Rough weekend for NFL teams at top of the standings
First-place teams had a rough Sunday.
Dak Prescott returned to the lineup for Dallas (6-2) and the Cowboys didn’t score until Denver led 30-0 in the fourth quarter on the road.
Josh Allen had three turnovers and the Buffalo Bills (5-3) showed no discipline in an embarrassing 9-6 loss at woeful Jacksonville.
Without Aaron Rodgers, the Green Bay Packers (7-2) couldn’t muster enough offense to upend Kansas City in rookie Jordan Love’s first start.
Coming off an emotional week, the Las Vegas Raiders (5-2) struggled in a 23-16 loss at the Giants.
Other winning teams had a tough day at home. The Saints (5-3) lost to Atlanta in their first game missing Jameis Winston. The Rams (7-2) were routed by the AFC South-leading Titans, who won their first game since losing Derrick Henry. The Bengals (5-4) were blown out by the Browns for their second straight loss after a 5-2 start.
A couple winning teams struggled to get their victories. The Ravens (6-2) needed overtime to handle the Vikings. The Chargers (5-3) beat Philadelphia on a late field goal.
Overall, division leaders were 3-4 and home teams were 5-7. Three clubs favored to win by seven or more points lost outright.
Week 9 will serve as a prime example for any coach who wants to issue the “any given
Sunday” warning to his players before a game. Of course, they’ve heard it before.
“It’s hard to win football games, no matter who you play,” Allen said. “We’re all grown men. We all get paid to play this game. They came out. They wanted it more.”
The Bills are an enigma. They were the odds-on favorite to win the Super Bowl but couldn’t beat a team that had lost 21 of its last 23 games. Their high-powered offense hasn’t been sharp in consecutive games, including last week’s victory over Miami.
Buffalo’s loss coupled with Tennessee’s win and a loss to the Titans (7-2) last month means the Bills have an uphill battle to get the No. 1 seed in the AFC. They have to hold off New England (5-4) just to win the AFC East.