF THE NFL

Mike Shara Oct 21, 2021

There was some talk going into Week 6 that, even though the Arizona Cardinals were undefeated with a 5-0 record, the best team in the NFL could be playing up north in Buffalo (for proof, just look at the bet I made for Monday Night’s game between the Bills and Titans. At least I took the OVER). After watching most of Week 6’s games, though, it’s pretty clear to me that the team with the best chance of challenging the Cardinals as the best in the league right now plays in Dallas. Don’t misunderstand me as some sort of Cowboys apologist/fan – I hate ‘America’s Team’ (who calls themselves that, anyway??) and I am loath to admit it, but it’s pretty clear the 2021 Cowboys are built for success. Jerry Jones’ team hadn’t won in New England since 1987(!) and were 0-5 vs. Bill Belichick until last week but hung on for a gritty win in overtime despite not playing particularly well and hurting themselves with a lot of penalties in the first half. Any team that can win on the road against a well-coached desperate team when not playing close to their best is for real, folks. Barring major injuries, Dallas will be a factor in the NFC this season. Now, please excuse me while I rinse the taste of that sentence out of my mouth. Bleh.

Last week we saw that maybe the romantic feeling we all had about the Browns may have been the beer talking, the Chiefs resurrected their season, Undertaker-style, on the road in DC and Aaron Rodgers still owns the Bears (just ask him). Both the Jags and Raiders also proved that Head Coaching scandals don’t affect their teams nearly as much as we think they might. And Geno Smith apparently still plays quarterback in the NFL. Who knew? In Week Six, only 5 of 14 favorites covered the spread and five of the betting underdogs won their games outright.

This week’s schedule gives us a few very intriguing matchups. The Browns have just a few days to recover from their beating at home at the hands of Arizona to face Denver Thursday night. The Titans get no time to savor their huge upset win vs. Buffalo as they host Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. The NFL’s worst team (Houston) travels to Arizona to face the only undefeated team left, and the Bengals have a chance to prove that they will no longer be doormats in the AFC North with a tough road game in Baltimore. There are also three games this week that opened with double digit point spreads. None of those games involve Jacksonville or Dallas. Keep reading to investigate why…

Six teams have byes this week: Jacksonville, LA Chargers, Dallas, Buffalo, Minnesota and Pittsburgh. All games listed below are EST. Check your local listings to see which games are available in your area.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 24

MONDAY, OCTOBER 25