Seven questions for NFL Week 7: Will Adam Vinateri become NFL's all-time leading scorer?
With most NFL teams already more than a third of the way through the regular season, reality is beginning to set in as the unbridled optimism of the offseason fades.
October is when franchises begin to take action. While the pressure from previous weeks might have seemed undue, teams now have a large enough sample size to trigger significant shakeups (see: the Buccaneers' firing of defensive coordinator Mike Smith). And with the trade deadline closing in at the end of the month, this week could help many front offices decide whether to make a move in the near future.
Here are seven questions that will shape Week 7:
1. Will another record be broken? Adam Vinatieri breaking the NFL's all-time scoring record is all but a fait accompli, as the Colts kicker is just 10 points away from surpassing Morten Andersen's mark of 2,544. Vinatieri, who three weeks ago eclipsed Andersen's record for field goals in a career, has reached a dougle-digit point total in a single game three times this season, the same number of instances the Bills have allowed that sum to an opposing kicker. Breaking both the mark and a four-game losing skid would give Indianapolis' fans a much needed reason to cheer.
2. Is an entertaining London game finally emerging? Our friends across the pond might be due an apology for the NFL's track record of exporting subpar on-field displays. Not only have the 23 games played in London never featured a matchup between two winning teams (a streak that would be broken next week if both the Eagles and Jaguars win Sunday,) but sloppy play and blowouts have been all too common.
The showdown between the Titans and Chargers looks to be a step up from the Seahawks' rout of the Raiders last week, though competitive balance could still be hard to come by. After Marcus Mariota was sacked 11 times by the Ravens in Week 6, Melvin Ingram and the rest of Los Angeles' pass rush could provide quite the pre-Halloween scare for Tennessee. Meanwhile, the Chargers' electric running back tandem of Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler seem likely to pose problems for a Titans defense that ranks 26th against the run. But if both teams can provide some entertainment in the early window, it would be a significant win for the league both at home and abroad.
3. Can Khalil Mack make life difficult for Tom Brady? Bill Belichick doesn't have to indulge comparisons of the Bears' star pass rusher to Lawrence Taylor in order to acknowledge his importance. There's little question that the Patriots coach will show the former defensive player of the year proper respect with his game plan.
Mack suffered an ankle injury in the Bears' overtime loss to the Dolphins last week, the first game this season in which he was held without a sack. With right tackle Marcus Cannon (or LaAdrian Waddle, should Cannon not be cleared to play after suffering a concussion last week) little match for Mack, the Patriots might take a page from their AFC East rival by employing frequent double teams and using running backs and tight ends for chip blocks. But Brady still might have to have a quick trigger and take advantage of Julian Edelman, though the slot standout will have an intriguing matchup with Bryce Callahan. Establishing the run game with rookie Sony Michel, who looks comfortable in a bell-cow role after logging 67 carries for 316 yards in the last three weeks, would also help.
4. Is the AFC better than the NFC? This will be an open debate for at least another month, but any preseason notion that the NFC was the much deeper conference has taken on a significant amount of water. The AFC is 13-11 against NFC clubs in 2018, and 13-8 when throwing out contests against the undefeated Rams. Week 7 could be illuminating given seven of the 14 matchups are of the inter-conference variety.
5. Will Drew Brees continue burnishing his Hall of Fame résumé? The Saints quarterback takes the field for the first time since overtaking both Brett Favre and Peyton Manning to become the NFL's all-time leading passer. Next up: Brees' 500th career TD pass — his next TD pass — which will give him entry into one of the NFL's most exclusive clubs along with Manning, Favre and Brady. But Brees will be facing Baltimore's top-ranked defense while trying to make the Ravens the final NFL team he defeats. (Brees beat New Orleans in 2004, the only time he faced the Saints, when he was still a member of the Chargers.)
6. Which aspiring AFC contender bounces back in prime time? Moving on from the Jimmy Garoppolo-less 49ers wasn't the only reason for this week's Sunday Night Football switch. With the Bengals and Chiefs flexed into the spot, the evening will be capped by a meeting between two teams atop their respective divisions (the Bengals are tied with the Ravens in the AFC North but won their earlier clash) looking to get back on track after a disappointing loss to a league power (Kansas City to New England, Cincinnati to Pittsburgh) last week.
After their pass rush disappeared against the Steelers, the Bengals will need Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap to dial up more pressure against Patrick Mahomes to help cover for the 29th-ranked defense. But the Chiefs have given up the most passing yards (2,042) through six games of any team since 1940. With safety Eric Berry and linebacker Justin Houston appearing no closer to a return, Andy Dalton could have plenty of big-play opportunities for A.J. Green and Tyler Boyd.
7. Can the Cowboys triumph in an away game? Dallas has a clear split this season: 3-0 at home, 0-3 on the road. Breaking that trend in a trip to face the rival Redskins would give the Cowboys a leg up in the muddled NFC East.
Dak Prescott has a 4-0 career record against Washington, but Dallas' offense is still trying to find its way even after a breakout performance last week in a 40-7 win over the Jaguars. Replicating Prescott's running production (82 yards on 11 carries) could open things up, though safety valve Cole Beasley seems to be re-emerging as a favorite target after hauling in nine catches for 101 yards and two touchdowns last week. Washington's fifth-ranked defense, however, will be focused on stopping Ezekiel Elliott as the unit appears to have made strides from 2017, when it finished last against the run.
Follow Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz and Nate Davis on Twitter @mikemschwartz and @ByNateDavis.