Week 7 picks coming up in a second, but real quick...I can't blame you if you're already excited about the turkey, stuffing, pie and a (Chicago at Detroit! Philly at Dallas!! Seattle at San Francisco!!!) -- but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Between the crisp, pumpkin-spiced autumnal air and the big-time college matchups and the World Series and the returns of hockey and the NBA, mid-October is the sweet spot of the sports calendar. In the NFL, and Niners fans are no doubt excited about where their teams sit in the here and now, but -- as we discu sed on the -- you can't blame 'em if they've started looking ahead to November. That's because, as surprisingly pleasant as the present is for both the team considered coaching and the one he's actually coaching this year, the future looks even brighter, thanks to pending returns of three high-end performers.In , pa s-rusher extraordinaire just in time for the Niners' game against the . If the team can just split two games ( and ) before then, San Francisco will be better positioned for a run at the NFC West crown* than almost anyone expected ... the Niners could really put the ' chances at repeating in serious jeopardy with a win at home on . As it happens, that game could coincide .*By the way, fans, I'm not sleeping on your team's chances Ian Mahinmi Jersey of taking the division. Matter of fact, I paid tribute to on .As for Cleveland -- fresh off a validating victory over the long-time bullies in Pittsburgh and feeling good above .500 -- getting to 6-4 by no longer seems merely po sible, but likely. At that point, -- 2013's most unstoppable receiver -- for (at Atlanta; at Buffalo; versus Indy; versus Cincy; at Carolina and at Baltimore). It's a rugged stretch, but winning four of those games and getting to double-digit victories on the season is realistic ... as is grabbing a playoff spot.In other words: People of Cleveland and San Francisco, enjoy the candy corn and bite-sized Snickers now. Just make sure you leave room for next month's pumpkin pie.Couple more A/V items for your consideration --Bucky Brooks and I kibitzed on DDFP TV about which good teams could mi s out the playoffs in the ultra-competitive NFC: In front of the ' , here's an "N-if-L" on what would've happened if Ditka and Ryan's vaunted '85 had had to face Marino's gang in XX:Alright, let's get to the Week 7 games...WARNING: Do NOT continue reading if you don't want to know the final scores of .(1-0 this week, 9-4-1 last week, 57-35-1 on the season)ATLANTA FALCONS 16BALTIMORE RAVENS 23: 3 INTs: 4 rec, 65 yds, TDSEATTLE SEAHAWKS 30ST. LOUIS RAMS 17: 74-yd TD rec: 3 sacksCINCINNATI BENGALS 21 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS 26: 10 car, 80 yds, 2 TDs: 3 rec, 70 yds, TDMINNESOTA VIKINGS 19 BUFFALO BILLS 20: 120 yds/scrimmage, TD: 6 rec, 110 yds, TDMIAMI DOLPHINS 30 CHICAGO BEARS 33: 4 rec, 95 yds, 2 TDs: 8 rec, 120 yds, 2 TDsNEW ORLEANS SAINTS 24 DETROIT LIONS 23: 18 car, 100 yds, TD: 20 car, 80 yds, TDCAROLINA PANTHERS 24 GREEN BAY PACKERS 45: 2 TDs: 25-29, 400 yds, 4 TDsKANSAS CITY CHIEFS 17 SAN DIEGO CHARGERS 27: 130 yds/scrimmage, TD: 5 rec, 85 yds, TDARIZONA CARDINALS 19 OAKLAND RAIDERS 16: 25 car, 125 yds OAK: Four turnoversNEW YORK GIANTS 27 DALLAS COWBOYS 31: 30-42, 350 yds, 2 TDs, INT: 9 rec, 140 yds, 2 TDs SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS 24 DENVER BRONCOS 34: 17 car, 50 yds: 4 TDsHOUSTON TEXANS 27 PITTSBURGH STEELERS 28: 22 car, 120 yds, TD: 22 car, 120 yds, TDCLEVELAND BROWNS 22 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS 26: TD pa s, INT: TD pa s, TD runTENNESSEE TITANS 24 WASHINGTON REDSKINS 23: 18-30, 290 yds, 2 TDs: 20 car, 90 yds, TDEnjoy Week 7! I hope your team wins (unle s it's playing my team).Follow Dave Dameshek on Twitter Gary Payton II Jersey