Quick wear on items of interest like week 7 rolls in the NFL:

Who’s hot: Russell Wilson. Maybe this will be the year that the Seahawks star quarterback finally gets at least one vote for MVP. Better yet, maybe Wilson will get a majority. Through six games, Wilson has become the frontrunner in the MVP race – Westgate Las Vegas installed him this week as the 2 / 1 favorite – while proving he can still get better. He leads in the game against Baltimore on Sunday leading the NFL with a Sizzling 124.7 passer rating, but throw pick up this season while throwing 14 TDs. The sequence of the ticket.

He was rated 100 or better in every game to go with his typical Houdini escape acts for making plays and deadpan demeanor demonstrated during the big comeback in Cleveland on Sunday. And there’s certainly no buyer’s remorse in Seattle after Wilson, 30, signed a 4-year, $ 140 million extension last spring that made him the NFL’s highest-paid player with $ 35 million a year in new money. Shoot as he sparked the Seahawks to a 5-1 start, Wilson also makes the case that he underpaid.

Pressure’s on: Jason Garrett. Remember the last time the heat was this hot for the Cowboys coach? Go back to last November, when Dallas sank to 3-5 after an uninspiring home loss to the Titans. Then the Cowboys beat Philadelphia to ignite a five-game winning streak that led to the NFC East crown. The moral of that for rabid Cowboys Nation: They rebounded from situations that look worse than the current three-game losing streak. And here comes Philly for a prime-time showdown. Sure, Garrett’s in the final year of his contract. But if Jerry Jones didn’t dump him last November, he certainly won’t pull the plug now. But check back in December or January if this thing totally collapses.    

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Key match: Lions vs Zebras. Matt Patricia knows. He’s not in New England anymore. The second-year Detroit coach heads into another NFC North showdown against the Vikings feeling the full impact of the “Bobby lane Curse” after several bogus calls cost Leos a possible victory in green Bay.  

Add phantom hands to face punishment against Trey flowers on Monday night to a litany of other “C’mon, man” moments from close losses over the years: the batting ball fiasco in Seattle (2015); the DPI flag picked up during a playoff game in Dallas (2015) despite Brandon Pettigrew’s egregious robbery of Anthony Hitchens; the Megatron touchdown catch reversed in Chicago (2010). Why do Lions so often fall victim to terrible refereeing? It begs for investigation … or Ghostbusters.

Next man up: Ryan Tannehill. It was Marcus Mariota’s job to lose, as suggestions that Mike Vrabel would make a QB switch have been there since the exhibition season. Maybe the spark is coming. Tannehill, an eighth-year pro, was never threatened as the starter during his healthy years as the Dolphins’ franchise quarterback. Now he one-ups Mariota, who seems destined to challenge another quarterback elsewhere. It’s striking that the QBs taken 1-2 in 2015, Jameis Winston and Mariota, have both underwhelmed in what seemingly shape up as prove-it-or-move-it seasons. Tannehill can relate, but now he’s positioned for a second chance to blossom. 

Rookie to watch: Kyler Murray. The cardinals ” new star passed for 593 yards with zero picks in back-to-back wins, reflecting another layer of growth during his transition as the No. 1 pick overall. It is well protected the football. And he’s still a double threat, as advertised, running for 93 yards in week 5 against the Bengals and then throwing for 340 last weekend against the falcons.

Week 7 picks: Do the cowboys or eagles claim first place in the NFC East?

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Sunday’s match against the giants presents a neat plot as Murray will opposite the second quarterback drafted, Daniel Jones, took 6th overall. Jones (5 TDs, 6 INTs) has had more uneven performances since replacing Eli manning in week 3. But he also had a few moments. Maybe this will be the first in yet another” NFL future ” ZB rivalry.

Stomach for an upset: the Saints at the bears. Suggestions that chase Daniel might be better for Chicago than injured starting quarterback Mitchell Trubisky sort dissipated after the backup threw two ugly interceptions in an upset loss to the raiders in London. The buzz in Windy city this week is whether the starter can make it back from a shoulder injury. Bears coach Matt Nagy says it’s possible … perhaps as a bit of gamesmanship.

One thing’s for sure: drew Brees won’t be back this week, leaving Teddy Bridgewater at the helm again. Brees ‘ backup didn’t lose, and he didn’t make big time mistakes while the New Orleans defense raised its game. The saints are 3-point underdogs, winning each of Teddy B’s four starts by 7 points or less. Winning a tough game says something about their grit, but facing bears D, who was embarrassed in London will mark Bridgewater’s toughest test yet. 

If the playoffs started today … The raiders will be in. It wasn’t long ago that Jon Gruden was the punchline. Not now. Coach Chucky’s team heads to green Bay with a chance to spring a third straight upset away from home, following quality wins in Indianapolis and against Khalil Mack

However, with Kansas city’s Patrick Mahomes battling injury issues, they are clearly in the race to fight for the AFC West Crown. Four things working for Grudinin’s crew: 1. Derek Carr, more comfortable in the year 2 offense; 2. Rookie running back Josh Jacobs; 3. Appearance at the end of Darren Waller; 4. Defense is upgraded with speed. A potential problem looms, however, with left tackle Trent brown charged with domestic violence in a civil suit.  

Did you notice? Buffalo’s defense went from good to great in its third year under D-coordinator Leslie Frazier. The bills bring the NFL third-ranked units for yards and fourth in scoring (14 points per game), which explains how a team that barely scores two touchdowns is a 4-1 game. Last year, Buffalo finished second in the League.

The improvement this season, so far is efficiency in the red zone. Without the type of star quarterbacks who have toiled at Garden Park in previous years (hi, Bruce Smith, Cornelius “Biscuit” Bennett and Bryce PAUP), the results are credit to what has been built by Fraser – who should be considered for another crack at head coaching job when the next hiring cycle comes around.