# NFL Week 7 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** football-nfl\ **Created:** [October 14, 2025, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/1023959 "2025-10-14T14:01:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/1023959/1 "2025-10-14T14:01:27Z")
The Colts and Bucs improved to 5-1 and lead their divisions, while the Steelers, at 4-1, are the only team above .500 in the AFC North. The Eagles have lost two in a row but still lead their division, while the Packers have moved into first in the NFC North. The Chargers and Broncos both won by two points to remain tied atop the AFC West. The Bills lost their second in a row and are tied with New England, while the Niners fell to 4-2 and into a tie with Seattle. This week, the Steelers travel to Cincy on Thursday night, the resurgent Patriots go to Tennessee, and the Rams meet Jacksonville in London. Two division leaders meet when the Colts visit the Chargers, and Washington heads to Dallas. The two Monday night games feature interesting matchups as Detroit hosts the Bucs and Houston visits Seattle. Here are this week’s lines. All spreads taken from ESPNBet on Tuesday the 14th at 9:00 am CT. I am really surprised at the Lions/Bucs line. Thursday: Steelers @ Bengals (+5.5) Sunday morning in London: Rams @ Jaguars (+2.5) Sunday early: Saints @ Bears (-5.5) Dolphins @ Browns (-2.5) Patriots @ Titans (+6.5) Raiders @ Chiefs (-12.5) Eagles @ Vikings (+1.5) Panthers @ Jets (+1.5) Sunday late: Giants @ Broncos (-6.5) Colts @ Chargers (-1.5) Commanders @ Cowboys (+2.5) Packers @ Cardinals (+6.5) Sunday night: Falcons @ 49ers (-2.5) Monday night: Bucs @ Lions (-5.5) Texans @ Seahawks (-3.5) Byes: Bills, Ravens ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/1023959/2 "2025-10-14T14:34:55Z")
I dunno. Bucs @ Lions line makes some sense. Except last week, which still involved some Mayfield heroics, they’ve played a bunch of a 1 score games with a lot of come from behinds. A couple things go a little different and they could be sitting at 2-4 right now instead of 5-1 ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/1023959/3 "2025-10-14T14:38:04Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > The Bills lost their second in a row and are tied with New England The Patriots own the tie-breaker with the Bills so are currently sitting atop the AFC East. At 4-2, they have already matched their total wins from each of the last two seasons. With a soft schedule and a young QB that is lighting it up, the vibes are good in NE right now after two seasons of boredom and misery. On the minus side, injuries are starting to pile up and this team does not have a lot of depth, to say the least. And the Pats are still playing sloppy with a lot of penalties. Nevertheless, with a weak division and an easy schedule, it’s not crazy to think that Pats could be in the playoff mix again this season. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/1023959/4 "2025-10-14T14:46:48Z")
> [@ShadowFacts](#): > > With a soft schedule and a young QB that is lighting it up, the vibes are good in NE right now after two seasons of boredom and misery. My heart bleeds for the poor, long-suffering New England football fans. And I’m in New England. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/1023959/5 "2025-10-14T14:54:24Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > My heart bleeds for the poor, long-suffering New England football fans. 🤣 ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2025, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/1023959/6 "2025-10-14T15:55:26Z")
A guy walks into a Boston bar with his dog under his arm and sets it down on the bar. The bartender says “Hey, you can’t have that dog up there.” Just then, on the TV the Patriots kick a field goal and the dog does three backflips. The bartender says “Cute, three backflips for 3 points. Alright, he can stay. What does he do when the Pats get a touchdown?” The guy responds, “Don’t know, he’s only 2 years old.” ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/1023959/7 "2025-10-17T01:34:31Z")
I’m kinda rooting for the Bengals to go on a tear, just so yet another team/fanbase can be deluded into thinking Flacco can be their solution at QB. At least until he throws more game costing interceptions. Then maybe reality will set in. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/1023959/8 "2025-10-17T01:42:14Z")
Teams will still be signing his flaccid corpse and propping it up under center until the Sun burns out. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/1023959/9 "2025-10-17T01:47:34Z")
I mean, c’mon. Not even Cincinnati thinks Joe Flacco is their solution at QB. He is at best their Plan C at this point after Plan A (Burrow) and Plan B (Browning) didn’t pan out for very obvious reasons. Who knows? Maybe he’s their Plan D or E ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/1023959/10 "2025-10-17T02:40:35Z")
The announcers (still love Al Michaels, but my god Kirk Herbstreit is an idiot) are practically fawning over him. Herbie called him a unicorn, for fuck’s sake. They call him Joe Cool. This need they have to treat a sub-average journeyman, elderly QB like he’s the second coming of Joe Montana might make a good ipecac, but it’s really just lazy and dumb. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/1023959/11 "2025-10-17T03:30:26Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Teams will still be signing his flaccid corpse and propping it up under center until the Sun burns out. _Weekend at Flacco’s_ ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/1023959/12 "2025-10-17T03:33:56Z")
Well, that was entertaining. Never a dull moment, as Al Michaels said. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/1023959/13 "2025-10-17T12:02:09Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > This need they have to treat a sub-average journeyman, elderly QB like he’s the second coming of Joe Montana might make a good ipecac, but it’s really just lazy and dumb. Somewhere, Jeff George waits for a call. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/1023959/14 "2025-10-17T17:15:45Z")
I’m always happy to see Qaaron Rodgers and the Steelers lose, but to have it in a primetime game against a division rival trotting out a QB not even on the roster two weeks ago is extra tasty. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/1023959/15 "2025-10-17T17:29:01Z")
And it was 16 catches for Jamarr Chase. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/1023959/16 "2025-10-17T17:44:09Z")
Thinking about it, how many other times have two 40-year old QBs played each other? Brees/Brady has to be one after Brady went to Tampa. Any others? ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/1023959/17 "2025-10-17T17:58:04Z")
My wife and I enjoyed Thursday Night Football. Not because we were rooting for the Bengals or even against the Steelers, we just wanted to see that look on Rodgers’ face when he lost. It was glorious. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/1023959/18 "2025-10-17T18:19:21Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > Brees/Brady has to be one after Brady went to Tampa. I mistakenly posted this yesterday in last week’s thread: Tonight’s matchup between the two geriatric quarterbacks, Rodgers and Flacco, is _not_ the oldest quarterback matchup in NFL history. Rodgers and Flacco, at 41 and 40, are a combined 81 years old. In 2020, Tom Brady and Drew Brees were a combined 84 years old when they met twice in the regular season, and then 85 when they met in the playoffs. According to the indisputable ChatGPT, these are the only games in which 2 40 year olds have faced each others. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/1023959/19 "2025-10-17T18:25:11Z")
It was worth doing a bit of Google leg work, and according to ESPN, those are the only examples > **[Rodgers, Flacco happy to be part of 'Icy Hot bowl'](https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/46596773/steelers-rodgers-bengals-flacco-rare-matchup-qbs-40s)** > > In Thursday night's Steelers-Bengals matchup, Aaron Rodgers and Joe Flacco will become just the second pair of opposing quarterbacks 40 or older in NFL history to start a regular or postseason game against each other. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2025, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/1023959/20 "2025-10-17T20:10:03Z")
Also, some interesting NFL history in the search. While Brady is the oldest player to start at QB, George Blanda, who was primarly a kicker in his later years, backed up starting QBs up to his final season at age 48. In that last season he only made 3 attempts, with only 1 completion plus 1 INT [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-7/1023959.md?page=2)