Looking Ahead: Week Seven

We're rolling right along into Week 7 on nearly a full schedule. The Jets and Bills sit out this one, so that they can both mentally and physically prepare for their Week 8 showdown, and allow time for Thurman Thomas to find his helmet. While we'll miss their effervescent presence, we still have a slew of intriguing games that are sure to shake up the order of Mount Tecmo Olympus. It's mid-October football, people, which means it's time for a few teams to get serious. We're looking at you, Jim Jeffcoat.

The early games consist of a few NFC East teams all pushing for some separation in their hotly-contested division. As Dallas draws a doozy with Kansas City, the Redskins and Eagles will collide in an East Coast donnybrook, with the class of last year trying to defend its honor against Renaissance Man Randall and his flock of Eagles. The Giants will also hope to clog up the cogs in the right coast division by squeezing another win against a free-falling Rams team. On the AFC side, the Chargers return from their bye to encounter the listless Colts, losers of 3 straight. Miami gets the chance to jump into a first-place tie with the Jets, who are off, by beating on their little brothers in New England, and the Raiders look to keep nipping at San Diego's heels when they clash with the Seahawks, who finally learned the fun of winning just last week.

Other early games include a meaningless inter-conference affair between Cleveland and Green Bay, and a very meaningful intra-divisional battle when Cincinnati and Pittsburgh meet. Should the Bengals win, they will have a chance to right the ship going into next week's marquee matchup against the Oilers. However, if Neil O'Donnell walks away with a win on Sunday, then the Steelers could show signs of a huge second-half comeback. This game will most likely be won on the ground, and if Pittsburgh's coach Cowher has learned anything in his rookie season, it's his need to Foster the people with some Barry.

The world will be watching the later games, with Houston going for its fourth straight win against the rising herd in Denver, winners of two straight, and Bobby Hebert trying to stay on pace for some record-breaking against a league-worst Phoenix defense. It's the last two games of the evening that will be pulling in the most attention, with Minnesota and San Francisco, the last two undefeated teams, trying to stay perfect. The Vikings get the upper hand in that race, drawing a Detroit team that they've manhandled over the last few seasons. The 49ers, meanwhile, will get Atlanta. This ain't your mother's Falcons' team, however, having won convincingly 5 of their 6 games, while staying close with the Saints. They'll pose the toughest challenge for the gold-diggers in San Francisco, as their top passing defense looks to quiet the MVP mumbles around Steve Young for the time being.

Then comes Monday night, and who else would be featured but Chicago and Tampa Bay? Two of the most mediocre mid-level participants in this 1992 Tecmo season will beat each other up to define who is ready to play with the big boys. While most of the early playoff talk surrounds the NFC West, one of these teams could rise to the occasion to draw a wild card come season's end. And if they're to do it, the time is now. The Buccaneers have been the most surprising of the two, winning convincing games against tough opponents, and hanging with the tougher ones. Chicago has been blown out in three separate incidents. While we don't think Testaverde's Tampa Bay team has the weapons to send the Bears' whimpering back to their caves to hibernate a few months early, this should be a close, hard-fought contest worthy of my viewing while sitting at my computer desk and playing sudoku on my phone.

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AFC 

  NFC

Byes: New York Jets, Buffalo Bills