Several gigantic contests made news. The Rams, with the NFL's #1 offense, are the last unbeaten team - and the NFC West is the only division with a clear leader - after the Chiefs were bested by the Patriots. The Patriots are back in the driver's seat in the AFC, while the Steelers finally look ready to contend. The Steelers' big win over the Bengals threw the AFC North into a virtual deadlock, and the Chiefs' loss gave life to the San Diego team - now making a charge. It may now be a two-way race out West, because the Broncos can't get any traction, and the Raiders look like a ship without a rudder.

I have been rather surprised by the flat play of the Jaguars and Titans, who have now been caught by the feisty Texans - who started the season 0-3.  Both the Titans and Jaguars are sputtering on offense. Even with strong defenses, they need those offenses to pick up soon, before their AFC playoff positions disappear.  

In the NFC East, we have a tense three-way horse race. I notice that both the Redskins and Cowboys look stronger this season, while the Eagles look less like the team of destiny that they were last year. The Cowboys impressed me with that complete win over the Jaguars. The running attack looked formidable, and the defense really made life miserable for that Jaguar offense, which has a history of inconsistency.  

Let's see what happens when the Boys meet the Redskins, who just came off an impressive victory of their own. After being shellacked by the Saints a week ago on Monday Night Football, the Redskins rebounded nicely with a close win over the tough Panthers. What I like about this Cowboys-Redskins contest is that both teams have excellent running attacks.

It would be foolish to name a "game of the week", because there are several intriguing matches that will have strong impact on division races. Who will prevail when the Saints' #3-ranked offense goes up against the NFL's leading defense, the Ravens? Can the Patriots' passing game keep rolling against that wicked Bear pass rush? Between the Chiefs and the Bengals, which contender will rebound from those tough losses a week ago?  So many questions to be answered. So much good football to be watched.

Last week, my picks went 9-6. This week there will only be 14 matches, with four teams having byes. Here are all the Week Seven matches and my picks:

1. Broncos at Cardinals                 Cardinals
2. Titans at Chargers                    Titans
3. Bills at Colts                             Colts
4. Panthers at Eagles                    Eagles
5. Browns at Bucs                         Bucs
6. Lions at Dolphins                      Dolphins
7. Texans at Jaguars                     Jaguars
8. Vikings at Jets                          Vikings
9. Patriots at Bears                       Bears
10. Saints at Ravens                     Ravens
11. Cowboys at Redskins               Cowboys
12. Rams at 49ers                         Rams
13. Bengals at Chiefs                     Chiefs
14. Giants at Falcons                     Falcons