Here's a look at a film nugget for each team playing this weekend that should impact the action on the field in Week 7:
New York Giants at Los Angeles (in London)
A young player who has done some good things this season for the Rams is safety Maurice Alexander. The third-year player has been good in the run game, has tackled well and has improved in pass coverage. He did get called for a pass-interference penalty last week against the Lions, but he made a nice break on the ball and the call was questionable. He plays a lot in the deep part of the field and his coverage should be important this week against Odell Beckham Jr. when the Rams do double him.
The Giants spent a lot of money on their defensive free agents, and the past two weeks corner Janoris Jenkins has played to that money. He's been good in coverage -- in both man and zone -- and has been a good run player as well. He had a nice pass breakup in man coverage last week on a slant to Breshad Perriman. He later broke up a deep ball in the middle to Mike Wallace that was a no-play because of a hold on the Ravens.
He did get beat for a 70-yard play to Wallace in man coverage when he failed to get his hands on Wallace at the line of scrimmage. Wallace ran inside on him and then ran by him. But, aside from that play, Jenkins has been good the past two weeks. You know this week is big for him since it is against his former team, the team that drafted him five years ago.
New Orleans at Kansas City
The Saints used a lot of three-safety looks against the Panthers. They played Vonn Bell, Jairus Byrd and Kenny Vaccaro all together for much of the game. Bell and Vaccaro would play close to the line of scrimmage most of the time, especially Vaccaro with Byrd mostly in the deep middle when the three were on the field together. But sometimes both Byrd and Vaccaro would be up near the line of scrimmage.
On one play in the third quarter last week, both came after Cam Newton as they were lined up next to each other on the right side of the defense. Newton threw incomplete to the middle to Greg Olsen, who was covered well by Bell. I would expect to see more of this being deployed going forward as long as Byrd doesn't play like he did a few weeks back against the Falcons. Vaccaro did show some nice pass rush ability as a blitzer too.
The Chiefs have to be thrilled with what they got from pass rusher Dee Ford last week. He had two sacks against the Raiders, but it was his overall game that was impressive. He played hard and was solid against the run. He had several other pressures in addition to his two sacks.
His first sack came from the right side when he looped around left tackle Donald Penn to come back into the play and hit Derek Carr to force a fumble. His second sack came from the left side when he blew past Austin Howard and he chased down Carr late in the game. Ford looked like a player who could be a 12-to 14 sack guy against the Raiders. With Justin Houston working his way back into action, the Chiefs will have a nice three-man grouping with Houston, Ford and Tamba Hali.
Indianapolis at Tennessee
The Colts offensive line has been an issue for a while now, but it seems like it might be on the verge of actually be a decent unit. Center Ryan Kelly, the rookie first-round pick, is improving each week. The left side is solid with Anthony Castonzo at tackle and Jake Mewhort at guard. The right side has been a major issue in recent years, which is why they even moved Mewhort to tackle last year, weakening themselves at two spots.
Now second-year player Denzelle Good, who missed time with injuries this season, is coming off an impressive game against the Texans. Rookie right tackle Joe Haeg is also improving and did a nice job last week. With two rookies and a second-year player starting, there will be growing pains. But based on last week's game, there is reason for hope in Indianapolis with that group.
The Tennessee defense is ranked ninth overall and seventh against the run. One of the reasons for that is a player most wouldn't know. His name is Karl Klug. The defensive end isn't a big-time pass rusher, although he did get push last week against the Browns. But he is a steady, good player on their line. Jurrell Casey is the star of that line, but Klug has played well so far this season, especially against the run. He isn't big at 280 pounds, but he battles on every play and holds his own at the point against bigger offensive linemen.
Minnesota at Philadelphia
The Vikings are the only undefeated team in the league, but they have offensive line issues. That could become a problem as they roll on the rest of the way. They lost both starting tackles to injuries in Matt Kalil and Andre Smith. That forced T.J. Clemmings in at left tackle and Jeremiah Sirles at right tackle. Clemmings was solid in his first start, but had a rough go of it two weeks ago against the Texans. Sirles was OK against Houston. If Jake Long, who was signed last week, starts it could mean Clemmings would go to the right side, where he started in 2015. Or he could end up as a backup. Long last was a starter in 2014 for the Rams and has had two knee surgeries in his career.
The Eagles have had major issues on defense the past two games, and one of the big reasons why is the play of their linebackers. They had big problems last week against the Redskins, especially in the run game. Jordan Hicks, Nigel Bradham and Mychal Kendricks need to do a better job in the run game. The Redskins ran for 230 yards last week, and those three had their issues at times in the run game. They flashed on some plays, but the consistency isn't there. The good news is the Vikings don't run the ball well.
Cleveland at Cincinnati
The Browns have to be thrilled with what they saw from quarterback Cody Kessler last week at Tennessee. He threw two touchdown passes and impressed with the way he played. He seemed to have a real good feel for the offense and anticipated guys coming open. On one of his touchdown passes to Terrell Pryor, he got away with one when he forced it into double coverage with Andrew Hawkins wide open underneath. He pre-determined where he was going on the play, and Pryor bailed him out.
But he did a nice job of anticipating Pryor coming open on a slant against the blitz to hit him for his second touchdown. Kessler had pressure in his face on the play, but calmly made the throw. On another play earlier in the game, when he was flushed out of the pocket, he kept his head up and made a nice touch throw to Ricardo Louis for a big play.
There is a lot to like about Kessler. He doesn't have a big arm, and sometimes his passes can seem to float, but he will stand in and make throws with people around him. That's a good thing. Maybe the Browns were right about this kid after all.
Two secondary players that the Bengals expected to be better in 2016 are corner Dre' Kirkpatrick and safety George Iloka. So far, both have struggled in coverage and haven't come close to playing to the expectations. Both had issues last week against the Patriots in coverage. Kirkpatrick flashed potential star ability late in 2014, but it hasn't worked out that way. Iloka was coming off a big season in 2015, which is why he got a new contract, but he hasn't played as well either. These two have to pick up their games on the back end.
Washington at Detroit
When Kory Lichtensteiger went down with a season-ending injury, the Redskins moved guard Spencer Long to center. He has done a nice job and really helped the run game last week against the Eagles. Washington ran for 231 yards and Long helped make it possible with some key blocks.
He got a nice seal block on Rob Kelly's 33-yard run when Kelly cut off his hip to make the play. Then he got a nice reach block on a 22-yard run by Matt Jones, and also got a really good seal block on the 55-yard run by Jones that locked up the victory in the final minute. Long isn't overpowering, but he does a nice job of getting position to make his blocks. The Redskins are running well, and Long deserves his share of the credit.
The Lions need to get Ziggy Ansah going on their defense. Ansah, who had 14 1/2 sacks last season, doesn't have one yet in 2016. He's played in just three games because of an ankle injury, and was hurt on the third play of the Tennessee game in Week 2 and didn't return. He got back on the field last week against the Rams and started slowly but did get some push as the game went on. It looked like he didn't trust the ankle at first and he wasn't getting good push with his legs. As the game went on, he did. He faces a tough matchup this week against Trent Williams of the Redskins.
Oakland at Jacksonville
The Raiders are 30th in the league in rushing defense and a big problem has been the play of their linebackers. Rookie Corey James and veteran Malcolm Smith have struggled in the run game. James took over as the starter from Ben Heeney earlier this year in part because he's faster. But he gets caught out of position a lot in the run game.
He has to be better at diagnosing and attacking. On Spencer Ware's 53-yard run to the left last week, James got caught up in the trash inside and never had a chance to make a play. As he gets a better feel for the game, he will improve. But right now, he's struggling. He's also not big, so when bodies get on him it's tough for him to disengage. That's why diagnosing and attacking are so important to his game.
When guys get paid, they sometimes don't play up to expectations. We've seen it with many a big-ticket free agent. Jaguars defensive tackle Malik Jackson doesn't fall into that category. Jackson isn't putting up big sack numbers -- with just one -- but he's been a big part of why the Jaguars defense is ranked seventh in the league. Jackson gets push inside with his pass rush and he's been really good against the run. Jackson has proven to be worth the big contract the Jaguars paid him to sign as a free agent from Denver.
Buffalo at Miami
The Bills have improved on defense the past four games, and one of the reasons is veteran defensive tackle Kyle Williams. He has really picked up his game the past couple of weeks, and really impressed last week against the 49ers. He is a tough, physical player, but early in the season he was slowed as he battled back from knee surgery. Now he's back playing at a high level. When Marcell Dareus returns, the Bills will have a nice inside combo again to key their run defense.
After a bad start to this season, Dolphins corner Byron Maxwell had a good day last week against the Steelers. He was matched up in man coverage with Antonio Brown in a lot of situations and more than held his own.
He did give up a 12-yard completion on a comeback route to Brown and two short ones, but that was it. The Steelers tried to throw at him with Brown on successive plays in the fourth quarter and Maxwell had Brown smothered on both plays for incomplete passes. He later made a play on a deep ball in zone coverage in the middle of the field. It was by far his best game for the Dolphins and one that could give him confidence as the season moves forward.
Baltimore at New York Jets
He might be 32 years old, but Ravens safety Eric Weddle continues to play at a high level. Yes, he bumped into corner Tavon Young on the game-winning catch by Odell Beckham Jr. last week as he tried to cover the tight end, but I don't think that would have mattered anyway. Beckham Jr. was open, beating Young inside.
Aside from that play, Weddle continues to be a playmaker. He forced a fumble by Beckham Jr. in the first quarter that the Ravens recovered. He also made some nice plays in the run game.
One play showed off his determination. On a run his way, with Weddle in the box, he jumped underneath left tackle Erick Flowers into his legs. While on the ground, he spun to his left and helped take down Bobby Rainey for no gain. He also made a great play on a short pass to the tight end when he was actually lined up inside over the center like he was going to blitz. But he read it, dropped out, and got over to tackle Larry Donnell for no gain. Weddle has proven to be a nice addition as a free agent for a team that has had issues in the secondary.
When the Jets signed veteran left tackle Ryan Clady as a free agent last spring, they thought they would be OK after the retirement of D'Brickashaw Ferguson. That hasn't been the case. The Jets tackles, including Clady, haven't been good. You saw Ryan Fitzpatrick take a bunch of shots last Monday against the Cardinals, but it's been a season-long issue.
Breno Giacomini has missed every game at right tackle, but he wasn't too good last season. Ben Ijalana really struggled last week against the Cardinals. Geno Smith, who takes over as the starter at quarterback, better hope that changes this week.
Tampa Bay at San Francisco
The Bucs are getting solid play from veteran linebacker Daryl Smith. The 34-year-old Smith is the team's strong-side linebacker, so he plays about half the snaps, coming out in their nickel. But when he's on the field, he's been solid. He had an interception off a deflection against Carolina and has been solid in the run game. He doesn't run like he once did, but he gets by with his instincts. Smith played in Jacksonville for current Bucs defensive coordinator Mike Smith, which is a big reason why he's in Tampa.
The 49ers have to upgrade from left guard Zane Beadles, who was signed as a free agent. He just isn't strong enough at the point of attack to help their run game. When he signed as a big-ticket free agent in Jacksonville a few years ago, they thought he'd be a big part of their line success. He was a liability, which is why it's surprising to see him starting for the 49ers. He had all kinds of problems last week against the Bills.
San Diego at Atlanta
The thing that is really starting to stand out on the San Diego defense is the total team speed. They are fast. They are fast up front with Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram. They are really fast at linebacker with rookie Jatavis Brown and Denzel Perryman and they looked fast on the back end against Denver rallying to the football.
The Chargers are smallish for a defense, which is why they show a lot of different looks up front on passing downs and use a lot of stunting to get guys to the quarterback. Bosa showed a real knack against Denver last week for being able to use his speed on stunts to get pressure. The Falcons, who love to throw it around, could be inclined to try and play some power run stuff this week against the Chargers.
When Grady Jarrett came out of Clemson in 2015, he was the captain of my Better-Than team, a team made up of players I liked better than the scouts. He's making me look good. Jarrett has been really good inside in his second season, a steal of a fifth-round pick. He was impressive against Seattle last week.
Early in the game, he took on center Justin Britt on a run play, shed him, and came down the line to tackle Christine Michael for a 3-yard gain. Later in the first half, he took on Britt on a run wide, didn't let him get the cut off block, then shed him and ran down the line to tackle Michael for a 1-yard gain.
He also showed his quickness on a stunt to get pressure on Russell Wilson on another play. But his best play came on a third-and-1 play in the third quarter. He took on a double team, almost buckling to his knees inside on the nose, then got off it and chased down Michael on the left side for no gain. The speed on that play was unreal for a guy his size. The Falcons have a steal in Jarrett.
New England at Pittsburgh
There is no doubt Jamie Collins is a star in the making for the Patriots defense, but fellow linebacker Dont'a Hightower is right there with him. Hightower doesn't have the speed and athletic ability that Collins possesses, but he is pure football player. He is tough, runs well enough, and can cover and rush when asked to do so.
He sacked Andy Dalton for a safety on a blitz last week, timing it perfectly to knife through while barely being touched. He also had two other pressures on blitzes and had a nice play in the run game where he came down the line to tackle Giovani Bernard for a 2-yard gain.
One of the big issues with the Steelers defense, and one you don't want when you are readying to face Tom Brady, has been the lack of production from the edge rushers. In their defense, it's imperative that the edge rushers produce sacks. So far, the four players who have played in those spots have a combined 2 1/2 sacks. James Harrison and Jarvis Jones don't have one. Arthur Moats leads the outside rushers with two. They miss injured Bud Dupree, but the other players have to pick it up -- starting this week against Brady.
Seattle at Arizona
Bobby Wagner has been a big part of the success of the Seattle defense for a while but he might be having his best season. Wagner has been showing off his speed and ability to get to the football and also excels in coverage. His speed was on display last week against Atlanta on an early run play where he was on a run blitz, exploded through the gap and dropped Devonta Freeman for a 2-yard loss.
I've said it for some time, but the Seattle front and the back end get a lot of attention but the play of Wagner and fellow linebacker K.J. Wright, both fast players, are integral to the success of the defense.
After a slow start to the season, as a first-time starter, right tackle D.J. Humphries is showing signs of improvement. He is coming off a solid game last week against the Jets where he did a nice job against a tough down group. Humphries has really improved in the run game, which is why David Johnson has had two big outings in the past two games. This week, Humphries faces a stiff challenge against those tough Seattle pass rushers, including Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett, who is also a major challenge in the run game.
Houston at Denver
With J.J. Watt out for the season, the Texans needed Jadeveon Clowney to amp up his game, and he's responded. Clowney has been really good the past two weeks. He only has two sacks on the season, but he's getting pressure. What's more, he's been really good against the run.
Against the Colts last week, he ran down two runs from the backside and jumped around the tackle on another to make a play. The Texans have been creative with him as well. He's lined up in a bunch of spots. They used him standing up inside early in the game, and then he looped around the down linemen and was able to get pressure without anybody touching him. Clowney isn't putting up big sack numbers, but he's playing well.
Watching the San Diego-Denver tape from a week ago, it was clear the Chargers didn't think Trevor Siemian could beat them deep. And he didn't. They sat back in coverage and made him throw short, which is what he does. The Broncos have to get more shots down the field. They have 12 pass plays of 20 yards or more, which ties them for 30th in the league. They have three over 40 yards. With receivers like Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, those numbers should be more. Siemian has to start driving the ball down the field -- or he could be on the bench soon. You can't win consistently that way.