There weren’t any changes atop each of the eight divisions in the NFL. But that doesn’t mean there weren’t some moves made by some surging teams.
There are just seven weeks remaining in the 2018 NFL season and the jostling for postseason positioning continues. And it was another one of those weeks where we saw one team in a division win or lose and the other three clubs combine to do the opposite. It all added up to another intriguing chapter in the league’s 99th campaign.
AFC East: It was a rough Sunday for the entire division, with the exception of the Buffalo Bills. The first-place New England Patriots saw their six-game winning streak come to an end in lopsided fashion courtesy of the Tennessee Titans, 34-10. Miami Dolphins were squashed at Lambeau Field by the Packers, 31-12. And the aforementioned Bills routed the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium, 41-10. The Pats maintained their two-game lead in the division, with all four team off in Week 11.
AFC North: The Pittsburgh Steelers continued the resurgence and extended their lead in the AFC North thanks to a 52-21 home win on Thursday night against the Carolina Panthers. Combine that with the fact that the Cincinnati Bengals were rolled in their own building by the visiting New Orleans Saints, 51-14, and Mike Tomlin’s team may be starting to distance itself a bit in the division standings. While the Baltimore Ravens were off, the Cleveland Browns got their third win of 2018 by surprising the visiting Atlanta Falcons, 28-16.
AFC South: While the first-place Houston Texans were off this past week, things got a little tighter in the AFC South. The defending division champion Jacksonville Jaguars are now all alone at the bottom of the standings after a 29-26 loss to the revitalized Indianapolis Colts. Frank Reich’s club has now won three straight games after a 1-5 start. But the real headlines were made at Nashville as the Tennessee Titans manhandled the visiting Patriots, 34-10.
AFC West: The AFC West-leading Kansas City Chiefs continued to roll. Andy Reid’s team got its fourth consecutive win by handling the visiting Arizona Cardinals, 26-14. But right on their heels is the team tied for the longest-current winning streak in the AFC. The Los Angeles Chargers made it six straight victories courtesy of a 20-6 conquest of the Raiders at Oakland. Meanwhile, the 3-6 Denver Broncos had the week off.
NFC East: The only team in the NFC East that didn’t win in Week 10 was the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. The Birds were tripped up at home on Sunday night by the Dallas Cowboys, 27-20. Meanwhile, the first-place Washington Redskins bent but did not break on Sunday afternoon at Tampa as Jay Gruden’s club managed a 16-3 victory over the Buccaneers. And on Monday night at San Francisco, Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning rallied his team to a 27-23 victory over the 49ers – snapping a five-game skid.
NFC North: While the defending division champion Minnesota Vikings were off this week, the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers notched impressive home wins. The former put an end to its 10-game losing streak versus divisional rivals with a 34-22 victory over the visiting Detroit Lions. Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers, Aaron Jones and the rest of the Pack got back to the .500 mark with a 31-12 triumph over the Miami Dolphins.
NFC South: While the first-place New Orleans Saints won their eighth consecutive game (51-14 at Cincinnati), the other three teams in the NFC South took it on the chin. On Thursday night, the Panthers were overwhelmed at Pittsburgh, 52-21. Elsewhere, the Atlanta Falcons were surprised by the Browns at Cleveland, 28-16. And despite gaining over 500 yards of total offense against the Washington Redskins on Sunday, the Buccaneers failed to score a touchdown in a 16-3 setback.
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NFC West: The Rams are closing in on a second consecutive NFC West title as they not only completed a season sweep of the Seattle Seahawks (36-31) but both the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers fell in Week 10 as well. The latter squandered a late lead at home on Monday night in a 27-23 loss to the New York Giants. Meanwhile, the Cards fell short at Arrowhead Stadium to the Chiefs, 26-14.