Las Vegas Raiders (2-4) at Los Angeles Rams (1-4), 4:05 p.m. ET
Aside from a popularity contest — California still loves the Raiders — Sunday’s game matches a pair of teams off to disappointing starts with offenses in dire need of consistency and a few good men to play wide receiver. The Raiders and Rams are two of 11 NFL teams averaging fewer than 19 points per game. And the concerns are even more heightened on defense, where the Raiders are tied for fifth worst in the NFL at 27.2 points allowed per game, while the Rams are fourth worst at 27.8 per game. Rams QB Matthew Stafford has averaged 247.6 yards per game, 11th best in the NFL, but has just three touchdown passes in five games and has been sacked 16 times behind a makeshift line.
The Raiders moved away from Gardner Minshew last week and went to Aidan O’Connell at quarterback against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 6. But Las Vegas had its second-lowest point total of the season in a 32-13 home loss. O’Connell is set to start again this week to guide an offense that has moved away from wide receiver Davante Adams, after he was traded to the New York Jets for a third-round draft pick. Adams played the first three games and caught 18 passes. Without him the past three games, rookie TE Brock Bowers had 19 receptions for 187 yards and one TD. Jakobi Meyers, considered the Raiders’ top wideout in Adams’ absence, did not play last Sunday with an ankle injury.
Carolina Panthers (1-5) at Washington Commanders (4-2), 4:05 p.m. ET
Dave Canales and the Panthers had a vision for what this season might look like for 2023 No. 1 pick Bryce Young, and it appears to be playing out — in Washington. Rookie QB Jayden Daniels has performed at what teammates dubbed this week “an MVP level,” steering Washington to the top of the NFC East in Dan Quinn’s debut season with the Commanders. Daniels’ 75.3 completion percentage is the second-highest all-time in the first six games of an NFL career (minimum 100 pass attempts). Young was bypassed by journeyman Andy Dalton at QB and the offense has performed well enough to hang around in most games. RB Chuba Hubbard is third in the NFL with 485 rushing yards. Getting the ball in the end zone isn’t a challenge for Washington, which averages 29.7 points per game. But the Panthers are putting up only 17.2 points per game. Daniels has connected with Terry McLaurin for a TD in four consecutive games while the combination of RBs Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler and Daniels has helped Washington generate a dynamic running game, averaging 157.3 yards and more than two TDs per game.
Kansas City Chiefs (5-0) at San Francisco 49ers (3-3), 4:25 p.m. ET
49ers LB Fred Warner and head coach Kyle Shanahan were frank in their discussions about facing the Chiefs, who beat San Francisco in the Super Bowl in February (and in 2019), and QB Patrick Mahomes on Sunday. Mahomes is 4-0 with 1,356 pass yards (339 per game), 11 TDs (10 pass, one rush) with a passer rating of 104.6 against San Francisco. The Cliff’s Notes version of their outlook on the Week 7 matchup: Beating Mahomes can’t be done at the microphone. The 49ers are relatively rested coming back from a Week 6 Thursday night victory at Seattle, but the Chiefs are returning from their bye week. They’ve won five of the past six games coming out of the bye, and head coach Andy Reid is 21-4 all-time after byes. Kansas City got back to work this week with RB Kareem Hunt reinstalled as the lead back and the Chiefs leaning on a collective at wide receiver to help settle an offense prone to stalling in the red zone. Mahomes has six touchdowns and six interceptions in 2024. Production isn’t a problem for San Francisco. QB Brock Purdy has 1,629 passing yards and nine touchdowns with the 49ers developing a running game without RB Christian McCaffrey (Achilles). Jordan Mason (shoulder) left last week’s game only to see rookie Isaac Guerendo gain 99 yards on the ground.