Monday, December 23, 2024
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Week 7 NFL Preview

NEW YORK – The NFC North – with Minnesota (5-0), Detroit (4-1), Chicago (4-2) and Green Bay (4-2) – has the highest combined winning percentage (.773, 17-5) by a division entering Week 7 or later of a season in NFL history. The four teams from the NFC North lead the NFL in point differential this season and represent four of the eight clubs with at least 10 takeaways: Vikings (+63-point margin, 13 takeaways), Lions (+60, 10), Bears (+47, 13) and Packers (+41, NFL-best 17). 

Here’s a look at a few interesting storylines entering Week 7:

  • Super Bowl rematch: The Kansas City Chiefs (5-0) visit the San Francisco 49ers (3-3) on Sunday (4:25 p.m. ET, FOX) in a rematch of Super Bowls LIV and LVIII.
    • The Chiefs overcame a 10-point deficit en route to a 25-22 overtime win in Super Bowl LVIII. It marked the second Super Bowl ever to go to overtime as Kansas City became the first team to repeat as Super Bowl champions since the 2003-04 New England Patriots. Kansas City recorded the seventh comeback of 10-or-more points in a Super Bowl, including the team’s Super Bowl LIV and LVII victories.
    • Kansas City, the last remaining undefeated team in the AFC, is looking to become the seventh reigning Super Bowl champion to begin the following season 6-0 since 2000, joining the 2019, 2015 and 2004 New England Patriots2011 Green Bay Packers2007 Indianapolis Colts and 2000 St. Louis Rams.
    • Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has the highest winning percentage (.840, 21-4) by a head coach in the game following a bye week in NFL history (minimum 10 games), including an 8-3 record following the bye with Kansas City.
  • Prolific offenses meeting in Tampa: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-2), who rank third in scoring offense this season (29.7 points per game), welcome the Baltimore Ravens (4-2), who lead the AFC and rank fourth in the NFL with 29.5 points per game this season, to Raymond James Stadium in one of two Monday Night Football contests this week (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN).
    • Tampa Bay defeated New Orleans, 51-27, last week and became the fifth team in NFL history with at least 300 passing yards (325) and 275 rushing yards (277) in a game, joining Miami (Week 3, 2023), San Francisco (Week 5, 2012), Dallas (Week 1, 1978) and Green Bay (Week 9, 1962).
    • Tampa Bay wide receiver Mike Evans leads all active players with 99 touchdown receptions since he entered the league in 2014 and with his next touchdown reception, will become the fifth player in NFL history to reach 100 career touchdown receptions in his first 11 seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Jerry Rice (146 touchdown receptions), Randy Moss (135), Marvin Harrison (122) and Terrell Owens (114).
    • Baltimore leads the NFL with 1,232 rushing yards this season, the fourth-most rushing yards by a team in its first six games of a season since 1980. The Ravens became the second team in the Super Bowl era to record at least 150 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in each of its first six games of a season, joining the 1971 Oakland Raiders.
    • Ravens running back Derrick Henry leads all active players with 98 rushing touchdowns in 125 career games and with two rushing touchdowns last week, surpassed Adrian Peterson (97 rushing touchdowns) for the fifth-most by a player in his first 125 games in NFL history. Henry has 25 career games with at least two rushing touchdowns, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer Marcus Allen (25 games), Shaun Alexander (25) and Priest Holmes (25) for the fifth-most games ever with at least two rushing touchdowns.
    • With Henry and Evans, it will mark the first meeting since Week 3 of the 2020 season (Larry Fitzgerald and Adrian Peterson) between the active leader in rushing touchdowns and the active leader in receiving touchdowns. The 2020 meeting between Fitzgerald and Peterson also marked the last time two players each with 100 career touchdowns met in the same game.
  • Divisional opponents: Three teams – the Cleveland BrownsDetroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles – have their first divisional matchups of the season on Sunday.
    • The Cleveland Browns (1-5) host the Cincinnati Bengals (2-4) in the first AFC North game of their 2024 schedule on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS). Since head coach Kevin Stefanski was hired in 2020, the Browns are 9-3 at home in divisional games, including a 4-0 record against the Bengals.
    • The undefeated Minnesota Vikings (5-0) welcome the Detroit Lions (4-1) in their first divisional game of the season on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, FOX). Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson has 1,073 receiving yards in eight career games against Detroit and his 134.1 receiving yards per game average against the Lions is the second highest of any player against an opponent (minimum five games) in NFL history, trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Owens’ career 142.0 receiving yards per game average against the Chicago Bears.
      • Detroit quarterback Jared Goff, with a 155.8 passer rating in Week 4 and a 153.8 passer rating in Week 6 around Detroit’s bye in Week 5, became the second quarterback in NFL history to record a passer rating of 150-or-higher in back-to-back starts, joining Drew Brees (Weeks 10-11, 2018).
      • Goff has 27 career games with at least 300 passing yards and a passer rating of 100-or-higher, tied with Kirk Cousins (27 games) for the second-most such games by a player in his first nine seasons all-time. Only Patrick Mahomes (28 games, currently in his eighth season) has more.
      • The Philadelphia Eagles (3-2) visit the New York Giants (2-4) on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, FOX) to begin their NFC East slate.  Philadelphia running back Saquon Barkley is set for his first game against the team that selected him with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. In 74 games with New York, Barkley rushed for 5,211 yards – the fourth-most in Giants franchise history – and totaled 47 touchdowns (35 rushing, 12 receiving).
  • London finale: The final London game on the 2024 schedule features the New England Patriots (1-5) and the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5) at Wembley Stadium (9:30 a.m. ET, NFL Network), the 26th regular-season international game played at Wembley Stadium since 2007. The Jaguars, who faced Chicago at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last week, are playing two regular-season games outside of the United States for the second-consecutive season.
    • The Jaguars will compete at Wembley Stadium for the third-consecutive season and for the 10th time overall. 
    • The Patriots have a 3-1 record in four regular-season international games, including two wins at Wembley Stadium (New England 35, Tampa Bay 7 on Oct. 25, 2009; New England 45, St. Louis Rams 7 on Oct. 28, 2012). New England is playing internationally for the second-consecutive season after facing Indianapolis in Frankfurt, Germany, last year. 
    • The NFL international slate for the 2024 season concludes in Week 10, when the Carolina Panthers and New York Giants face off at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany.

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