The Green Bay Packers underlined their status as a potential contender in the NFC with a crushing 45-27 win over the New England Patriots.
Green Bay rolled to a fifth win in their last six games behind a superb showing from quarterback Jordan Love, who threw for 372 yards and three touchdowns, with receiver Christian Watson going for 171 yards, including a 39-yard touchdown catch.
Patriots quarterback Drake Maye was picked off three times as the defending AFC champions dropped to 5-4, with the Packers improving to 6-3 in a fiercely competitive NFC North in which every team has six wins ahead of primetime games for the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings. The Detroit Lions improved to 6-2 with a 19-9 win over the lowly Miami Dolphins.
It is the San Francisco 49ers who lead the way in the NFC after improving to 7-1, the best record in the NFL, with a 38-17 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
The 49ers suffered their first loss before the bye at the hands of the Atlanta Falcons, but bounced back despite producing a somewhat sloppy display against their former Bay Area rivals.
Indeed, the margin of victory would have been less emphatic if not for five Raiders turnovers, all of which came in the second half.
A pick-six from Kirk Cousins put the 49ers up 28-10, before the Raiders quarterback responded with a touchdown throw to Brock Bowers. After that score, however, each of the Raiders’ next four offensive series ended in a turnover, with two coming on drives on which they reached the San Francisco one-yard line.
Tight end Michael Mayer fumbled at the one with the chance to cut the deficit to four points. In the fourth quarter, having driven to the one again, Mayer saw a touchdown catch called back for offensive pass interference, with Cousins then intercepted in the endzone on the next play.
San Francisco did not punt in recording their seventh win of the year, the 49ers’ start through eight games their best since 2019, when they reached the Super Bowl.
The 49ers suffered the first of two heartbreaking defeats to the Kansas Chiefs in that Super Bowl.
And a third Super Bowl meeting with Kansas City could still be on the cards, with the Chiefs improving to 6-2 with a 35-12 win over the New York Jets.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes appeared to have suffered an elbow injury when he came off the field in obvious pain in the second quarter following a hit by David Bailey.
But Mahomes quickly returned to the game, throwing for 242 yards and a pair of passing touchdowns to Kenneth Walker as the Chiefs eased past the hapless Jets.
The Chiefs trail only the Denver Broncos in the AFC West. Denver saw off the Carolina Panthers 26-21 to move to 7-2 having beaten Kansas City in a thriller last week.
For the first time this season, pre-season Super Bowl favourites the Los Angeles Rams are above .500 after beating the Washington Commanders 20-13 to get to 5-4, though their win was marred slightly by an injury to star receiver Puka Nacua. Myles Garrett had three sacks and a forced fumble on his return from injury.
The Rams and the Seattle Seahawks are both looking up at the 49ers in the NFC West. The Seahawks are also 5-4 having beaten the Arizona Cardinals 17-3 without starting quarterback Sam Darnold.
Joe Burrow produced a near-flawless three-touchdown display at the Santiago Bernabeu as the Cincinnati Bengals (6-2) saw off the Atlanta Falcons 34-17.
Their AFC North rivals the Cleveland Browns dropped to 5-4 with 23-22 overtime loss to the New Orleans Saints in the Superdome.
In the NFC East, the New York Giants lead the way at 5-2-1 after ending a 13-game losing streak in road games against the Philadelphia Eagles with a 19-11 victory. The Dallas Cowboys will hope to reel the Giants in as they compete for the division title, and they boosted their hopes with an unconvincing 27-23 win over the Indianapolis Colts, quarterback Dak Prescott leading a game-winning drive in the final minute of the fourth quarter that was capped by a Javonte Williams rushing score.
Elsewhere, the Los Angeles Chargers remain winless after being thrashed 44-22 by the Houston Texans.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: 101greatgoals.com
