NFL Week 7 Key Matchups
October 27 a Crucial National Football League Gameday
This week in the NFL features three marquee matchups that have great implications as the league approaches the mid-point of the season. Each of these games should showcase aggressive passing attacks and be a true test of each team's secondary:
Game of the Week: Minnesota Vikings (6-0) at Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2)
Touting a perfect 6-0 record, Minnesota visits the Super Bowl champions in Pittsburgh who after a slow 1-2 start have re-asserted themselves with three straight wins. It may seem surprising that the early line on the game shows Pittsburgh favored by 4.5 points.
This spread may be an accurate reflection of the game, however. Despite the Vikings’ perfect season, four of their six wins have been against league doormats. Celebrated running back Adrian Peterson, always a significant threat against even the best run defenses, has tallied only two 100-yard games so far. Furthermore, while all the hype surrounds 40-year old future Hall of Famer Brett Favre, the Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger has actually thrown for 540 more yards than Favre. Roethlisberger also owns the highest percentage pass completion rate in the NFL and continues to assert himself as an excellent scrambler when the O line breaks down.
Much talk has been about the Vikings’ improved defense. Minnesota certainly struggled on D for numerous years, but they’re not exactly in the midst of a vast improvement either. They’re ranked 18th league-wide in points allowed and 24th in passing yards allowed; a stat which no doubt has the Steelers receiving core of Santonio Holmes, Hines Ward and rookie Mike Wallace stoked.
This game may well spell the end of the Vikings perfect season as it’s outdoors and on grass, within the windy confines of Heinz Field. Lifetime, Roethlisberger is 9-1 vs. the NFC in Pittsburgh.
Atlanta Falcons (4-1) at Dallas Cowboys (3-2)
After losing the first home game played in Jerry Jones’ brand new $1.8 billion playpen to the Giants in front of a national television audience, Dallas felt a sense of urgency to impress the Cowboys Stadium home side. A modest win over Carolina isn’t really something to brag about, though. Furthermore, the Cowboys’ three wins this year have come against creampuffs Tampa Bay, Kansas City and Carolina, all of whom were winless at the time.
Dallas is coming off a bye week and hopefully for their sake, they'll manage to iron out some kinks that have prevented them from reaching the top of the NFC East. Wide receiver Miles Austin was outstanding at Arrowhead (10 catches for 250 yards) and may have usurped the “go-to” moniker from Roy Williams. Dallas’ offense has been really inconsistent, as celebrated QB Tony Romo has thrown for only six touchdowns.
By contrast, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan has done a very proficient job of airing the ball and putting up points. His offensive line certainly deserves credit for giving him excellent protection: the Falcons QB has not been sacked once in the last four games. Atlanta’s secondary might be exposed, however, since they were forced to put cornerback Brian Williams on the injured reserve list with a knee injury.
This showdown in the big D will come down to execution. Whoever applies their usual formulas for success efficiently – without making turnovers – should be victorious.
Arizona Cardinals (3-2) at New York Giants (5-1)
It’s not often you see the otherwise mellow Eli Manning go ballistic, but the Giants quarterback did just that last week during and following their loss to the New Orleans Saints. The supreme victim of Manning’s harangue was running back Ahmad Bradshaw, who seemed to run incorrect routes repeatedly. It’s easy to understand Eli’s frustration: completing only 14 of 31 passes is a statistic you’d never expect from a pivot who’s been among the league’s best since his rookie year six year ago.
This game is crucial for both the Cardinals, who were 35 seconds away from winning Super Bowl XLIII, and the Giants who won the Lombardi Trophy in 2007. The Cardinals got off to a shocking 1-2 start, including a home opener loss to San Francisco. Since then, they’ve won two straight and are seeking to pull ahead of the stubborn 49ers in the vastly improved NFC West. The Giants will be trying to make a statement that they can bounce back from being humiliated in New Orleans. The G-Men defense is licking their wounds from surrendering 48 point to the Saints, after conceding an average of only 15.6 points in their first five games. Perhaps this is an opportunity for the Warner-Fitzgerald tandem to take to the air deep and often.
Look for the points to mount up in this Sunday night contest; the game will likely be a bigger air show than the Blue Angels.
Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger
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