New Orleans turns the ball over too often but also forces plenty, hold the line well against the pass, and offer up a solid defense overall. Their putrid rushing attack and very average passing attack are the two best reasons to think the Falcons will win this one, particularly the first, but obviously little is guaranteed with the way the Falcons have played of late.
In four days, the Chargers' defense went from rattled to relentless. The Minnesota Vikings were the victims, unable to move the ball Thursday night against a unit that looked shaky and unsure of itself in a humbling loss to Indianapolis the previous Sunday. That, along with the consistently excellent play of quarterback Justin Herbert and a solid ground attack, paved the way for a 37-10 victory by the Chargers before a national audience.
While this matchup is worth monitoring, the one between Dak Prescott and Denver's pass rush could be more important. The Broncos are the best pass rushing unit in the league right now. They lead the NFL in sacks (34), QB hits (65), QB pressures (125), and QB pressure percentage (47.2). Keeping Prescott clean an upright in the pocket could be paramount to success in Week 8.
Chuba Hubbard missed last week's win over Miami and had 1,195 yards and 10 touchdowns in just 15 games last year. His replacement last week was former Cowboy Rico Dowdle, who had 1,079 yards and two scores in 16 games last year. And last week against the Dolphins, Dowdle had 206 rushing yards and a touchdown on just 23 carries - almost nine yards a carry.
Most alarming is the 49ers' muted rushing attack despite a healthy Christian McCaffrey. They're the only NFL team without a touchdown run, and McCaffrey's rushing output has declined each Sunday: 69 yards (22 carries) at Seattle, then 55 yards (13 carries) in New Orleans, 52 yards (17 carries) against Atlanta, and 49 yards (17 carries) against Jacksonville. McCaffrey can't break a 20-yard run, or a even 3-yarder inside the 10?
