The NFL Roundup - Week 7

​Written by John Edward Betancourt

(Getty Images)

As Week 7 gets ready to kickoff tonight, it's clear that changes are coming to several teams. At least one ineffective starting quarterback is headed to the bench, and who knows who else may find their season come to an end for poor play. It means we can expect the unexpected this week, and that we will be privy to some fascinating and thrilling stories, and here are the ones we will be keeping an eye on come this weekend. 

Is Geno Smith the answer at Quarterback for the Jets?
Early on in his career, Geno Smith was more of a punchline than a quarterback thanks to his rough play on the field. But the Jets went out and upgraded the position with Ryan Fitzpatrick and as only a story can go in the NFL, Fitzpatrick is headed to the bench and Geno is about to return, but will this young man finally live up to his potential in the NFL? The answer is...possibly. Smith was pressed into service early on in his career and for the most part, we've seen the importance of letting a young QB watch and learn the game before turning them loose on the field. So, with a couple of years of observation under his belt, Geno could indeed be pro ready by now, but sadly...we won't know where he's at professionally until he takes the field, but as bad as the Jets are doing right now, it's wise of them to give him a shot and see what he can do. 

Is this the week that Green Bay puts it all together?
The Green Bay Packers are quite the conundrum. Normally they are a dominant team, one that plays fearsome defense that is complimented by an offense that can put up points at will. But this season, something seems quite off. The defense is good but not great, and Aaron Rodgers has had an up and down year thus far, and while the team is indeed 3-2 record wise, some of the painful losses they have suffered have everyone wondering when this team will return to its dominant role or some sense of consistency and well...there's a chance tonight is when all of that happens. After all, the Chicago Bears are a mess right now and there's no better way for the Packers to gain some confidence and find a groove than with a tune up game against an inferior opponent. However, anything can happen in a game, so while one would expect Green Bay to walk away the winner...if the Packers bad habits pop up again, this game could be a disaster.

Do the Vikings stay undefeated?
One by one, the mightiest teams in the league have suffered their first loss of the season...except for the Minnesota Vikings. They remain 5-0 and look as dominant as ever, but...no team remains perfect forever and for every fan watching to see if the streak stays alive, there's another fan waiting for it to end and said streak could possibly be snapped when the Vikings roll into the Linc this weekend to take on the Philadelphia Eagles. Philly is a team that is looking to right the ship after two tough losses, and you know they would love an opportunity to do that by handing the best team in the league their first loss of the season. If they can find a way to rattle Sam Bradford, and wear down that vaunted defense, the Eagles can pull it off. If not...then expect Minnesota to enjoy another week of perfection.

Can the Chargers build off of their win against the Broncos?
San Diego has taken a lot of flack this season and with good reason, for the most part, they've been an awful football team. They've blown leads, made some boneheaded calls and lost games because of it. But last week's game against the Broncos possibly saved their season. They were calm, cool and collect and handled Denver in stride, which begs the question, can they do it again? It's possible. If they attack on offense like they did last week, and confuse Matt Ryan, they may topple another top tier team in the Falcons. But Atlanta has proven they are ready to do what Denver didn't do in the Thursday Night game, and adjust accordingly, something they do week in and week out. Which means the real X Factor here is the Chargers coaching staff, the ones who made those boneheaded calls, because they have to be ready for anything the Falcons throw at them. Either way, this is going to be one interesting game, and a great opportunity for the San Diego coaching staff to show off their football smarts.

The Broncos will try to rebound from their embarrassing loss by punishing Brock Osweiler and the Texans.
Let's not mince any words here. The Denver Broncos loss to the San Diego Chargers on Thursday Night Football last week, was perhaps the team's most painful loss since Super Bowl XLVIII. They were manhandled by a team they could have easily beaten and well, despite how chill the defensive players have been about said loss, you know they're seething on the inside and are ready to right the ship the only way they know how, by utterly destroying their opponent and as fate would have it, the QB that abandoned the franchise in Brock Osweiler is coming back to town on Monday night and it couldn't be at a worse time for Brock. He's under fire from the press and the fans for his piss poor play and bloated contract which means Denver, is going to do everything they can to dismantle him on Monday night, preying on his lack of confidence and experience, and likely showing zero mercy in the process. It honestly should be an ugly game for the Texans, and the fallout from an epic loss will only make the season that much harder on Houston's $72 million dollar man.

---