NFL Week 7 Game-by-Game Predictions

Oct 18, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) throws a pass against the Baltimore Ravens during the second quarter at Levi

Week 6 is in the books, and the NFL playoff picture is almost completely set. The good teams are playing well, and the bad teams aren’t playing well. If you missed our weekly Power Rankings, check them out right here. With so many intriguing matchups, let’s get right into our Week 7 game-by-game predictions.

Don’t agree with me? Let me know on Twitter @HoweNFL.

Last Week’s Record: 8-6

Season Record: 59-32

Teams with byes: Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers

With that, let’s get into my first two predictions, namely the prediction for Thursday night’s matchup between the Seahawks and the 49ers in what was once a great NFL rivalry just a couple of years ago and Sunday’s morning matchup in London between the Bills and the Jaguars.

Oct 18, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll reacts after a third down stop against the Carolina Panthers during the fourth quarter at CenturyLink Field. Carolina defeated Seattle, 27-23. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Seattle Seahawks (2-4) at San Francisco 49ers (2-4)

Thursday 10/22 at 8:25PM EST

This game should be a huge must-win for both teams involved, but picking the Seahawks is the obvious decision here. Seattle has been historically successful against San Francisco during the Pete Carroll era, and rookie coach Jim Tomsula likely won’t have enough tricks up his sleeve to score on Seattle’s defense or even stop its offense, which is heating up. While the Seahawks have crumbled in the fourth quarter in several games this season, it’s also important to note that the teams they fell apart against three undefeated teams and a division rival–it’s not like the Seahawks are a bad team. Now that Jimmy Graham is back to his old self, the Seahawks’ road back to success should start on Sunday.

The fact that Seattle is such a heavy favorite in this game is a huge reason why this rivalry can’t touch what it once was during the Jim Harbaugh era. Even if the Niners pull off an upset against Seattle, Jim Tomsula doesn’t bring the fire to the table that Harbaugh once brought.

The second London game of 2015 will pit the Jacksonville Jaguars up against the Buffalo Bills. Neither team has been performing particularly well, but the Bills are the better team. However, the Jaguars play in London very frequently, so it will be interesting to see if a lot of Jags fans show up and give Jacksonville a slight home-field advantage.

Buffalo Bills (3-3) at Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5)

Sunday 10/25 at 9:30AM EST

Oct 18, 2015; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy (25) runs with the ball and is pursued by Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins (97) during the first half at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The Bengals beat the Bills 34-21. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

Fans of American football in London could potentially have a lot to look forward to. While neither of these two teams has been extremely impressive in terms of success on paper throughout the season, they have both been fun teams to watch. Since Tyrod Taylor will not get the start on Sunday, the Bills will be stuck with EJ Manuel for yet another week. While Taylor’s Bills could’ve easily taken care of the Jaguars in Wembley Stadium, Blake Bortles is the better quarterback in this matchup. I’m taking the Jags here; the Bills are banged up all over the field, and the Jaguars are desperate for a win at this point of the season.

Next: Sunday Afternoon Games, Part 1