• Denver Broncos vs. New Orleans Saints: After 16 seasons at the helm of the New Orleans Saints, Sean Payton returns to the city he brought a Super Bowl to, but this time wearing new colors. Emotions will be running high in the Superdome for this one as both teams are coming off tough home losses in Week 6.
• A Super Bowl 58 rematch: The Chiefs and 49ers square off in what should be one of the more consequential games of the 2024 NFL season.
• Unlock your edge with a PFF+ subscription:Get full access to all our in-season fantasy tools, including weekly rankings, WR/CB matchup charts, weekly projections, the Start-Sit Optimizer and more. Sign up now!
Estimated reading time: 22 minutes
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DEN@NO | NE@JAX | SEA@ATL | TEN@BUF | CIN@CLE | HOU@GB | MIA@IND | DET@MIN | PHI@NYG | LV@LAR | CAR@WAS | KC@SF | NYJ@PIT | BAL@TB | LAC@AZ
After 16 seasons at the helm of the New Orleans Saints, Sean Payton returns to the city he brought a Super Bowl to, but this time wearing new colors. Emotions will be running high in the Superdome for this one as both teams are coming off tough home losses in Week 6.
The Saints are navigating a difficult stretch of games that has seen a rash of injuries to key players, including Derek Carr, Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed and Lucas Patrick. That has thrust first-year QB Spencer Rattler into the lineup to make do with few targets and limited protection.
One piece of Denver’s resurgence on defense can be attributed to performances from guys that aren’t household names, like Zach Allen. The veteran interior defender has racked up 33 pressures this season, including 12 quarterback knockdowns on his way to earning the 17th-highest qualifying PFF pass-rush grade at the position (73.0). That production has helped Allen to earn the second-best defensive impact plays over expected mark (15.01) through Week 6.
With Lucas Patrick banged up and the Saints’ interior being shuffled on a near-weekly basis, Saldiveri has seen significant work in recent weeks. The second-year guard currently holds a 52.2 PFF pass blocking grade due largely to his struggles with switch blocks and anchoring against the bull rush, something Allen does particularly well.
The Jaguars continue their stay in London this week with a matchup against the Patriots with hopes of redeeming themselves in front of international fans after getting thrashed by Chicago this past week. Despite Jags owner Shad Khan throwing support behind GM Trent Baalke and HC Doug Pederson this week, questions swirl around this team on both sides of the ball without many answers in sight.
With Drake Maye now the starter under center for New England, this offense took some steps in Week 6, scoring a season-high 21 points, but ultimately fell by three scores to Houston at home. Both sides of the ball continue to be plagued with issues ranging from protection to coverage that this team will look to correct this week.
Bigsby has quickly worked to supplant Travis Etienne Jr. at the head of this backfield while the latter has been hampered with various injuries – currently dealing with a hamstring injury that lists him as week-to-week. Despite struggles last week, Bigsby has put together a solid stretch in the last three games, having captured a 73.7 overall offensive grade highlighted by 13 forced missed tackles on 28 touches.
New England’s front-seven has struggled fitting the run during its five-game slide. Since Week 2, this defense has earned just a 47.2 run defense grade, due to acquiring a negative grade on 70.8% of its run defense snaps, both of which rank in the bottom-three in the NFL. LB Raekwon McMillan has seen his fair share of struggles, having earned the lowest run defense grade (29.6) among qualifying linebackers.
Two teams heading in opposite directions highlight this matchup, with the Seahawks coming into Atlanta fresh off of their third straight loss, while the Falcons are riding high after capturing their third straight win.
Kirk Cousins and the Falcons are hitting their stride offensively after some inconsistencies to start the year. Atlanta currently lays claim to the fourth-ranked offense in PFF overall grade (80.2), paired with a top-10 EPA per play mark. During the team’s three-game win streak, Cousins has amassed the most passing yardage in the NFL (970).
Geno Smith finds himself just one yard behind Cousins in that regard, as he’s tried to throw his team out of deficits having seen the most dropbacks (165) in the NFL by a wide margin over that span. The issue, though, is that the turnover-worthy plays Smith avoided in his first three games have begun showing up again, with his six over the past three outings being the second-most in the league over that span.
After missing four games due to a calf injury, Landman returned to the middle of this Falcons defense to help facilitate their best defensive performance of the season. The young linebacker has earned an impressive 93.9 overall defensive grade this season – albeit on a limited sample.
On the Hawks’ sideline, this offense has gone nearly silent on the ground in recent weeks, and it starts with Walker to get it going. Over the last two games, Walker has generated just 2.7 yards per carry — 40th out of 48 backs with 10 or more carries. With how well LT Charles Cross is playing on the left side, expect Seattle to run behind him more to get this offense humming.
The Bills didn’t wait for the trade deadline to be active in adding some firepower to this offense in the shape of a new WR1. The addition of Cooper will undoubtedly bring a boost to this passing game that has hit a bit of a skid in recent weeks, totaling just 6.1 pass yards per attempt despite seeing 11.0-yards of average depth per target since Week 4. The question falls to how much, if at all, we see Cooper with just five days to get up to speed.
The Titans are dealing with their own passing game issues, but to a much more significant degree. Will Levis notched his third fourth-quarter turnover worthy play of the season last week, giving him seven total on the year. His late-game decision making has put this team at a disadvantage, as he posts the NFL’s lowest passing grade (26.1) in the fourth quarter.
The Titans opted to sit RT Nicholas Petit-Frere in Week 6 in favor of Watson, a move that didn’t net a significant upgrade. In his first career start, Watson struggled to gain his footing, earning sub-50.0 grades in both run blocking and pass pro.
This is the type of matchup that the Bills need to see a big performance out of their pass rush, and that starts with Rousseau. Buffalo’s pass-rush production has hit a wall in recent weeks, with this team generating just a 23.8% pass-rush win rate over the past three games, with Rousseau himself at just 9.8%.
After suffering a debilitating knee injury in Week 2 of last season, Nick Chubb is set to make his long-awaited return to the field. Chubb will be a welcome addition to this Browns offense that hasn’t been the most efficient unit on the ground, holding the 28th-ranked EPA per rush mark this season. If Chubb is able to return anywhere near his pre-injury form, it will take a lot of heat off Deshaun Watson and this troubled passing game.
The Bengals don’t have to travel far for this one and find themselves as sizable favorites. That’s understandable, given the turnaround this team has put together over the past three games — bringing home a pair of road wins and taking the Ravens to the brink, falling in overtime.
The Browns ask a lot of their corners due to the fact this defense runs the highest rate of Cover-1 (39.4%) in the NFL. That has put Emerson, among others, in tough positions he hasn’t been able to respond to. The third-year corner has generated the 103rd-ranked PFF coverage grade (40.5) out of 104 qualifying corners.
As one half of possibly the most talented receiver tandem in the NFL, Higgins has been on a tear since returning to the lineup. Since Week 3, the Bengals receiver has seen the seventh-most receptions (25), including six contested grabs – fourth-most – on his way to the ninth-ranked receiving grade (81.1) at the position over that span.
Both of these franchises have gotten off to impressive starts to the year and rank highly in the PFF Power Rankings as a result. That endorsement comes in part from both teams putting together their largest victories of the season in Week 6, with Houston dropping 41 on the road in New England and Green Bay pacing Arizona by three scores at home.
Much of that success is a credit to the talented, young passers on both sidelines, C.J. Stroud and Jordan Love. Over the past three games, these two quarterbacks have a combined 16 passing touchdowns, setting up what should be a game filled with fireworks.
Coming into Week 7, Evan Williams and Xavier McKinney on the back-end of this Packers secondary boast the two highest PFF coverage grades at the safety position, respectively. The pair have combined for six interceptions, with McKinney accounting for the lion’s share, a credit to his league-leading 62.5% interception per coverage target rate.
Stroud will need to be very careful to not put the ball in harm’s way, especially when uncorking throws downfield, which he’s done relatively well. On throws 15 or more yards downfield, Stroud has totaled just a 6.0% turnover-worthy play rate — a top-eight mark in the NFL.
The Colts are slated to start Anthony Richardson under center after a two-game absence due to injury. That news comes with its own questions after Joe Flacco appeared to give this team its best chance to win during his time in the lineup. The veteran passer earned a top-15 passing grade (70.3) while at the helm of this offense, compared to Richardson’s 48.4 grade — 33rd out of 35 qualifying passers.
Miami is coming off its bye week with its own persistent questions at quarterback. Without Tua Tagovailoa in the lineup, this Dolphins passing game has ground to a halt, having produced the third-lowest EPA per passing play in the NFL since his exit. With the trade deadline growing near, one would have the wonder if the Dolphins may look to find help while Tagovailoa is on the mend.
Miami’s issues offensively aren’t isolated to the passing game, with this running game also lacking efficiency, ranking 31st in EPA per run play this season. Without an experienced passer, it’s vital that this running game carry its weight, and a big game up front would help in that regard. In his first season in Miami, Brewer has played decently well as a run blocker, earning a respectable 66.9 grade.
However, Brewer and the rest of this Dolphins front-five will have its work cut out for them against Colts defensive tackle Grover Stewart. The veteran turns 31 years old on Sunday and will be celebrating one of the best starts to a season in his career. That’s a credit to his ability fitting the run, where he’s earned the third-highest run defense grade (80.6) at the position.
Two of the NFC’s strongest teams in 2024 are set to square off in this divisional battle between the North-leading Vikings and the second-place Lions.
The Lions are maybe the hottest team in the NFL coming into Week 7 after putting up over 40 points in each of their last two matchups, including their phenomenal 47-9 victory over the Cowboys in Dallas last week. This team is focused and clicking on all cylinders.
Coming off their Week 6 bye, this Vikings team is rested entering this high-stakes brawl. Minnesota currently stands as just one of two remaining undefeated teams in the NFL along with Kansas City but holds the league’s only undefeated record against the spread with a perfect 5-0 showing.
Last Week, this Lions defense suffered a deep wound with the loss of elite edge Aidan Hutchinson for the remainder of the season. His absence leaves Detroit without the most disruptive defender in the NFL and a hole in its pass rush. This defense needs names like Paschal — the former second-rounder who hasn’t much lived up to his lofty draft position, totaling just three sacks across three seasons — to step up big, or this unit could be in trouble.
The Vikings’ left tackle has been one of the best blockers on the edge for years, and 2024 is no different. The fourth-year tackle owns a 75.4 grade in pass pro this year after a pair of solid weeks in which he surrendered just two total pressures.
Just as the Giants were expected to get back a key player this week in WR Malik Nabers, they received the news that they’d have to navigate without their starting LT Andrew Thomas, who was lost for the year. That’s an unfortunate development for a team looking to turn around an 0-3 record at home this season.
Oddly enough, the Eagles find themselves in a similar situation, having just gotten back WR A.J. Brown just to lose LT Jordan Mailata for multiple weeks. This may prove to be a back-breaking loss given Jalen Hurts’ struggles against pressure this season, having earned just a 27.8 passing grade under pressure — which sits in the 12th percentile.
The most likely name tabbed to replace Mailata at left tackle is swing tackle Fred Johnson, who has largely struggled this year. His alarming 35.8 PFF pass-block rating comes as a result of having allowed a pressure on over 24% of his pass sets, including a pair of pressures on just five reps this past week.
Although Brian Burns (groin) finds himself on the injury report to start the week, if he is able to go, this would be a plus-plus matchup to take advantage of. Over his last two outings, Burns has generated 11 pressures, including a pair of sacks.
The headline of the week is without a doubt the trade of All-Pro WR Davante Adams out of Vegas. The departure leaves this Raiders receiving corps to start Jakobi Meyers (71.7 receiving grade), Tre Tucker (58.1) and DJ Turner (53.6) the rest of the way. That will put added pressure on Brock Bowers to continue carrying the load of this offense in his first year.
The Rams, however, received positive news this week regarding the return of one of their key playmakers in the receiving game, Cooper Kupp. The dynamic wideout returned to practice on a limited basis this week after missing three straight games with an ankle injury. Kupp would offer a needed boost to this receiving corps that has produced the 21st-ranked passer rating when targeting a wideout since Week 4.
When on the field, Kupp is still one of the most effective route runners in the NFL. Over his 1.5 games this season, the Rams receiver hauled in 18 of his 27 targets for 8.2 yards per reception. Expect Matthew Stafford to go right back feeding his top target against this Raiders secondary.
Manning the slot in coverage for the Raiders stands Nate Hobbs, who is coming off his lowest-graded game of 2024. In Week 6, Hobbs surrendered a pair of 20-plus yard receptions to go with 2.21 yards allowed per coverage snap against a Steelers team not typically known for having a high-powered passing game.
After four straight wins, the Commanders hit a wall in Baltimore this past week, marking their first loss since Week 1. The absence of Brian Robinson from the running game made all the difference in rendering this usually potent offense one-dimensional. With the talented back having returned to practice on a limited basis early this week, there’s a strong hope that he can play this week and help right the ship.
The Panthers faces an uphill battle in this game, staring down a Commanders team they don’t match up well with. Over the past three games, Carolina has surrendered 34 or more points to each of its opponents on the way to the fourth-highest EPA per play allowed.
With the loss of Jonathan Allen for the year, this Commanders defense will turn to interior second-round pick Johnny Newton to play an extended role in his absence. The highly touted prospect hasn’t had the seamless transition to the pro game many had projected, particularly struggling against the run, where he’s earned just a 42.9 PFF run defense grade. That won’t cut at this level, and now is the time for Newton to prove he can step up for this defense.
The Panthers’ offensive line has been the best unit on this team all season. It’s a credit to solid performances throughout, like that of Damien Lewis. This past week, Lewis secured his highest-graded game of the season, having produced an 80.4 overall offensive grade against the Falcons.
The highly anticipated rematch of last season’s Super Bowl matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers is slated to be another instant classic.
The defending champion Chiefs come into this one as one of just two teams to enter the week undefeated, possessing a perfect 5-0 record. Coming off of a Week 6 bye, this team is rested and motivated to take care of business once again.
On the other sideline, the 49ers haven’t been quite as successful in 2024, largely hampered by injuries. Even with a revolving door of weapons this year, Brock Purdy has made the most of his situation and currently stands as the NFL’s highest-graded quarterback (88.2) through six games.
One of the biggest surprises for the Niners offense this season has been the surge of first-year guard Puni on the interior. The third-round pick has generated a top-10 overall grade (78.3) at his position this year. In pass protection, he’s surrendered no sacks but has let up 11 pressures.
While that’s a respectable grading profile for a rookie, that may not be enough against an elite talent like Chris Jones. The Chiefs’ interior pass rusher owns the NFL’s highest pass-rushing grade (92.1) at the position. Jones has been on a tear his past two games, having piled up 15 pressures on an incredible 34.5% pass-rush win rate.
The Jets have been at the center of the NFL news cycle for weeks at this point, and that continued after their latest roster move: trading to acquire their franchise quarterback’s favorite receiver. The former All-Pro wasted no time, making his intentions clear to play this week from the onset. Now it’s up to this Jets staff to get Adams up to speed.
Pittsburgh isn’t without its own shake-up on the offensive side of the ball, with the team announcing that Russell Wilson would be taking first-team reps in preparation to make his first start under center of 2024 this week. The pressure will be on Wilson to perform well after Justin Fields helped facilitate this team’s 4-2 start.
Given the comfort of Rodgers and Adams, it’s not unlikely that the veteran receiver sees a sizable workload this week despite his limited time to prepare and get acclimated to his new teammates. In their last full season together back in 2021, Adams earned his highest-graded season of his career, capturing a 92.8 receiving grade, the second-highest in the NFL that season.
That presents a troubling matchup for Steelers corner Joey Porter Jr., who has struggled to maintain a consistent level of coverage on the back-end. The second-year corner has earned just a 53.3 coverage grade and a 94.3 passer rating into his coverage.
Former Heisman-winning quarterbacks Lamar Jackson & Baker Mayfield are set to face off in the first of two games in the Monday night window.
Jackson has been phenomenal this season through the air, leading this Ravens offense to incredible metrics across the board. But, one thing he’s done particularly well this season has been taking care of the football. His 0.9% turnover worthy play rate stands as the lowest in the NFL, with Jackson having not generated one since the season opener.
His counterpart, Mayfield, has also been dealing this season, currently holding the league lead in passing touchdowns (15) and tossing seven in just the last two games.
After incredible performances in back-to-back weeks, Flowers is starting to send the message that when he’s on his game, he’s one of the best in the league. Over his past two games, Flowers has seen the second-most receiving yards (243) and most first-down catches (13) in the league. If the young receiver can manage to string together more quality outings, this offense will be nearly impossible to match up with.
When lined up in the slot, Flowers will draw the work of first-year corner Smith, who is also coming off of the biggest game of his young career. In Week 6, Smith earned his first 88.0-plus coverage grade, having allowed just a single open target on six tries and also coming away with his first career interception.
The second of two games on Monday night features a pair of teams that have been far from the face of consistency so far this season.
The Cardinals are coming off a three-game sequence which includes two 21-plus point losses bookending a road win against one of the NFC’s top teams in San Francisco. At this point, it’s difficult to say which Cardinals team you’ll get in any given week: the one that holds a 2-0 record within the division, or the one that has totaled 14 points or fewer in three of its last four outings.
On the other hand, the Chargers just recently got off the schneid with a big divisional win in Denver to break their two-game losing streak. They continue their road trip with hopes of stringing together a second win and sitting at a solid 4-2 record, something many would not have expected coming into the season.
After missing Week 4 due to injury, Slater came out of the Chargers’ Week 5 bye well-rested and recovered, resulting in his highest-graded performance of the season (82.0 offensive grade) against a solid defense in Denver. Slater has proven critical to this offense in both facets, but particularly in pass pro, where he’s surrendered just three pressures across 103 pass sets.
This doesn’t size up to be a plus matchup for Zaven Collins on the outside. The Cardinals pass-rusher has accumulated just seven pressures on the year off of an 8.8% pass-rush win rate, on his way to earning the 95th-ranked pass-rush grade (53.7) at his position.
