If you’re lucky enough to have Chicago Bears tickets you don’t want to miss this game against the Minnesota Vikings. Or maybe you do. After dropping two winnable games in the last quarter the last two weeks the Bears have their backs against the wall. The Vikings on the other hand have been winning, although not convincingly enough to keep fans from crying for a coaching change. A solid win is a necessity for both teams and that should make this game worth seeing.
The Dallas Cowboys seem to have a breather on their hands with the St. Louis Rams. It’s going to be interesting to see whether Jim Haslett can keep his Rams riding the high of their win over Washington. With everything that’s been happening in Dallas a distracted Cowboys team might be ready for the plucking.
On the AFC side the Buffalo Bills get a boost with the return of Trent Edwards and a bye week. The Bills still have something to prove as their leading the division seems to be something of a mirage to most people. The San Diego Chargers on the other hand, find themselves in a familiar spot, recovering from a bad start. There’s just something wrong on the Chargers defense though, something more than the loss of Merriman. Still, it’s going to be up to the Bills D to disrupt the groove of Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers to win this one.
The New Orleans Saints vs. Carolina Panthers in Carolina should also be a top priority. The Saints are coming off of their best game of the season against the Raiders and hope to have both Marques Colston and Jeremy Shockey back. Carolina is trying to rebound after being blasted by the Bucs 27-3 in their worst showing of the year. Look for the Panthers to try and get the running game working against a defense that held Adrian Peterson in check but is still vulnerable in the passing game. If Carolina gets Jake Delholme hot the Saints are in trouble. If Drew Brees even approaches the numbers he racked up against Oakland the Panthers are going down. So, while it seems the QB’s are the key, I’m saying the defenses will really make this game.