There is a lot of uncertainty in the NFC playoff picture, but one thing we know for sure is that the Detroit Lions are the team to beat in the conference.
With only one blemish against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers early on in the season, the Lions faced another daunting task against the Green Bay Packers and passed with flying colours.
It might not have looked like a convincing win on the scoresheet, but Detroit proved that execution matters more than production in this one. The tough elements outdoors at Lambeau Field didn’t impact the Lions’ game plan, as David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs continued to show why they are one of the top running back duos in the league.
Even with Jared Goff only throwing for 145 yards, the Lions showed again that they can beat teams in many different ways.
Credit should also go to the Lions’ defence, which kept Packers QB Jordan Love out of the endzone and forced a costly interception.
The Lions improved to 7-1 for the first time since 1956 and continue to set the tone in the NFC North, which remains one of the tougher divisions in the NFL.
Here are some other notable takeaways from Week 9.
Henry enters the record books
When you pass running backs Barry Sanders, Shaun Alexander and Marshall Faulk in the record books you must be doing something right.
Derrick Henry did just that with 107 yards and two touchdowns against the Denver Broncos. That included his 101st career rushing touchdown to move into eighth on the all-time list.
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Henry also became the first Ravens running back with 1,000 yards in a season since Mark Ingram II did it in 2019. The fact it took Henry just nine games to reach the 1,000-yard mark is impressive.
The next closest player on the rushing list this season is Saquon Barkley, who has 925 yards while Josh Jacobs is third with 762. Safe to say, there aren’t many running backs on Henry’s level, and he should be getting serious consideration for offensive player of the year.
Are the Cardinals for real?
Raise your hand if you had the Arizona Cardinals leading the NFC West at this point in the season.
Some might find it hard to believe a team that went 4-13 last season is standing its ground in a tough division. Now, the Cardinals are above .500 and have won three in a row, both for the first time in three years.
Having Kyler Murray healthy has certainly helped, but it’s not just him contributing to Arizona’s success. Against the Chicago Bears, the Cardinals had 148 yards rushing and three touchdowns in the first half alone and ended up finishing with 213 yards on the ground.
Now on a three-game winning streak, Arizona could be a team looking to make some moves ahead of the trade deadline to bolster its chances of making the playoffs. While the pass rush had six sacks on Caleb Williams, it has been an issue for the team all season, especially against more quality offensive lines.
With the Los Angeles Rams winning their third straight game and the San Francisco 49ers getting healthier after their bye week, the Cardinals can’t afford a slipup.
Bengals still alive… for now
The Cincinnati Bengals’ margin for error is quite slim, and while they did beat a lesser opponent in the Las Vegas Raiders, these are the types of games they need to win.
Cincinnati is now 4-5 after starting the season with just one win through the first five games. This is a big confidence boost and now the real test lies ahead.
The Bengals will take on the Ravens in a short week on Thursday night, giving them the best opportunity to prove whether or not they are a playoff team.
On Sunday against the Raiders, Joe Burrow threw five touchdown passes and Canadian Chase Brown continues to show that he is capable of being a lead running back. However, to beat a capable playoff team, the Bengals defence has to show an ability to go toe-to-toe with a top offence.
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Bills hold keys in AFC East but still need to improve
It would have been tough to bet against the Buffalo Bills as the top team in the AFC East and another win over the Miami Dolphins confirmed that.
Buffalo has now won six straight and 13 of its last 14 games against Miami. That type of success against a divisional rival is exactly why the Bills have thrived the last few seasons.
Now it hasn’t always been pretty and Sunday’s win required Josh Allen to step up his game. The Bills quarterback went into this meeting with the Dolphins without newly acquired wide receiver Amari Cooper and decided to get as many players involved as possible in the offence.
Seeing Allen find ways to will his team to victory without having the wealth of proven talent around him should keep him in the MVP conversation.
While the Bills should be thrilled with Allen’s performance against the Dolphins and Tyler Bass’s dramatic field goal late, there are still issues to solve.
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Miami stayed in the game because of their ground unit, which did its best to keep them on the field and finished with 149 yards. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was also very accurate, completing 25 of 28 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns.
After a Week 10 matchup against the Colts, the Bills have games against the Chiefs, 49ers, Rams, and Lions. Those will be true litmus tests as to whether this Buffalo team can contend with the best in the league or just take advantage of some favourable matchups.
Two-team race in NFC East
One thing we know for sure is that neither the Dallas Cowboys nor the New York Giants are heading in the right direction, setting the stage for the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders to battle it out for the division crown.
If it weren’t for Henry’s MVP-calibre season with the Ravens, one could argue that the Eagles’ Barkley has been the most impactful free-agent signing.
Barkley came into Week 9 ranking second in the league with 872 scrimmage yards. Against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he had a pair of touchdowns and nearly 200 combined yards.
Mix that in with a stunning touchdown reception from Devonta Smith, who stepped up with A.J. Brown leaving the game, and Philadelphia is now 6-2 on the season.
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Their biggest competition in the division remains the Commanders, which many would not have predicted before the season. However, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels had another solid outing against the Giants which was needed considering New York was able to remain in striking distance.
At 7-2, Washington is off to their best start to a season since 1996. Granted, the team has a tougher schedule upcoming, with two games against the Eagles, and some intriguing matchups against the Steelers and Falcons.
It will be interesting to see how both teams stack up against each other in their first matchup set for Thursday night in Week 11.
