1) Patriots - During a week in which a few Patriots not named Tom Brady or Randy Moss graced the cover of magazines, New England spent the week preparing for the red-hot Bills. That Don Shula non-story aside, it was a relatively quiet week for the Patriots. At 9-0, they're hands-down the top team in the NFL. They'll look to continue their historic season on Sunday night in Buffalo.
2) Cowboys- The Cowboys extended their lead in the NFC East to two games with a commanding win over the Giants in New Jersey on Sunday. Tony Romo looked fantastic and Terrell Owens continued his Pro Bowl-bound campaign, hauling in six passes for 125 yards and scoring two touchdowns in the win. The Cowboys' defense looked fantastic as well, sacking Eli Manning five times and intercepting him twice. Dallas matches its best start since 1995 with the win, improving to 8-1. How'd the Cowboys finish that '95 campaign? With the franchise's fifth Super Bowl championship in Tempe's Sun Devil Stadium. The Super Bowl, strangely enough, also happens to be in Arizona this year.
3) Colts- In what was one of the weirder games of the season, the Colts came all the way back in the San Diego rain on Sunday night, only for Adam Vinatieri to miss a 29-yard chip shot with less than two minutes remaining. Peyton Manning threw an uncharacteristic six interceptions and Joseph Addai was held to just 56 yards in the loss. To their credit, the Colts were playing with only a handful of regular starters on offense — and still nearly beat one of the league's most talented teams on the road. Suddenly losers of two straight, an AFC South division title is anything but a sure thing for Indianapolis.
4) Packers- Outside of Tom Brady and perhaps Tony Romo, there's been no better quarterback in the NFL this year than Brett Favre. The future Hall of Famer surpassed another career milestone on Sunday, breezing by the 60,000-yard passing mark, tossing for 351 yards and three touchdowns in the Packers' dominating 34-0 conquest over the Vikings. Favre has the offense looking like a well-oiled machine and the defense is working on all cylinders, as the Packers are now 8-1 with the victory. Green Bay outgained Minnesota by more than 200 yards and more than doubled the Vikes in the time-of-possession battle. They've got sinking Carolina up next week.
5)Steelers- It was Ben Roethlisberger's legs — and not his golden arm — that put the Steelers ahead in Sunday's come-from-behind 31-28 victory over the Browns. Roethlisberger's fourth-quarter 30-yard touchdown scramble was the game-sealer in what was a tough test from the rival Browns. And though the Browns scored 28 points, the top-ranked Pittsburgh defense actually kept the high-powered Cleveland O in check, surrendering just 163 yards against an offense that regularly surpasses the 300-yard mark. A reliable offense, a suffocating defense, and a 7-2 record — Pittsburgh's a legitimate contender in the AFC. They face New England in Week 14.
6) Giants - The Giants were outdone by the rival Cowboys on Sunday, losing their first game since early September, 31-20. The second half was the difference, as the defense was simply unable to contain Tony Romo and the Cowboys' offense. Eli Manning has now lost four straight meetings with Romo, as the Giants sunk to 6-3 with the loss. Still in good shape for an NFC Wild Card spot, New York takes on the surprising Lions in a game between two potential playoff teams this weekend.
7) Chargers- Despite nearly squandering a 23-point lead, the Chargers survived a bizarre Sunday night battle with the Colts. Darren Sproles returned a punt and a kick for touchdowns, while the Chargers picked Peyton Manning off six times in the win. Lucky to escape or not, the Chargers now improve to 5-4 and move into first place in the AFC West, right back in the thick of the AFC playoff picture.
8) Jaguars- The Jaguars needed a W and a Colts loss to keep any hopes of an AFC South division title alive. They got both on Sunday. Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor each ran scores against Tennessee, while the defense kept the potent Titans running game relatively quiet. Quinn Gray is not going to win any fantasy league titles, but he seems to win games. For the second time in three weeks, the Jacksonville quarterback threw for less than 110 yards but got a victory. He's the new Trent Dilfer. And yes, that's a compliment. I think.
9) Titans- A few months after combining for a franchise-record 282 yards on the ground against the Jaguars in Week 1, the Titans held to just 62 yards rushing in Sunday's 28-13 loss in Nashville. The Titans struggled to contain Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor, as both Albert Haynesworth and Travis LaBoy sat the game out with injuries. The Titans had seven sacks against Carolina in Week 9; they managed to record only one in Week 10. They'll need a healthy Haynesworth and LaBoy down the stretch.
10)Browns- The Browns fell to the Steelers for the ninth consecutive time on Sunday, but it wasn't without a fight. Cleveland led the division leaders for much of the game, giving the Steelers a legitimate test on the road in the 31-28 loss. Like Ben Roethlisberger, Cleveland return man Josh Cribbs was once a star college quarterback in the MAC. Also like Roethlisberger, Cribbs had a fantastic day on Sunday, returning four kicks for 204 yards, and taking one kickoff back 100 yards for a score. Derek Anderson, Kellen Winslow and Braylon Edwards are all probably going to make the Pro Bowl this season. You can likely add Cribbs to that list, too. Sunday's loss was tough, but in no way a season-ender for the Browns.
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