My five NFL games to watch in Week 7:
Patriots at Bears (Sunday, 1 p.m. on CBS)
Don't look now but it appears the Patriots have their groove back. They've won three in a row, including a shootout with KC and have averaged 39.7 points during their winning streak. Meanwhile, the Bears, coming off a bye, got caught hibernating in Miami and let the Dolphins off the hook. Khalil Mack is nursing an ankle injury and that changes the complexion of the Bears' defense. The Pats, looking for their first road win of the season, get it in Chi-town.
Texans at Jaguars (Sunday, 1 p.m. on CBS)
These two teams are in a three-way tie atop the AFC South. The Texans have won three straight but two of those wins were against the Colts and Bills. What has happened to the Jags? They've given up 70 points the last two games. QB Blake Bortles is part of the problem. Has just 2 TD passes and 5 INTs his last two outings. League sack leader JJ Watt (7) has at least one sack in Houston's last four games. The Jags are irritated and somebody has to pay the price. Might as well be the Texans.
Saints at Ravens (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. on FOX)
What a matchup! The Saints, coming off a bye, have won four straight and have the league's top scoring offense (36.0 ppg). The Ravens have the top-ranked defense (270.8 yards allowed per game). Plus, the Ravens rank first in points allowed (12.8), holding opponents to 14 points or less five of six games. Both offensive lines protect their QBs. Joe Flacco has been sacked just 11 times. Drew Brees has been sacked only eight times. The Ravens are the only team Brees has never beaten in his 18-year career. Drew changes that in this outing.
Philadelphia Eagles
Complete coverage of the Philadelphia Eagles and their NFL rivals from NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Cowboys at Redskins (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. on CBS)
A good old-fashioned NFC East grudge match. The Cowboys' offense finally had some balance in a blowout win over the Jaguars, and the 'Boys defense has plenty of talent along its front-7. The ancient wonder Adrian Peterson still has a lot of pep in his step. Dallas has the league's fourth-ranked defense and gives up only 17.2 ppg. 'Skins defense is ranked fifth. Turnovers could be huge in deciding this one. Dallas is winless on the road this year and averages 12.3 ppg away from home. But this is my hunch pick: Dallas proves to finally be winning road warriors.
Bengals at Chiefs (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. on NBC)
The Chiefs are still trying to figure out how they scored 40 points at New England and lost. Patrick Mahomes has shown that no moment is too big for him. The Bengals are trying to shake a bad loss vs. the Steelers. The Chiefs' offense is loaded with lethal options, but the Bengals also have some quality playmakers. Looks like the Chiefs could be in for another high-scoring affair, but this time they put the most points on the board in front of the home fans.
