The National Football League is full of surprises and historic oddities every single week.
Take a gander at this: The entire NFC North division stood as the top four in the NFL in point differential after Week 6 in the following order: the 5-0 Minnesota Vikings (+63), the 4-1 Detroit Lions (+60), the 4-2 Chicago Bears (+47) and the 4-2 Green Bay Packers (+41). This is the first time a division has had four or more teams in the top four in point differential through any given week since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger.
What other unique or unlikely things could come to be in Week 7? Come take a look at five possibilities in the latest edition of our NFL bold predictions here at CBS Sports.
Goff powers Hutchinson-less Lions to road upset of undefeated Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a dominant 5-0. They have trailed for just three minutes and 26 seconds this season, which is the fifth-fewest amount of time by any team through five games since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger. Minnesota hasn't trailed in a game since Week 1. However, the Vikings are going to trail and lose, for the first time this season, in Week 7 because of Lions quarterback Jared Goff's mastery of Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores' blitz concepts.
Last season, Flores' Minnesota defense blitzed at the highest rate in the NFL, 50.7% of opponent dropbacks, but that did not phase Goff. He was never sacked on 54 dropbacks against the Vikings blitz in two games and played turnover-free football in those situations. This season, Flores is still a heavy blitzer, sending extra pass rushers on 41.6% of opponent dropbacks, the third-highest rate in the NFL. Goff's proficiency against the blitz is also the same in 2024 since he leads the NFL in yards per pass attempt (13.3) against it.
| Goff vs. Vikings Blitz in 2023 | |
|---|---|
Dropbacks | 54 |
Comp Pct | 74% |
Pass Yards/Attempt | 8.2 |
TD-INT | 3-0 |
Passer Rating | 116.4 |
Times Sacked | 0 |
He also enters Week 7 with what can be argued as the most efficient, single two-game span throwing the football in NFL history, minimum 40 pass attempts. Goff has completed 36 of his 43 passes in his last two games -- wins against the Seattle Seahawks and the Dallas Cowboys -- for 607 yards and five touchdowns for an average of 14.1 passing yards per attempt and a passer rating of 157.5. His 157.5 passer rating across the Lions' last two games is the best in a single two-game span in NFL history, minimum 40 pass attempts.
I'm betting Goff keeps it rolling on the road and hands the Vikings their first loss of 2024.
Giants' Jones throws TD pass at home vs. Eagles
New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones has been the subject of criticism from his own fans and the football world at large, and it's certainly warranted. In his last five home games, Jones has failed to throw a passing touchdown and instead thrown an interception in each one. That's tied for the longest streak of home games with no passing touchdown and at least one interception since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger along with Panthers quarterback Jimmy Clausen (2010), Buccaneers quarterback Trent Dilfer (1995-1996) and Falcons quarterback Bob Lee (1974). Jones last threw a touchdown at home in Week 17 of the 2022 season against the Indianapolis Colts
However, Jones snaps that streak and throws at least one touchdown at MetLife Stadium in Week 7 against the Philadelphia Eagles, a team tied with the Las Vegas Raiders for the fewest takeaways in the NFL this season with just two.
Bet Daniel Jones props at FanDuel sportsbook
Garrett fails to record sack in three straight games
Cleveland Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett, the 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, is a beast, obviously. His 92.5 sacks since entering the NFL in 2017 are the second most in the league in that span trailing only T.J. Watt's 101.0, and he's off to another great start in 2024 with four sacks in six games.
However, none of those four has come in the last two weeks against Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, two of the most mobile QBs in the league. Weeks 5 and 6 mark the first time since Weeks 12-16 last season. One would think that streak would come to an end on Sunday against Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow for a couple of reasons. One would be that Burrow isn't the most mobile passer in the league, and the second is that Garrett owns the Bengals: His 12.0 career sacks against Cincy are his most vs. single opponent.
He won't sack Burrow on Sunday, and his sackless drought will continue into Week 7. Garrett has aligned as the right edge rusher on 74.4% of his snaps in 2024, meaning much of his work will occur against Bengals left tackle Orlando Brown, per NFL Pro Insights. Brown has been the best pass-blocking left tackle in the league this season, allowing a quarterback pressure rate of 3.6% -- the lowest pressure rate among left tackles in 2024 with a minimum of 75 pass blocks. Burrow has also been finding much of his success throwing quickly, with an NFL-best seven touchdowns on quick passes while averaging 7.0 pass yards per attempt on quick throws, the fifth most in the NFL, per NFL Pro Insights. Between Brown and Burrow's play, Garrett won't be taking down the Bengals' face-of-the-franchise on Sunday.
Rodgers snaps 28-game streak without 300 pass yards vs. Steelers defense in Pittsburgh
Aaron Rodgers is one of the best quarterbacks of all time. He is the NFL's all-time leader in passer rating (103.0) and touchdown-to-interception ratio (484-110, 4.4), but he has been unable to eclipse 300 passing yards in a game for a shocking, career-long amount of time: 28 games in a row.
Snapping that streak in Week 7 won't be easy against a Steelers defense that is one of the best in the league against the pass. They allow the fifth-lowest touchdown-to-interception ratio, seven touchdowns to seven interceptions, and the eighth-lowest passer rating, 82.6, in the entire NFL. However, Rodgers is going to find enough success to end the drought. He almost did so last week against the Bills, finishing with 294 passing yards, but he'll do it this week, thanks to having his favorite all-time target Davante Adams to throw to once again. The duo connected for 68 touchdowns in eight seasons together as Green Bay Packers from 2014-2021, the most Rodgers has thrown to a single receiver in his career. Adams alongside 2022 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson gives the 40-year-old enough juice in the playmaking department to break free and rack up 300 yards in a game once again.
Bet Aaron Rodgers props at DraftKings Sportsbook
Allen maintains longest INT-free streak of career vs. stingy Titans defense
Many have compared Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen to Brett Favre in that they are both rocket launcher-armed quarterbacks who throw with reckless abandon, to both their benefit and their detriment. Since entering the NFL in 2018, Allen ranks third in the league in passing touchdowns (177), but through his first six seasons (2018-2023), he led the league with 78 interceptions.
This season, he has played more like a different Green Bay Packers legend, Aaron Rodgers, the owner of the best touchdown-to-interception ratio (484-110, 4.4), in terms of his ball security. Allen has thrown 10 touchdown passes and no interceptions on 156 passing attempts this season, which makes him the only qualified quarterback without an interception 2024 and the longest interception-free streak of his career (six games).
However, that streak will be tested against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday as they allow the fewest total yards per game allowed (248.8) and the fewest yards per play (4.3) in the NFL in 2024. A big portion of that figure comes from their pass defense that is surrendering the fewest passing yards per game (137.0) and yards per pass attempt (5.5). That means tight window throws could be a plenty, but Allen will stretch his interception-free streak to seven games anyways.
