Chargers at Chiefs (Thursday, 8:20 p.m. FOX)
Back in Week One, the Chargers lost to the Chiefs on their home turf. Since then the Chiefs are who we thought they were; a high-flying offense. Meanwhile, it took the Chargers a few games to find solid ground. After stumbling to a 1-2 start, the boys from the left coast have won nine of their last 10 and three in a row, and are just one game behind the Chiefs in the AFC West. Old school vs. new school at Arrowhead Stadium. Philip Rivers vs Patrick Mahomes. This is a must-watch game. The Chiefs, 6-0 at home, will somehow find a way to stay unblemished in their domain.
Packers at Bears (1 p.m. FOX)
The Packers beat the Bears in the season opener, but since then these two have gone in opposite directions. Green Bay's season was so disappointing that it got head coach Mike McCarthy fired just hours after losing to the lowly Cardinals. As for the Bears, they have become a stingy defense that flexed its muscles and put a defensive beatdown on the Rams. Aaron Rodgers is a Bear slayer. He has won 16 of 20 meetings and thrown 45 TD passes, with a QB passer rating of 108.3. A Bears win gives them the NFC North title for the first time since 2010. The Rams had trouble scoring in Chicago. Its going to be a long day for the Packers at Soldier Field.
Cowboys at Colts (1 p.m. FOX)
The 'Boys are riding high winners of five straight and their defense is leading the charge. After shocking the Saints, Dallas followed that up by winning a hard-fought divisional battle with the Eagles. Now firmly in control of the NFC East, the Cowboys ride into Indianapolis looking to shoot down the Colts' eighth-ranked offense. Former Eagles OC Frank Reich has done an incredible job of getting the Colts to believe in themselves, and after knocking off the hottest team in the league down in Houston, they now find themselves knocking on the playoff door (currently the seventh seed). Colts have won six of their last seven, but I like Dallas' D better than I like the Colts' resurgence.
Patriots at Steelers (4:25 p.m. CBS)
Two of the more prominent franchises in the AFC are trying to shake the cobwebs of bad weekends. The Pats lost a shocker down in Miami on the last play of the game and the Steelers have lost three in a row. New England currently has a two-game lead in the AFC East while the Steelers' lead in the AFC North has dwindled to just a half-game. Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger have had some memorable matchups. This should be another one for the books. But Mike Tomlinson's crew has too many deficiencies to overcome Bill Belichick and the Pats.
Saints at Panthers (Mon. 8:15 p.m. ESPN)
The Saints have wrapped up the NFC South and control home field advantage in the conference. But while the Saints are division champs, their division rivals the Panthers have played like chumps. After a 6-2 start, Carolina has lost five straight. The Panthers do play better at home (5-1), but going on the road doesn't faze New Orleans (6-1 away from home). During their current slide, Cam Newton has tossed nine TD passes and served up eight interceptions. All Drew Brees has done in his last five outings is throw 13 TD strikes against just three interceptions. The Saints can't afford any more slip-ups if they want to stay home during the playoffs. Cam and company will make the Saints work for it, but in the end, New Orleans goes marching home with the all-important W.
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