The NFL season is in full swing as the action continues into October, and with some pre-season favourites dealing with injuries, surprising frontrunners have emerged in both conferences.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers own the top record in the NFC, while the Indianapolis Colts head the AFC, and you can watch both on TSN as Week 7 in the NFL gets underway.
Here is a look at all of the NFL action this week on the TSN Network.
Steelers, Bengals open Week 7 with divisional clash on Thursday Night Football
A fierce AFC North rivalry is renewed as the Pittsburgh Steelers make the short trip to visit the Cincinnati Bengals.
Two veteran quarterbacks get the spotlight, as Aaron Rodgers makes his sixth start with the Steelers in his 21st season and Joe Flacco makes his second start for the Bengals in his 18th season.
With a combined 442 NFL starts between the quarterbacks, there is no shortage of experience or veteran savvy expected to be on display on Thursday night.
It marks only the third game in NFL history in which both starting quarterbacks are over the age of 40 (both previous instances occurred in 2020, when Drew Brees played against Tom Brady twice as division rivals.)
The Bengals had an encouraging start to the season before star QB Joe Burrow went down with an injury, and enter this game riding a four-game losing streak at 2-4.
The Steelers enter leading the AFC North at 4-1, and are coming off a 23-9 victory over the Cleveland Browns.
Rams take on Jaguars in London as part of NFL International Series
The Los Angeles Rams stymied the Baltimore Ravens’ offence in a 17-3 win on Sunday and carry a 5-1 record into a matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday morning at Wembley Stadium in London, England.
The Jaguars enter at 4-2, coming off a 20-12 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in which the offence struggled, mustering a season-low 273 yards of offence.
The Jaguars have played the most games of any team in the NFL International Series, and own a 7-6 record in their 13 appearances in the United Kingdom.
Last year, they defeated the New England Patriots and lost to the Chicago Bears. The Rams have a 2-2 record outside of the United States, with their most recent international game a 24-10 victory over the Bengals in 2019 at Wembley Stadium.
Vrabel returns to Tennessee as Patriots take on Titans in early Sunday window
In a clash of two teams headed in opposite directions, the New England Patriots travel to Tennessee to take on the Titans on Sunday afternoon.
The Patriots (4-2) are atop the AFC East division standings and riding a three-game winning streak under head coach Mike Vrabel.
Vrabel is in his first year in New England – his first coaching stint was a six-year stay leading the Titans that ended with him being fired after the 2023 campaign.
Now Vrabel makes his return to Tennessee, where the Titans fired his replacement, Brian Callahan, earlier this week. The Titans (1-5) will rely on interim head coach Mike McCoy to guide them against New England.
The Titans are coming off a 20-10 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in which top draft pick Cam Ward accounted for three turnovers.
Additionally, TSN+ subscribers can watch Spencer rattler and the New Orleans Saints (1-5) take on Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears (3-2).
The Bears are riding a three-game winning streak, but enter this game at the bottom of a competitive NFC North division.
AFC powerhouses battle in late afternoon slot
The Indianapolis Colts (5-1) and Los Angeles Chargers (4-2) meet in the late afternoon slot, a showdown of teams in surprising division leads entering Week 7.
The Colts, led by QB Daniel Jones, have been perhaps the biggest storyline of the NFL thus far. Jones was cut from the New York Giants late last season, and signed by the Colts on a one-year deal to potentially challenge the struggling Anthony Richardson – Indianapolis’ fourth-overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft – for the starting job.
Jones won the job in camp and has blown by even the most optimistic expectations, accounting for 12 touchdowns against three turnovers. He collected 11 touchdowns in 16 games over his final two seasons in New York.
The Chargers opened the season with three wins over divisional opponents in the first three weeks, including a 27-21 upset in the season opener against the defending AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs.
Both sides get a chance to solidify their spot in the AFC rankings with a victory in this matchup.
Falcons look for prime-time repeat against 49ers
The Atlanta Falcons (3-2) smothered the Buffalo Bills 24-10 on Monday Night Football in Week 6, where superstar running back Bijan Robinson accounted for almost 250 yards from scrimmage.
They’ll look for more of the same against the San Francisco 49ers (4-2) on Sunday Night Football in Week 7.
The 49ers are a perfect 3-0 in their division early in the year, but have not played as well against foes outside of the division. San Francisco’s strong start to the season has been offset by injuries across the board – they’ve already lost defensive stars Nick Bosa (knee injury) and Fred Warner (ankle injury) for the season, and offensive starters George Kittle, Brock Purdy, Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings have all missed time due to various ailments.
The 49ers lost 30-19 to the Buccaneers in Week 6, allowing more than 100 yards rushing and a pair of scores on the ground. Robinson and the Falcons will look to attack that weakness on Sunday.
Bucs battle Lions to headline Monday Night Football doubleheader
Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers (5-1) have the best record in the NFC, thanks in large part to their ability to win close games late.
Next up is a chance to take on the dangerous Detroit Lions (4-2) on Monday Night Football.
The Buccaneers already set an NFL record by winning their first three games on lead changes in the final minute of the game, and only one of their five wins has come by a score of more than three points (they beat the 49ers 30-19 a week ago).
Mayfield has played at an MVP level early in the year, throwing for 1,539 yards and 12 touchdowns with just one interception through six games.
The Lions came up short against the Chiefs on Sunday Night Football in Week 6, and will be without defensive back Brian Branch, who was suspended for one game for his role in a fight on the field after the game against Kansas City finished, against Tampa Bay.
Later on Monday, the Houston Texans (2-3) wrap up Week 7 in the NFL against the Seahawks (4-2).
Houston is riding a two-game winning streak coming out of their bye week, and have combined to outscore their opponent 70-10 in those two games. The offence will look for a repeat performance out of QB C.J. Stroud, who threw for four touchdowns against Baltimore in their last game.
The Seahawks beat the Jaguars 20-12 a week ago, with QB Sam Darnold throwing for an efficient 295 yards and a pair of scores.