NFL update

Week 7's Key Matchups

Time: 1 p.m.
Line: Dolphins by 3.
Comments: Dolphins RB Ronnie Brown leads AFC with seven touchdowns . . . Brown and the reborn Ricky Williams have combined for 571 yards . . . Miami's lone victory of '07 came against Baltimore . . . Dolphins coach last season was Cam Cameron, who is now Ravens offensive coordinator . . . Chad Pennington is first Dolphin QB with three straight 100-plus passer-rating games since Dan Marino (1994) . . . Ravens rookie QB Joe Flacco has one TD pass and seven INTs but gets to face the 29th-ranked passing defense . . . Baltimore has 11 sacks and seven INTs and hasn't allowed a 100-yard rusher in 24 games.
Key injuries: RAVENS: OUT: WR Yamon Figurs (knee), S Dawan Landry (neck), CB Samari Rolle (shoulder, neck), T Adam Terry (knee). QUESTIONABLE: S Ed Reed (hamstring), WR Demetrius Williams (ankle). DOLPHINS: OUT: RB Casey Cramer (ankle).

Time: 1 p.m., Channel 4.
Line: Bills by 1.
Comments: Buffalo hasn't opened the season 5-1 since 1995 . . . Bills are 13-6 following bye weeks . . . Charger RB LaDainian Tomlinson leads the AFC with 529 yards from scrimmage (that's only 12th in NFL) . . . Bills QB Trent Edwards returns from concussion suffered in Week 5 . . . Not sure of the significance of this, but Buffalo punter Brian Moorman is 63 yards shy of 25,000 . . . Chargers have 17 sacks . . . Buffalo averages just 98.4 rushing yards as top tailback Marshawn Lynch continues to struggle . . . Chargers QB Philip Rivers is tied for NFL lead with 14 TD passes . . . Bills are shooting for 200th home win.
Key injuries: CHARGERS: DOUBTFUL: WR Chris Chambers (ankle), WR Craig Davis (groin), LB Jyles Tucker (hamstring). PROBABLE: RB Darren Sproles (ankle), RB LaDainian Tomlinson (toe). BILLS: OUT: CB Terrence McGee (knee). DOUBTFUL: TE Derek Fine (hand).

Time: 4:15 p.m.
Line: Colts by 1.
Comments: Colts put their 13-game October winning streak on the line . . . Packers are hoping to avoid first three-game Lambeau Field losing streak since 2006 . . . Green Bay's Greg Jennings tops NFL with 653 receiving yards . . . Pack has won three straight vs. AFC foes . . . Peyton Manning has 687 yards and eight TD passes in two career starts vs. Green Bay . . . With Colts top back Joseph Addai hurting (hamstring), Dominic Rhodes and former Harvard star Clifton Dawson will share rushing load . . . Packers cornerback Tramon Williams has picks in three straight starts.
Key injuries: COLTS: OUT: WR Roy Hall (knee), CB Kelvin Hayden (knee), S Bob Sanders (knee), RB Joseph Addai (hamstring), TE Gijon Robinson (ankle). PACKERS: OUT: CB Al Harris (spleen). DOUBTFUL: S Atari Bigby (hamstring), DE Jason Hunter (hamstring), WR James Jones (knee), DE Mike Montgomery (ankle).

Time: 1 p.m.
Line: Bears by 3.
Comments: Vikings RB Adrian Peterson torched the Bears last October, rushing for 224 yards and TDs of 67, 73, and 35 yards in a 34-31 victory . . . Chicago is allowing just 3.5 yards per carry this season . . . Former Bears WR Bernard Berrian has put up back-to-back 100-yard receiving games for Minnesota . . . Unheralded Chicago QB Kyle Orton has completed 61.6 percent of his passes for 1,386 yards . . . Bears have gone two straight without registering a sack . . . This could be Devin Hester's breakout week. Chicago's electric return man has gone five straight without a TD return, but Vikings gave up two to Reggie Bush two weeks ago.
Key injuries: VIKINGS: OUT: LB David Herron (hip). QUESTIONABLE: WR Bernard Berrian (knee), WR Sidney Rice (knee). BEARS: OUT: WR Brandon Lloyd (knee), S Danieal Manning (hamstring). QUESTIONABLE: CB Charles Tillman (shoulder), CB Nathan Vasher (wrist).

Other games this week

Time: 1 p.m.
Line: Cowboys by 7.
Comments: Rams will hit Tony Romo whenever they can if the injured QB (broken pinkie) does play . . . If Romo can't go, it will be Brad Johnson, who is two TD passes shy of passing Cowboys Hall of Famer Troy Aikman (165) for 51st all-time . . . Rams QB Marc Bulger is 23-14 in 37 career home starts.
Key injuries: COWBOYS: OUT: WR Sam Hurd (ankle), RB Felix Jones (hamstring), G Kyle Kosier (foot), CB Terence Newman (abdomen), LB Anthony Spencer (hamstring), S Pat Watkins (neck). QUESTIONABLE: LB Kevin Burnett (calf), QB Tony Romo (right finger). RAMS: OUT: WR Drew Bennett (foot), CB Tye Hill (knee), RB Antonio Pittman (lower leg). QUESTIONABLE: T Orlando Pace (thigh).

Time: 1 p.m.
Line: Titans by 9.
Comments: Titans have won eight straight and have a good shot to make it nine with KC star tailback Larry Johnson (team suspension) in street clothes . . . Tennessee has been boosted by the tailback tandem of Chris Johnson and LenDale White (a combined 546 yards and 8 TDs) . . . Brodie Croyle returns as KC QB, but that's not likely to boost the spirits at Arrowhead.
Key injuries: TITANS: QUESTIONABLE: DT Tony Brown (ankle), WR Justin Gage (knee), WR Justin McCareins (hamstring), DE Kyle Vanden Bosch (groin). CHIEFS: QUESTIONABLE: LB Donnie Edwards (ankle), TE John Paul Foschi (foot).

Time: 1 p.m., Channel 25.
Line: Giants by 10 1/2.
Comments: Frank Gore continues to be NFL's most underappreciated player. The versatile 49ers back leads the league with 720 yards from scrimmage . . . Giants bruising RB Brandon Jacobs has four scores in last three outings . . . SF LB Takeo Spikes has a pick in three straight . . . Giants QB Eli Manning is coming off a three-pick outing vs. Cleveland (57.1 passer rating).
Key injuries: 49ERS: OUT: T Jonas Jennings (shoulder). GIANTS: OUT: LB Gerris Wilkinson (knee). QUESTIONABLE: LB Antonio Pierce (quadriceps).

Time: 1 p.m.
Line: Steelers by 9 1/2.
Comments: Ex-Harvard star Ryan Fitzpatrick (imagine that, two Crimson references in one week) makes his third straight start for injured Cincy QB Carson Palmer . . . Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger is 9-0 as a pro in games in Ohio . . . Bengals are 0-6 for sixth time in 18 seasons . . . Pittsburgh has allowed just three 100-yard rushers in last 71 games.
Key injuries: STEELERS: OUT: WR Dallas Baker (shoulder), RB Carey Davis (ankle), LB Keyaron Fox (hamstring). DOUBTFUL: RB Willie Parker (knee), T Marvel Smith (back). BENGALS: OUT: C Kyle Cook (toe), CB Jamar Fletcher (hamstring), S Herana-Daze Jones (hamstring), LB Corey Mays (ankle), QB Carson Palmer (right elbow). DOUBTFUL: TE Ben Utecht (chest).

Time: 1 p.m.
Line: Panthers by 3.
Comments: Nifty matchup of NFL's best passing offense (Saints) and NFL's second-best passing defense . . . Panthers haven't allowed a sack in three straight . . . Panther QB Jake Delhomme is 6-2 vs. Saints . . . New Orleans QB Drew Brees has completed an NFL-high 159 passes . . . Carolina is 3-0 at home; Saints are 0-2 on road . . . Panther John Kasay is 11 for 11 on field goals.
Key injuries: SAINTS: OUT: DT Sedrick Ellis (knee). PANTHERS: OUT: WR D.J. Hackett (knee). DOUBTFUL: C Ryan Kalil (ankle), T Jeff Otah (ankle).

Time: 4:05 p.m.
Line: Texans by 9 1/2.
Comments: FYI, Dan Orlovsky, that big white area is out of bounds . . . Texans are coming off a franchise-high 485 total yards vs. Dolphins . . . Houston is tied for tops in league with eight picks . . . Lions forced three turnovers and had five sacks in last week's loss . . . Detroit rook Kevin Smith leads team with 195 rushing yards.
Key injuries: LIONS: QUESTIONABLE: CB Leigh Bodden (knee), DT Chuck Darby (calf), CB Travis Fisher (knee), G Stephen Peterman (hand), DE Corey Smith (hamstring). TEXANS: OUT: S Dominique Barber (hamstring), RB Chris Taylor (quadriceps).

Time: 4:15 p.m., Channel 4.
Line: Jets by 3.
Comments: Jets have yet to score on their first possession of the game or second half . . . Raider WRs have a combined 26 catches . . . Jets WR Jerricho Cotchery and Laveranues Coles have 26 catches each . . . Oakland has just four TDs in 13 red zone trips . . . Jets have held opponents under 50 yards rushing in back-to-back games.
Key injuries: JETS: OUT: K Mike Nugent (right thigh). QUESTIONABLE: WR David Clowney (shoulder), WR Laveranues Coles (thigh). RAIDERS: DOUBTFUL: DE Derrick Burgess (tricep), TE Ben Troupe (foot).

Time: 4:15 p.m.
Line: Redskins by 7 1/2.
Comments: Brownies play first game in Washington in 17 seasons and are looking to get to .500 after humbling Giants . . . Redskins have gone 309 pass attempts without throwing an interception . . . Washington RB Clinton Portis leads NFL in carries (136) and yards (643) . . . Cleveland has yet to allow a 100-yard receiver . . . Skins and Browns are plus-4 in turnover margin.
Key injuries: BROWNS: OUT: DT Shaun Smith (hand). REDSKINS: OUT: RB Ladell Betts (knee). DOUBTFUL: CB Shawn Springs (calf).

Time: 8:15 p.m., Channel 7.
Line: Buccaneers by 10 1/2.
Comments: Seattle leads this series between 1976 expansion teams, 7-1 . . . Seahawks average 137.2 yards rushing, while Buccaneers average 136 . . . Tampa RB Earnest Graham has rushing TDs in six straight games at Raymond James . . . Bucs have scored 55 points off turnovers . . . With QB Matt Hasselbeck on the sideline, Seattle has the league's 31st-ranked passing attack . . . Cowboy castoff Julius Jones is averaging 93 rushing yards per game for Seahawks.
Key injuries: SEAHAWKS: OUT: QB Matt Hasselbeck (back), TE Will Heller (knee), WR Billy McMullen (finger). QUESTIONABLE: WR Deion Branch (heel). BUCCANEERS: OUT: RB B.J. Askew (hamstring), WR Maurice Stovall (hamstring).