Week 7 TST NFL Preview

After an entertaining week of football, the Las Vegas Raiders, LA Chargers, and LA Rams were able to bounce back and secure victories all in hard-fought games. 

The Raiders won a 20-10 clash with the Tennessee Titans, the Rams won a defensive 17-3 game against a banged-up Baltimore Ravens team, and the Chargers squeaked out a 29-27 win against the Miami Dolphins.

Las Vegas finally put itself in the win column in a game where it did just enough to get the win. Offensively, they still struggled to run the ball with running back Ashton Jeanty, who had 23 carries for 75 yards and a touchdown. The explosiveness in the run game is still lacking for the Raiders. 

For Geno Smith and the passing attack, they had 158 net passing yards with one score in addition to Smith's tenth interception of the season. The absence of Brock Bowers was definitely felt on Sunday. 

The Las Vegas defense played well overall, with the front seven dominating the run and the pass game holding Tennessee to 65 yards rushing, 160 net passing yards, six sacks, and forcing a Cam Ward Interception. The game really did come down to the trenches, and the Raiders won that battle in dominant fashion on defense. 

As for the upcoming opponent, the Kansas City Chiefs, they are coming off a great team win against an elite Detroit Lions team. On offense, they had four touchdowns, with Patrick Mahomes being responsible for all four, having his best game of the season. 

They also added 112 yards on the ground. For the Chief defense, they held the Lions to 98 yards rushing and 199 net passing yards. Great overall performance for Kansas City, looking to start a run.

The key matchups for this game start up front with the Raiders' offensive line. They must establish the run early against a great run defense so they can shorten the game and limit the possessions Mahomes can get. 

Additionally, the Raiders' pass rush needs to attack both tackles for the Chiefs in Jawaan Taylor and Jaylon Moore (Started last game in place of Josh Simmons), or Josh Simmons (Questionable again due to personal reasons). Keeping Mahomes in the pocket and under pressure will determine if the Raiders can hold the Chiefs under 20 points, which has been the key in Las Vegas' two wins this season. 

The most important thing for the Rams was that they got the win; however, Puka Nacua got a bit banged up, but he should be alright. The Rams on offense struggled mightily, including only rushing for 74 yards and having 167 net passing yards. 

On defense, though, LA defended the pass very well, holding Baltimore to 117 net passing yards and forcing one interception. In the run game, the Ravens did rush for 179 yards; however, the Rams did a great job of not letting runs explode. Derrick Henry's longest run was 12 yards; the game plan to limit big plays was effective.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are coming off a tough loss to the Seattle Seahawks, where they had some trouble in the trenches. Trevor Lawrence was sacked seven times, which caused a lot of trouble for Jacksonville's rhythm. Part of the issue was that they struggled to run the ball with only 59 yards rushing, constantly being in obvious passing situations. 

Brian Thomas Jr. finally got going, which was a good sign. Defensively, the pass defense was exploited for 286 net yards, but they stopped the run well, only allowing 60 rushing yards. 

For this Week 7 matchup, the keys to the game are the skill positions for the Rams in the passing game versus the defensive backs for Jacksonville. The Rams' passing attack will look to attack with Davante Adams, Puka Nacua, and  Kyren Williams to get the ball out and get lighter run boxes. 

Defensively, the Rams also need to take advantage of a lackluster offensive line in the run and pass game, which really struggled last game. The Rams have one of the deepest defensive lines out there, so dominating and getting pressure on Lawrence will throw off rhythm and not allow for Brian Thomas to get going again.

For the LA Chargers, who have struggled the last few weeks, they were able to execute when it mattered and win the game in the final seconds against Miami. Justin Herbert and the passing attack for LA got back on track, especially Ladd McKonkey, who had 100 yards on Sunday. 

The rushing attack for the Chargers also got on track with Kimani Vidal, who stepped in for Omarion Hampton with 18 carries for 124 yards. 

Defensively, LA forced three interceptions from the Dolphins, which was another great performance from the pass defense. The run defense struggled a bit; however, De'Von Achane and Miami rushed for 137 yards. The run defense does need to get better, especially if the Chargers want to be a dominant playoff team. 

The Indianapolis Colts, who are coming back into town, are coming off a tight win against the Arizona Cardinals. The running attack of Jonathan Taylor and Daniel Jones did damage again with 150 yards rushing, and in the passing game, Jones played well, taking what Arizona gave him, but did throw one interception. However, on defense, the Colts got torched for 312 net passing yards, which will be a factor this upcoming Sunday. 

Looking at Colts versus Chargers, the keys to the game will be if the Chargers can continue their rhythm through the air, as well as using the ground game to stay on track. With McConkey having a great game last week, being able to keep him going as well as Herbert finding his rhythm on the quick and easy throws will be huge for the offense. 

On the other side, making Jonathan Taylor earn every yard and loading the run box will be key to making Daniel Jones beat them through the air. Jones has only had one game over 300 yards passing, so putting the whole game on his shoulder is something that could benefit the Chargers. 

This weekend is crucial for the Rams, Raiders, and Chargers, all to handle success well and string multiple good weeks together. Winning is about a consistent process, so tune in on Sunday to find out if the process has set the Rams, Raiders, and Chargers up for success.