Danny O’Neil’s Week-7 NFL picks: Declining middle class good news for Seahawks

The Seahawks are 2-4 for the first time since 2011, but as bad as they’ve been, the rest of the league hasn’t been much better.

There are 18 teams below .500 entering this weekend, a total offset by the presence of five teams that are unbeaten.

The result is a declining middle class in the NFL. At least that’s the case for the first month and a half of this season, which is good news for Seattle. Two wins would vault the Seahawks into the thick of playoff consideration. Of course, two wins would match their season total so while the Seahawks have certainly put themselves in a hole, there’s still a chance to escape.

Seattle at San Francisco

Colin Kaepernick is 1-5 against Seattle as the 49ers’ starting quarterback, including the playoffs, and he has been picked off nine times compared to three touchdown passes. The Seahawks won at San Francisco last Thanksgiving, their first road win against the 49ers since 2008.

Pick: Seahawks 19, 49ers 13

Buffalo at Jacksonville

This game is being played in London because nothing’s going to get the Brits hooked on football like the Jags and the Bills, right? Jacksonville might be the worst team in the league while only one of the Bills’ six games this season has been decided by fewer than seven points.

Pick: Jags 27, Bills 24

Minnesota at Detroit

The most inoffensive matchup of the weekend. The Lions rank last in the league in rushing yards with an averaging of 66.5 yards while the Vikings average the fewest passing yards at 179.6. The kicker: Minnesota is the only team in the league that has yet to score 100 points on the season.

Pick: Lions 24, Vikings 20

New Orleans at Indianapolis

The Saints have yet to hold an opponent to fewer than 20 points in a game. Then again, the Colts have only done it once this year so don’t expect a lot of defense in this one.

Pick: Colts 34, Saints 27

Pittsburgh at Kansas City

The Chiefs’ string of five straight losses is the longest active losing streak in the league while the Steelers have pulled off a pair of surprising wins with Ben Roethlisberger out. The Chiefs aren’t really that bad, though, and the Steelers certainly aren’t this good with Roethlisberger out.

Pick: Chiefs 19, Steelers 17

Houston at Miami

Turns out the Dolphins are only half bad, giving up 80 of the 111 points they’ve allowed in the first half. They’ve allowed a league-low 17 points in the fourth quarter. The Texans, meanwhile, have scored 72 points in the final period for all the good that’s done them in this 2-4 season.

Pick: Dolphins 24, Texans 20

New York Jets at New England

Jets have allowed a league-low 15 points per game this season while the Patriots score a league high 36.6. The Patriots have won eight of the past nine meetings against the Jets.

Pick: Patriots 23, Jets 16

Cleveland at St. Louis

The Browns aren’t bad. In fact, they’re surprisingly competitive with three of their four losses coming by three points or fewer. If the Rams are going to better than 7-9 this season, this is the kind of game they need to win.

Pick: Rams 20, Browns 17

Atlanta at Tennessee

A case for the defense? Falcons allowing a league-low 78.8 yards rushing while the Titans have surprisingly held opponents to the fewest passing yards this season, 184.

Pick: Falcons 34, Titans 20

Tampa Bay at Washington

If you find yourself wondering whether Washington might be an all right team, remember that it has been outscored 97-51 in the second half of games. And if you still think this team might have some staying power, wait until it loses at home to Tampa Bay’s rookie quarterback, Jameis Winston.

Pick: Bucs 17, Epithets 15

Oakland at San Diego

Philip Rivers threw 65 passes against the Packers last week as San Diego was a yard away from an upset. That’s par for the course this season as five of San Diego’s six games have been decided by five points or fewer. The Chargers have won six of their past seven games against the Raiders.

Pick: Chargers 33, Raiders 24

Dallas at New York Giants

The Cowboys have won five in a row against the Giants. None of those five games, however, have come with Matt Cassel starting at quarterback. Then again, the Giants are coming off a Monday night loss in Philadelphia.

Pick: Giants 18, Cowboys 13

Philadelphia at Carolina

The Panthers are 5-0 for the second time in franchise history. The last time they started this well was 2003, a season in which they reached the Super Bowl. The Eagles, meanwhile, were lulled into a false sense of progress with that victory over an atrocious performance by the Giants.

Pick: Panthers 27, Eagles 20

Baltimore at Arizona

The Cardinals fattened up on marshmallows with four wins against teams whose combined record is 7-17. In fact, Arizona doesn’t have a win over a team that currently has fewer than four losses. Joe Flacco is 4-1 when playing on Monday night, and he’s thrown for six touchdowns while being picked off only once in those games.

Pick: Ravens 31, Cardinals 24

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