NFL Predictions Week 7: Tony Romo and More Late Afternoon Stars

With the first round of NFL games coming to a close, Matt Schaub and Cam Newton have established themselves as the early stars of Week 7. But which late afternoon players will challenge them for the best performances of the day?

Here are the four guys who will highlight each of the four o'clock games today.

Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

Aaron Rodgers is the best player in the NFL right now, period. You could say he's going to have a big game just about every week. When he's facing a 1-5 team with the 21st-best defense in football, you can almost bank on a huge performance.

Rodgers has already notched 2,037 passing yards and has an NFL-leading 17 passing touchdowns on the season. He might eclipse those marks against the Minnesota Vikings in the first half today.

Darren McFadden, Oakland Raiders

Darren McFadden has been the best running back in football after six weeks of the 2011 NFL season. He leads the NFL in rushing with 610 yards.

With quarterback Jason Campbell out, I have to imagine the Oakland Raiders will really focus on the run game today. The Kansas City Chiefs defense only ranks 21st against the run, so it almost certainly will be McFadden's day. I could see him getting 25-30 carries.

Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys

Tony Romo has made headlines all season long, for both good and bad reasons. This week we will see the Romo who shined against the San Francisco 49ers and Washington Redskins. We won't see the guy who cost the Dallas Cowboys the game against the Detroit Lions.

The St. Louis Rams now sit at 0-5, and have likely gone from desperation mode to just plain old depression. Even in the pathetic NFC West, an 0-5 start is impossible to overcome.

Despite his ups and downs, Romo has had solid production all season long. He ranks eighth in the NFL in passer rating. Meanwhile, the Rams rank just 19th in total defense. This one could get ugly.

Mike Wallace, Pittsburgh Steelers

The speedy Mike Wallace has been unstoppable for the Pittsburgh Steelers this year, amassing 612 receiving yards and four touchdowns through the first six weeks.

The Arizona Cardinals have a respectable defense, but they don't have anybody who can run with Wallace. He will catch a long touchdown (or two) en route to a rout of the Cardinals.