It is Week 7 in the National Football League, as the league returns to having only four teams on the bye rather than six. Earlier in the week, I highlighted some quarterback injuries that will play a major role in determining the results of several games this week. Hearing that Kurt Warner and Vince Young are game-time decisions gets to be confusing. Warner could play through the pain in his left elbow without it getting worse, but that may affect his overall performance on the field. Meanwhile, Young could risk a more severe injury if he plays, but Tennessee can't afford to drop a game in the AFC South.

Here are three factoids that I'm looking forward to this week:

• Priest Holmes & Michael Bennett: It seemed to come out of no where, as within a flash the roles of Michael Bennett and Priest Holmes changed dramatically. With the Chiefs, Bennett rarely saw action since Larry Johnson is a workhorse back. With his talent clearly there, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are surely going to try and include him in the offense as soon as possible. Whether that is this week or next week remains to be seen. In Holmes' case, his name wasn't even mentioned over the first six weeks of the season. Holmes may not be able to return to his old form, but something inside me wants to see what will happen with the very first touch he receives.

• Playing It Smart in San Diego: I'm sure the San Diego Chargers are anxious to get Chris Chambers involved in the offense, but that can't let that thought overshadow what is going to win them football games: LaDainian Tomlinson. The Chargers took a 14-0 lead last week after running it with Tomlinson, only to see Rivers make a horrible throw across the field that was intercepted for a touchdown by the Oakland Raiders.

• Two Halves in New Orleans: Last week, we saw the Saints play very well in the first half, only to see almost no production from the offense in the second half. The Saints have a great chance to make their push in the NFC South with a win over the Falcons.

Now, let's start off this week's predictions with the games of the week...

GAMES OF THE WEEK

ERASING ALL DOUBT

Indianapolis Colts vs. Jacksonville Jaguars. After so much hype over last week's contest between the New England Patriots and the Dallas Cowboys, it's a shame that this game isn't being treated the same way. Although it was great to see two of the best teams in the NFL go head-to-head last week, the intensity for the Jacksonville Jaguars will go beyond what either team could have brought in last week's showcase. Year after year, the Jaguars have had their chance to take the Colts. Last year, Jacksonville beat Indianapolis at home but were unable to make a serious run at the division lead. This weekend, Jacksonville has a chance to do the same thing, but take the division lead.

That'll be easier said than done against the Colts, whose three losses last season came on the road in divisional games. The Colts have already defeated the Titans and the Texans on the road this year and will be looking for the trifecta against the Jaguars. Well rested off of the bye week, the Colts will see the return of Marvin Harrison and Joseph Addai, despite the fact that the offense is so good that they could survive most games without them. David Garrard has been mistake free for the Jaguars, while Maurice-Jones Drew is finally breaking out like he did last season. Both teams have momentum on their sides, but the difference will be Peyton Manning's ability to quickly will his team from behind when needed. Colts 27, Jaguars 24

CONFIDENCE RULES EVERYTHING

Minnesota Vikings vs. Dallas Cowboys. You'd better believe that after the awe-inspiring performance Adrian Peterson had last week against the defending NFC Champions, the Vikings are going to believe they can win this football game. Everybody on the Cowboys is boasting confidence as well, but the fact remains that Tony Romo played horrible two weeks ago against the Bills and only about average against the Patriots last week. That won't be the Romo we'll see this week though, pitted up against the 32nd ranked pass defense in the NFL. With that said, it doesn't mean that the Vikings' defense won't give Dallas any problems.

The Vikings are an example of a team that has its defensive ranking skewed because they are very good at stopping the opposing teams from running the football. On the same note, if they had an overwhelming secondary, then they'd be taken more seriously like the Patriots and Buccaneers are. Adrian Peterson isn't as good of a matchup against the Cowboys' solid run defense this week, and although he should have an impact again, this will be one of the week's where the weakness of the passing game is highlighted. Cowboys 30, Vikings 14

TOP PLAYERS MISSING IN ACTION

Tennessee Titans vs. Houston Texans. With both teams missing their top players, at least in terms of "high-profile" players, this contest won't be as exciting as it could be, which is a shame considering the competitiveness both teams have brought to the table this year. The Texans were hoping to see the return of Andre Johnson this week, who was able to stretch the field for Matt Schaub the first few weeks of the season. Ahman Green returned to action last week as an upgrade over Ron Dayne and Samkon Gado, but several key mistakes -- like Andre Davis fumbling the ball right before he got into the end zone -- sealed the Texans' fate.

Now then, what will the Titans do without quarterback Vince Young? In actuality, Young will be a game-time decision, but I don't see him being near full strength if he plays. Young has not thrived throwing the football this year, and a quadriceps injury would take away the threat of him running the football. As much as he wants to play in familiar territory, I expect the start to go to veteran Kerry Collins. After practicing all week, Collins should be more prepared, but he won't be able to do enough to get Tennessee a much-needed victory. Texans 17, Titans 13

KNOCKOUT BLOW

Chicago Bears vs. Philadelphia Eagles. Both teams were expected to be strong contenders in the NFC this season, but their records are not even average at this point. Both teams have teased the possibility of turning around -- the Bears did it against the Packers two weeks ago and the Eagles did it last week against the New York Jets. This game comes down to who is healthy, and that's clearly the Eagles. The Bears were embarrassed by Adrian Peterson last week, and if he made them shake their heads, Brian Westbrook is going to do more of the same. Despite putting up only 16 points last week, the Eagles' offense showed signs of heading in the right direction.

Brian Griese has done a good job as the Bears' quarterback the past two weeks -- better than Rex Grossman probably would have done -- but it's the defense that's not getting the job done. The only reason the Bears were partially in the game last week was due to Devin Hester, who has a long punt return for a touchdown and over an 80-yard reception for a touchdown. The Bears would be wise to heave it deep to Hester several times against the Eagles, if for nothing more than to keep it a threat and open up some holes for Cedric Benson on the ground. The chances of Chicago executing that to perfection aren't very good. Eagles 28, Bears 21

REST OF THE WEEK

Baltimore Ravens vs. Buffalo Bills. Coming off of the bye week, the Bills will try to match the fantastic performance they had against the Dallas Cowboys two weeks ago before completely blowing their lead in the final minutes of the game. After the Baltimore Ravens' defense has torn apart the San Francisco 49ers and the St. Louis Rams the past two weeks, they'll be ready for a shot at rookie quarterback Trent Edwards. Unlike the past few weeks though, the Ravens could actually be in trouble on the road. Among the questionable players are Ray Lewis, Chris McAlister, Jonathan Ogden, Mike Flynn, and Todd Heap. The Ravens aren't as good as their record shows due to the weak competition they've faced, and the Bills know how to play teams tough at home. Bills 20, Ravens 17

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Detroit Lions. After Mike Martz' offense was held to just a field goal by the Washington Redskins prior to their bye week, he's had two whole weeks to cook up a gameplan against the tough Buccaneers defense. One of the underrated players returning to full strength is wide receiver Calvin Johnson, who had been explosive up until his injury. Jeff Garcia has been flawless this season, and although Tampa Bay has had a lot of troubles in the ground game, the Lions don't feature a strong enough of a defense to shut down what the Buccaneers throw at them. In what is a very difficult game to pick, I'll bank on the Lions outshooting the Bucs. Lions 31, Buccaneers 27

New England Patriots vs. Miami Dolphins. It's really not worth mentioning how much the Patriots should dominate this game. Therefore, I'll discuss that out of all the teams in the NFL, the Dolphins are the team that have actually had New England's number somewhat during the regular season. Much of Brady's issues in the past has resulted from poor games throwing the football, but that doesn't seem possible in a year in which he's on pace to break the touchdown record. If New England puts together a big lead by the third quarter, I wouldn't be surprised to see New England focus on running the ball with Brady on the sidelines. Patriots 28, Dolphins 6

San Francisco 49ers vs. New York Giants. Without Alex Smith back in the lineup, the 49ers are in danger of dropping their fourth straight game without being able to put up much of a fight. The Giants are getting better and better every week on both sides of the ball. Eli Manning is playing very well, Plaxico Burress is having the best season for a receiver in the NFC, the ground game works with anyone inserted into the lineup, and the defense is exhibiting punishment on opposing quarterbacks. The Giants won't have to respect the 49ers' passing game, and that will again limit the potential of Frank Gore. Giants 21, 49ers 13

Atlanta Falcons vs. New Orleans Saints. The Falcons have quickly groomed quarterback Byron Leftwich for his first start of the season, but how much of a difference will he make over Joey Harrington? I certainly agree with the change, but one of the biggest problems with Atlanta is that their running game has basically gone from first to worst in a matter of a few seasons. Warrick Dunn is almost non-existent in the lineup, while youngster Jerious Norwood isn't getting the amount of carries he should be getting. The Saints will suddenly find themselves back in business this week with their second straight win, possibly being only two games back of the division lead in a best-case scenario. Saints 34, Falcons 20

Arizona Cardinals vs. Washington Redskins. Earlier, I mentioned that Calvin Johnson returning to the Detroit Lions was a low-key, yet very important fact to consider this week. The Cardinals are in a similar situation, instead involving the return of wide receiver Anquan Boldin. Larry Fitzgerald has played very well during his absence, but having both of them on the field really opens up the offense to its maximum potential. With one big plus comes one big negative though: quarterback Kurt Warner is a game-time decision, and signs are pointing towards Tim Rattay getting the start. That doesn't sound very good to me for Arizona on the road against a very good Redskins team looking to correct some fundamental errors from a week ago. Redskins 26, Cardinals 16

New York Jets vs. Cincinnati Bengals. Supposedly, the Bengals are "past" all of their troubles. No more arguing on the sidelines. No more excuses. Just playing football. That sounds an awful lot like what the Chargers and Saints echoed earlier this season, but if you can't block up front, you're not going to get it done against the best of the best in the NFL. The Bengals aren't playing a strong team this week though, as the Jets have played just as bad, if not worse than the Bengals have. This may be the final straw for Chad Pennington, but an average day from him won't be enough for a victory. Bengals 28, Jets 17

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Oakland Raiders. So much was said about the Oakland Raiders defense entering this season, mainly the secondary, but things have been rather quiet for a unit with first-round picks across the board. It's tough to say that Larry Johnson is "back", because he did very well against the Chargers on the road, only to be shut out by the Jaguars the following week, only to come back and shred the Bengals last week. The Chiefs' defense has been getting a lot of pressure on opposing quarterbacks, but they'll be up against a well-balanced running attack from the Oakland Raiders. The problem comes down to the quarterback position -- Daunte Culpepper needs to step his game up. I'll lean against that. Chiefs 20, Raiders 16

St. Louis Rams vs. Seattle Seahawks. While I wouldn't be completely surprised to see the Dolphins go winless this year, I don't expect the Rams to continue on without a win for very much longer. Quarterback Marc Bulger will start this Sunday against the Seahawks and has looked sharp in practice according to head coach Scott Linehan. It seems like a slap in the face to go against the Seahawks against a winless team, but with the way they've played, I've quickly lost a lot of faith in them. A week after laying an egg in their "Super Bowl re-match" against the Steelers, they were pretty much dominated by a winless Saints team last week. It may be a stretch, but I'm picking the Seahawks to lose to a winless team for the second straight week. Rams 27, Seahawks 17

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Denver Broncos. The NFL isn't finished with Travis Henry yet, but until the league states otherwise, the Denver Broncos are going to milk him for all he's worth. Denver took a major blow offensively this week after Javon Walker had knee surgery, which will keep him out of action for six weeks. Who is going to step up in Walker's place? Brandon Stokley? The Steelers blew out the Seahawks 21-0 without Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes, Troy Polamalu, or Casey Hampton. Having all of those weapons back, I'd project Willie Parker to have his best game of the season in a game that'll be closer than it should be. Steelers 21, Broncos 17

SURVIVOR PICK

Last week, I picked up my second survivor victory in a row when the Cleveland Browns defeated the Miami Dolphins. It may make sense to pick against another winless team this week, but I'd prefer to save New England, and I'm already picking St. Louis in an upset over the Seahawks. If there's one thing I don't see though, it's the Bengals losing to the Jets. The Jets were the reason I ended my survivor pick (I picked them to win three weeks ago), so let's hope they don't get the better of me twice.

STATISTICS

Predictions Record to Date: 59-30 (Having an odd number of wins makes it look ugly.)
Last Week: 9-4 (Would've been nice to crack 10 wins again.)
Survivor Streak: Won 2 (Min over Atl, Den over Oak, Car over Atl, [NYJ over Buf], Ari over StL, and Cle over Mia.)

If you're looking for a baseball prediction, I still like the Cleveland Indians to head to the World Series over the Boston Red Sox in Game 7 tomorrow.