NFL Week 7: Bears, Cowboys have chance for statements

NFL Week 7 marks an important point in the football calendar. The midway point of the NFL season is creeping up on us, with only a few weeks until every team has played at least half of its slate.

To this point, only a few teams have truly separated from the pack to emerge as almost surefire playoff teams: the New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs, New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Rams would have to be among the top of that group, and there’s an argument that nobody else belongs in it.

Of course, that would leave 28 other teams theoretically vying for eight spots, and on Sunday afternoon, a couple of the NFC franchises could take a major step in the right direction.

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For starters, the Chicago Bears have to wash the sour taste out of their collective mouths following a brutal 31-28 overtime loss to Brock Osweiler and the Miami Dolphins. Chicago allowed Osweiler to go for 380 passing yards and three touchdowns — albeit with two interceptions — before missing a game-winning field goal attempt in overtime.

Now, the Bears play host to the Patriots at Soldier Field, with New England fresh off its incredible 43-40 win over the Chiefs on Sunday night. The Patriots come into the game having played four of their six games at Gillette Stadium this season, so perhaps the Bears can get them while they are just getting their road legs under them.

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If the Bears can find a way to beat New England, they would be 4-2 and very much in the conversation for the NFC North title.

Speaking of division titles, the Dallas Cowboys are somehow in the mix within the NFC East. Most believed the Philadelphia Eagles would be rolling to another division crown, but that hasn’t been the case through six games. Entering NFL Week 7, Philadelphia is only 3-3. It’s tied with the Cowboys, who will be traveling on Sunday to take on the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field.

Washington enters the contest at 3-2 and leading the East by a half-game, and can extend over Dallas with a home divisional win. However, the Cowboys could leapfrog their most bitter rivals with a victory on the road in the nation’s capital.

Dallas doesn’t have the offensive ability to scare many teams, despite putting up 40 points last week against the league’s best defense in the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, if the Cowboys can get Ezekiel Elliott going and get the occasional play from Dak Prescott, there’s no reason that Washington is the superior team, even playing at home.

With a win, the Cowboys will suddenly be 4-3 in a division that feels wide, wide open.