After 44 days of fierce competition, the 2019 Rugby World Cup is over.

The first tournament in Asia featured a breakthrough performance from the hosts, a devastating typhoon, superb supporters and, in South Africa, worthy champions who look to unite a troubled nation.

Here are our unforgettable moments from an enthralling six weeks.

Uruguay's sheer joy

Kamaishi, a city reborn after the devastating tsunami in 2011, unexpectedly hosted one of the matches of the tournament. Uruguay had won only two World Cup matches in their history prior to their clash with Fiji, the last one 16 years ago.

With just 22 professional players, the South Americans upset the odds spectacularly with a 30-27 victory. The final whistle brought tears of happiness and huge celebration for the Uruguayans.

Japan's seismic victory that ignited the World Cup

One of the great unknowns about Japan 2019 was how the host team would perform.

The omens were not good when they suffered a 41-7 drubbing at the hands of eventual champions South Africa in a warm-up match. But after a nervous start they overcame Russia 30-10 and then lit up the tournament with an incredible 19-12 upset of Ireland, roared on by a passionate and partisan crowd.

A stylish win over Scotland saw them top their pool but they fell short in the quarter-finals against the Springboks, who squeezed the life out of them with a gargantuan defensive effort.

But they won plenty of new admirers with their entertaining brand of attacking rugby.

Wearing the colours on your chest

World Rugby took the tournament to Japan to find new fans in Asia, but no-one could be sure of the reception in a country in love with football and baseball.

They need not have worried. Fans embraced the tournament more than even the most optimistic of organisers could have hoped.

They packed out the stadiums - even a dreary Italy-Namibia match in the pouring rain was played in front of full stands - as the Japanese adopted other teams, complete with replica shirts and singing the anthems.

But one fan took it to another level.

Hiroshi Moriyama, more commonly known as Bak-san, decided to paint his torso in the colours of all 20 participating teams, earning him celebrity status.

All Black flair at its best

There were 285 tries scored in Japan but TJ Perenara's acrobatic finish in the corner after a dazzling bit of trickery from team-mate Brad Weber was the pick of the bunch.

This was how BBC journalist Alex Bysouth described it in our live text coverage:

Weber's audacious no-look pass drew audible gasps from the Tokyo Stadium crowd and fans exchanged stunned looks as Perenara's incredible, scarcely believable finish was scrutinised on the big screen by match officials.

"It was a special one. It even got me out of my seat, and not too many things do that," said All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen.

Wales' Josh Adams finished as the tournament's top try-scorer with seven from seven matches, one try more than South Africa's Makazole Mapimpi (six matches) and two more than Japan's Kotaro Matsushima (five matches).

Poignant tribute

For the first time at a Rugby World Cup, matches were cancelled as Typhoon Hagibis battered the country, resulting in at least 80 deaths.

The storm, one of the biggest and most powerful Japan has seen in years, hit Tokyo on 12 October, but volunteers and tournament staff worked through the night to put on the crunch Japan-Scotland match in Yokohama the next day.

The hosts beat Scotland to qualify for their first appearance at the knockout stages on an emotionally charged evening.

The Japanese national anthem was sung with true sentiment as players and fans shed tears for those who lost their lives.

Emotions run high

Christian Lealiifano's Australia were knocked out by England at the quarter-final stage, but after the game the fly-half shared a tender moment with his son.

The 31-year-old, who only returned to the side in July after a battle with leukaemia, was reduced to tears as he embraced his child.

This was just one of many emotional photos as players celebrated or commiserated with their families at the end of matches.

Peyper pays for picture

The opening weekend of the tournament saw an unusual number of refereeing errors, especially around the new high-tackle protocol, which sparked a rare rebuke from World Rugby.

Standards improved but South African referee Jaco Peyper caused embarrassment when he was pictured with some Welsh fans pretending to elbow them in the face.

The images, which went viral on social media, sparked outrage in France, as Peyper had just hours earlier sent off lock Sebastien Vahaamahina for a blatant elbow that changed the course of their quarter-final and sent Les Bleus home.

Peyper was given a dressing down from World Rugby and was dropped from the panel for the semi-finals.

In total, there were eight red cards shown at the 2019 World Cup, twice as many as any other edition of the tournament.

Little and large...

At 5ft 7in, South Africa's Faf de Klerk is one of the smallest international players, but the Sale scrum-half plays like a "mini Hercules".

The fiery Springbok squared up to Wales' man-mountain Jake Ball during their semi-final, with a cheeky smile as if to further antagonise the lock.

"We're great friends. It was just a nice moment between us," joked De Klerk afterwards.

After winning the World Cup, the scrum-half became an internet sensation, being snapped wearing only a pair of Springbok 'budgie smugglers' to greet Prince Harry as the champions celebrated in their dressing room.

Smile like you mean it

England managed to disrupt New Zealand in every facet of the game during their stunning semi-final victory - and it started with the haka.

England's players lined up in a V formation to receive the spine-tingling challenge, with captain Owen Farrell seemingly smiling during the All Blacks' performance.

"We didn't just want to stand in a flat line and let them come at us," he said.

England scored a try within two minutes, eventually winning 19-7.

Bowing out

Every team in the competition bowed to all four sides of each stadium, adopting a slice of Japanese culture during the tournament.

Warren Gatland's final game as Wales head coach ended in defeat by the All Blacks in the bronze-medal match, but the 56-year-old has put "respect" back into the national shirt during his 12 years in charge, winning three Grand Slams and reaching two World Cup semi-finals.

All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen and captain Kieran Read also said emotional farewells at the end of the match, after World Cup wins in 2011 and 2015.

Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt and captain Rory Best made their exits after Ireland's quarter-final defeat by New Zealand.

History-maker

Siya Kolisi became the first black Springbok captain to lift the Webb Ellis Cup after South Africa dominated England in the final.

There is social and economic unrest in the Rainbow Nation and Kolisi's first thoughts after winning were to call for unity in South Africa.

"We have so many problems in our country but a team like this - we come from different backgrounds, different races - we came together with one goal and we wanted to achieve it," he said.

"I really hope we've done that for South Africa. It just shows that we can pull together if we want to achieve something."

A fitting end to a quite spectacular tournament.

Western Australia 332 and 4 for 39 trail Queensland 411 (Street 115, Wildermuth 80, Burns 76) by 40 runs

Bryce Street's maiden first-class hundred then a late burst of wickets gave Queensland a terrific chance of pushing for victory against Western Australia.

Queensland built a lead of 79 then dismantled Western Australia's top order during the final session to leave them 4 for 39 at stumps. Cameron Gannon had figures of 2 for 10 from 12 overs having removed Sam Whiteman and Marcus Stoinis in consecutive balls with short deliveries.

Street, who scored a triple century in grade cricket last month then a half-century on his first-class debut against South Australia, compiled 115 off 308 balls.

After he was bowled off an inside edge by David Moody, Jack Wildermuth's 80 carried Queensland towards a useful lead although Wildermuth won't want to relive his dismissal as he pulled a long-hop from Cameron Bancroft to deep square leg.

Part-timer
Half-tracker down leg

You know what happens next
Here's Cameron Bancroft pic.twitter.com/yzGZXYHQm8

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) November 4, 2019

Street's impressive occupation and the contributions from the middle and lower order were vital after the early honours on the third day had gone to Western Australia.

Usman Khawaja's hopes of pressing for a Test recall were dented when he edged behind off Stoinis who then trapped the in-form Marnus Labuschagne lbw for a duck - his first single-figure dismissal since July 13.

There was plenty of toil for Western Australia's quicks, though, and the majority of the success was gained by the allrounders with Stoinis and Hilton Cartwright shared six wickets.

It took Queensland 13 overs to make the first breakthrough but then they came in a rush. Bancroft's struggles in four-day cricket continued when he dragged on against Xavier Bartlett before Gannon made his mark, a pinpoint bouncer forcing Whiteman to splice to gully then Stoinis carelessly turning his first ball off the hip straight to short leg to make it three wickets in six balls.

Things got worse for Western Australia when Shaun Marsh edged Bartlett to the keeper in the penultimate over of the day to leave his team facing defeat.

BALTIMORE -- The New England Patriots' dominant defense suddenly looks vulnerable, as a horrid start contributed to a 37-20 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night at M&T Bank Stadium. It was the team's first loss since December 2018.

Entering Sunday, New England had won 13 straight games, including the playoffs.

The Patriots dropped to 8-1, and the Ravens improved to 6-2, tightening the top of the AFC standings. The San Francisco 49ers (8-0) are the NFL's only remaining undefeated team.

The Patriots' defense that set numerous records through the first half of the season gave up 155 rushing yards in the first half, falling into a 17-0 hole early in the second quarter. Led by dynamic quarterback Lamar Jackson, the Ravens strung together the longest three drives against the Patriots this season, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

"We knew they had one of the best running attacks in the NFL this year and they were able to really run the ball, we struggled stopping the run, and it pretty much gave them control of the game," safety Devin McCourty said. "They were able to play it on their terms, and that's what hurt us the most."

Jackson, 22, becomes the youngest quarterback in the Super Bowl era to defeat a team that entered the game 8-0 or better. That mark previously belonged to Mark Sanchez, who took down the 14-0 Colts in 2009 (Peyton Manning was pulled in the third quarter when the Colts were leading).

Jackson finished 17-of-23 for 163 yards with one touchdown, adding 61 yards on 14 carries. Running back Mark Ingram totaled 116 yards on 15 carries, a performance highlighted by a 53-yard run at the start of the second quarter.

The Patriots allowed four offensive touchdowns after having allowed four such touchdowns in their first eight games combined and no more than one in any game.

"We've all got to do a better job. That includes everybody -- period," coach Bill Belichick said. "We competed out there, but it just wasn't good enough. We all have to do a better job, starting with me."

One question lingered over the Patriots throughout their 8-0 start: How would they respond when the competition elevated?

In a game that featured a playoff-type atmosphere, they got off to their worst start of the season before they fought back and showed mental toughness that should serve them well as they head into the final stretch of their schedule following next weekend's bye. The quality of opponents the Patriots face remains at a high level the next four games: at Eagles, vs. Cowboys, at Texans and vs. Chiefs.

"Losses always find a way to recalibrate how you see yourself. And we obviously have a lot of work to do," said quarterback Tom Brady, who finished 30-of-46 for 285 yards while one touchdown and one interception while directing an up-tempo offense. "So just wasn't obviously good enough. Get beat by 17 points, that's not what we're all about. I give the Ravens credit. I think they played really well, took advantage of their opportunities. And that's what it takes."

Belichick often says no statistic correlates more to the end result of games than turnovers, and two recovered fumbles helped get the Patriots back into the game in the first half. They closed to 17-13 at the half and looked primed to take the lead early in the third quarter when receiver Julian Edelman lost a fumble, and the Ravens' Marlon Humphrey returned it 70 yards for a touchdown.

Instead of possibly going ahead 20-17, the Pats trailed 24-13. At a time when their margin for error was already thin, they dug too big of a hole to recover from and trailed the remainder of the game.

"You can't turn the ball over against a team like that when they can hold the ball that long," Edelman said, in reference to the Ravens' time-of-possession advantage of 37:01 to 22:59. "I felt like I let my team down, but you have to move on. It just wasn't our day. You have to tip your cap to the Baltimore Ravens. They played a good game."

LOS ANGELES -- Kawhi Leonard maneuvered into the paint, where he was greeted by a wall of Utah Jazz defenders before another one blocked his shot from behind.

Everywhere Leonard seemed to move in the first half on Sunday, Jazz defenders surrounded and harassed him into 1-for-9 shooting before the break. But the player Doc Rivers likened physically to Michael Jordan came up clutch in the fourth quarter, as Leonard scored 18 of his 30 points in the final 10:32 to lift the Clippers to a 105-94 win over the Jazz at Staples Center.

"With me, I think it's just about taking advantage of the moment and not shying away," Leonard said. "Just keep going to your spots and shooting, and keep being aggressive for the team, and don't shy away, pretty much. That's what I take my pride in."

Leonard, who grew up studying Jordan's moves, went into the fourth quarter shooting 4-for-15. But he drilled five shots, including two 3-pointers, while adding two key assists and coming up with two steals in the fourth to help the Clippers outduel the Jazz and Donovan Mitchell, who had a game-high 36 points, six assists and four rebounds.

Leonard has played in six of the Clippers' seven games this season and has scored 30 or more points in four of those contests.

Before the game, Rivers was asked about his comment in May that likened Leonard, who was then with Toronto, to Jordan on an ESPN basketball show. The comment drew the Clippers a $50,000 fine for tampering.

"I said there's no body type more like Michael Jordan's than Kawhi, and I actually said because of his hands and his length," Rivers said before the game. "And I did say part of his game, his in-between game, and that took a whole life [of its own]."

Leonard said he heard Rivers' comparison as he was leading the Raptors into June and their first NBA title.

"Just to be able to get recognized for my talents and where I came a long way to where I am now and just showing my hard work is paying off," Leonard said of Rivers' praise.

On Sunday, it was Leonard's persistence and unwavering aggression that paid off. Although this was his worst shooting game of the season (9-of-26 shooting overall), Leonard came up big when the Clippers needed him most. He helped erase a four-point deficit early in the fourth and gave the Clippers the lead when he drilled two consecutive 3-pointers, the second coming with 7:29 left.

He later helped break an 86-86 tie by finding Lou Williams (17 points) for a 3-pointer with 3:51 remaining. When Utah got back within 91-90, Leonard assisted JaMychal Green on a 3-pointer, and the Jazz never recovered.

The Clippers improved to 5-2. Leonard hasn't let Rivers down when it comes to the Jordan physical comparisons. During the Clippers' win over Golden State on Oct. 24, Leonard drew comparisons to Jordan in the way that he pump-faked a defender with one hand the way Jordan did at times. Then against Charlotte on Oct. 28, Leonard converted an up-and-down reverse layup off the glass against the team Jordan owns.

"Yeah, for sure, he's a guy I studied," Leonard said of Jordan. "... He's obviously one of the guys that everyone looks up to just from a competitive standpoint, how he approached every game. You just try to nitpick what you can take from him and bring it into yourself."

India women 191 for 6 (Raut 77, Kaur 46, Raj 40, Fletcher 2-32, Alleyne 2-38) beat West Indies women 138 (Campbelle 39, Sharma 2-25, Yadav 2-26, Gayakwad 2-27) by 53 runs

Punam Raut led a competent Indian batting show, with Mithali Raj and Harmanpreet Kaur playing excellent supporting roles, before the Indian spinners got into the act to hand West Indies women a 53-run defeat and bring the three-ODI series back on level terms in North Sound.

The first game of the series had been a thriller, going down to the last ball before Anisa Mohammed performed the star turn to give the home team a one-run win. The Indians needed to hit the ground running this time, and though they lost openers Jemimah Rodrigues and Priya Punia with just 17 runs on the board, Raut and Raj steadied the innings well after that.

The going was slow. When the two had come together at the end of the ninth over, not a single ball had gone to the ropes, and it took Raj to get there off the third ball she faced, sending Shabika Gajnabi for four. She followed it up with one more, off Aaliyah Alleyne, but even as she settled in well, Raut seemed content playing the patience game, knocking the ball around for ones and twos and scoring her runs with a strike rate in the 30s.

Raj comfortably outscored Raut in their 66-run stand and half the innings had gone before Raut finally found the boundary off the 70th delivery she faced. But Raj fell almost immediately after for a 67-ball 40, to Sheneta Grimmond.

The complexion of the game, however, changed after that as Kaur walked in with more intent than the ones before her, and her 93-run stand for the fourth wicket with Raut was a quick one in the circumstances, coming in just under 18 overs. Kaur hit 46 off 52 balls, with four fours, and Raut also stepped it up in Kaur's company, bringing up her half-century and hitting three more fours, including two in one Stacy-Ann King over - the 46th of the innings - before they were both dismissed within six balls. Kaur was bowled by Alleyne while Raut was caught by Alleyne off Afy Fletcher.

By then, though, India had reached 178, and small contributions from Taniya Bhatia and Deepti Sharma took them to 191 for 6, which didn't seem like too many but proved much more than enough in the end.

That was because, much like the West Indians, the Indian bowlers too choked the batsmen, preventing the scoring rate to ever become a concern. Shikha Pandey accounted for King early on, and the chase stuttered further when Natasha McLean had to be stretchered off after going down clutching her hamstring while taking a run.

The scoreboard read 33 for 1 (McLean didn't return to bat), and though Shemaine Campbelle and Stafanie Taylor revived the chase with a 45-run stand after that, once the spinners got into the act, only one team was going to win.

Taylor, who had hit a match-winning 94 in the first game, made 20 off 31 balls, but then became Poonam Yadav's first victim. Yadav got her second not long after, sending back Chedean Nation. Then, Sharma got Kyshona Knight caught behind by Bhatia, and Rajeshwari Gayakwad had Grimmond stumped by the wicketkeeper. Campbelle also couldn't carry on, her vigil ending after 90 balls in the middle when Gayakwad had her caught by Raut for 39, and though Alleyne (16 off 43 balls) and Fletcher (14 off 18) did their bit, it wasn't enough.

The third and final game of the series, a part of the Women's Championship, will be played on Wednesday at the same venue.

New South Wales 289 (Solway 133*, Nevill 53, Sayers 8-64) and 253 (Larkin 91, Sayers 5-67) beat South Australia 245 (Head 109) and 201 (Cooper 77, Hazlewood 6-35) by 96 runs

Josh Hazlewood found his groove ahead of the Test summer with a first-class career-best 6 for 35 as New South Wales secured a hard-fought 96-run victory over South Australia to consolidate their position at the top of the Sheffield Shield table.

Chasing 298, and having started the final day one down, South Australia fell to 7 for 107 as Hazlewood, Trent Copeland and Nathan Lyon chipped away during the first half of the day.

However, an eighth-wicket stand of 94 in 18 overs between Tom Cooper (77) and Chadd Sayers (47), who added good runs to his 13-wicket match haul, gave South Australia a glimmer of an unlikely fightback as they got the requirement into double figures. But Hazlewood settled New South Wales nerves with his fifth wicket and the final three fell for no runs in 14 balls.

It hadn't taken them long to make inroads to the chase in the morning, with Copeland removing nightwatchman Nick Winter and Hazlewood having Henry Hunt caught behind off a top-edged hook in the first half-hour.

Travis Head moved briskly to 29 on the back of his first-innings century but was then undone by Lyon as he edged a drive to slip where Copeland took a smart catch. After a 40-run stand between Cooper and Callum Ferguson, three wickets fell for 20 runs with Hazlewood and Copeland doing the damage.

Sayers chanced his arm as he and Cooper took the attack back to New South Wales but just as they threatened to make things interesting, Sayers top-edged a pull to deep square-leg where Matthew Gilkes held a well-judged catch.

In the next over, Copeland halted Cooper's excellent innings via an inside edge, leaving Hazlewood to end the match when he bowled Luke Robins for a duck to surpass his previous best of 6 for 50, which came in the 2014 Sheffield Shield final against Western Australia.

Hashim Amla, who retired from international cricket after the World Cup earlier this year and subsequently withdrew his name from the Mzansi Super League draft, has joined Cape Town Blitz for a part of the MSL as a batting consultant.

Amla, 36, played his last competitive game at the World Cup - against Sri Lanka on June 28 - and has since signed up to play for Karnataka Tuskers in the Abu Dhabi T10 League, starting November 15, and with Surrey on a two-year Kolpak deal.

The second edition of the MSL starts on November 8, with the Blitz playing the opener against Jozi Stars in Johannesburg. But Amla will link up with the team, coached by Ashwell Prince, only on November 25, according to a club statement. By then, however, the Blitz would have played six of their ten group-stage games.

"Hashim has a wealth of experience and knowledge of the game and we're really looking forward to him bringing that to our management team," Prince said in a statement. "There are obviously a few very promising young batsmen in our squad, and I think they will benefit immensely from having him around. It's also an opportunity for him to explore whether a position such as batting consultant could be something that he might want to take up in future. I have no doubt that he'd do a great job at it if he did."

Amla's T20 career ran for 154 matches, in which he scored 4284 runs at a strike rate of 126.14. He played 44 T20Is, the last of them in August 2018, scoring 1277 runs at a strike rate of 132.05.

The Blitz had earlier announced the signing of England allrounder Moeen Ali as cover for Pakistan paceman Wahab Riaz, who is away on national duty in Australia at the moment.

Not so fast, you Patriots. The Ravens managed to tighten the AFC playoff race Sunday night, handing the Patriots their first loss of the season and, at the very least, guaranteeing us a layer of genuine playoff intrigue during the second half of the season. The Ravens, Texans and Chiefs are all within striking distance for the AFC's top seed should the Patriots falter.

Let's take a closer look at the playoff race through nine weeks of the 2019 NFL season.

Jump to: AFC | NFC

AFC

1. New England Patriots (8-1)

The gap has closed, albeit relatively slightly, on the Patriots in both the AFC East and the AFC overall. Their 4-0 division record will make it tough for the Bills to catch them, but only 1.5 games separate the two. The Ravens, of course, will have the head-to-head tiebreaker for conference positioning should it come to that. Remaining games against the Texans, Chiefs and Bills -- all in New England's next six games -- will largely decide both races.

Next up: at Philadelphia (after the bye)

2. Baltimore Ravens (6-2)

At this point, you have to wonder how this Ravens team lost by 15 points to the Browns in Week 4. Since then, the Ravens have won four consecutive games and must be considered one of the best teams in football. Providing they avoid a letdown in Week 10 against the Bengals, they'll be 7-2 when they embark on the most difficult stretch remaining in their season: consecutive games against the Texans, at the Rams and against the 49ers. We'll know exactly how good they are after that run.

Next up: at Cincinnati

3. Houston Texans (6-3)

An impressive victory in London, combined with the Colts' loss in Pittsburgh, lifted the Texans into the AFC South lead. It would be even more impressive for them to hold that lead over their next three games: a trip to Baltimore followed by home games against the Patriots and Colts. At some point, of course, the analysis of the Texans' playoff push must include the fact that quarterback Deshaun Watson is one of two or three MVP favorites at midseason. He is a human tiebreaker. Is anyone playing the position better right now, other than possibly the Seahawks' Russell Wilson?

Next up: at Baltimore (after the bye)

4. Kansas City Chiefs (6-3)

So Patrick Mahomes gets hurt midway through Week 7, and at the end of Week 9, the Chiefs still have a comfortable lead in the AFC West. They're 1.5 games ahead of the Raiders, and two ahead of the Chargers. Mahomes (knee) could return in Week 10 against the Titans. But one of the most important storylines of the season so far has been that the Chiefs more than held serve with backup quarterback Matt Moore, winning two of the three games he has played in.

Next up: at Tennessee

5. Buffalo Bills (6-2)

There are two ways to view the Bills' strong start. On the one hand, they have six victories against the third-easiest first-half schedule in the NFL, according to ESPN's Football Power Index (FPI). That includes Sunday's home win against the hapless Redskins. On the other hand, a Bills team -- regardless of its strength of schedule -- hadn't started 6-2 since 1993. Their strength of schedule ranks No. 26 the rest of the way, and the Bills have put themselves in a pretty good spot in the AFC wild-card race, and perhaps even the AFC East should the Patriots stumble.

Next up: at Cleveland

6. Indianapolis Colts (5-3)

In many ways, it's a minor miracle that the Colts are in the thick of the AFC playoff picture after the August retirement of quarterback Andrew Luck. And after the Week 9 knee injury of new starter Jacoby Brissett, backup Brian Hoyer kept the Colts competitive in Pittsburgh, though he did throw a pick-six in a two-point loss.

Next up: vs. Miami

Next four

7. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-4)
8. Oakland Raiders (4-4)
9. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-5)
10. Tennessee Titans (4-5)

NFC

1. San Francisco 49ers (8-0)

Victories in their first eight games have given the 49ers the second-best start in NFL history for a team that had fewer than five wins the previous season. But the corresponding schedule is about to take a turn. Their next five opponents include the Seahawks, Packers, Ravens and Saints. The 49ers look like a strong and balanced team, especially after their offense produced 79 points in its past two games. But we're about to find out for sure.

Next up: vs. Seattle

2. New Orleans Saints (7-1)

As they emerge from their bye week, the Saints have a two-game lead in the NFC South and a 95.1% chance to win the division crown, according to FPI analysis of their upcoming schedule and matchups. With running back Alvin Kamara expected to rejoin quarterback Drew Brees back in the lineup, it'll be time to start gauging the Saints' prospects for home-field advantage in NFC playoffs. The key game might well come in Week 14, when they host the 49ers.

Next up: vs. Atlanta

3. Green Bay Packers (7-2)

A shockingly flat performance in Los Angeles produced the Packers' first loss in five games, but they remain atop the NFC North and in position to dictate the second-half race. They'll get a home game against the Panthers in Week 10 and then a bye to prepare for a much more important West Coast game at the 49ers in Week 12. The Packers will also appreciate the head start they gave themselves in the division race when they finish the season with three consecutive NFC North games, including two on the road.

Next up: vs. Carolina

4. Dallas Cowboys (4-3)

A mini surge from the Eagles means the Cowboys need a victory Monday night in New York to hold their lead in the NFC East. The Eagles have won two consecutive games, and the Cowboys' schedule is about to get interesting. Over the next four weeks, they'll play three teams that currently are a big part of this playoff picture: the Vikings, Patriots and Bills. The Cowboys have already experienced one dud against a bad team in New York -- a 24-22 loss to the Jets -- and need to avoid another.

Next up: Monday at N.Y. Giants

5. Seattle Seahawks (6-2)

A wild overtime victory over the Buccaneers was a reminder that Wilson has been the single-best player in the NFL during the first half of the season. He threw five touchdown passes, including the game winner, and at this point, it is difficult to imagine the Seahawks ever truly being out of a game with Wilson behind center. Now the fun really begins. They play the 49ers on Monday Night Football in Week 10, their first of several opportunities to get to the top of the NFC West.

Next up: at San Francisco

6. Minnesota Vikings (6-3)

Losing to an AFC team -- as the Vikings did Sunday in Kansas City -- is preferable for tiebreakers compared to losing to an NFC team. The Vikings didn't lose any ground in the NFC North, which went 0-4 in Week 9, but they missed a chance against a Mahomes-less opponent to pull into a virtual tie with the Packers. You can find plenty of reasons to poke the Vikings after this loss, but here's one statistic to keep in mind in the second half of the season: The Vikings are 0-10-1 with quarterback Kirk Cousins in games when they face a fourth-quarter deficit. That's not a formula for winning close contests down the stretch.

Next up: at Dallas

Next four

7. Los Angeles Rams (5-3)
8. Carolina Panthers (5-3)
9. Philadelphia Eagles (5-4)
10. Detroit Lions (3-4-1)

The Bears dropped another game as the offense struggled to get going, the Dolphins got in the win column and Buffalo moved to 6-2. Meanwhile, the Chiefs got a big victory without quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and the Steelers inched by the Colts to get back to .500 on the season. In the afternoon, Green Bay was stunned by the Chargers, and Cleveland continued its disappointing season with another loss.

All that and more in Week 9's biggest takeaways from NFL Nation.

Jump to a matchup:
NE-BAL | MIN-KC | CHI-PHI | IND-PIT
TEN-CAR | WSH-BUF | NYJ-MIA
TB-SEA | DET-OAK | GB-LAC
CLE-DEN | JAX-HOU | SF-ARI

Baltimore Ravens 37, New England Patriots 20

What's up with the Patriots' run defense? For all the talk about the dominance of the Patriots' defense through the first half of the season, it has been gashed on the ground for two straight weeks. Last Sunday against the Browns, the Pats got a bit of a pass because of the rainy conditions, which created an additional challenge with fundamentals and tackling. But their first-half play against the run versus Baltimore -- albeit with a dynamic quarterback in Lamar Jackson -- was well below their acceptable standard. They allowed 155 rushing yards in the first half. They will need to be better going forward as the level of competition remains high after their Week 10 bye. -- Mike Reiss

Next game: at Philadelphia (4:25 p.m. ET, Nov. 17)

Jackson delivered the most monumental victory of his career, and the Ravens can stake their claim to being the AFC's best team. The Ravens QB ran for two touchdowns and threw for another, which caused the sellout crowd at M&T Bank Stadium to serenade him with chants of "MVP" in the final minutes of the game. Sidestepping and slashing past a defense that stacked the box, he finished with 224 yards of total offense, throwing for 163 yards and rushing for 61. Baltimore not only showed it belongs in the same class as New England, but the Ravens are threatening the Patriots' hold on the AFC's top seed at the midway point of the season. The Ravens (6-2) are 1.5 games back of the Patriots for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. -- Jamison Hensley

Next game: at Cincinnati (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Kansas City Chiefs 26, Minnesota Vikings 23

The Chiefs might eventually look back at Sunday's win as the one that allowed them to reach their goals. From this vantage point, this victory looks like it saved their season. The Chiefs raised their record to 6-3 just as it appears they will get reigning NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes back in their lineup for next week's game against the Titans. -- Adam Teicher

Next game: at Tennessee (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Kirk Cousins completed 50% of his passes and had a career-high 12 overthrows, but the Vikings' loss doesn't rest entirely on the QB's shoulders. "I don't think we helped him a lot today," coach Mike Zimmer said. Three flags in the third quarter -- all on the Vikings' offensive line -- killed drives and resulted in a 16-point swing for Kansas City upon getting the ball back. Cousins was 0-for-9 when passing under duress, according to ESPN Stats & Information, the worst mark of his career. And he's now 0-10-1 when trailing in the fourth quarter. Up next for the Vikings are the Cowboys, key for two teams in the playoff hunt. -- Courtney Cronin

Next game: at Dallas (8:20 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Philadelphia Eagles 22, Chicago Bears 14

Fueled by their success on the ground, the Eagles responded to consecutive blowout losses with back-to-back wins. Eagles running back Jordan Howard made a statement against his former team on Sunday, rushing for 82 yards and a touchdown. Now the Eagles (5-4) have home games against the Patriots and Seahawks coming out of the bye, but their finishing schedule is favorable after that. It's a two-horse race between the Eagles and the Cowboys (4-3) for the NFC East crown, and Philly plays four of its next six games at home, including a Week 16 game against Dallas. -- Tim McManus

Next game: vs. New England (4:25 p.m. ET, Nov. 17)

Bears coach Matt Nagy will need to spend the offseason re-imagining the offense. Everything is broken. The Bears gained nine total net yards in the opening 30 minutes against the Eagles and finished 2-of-10 on third down. Chicago didn't even get a first down until under a minute left in the first half. Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky made a couple nice plays after halftime, but he's still struggling overall. The entire offense is in desperate need of an overhaul. -- Jeff Dickerson

Next game: vs. Detroit (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Pittsburgh Steelers 26, Indianapolis Colts 24

After starting 0-3, the Steelers have won four of their last five games to pull to .500 at the midway point. The record-evening win came against a quality opponent in the Colts, who came into Heinz Field with a 5-2 record. "Everyone believes in each other," running back Jaylen Samuels said. "When something goes bad, we pick each other up, and we just keep going, and it's good to be 4-4, .500." Fueled by a pass rush that collected five sacks and three takeaways, the Steelers are in the playoff hunt in a season that had seemed to derail early. -- Brooke Pryor

Next game: vs. L.A. Rams (4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Coach Frank Reich described starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett's left knee injury as being "MCL-ish." He said, "It looks at this point like a sprain. I think we'll have to see how it responds." Brissett suffered the injury in the second quarter when guard Quenton Nelson was pushed back into him. Veteran Brian Hoyer, whom the Colts signed after the retirement of Andrew Luck, replaced Brissett and finished 17-of-26 for 168 yards, three touchdowns and one interception that was returned for a touchdown. Hoyer will start against Miami in Week 10 if Brissett has to miss time. -- Mike Wells

Next game: vs. Miami (4:05 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Carolina Panthers 30, Tennessee Titans 20

Carolina rebounded in a big way. It took the Panthers eight games to get a win after their embarrassing loss to Pittsburgh last season. It took them one week this time around after their embarrassing loss to San Francisco last week. Sunday's victory highlighted the resiliency of the Panthers, who have won five of six games since losing starting quarterback Cam Newton, whose future is more uncertain than ever. It also highlighted the importance of running back Christian McCaffrey, who continued his MVP march with three touchdowns and 166 yards from scrimmage. "Everyone wants to mope around and be sad after a loss,'' safety Tre Boston said. "We knew what we had to do.'' -- David Newton

Next game: at Green Bay (4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday)

The Titans reverted back to the ineptness on offense that troubled them before their two-game win streak. Their decision to give Derrick Henry only two carries in the first half was mind-boggling, considering how the Panthers were giving up 135.1 rushing yards a game entering Week 9. This is the second week in a row the Titans failed to take advantage of a weakness in the opposing team's defense. They still managed to score 20 points and gain 431 total yards on offense, but they'll need much more than that next week against the Chiefs, especially if Patrick Mahomes returns from injury. -- Turron Davenport

Next game: vs. Kansas City (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Buffalo Bills 24, Washington Redskins 9

The Bills returned to complementary football. While their defense figured out how to stop an underrated Washington rushing attack led by Adrian Peterson, the Bills' offense gave it plenty of room to work with in the first half, scoring on all three of its drives. That did not go unnoticed by Buffalo safety Micah Hyde, who said the offense's ability to sustain drives and add to the lead gave the defense time to make adjustments. It's a trend he hopes continues next week when the Bills face the Browns in Cleveland. "When you're sitting on the sidelines for seven, eight minutes at a time -- that's pretty awesome," Hyde said. "I don't have to pay anything to have a front-row seat every week." -- Marcel Louis-Jacques

Next game: at Cleveland (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

The Redskins have a decision to make at quarterback, but there's only one choice that makes sense: sticking with Dwayne Haskins. That's not because he was great in his start against Buffalo but there was growth in some areas. Also, the Redskins (1-8) have nothing to lose, as Case Keenum wasn't exactly on fire in his starts and they seemingly refuse to go back to Colt McCoy. One player said after the game that the team would understand if they stuck with Haskins -- even if the feeling is that he still has a ways to go. Interim coach Bill Callahan was non-committal about who would start the game after the bye. -- John Keim

Next game: vs. N.Y. Jets (1 p.m. ET, Nov. 17)

Miami Dolphins 26, New York Jets 18

It felt like a postgame scene from a playoff victory for the Dolphins after the win over the Jets. Miami lacks talent, but it doesn't lack heart or fight. The Dolphins have shown that over the past month, and they were finally rewarded with a victory. To see the love the players gave coach Brian Flores after his first victory shows this could be an important step in their long-term rebuild. -- Cameron Wolfe

Next game: at Indianapolis (4:05 p.m. ET, Sunday)

It was one of the most embarrassing losses in franchise history. The Jets are faced with three questions for the second half of the season: Can quarterback Sam Darnold be fixed? Will the team fracture? And will coach Adam Gase keep his job? The latter question will hinge largely on the first two. The Jets (1-7) are a dumpster fire, headed toward a one-, two- or three-win season. -- Rich Cimini

Next game: vs. N.Y. Giants (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Seattle Seahawks 40, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 34

At 7-2, Seahawks are still alive in the NFC West race. It would have started to look like wild card or bust had they lost Sunday to Tampa Bay, with a Monday night game against the 8-0 49ers in Santa Clara up next. Instead, they'll head to Levi's Stadium with a chance to pull within a half-game of San Francisco, knowing they still have the rematch at home in Week 17. The defense Seattle has played the past six quarters won't cut it against the 49ers and Kyle Shanahan, one of the league's best playcallers. But as Pete Carroll said Sunday, the Seahawks have a chance in every game as long as they have Russell Wilson, who continues to play like a league MVP. -- Brady Henderson

Next game: at San Francisco (8:15 p.m. ET, Nov. 11)

The Buccaneers' young secondary -- the one head coach Bruce Arians declared was "fixed" this summer -- continues to hold them back. The unit struggled in man coverage on Sunday, surrendering a 21-13 halftime lead to the Seattle. The Bucs' defense allowed 105 rushing yards to Chris Carson. Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf also became the seventh and eighth players in the NFL this season to have more than 100 receiving yards each against the Bucs, who are now tied with the Cardinals for most such stat lines against in the NFL. In a game in which Jameis Winston was almost flawless, the Bucs dropped to 2-6 and have an uphill road to even get into playoff contention. -- Jenna Laine

Next game: vs. Arizona (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Oakland Raiders 31, Detroit Lions 24

The Raiders are in a youth movement, no doubt, or did you miss that all four touchdowns they scored in Sunday's white-knuckle victory were authored by rookies? Running back Josh Jacobs scored from 2 and 3 yards out. Tight end Foster Moreau scored, and receiver Hunter Renfrow was on the other end of Derek Carr's game-winning 9-yarder. As Carr said, the rookies are key pieces of the team -- which improved to 4-4 with the Chargers coming in on a short week for a Thursday night game -- and not just a small part of some package. And as coach Jon Gruden said, "It's pretty obvious, we're building our team. I'm just going to continue to hit that chord. We want to win every week, we'd like to go to the Super Bowl and win it for our fans, and our players, and everybody included. But we're building a team, and I like some of the blocks we've got in place." -- Paul Gutierrez

Next game: vs. L.A. Chargers (8:20 p.m. ET, Thursday)

The Lions' defense once again couldn't stop the run. It couldn't stop the pass. And that, cornerback Darius Slay said, leads to a "long a-- day." Detroit's defense had that type of day in a loss to Oakland, allowing 450 yards of offense. At this point, with the offense playing well enough to win most games, it's Detroit's defense that is going to keep the Lions from playoff contention. -- Michael Rothstein

Next game: at Chicago (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Los Angeles Chargers 26, Green Bay Packers 11

A Chargers team desperate for a win that would catapult it back into playoff contention thoroughly dominated one of the best teams in the NFL. The Chargers held an offense playing lights out led by Aaron Rodgers to just 84 total yards through three quarters. Now 4-5, the Chargers face the team's AFC West rival, the Raiders, on the road Thursday on a short week, looking to get back to the .500 mark for the first time since Week 4. -- Eric D. Williams

Next game: at Oakland (8:20 p.m. ET, Thursday)

The Packers got back their No. 1 receiver Davante Adams after a four-game absence because of turf toe, but the offense started slow and never really got going. So how do they respond after their worst offensive showing of the season? Said Rodgers: "This is a good slice of humble pie for us. We're kind of rolling, 7-1, and starting to listen to the chatter maybe a little too much. I think this will be a good thing for us. We'll regroup, go back home and play another good team before the bye." -- Rob Demovsky

Next game: vs. Carolina (4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Denver Broncos 24, Cleveland Browns 19

Quarterback Brandon Allen made the most of his first career start. The Broncos have seen tight games get away from them this season -- they've lost three in the last 22 seconds by a combined six points -- but coach Vic Fangio said Sunday that "it was nice for them to get the reward.'' Allen was the sixth QB to start a game for the Broncos since the start of the 2017 season, but with Joe Flacco injured and rookie Drew Lock still on injured reserve, he now gets an audition to show what he can do. It's been 42 months since Allen was a sixth-round draft pick by the Jaguars and Sunday was the first time he had taken a snap in an NFL regular-season game. But when all was said and done, his teammates raved about when he did in his debut and said they want to see more. -- Jeff Legwold

Next game: at Minnesota (1 p.m. ET, Nov. 17)

A season in Cleveland that started with so much promise and hype might already be done. The Browns plummeted to 2-6 with a disheartening defeat at Denver, effectively dousing their playoff hopes. According to ESPN Stats & Information, only one team -- the 1970 Bengals -- has made the playoffs during the Super Bowl era after starting 2-6 or worse through eight games. Neither the standings nor the easy remaining schedule really matter anymore for the Browns. As it turned out, this year isn't any different for Cleveland. And the Browns remain what they've largely been since their return to the NFL at the turn of the millennium: a losing football team. -- Jake Trotter

Next game: vs. Buffalo (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Houston Texans 26, Jacksonville Jaguars 3

The Texans' defense stepped up without J.J. Watt, who is out for the season because of a torn pectoral muscle. Houston kept the Jaguars out of the end zone and held running back Leonard Fournette to 40 yards on 11 carries. After the game, Texans safety Justin Reid said an important part of the game plan was to keep the ball out of Fournette's hands and force the Jags into passing situations. The Texans' banged-up defense -- especially the secondary -- will get a chance to rest going into the bye week at 6-3. -- Sarah Barshop

Next game: at Baltimore (1 p.m. ET, Nov. 17)

Gardner Minshew II's three turnovers will make coach Doug Marrone's decision on which quarterback to start in their next game easier. Despite facing a Texans defense that was missing three key starters -- Watt, cornerback Bradley Roby and safety Tashaun Gipson Sr. -- Minshew and the offense managed one field goal in 11 possessions. He threw two interceptions and lost two fumbles in his worst game since he replaced Nick Foles (broken collarbone) in the season opener. It all fell apart against the Texans, and Marrone should be going back to Foles. -- Mike DiRocco

Next game: at Indianapolis (1 p.m. ET, Nov. 17)

San Francisco 49ers 28, Arizona Cardinals 25

Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo can pick up the offense when the run game and the defense have an off night. The 49ers' latest path to victory might have been their most important. Through seven games, San Francisco didn't need Garoppolo to carry it to victory -- but it did Thursday. And Garoppolo delivered what coach Kyle Shanahan called his "best game yet, probably." The 8-0 Niners continue to find new ways to win, the mark of a team that has a chance to make a run deep into the postseason. -- Nick Wagoner

Next game: vs. Seattle (8:15 p.m. ET, Nov. 11)

The Cardinals can take some solace in knowing they came back on one of the best teams in the NFL, but a loss is a loss. What Thursday's game did was potentially create a running back controversy. Kenyan Drake had his best game since late in 2017 and proved he's an ideal fit in Kliff Kingsbury's offense. But Kingsbury is also "hopeful" running back David Johnson can play in Week 10. They can coexist, but to what degree? -- Josh Weinfuss

Next game: at Tampa Bay (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)