Week 7 of the NFL season will feature a matchup between two teams that are near each other in the win column so far, but have completely different feelings about their standings. Coming into the year, the Los Angeles Rams were crowned the preseason champions for good reason. Meanwhile, after drafting Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick, expectations were pretty low for the Las Vegas Raiders.
Yet in Week 7, it's the Raiders who come into the game as the team with more wins. Las Vegas is 3-3 this season, while the Rams come into the game with a measly 2-4 record. Which team will break their slump in Week 7 of the 2026 NFL season?
Rams struggling to start the season
The Los Angeles Rams were not supposed to be in this position. Coming into the year, they were expected to be the favorites to win the Super Bowl. After all, they had one of the most successful offseasons after a run to the NFC Championship Game. They improved their already formidable defense by trading for cornerback Trent McDuffie and pass-rusher Myles Garrett. They also welcomed back Aaron Donald from his retirement. That, along with their offensive core still intact, led fans to believe that they'll win this year's championship rather easily.
However, that hasn't been the case. Injuries have certainly impacted the team, yes: Myles Garrett has been out since Week 1 after suffering a knee injury in their season opener. That being said, other teams have had worse injuries, such as the San Francisco 49ers. Instead, Los Angeles' slump was due to their own play slipping over the course of the season.
Their offense, which was among the best last season, has dropped off significantly. Part of it is due to injuries to key players, including star wide receiver Puka Nacua at times. However, even with all of their core players healthy, the team struggled to generate any meaningful momentum. That didn't do their defense any favors, which was already struggling without Myles Garrett.
They arguably hit rock bottom in Week 6, when they lost to the lowly Arizona Cardinals. It was a putrid 18-16 loss against one of the worst teams in the league. The panic meter is at an all-time high now, and they're about to take on another dangerous team in the Las Vegas Raiders.
Raiders looking to finally complete upset after coming close
In stark contrast to the Rams, the Raiders have been playing some excellent ball as of late. Projected to be another team contending for a top draft pick, the Raiders are 3-3 to start the season. While they have lost their last three games, it's important to mention that these losses came against some of the best teams in the league: they lost to the Chiefs, Patriots, and Bills, in that order. Except for the Patriots game, all of their losses have come down to the final possession of the game.
Kirk Cousins is playing out of his mind, helping lead a young Raiders squad to success early in the year. A placeholder for 2026 first-overall pick Fernando Mendoza, the veteran quarterback has done well this season leading the team to victory while his protege learns from the sidelines. Their defense has been problematic so far, but the offense has shown that they're able to keep up with even the best attacks in the league.
The Rams will definitely have their hands full against this Raiders team, especially after they came close to beating the Bills last week. Cousins has been carving up defenses left and right, and outside of the Patriots, no one has really been able to figure out this offense quite yet. This game might end up becoming a shootout that will be decided by a few plays. That, unfortunately, has been the type of games that the Rams have been losing as of late.
If you had said two months ago that this game was going to be a close one, you would have been laughed at by both Raiders and Rams fans. Now, this game has serious implications for both teams. Going down to 2-5 might be the death knell for the Rams' season, while a win here will give the Raiders optimistism for a potential playoff run.