Striving for seven

IT could be a week that sees two teams reach 7-0 records in the NFL when the pack leading Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts look to maintain unbeaten records going into November.

Chicago, if they succeed, will manage the feat for the first time since their Super Bowl winning season in 1985.

And they face a San Francisco side with a 2-4 record and struggling to find an identity on both sides of the ball.

‘Frisco will need to be on guard for the sensational Bears’ rookie defensive end Mark Anderson who has recorded a team best 6.5 sacks so far this season

Indianapolis have a more difficult task when they take on the 5-1 Denver Broncos,

It will be the usual high-powered Colts offence (No. 3 in the NFL) against the Broncos’ No. 4 defence that has surrendered a league-low 7.3 points per game, allowed two TDs, and held five consecutive opponents to single digits.

“To beat a team like the Colts, you have to be consistent,” says Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan. “That’s offence, defence and special teams. On defence, we have to play at another level because we’re playing a quarterback (Peyton Manning) who is very consistent.”

Manning has thrown for 34,809 yards in his nine-year career and needs 191 yards to reach 35,000 for his career.

If he accomplishes the feat, Manning will reach 35,000 yards in the second fewest games in history, trailing only the 134 games of Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino.

The key to the game could be Denver RB Tatum Bell, fresh off his third 100-yard effort of the year, going against Indy’s 31st-ranked NFL rush defence.