It is something that usually happens at least once in any sports season. There is that day when, as Dr. Peter Venkman put it in Ghostbusters regarding the pending arrival of Gozer the Gozerian, “Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together…Mass hysteria!” That was Week Seven in a nutshell for the National Football League in 2023, when it seemed we stepped into Bizarro-Earth and everything was not what it is in the real world.
Who saw the corpse that was the Minnesota Vikings defeating the San Francisco 49ers so decisively? The Patriots, doing their own zombie walk, knocking off the Bills? The BEARS, of all teams, coming to life against the Raiders? There is only one team without a win left in the NFL this season (the Carolina Panthers) and, if they had played last week, they would have gotten a win in Bizarro-NFL!
The problem with these Bizarro weekends is figuring out if it was a one-time situation or if it is an indicator of a long-term issue. It turns out that Niners QB Brock Purdy played the game against the Vikes with a concussion, and he may miss this Sunday’s tilt against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bills have been problematic since the start of the season, as have the Raiders, so those situations bear watching. It’s just another component that must be considered when handicapping the games each week.
As for Week Seven, we came out on the positive edge after our Week Six debacle. 2-1 is decent but would like to string together some unbeaten weeks on the schedule. That’s how you start to make some inroads in a long NFL season. Here’s how we came out in the games last Sunday.
PICK #1 – Pittsburgh Steelers v. LOS ANGELES RAMS
Pick – Steelers +3
Result – Steelers 24, Rams 17 (WIN)
We had this one nailed down very well. The Steelers always travel well, with the Terrible Towels and Steeler fans sometimes drowning out the home team, and they didn’t let their team down. Strong defense was played by the Steel Curtain, including T. J. Watt returning an interception to set up a touchdown, but they’ve got some work to do in figuring out their offensive situation. Still, the Steelers are 4-2 in a tough AFC North (no team under .500), and all you need is a chance.
PICK #2 – Green Bay Packers v. DENVER BRONCOS
Pick – Packers -1.5
Result – Broncos 19, Packers 17 (LOSS)
One of the ugliest games on the schedule last Sunday, it was almost like nobody wanted to win this game. The Broncos didn’t lean on QB Russell Wilson as much as they sturdied themselves on the leg of K Will Lutz, who booted four field goals to carry the Ponies. The Packers themselves were disappointing and now they have a rejuvenated Vikings squad coming into Lambeau Field on Sunday – this could get ugly quick for the Green Bay team.
PICK #3 – Los Angeles Chargers v. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Pick – OVER 47.5
Result – Chiefs 31, Chargers 17 (WIN)
It was a win with what shouldn’t have had to be a MASSIVE sweat. The two teams combined for 41 points in the first half and CBS couldn’t show enough shots of Taylor Swift enjoying herself in boyfriend Travis Kelce’s box. Then, almost like the Shield said “OK, that’s enough of the fun,” the teams decided to let the defenses play in the second half. That resulted in a LONG sweat for a touchdown to drive past the over, one that didn’t come until under five minutes to go in the game. While nice to book a win, it shouldn’t have been THAT hard.
NFL Week Seven Results – 2-1
NFL 2023 Season Results – 8-12-1
