Week 9 saw a huge NFC North matchup between the Lions and the Vikings, while the Packers faced the Carolina Panthers, and the Bears took on the Cincinnati Bengals. Minnesota entered the game 3-4 and was on the road, taking on Detroit. The Vikings were clicking on all cylinders and came away with a huge 27-24 win.

After being one of the top contenders in the NFL through the first eight weeks of the season, the Green Bay Packers fell victim to their second trap game of the

The Chiefs have head-to-head losses to the Los Angeles Chargers and Jacksonville Jaguars, the two teams directly ahead of it in the wild-card standings. Patrick Mahomes and Co. still have to play the Denver Broncos twice, with the first meeting coming out of Kansas City's bye in Week 11.

The Lions, like the Packers, lost a game they probably should have won, and did so in their own stadium. Detroit was nearly a double-digit favorite against division rival Minnesota on Sunday, but instead allowed the Vikings to grab an early lead and largely control the game from start to finish.

The Vikings' massive upset win over the Lions on Sunday has revived their playoff hopes and given fans a reason to dream about what the rest of this season might hold with J.J. McCarthy at quarterback. The win got the Vikings back to .500 at 4-4, kept them perfect within their division, and breathed life into their season in more ways than one.

The Denver Broncos temporarily moved to the top of the AFC standings with their Thursday night win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

Howard Green is the ultimate example, playing solid football for the Packers in 2010 up to and including the moment in Super Bowl

The Wednesday practice report for the Vikings will serve as a potential barometer for how the team's week may go. The injuries have piled up, as we said, but some players are making progress in their return,