Week 7 At a Glance

This week, we'll look at a key Divisional matchup and a game that illustrates the importance of the defense.  Why?  Because even though every game counts, toward the middle of the season, we start to see which teams are for real, whose injuries are going to thwart a team's success, and which defenses are getting the job done.  Games within your division mostly determine who goes to the postseason.  And Defense typically wins games for you late in the season.

Washington Redskins (3-3) @ New York Giants (4-2)  1 pm EST on FOX

The weekend's big matchup to watch.  Here's why:

1.  1st place in the NFC East is at stake.  

2.  RGIII (the 'Skins QB from Baylor) is 3rd in Passer Rating in the NFL with 100.5 (see GTK Corner above) AND he also has 379 yards rushing with 6 rushing TDs

3.  Both teams have scored exactly 178 points this season, but the Redskins make too many mistakes, and their defense is giving up 328 passing yards per game....WAY too many, especially against an elite passer like Eli Manning (Ole Miss).  

4.  Giants RB Ahmad Bradshaw (Marshall) is not likely to play due to a foot injury.

Green Bay Packers (3-3) @ St. Louis Rams (3-3) 1 pm EST on FOX

1.  Green Bay is starting to look like its old self (15-1 last season), coming off of a 42-24 DE-STROY of the previously undefeated Houston Texans last week.  (Atlanta is the only remaining undefeated team)

2.  Packers have the NFC sack leader in Fathead commercial star, Clay Matthews (look for the flowing blonde locks pouring out of his helmet), so the Rams' offensive line will be tested.  Hard.  If Sam Bradford ends up on the ground too many times, this game will get lopsided in a hurry.  The Rams are missing their veteran at Left Tackle, Roger Saffold.  (think Sandra Bullock and the movie "The Blind Side")  This position is the heart of the offensive line and is key in protecting the QB.  He'll likely return in Week 10.

3.  The Rams defense is awesome.  Quinn and Long (Howie Long's son) have 10 sacks between them, and the team is only allowing an average of 18.5 points per game.  This may be their only hope in slowing down Aaron Rodgers (Berkeley) and the Pack.  Defense CAN win games, but this one will be tough to say the least.

TALKING TIDBITS:

• A New Orleans fan filed a $5M class action lawsuit against the NFL this week, claiming that the player suspensions after the Bountygate scandal amount to diminished value of their season tickets.  Good luck with that.....the NFL almost never loses anything.  

• The NFC is statistically better than the AFC at this point in the season for the first time in what seems like FOREVER.  The tide she is a turnin'.  Let's see if they keep it up.

• John Skelton in IN at QB in Arizona.  Kevin Kolb is out due to injury.  Look for AZ's early season offensive show to slow down considerably as a result. 

• Terry Bradshaw (famous former Steelers QB and FOX broadcaster) had a 0.0 passer rating in 3 separate games.  Aaron Rodgers posted an average 122.5 passer rating for the 2011 season, an all-time record in what was the Year of the Passer.