Vince Marriott: I still can't get over how happy I am that we're in the middle of the NFL season. No other sport compares. Within the NFL, however, there are some contests that stand out as truly spectacular, such as those in the NFC East. The Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys play each other tougher than any other squads throughout the season, and on Sunday the Redskins will be traveling to New York to play the Giants. Even though the game does not feature my beloved (and terrible) Eagles, I'll still be tuning in to see football the way it was meant to be played two historic franchises duking it out in cold weather as thousands of inebriated fans pray that they won't have to spend the rest of the week working out wild card probability scenarios. (Sunday, 1 p.m., FOX)
Jonathan Gault: Getting the chance to watch the Spanish national soccer team is sweet. Getting the chance to see them play France in a World Cup qualifier in Madrid is even sweeter. Spain is coming off a 4-0 win over Belarus on Friday in Minsk, while France was upset by Japan in Paris, 1-0, on the same day. Both teams have won both of their Group I matches so far, however, so the result of this game will be important in determining which team gets the automatic qualifying spot to Brazil 2014 and which team will have to try to qualify via the playoffs. Spain, the defending world and European champions, has won five matches in a row and is undefeated in 14 matches in 2012, including a 2-0 win over France in the quarterfinals of Euro 2012. It's safe to say that France will want some revenge. (Tuesday, 3 p.m., ESPN2)
Dong Zhao: Last week in this space, I talked about the magical St. Louis Cardinals, who can't seem to lose once the playoffs start. Their unexplainable winning ways in the postseason continued this past week when they shocked the Washington Nationals in the deciding game of the NLDS, rallying after being down 6-0 to clinch the series. In a familiar scene, the Cardinals were down by two runs in the top of the ninth and they were once again down to their final out. Two walks and two clutch singles later, St. Louis had a 9-7 lead and a ticket to face the San Francisco Giants in the NLCS. The Giants are also fortunate to be one step away from the World Series, as they lost the first two games at home to the Reds before sweeping all three games in Cincinnati. It's time to find out which of these teams has more October magic left in the tank. (All week, FOX)
