This a great time of the year for sports. The football season is in full swing, the NHL season is off and running smoothly, the NBA gets going in the next week, the college football season continues to provide one shocking weekend after another, and we’re in the middle of another World Series. You’re not alone if you’re spending a lot of your Saturday and Sunday glued to the TV. But as the leaves are changing and as much as October is baseball’s month, we’re starting to enter the real meat of the NFL season; and what a year it’s been so far. There’s been surprises (Packers, Giants), disappointments (Eagles, Bengals, about 10 more teams), and great games (Pit/Den last week for example). We go into week 8 with some teams desperately needing their bye week, a game in London, England, and the Chargers unsure of where they’ll play their home game due to a wildfire crisis in Southern California. There are tons of story lines this week in the NFL, and lots of great games. Here’s what I think are the top 3 to watch this weekend, and how they might turn out:

1. Colts (6-0) AT Panthers (4-2)

Two teams with high hopes to begin this year, and two teams that have achieved success for the most part in very, very different ways. The high-flying, but under the radar, Colts are off their 3rd consecutive 6-0 start (only the 3rd NFL team in history to do so). Peyton Manning to Reggie Wayne is working, Joseph Addai is working, and Bob Sanders is leading a better than ever Colts defense. The Panthers starting quarterback went under the knife and is gone for the season. How did they respond? A big win behind the arm of 44-year old Vinny Testaverde.

There’s a lot of interesting aspects to this game. The Colts pulled out a huge win on Monday night against Jacksonville on the road, a game that a lot of people were picking as Indy’s first loss. They did everything and then some; completely dominating the Jags for 60 minutes. Can they repeat their success on the road again, a ways away from their comfortable dome? The Panthers haven’t had much time to heal or think about what to do next. It’s been a season where they’ve taken the hits and kept on rolling. Their wins may not be impressive, but about 10 teams behind them in the NFC would trade their record in a millisecond.

Aaron’s Assessment: The Panthers have scrapped together wins despite Steve Smith expressing anger publicly, Delhomme going down for the season, and a coach under fire for very early season struggles. They’ve simply found ways to win. But what they haven’t done yet is face a premiere NFL team, like those Colts. Everyone forgot about the Colts in the midst of the Patriots 7-0 blistering hot start, that is, until the beat down in Jacksonville last Monday. Don’t expect the Colts to slow down now, they’re the Champs, and they’re out to prove they’re the best team in the league.
Colts 31 Panthers 14

2. Steelers (4-2) AT Bengals (2-4)

Much like the previous game, this is a game between 2 super bowl contenders coming into the year. While the Steelers have kept their end of the bargain, the Bengals are on the verge of losing their season altogether. In the ultra competitive AFC, you can’t start with a 2-5 record and expect to make news in January, and that’s exactly what the Bengals are looking at. Last week they had a must-win game against the awful New York Jets, and won…barely. They rushed to an early lead, only to give it up, and finally regain it with a come from behind win. Yikes.

Playing at home in the jungle is a great momentum builder for the Bengals. It’s also trouble for the Steelers, not just because the Bengals are in must-win mode, but because this is a division match-up. The jostling for AFC north positioning is in full swing, and to get back in it, the Bengals know they need a big home win. This win would be a statement that they’re turning their season around by beating a very good Steelers team. Meanwhile, coach Timlin and the Steelers know the hard task they face. They don’t want to head home after this game losers of 2 straight.

Aaron’s Assessment: The Steelers went into Denver last week and lost on a last second field goal from Jason Elam. While it wasn’t a heart breaker, they certainly would have liked to have kept pace with the AFC elite with a win. They know they face another tough road task this week, and the Bengals should give them everything they can handle. Cincinnati has faced the do-or-die game already last week, and they’ll continue to be faced with that situation until they’re at least above .500. Cincinnati puts down the hammer at home and sends the Steelers home after another loss, this one..a true heart breaker.
Bengals 27 Steelers 24

3. Packers (5-1) AT Broncos (3-3)

How the heck are the Green Bay Packers 5-1? A lot of NFL people are scratching their heads over that question, but the Packers have taken things in stride. They’ve won, at times in unimpressive fashion, but a win is a win, and this team is on the verge of running away with the division. The Broncos meanwhile have that glimmer of hope they desperately needed. A big win on national television over the Steelers was a huge step for this team. Nobody seems to want to be the team-to-beat in the AFC West, and the Broncos know a win this week would be absolutely huge.

The great match-up in this game is the gunslinger against that tough defense. No, not Favre verse Denver’s defense, I’m talking about the young gun - Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler. Since coach Shanahan inserted the then rookie into the lineup last year he has proved up to the task of leading an NFL team. He looks solid this year, but this should be a stiff test to his rising skills. The Packer defense has proved problematic for just about everyone this season. Their defensive line makes life hard on the quarterback of the opposition, and Cutler must be aware in the pocket or it could be a very long night.

Aaron’s Assessment: I didn’t believe the early hype surrounding the Packers as one of the NFL’s best teams. Heck, I didn’t think they were one of the NFC’s best teams. But you simply can’t argue with a 5-1 record. They’ve been outstanding defensively and Favre and his rookie offense have done just enough. But the Broncos are hungry. The start to this promising season turned ugly very early, but all of a sudden they’re back at .500 at 3-3. A win against a good football team would prove a season changing win for these Broncos. Plus, Denver is a pretty tough place to play (that San Diego game was a one time deal).

Broncos 24 Packers 20