By Mitchell Stafford, Rapid City Post Sports
Week 10 shook up the playoff picture in a big way—upsets, statement wins and some teams looking like real contenders while others slipped badly. Here are the big-time results and what they mean as we head into Week 11.
Key Games & Final Scores
- Denver Broncos 10, Las Vegas Raiders 7 (Thu) — A low-scoring, grind-it-out win for Denver. Their defense held strong when it mattered most.
- Indianapolis Colts 31, Atlanta Falcons 25 (OT, Berlin) — Jonathan Taylor exploded for 244 rushing yards and 3 TDs, and Indy ground out a tough overtime win abroad.
- Miami Dolphins 30, Buffalo Bills 13 — Big upset. Miami dominated on the ground, exposed Buffalo’s weaknesses, and shook up the AFC East race.
- Baltimore Ravens 27, Minnesota Vikings 19 — Baltimore snapped its road-foe hoodoo vs. Minnesota and looked like it might be coming alive in the postseason hunt.
- Chicago Bears 24, New York Giants 20 — Chicago pulled off the comeback in the fourth, QB Caleb Williams making key plays, and the Giants continue falling which led to their Head Coach being fired on Monday.
- Los Angeles Rams 42, San Francisco 49ers 26 — The Rams dominated a division rival, showing they still have bite in the NFC West race.
- Seattle Seahawks 44, Arizona Cardinals 22 — Seattle rolled big, making a clear statement in the West—momentum clearly on their side.
- Detroit Lions 44, Washington Commanders 22 — Detroit carved up Washington in a blow-out that further cements them as NFC threats.
- New England Patriots 28, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23 — The Patriots pulled a clutch win on the road, showing the AFC East race may be more open than thought.
- Philadelphia Eagles 10, Green Bay Packers 7 (Mon) — A defensive battle in Lambeau, Philly held on and took a meaningful step in the NFC’s upper echelon.
Storylines & Takeaways
- The AFC East just got even tougher. With Miami taking down Buffalo, the Bills’ dominance in the division is under threat. Every game for AFC East teams now has heightened playoff impact.
- Momentum matters—and the Ravens are starting to ride it. Baltimore’s win in Minnesota was more than just a victory—it may mark a shift for their season.
- Division races heating up in the NFC West. Seattle and the Rams both sent messages this week. The 49ers might no longer be the default top dog.
- Detroit isn’t a surprise anymore—they’re for real. The Lions’ rout of Washington says they belong in the conversation.
- Defense still wins key games. The Eagles-Packers game proved that when your defense holds tough, even low-scoring wins count big in playoff scenarios.
- Upsets continue to rewrite the bracket. Miami over Buffalo and Chicago’s win alter paths for several teams. The margin for error is shrinking fast.
- Momentum heading into the stretch. With the second half of the season looming, teams building streaks now have an advantage. Others could find themselves already chasing.
