NFL Week 7 Picks!

The big news in the NFL this week was the trade of Carson Palmer from Cincy to Oakland. The Raiders lost Jason Campbell with a broken collarbone in Sunday's loss to the Browns, so the Raiders had to make a decision at QB. Well, the Raiders went all in and gave up a 1st round pick in 2012 and a 2nd round pick in 2013 for Palmer. The 2013 2nd round pick could become a 1st round pick if the Raiders make the AFC Championship Game. The Raiders, after Al Davis' death, made a statement. They are going for it this year, and clearly they felt that Palmer was an essential piece going forward. I was always a Carson Palmer fan, but watching him play the last few years, you have to wonder that the Raiders might have made a deal that doesn't make any sense. The other interesting part is that it is a huge trade that involves a quarterback at the trade deadline in October. This trade didn't go down in July or August. This trade went down after the Raiders played six games. This will certainly be a fascinating storyline to watch, and it will be very interesting to see if Palmer pans out in Oakland or this could be a franchise killer for Hue Jackson and company. Onto the picks for Week 7........

Last Week's Record: 8-4-1

Overall Record: 42-42-6

(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)

Tampa Bay (+1) over Chicago (In London): The London game is actually a decent one this year. The Bucs at 4-2 head over the pond to take on the 3-3 Bears. This is definitely a huge NFC matchup. Usually, the London game is a stinker, but this one could actually be a really good game. I'll take the Bucs in a mild upset in London.

CAROLINA (-2) over Washington: This is a statement game for the Redskins. If the Skins want to prove that they are a legitimate playoff contender. Mike Shanahan makes a switch at QB this week, and he goes with John Beck, but it looks pretty bleak. The Panthers are 1-5, but they have played well every week, and Cam Newton gives them a chance in every game. The Panthers are due for another win and they get it this week.

NY JETS(+2) over San Diego: The Jets are 3-3, but they wins have come over the Cowboys in a fluke in Week 1, the Jags with Josh McCown, who are now 1-5, and the Dolphins, who are 0-5. Then, Rex Ryan decides to mouth off on the Chargers. The Jets are all bluster and no production. I love how the Jets are preaching "Ground and Pound," but their offense is simply not constructed that way anymore. As for the Chargers, they are 4-1, but look at who they have beat: 1-5 Minnesota, 2-3 Kansas City, 0-5 Miami, and 1-4 Denver. San Diego hasn't played their best game yet. Although they are due for a big game from Philip Rivers, I'm going to go with the Jets at home this week. This is my "Hunch Game" of the week for Week 7. Call it Jets-24 Chargers-21.

CLEVELAND (-3) over Seattle: The Browns are not playing the sleeper role like I thought they would this year. Simply put, the Browns aren't really good. The Browns should be able to do enough to win this game over Seattle. The Seahawks had a spirited win two weeks ago against the Giants. At 2-3, the Seahawks are playing better than I thought they would. It wouldn't surprise me to see the Seahawks pull this one out, but look for the Browns to win this game.

TENNESSEE (-3) over Houston: The Texans finds themselves at 3-3 and all banged up without Andre Johnson and Mario Williams. You get the feeling that the Texans could be in for some bumpy roads ahead without these star players. The Titans are the sneaky good team this year, and basically this game is the first matchup in the AFC South Championship Series. I'll take the Titans at home, and Mike Munchak's crew gets an early leg up in the divisional title race.

DETROIT (-3) over Atlanta: The Falcons played well and got to 3-3 after a nice win over the Panthers last week. The Lions lost a really tough game to the 49ers at home. After Jim Harbaugh and Jim Schwartz almost came to blows last week at the handshake, the Lions have to regroup at 5-1. The Lions are still dangerous, but you have to wonder a little about them. Remember, they came back from two huge holes to beat the Cowboys and the Vikings. Are the Lions as good as we thought they were? I think this week they answer that question.

Kansas City (+4) over OAKLAND: How in the world can I take Carson Palmer after about four days of practice? The Chiefs aren't very good at 2-3, but I have to wait and see how this whole thing is going to work for Palmer and the Raiders. Until then, I have to go with the Chiefs on the road. Weird game and weird scenario in Oakland this week.

ARIZONA (+4) over Pittsburgh: The Steelers are at 4-2, but nothing about them how looked right except their big win over the Titans two weeks ago. Last week, they jumped out on the Jags, but held on for a 17-14 win. A win is a win in the NFL, and the Steelers will be in the mix come playoff time in the AFC, but they seem like a week-to-week type of team. I had the Cards winning the NFC West this year, and so far Kevin Kolb has let me down. The Cards are feisty at home, and look for the upset in Desert this Sunday.

St. Louis (+12) over DALLAS: I just can't figure out big spreads. Sam Bradford is questionable this week, and that means that A.J. Feeley is on deck. The Cowboys are 2-3, but I feel like they are the most dangerous team in the NFC East. The Cowboys get it going this week, but fail to cover the spread.

Green Bay (-9) over MINNESOTA: NFL Films and Versus have this great new show called "Turning Point." It is a great show that really details the turning points in various NFL games from the previous weekend. The NFL should take it a step further, in the offseason perhaps, and really examine the turning points of players careers and franchises. The first episode could be what happened when Brett Favre threw that fateful interception late in the fourth quarter of the 2009 NFC Championship against New Orleans. From that point to this point, the Vikings have not really recovered. Now, they turn the page on the Donovan McNabb Era and start the Christian Ponder Era. The Packers come to town this week, and this should get ugly early. The Packers look like they are a well-oiled machine, and they should continue their roll this week. The Pack gets to 7-0 this week.

NEW ORLEANS (-13) over Indianapolis: The Colts are done, and look for many of their veterans to start booking vacations for early January. Think about this: The Colts are usually resting their starters in Weeks 15, 16, and 17 to get themselves ready for the playoffs. This year, they are going to rest their starters in order to get Andrew Luck in the 2012 Draft. The Saints are going to win the NFC South, and they will make quick work of the Colts on Sunday Night.

Baltimore (-7) over JACKSONVILLE: How about ESPN getting the 1-5 Jags on Monday Night? Unless you are a Ravens fan or one of the 13 Jaguars fans in the world, there is no way anyone will stay up to watch this stinker on Monday Night. The Ravens roll on MNF.

MIAMI (-2) over Denver: Tebow Time has arrived, and it feels like the Broncos season is starting for real this week. These next 11 weeks are going to be fun and exciting no matter what happens with Tebow. I would love to see Tebow play great, and the Broncos win, but I have a feeling he will struggle as he gets acclimated. The Broncos at 1-4 are probably better than the Dolphins at 0-5, but the Fish are due for a win and they get it at the expense of the Broncos this week.

Final Score: Miami-20 Denver-10