NFL AFC West Week 7 Preview
As we approach two months of regular season action, Week 7 of the 2010-11 NFL AFC West gives us a couple interesting match ups. Among them is my pick for Game of the Week, Oakland at Denver. This long time rivalry always ignites emotions and with a Raiders team that is improving versus the NFL’s most potent passing game, it could be a fight to the finish. Both teams are struggling early on and will be desperate to get back in the race for a postseason berth.
Before we jump into this week’s previews, let’s look at this week’s AFC West leaders.
San Diego’s Phillip Rivers still remains the division’s passing leader with 2,008 yards, while Kansas City’s Jamaal Charles leads all running back with 418 rushing yards, and Denver’s Brandon Lloyd, with 663 yards receiving.
Defensively, the Broncos’ D.J. Williams has a division leading 56 tackles, while the Chargers’ Shaun Phillips has six sacks, but hasn’t had one in two weeks.
.
Both San Diego’s Antoine Cason and the Chiefs Brandon Flowers have a pair of division leading interceptions apiece.
Here I take a look at the matchups, giving you some early insight that will help make your 2010 NFL wagers winners. Teams with byes this week are Detroit, Indianapolis, NY Jets, and Houston.
Click Here for more Free Expert NFL Football Picks
SUN, OCT 24 TIME (ET)
 |
vs.
|
 |
Jacksonville at Kansas City 1:00 PM CBS – The Jags may be without David Garrard, which isn’t really that big of a loss considering how he was playing last week before his injury. But, what about the running game? Veteran running back Maurice Jones-Drew goes head-to-head against the promising young division leading Jamaal Charles. I don’t know what it is, but Drew just isn’t having the impact on the team that he should be. How do you only score three points when you have the ball two times inside the 5-yard line; with Drew as your running back? Unlike the Jags, the Chiefs are a team on the rise. Jones is likely to come up on the losing end as he faces a fifth-ranked Kansas City rush defense who is ninth in the NFL in scoring defense (18.4 points) after giving up 26.5 points per game in 2009. They are coming off two tough road losses, but I think they get back in the win column this Sunday at Arrowhead.
PREDICTION: Chiefs
 |
vs.
|
 |
New England at San Diego 4:15 PM CBS – San Diego will likely be without tight end Antonio Gates this Sunday and that could really hurt. That’s good news for a New England pass defense that’s 29th in the league. The bad news; San Diego’s Phillip Rivers still leads the league in passing yards and is tied for second in touchdowns and passer rating. Combine that with the fact that Chargers are now officially a desperate team, and you’ve got a ticking time bomb. It might be a good time to get RB Ryan Mathews integrated more into the game if the Chargers want to pull this one off. The Pats defiantly have the talent even minus the recently traded Randy Moss. Recent acquisition, WR Deion Branch has fit in nicely and the change has already paid dividends, as he snatched nine Tom Brady passes in his first game. However, the Pats have not played as well on the road as they do at Foxboro. I think the desperation factor and home field advantage plays a role, but not enough as the Pats edge on out at the “Q”.
PREDICTION: Patriots
 |
vs.
|
 |
Oakland at Denver 4:15 PM CBS – Jason Campbell, Bruce Gradkowski, or third-stringer Kyle Boller? I don’t think it matters as none of them can keep pace with Denver QB Kyle Orton. Will we see more of rookie quarterback Tim Tebow as the Broncos play its first divisional matchup? Probably not as Denver is likely to stick with Orton who has passed for the second-most yards in the NFL, to counter a very good Raiders pass defense? The Oakland Raiders looked to be improving, but last weekend against the 49ers, they regressed back to their old form. They will need to bring their 10th ranked running game fueled by Michael Bush and Darren McFadden if they want to win this race at Mile High. McFadden however is questionable with a hamstring injury that has held him out for two games. Expect the Raiders’ struggles to continue and the Broncos passing game to get it done.
PREDICTION: Denver
Click Here for more Free Expert NFL Football Picks
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.