Another week of NFL football is upon us, and Ethical Sports Takes is looking to keep the momentum rolling.
We finished Week 6 with an 8–5 record and one mulligan, correctly predicting Carolina’s upset over Philadelphia, New Orleans’ victory against the Giants, and several other important matchups.
But Week 7 won’t be easy.
We’ve got some exciting divisional matchups and a showdown between Kansas City and Seattle. We’re also making some bold predictions this week, including a few that might surprise you.
Let’s get into all 14 games.
New England Patriots at Chicago Bears
EST Pick: Chicago Bears
This might be one of the toughest games to predict all week.
New England has won three straight games, and Drake Maye has been excellent during that stretch. The Patriots are playing some of their best football of the season, so overlooking them would be a mistake.
However, Chicago looked like a completely different team with Caleb Williams back under center against Atlanta.
After watching the Bears struggle without Williams against Green Bay, his return made an enormous difference. Chicago’s offense suddenly looked dangerous again.
The Bears have some defensive concerns, but we’re trusting Williams to deliver another strong performance at home.
Chicago wins a close one.
Pittsburgh Steelers at New Orleans Saints
EST Pick: New Orleans Saints
We’re going with an upset!
Pittsburgh is coming off a victory over Tampa Bay, and Aaron Rodgers continues to give the Steelers a veteran presence at quarterback.
But New Orleans just delivered one of the most impressive offensive turnarounds of Week 6.
After falling behind the Giants 10–0, the Saints scored 34 unanswered points, with Tyler Shough accounting for four touchdowns.
Now, we’re not expecting Shough to score four touchdowns every week. Pittsburgh’s defense will provide a much tougher challenge.
However, we’re backing New Orleans to carry that momentum into this matchup and pull off another victory.
Give us the Saints in an upset.
San Francisco 49ers at Atlanta Falcons
EST Pick: San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco remains our top-ranked team in the EST Elite power rankings, but its performance against Washington wasn’t exactly convincing.
The 49ers became far too conservative in the second half, and unnecessary penalties nearly allowed the Commanders back into the game.
That needs to change.
Fortunately for San Francisco, Atlanta is coming off a disappointing loss to Chicago, and the Falcons have struggled to establish any real consistency.
The 49ers have too much talent to keep allowing opponents back into games they should control.
We’re expecting a more disciplined performance this week.
San Francisco gets the win.
Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens
EST Pick: Cincinnati Bengals
Baltimore, what is going on?
The Ravens managed just 10 points against Cleveland in Week 6, losing 13–10 in another frustrating offensive performance.
This team was supposed to be competing for a championship. Instead, we’re watching an offense that can’t consistently move the football.
Lamar Jackson’s ankle situation also creates uncertainty heading into this matchup.
Cincinnati has an opportunity to take advantage of a Baltimore team that looks completely out of rhythm.
Divisional games are rarely straightforward, but until the Ravens show us they can consistently produce offensively, we’re not giving them the benefit of the doubt.
Cincinnati pulls off the upset.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers
EST Pick: Carolina Panthers
We’re sticking with Carolina!
The Panthers rewarded our confidence last week by defeating Philadelphia 25–14, and Bryce Young continues to show encouraging signs of development.
Carolina isn’t the same team we’ve become accustomed to watching struggle year after year.
Tampa Bay, meanwhile, is coming off a loss to Pittsburgh and has its own consistency issues.
The Buccaneers certainly have enough talent to win this matchup, but Carolina has momentum and home-field advantage.
After correctly predicting the Panthers’ upset last week, we’re backing them again.
Carolina gets another victory.
New York Giants at Houston Texans
EST Pick: Houston Texans
C.J. Stroud finally delivered the type of performance Houston desperately needed.
The Texans quarterback threw for 312 yards and three touchdowns against Jacksonville, helping Houston secure a dramatic 34–31 victory in London.
Now Houston returns home to face a Giants team that just surrendered 34 points to New Orleans.
That’s not exactly encouraging for New York.
If Stroud can build on his Week 6 performance, Houston should have more than enough offensive firepower to handle the Giants.
We’re not overthinking this one.
Houston wins.
Indianapolis Colts at Minnesota Vikings
EST Pick: Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota enters Week 7 undefeated at 5–0 following its bye week.
The Vikings have been one of the biggest surprises of the season, and they’ve earned their place among the NFL’s best teams.
Indianapolis, on the other hand, just suffered a disappointing defeat against Tennessee.
Losing to a Titans team that had scored only three points the previous week raises serious questions.
Minnesota is rested, playing at home, and has been the more consistent team.
Sometimes the obvious pick really is the right one.
The Vikings stay undefeated.
Miami Dolphins at New York Jets
EST Pick: New York Jets
This might not be the prettiest football game of the weekend.
Both teams have struggled, and neither offense inspires much confidence.
Miami has been one of the NFL’s most disappointing teams, while the Jets continue searching for consistency of their own.
However, New York showed some fight against New England in Week 6, even though it ultimately lost 26–19.
With the Jets playing at home, we’re giving them the slight edge.
Don’t expect an offensive masterpiece.
New York gets the victory.
Cleveland Browns at Tennessee Titans
EST Pick: Cleveland Browns
Both teams are coming off impressive upset victories.
Cleveland held Baltimore to just 10 points, while Tennessee surprised Indianapolis with a 26–20 victory.
But we’re more impressed by what Cleveland accomplished defensively.
The Browns have shown they can make life miserable for opposing offenses, and that could be the difference against Tennessee.
The Titans deserve credit for their Week 6 performance, but one good offensive outing doesn’t erase their previous struggles.
We’re trusting Cleveland’s defense to control this matchup.
Browns win.
Denver Broncos at Arizona Cardinals
EST Pick: Denver Broncos
Denver might have one of the strangest teams in football.
Its defense is outstanding. Its offense? Not so much.
The Broncos managed just 17 points against Seattle, needing overtime to secure the victory.
That’s not going to be good enough against the NFL’s elite teams.
However, Arizona isn’t exactly an elite opponent.
The Cardinals deserve credit for upsetting the Rams in Week 6, but Denver’s defense presents a completely different challenge.
We’re expecting another low-scoring game where the Broncos’ defense does most of the heavy lifting.
Denver wins, but don’t expect fireworks.
Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions
EST Pick: Green Bay Packers
This is one of the best matchups of Week 7.
Green Bay enters the game riding a three-game winning streak, and the Packers are starting to look like a serious contender in the NFC North.
Jordan Love has plenty of weapons, and Matthew Golden continues emerging as a dangerous option in the passing game.
Detroit will certainly make things difficult at home. The Lions have enough offensive talent to punish Green Bay if the Packers make mistakes.
But we’re liking what we’ve seen from Green Bay recently.
Three consecutive victories aren’t an accident, and we’re backing the Packers to keep rolling.
Green Bay makes it four straight.
Los Angeles Rams at Las Vegas Raiders
EST Pick: Los Angeles Rams
Surely the Rams can’t disappoint us again?
We backed Los Angeles to defeat Arizona last week, only to watch the Rams lose 18–16.
That’s two consecutive heartbreaking defeats after their overtime loss to Buffalo.
The frustrating part is that Los Angeles has enough talent to be much better than its recent results suggest.
Matthew Stafford and Puka Nacua have already demonstrated what this offense can accomplish when everything clicks.
Las Vegas presents an opportunity for the Rams to get back on track.
We’re giving Los Angeles one more chance.
Rams win. Please don’t make us regret this again.
Kansas City Chiefs at Seattle Seahawks
EST Pick: Seattle Seahawks
Yes, we’re picking Seattle.
Kansas City has been outstanding, and the Chiefs are coming off a dominant 22–6 victory over the Chargers.
Patrick Mahomes remains one of the best quarterbacks in football, while Kenneth Walker III has completely transformed Kansas City’s rushing attack.
So why are we picking Seattle?
Because I just cannot see the Seahawks losing three straight games and four of their last five.
At some point, this team has to respond.
This is a must-win game for Seattle. Another defeat would only deepen the concerns surrounding a team that entered the season with championship expectations.
For Kansas City, the stakes aren’t nearly as high. The Chiefs have established themselves as one of the NFL’s best teams, and losing this game wouldn’t change that. They don’t lose anything except a game in the standings.
Seattle, on the other hand, has far more to prove.
Sam Darnold desperately needs to clean up his turnovers, but Jaxon Smith-Njigba continues to perform at an elite level, and the Seahawks still have the talent to compete with anybody.
There’s also the added storyline of Kenneth Walker III returning to Seattle as a member of the Chiefs.
Kansas City might be the better team right now, but the better team doesn’t always win.
Seattle is playing at home, its back is against the wall, and another loss would be disastrous for its momentum.
We’re betting on desperation, urgency, and a Seahawks team that simply cannot afford another defeat.
Seattle pulls off the upset.
Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles
EST Pick: Dallas Cowboys
We’re closing Week 7 with another upset prediction.
Philadelphia has been one of the NFL’s most disappointing teams, and its 25–14 loss to Carolina only added to the concerns.
The Eagles have too much talent to be playing this poorly, but talent alone doesn’t win football games.
Dallas hasn’t exactly been impressive either.
The Cowboys lost 23–13 to Green Bay in Week 6, and their offense struggled to consistently finish drives.
However, this is a divisional rivalry, and these games rarely follow expectations.
We’re trusting Dak Prescott and the Cowboys to take advantage of Philadelphia’s recent struggles.
Dallas needs a statement victory, and what better place to get one than against the Eagles?
Cowboys win.
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