NFL Week 7: Jerry is still selling, but nobody will be buying if Cowboys lose Sunday

With one game down in Week 7 and 12 more to go on Sunday and Monday, Sporting News' network of NFL correspondents examines a hot topic for every team:
Never mind the stuff owner Jerry Jones is saying about the Dallas Cowboys still being in the thick of the Super Bowl chase.
Coach Jason Garrett and the players in the locker room aren't lying to themselves about their situation heading into Sunday's contest at Carolina (1-4). This is as close to a must-win game as you can get at this point in the season.
With tougher matchups coming against the Giants (4-2) at home next Sunday followed by road games against the Falcons (6-0) and Eagles (3-3), the Cowboys (2-3) can ill afford to lose their third straight game.
Not only would they lose momentum, confidence and ground in the standings, but they would be facing a wheels-coming-off situation. Instead of competing for a championship, the Cowboys would find themselves competing for the No. 1 pick in the draft.
— Clarence Hill

AFC East

Buffalo Bills: The Bills made a good low-risk move in bringing back Shawne Merriman. It’s difficult to find pass rushers in the NFL, and anything Merriman can provide the Bills will be a bonus. He has enjoyed playing in Buffalo, where the national spotlight does not shine too bright. Merriman can provide veteran leadership to a young player like Kyle Moore, the man who beat him out for a job in training camp. The Bills will be able to use Merriman as a situational pass rusher, giving him a chance to showcase himself to the rest of the league in hopes of finding an expanded role elsewhere next season. It’s a good fit for both parties. — Jay Skurski
Miami Dolphins: Reggie Bush still wants to lead the NFL in rushing, but at this pace he might not even make it to 1,000 yards. Even though he has 434 rushing yards this year and is on pace for 1,157, he has not been productive since injuring his knee four weeks ago against the Jets. He has just 132 yards over his last three games, including just 17 yards on 12 carries last week against St. Louis, as teams stack the box and dare Ryan Tannehill to beat them. Unless teams start showing Tannehill's arm more respect, Bush isn't going to have a lot of room to run this season. — Ben Volin
New England Patriots: At 3-3, the Patriots find themselves in pretty unfamiliar territory. But while they have gotten off to a rocky start, what their stumbles have done is give hope to the other AFC East teams. Everybody is 3-3, and members of the Dolphins and Bills are saying they have a chance to win the AFC East. The division has been New England’s domain for over a decade, and with the Jets coming to Foxborough on Sunday, the Patriots must make a statement against their rivals—not just for the team’s psyche but also to re-assert they are top dogs in the AFC East. — Shalise Manza Young
New York Jets: Jets coach Rex Ryan floated the idea Thursday that Tim Tebow might play some running back Sunday against New England, given that the Jets are banged up at the position. It’s hard to tell if Ryan was being sincere or simply engaging in gamesmanship. Other than his 3-for-3 success on fake punts, Tebow remains a gimmick for the Jets rather than a viable weapon. And New England limited the Tebow-led Denver offense to 20 points in the last seven quarters of their two games last season. — J.P.Pelzman

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens: Regardless of when Pro Bowl outside linebacker Terrell Suggs steps on the field, he won't have any immediate impact soon. Suggs returned to practice Wednesday and the game plan is to take it slow as he attempts to fully recover from a torn right Achilles’ tendon. Slow means playing perhaps five plays in the first game and maybe 10 in the second or third. One thing for sure, he won't be taking 20 or 30 snaps in a game any time soon. Suggs' return might be more of a morale booster at this point for a team that recently lost two of its top players, linebacker Ray Lewis and cornerback Lardarius Webb, for the season with injuries. — Mike Preston
Cincinnati Bengals: With the Steelers having a depleted offensive line, the Sunday night matchup could be a big game for the Bengals’ pass rush to continue an impressive four-week run. They have 15 sacks over the past four weeks. The one area they could exploit is at right tackle as Steelers rookie Mike Adams makes his first NFL start and will be going up against end Carlos Dunlap, who is still looking to get back on track after missing the first two games with a knee injury. Defensive tackle Geno Atkins already has six sacks and could have a field day if center Maurkice Pouncey is out. — Joe Reedy
Cleveland Browns: Fool me twice? Running back Trent Richardson went from missing the preseason (after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery) to taking on a full workload in the season opener. Overall, his production has been ordinary (3.6 yards per carry). Now that he is coming off a rib injury, he should share the load with Montario Hardesty, especially given Hardesty’s zesty work in last week’s win over Cincinnati. A 1-5 team has plenty of time to “slow cook” Richardson into a role as a franchise back. Hardesty might be on the verge of proving he is a valuable all-around back. — Steve Doerschuk
Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers used first-round picks twice in the past four years to draft defensive ends—Ziggy Hood in 2009 and Cameron Heyward in 2011. Considering what the Steelers ask their defensive linemen to do and how they are expected to play in the 3-4 scheme, they wasted those picks—not to mention a lot of money. The Steelers ask their ends to play a two-gap style in which they engage offensive linemen at the point of attack and try to keep blockers away from the linebackers. That approach has been very successful for the team and doesn’t need to be changed. But why use a first-round pick on a player who will be stripped of the style that made him a top pick and transformed into a player whose sole responsibility is to hold his ground at the point of attack? You can select those players in the late rounds, which is where the Steelers found Aaron Smith (fourth round) and Brett Keisel (seventh round). — Gerry Dulac

AFC South

Houston Texans: With inside linebacker Brian Cushing on injured reserve, defensive end J.J. Watt must set the tempo with his intensity and passion. Watt is off to an outstanding start in his second season. He leads the team with 48 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 16 tackles for loss, 15 quarterback hits, eight pass deflections and two fumble recoveries. In the AFC showdown against Baltimore on Sunday, Watt has to help contain running back Ray Rice and put pressure on quarterback Joe Flacco and see if he can extend his sack streak to seven games. — John McClain
Indianapolis Colts: The burden for lifting the team to .500 rests squarely with rookie quarterback Andrew Luck and the offense Sunday against the Browns. The defensive front is crippled by injuries, which likely will contribute to a pair of Cleveland rookies—Trent Richardson and B randon Weeden—enjoying solid afternoons. That means the Luck-led offense has to be efficient and productive. It’s coming off a lackluster, no-TD loss to the Jets and a repeat performance won’t cut it. Sunday doesn’t need to turn into a track meet with the one-win Browns, but it can’t be another case of playing from behind. Luck needs to lead drives and generate points. — Mike Chappell
Jacksonville Jaguars: Less than a year ago, Jaguars’ defensive coordinator Mel Tucker was the team’s interim head coach and a strong candidate to replace the fired Jack Del Rio. Now if things don’t turn around for his 29th-ranked defense, he could find himself looking for employment. Tucker, who was handpicked for his current role in 2009 by general manager, has seen his unit take a drastic downturn this season after finishing sixth in total defense last year. The Jaguars have the NFL’s worst pass rush (three sacks), struggle to stop the run (4.7 yards per attempt) and have the third-fewest takeaways (five) in the NFL. Tucker turned down an offer from the Vikings to be their defensive coordinator so that he could stay with the Jaguars—a decision that is looking more suspect as this season wears on. — Gene Frenette
Tennessee Titans: The Titans have either been really good—or really bad—during the first six games of the 2012 season. Coming off a rousing victory against the Steelers, Sunday’s game at Buffalo will go a long way toward telling everyone whether they’ll be contenders or pretenders the rest of the way. In all four of their losses, the Titans were beaten by at least three touchdowns. On the road, they’ve been outscored by a whopping total of 106-31 in losses at San Diego, Houston and Minnesota. The schedule seemingly gets easier from this point on for the Titans—in their final 10 games, just two of their opponents currently have a winning record. But a meltdown Sunday at Buffalo could pave the way for a long November and December in Nashville. This Sunday, we’ll find out what the Titans are made of. — Jim Wyatt

AFC West 

Denver Broncos: So high are the expectations for pass rushers Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil that when one of them goes two games without a sack—as Dumervil did at the season's outset—Broncos fans are alarmed. But over the long haul, both have delivered, combining for 11 sacks through six games—six for Miller, five for Dumervil. Even though Denver has played from two or more scores behind much of the season, Denver's 1-2 edge-rushing punch has delivered as advertised, and Miller and Dumervil are on pace to become the first duo in nine years with at least 13 sacks apiece. Should Denver solve its first half woes and force opposing quarterbacks to go vertical and take more time in the pocket, the two would become even more lethal—and could become the most prolific edge-rushing pair for a single season in recent NFL history. — Andrew Mason
Kansas City Chiefs: Brady Quinn should start instead of Matt Cassel when the Chiefs return to action following their bye next Sunday against the Raiders. The Chiefs need to find out whether Quinn could be the long-term solution to their problems at quarterback, and his one-game trial last week against Tampa Bay wasn’t a big enough sample of his work. Cassel has made little if any progress since joining the Chiefs in 2009, and the club can no longer look at him as their quarterback of the future. — Adam Teicher
Oakland Raiders: The Raiders need to find a way to incorporate No. 3 quarterback Terrelle Pryor into the offense, even if it means playing him at another position. Carson Palmer is the unquestioned starter, with Matt Leinart the primary backup. Still, Pryor showed during the exhibition games that his size, speed and improvisational skills are superior. He routinely turned broken plays into positive ones, including a 59-yard run. It’s time for the Raiders to use Pryor in a special package of plays, in much the way the Jets use Tim Tebow and the 49ers use Colin Kaepernick. — Steve Corkran
San Diego Chargers: The Chargers must put more pressure on the quarterback moving forward. In their last game, Shaun Phillips reached Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning once with a hit, and according to Pro Football Focus, that was the extent of the pressure caused by the 3-4 defense's outside linebackers—zero sacks, zero hurries and zero quarterback hits in 51 other individual pass rush attempts. Manning can make it tough on defenses with short drops and a quick release, but that hasn't stopped Chargers defenses in the past from pressuring him. It's a must-improve area. — Michael Gehlken

NFC East

New York Giants: Defensive tackle Chris Canty is going to make a noticeable and perhaps immediate impact in the defensive line. He missed the first six games on the physically unable to perform list following knee surgery, but he’s slimmed down and is now in great shape. Candy is the perfect complement inside to Linval Joseph, and Canty will help keep the double-teams away from the heralded defensive ends, who were all off to slow starts without Canty before breaking out last week against the 49ers. Canty expects to make his 2012 debut Sunday against the Redskins. — Paul Schwartz
Philadelphia Eagles: There’s a difference between having the respect of your peers and having their confidence. Juan Castillo is widely respected among NFL circles for being tireless in his craft. But much of the reputation was cultivated as an offensive line coach, not as a defensive coordinator. His players publicly supported him through tough times but privately never expressed full confidence that Castillo could match wits each week against some of the league’s top offensive minds. Todd Bowles, who replaced Castillo as defensive coordinator, is widely respected but also has the resume of defensive coaching that Castillo lacked. That alone carries more weight in the locker room and should manifest in the players’ attitudes and preparation going forward. — Geoff Mosher
Washington Redskins: One reason the Redskins have fared well against Eli Manning the past two seasons stems from their ability to pressure the passer and also cause a little hesitation in the veteran quarterback. In the last four games vs. Washington, Manning has thrown one touchdown pass and six interceptions. Last season, when the Redskins swept New York, they sacked Manning seven times. The only way they'll win Sunday at East Rutherford, N.J., is by following a similar formula. The problem is that Manning is getting rid of the ball quickly and hasn't been sacked in the last 13 quarters. — John Keim

NFC North

Chicago Bears: The biggest question about the Bears' 4-1 start might not be their specific offensive or defensive performances, but whether they can stand up and go head to head against a team in a four-quarter game and emerge with a close verdict. They haven't done that yet—their four victories were lopsided games and they lost by 13 to Green Bay. Detroit almost always plays tight games. The Bears will likely find out Monday night whether they have the stomach to win the tight battles that usually determine playoff teams. — Gene Chamberlain
Detroit Lions: Nate Burleson caught flak this week for saying the Lions snapped their three-game losing streak because they got back to being bad guys again. That comment didn’t sit well with everyone, but Burleson was right. The Lions were too buttoned-up with their approach the first month of the season. In last week’s win, they played looser and with the edge that became their identity a season ago. With little room for error, the Lions can’t afford another 16-penalty game. But more than anything, they need to stay aggressive and dictate play offensively and defensively Monday in Chicago. — Dave Birkett
Green Bay Packers: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers used a perceived media attack on him and the team to fuel his six-touchdown performance against Houston last week. So, what's he going to use this week at St. Louis? If it takes some media criticism to inspire him to play like that, he's going to be in trouble this week because everyone is raving about his play against the Texans. Rodgers can continue to manufacture the chip on his shoulder, but at some point he just needs to play. It was a nice little ploy for a big game against the Texans, but it's not going to play much longer. Rodgers has to stick with a simplified offense where he trusts his receivers and doesn't hold the ball so long. There's much more to worry about than a little bit of media criticism. — Tom Silverstein
Minnesota Vikings: There’s no excuse for offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave underutilizing Percy Harvin in the red zone going forward. Harvin, the most dynamic and versatile talent in the league, was in on only four of the nine first quarter red-zone snaps in last week’s loss at Washington. And he didn’t touch the ball in those four snaps. So it’s no surprise the Vikings settled for three field goals and a 9-0 lead in a game they were dominating. Musgrave said underutilizing Harvin in the red zone was something he “wasn’t proud of.” He just has to make he doesn’t do it again. — Mark Craig

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons: There were stunned looks all around the Georgia Dome when Matt Bryant ran out on the field to attempt a 20-year field goal in the third quarter last week against the Raiders. The Falcons, owners of a once-proud power running attack, were stopped from 1 1/2 yard line and the team had to settle for three. After cutting Pro Bowl fullback Ovie Mughelli and converting to a pass-first scheme, the Falcons’ short-yardage attack has regressed. The beginning of the problem can be traced to the knee injury suffered by Mughelli last season and then his eventual release. “We’ve got to be able to score a touchdown when your drive starts on the 1 1/2-yard line,” coach Mike Smith said. The Falcons need to use their iPhone. Hit the Siri button and say, “Call Ovie Mughelli.” — D. Orlando Ledbetter
Carolina Panthers: The Panthers were one of the youngest teams in the league two years ago. But they're beginning to show their age in certain spots. Cornerback Chris Gamble can't shake a shoulder injury, and Pro Bowl linebacker Jon Beason is an old 27, thanks to injuries. It's time to put Luke Kuechly at middle linebacker and start using their expensive pair of tailbacks if the Panthers hope to salvage the season. Kuechly played well when Beason was sidelined against Seattle, coming up with an interception and making stops all over the field. And offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski has to get running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart more involved. — Joe Person
New Orleans Saints: In the offseason, guard Carl Nicks decided to leave the Saints for the Buccaneers and a record payday of $9.5 million per year. The Saints replaced him with another Pro Bowler in Ben Grubbs, who has been decent this year. But so far, the entire Saints running game has been dismal, ranking 30th in the NFL at 75.2 yards per game, thanks to a combination of ineffective schemes and inconsistent execution. A top priority Sunday against the Bucs will be to ratchet up the running game. The Saints need to prove they can be successful without Nicks. And more important, they need to prove that Nicks left the better team behind. So far, the Bucs are a game ahead of the Saints in the NFC South standings—and the Saints need to draw even on Sunday if they have any hope of salvaging the season. — Mike Triplett
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Quarterback Josh Freeman has to get better at completing short and intermediate passes. Freeman has found a comfort zone throwing the deep ball, but he’s struggling to hit some of the routine throws and that’s keeping him from taking advantage of what defenses give him. Freeman does a good job of going through his progressions, but when he settles on a throw, he has a tendency to hurry through the mechanics of the pass and that’s costing him valuable completions and yards. — Roy Cummings

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals: Scoring 20 points. It doesn't seem like much of a goal, and for many football teams, it's not. But if the Cardinals’ offense can manage to get to that milestone in a game, chances are the team is going to win. The defense is playing well, giving up fewer than 20 points in all but one game this season. So the Cardinals don't need their offense to be great, just competent. But accomplishing that is harder than it sounds. It's going to require the offensive line and other pass protectors to provide far better protection than they have to this point. And the running game must become good enough to at least be a threat. That's going to hard to achieve without Beanie Wells and Ryan Williams, who are out with injuries. — Kent Somers
St. Louis Rams: So who needs Gregg Williams anyway? The defensive improvement this season has been astounding under the "committee" approach of linebackers coach Blake Williams (Gregg's son), assistant head coach Dave McGinnis, head coach Jeff Fisher and the rest of the defensive staff. The Rams haven't had a top-10 defense since their 2001 Super Bowl squad. But six games into the 2012 campaign, they've got one now. With Green Bay and New England up next, we'll see how far they've really come. — Jim Thomas
San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers got back on track after a wobbly first half against the Seahawks by returning to their tough-guy, run-first roots. They got away from that against the Giants and in a woeful second quarter Thursday night vs. Seattle. They opened huge holes in the second half against the league’s No. 2-ranked run defense—a very good sign for a team that expects to be playing games in January when defenses are fatigued. — Matt Barrows
Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks have faced some of the league's most powerful offenses from Green Bay, which led the league in scoring last year, to New England, which led the league in scoring this year. But Seattle's only three losses this year have come against division opponents that have a similar emphasis on stingy defense and conservative offense. It points to the troublesome fact that Seattle's below-average offense with rookie Russell Wilson becomes untenably inept against a good defense. On Thursday in San Francisco, Seattle ran one play on the 49ers' half of the field in the second half.