The 3 NFL games you can’t afford to miss in Week 7

A pair of first-place showdowns highlight the must-watch NFL action heading your way in Week 7.

The NFL season is in full swing, and it has created some fascinating divisional races. There have been a few clear front runners, such as the undefeated New England Patriots in the AFC East and the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North, but several other divisions are still up for grabs.

The theme of divisions permeates our must-watch games for Week 7, beginning with a first place showdown in the AFC South.

Houston Texans (4-2) at Indianapolis Colts (3-2)

Any time the Texans and Colts face off it sets the stage for some great football, and this is Houston’s first crack at Indianapolis in the post-Andrew Luck era. The one thing these two teams have in common, however, is that they both walked into Arrowhead Stadium and upset the Kansas City Chiefs in back-to-back weeks.

The Colts pulled off the feat first, using a dominant performance in both trenches to knock Patrick Mahomes around and control the clock with a great rushing attack. They were on bye in Week 6, giving them plenty of rest and time to prepare for this showdown with the Texans.

Houston followed up what the Colts did by going into Arrowhead and winning a good, old-fashioned shootout against the Chiefs. Like Indianapolis, the Texans rode their ground game to victory, so it will be interesting to see how these teams match up against each other at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Baltimore Ravens (4-2) at Seattle Seahawks (5-1)

The next game we look at is a great showdown in Seattle between the Baltimore Ravens and Seahawks. Each team is coming off of a Week 6 win, and the efforts were quite different.

Seattle went on the road to deal with a pesky Browns team, with the game going back and forth most of the way before Russell Wilson drove the Seahawks down the field late for the winning touchdown. Wilson continued his MVP-caliber play in the game, throwing for 295 yards and two touchdowns while running for 31 yards and another score.

The Ravens fell behind winless Cincinnati early when the Bengals returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, but controlled the game after that. The Bengals did make it close late, but the Ravens held on for a six-point win to improve to 4-2.

This will also be the first career showdown between Wilson and Lamar Jackson, who has the potential to be a Wilson-esque player in his career. Playing in Seattle won’t be easy, so seeing how Jackson deals with the 12th Man and the incredible noise at CenturyLink Field will be fun.

Philadelphia Eagles (3-3) at Dallas Cowboys (3-3)

We go back to Sunday Night Football for our last game of the week, and it is a showdown for first place in the NFC East. The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles enter this game coming off of losses, but the heat will definitely be on for Dallas.

The Cowboys have dropped three straight games after their 3-0 start, including a 24-22 defeat on Sunday at the hands of the previously winless Jets. The Jets jumped out to a 21-6 lead in that game, the second consecutive game in which Dallas fell way behind early and couldn’t quite rally back to secure a victory.

The Eagles ran into a different buzzsaw in Minnesota, where the Vikings torched them for a 38-20  win. Stefon Diggs simply couldn’t be contained by the banged-up Eagles’ secondary, catching seven passes for 167 yards and three touchdowns.

Injuries could be a factor in this game, with Dallas facing questions surrounding the availability of Amari Cooper, two starting offensive tackles and several defenders. The Eagles’ secondary is still a mess, so health could the key to claiming first place in the NFC East.