After falling a game short of last season’s Super Bowl, the Lions have come back even stronger, with a 24-14 victory at the Green Bay Packers giving them a 7-1 start for the first time since 1956.
Remarkably, it was Detroit’s first outdoor game of the season, but, in wet and windy conditions at Lambeau Field, they claimed their third straight win at the home of their divisional rivals.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff had only 145 yards and a touchdown, but his record-setting accuracy and efficiency is driving Detroit’s six-game winning streak.
Jordon Love threw a pick six in an error-strewn Packers performance as Detroit scored 24 unanswered points to take control of the game and the NFC North.
Jackson and Henry run riot for Ravens
After a stunning upset in Cleveland last week, Baltimore’s top-ranked offence put the record straight with a dominant 41-10 battering of a previously stout Denver Broncos defence.
Lamar Jackson furthered his case for back-to-back Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards with a fourth perfect passer rating game in his career, while Derrick Henry eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards for the season and 100 career rushing touchdowns.
Henry has MVP claims of his own as the first player to lead the league in rushing attempts, yards, touchdowns and yards per run since the great Jim Brown in 1963.
Baltimore are 6-3 with a couple of head-scratching losses on their record, but, with speedy receiver Zay Flowers also adding another two touchdowns, the top scorers in the NFL look unstoppable when on their game.
Daniels and Allen lead seven-win teams
Two more MVP candidates drove their teams to a 7-2 record, with rookie superstar Jayden Daniels steering Washington to their best start since 1996 with a 27-22 win at the New York Giants.
After a stunning Hail Mary last week, this was a quieter Daniels display with 209 passing yards and two touchdowns, but the poise is spectacular for a rookie as he keeps his side marching towards the play-offs.
The Giants’ Jude McAtamney became the first Irish-born kicker to play a regular season NFL game since Neil O’Donoghue appeared for the 1985 St Louis Cardinals.
Josh Allen threw three touchdowns to help Buffalo to a 13th win in the past 14 games against rivals Miami – but only just as Tyler Bass needed to boot a 61-yard field goal with five seconds left to finally sink the Dolphins.
Tua Tagovailoa’s return has certainly improved Miami, and he levelled the game with a touchdown pass to Jaylen Waddle with 98 seconds left, but Allen got the Bills close enough for Bass to win it.
Highlight-reel plays in overtime thrillers
Following Garrett Wilson’s incredible catch for the New York Jets on Thursday, Demarcus Robinson produced another stunning one-handed touchdown grab in overtime to clinch a dramatic walk-off win for the Los Angeles Rams at the Seattle Seahawks.
New England Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye also produced a magical final play of the game as he scrambled around for almost 12 seconds before finding Rhamondre Stevenson for a tying touchdown at Tennessee.
Maye could not reproduce his heroics in overtime, though, with an interception sealing a welcome second win of the season for the Titans.
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