The NFL regular season has reached its halfway point, and potential Super Bowl contenders are starting to emerge. The San Francisco 49ers have the league's best record after winning on Sunday, and will be joined at 7-1 by either the Buffalo Bills or Minnesota Vikings, depending on Monday's game.
The Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos both ground out hard-fought wins to improve to 7-2 heading into their bye weeks. Chicago led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14-0 before quarterback Caleb Williams threw a career-high four interceptions. With three minutes remaining, Cairo Santos kicked a 38-yard field goal as time expired, giving the Bears a 27-24 win and their fourth straight victory. Denver scored two touchdowns in the final quarter and sacked Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young with just over a minute left to clinch a 26-21 road win. It was their 16th straight win in one-score games in the regular season, a new NFL record.
The Cincinnati Bengals put on a show in Madrid as the NFL's international series continued. Joe Burrow completed 24 of 29 passes for 271 yards, and Ja'Marr Chase had a season-high 155 receiving yards as the Bengals beat the Atlanta Falcons 34-17. Cincinnati, now 6-2, has scored more than 30 points for a fourth straight game, tying a team record.
In New England, the Green Bay Packers outclassed one of last season's Super Bowl teams. Quarterback Jordan Love threw for 372 yards and three touchdown passes, adding a rushing score, as the Packers won 45-27. It was the most points the Patriots had allowed at home since 1970.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing