NFL 2017: Who plays on Sunday Night Football in Week 7?
By Nick Sparrow
Sunday Night Football in Week 7 of the 2017 NFL season will feature a high-profile rematch between two teams needing a win.
Is there any better primetime game than a rematch of last season’s Super Bowl? We will find out this week as Tom Brady and the New England Patriots prepare to host Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons.
The Patriots are coming off of a tough 24-17 road win over division rival New York Jets, in which they were aided by one of the worst calls in recent memory that cost the Jets a fourth-quarter touchdown.
With that said, the Falcons faired worse in Week 6. Coming off of a bye and hosting a Miami Dolphins team that had not scored 20 points all season, the Falcons lost a 20-17 game due to a Ryan interception with less than a minute left in the game. Atlanta was already in field goal range at the time of the interception but continued calling passing plays despite the fact that running back Devonta Freeman was averaging 7.6 yards per carry.
A Super Bowl rematch could not come at a worse time for this Falcons team. Atlanta was up 17-0 over the Dolphins at halftime before letting Miami score 20 unanswered points in a second half in which they were shut out. The game will draw a lot of comparison to last year’s Super Bowl, especially with New England coming up on Sunday night.
For anyone who missed it (if living under a rock, for example), Atlanta found themselves with a 28-3 lead midway through the third quarter. Brady then led the Patriots to one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history as New England scored 31 unanswered points to win in overtime.
Next: 2017 NFL Picks, score predictions for Week 7
Anytime Atlanta holds a lead for the rest of the season it is hard to imagine that they feel comfortable. The Falcons were 3-0 entering Week 4. It certainly seemed that they had moved past one of the most devastating Super Bowl loses in NFL history. However, they have now lost two straight games and find themselves below both the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints in the NFC South. The Falcons will certainly be looking to prove that they are still one of the best teams in the league on Sunday Night Football.