The NFL Roundup 2017 - Week 7

Written by John Edward Betancourt

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Week 7 in the NFL signals something important for every team in the league, in that, the long haul of the NFL season is truly underway. Gone is the shine of a new season and all that remains is the remainder of the year and the grind that comes with it. It is this part of the season that helps everyone truly understand what their favorite team is made of because the teams that stick to their game plans, and execute week in and week out, find themselves in a wonderful place when the playoff race truly gets underway. Either way, this time of year brings forth some fascinating stories and here the ones we will be keeping an eye upon this weekend.

Will the Denver Broncos rebound from their embarrassing loss to the Giants this week?
Certain teams in the league come with certain expectations. There are those that you expect to play at a high level every single week, and then there are those you expect to make mistakes and lose and the Denver Broncos, fall into that first category and the Mile High City is still reeling from the fact that on Sunday Night they showed up looking a second tier team. Which means at this point, everyone is wondering exactly how will the Broncos respond to that shellacking and well, their play on the field come Sunday will tell us everything we need to know. If we see some stout defensive play and a balanced offensive game plan, then everything should be all right and honestly, that's what I'm expecting to see. Their loss to the Giants was a wonderful wakeup call and I fully expect this team to get back on track this weekend because they seem to finally understand that football fundamentals matter most and underestimating your opponent can and will backfire. 

How can Brett Hundley lead the Packers to further success? 
The backup quarterback is an incredibly important component to a team's continued success. Because when the unthinkable happens and your star goes down, they should be able to step in and keep the offense going without missing a beat. But...considering how rough Brett Hundley's performance was last week after he took over for an injured Aaron Rodgers, one has to wonder just how good of a job he'll do filling in #12 this week. But the good news for Hundley, is that he's going up against a New Orleans defense that surrendered 38 points to the Lions last week, and the bad news is...they also forced five turnovers in the game as well. Which means that in order for Hundley to be successful and build his confidence, he needs to settle down and limit his turnovers and if he can accomplish that...he should be able to lead the Packers to something they are quite accustomed to, a victory.

Will the Dallas Cowboys get their season back on track this weekend? 
Let's be honest, I don't think anyone saw the Dallas Cowboys season starting off quite like this. 3-2 honestly makes more sense for them than 2-3, yet...here we are, and while the Cowboys squad is clearly reeling from this surprising start, there's still plenty of time left to right the ship and winning does cure everything. So, is this the weekend when Dallas gets back on track with a decisive victory over the 49ers? Well the answer to that question is...maybe. The Cowboys are another team that believe heavily in their own hype over anything else and they're facing a Niners squad that keeps coming within a couple of points of a win, week in and week out. So...if the Cowboys went back to basics during their bye week, and worry about executing the next play when they take the field, they should be able to beat San Francisco handily, but don't be shocked if the Niners pull off the upset and secure their first win of the year...

Will the Atlanta Falcons emerge victorious from their Super Bowl LI Rematch?
When you think of the Falcons, two key things should come to mind...one, that they have a prolific offense that can achieve wonders on the field and two, they are really, really good at blowing big leads. We saw both of those elements come into play in the Super Bowl, and oddly enough, last week against Miami and you know it has to be on their minds as they take on the team that stunned them in the big one and well, the million dollar question in this game is simple, can they the beat Patriots? Honestly, I don't know. This team simply doesn't play well when their opponent socks them in the mouth, but there is a chance that Atlanta can exact a little payback. Because the Pats are a different team this year and vulnerable. So, if the Falcons can attack the Patriots passing game and contain Brady and keep the score high on their end, there's a chance they can secure the win but don't be surprised if the Patriots pull off another come from behind victory in this one. 

Will the Bears be able to put together a tiny win streak by beating the Panthers?
Okay, here me out here, because I know what you're thinking. Yes, I'm fully aware of the fact that the Panthers are 4-2 and that the Bears are 2-4. But, Chicago was a different team last week. Their run first mentality and solid performance from their rookie QB, helped lead them to an overtime win and well, that kind of win goes far confidence wise and there's a legitimate possibility that the Bears could surprise the Panthers this week, especially if they follow a similar game plan. Because the run game would wear down that vaunted Carolina defense, allowing for Trubisky to do his thing and put some points up in the end zone. Plus, if the defense can confuse Cam Newton with a few different looks and clamp down on his receivers, they have a chance to pull off the win. But more than likely Carolina will enjoy the victory in this one, but don't be surprised if the Bears keep it close, or shock the Panthers...

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