Week Seven warrants the beginning of the NFL must-win weekend. From here on out, losses can have real implications on the race for the postseason. These three teams in particular have a lot to play for in Week Seven.
The first contestant for the NFL must-win weekend is the Los Angeles Rams. They are coming off a loss to a one-win Arizona Cardinals team. They lost 18-16 in a game where the opposition didn’t get the ball in the end zone. Now, they sit at 2-4 with the frisky Las Vegas Raiders up next.
The bigger concern for Los Angeles extends beyond its record: another loss could raise questions about the team’s long-term direction. A third straight loss, putting the team at 2-5, would raise some interesting questions. How motivated will the stars be?
In 2022, Sean McVay contemplated retirement after a tough season. The quarterback Matthew Stafford is 38 years old and is in the twilight of his career. Aaron Donald returned from retirement in hopes of being part of a dominant defense with Myles Garrett.
If things continue to go wrong, is it possible that any of these guys begin to ponder some tough choices? If McVay has considered retirement a year after winning a Super Bowl, what’s stopping him now? For Stafford, his age will always spark retirement questions.
The biggest piece of the puzzle is how Donald will respond to another loss. He returned with a clear goal of contending for a Super Bowl. It’s clear that the team is far from it right now, and a loss to the Raiders won’t put them closer to that goal.
A win here doesn’t solve anything, but it’ll stave off some interesting questions for Los Angeles’ most important people.
The second contestant for the NFL must-win weekend is the Denver Broncos. They sit at 4-2 and have the Cardinals next on their schedule. They’re in a good spot in terms of being ahead of the race for a playoff berth. That, however, isn’t the goal.
This team has bigger aspirations, such as winning a Super Bowl, and it becomes more plausible if Denver can win the division. Right now, they are 1.5 games behind the 5-0 Kansas City Chiefs for the top spot in the AFC West.
In order to keep up in the division race, the Broncos must take care of inferior competition. Not only that, they play against the Chiefs the week after. They have a great opportunity to go to 6-2 and drag Kansas City to 6-1 if we were to assume KC wins this weekend.
In addition to the must-win, it’s a must-play-well for Bo Nix. Arizona has one of the worst pass defenses in the league. They’ve given up the second-highest passer rating overall with 116.7 and have allowed 16 pass touchdowns, which is the most.
The Broncos need to win, but just as importantly, they need Nix to be a major reason why.
The final contestant for the NFL must-win weekend is the Seattle Seahawks. They are in desperate need of a win after dropping two straight games. After a 2-0 start with backup quarterback Drew Lock, it felt like this team was the team to beat again.
The mystique has completely worn off after losing three of four with Sam Darnold at the helm. He hasn’t played well, as he has seven interceptions in just four starts. His recent turnover problems have brought back uncomfortable memories of his early-career struggles.
This week, Seattle will welcome back Kenneth Walker as his Chiefs will be coming to town. Not an easy matchup at all, but if they are to be taken seriously as a contender, they must win this game. Going to 4-3 versus going to 3-4 is a big difference. They also need this win to keep up in the division.
At the moment, it feels like the San Francisco 49ers are running away with the NFC West at 6-0, but their injuries continue to pile up. Mike Evans left their most recent game, and the team looked very human against a one-win Washington Commanders team. The division race is not over just yet, and if the Seahawks can string some wins, they could be in the thick of it once again.
Will Seattle pull off the upset on Sunday Night Football?
It’s an exciting time in the league. NFL must-win weekend has hit a whole new meaning now that it’s Week Seven. There are several teams that need wins this weekend to better position themselves to achieve their ultimate goal.
The Rams are fighting to keep their season afloat, while the Broncos and Seahawks are trying to avoid losing ground in their respective division races.
Who comes through and who falters?
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