A Perfect Matchup in NFL Week 7 Could Be Better

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This may be the best matchup we’ll get all season, here in NFL Week 7, but this perfect pairing of opponents could be better. Miami versus Philadelphia is not our dream scenario.

Prepare for the intense sports debate that only sibling rivalry can conjure. Seesaw Sports, where Dan Salem and Todd Salem throw down on the NFL, MLB, NBA and more. Only on BuzzChomp. Two brothers from New York yell, scream and debate sports.

 

Last week, we outlined the top contenders in the NFL, predicting when we might see a first loss for San Francisco and Philadelphia. Dan nailed the Eagles dropping to the New York Jets, but we didn’t take that line of thinking far enough. Both Philly AND San Fran lost in Week 6, meaning no undefeated teams remain in NFL Week 7.

Despite their defeats, those two teams are still the cream of the NFC crop regardless. And we know Kansas City and Miami are the toast of the AFC. It just so happens that two of our top four contenders face off against one another in NFL Week 7 when the Dolphins travel to Philadelphia for Sunday Night Football. Heck yeah!

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Is this the best matchup we can have this season? Is this a perfect pairing of opponents? Ruling out obvious late-season matchups that determine a seed or a title of some kind, what is the dream matchup scenario between any two teams? This one feels perfect, but it could be better.

 

NFL Week 7: One Perfect Matchup

 

Todd Salem: Dolphins Vs. Eagles Please

I think this real game between the Eagles and Dolphins is as perfect as we could hope for. First, we have the Eagles coming off their first loss. Jalen Hurts had a terrible game and will be looking to get back on track. The Philly offense is quite multiple, being able to win through the air or on the ground. Taking quarterback talent into consideration, the only offense that may be more versatile and exciting is…Miami’s. 

The Dolphins are for sure the most fun team in the league right now. The offense is peerlessly potent even without De’Von Achane. Miami is averaging 8.0 yards per play. That figure is so insane that the gap between Miami and second place is larger than the gap between second place and every other team in the sport!

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Miami is obviously first in points scored as well. If you went in and subtracted Miami’s 70 points from their win over Denver, they STILL have the second-most points scored of any AFC team thus far. Their lead feels like it’s in orders of magnitude on the offensive side of the ball.

On the defensive side, these two teams have been good but not great. Miami is sixth in sack rate but just 20th in opponent yards per pass attempt. Philadelphia is almost the reverse, ranking 14th in sack rate but a respectable eighth in OYPPA. Neither squad has been good in the redzone, ranking in the bottom third in redzone touchdown percentage allowed.

In other words, these defenses can slow opponents down but are not winning games with the way they are currently playing. That bodes well for the fun meter in this ultimate showdown.

This game has all the hype, but is it the best we could generate? After all, Philadelphia feels like a top contender, but it actually ranks outside the top five in point differential.

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Miami has to be one of the two teams in any dream game. Maybe the Buffalo rematch would be more exciting considering how the Dolphins dropped in the first matchup. Maybe Kansas City needs to be on the other sideline (as we’ll get in Week 9). Or am I overthinking it, and the answer is San Francisco? 

To me, the 49ers feel slightly less fun even though I think they are the best team in the league. Kyle Shanahan’s offense is elite but it doesn’t feel as pleasing, probably because of the limitations at the quarterback position. Watching Hurts or a Josh Allen destroy a defense’s psyche by avoiding a sack and making a huge play is just the best. If we’re not getting literally the best offense in the sport, I need a QB who can tear the heart out of the opponent.

 

 

Dan Salem: Wishing for 49ers Vs. Lions

Because I still don’t trust the Dolphins in cold weather, especially without Achane, I am forced to agree that NFL Week 7 holds the best in-season matchup we could hope for with Miami versus Philadelphia. The Dolphins don’t have a defense on par with the New York Jets, so this is definitely going to be a high scoring game. That’s because the Eagles can’t stop much of anyone either. Only those same Jets have enough growing pains to fail to score a touchdown against them in the Red Zone, final drive aside. If we are talking high scoring and high excitement, then nothing beats a shootout between two of the top five offenses in the league.

While this game is certainly going to be fun, there is one other matchup I’d rather see. We already got San Francisco versus Dallas, which turned out to be a surprisingly one sided clunker. I love dogfights, much like what the Jets and Eagles had last week. This means the 49ers must be in the game, because they are the most balanced and have the highest ceiling of any team in the league. Matching them up against Miami and/or Philadelphia would be exciting on paper, but I actually think the BEST matchup is 49ers versus Lions.

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Detroit has been getting hotter and hotter each week. They too have a balanced and powerful offense, along with a great defense. The Lions are subtly flying under the radar, mainly because we don’t yet believe in them. What’s ironic is that Detroit finished last year on a huge winning streak and is simply continuing the trend, while the Dolphins began last year hot, only to fall on their faces. Miami once again playing great early does not mean they can keep it going, because no streak exists. Not yet anyways. Give me Detroit in this matchup all the way.

What’s even more fun about Lions versus 49ers is that it won’t happen this season, unless they face off in the playoffs. It’s a hypothetical game I wish we had on the schedule. Since it doesn’t actually exist, the best real matchup is in NFL Week 7 with Miami against Philadelphia. That said, I expect the Dolphins to continue the embarrassment of the Eagles by the AFC East. Doing so means that perhaps Dolphins versus Jets will be a clash of titans. Offense versus defense, and we get it twice. Wishful thinking on my part, but those games will be played either way.

 

Meet our Writers:

Dan Salem is Lead Editor, Writer, and Co-owner of BuzzChomp. He’s a published author, as well as an award winning Actor, Director and Producer. Visit M Square Productions for his film work, or get lost in his old-school comedy on Pillow Talk TV. You can follow him on X and Instagram.

Todd Salem is a Staff Writer and Contributing Editor at BuzzChomp. He’s also a fantasy football and fantasy baseball Staff Writer for RotoBaller. Follow him on X or comment below for his unfiltered opinions.

NFL Week 7 Photo Credits: freep.com and thephinsider.com via Getty Images

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