PodcastFrom NFL: The Insiders
Week 7 Picks + Confidence Rankings | NFL Pro
STACKED extracted the fantasy-relevant player signal from this podcast and kept the full transcript here for context.
36 min
Duration
Estimated from transcript
Oct 21, 2026
Published
Wed, October 21, 2026
24
Player insights
22
Players mentioned
Topics
Caleb WilliamsLamar JacksonBrock PurdyCeeDee LambChristian McCaffreyChristian WatsonDak PrescottDerrick HenryDeVonta SmithDrake MayeGeorge KittleGeorge PickensJa'Marr ChaseJadarian Price
Player analysis
Player insights
Brock Purdy
PositiveProjection10:36
Brock Purdy is an MVP frontrunner and has played incredible football; despite the 49ers being on their 15th receiver due to injuries, his efficiency remains historically strong, particularly in the first half against Washington where the offense was 'literally historically efficient.'
Insight pageCaleb Williams
PositiveProjection7:04
The source praises Caleb's performance coming off injury in Week 6, noting he looked incredibly efficient and did not appear injured. The source highlights Caleb as one of, if not the best pocket managers in the NFL, excelling at frustrating pass rushes, resetting angles, and avoiding negative plays and turnovers. The source ranks Chicago fourth in confidence for Week 7 against New England, citing Caleb's return as energizing the offense and supporting a Bears win.
Insight pagePositiveRole10:36
Caleb Williams demonstrated strong accuracy and decision-making on early drives against the Patriots, showing the kind of performance that supports Chicago's offensive potential in Week 7.
Insight pageCeeDee Lamb
NegativeRole33:54
CeeDee Lamb remains a key weapon for Dallas; the source notes the Cowboys still have him alongside Dak Prescott and Pickens, but emphasizes the team's defensive struggles are the primary concern.
Insight pageChristian McCaffrey
PositiveUsage13:13
Christian McCaffrey is positioned for high target volume in Week 7 against the Falcons, particularly as a receiver; Kyle Shanahan will exploit favorable matchups against Atlanta's linebacker level, specifically targeting routes to the flat, wheel routes, and choice routes where Harold Perkins Jr.'s attacking style leaves coverage gaps at the second level.
Insight pageChristian Watson
PositiveUsage24:48
Christian Watson has been cooking alongside Matthew Golan in the Green Bay passing game; the source highlights their recent roll as a key reason to favor Green Bay's offense against Detroit's weak safety coverage in Week 7.
Insight pageDak Prescott
NegativeRole33:54
Dak Prescott remains Dallas' starting quarterback; the source notes the Cowboys still have him alongside CD Lamb and Pickens, but emphasizes the team's defensive struggles are the primary concern rather than offensive firepower.
Insight pageDerrick Henry
NegativeRole5:40
The Ravens' offensive line has been inconsistent at opening up holes for Derrick Henry, with only individual bright spots like Vanguane. This inconsistency limits Henry's effectiveness in the run game despite the team's reliance on his mobility.
Insight pageDeVonta Smith
NegativeInjury26:06
Devontae Smith underwent a clean-out procedure on a hamstring tendon, a significant injury that impacts the Rams' offensive weapons and contributes to the source's concern about Los Angeles' ability to compete against Las Vegas in Week 7.
Insight pageDrake Maye
PositiveProjection8:08
The source notes that Drake May has played way better over the last couple of weeks compared to his first three weeks of the season. The source also highlights that May will easily attack defenses deep down the field early, often, and always, and warns that if a team's safeties play poorly against him, the game is over. The source ranks the Patriots-Bears game at the two spot in confidence, leaving it on the board that New England could pull off the win.
Insight pageGeorge Kittle
PositiveRole12:00
George Kittle remains a key offensive weapon for the 49ers despite their receiver injuries; he is part of the core group of playmakers (alongside CMC and Trent Williams) that keeps the 49ers offense efficient and potent even with 15 receivers on the injury list.
Insight pageGeorge Pickens
NegativeRole33:54
George Pickens remains a key weapon for Dallas; the source notes the Cowboys still have him alongside Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, but emphasizes the team's defensive struggles are the primary concern.
Insight pageJa'Marr Chase
PositiveMatchup6:00
Jamar Chase is part of the Bengals' offensive arsenal that gives Cincinnati enough firepower to win against Baltimore. Despite the Bengals' run game struggles, Chase and Joe Burrow provide sufficient offensive weapons for a division victory.
Insight pageJadarian Price
NegativeInjury29:40
Jadarian Price was lost to injury and was the only back on the Seahawks roster providing explosive plays; his absence has left Seattle's run game without explosiveness, forcing them into adverse down-and-distance situations against Kansas City.
Insight pageJalen Hurts
NegativeInjury33:26
Jalen Hurts is not in the lineup for the Eagles in Week 7; his absence significantly impacts Philadelphia's offensive capability and is cited as a major reason the Eagles are not expected to perform well against Dallas.
Insight pageJaylen Smith
NegativeUsage30:30
Jalen Smith is the only receiver the Seahawks are throwing to; the source notes 'we only throw to JSN, nobody else matters thing that's going on here,' indicating an over-reliance on one receiver that limits offensive diversity and contributes to Seattle's struggles.
Insight pageJoe Burrow
PositiveMatchup6:00
Joe Burrow, along with Jamar Chase and the Bengals' run game, gives Cincinnati enough offensive firepower to win against Baltimore despite their run game struggles. The Bengals' resurgent defensive line and division rivalry context favor Cincinnati in this matchup.
Insight pageKenneth Walker III
PositiveUsage29:09
Kenneth Walker has made all the difference for the Kansas City offense; the source emphasizes that losing him to Seattle has significantly impacted Kansas City's run game explosiveness, as Walker was able to generate explosive plays even when hit behind the line of scrimmage, whereas current backs lack that same ability.
Insight pageLamar Jackson
NegativeInjury4:13
Even if Lamar returns, he may not be at full strength; a 70% Lamar lacks the mobility and ability to create magic out of nothing that defines his game. The Ravens' offense has been hyper-efficient with Declan Doyle but not explosive since early season, and a diminished Lamar may not immediately fix issues with an inconsistent offensive line that struggles to open holes for Derrick Henry. His reduced mobility removes the ability to make plays when the coach's scheme fails, which is a core part of the Ravens' offensive identity.
Insight pagePositiveProjection5:57
The source is betting on Lamar playing in Baltimore's Week 7 game against Cincinnati and believes in the Ravens' chances even if he is limited. The source ranks the Ravens ninth in confidence, citing Lamar's return as a key factor and noting that Baltimore can control the game through the run game better than Cincinnati can.
Insight pageMatthew Stafford
NegativeProjection26:15
Matthew Stafford has not played at MVP level this season; the source expresses concern that he hasn't looked like his best self, contributing to skepticism about the Rams' offensive performance and their ability to beat Las Vegas.
Insight pagePuka Nacua
PositiveRole26:25
Puka Nacua is being relied upon as the Rams' primary offensive weapon; the source notes the offense has essentially been 'Puka, please, for the love of God, save us' throughout the season, indicating he is carrying the offensive load despite the team's overall struggles.
Insight pageSaquon Barkley
NegativeInjury33:40
Saquon Barkley is out; his absence significantly impacts the Eagles' offensive line effectiveness and overall offensive performance against Dallas in Week 7.
Insight pageZay Flowers
NegativeRole5:40
Zay Flowers is part of the Ravens receiving corps, but with a potentially diminished Lamar Jackson and an inconsistent offensive line, the team's ability to generate explosive plays is limited.
Insight pageFull transcript
Episode Transcript
0:00Welcome to the NFL: The Insiders for Week 7.
0:03Thank you for listening on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
0:08Be sure to follow and subscribe to the show.
0:11Alright everybody, welcome back to NFL Pro's Pick'Em! Every single week, myself, Trevor Sikama, and Brett Kollmann on the other side of the screen here.
0:19We pick the 10 most interesting games the upcoming week, and now we're in Week 7 in the NFL.
0:25And if you're new around here, the way it goes is we don't just pick the games and kind of tell you
0:32who we think is going to win and why.
0:35We also have to put some confidence on the line.
0:39We will rank these games 1 to 10 of games that we are most confident in and least confident in as we are picking the winners.
0:47And the catch is, as of two weeks ago, if you pick a team in the 10 spot, which is the most
0:54valuable spot for you to get 10 points, and they lose, not only do you not get 10 points, you get minus 10.
1:02And Brett, as the universe would have it, we implemented this rule because for two weeks in a row, your number 10
1:09game lost, and the people wanted blood for it.
1:12So we implemented the rule, and guess what's happened the last two weeks since we implemented it?
1:17I've lost 10 points because I also lost my 10 game last week.
1:21Thanks a lot, Los Angeles Rams. So-called Super Bowl favorites.
1:25Sure, buddy. Never believe in that ever again. Welcome to hell, bud.
1:29Yeah, and so I'm going to reveal your score from last week because going into week six, you had a sizable lead
1:36on me because, again, I didn't do so well because I lost my 10 game the week before.
1:42You had 169 points, and I had 156. Not too bad.
1:45I could deal with that. This week, might be tough.
1:48You scored 38 points last week. Oh, that might be my highest of the season.
1:53I think you had a 40 burger in there.
1:56Maybe on accident, but that's good by my standards.
1:59That's not bad. We'll take that. 38's a very good score.
2:03Now tell me what my damage is. Let me know.
2:06What is it? You got 22. So, a little bit of ground to make up.
2:11So your season total right now is 178. So what's my season total again?
2:15You're making me do math on the fly. I was told that there wouldn't be that here.
2:21You have 207. You have 207. Okay. So you're down 29.
2:24It's doable. You know what? You know what? We just got to...
2:28It's one play at a time at this point, all right?
2:32The scoreboard doesn't exist, as Nick Saban would say.
2:35You know, it's one play at a time, six seconds at a time.
2:39That's how we get back at it. By the way, you guys have been so cool not only watching the videos and
2:46commenting on the videos, but getting in on the action here with us.
2:50So like we do every single show, we will shout out the fan leaderboard here.
2:55The final standings. We had 144 submissions in the comments last week, giving us their confidence picks on all of these games.
3:02Isaac and Cor had 46 points as the leader.
3:05So salute to you, 46 points. That is a heck of a week.
3:10And then Daniel Murray also had 44. So that was the top three.
3:14That was the leaderboard for the people. Fun trend, Brad.
3:17Of the 144 counted fan submissions, 138 of those picked the Rams.
3:21It's 96%. And 77 of my fellow pick'em people had the Rams at the 10 spot, which is 56% of the Rams pickers in that game.
3:2953% of people total had the Rams winning in the 10 spot.
3:33That single game cost fans 2,013 points combined. Thanks a lot, Los Angeles.
3:37Yikes. This is the second time the Cardinals have done that in SoFi this year, by the way.
3:43Because they got everybody week one against the Chargers, too.
3:47That's true. Man, it's been a tough sledding if you're in a Survivor League out there.
3:52And obviously, tough sledding for yours truly here over the last couple of weeks.
3:56But Brett, we're back in the saddle. We're back in the saddle for 10 more games here.
4:02And I'm going to start with a game that's very strategic for me.
4:06Because whatever you choose to do here, because obviously we're recording this in the middle of the week, so there's injury updates
4:13that we don't know that are going to happen on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and then before the game.
4:19I've got to know what you think about Baltimore and Cincinnati here.
4:23I've got to know who you've got winning the game and where you have it on the confidence rankings.
4:29Because depending on your answer, I might totally switch up my order here.
4:33So what do you got in this one? This is a far hash hole shot against cover two.
4:39It's either going to go incredibly well for me, or it's going to get you back in the game.
4:45Yeah. I have this at the eighth spot. Oh, man.
4:49Okay. All right. And I have the Cincinnati Bengals in the eighth spot.
4:53Here's my line of thinking. Lamar might be back.
4:56But even if he is back, it's not full-powered Lamar that gives you all of the Lamar-ness that we're used to.
5:03His ability to create magic, his ability to be mobile and create something out of nothing.
5:08And while this offense has been hyper-efficient with Declan Doyle, even without Lamar in it, we talked earlier this week, hasn't necessarily
5:15been the most explosive since the first couple weeks of the season, when they were lighting up a Colts defense, which actually ended up not being that good.
5:24So I think there are some issues with this Ravens offense, not dire issues, but also issues that I think a maybe
5:3170% Lamar might not be able to fix immediately because what they do rely on his mobility for is generating explosives when all else fails, right?
5:40Making the coach right even when he's wrong. And if it's just Lamar or 70% Lamar and Zay Flowers out there and
5:47an offensive line that is really still inconsistent, there are individual bright spots on the offensive line like Vanguane, but overall the
5:54unit has been very inconsistent at opening up holes for Derrick Henry.
5:58So there's just enough in there that's making me go, I'm not sure on this one.
6:03And when you're going up against a division rival with a resurgent defensive line and you've got Joe and you've got Jamar
6:10and you've got T, you know, run game, be damned.
6:13They can't run the ball, but that's fine. You have everything else.
6:17It makes me think the Bengals are going to win this game.
6:21Not by a lot, but of all the concerns that I have for both these two teams, the concerns I have for
6:28the Ravens are just a little bit more. Well, the Baltimore Ravens saved me a couple of weeks ago when we were
6:35going through this process and I had the order incorrect and I had to put the Ravens over the Falcons at the eighth spot.
6:43And at the time, we were freaking out about it because that was a bold move.
6:48It worked for me. I've got to have faith in the Ravens again here.
6:53So you put the Bengals winning this game at the eighth spot.
6:57I need a big swing here. I am betting on Lamar playing in this game.
7:02This is in Baltimore. Jesse Minter, let's get in the bag.
7:05Let's go bag for bag with Declan Doyle. Let's get the win here.
7:09I'm going to put the Ravens in the ninth spot because I need you to not get these eight points and I need to get nine points here.
7:19I need the big swing, baby. If Lamar is back, I believe in it, even if he is limited a little bit.
7:26I think the Ravens can also have more of control over the game than maybe one would think just given what you
7:33were talking about with the Bengals and sort of that lack of run game and when they can control the football by running the ball.
7:41I'm a little bit worried about that with Cincinnati.
7:44So why not? It's a division game. It's a toss-up anyway.
7:47Certainly if Lamar plays, I'll take my chances here with the Baltimore Ravens at the ninth spot.
7:53What about the Chicago Bears and the New England Patriots as our next game here?
7:58Very evenly matched game to me. I put this at the two spot and I did pick Chicago to win.
8:04Okay. But I'm... I am leaving it on the board that in a Thursday night game, which they always tend to be wacky, right?
8:12Because both teams don't have a whole lot of prep time here.
8:16It is a well-coached Patriots team. Drake May has played way better the last couple weeks than he did in the first three weeks.
8:24It is on the board that the Patriots go in there and would it even be considered an upset of the Bears?
8:31I'm not entirely sure. But it is on the board that they go in there and get this win.
8:37So I put it at the two spot so that even if I'm wrong, it doesn't hurt me that much.
8:44But looking at how Caleb played coming off injury last week, I mean, he didn't even look injured.
8:49He was incredibly efficient. He is, to me, one of, if not the best pocket managers in the NFL.
8:56He is so good at frustrating a pass rush by resetting the angles over and over and over again and making these
9:03edges have to dive inside just so he could step back again and help out his tackles.
9:08He's so good at just not taking negative plays, not turning it over.
9:12And even though, you know, the Bears have been banged up in the backfield and, you know, had some inconsistencies in the
9:20run game because of that, you know, when you return with the return of Kyler Gordon energizing the defense and the return
9:27of Caleb energizing the offense, I do think they're going to win this game.
9:31But boy, the Patriots have a real shot. This is one of many games this week that were really tough to not
9:38only pick a winner for, but where do you put it in the confidence ranking?
9:43Because it felt like there were five or six games here this week where I go, okay, like, picking a winner is hard enough.
9:51Now, where do I kind of put them in the pecking order?
9:55I put this one at number four. So, I am also taking Chicago in this one and I put it at the four spot.
10:03So, I think that for all the reasons that you mentioned, it could go either way.
10:08How Drake May has been playing over the last couple of weeks, certainly if you go back to when the Bears played
10:15the Packers and how poorly the Bears' safeties played in that game, cool.
10:19If your safeties play bad against Drake May, it's over, man.
10:23I mean, Drake May will easily attack you deep down the field early, often, and always.
10:28So, this, I think, has the potential to be a game where both of these offenses are putting up 28 points or more.
10:36This could be a really fun game, especially exactly what you said, Caleb looking like an assassin when it came to accuracy
10:43and decision making on those first couple of drives right out of the gate, which is great to see.
10:49So, I'll also go with Chicago here. Their run game last week also was a great sign in how that was rejuvenated.
10:56So, I think a good one, but I think, again, for the second time in a row, I think I'm leaning on
11:03the team that I believe in their run game more than I believe in the Patriots' run game.
11:09So, I'll go with Chicago there at the four spot.
11:12Let's see. What about the Niners and the Falcons?
11:15Niners, man, obviously undefeated in the season, but holy cow, did that team look different when Mike Evans was not in there
11:22and Mike Evans is going to be out for a little bit here.
11:27At this point, I need to see them lose before I believe it.
11:31No matter how many injuries they've taken, it feels like it just hasn't really mattered.
11:36Brock has played incredible. He's the MVP frontrunner for a reason at this point.
11:40And while they are on wide receiver, I don't know, 15, it still just hasn't felt like it's really mattered that much.
11:47The offense did get less efficient in the second half of that game against Washington, but if you're looking at how efficient
11:54they were in the first half, like literally historically efficient in the first half of last week's game, you still have Kittle,
12:02you still have CMC, Trent is playing out of his mind even at his age.
12:06All of the ingredients, at least most of the ingredients, are still there in my opinion for this to be a very efficient Niners offense.
12:15And defensively, I mean, the young guys are coming to play.
12:18Malik Mustafa is a hitter. Romello Haidt led them in pressures.
12:22Grayson Halton's been super productive or at least super efficient as an interior pass rusher for them.
12:27He's already drawn more holding calls this season since any Niners interior defensive lineman since the last year DeForest Buckner was there.
12:34Like that's how good he's been at drawing holding calls because he wins immediately.
12:39So it's a really, really good team even with the injuries.
12:43I'm taking the Niners and I put it at the five spot.
12:46I also took the Niners and put this at the five spot.
12:50So we're the same here with this game. Everything that you said, I agree with a lot of that.
12:56Something that really worries me with the Falcons is obviously, you know, if the offense looked like it does, you know, against
13:04the Packers and then, what was it, the week after as well where you just go, oh my gosh, okay, like this,
13:11this is what the Falcons can look like when this offense is absolutely cooking.
13:15Then, I think that there's a path for them to win this game.
13:20On the other side of the ball though, I think if you're worried about what the Niners are going to do without
13:27Mike Evans, I think that this is a week where Christian McCaffrey can really take over for this team.
13:33Specifically, I think, as a receiver. You look at their linebacker level and I love what Harold Perkins Jr.
13:39has been able to do for them sort of as an attacking linebacker, but is there enough coverage at the second level
13:46for those routes to the flat or wheel routes or Texas routes, choice routes, whatever you want to call them.
13:53I think that Kyle Shanahan is going to have the opportunity to get Christian McCaffrey on some ideal matchups in this game.
14:00So I think this is a high target volume type of a game for Christian McCaffrey and I think that even though
14:07it might not be as potent, I think it's going to be too much for this Falcons team.
14:13So I also went with the Niners at that five spot.
14:16And they've already got LB4 getting stabs for them and we're a month and a half in the season.
14:22Yeah, that's what I'm saying. It's hard to look at this coverage unit and again, especially at the second level and think
14:30that they can handle what McCaffrey's going to be able to do for that team.
14:35The Tampa Bay Buccaneers traveling to Charlotte to take on the Carolina Panthers where we got this one in the confidence rankings.
14:42I might regret this. Yeah, do it. I'm going Carolina.
14:45I put the nine. Nine spot. Whoa! That's what I'm regretting, right?
14:49Or maybe potentially regretting. I'm not regretting picking Carolina.
14:52I might regret putting it at the nine spot because Trevor, you know better than anybody, the NFC South is a weird place.
14:59Who knows? A very weird place and I would not put it past the Bucs just somehow putting it on Carolina in this game.
15:07The matchups are not in their favor. Almost nothing is in their favor in this game.
15:12Yeah. But the NFC South doesn't make sense and that's why I'm scared about it because logically the Panthers should win this
15:19in my opinion by more than a touchdown. But it's Bucs, Panthers and when's the last time one of these games went
15:26exactly how you thought it was going to go?
15:29I surely can't remember. So I'm going Carolina because Bryce is playing incredible.
15:34McMillan's been really all of the Panthers weapons have been great this year.
15:38The defense even though they've been banged up they've been battling and I thought they've played above their talent level for the
15:45talent level that they have remaining because the starting lineup that we thought they were going to have in August is very
15:52different than the starting lineup they have now. And I still think they played better than what they have on the field.
15:59They played better than the sum of their parts I guess is what I'm trying to say here.
16:05It's a very, very good team and yet we have already seen this Tampa Bay team with Jalen Daniels win a game
16:12that they really weren't supposed to and they were competitive in the Steelers game and honestly probably should have won that one too.
16:20I'm not counting them out but I put it at the ninth spot because I felt like you, maybe I'm playing the
16:27man more than playing the cards here, I felt like based on the pick I thought you were going to make and
16:34where you were going to put it, I thought I could get an edge on you here, did I misread you?
16:41I have Carolina winning at the sixth spot so you're getting a couple of extra points on me here.
16:47I do agree, I think that the NFC South, who knows, you know, there's early reports like Baker Mayfield could be practicing
16:54with them this week but if he's practicing, you know, what's he going to look like?
16:59What's the strength of that thumb that he hurt?
17:02If he doesn't play, you and I talked about this, I think on the reaction episode of NFL Pro that we put
17:09out on Monday, Jalen Daniels is fun. The big plays are awesome to watch and he's a highlight I think because of that.
17:17The pocket management is bad. How he plays under pressure is bad and I just, for as much as I enjoy and
17:24there's fun in watching Jalen Daniels, Bryce Young is playing at a completely different planet than Jalen Daniels is right now.
17:31So, you got to take the quarterback who's hot in this one.
17:35I'm taking Carolina as well and I'm putting it at the sixth spot.
17:39What about your Houston Texans coming off two straight wins here?
17:42That 0-4 start is a thing of the past, man.
17:46We don't talk about those times anymore. Those are long gone.
17:49They're taking on the New York Giants. Where are you putting Houston and New York here?
17:54This was bait for the 10 spot and I didn't take it because I knew as soon as I put the Texans
18:02in the 10 spot they were going to lose and then the season basically would be over at 2-5.
18:08I'm like, no, I'm going to be responsible about this.
18:11I'm going to pick the Texans. I'm going to put it at the 7 spot.
18:16A mild 7 here. They should win this on paper.
18:19Right? I can't imagine a defense as talented is going to be this bad for the whole season.
18:25Right? We saw them absolutely dominate Tennessee. Especially against the Giants quarterbacks.
18:29You know, like how they have looked recently as of late.
18:32I don't know. 18 was playing pretty well in that quarter.
18:36Yeah, until he wasn't. Until he wasn't. I just...
18:39You got Will Anderson, you got DeDeal Hunter, you got Aziz, you got Stingley, you got Kamara, you got Bullock.
18:45They can't be that bad forever and Stroud is just playing so well.
18:50Even with McCarthy putting up 240 yards in the fourth quarter and looking like everything Kevin O'Connell thought he could be at
18:57least for a 15-minute period of game clock. Stroud has just played so well this season.
19:02How many quarterbacks, honestly, truthfully, have played on Stroud's level this year and does it fill more than one hand?
19:08I'm not sure that it does. Right. So I am expecting a bounce back, even a little bounce back for the Texans
19:16defense and Stroud to continue doing what he's been doing.
19:19Texans win, but I won't put it at the 10 spot because I'm very superstitious and I can't risk our season over this.
19:26Well, I'm proud of you for holding back and being superstitious and doing what you needed to do for your team to get a win.
19:34Unfortunately for you, they are in my 10 spot.
19:37I am taking the Texans at the 10 and we're going to see, we're going to see which curse matters more.
19:44Me picking them at the 10 spot which I have tanked the last two weeks or you not doing so.
19:51We're going to find out but on paper, I just think there's way too much going Houston's way and outside of Stroud
19:58really struggling to a level which would be the first time we've seen from him this season, I just don't really find
20:05a formula for the Giants to win this game.
20:08I think this is all Houston. I think that they are rolling in the right direction.
20:13Beat a really good team in Jacksonville last week and I think they feel like they still hold their own destiny and
20:20they do in a lot of ways so give me Houston to win this game.
20:25They did until you picked them. Well, and then it's my destiny.
20:29We're so good. Houston at the 10 spot, come on, please.
20:33Please. Please. I can't survive another negative 10. I can't do it.
20:36I won't make it. Oh my God. Speaking of negative 10s, the team that caused that the past week, the Arizona Cardinals
20:44are facing the Denver Broncos and Brett, it feels like even when the Broncos win, they lose.
20:49It feels like even when the Broncos win football games, it's yeah, but Bo Nix is trash and we'll never be good.
20:56And like, I get the criticism of Nix. I'm not saying that it's not warranted, but the vibes are just very hostile right now for the Denver Broncos.
21:05How do you feel about this team and who you take it in this game?
21:10I can't tell if they're the best worst team in the NFL or the worst best team in the NFL.
21:17It's somewhere in between. And honestly, same thing for the Cardinals, right?
21:21Yeah. Like they've, they've won impressively a couple times this season as far as like a complete team win.
21:27Well, almost complete. The offense has been kind of hit or miss, but like special teams has been great.
21:33Like really, really great defense. Like they've just kind of played out of their mind in spots so far this season where
21:40it's like, where, where was this under Jonathan? Right.
21:43Meanwhile, Jonathan Gannon calling like the game of his life in Green Bay this past week, like no Micah, no Edger and Cooper.
21:50It's like, were you all just destined to be great when you're separate from each other?
21:56It's been a really weird year for Arizona and Green Bay.
21:59I put this at the three spot because I can't figure it out.
22:03Okay. I chose Arizona? Is that dumb? Again, this is one of five or six games that I, who knows?
22:10Who knows what's going to happen in this game?
22:13Because I took Denver. I have Denver at the seven spot here.
22:17So I, I think that I believe in, in Denver's defense overall as a whole.
22:22And I, I think the offense has to get has to better in the passing game.
22:27Yeah. I mean like kinda, kinda, right? Right. Somebody help me out.
22:31Give me a lifeline. I'm down 29 points. I mean, this will get you there.
22:36This will get you there. I'm going to take, I'm wrong.
22:39Denver. You got them at the two. I got them at the seven.
22:43Or you, no, you got Arizona winning at the three.
22:47Excuse me. And then I've got Denver winning at the seven.
22:50So it's a 10 point swing here on this game.
22:53That's good. That and the, if I get this game and the Baltimore game and I don't somehow lose the Houston game
23:01at the 10 spot, brother, it's a whole new season.
23:04It's going to be a whole new season. We'll see how it goes.
23:08Green Bay and Detroit. Speaking of another, another divisional matchup that we have here.
23:13Who do you got winning this game? Super close game.
23:16Really fun game. This might end up being the most entertaining game of, of the week outside of Seahawks, Kansas City.
23:23But as far as high level quarterback play, just dudes making crazy throws to really talented weapons.
23:28This is going to be great TV. I picked the Lions.
23:32I put it at the four spot because I think it's really, really close.
23:36Damn. I felt a little bit more confident on them than I did on Denver, Arizona, and obviously New England, Chicago.
23:43But I still think this is probably whoever wins it's going to be by like a field goal, if that.
23:50And I do think Detroit narrowly edges them because their offense has just been unreal this year.
23:55Even by recent history, Lions standards, their offense has been unreal.
23:59And that's a high bar, man. That's a really high bar.
24:02So I am picking them, but I acknowledge you're always one Jordan Love throw away from just getting put into a dumpster.
24:09Damn. I also picked Detroit, but do I switch that now?
24:13Oh, gamesmanship. Because it is what you said, right?
24:16Like it's a coin flip of a prediction, right?
24:19Denver, Detroit's offense, for as good as Detroit's offense has been, which has been elite, their defense has been whatever the opposite
24:26of elite is on the other side of the spectrum.
24:29That's what Detroit's defense has been. And specifically, they've been bad at coverage.
24:33And specifically, for specifically, they've been bad when it comes to safety coverage.
24:38And what's Jordan Love going to do to you if your safeties are bad?
24:42Ask the Chicago Bears. So, man, you look at how Christian Watson and Matthew Golan have been cooking.
24:48And man, they're on a roll. And I did, I took Detroit in this one initially when I sent it to the producers.
24:55But you know what, guys? I'm changing it. I'm changing it up.
24:59I got to get the points. Coin flip game, I'm going to go with Green Bay at the three spot here.
25:06So, I'm going to take Green Bay to win.
25:09Where'd you have this one? Where was this one?
25:12I put it at the four. The four. So, I'll put Green Bay to win at the three.
25:18So, hopefully a little bit of a swing here.
25:21You guys got to come back and tune into these every single week because we're making it must-watch television.
25:27We're now emotionally picking more than anything else. We have to do it.
25:31We got to do it here. And I got to logic myself into it.
25:36The Los Angeles Rams, my favorite team in the world, going up against the Las Vegas Raiders.
25:41Where are we going this week? I really might regret this.
25:45Not picking the Raiders. I am picking the Raiders.
25:48I don't think I'm going to regret that. Okay.
25:51This is my 10 spot game. Oh! Oh! Yeah.
25:54It's a combination of factors. It's how the Raiders have been playing.
25:57They've been really competitive even in the games that they've lost.
26:01The Rams just look helpless in some ways. And, they've lost pretty much their entire defensive line.
26:07Devontae had a clean-out procedure on a hamstring tendon.
26:09I didn't even know that was a thing. I didn't know you could rupture a hamstring.
26:15But, he did. Stafford hasn't exactly looked like MVP Stafford this year.
26:19The offense, to your point, has looked like Puka, please, for the love of God, save us for basically this whole season.
26:26I can't have any confidence in the Rams whatsoever right now.
26:29Meanwhile, I've had a lot of confidence in the Raiders.
26:33So, package those two things together, I put it at the 10 spot.
26:37So, this is one where, again, I had this game at a different spot here.
26:42But, because you have it in the 10 spot.
26:45Oh, no. I'm switching it. Oh, no. I'm taking the Rams.
26:48Oh, no. In the 8 spot, baby. This is going to be the most wild week in Pick'Em history.
26:54What we have done here. Do you see what the people's minus 10 rule has done to us, Brett?
27:00One of us is going to be up by 80 next week.
27:04I don't know who one of us is. We're just going to keep digging into deeper and deeper holes.
27:11In all seriousness, the Raiders have been playing really good ball this year.
27:15And I think that this is, I think that everything that you say about sort of where the Raiders are going, I'm with you 100%.
27:23To me, this is the gut check game for the Rams because even though they have been going in the wrong direction
27:30and even though now their injuries are mounting on them, if they lose this game, their season is over.
27:36If they lose this game, they will be then two and five and they will be two losses into what is the easiest five games of their schedule.
27:45And when I say easiest, obviously it's in air quotes.
27:48I mean, it's the NFL and some of the teams that we thought were going to be bad or good and all that kind of stuff.
27:57But like, this is the easiest five game stretch that they have in their entire season.
28:02So if they cannot win this game, I think that we are talking about the Rams going from overwhelming Super Bowl favorites
28:09to this team is not making the playoffs. This team is not making the playoffs and they are taking a good hard
28:16look in the mirror at everything this offseason about what's going on.
28:20So when your back is that much against the wall, I gotta think that Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford are gonna come
28:27out of the corner swinging with all the creativity they possibly can, all of the effort, discipline, and focus that they possibly can.
28:35And so they gotta channel it into this game.
28:38And yeah, switching it to the eight spot is just, that's just for fun.
28:42That's just for me. You know, that's a little treat for me to make sure.
28:47Because the beauty of it is that you and I are gonna be watching all the games together this week.
28:54We're gonna be Oh, I didn't even realize that.
28:57watching all of these games together. Oh no. Might have to live stream it.
29:01Might have to turn on the live stream for it.
29:04I might have to bring one of these bottles behind me in.
29:08So that we can either celebration or sorrow. It's one of the two, but that thing's getting open.
29:14The Kansas City Chiefs and the Seattle Seahawks. Where is this game for you?
29:19I put it to one spot. This is a dead heat to me.
29:23I picked Kansas City. And as basic as it sounds, it really might come down to we have Kenneth Walker.
29:29You no longer have Kenneth Walker. You used to have Kenneth Walker.
29:33You used to. We're treating him right. Yeah. And he's made all the difference for this Kansas City offense, truly.
29:40And them not having Kenneth Walker, really more specifically, losing Jadarian Price to injury.
29:44He was the only back on the roster that was actually giving them, you know, explosives.
29:50And this offense, the run game, you know, the success rate's been about the same, but they just haven't had the same explosiveness.
29:57And last year, Kenneth Walker, even when it was, you know, getting hit behind the line of scrimmage over and over and
30:04over again, he was still able to generate explosives.
30:07So the run game overall was still positive for them.
30:10If you're getting hit behind the line that much, but not getting explosives, well, now you have all the bad and none of the good.
30:18And it's put them into adverse down and distance situations, not to mention the whole, like, we only throw to JSN, nobody
30:26else matters thing that's going on here. Darnold's had some bad turnovers.
30:30I still think the defense is great, but I just look at how easy the operation feels with Kansas City versus how
30:37much everything just looks difficult for the Seahawks because their run game hasn't given them those explosives.
30:42I think that's the difference in this game. still extremely close.
30:46I put it at the one spot, but give me Kansas City.
30:50Yeah, I'm not different from you from switching it up from what you said.
30:54I have Seattle winning this game, but I also have it at the one spot.
30:59So I'm in the same thought process as you.
31:02These are two really good teams. You're two really good coaching staff.
31:06And there's just a thousand different ways that I feel like this game could go.
31:11I do think that it leans Kansas City in a handful of ways, but the one way that I think that it
31:18doesn't is if anybody in the NFL knows how to beat Kenneth Walker, it's the team that's had him on the roster
31:25over the last couple of years with one of the best defensive lines and one of the best defensive minds in the NFL and Mike McDonald.
31:33So truly, if anybody can slow down what an insane pace that Kenneth Walker is on, I genuinely believe it's the Seahawks defense.
31:41And if and when that happens, what part of the Mahomes passing game are we going to get?
31:47How explosive is it going to be? Is this going to be more of a low-scoring game than people believe?
31:53Because if it is, then I think that that ties into Seattle having a good chance to come away with a victory in this game.
32:01So give me Seattle to win this one, but it's also at the one spot.
32:06That leaves us one more game here. It is the Dallas Cowboys against the Philadelphia Eagles.
32:11I think going into the season, this game was highlighted, circled, emphasized, put in bold.
32:16Hell yeah, it is the Dallas Cowboys against the Philadelphia Eagles.
32:20Let's do it. And now we've got everything that happened with Jalen Hurts and him not being in the lineup.
32:26The Eagles offensive line isn't the same. The overall offense isn't without Saquon Barkley out there.
32:32Dallas has been one of the more disappointing starts to the season of any team.
32:36Can they get it right? Where are you going in this game and where is it going in the confidence meter for you?
32:44This is the kind of game that gets forwarded flexed to C-span.
32:48Who is excited to watch whatever this is? Cowboys have not played good football.
32:52The Eagles, there's none of them left at this point, at least on offense.
32:57I don't even know what to make of this other than I'm just sorry.
33:01I'm sorry for Cowboys fans. I'm sorry for Eagles fans.
33:05These were supposed to be two of the five best teams in the NFC.
33:09This division has gone two weeks without winning a game and they played each other.
33:14Does it continue this week is the big question or are we going to get another tie here with Dallas?
33:21I mean, this, this is just not going to be a good football game.
33:25I think, well, let me rephrase. all football games are good football games because we will be desperately craving this game in, in June.
33:33Yeah, this game would hit on June, you know, like 21st or whatever.
33:37Yeah, whatever. Something like that. Yeah. Yeah. Like when the only thing on is, is baseball, like this game, you're going to watch the entire replay on YouTube.
33:46But right now, right now, I'm not super excited about this one.
33:50I picked Dallas. Okay. I don't even think it's about winning.
33:54It's just losing less is the way I would describe it.
33:57Like they still have Dak, they still have CD, they still have Pickens.
34:01But my God, this defense has played so poorly and I still think the Eagles as banged up as they are on
34:09offense, they could still probably put up points on them.
34:12Where is it for you? What was the last spot?
34:15Oh, I put it the sixth spot. Okay, so you had the sixth spot open.
34:20I only had the two spot open and I also took Dallas, so I'm taking Dallas.
34:25Dallas wins, you're just getting a couple more points than me.
34:29Ultimately, I mean, you look at this division and I know it's been a crazy start to the season with the Giants
34:36currently leading and the Giants currently leading while also having a tie, which is hilarious.
34:41They lost their quarterback a month ago, but they're on QB3.
34:44All of that to say, I would be pretty dang confident that the Cowboys are going to win this division and if
34:51they don't, man, goodness gracious, are there going to be some hard conversations and looking in the mirror because even for as
34:59bad as it has looked to start the season, this is still very much, in my opinion, the Cowboys division to lose
35:06and I think that that starts this Sunday when they get a win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
35:11There we go. Those are the 10 games that we have that we ranked from our confidence, but like we said at
35:18the top of the show, we want you guys to get in on the action as well.
35:24Fire off in the comments section your picks for these games and rank them in terms of confidence and of course you
35:31guys could potentially get on the leaderboard and get a shout out on next week's show.
35:36We'll see you guys then. Thanks for listening to our week 7 game picks.
35:41Listen to NFL Pro on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
