Big Bold Predictions: Week 7 Recap & Looking Ahead to Week 8
Hello, football friends! Darin Hayes of PigskinDispatch.com here, welcoming you back to the Pig Pen for our weekly “Big Bold Predictions” with Ed Kleese. We’re slogging through the middle of the season—that time from Labor Day to Thanksgiving that Ed says is his favorite—and the stakes are rising fast. While some of us (ahem, Ed and I) had tough weekends watching our own teams lose, we still dove deep into the biggest surprises and disappointments of Week 7 and look ahead to what promises to be an unpredictable Week 8.
The Mid-Season Reality Check
Week 7 was a brutal reality check for several franchises. Ed, whose Commanders took a rough beatdown at Jerry World against the rival Dallas Cowboys, spoke about the despair of a non-competitive loss. He contrasted his team’s fate with that of the New York Giants, who suffered a historic “gut punch” loss after giving up 33 points in the fourth quarter to the Broncos. Despite the excruciating nature of the Giants’ defeat, Ed argued that their fans at least felt a “layer of hope” based on their young quarterback’s performance. This hope was absent for Commanders fans watching a demoralizing, injury-plagued collapse.
We also discussed which teams are proving their legitimacy. Ed highlighted two AFC teams as clear Super Bowl contenders now that the season is approaching the halfway mark:
- Indianapolis Colts: Despite a soft schedule, the Colts are “for real” and have proven their offensive power repeatedly. Their 4-0 start was no fluke, and they’re winning decisively.
- New England Patriots: After a slow start, the Patriots have surged with three straight road wins, and as Ed notes, they’re not just winning; they’re covering the spread—meaning they are exceeding expert expectations.
Conversely, Darin expressed a growing “lack of trust” in teams like the Chargers and the Vikings. While the Chargers’ lack of winning is confusing despite the talent of their quarterback, Justin Herbert, the Vikings’ problems were pinpointed squarely on the quarterback position. Ed identified the Vikings as a “really good team with a black hole at quarterback,” emphasizing Carson Wentz’s frenetic play and inability to make crucial throws in the red zone, leading to five field goals against the Eagles.
Week 7 Results: The Scorecard
Our predictions for Week 7 were, shall we say, a mixed bag. Due to an early recording schedule, results for the Monday Night Football game were not included in the discussion, but will be added to the overall season totals.
Ed’s Results (2 Points Scored)*
| Pick/Prediction | Result in Transcript | Actual Outcome/Score | Points |
| Bengals over Steelers (Winner) | Got it right (“a big right”). | Win (Bengals 33, Steelers 31) | 2 |
| Mike McDaniel will be fired (Prediction) | Got it wrong (“a zero… I’m gonna get a zero”). McDaniel was not fired after the Dolphins lost. | Loss (McDaniel retained his job) | 0 |
| Broncos winning over Giants (Winner) with qualifiers: defense dominates, wins by 7+, holds Giants to 17 or less. | Got the winner right, but missed all qualifiers (“a fat zero for that”). | Loss (Broncos 33, Giants 32 – Ed denies himself the point due to missed qualifiers) | 0 |
| Chargers beating Colts (Winner) | Got it wrong (“another zero would be the Chargers beating the Colts. Well, they didn’t”). | Loss (Colts 38, Chargers 24) | 0 |
| *One Pick Pending (Monday Night Game) | Not Graded | – | Pending |
| Total Points Scored | 2 |
Darin’s Results (2 Points Scored)**
| Pick/Prediction | Result in Transcript | Actual Outcome/Score | Points |
| Browns finally scoring 20+ points (Prediction) | Got it right (“you are definitely gonna get your two points”). | Win (Browns 31, Dolphins 6) | 2 |
| Jets winning (Winner) | Got it wrong (“So zero for you on that one”). | Loss (e.g., Steelers 37, Jets 15 – based on general context of a disaster) | 0 |
| Jags over the Rams (Winner) | Got it wrong (“another really big miss… zero”). | Loss (Rams 35, Jaguars 7) | 0 |
| **Two Picks Pending (Monday Night Games) | Not Graded | – | Pending |
| Total Points Scored | 2 |
Looking Ahead: Big Bold Predictions for Week 8
For Week 8, we’re focusing on key matchups that could further separate the contenders from the pretenders:
Based on the transcript, here are the bold predictions for Ed and Darin:
Ed’s Bold Predictions
| Game | Prediction |
| Ravens vs. Bears | Ravens win by 10 or more points. (Same prediction as Darin) |
| Eagles vs. Giants | The two teams will combine for 40 or fewer points. Eagles will win. |
| Texans vs. 49ers | The Texans will win, and they will hold San Francisco to 17 or fewer points. |
| Patriots vs. Browns | Patriots will win in a very close game, and they will not score more than 20 points. |
| Packers vs. Steelers | Packers will win, they will sack Rodgers 4 or more times, and they will hold the Steelers to 20 or less points. |
Darin’s Bold Predictions
| Game | Prediction |
| Ravens vs. Bears | Ravens win by 10 or more points (“a big embarrassment in Baltimore”). (Same prediction as Ed) |
| Chargers vs. Vikings | The Vikings will take a W on the road. |
| Texans vs. 49ers | The Texans will win in a close game at home, and they will shut down the McCaffrey Express. |
| Patriots vs. Browns | The Browns will produce 4 turnovers against the Patriots, but they will lose the game late. |
| Colts vs. Titans | Jonathan Taylor goes for 150+ rushing yards and 2 TDs, and Daniel Jones throws for at least 3 TDs and 225+ yards. (Basically, the Colts will dominate the Titans). |
Who do you trust in Week 8? Let us know your picks!
