Patriots QB Tom Brady in a 2016 game. (Photo Courtesy: Peter Bond/CC License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode)
28-3.
It’s still unbelievable that the New England Patriots came back from that deficit to win Super Bowl LI 34-28 over the Atlanta Falcons. Now both teams reunite on the field at Gillette Stadium on Sunday night for the greatly anticipated rematch.
Will the Falcons finally get their revenge or will the Patriots get another victory? Our picks for the game, including the upsets for Week 7 of the NFL season.
Jason Romano: Patriots 34 – Falcons 28 – That was the score in Super Bowl 51 and I believe that will be the score on Sunday in the rematch. It won’t be a 25 point comeback though. The Patriots are starting to find some rhythm on offense and their defense is just good enough to win.
UPSET: Giants 24 – Seahawks 17 – The G-Men found a formula that works for them in their Sunday Night win over Denver. With Seattle having to travel west to east, I think the Giants make it 2 in a row and beat Seattle behind a balanced offensive attack and stout defense.
Justin Adams: Falcons 38 – Patriots 31 – This game will be a shootout. New England is a team that’s reminiscent of Jekyll and Hyde. On offense they lead the league in the most yards on offense but on defense they give up the most yards in the NFL. The inconsistency will catch up with the Patriots as Atlanta gets their revenge in primetime.
UPSET: Broncos 23 – Chargers 20 – The Broncos were embarrassed last week against the Giants and will start a three-game road trip in Los Angeles. Denver will rebound on the road in a tightly contested game by recommitting to the ground game against the Chargers worst rush defense in the NFL.
Jon Ackerman: Patriots 23 – Falcons 17 – Three weeks ago I would have thought Atlanta had a chance in this game; the Falcons were 3-0 with wins over the Packers and Lions. But then they fell to the Bills and Dolphins at home. They won’t go into New England and get Super Bowl revenge.
UPSET: Cardinals 30 – Rams 24 – The surprising Rams give up 134.5 rushing yards per game, and now they get to face a resurgent Adrian Peterson. I see the Rams getting run over in London.
Last week’s picks:
Jason: Eagles 30 – Panthers 27
Justin: Panthers 27 – Eagles 24
Jon: Panthers 31 – Eagles 28
Actual Result: Philadelphia Eagles 28 – Carolina Panthers 23
“Without Jesus, I’m nothing. Without His love and His care and His guidance just going through my whole life — the ups and downs that I’ve been through — He’s the only Truth and the Way to help me through.”
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE, FEATURING ROBERT MATHIS
Robert Mathis spent 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts (2003-16) and is the franchise’s all-time leader in sacks (123). He was inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor in 2021, and won Super Bowl XLI with the team in 2006-07. He retired as the NFL’s career record holder in forced fumbles (52).
Matt Forte welcomes Robert Mathis to the Sports Spectrum Podcast to talk about his journey of faith in Christ, the worst year of his life in 2014, the power of prayer, his favorite quarterback to sack, and the Colts’ culture.
Robert Mathis, who spent all of his 14 seasons with the @Colts and was part of the Super Bowl XLI winning squad, is now a Semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2025. #PFHOF25pic.twitter.com/CErpQyajCL
Ohio State safety Caleb Downs makes a catch during the school's Pro Day in Columbus, Ohio, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon)
Ohio State safety Caleb Downs has spent the past two seasons building one of the most decorated résumés in college football. Now, he’s on the verge of hearing his name called early in the NFL Draft — potentially within the first five picks.
He was named the winner of the 2025 Jim Thorpe Award — given annually to the nation’s top defensive back — and a finalist for both the Bronko Nagurski and Chuck Bednarik Awards, each honoring the nation’s best defensive player. Downs was also a two-time consensus first-team All-American and a key member of the Buckeyes’ 2024-25 national championship team and Big Ten runner-up squad in 2025-26. Furthermore, he was given the Big Ten’s Nagurski-Woodson Defensive Player of the Year honor and, for the second straight season, the Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year award.
His impact extended beyond the field as well, earning the Lott IMPACT Trophy, which recognizes performance, leadership, character and community involvement, and he was nominated as Ohio State’s candidate for the 2025-26 Jackie Robinson Community & Impact Award.
“I have spent 11 years coaching in the NFL and Caleb Downs is the best football player — pro or college — that I have ever coached,” Ohio State co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach Tim Walton said. “He is first-class and exceptional in all areas he touches.”
That combination of production, football IQ and consistency has made Downs one of the most highly regarded prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft. Multiple outlets project him as a top-10 pick, with ESPN and The Athletic placing him as high as No. 5 overall to the New York Giants.
“Downs would be the first safety taken in the top five since Eric Berry went to the Chiefs in 2010, and he’d be worth it,” ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. wrote.
But Downs is more than just a football player. And he’s not shy in talking about what’s most important to him.
“There’s two things that are more important than me, more important than me playing football,” Downs told “The Walk” podcast in August as to why he wears No. 2. “My faith in Jesus Christ and my family. So those two things is what I wear on my chest every game and those are the two most important things in my life.”
His faith has been central not only to his personal life, but also to his platform at Ohio State. In 2024, several football players helped lead a worship gathering on campus that featured worship music, player testimonies and baptisms. When the event returned in 2025 — drawing an estimated 2,000 attendees, nearly double the previous year — Downs was among the players who spoke to the crowd.
“No play we make on the field — no touchdown, no interception — can compare to the Kingdom of God,” Downs said.
Speaking afterward, he emphasized where he believes true credit belongs.
“God is good,” Downs told local television station ABC 6. “I mean, I can’t take credit for it. None of my teammates can take credit for it. At the end of the day, His glory is above anything that we can do, but we know Jesus is real and we know that if you believe in Him, you will be saved.”
That message has also shaped how Downs talks about faith publicly. On “The Walk” podcast, he talked about the hesitation many feel about coming to Christ.
“Some people say, ‘I’m not ready to be baptized. I’m not ready to come to Jesus,'” he said. “But the realization is that Jesus is for the people that are sick. Jesus is for the people that aren’t perfect. You’re never going to be perfect enough to come to Jesus. That’s the point.”
He continued later: “Whenever you surrender to Him, that’s when everything will be washed away and you will be made renewed in Him. The faster that you can come to Him and run to Him and totally surrender your heart and your mind to Him, that’s the better off you’re going to be.
“There’s no amount of good behavior that you can do that will allow you to feel like you’re righteous enough to come to Him, because you never will be. It’s just a realization that He is what makes you righteous. He’s what makes you perfect.”
Downs, after just three collegiate seasons, officially declared for the NFL Draft on Jan. 7 and made sure to point his gratitude to God with a post on Instagram.
“Everything I’ve been able to achieve starts with my faith,” he wrote. “I’m grateful to God for the direction, strength, and purpose He’s given me. And I will continue to glorify, honor, and praise Him throughout this journey.”
The NFL Draft goes from April 23-25 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
