Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr was on the verge of tears as he faced the media following his side's third consecutive loss, dropping their record to a borderline unsalvageable 2-7.

The Raiders were favourites at home against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday after the visitors named a new interim head coach and offensive playcaller during the week, but an explosive performance from running back Jonathan Taylor carried the Colts to a 25-20 win.

Las Vegas committed no turnovers, but struggled to move the ball, averaging just 3.2 yards per carry on 24 attempts, while the Colts had 207 rushing yards from 30 attempts, buoyed by a 66-yard touchdown scamper from Taylor.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Carr had to pause several times to gather himself as he tried to explain how it does not feel to him that every member of the team is giving their all.

"I can't speak for everybody – I know where I stand, I love the silver and black, and I'm going to give it everything I can every time I'm out there," he said. 

"I love [head coach] Josh [McDaniels], I love our coaches. They've had nothing but success – way more than I've ever had. 

"I'm sorry for being emotional, I'm just p***** off about some of the things that a lot of us try and do just to practise, and what we put our bodies through just to sleep at night.

"For that to be the result of all that effort, it p***** me off, it p***** a lot of guys off. It's hard… I wish everybody in that room felt the same way about this place.

"As a leader, that p***** me off, if I'm being honest."

He said there was a players' meeting immediately after the loss where leaders addressed their concerns "man-to-man".

"We had our leaders address it man-to-man just now," he said. "It was good, it needed to be done, it needed to be said, and I think for me, I'm always going to just show the way.

"I'm going to show the way, show them what it looks like, show them how hard it is. In the huddle in the second quarter I told them 'this is going to be hard, but we're going to come back and win this game, I believe it'.

"It's going to be hard, though. It's not going to be easy, you've got to do the hard things. Josh always preaches 'do the hard things right'.

"I'm not perfect, I'm never going to be perfect, but the love I have for this place and the effort I give is going to be second-to-none every time.

"I think the emotion of just nine years of stuff hit me today, for how much I really love this place. It's not going to change anything, I'm going to come out here and fight and compete next week, and that's what I'm going to do."

When asked if he believes the coaching staff needs to take accountability for their six losses by one-possession margins – including three blown leads of at least 17 points – Carr refused to point the finger.

"We all take accountability, and the NFL, it's one-score games all the time," he said. "So this team has to learn how to finish those.

"There's been so many of them – six, right? You flip all of those, and everyone is feeling good about it, and I'd feel great about everything.

"That just isn't the case, but it's on all of us. But for me, I'm going to speak for myself and I'm going to come in, take my coaching from Josh, and he'll be hard on me like he always is.

"And I'm thankful for it, we'll keep going forward, and all that. I think if everyone takes that mindset, that's when you get better."

The Raiders travel to take on the Denver Broncos in Week 11, needing a win to keep their slim playoff chances alive.

Green Bay Packers rookie Christian Watson was the star of the show in his side's 31-28 comeback win in overtime against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

With no career receiving touchdowns coming into the contest, the second-round draft pick got one on the board in the first quarter, reeling in a deep ball for a 58-yard touchdown in response to CeeDee Lamb's opening score.

A 12-yard rush from Aaron Jones would give the Packers a lead, before Dalton Schultz tied things up with the fourth touchdown of the first frame.

Second-quarter scores to Cowboys running back Tony Pollard and a second for Lamb gave their side a 28-14 lead at halftime, but Dallas would not score the rest of the way.

Watson brought it back to a one-possession game with his second touchdown to begin the fourth quarter, and he struck again with 2:29 remaining in regulation to tie the game and force overtime.

After the Cowboys failed to convert a fourth down in the extra period, the Packers marched downfield and set-up a game-winning 28-yard field goal for Mason Crosby.

With Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers desperate for a new go-to option, Watson was targeting on eight of his 20 passes for a whopping 40 per cent target share. For reference, Cooper Kupp of the Los Angeles Rams leads the league with a 31.7 per cent target share entering Week 10.

Watson caught four of his eight targets for 107 yards and three touchdowns, while to all other receivers Rodgers completed 10 passes for 117 yards and no scores.

Saturday gets his first Sunday win

In his first game as a head coach above the high school level, Indianapolis Colts legend Jeff Saturday led his team to a 25-20 road win against the Las Vegas Raiders.

In a surprising move that was not announced pre-game, interim coach Saturday opted to return the starting quarterback role to veteran Matt Ryan, pivoting away from second-year youngster Sam Ehlinger.

Ryan was serviceable, completing 21 of 28 passes for 222 yards and no turnovers, but they relied on their running game to get the job done.

Star running back Jonathan Taylor was the Colts' workhorse, carrying 22 times for 147 yards and two scores, highlighted by a 66-yard touchdown run to take the lead in the third quarter.

Josh Allen threw an overtime interception as the Justin Jefferson-inspired Minnesota Vikings fought back to prevail 33-30 in the game of the NFL season so far.

Minnesota looked set to fall short in the biggest test of their credentials as contenders to date when Greg Joseph missed an extra point after a C.J. Ham touchdown to leave the Vikings trailing 27-23 in the fourth quarter.

Yet an already engrossing contest to that point served as merely a prelude to an inexplicable finale that ensured this game will go down as an all-time classic.

The Vikings' hopes looked to be over when they faced fourth and 18 on their own 27-yard line with two minutes remaining, only for Jefferson to produce an astonishing show of athleticism to leap and bend backwards to snatch a desperation throw away from the clutches of Bills defender Cam Lewis and keep the drive alive.

Six plays later, after two more completions to Jefferson, the Vikings had fourth down at the Bills' one-yard line. Dalvin Cook's drop of a Kirk Cousins pass looked to have sealed the game for Buffalo, but the Bills were flagged for offside. The Vikings did not take their second chance, though, with Cousins stopped short on a quarterback sneak.

Incredibly, however, the Bills likewise could not execute a quarterback sneak from their own goal-line, Allen fumbling the snap into the hands of Minnesota linebacker Eric Kendricks for a go-ahead touchdown.

Allen still had 36 seconds to force overtime and, with the help of a hugely controversial diving catch from Gabe Davis, he did just that, setting up Tyler Bass for a game-tying 29-yard field goal.

The Vikings won the coin toss and, though they again failed to find the endzone after a stunning 24-yard throw from Cousins to Jefferson put Minnesota on the Buffalo two-yard line, the boot of Joseph gave them the lead.

Minnesota's profligacy meant Allen had the chance to win the game with a touchdown, but having driven the Bills to the Vikings' 20-yard line, Allen threw his fourth red-zone interception in two games to Patrick Peterson as Kevin O'Connell's visitors held on to triumph and move to 8-1. A second straight loss drops the Bills to 6-3.

Chiefs in cruise control

While the Bills, their primary AFC rivals, lost the game of the year, the Kansas City Chiefs enjoyed a much calmer afternoon, easing past the Jacksonville Jaguars 27-17 thanks to a four-touchdown day for Patrick Mahomes.

They now have the lead of the AFC at 7-2, with the Miami Dolphins their closest challengers at 7-3 as a 39-17 win over the Cleveland Browns moved Mike McDaniel's team to the top of the AFC East ahead of the Bills, who are now third in their division. The Tennessee Titans are 6-3 after a 17-10 defeat of the Denver Broncos.

Fields heroics not enough for Bears

Justin Fields is emerging as one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL over recent weeks, and he delivered another scintillating showing for the Chicago Bears versus the Detroit Lions.

Fields threw for 167 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 147 yards and another two scores, including an incredible 67-yard scamper in the fourth quarter. However, a missed extra point gave the Lions a chance to win with a touchdown, and Jamaal Williams clinched it for Detroit with a one-yard run that sealed a 31-30 triumph.

The Bears made unwanted history in defeat, becoming the first NFL team ever to score at least 29 points in three consecutive games and lose all three.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers strengthened their grip on first place in the NFC South as they survived a fourth-quarter fightback from the Seattle Seahawks to prevail 21-16 in Munich.

Tampa Bay went into the NFL's first regular-season game in Germany having got back on track with a last-gasp 16-13 win over the Los Angeles Rams and on top in their division despite an underwhelming 4-5 record.

For three-and-a-half quarters, there was little sub-par about the Buccaneers' performance at the Allianz Arena, where they led 21-3 with under nine minutes remaining.

Geno Smith threw touchdowns to Tyler Lockett and Marquise Goodwin to cut their advantage to 21-16, but Tom Brady delivered a clock-killing final drive to seal the game for the Bucs, who improve to 5-5, a game ahead of the 4-6 Atlanta Falcons with a tie-breaking head-to-head win in the NFC South. The Seahawks drop to 6-4.

After a scoreless first quarter, the Bucs took the lead at the end of a 13-play drive, Brady connecting over the middle with Julio Jones, who galloped into the endzone for a 31-yard touchdown.

While Smith and the Seahawks' offense continued to struggle, Brady looked increasingly comfortable and led another 13-play drive that was capped by a Leonard Fournette rushing touchdown to put Tampa Bay up 14-0.

Seattle responded in the third quarter with a 55-yard field goal but did not look like stopping the Bucs' offense until a remarkable trick play saw Fournette intercepted by Tariq Woolen while trying to throw to Brady.

But Smith fumbled in the red zone on the subsequent drive and Brady's four-yard touchdown pass to Chris Godwin seemingly put the game beyond doubt.

Smith connected with Lockett to give Seattle hope that was furthered by Goodwin's diving touchdown grab after a Cody Barton interception.

However, the Bucs gained three first downs on the final drive to end any prospect of a turnaround in Bavaria.

The Seattle Seahawks are keen on signing quarterback Geno Smith for next season after his stellar campaign so far.

Arriving as part of a trade deal with the Denver Broncos that saw franchise QB Russell Wilson depart after nine years in the Pacific Northwest, Smith edged fellow new arrival Drew Lock to a starting berth and has excelled in 2022.

A campaign that began with a surprise win against the Broncos has seen Seattle stand 6-3 for the year and top of the NFC West ahead of Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Munich.

Smith has been a major part of the Seahawks' success, completing 73.1 per cent of his passes and throwing for 2,199 yards, with the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport stating Seattle are keen to secure him to a new contract.

An offer is yet to be made to Smith, who is a free agent in 2023, but discussions are set to take place following the conclusion of the season – which may be later than was initially expected given the team's surprise playoff push.

Victory against the Bucs on Sunday would extend the Seahawks' win streak to five, with only the Philadelphia Eagles (eight) and Minnesota Vikings (six) on a longer run.

The Buffalo Bills are giving quarterback Josh Allen every chance to prove his fitness to play in Sunday's clash against fellow division leaders Minnesota Vikings despite an elbow concern.

Allen was listed as questionable for the game on the injury report, while the Bills opted not to elevate third-string QB Matt Barkley to the active roster.

The MVP candidate, who has led Buffalo's offense with 2,403 passing yards for 19 touchdowns along with 392 rushing yards and four other scores on the ground this season, was limited at Friday practice having picked up the elbow injury late in Sunday's loss to the New York Jets.

Allen has only participated in one day of practice this week, having sat out on Wednesday and Thursday but Bills head coach Sean McDermott remained bullish.

"We are literally in an hour-to-hour situation here just looking at how he's going to progress through the day," McDermott told reporters on Friday.

"As he goes through these different tests, medically, making sure that he's able to check the boxes in a progression to where we can see if we can proceed through the course of the day here."

ESPN has reported that Allen's specific concern is an ulnar collateral ligament, related to nerves, in his right elbow. Allen missed four games in the 2018 season with a similar injury to the same arm.

Case Keenum is Allen's back-up QB and he has spoken about being prepared to play if required this week.

"At the end of the day, Josh needs to be Josh, if he's able to play," McDermott added. "And if Case plays, then Case needs to be Case and run the offense."

The Bills are 6-2 and atop the AFC East division, while the Vikings are 7-1 and clear on top of the NFC North on the back of a six-game winning run.

Buffalo lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 42-36 in overtime in the divisional playoffs last season.

The San Francisco 49ers are getting healthy at the right time as they bid to kick-start a second-half surge towards the postseason and get a rare win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

San Francisco had their bye in Week 9, having got to 4-4 in emphatic fashion a week earlier, routing the Los Angeles Rams 31-14 at SoFi Stadium.

They return home to Levi's Stadium to face the Chargers in primetime and, while they have beaten the Rams eight times in a row in the regular season, they have not had such fortune against the other Los Angeles team in the NFL.

Indeed, the Chargers are looking to win their sixth straight game against the 49ers, which would make them the first team to do so since the Seattle Seahawks (who nine games from 2014 to 2018).

However, the two teams have not met since Los Angeles' home win in Week 4 of the 2018 season.

The 49ers, who have once again battled the injury bug in a recurring theme of head coach Kyle Shanahan's tenure, are set to get eight players back from absences.

Versatile star wide receiver Deebo Samuel (hamstring), Jauan Jennings (hamstring), fullback Kyle Juszczyk (finger) and linebacker Dre Greenlaw (calf) are all set to return after missing the win over the Rams.

Running back Elijah Mitchell, linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, backup tackle Colton McKivitz and defensive end Jordan Willis will also make their comebacks from injuries that saw them placed on the injured reserve list.

Mitchell has not played since injuring his knee in Week 1, and it is his and Samuel's infusion back into the lineup that will be most intriguing to watch from an offensive standpoint for San Francisco.

Neither Samuel nor Mitchell has had the chance to play with 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, whom San Francisco acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Carolina Panthers last month.

In his second game against the Rams, McCaffrey threw for, rushed for and caught a touchdown. He was the first player to do so in the same game since the Chargers' LaDainian Tomlinson completed the feat in Week 6 of the 2005 season and only the fourth since the 1970 merger.

Adding Samuel, whose ability to excel as a receiver and a running back propelled the Niners to the NFC Championship Game last season, and 2021 leading rusher Mitchell into the mix alongside another dual running and receiving threat in McCaffrey opens an array of options for Shanahan, especially against a Charger run defense allowing the most yards play (5.7) on the ground in the NFL.

In contrast to the 49ers' improving injury report, the Chargers will again be without top wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, while right tackle Trey Pipkins is out with a knee injury. Practice squad lineman Foster Sarell could get the nod in his stead ahead of much-maligned backup Storm Norton.

Despite losing left tackle Rashawn Slater to a torn ACL earlier in the season, the Chargers' offensive line has held up well. Quarterback Justin Herbert was not sacked in the win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9, and the Chargers have allowed the fewest sacks in the league this season (10). They have not given up 10 or fewer sacks through eight games since the 2008 season (also 10).

That could change against a fearsome 49ers defensive front. The Niners are third in the NFL with a sack rate of 8.9 per cent, though they are once again missing their best interior pass rusher, Arik Armstead, with a foot injury.

The lack of receiving weapons and injuries up front would appear to put Herbert and the 5-3 Chargers in a tough spot. However, the 49ers will be wary of Herbert's ability to overcome adversity, as he has continued to thrive even as the Chargers have failed to deliver since he entered the league in 2020.

Through 40 career starts, Herbert has accounted for 90 touchdowns (82 passing, 8 rushing). Only Patrick Mahomes (107), Dan Marino (95) and Kurt Warner (91) accounted for more scores in their first 40 starts.

The midpoint of the NFL season is tougher to discern following the move to a 17-game campaign but, with Week 10 off and running, it's fair to say we are into the second half.

It is in these final nine weeks when the games will become increasingly important and the onus will be on the game's best to deliver and make sure their respective teams are in position to reach the postseason.

The performances in this half of the campaign will have a significant influence on the end of year awards and on the identity of players named to the All-Pro team.

But which players are most deserving of the latter honour following the opening half of the season?

Stats Perform dug deep into its advanced metrics to help fill out its All-Pro team at the midway point of the year.

Quarterback: Patrick Mahomes - Kansas City Chiefs

Mahomes is second in the NFL in Efficiency Versus Expected in expected passing situations among quarterbacks. He trails Josh Allen, however, having produced 36 completions of at least 20 yards compared to 30 for Allen. He has also been the more accurate quarterback, posting a well-thrown percentage of 82.7 compared to 82.2 for Allen.

Running Back: Tony Pollard - Dallas Cowboys

Among running backs with at least 50 designed runs, Pollard leads the NFL in yards per carry (6.25), is second in yards after contact per attempt (2.94) and first in yards per carry when there is a disruption by a defender (5.27). Pollard is also sixth in yards before contact per rush (3.46).

Wide Receiver: Tyreek Hill - Miami Dolphins

Hill is third in big-play rate among wide receivers with at least 50 targets. His rate of 39.5 per cent trails only Amari Cooper (40.4) and team-mate Jaylen Waddle (39.7). In terms of registering a burn, which is when a receiver wins his matchup on a play where he is targeted, he leads all qualifying wideouts with 5.0 burn yards per route and is on pace to finish with over 2,000 receiving yards.

Wide Receiver: Stefon Diggs - Buffalo Bills

Diggs leads the NFL in open percentage against man coverage, winning 74.42 per cent of his matchups and reaffirming his status as one of the NFL's elite route-runners.

Slot Receiver: Justin Jefferson - Minnesota Vikings

No receiver with at least 25 targets from the slot is averaging more burn yards per route (5.0) or burn yards per target (16.32) than Jefferson.

Tight End: Mark Andrews - Baltimore Ravens

When he has been healthy, no tight end has done a better job of creating separation than Andrews, who leads all players at his position (min. 25 targets) in burn rate (78.1 per cent), big play rate (39 per cent) and burn yards per route (3.7).

Left Tackle: Laremy Tunsil - Houston Texans

The Texans' struggles are nothing to do with Tunsil, who leads all linemen with a pass block win rate of 94.64 per cent and all left tackles with a pressure rate allowed of 1.5 per cent.

Left Guard: Landon Dickerson - Philadelphia Eagles

With the Eagles' Jason Kelce succession plan in place at center, Dickerson can focus on playing guard, which he is doing outstandingly. He leads all left guards with a pressure rate of 3.3 per cent and his stunt-adjusted pass block win rate of 88.69 per cent is second among all guards.

Center: Creed Humphrey - Kansas City Chiefs

Humphrey's pass-block win rate of 87.96 per cent is second to Rodney Hudson of the Arizona Cardinals (90). However, Humphrey has played 253 pass block snaps compared to Hudson's 107. Humphrey has a double-team adjusted run-block win rate of 76.36 per cent, Hudson's is just 53.33.

Right Guard: Wyatt Teller - Cleveland Browns

An outstanding run-blocking guard with a win rate of 80 per cent in that area of the game, Teller's pass-block win rate of 90.74 per cent trails just Tunsil among all offensive linemen.

Right Tackle: Tristan Wirfs - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The problems on the Bucs' offensive line are on the interior, not at tackle, where Wirfs has been exemplary. Wirfs has allowed three pressures in 277 pass-blocking snaps and is third in adjusted win rate (90.56 per cent) among linemen behind Tunsil and Teller.

Edge Rusher: Myles Garrett - Cleveland Browns

Garrett's pressure rate of 29.7 per cent is tied for the best among all edge rushers, while his pass-rush win rate is a phenomenal 68.3 per cent. Winning 48 of his 70 rushes, no edge defender can match him for disruption this season.

Interior Defensive Line: Aaron Donald - Los Angeles Rams

The Rams' hopes of retaining the Lombardi Trophy look to be hanging by a thread, but Donald is still Donald and once again playing at a ridiculously high level. Only two players (Derrick Brown and D.J Jones) have a higher run disruption rate among defensive tackles than Donald (40.5 per cent) while Quinnen Williams is the sole interior defensive lineman with a better pressure rate than his 24.2 per cent. No defender, however, can match Donald's remarkable pass-rush win rate of 73.66 per cent.

Interior Defensive Line: Quinnen Williams - New York Jets

The two players closest to Donald's level both reside in New York. Dexter Lawrence of the Giants has a better pass-rush win rate (72.8 per cent) than Williams (70.5 per cent) but Williams has been the slightly superior all-round defender, winning his run defense matchup 62.5 per cent of the time, adjusted for double-teams, compared to 54.67 per cent for Lawrence.

Edge Rusher: Von Miller - Buffalo Bills

Miller has been worth the extremely lofty price of admission for the Bills so far this season, posting a pass-block win rate of 57.33 and winning 62.96 per cent of his run defense matchups.

You may be screaming 'where is Micah Parsons?!' about the absence of the man seen as the Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner. Parsons is fourth in pressure rate among edge rushers (28.3 per cent), but 16 of his pressures have been unblocked, illustrating a role in the Dallas defense in which he often takes advantage of stunts as the looper. 

Athleticism and quickness creates a tougher situation for the linemen who are being gamed, but it also relies on the penetrator half of the stunt to pick two defenders. In other words, he's creating pressure because a different lineman is blowing a hole through the protection, giving Parsons a free rush on the QB.

In terms of traditional pass rushing, Parsons' impact has not quite been significant enough to make the cut.

Linebacker: Fred Warner - San Francisco 49ers

Warner remains the gold standard for coverage linebackers, allowing a combined open percentage across man and zone of just 15.49 that is second only to Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (13.95 per cent). Warner has also displayed improvement as a blitzer in 2022, his pressure rate of 43.8 per cent second among inside linebackers with at least 20 pass rushes.

Linebacker: Demario Davis - New Orleans Saints

At 33, Davis continues to demonstrate impressive longevity. His combined open percentage allowed of 17.64 trails only Warner among linebackers with at least 100 total plays, while he has also won 23.21 per cent of his run defense opportunities, well above the average of 17.72 for the position.

Nickel Cornerback: Bryce Callahan - Los Angeles Chargers

While the Chargers' run defense has continually struggled, their play in the defensive backfield has been impressive, with Callahan a clear standout. He has lost just six of his 74 coverage matchups across man and zone for a combined open percentage of 17.57 that is the best among corners with at least 50 matchups.

Cornerback: Patrick Surtain II - Denver Broncos

In his second year in the NFL, Surtain already has an extremely strong claim for being considered the best corner in the league. He is third in combined open percentage (21) and his burn rate of 28.9 per cent is first among corners with at least 25 targets.

Cornerback: Darius Slay - Philadelphia Eagles

Second behind Callahan for open percentage (20.21), Slay is once again thriving as part of an Eagles defense that is continually taking the ball away. He has eight pass breakups and three interceptions this season to go along with his superb coverage numbers.

Safety: Derwin James - Los Angeles Chargers

The flexibility of James has been critical to the aforementioned success in the secondary for the Chargers. His burn rate allowed of 35.7 per cent is the third-best for his position while James has also proven an asset rushing the passer, registering three sacks.

Safety: Talanoa Hufanga - San Francisco 49ers

You can't watch a 49ers game without Hufanga being compared to Troy Polamalu. He has unquestionably earned such plaudits, though, giving up the second-fewest burn yards per target (5.68) among safeties and recording the best big-play rate (8.0 per cent). With three interceptions, six pass breakups, five tackles for loss, four stuffs and a sack, he is setting the standard for splash plays at safety.

Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley tried to explain to reporters on Friday why he decided to release former first-round draft pick Jerry Tillery just weeks after rejecting trade offers for him.

Tillery, 26, was taken with the 28th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, tallying 97 tackles, 9.5 sacks and two forced fumbles across his first three seasons.

However, his fifth-year option was declined by the franchise, and he has failed to start a game this campaign.

According to ESPN, the Chargers received "multiple" offers for Tillery leading up to the November 1 trade deadline, but chose to decline in the hope that he could provide depth down the home stretch.

That decision ended up backfiring, as a breakdown in the relationship between player and team led to the Chargers releasing Tillery on Thursday for no compensation.

Speaking to the media on Friday to explain the decision, Staley implied Tillery was not going to accept the limited role the team was asking him to remain in.

"[We had] competing visions for the role moving forward, and it just became clear that it wasn't going to be a fit anymore," he said.

"Where we're headed as a team wasn't going to be compatible with Jerry and where he's trying to go.

"We felt we were going to give [Breiden Fehoko] and [Joe Gaziano] a chance to compete and where we're at, trying to do with our team, our defensive line, our defense, our whole team, trying to create competition and have guys earn their roles.

"That's what we want to be here, that's what we want to do. When those things didn't line up, we had to make a change."

Tom Brady’s team is under .500 and he’s had to deal with off-field challenges, but that does not mean the 45-year-old has any regrets about returning for a 23rd NFL season. 

''Zero, no, definitely not,'' Brady told a crowded news conference in Germany ahead of Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks. ''I think I returned because I felt like I wanted to compete. I spoke to the team about it, and they were excited to have me back.'' 

Although just 4-5, Brady and the Buccaneers have the good fortune of playing in the weak NFC South where no team has a better record. Tampa Bay is coming off a come-from-behind 16-13 win over the Los Angeles Rams and can reach .500 with a victory Sunday. 

''This is a very important game for us. We have a bye week after this. It gives you a chance to kind of evaluate where you are at, and I'd much rather evaluate being 5-5 than 4-6,'' he said. ''We've got to win this game and it will take care of that, but Seattle is going to challenge us. They're creating a lot of sacks and turnovers.'' 

Tampa Bay has been hit hard by injuries and is averaging just 18 points per game, the fewest by a Brady-led offense through nine games in his career.  

"I think the frustrating part is we just haven’t played to the way we’re capable of playing – that's for a number of different reasons," Brady said. 

Besides on-field issues, Brady and Gisele Bundchen recently announced that their divorce is finalized. 

He was asked about how he copes with personal and professional challenges. 

''You do the best you can do every day and, yeah, that's what I've been trying to do, be the best I can be for my family and for my teammates,'' he said. ''We all have our challenges. Life is challenging for everybody. We just do our best.'' 

Brady later explained that he loves the daily routine of the job. 

''It's hard for me to believe I'm still playing at this age, but I enjoy it and I love competing,'' he said. ''Certainly, games like last week are reasons why we do do it because there's a thrill of victory that is hard to probably replicate at home on Xbox or something like that.'' 

Matthew Stafford and Kyler Murray could both miss Sunday's clash between the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals in a crucial game for each team's seemingly fading playoff hopes.

The defending Super Bowl champion Rams are 3-5 heading into the visit of the Cardinals after suffering successive losses to the San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The sole team propping them up in the NFC West is Arizona, who dropped to 3-6 with a home loss to the Seattle Seahawks last time out.

Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray will be a game-time decision with a hamstring injury, and it may well prove a battle of deputy Colt McCoy and Rams backup John Wolford. Stafford (concussion) is listed as questionable having returned to practice in a limited capacity on Friday.

"It could go all the way up until 90 minutes before kick-off," coach Sean McVay said of Stafford. 

"Because when you've got a guy that's a veteran player like him, you're not gonna risk at all… We're not gonna skip any steps, so I don't want that to be misunderstood. But I think it would be silly of me to rule him out."

Even if Stafford cannot play, the Rams can have reason to be optimistic of beating the Cardinals.

The Rams are 10-1 against the Cardinals since 2017, including a win in Arizona in Week 3 this year. The lone loss came at SoFi Stadium last season. The only team with more wins against a single opponent since 2017 are the New England Patriots, who are 11-0 against the Jets.

However, the Rams have the worst offense in the NFL by yards per play, averaging just 4.71. Additionally, they have gone three-and-out on 29.4 per cent of their offensive drives this season, the second-highest mark in the league (Pittsburgh, 31.8). Last season, they did that on just 13.3 per cent of their drives, the second-lowest mark in the league (Kansas City, 10.1).

The Cardinals, therefore, should not have much fear of the Rams pulling away as the Seahawks did last week, but, with Arizona averaging just 4.88 yards per play, a low-scoring game looks likely regardless of who is under center. 

If the Rams are to prevail, wide receiver Cooper Kupp will be the probable offensive difference-maker.

Last week, Kupp produced his 20th career game with at least 100 receiving yards and a touchdown, the most in the NFL since he entered the league in 2017. The only other players with more than 15 such games in that span are Davante Adams (19) and Tyreek Hill (18).

The Buffalo Bills have officially listed quarterback Josh Allen as questionable for Sunday's key game against the Minnesota Vikings as the midseason MVP candidate continues to manage a sprained right elbow.

Allen was termed a limited participant in Friday's practice after sitting out the previous two days with an injury he picked up in Buffalo's 20-17 loss to the New York Jets last weekend.

The five-year veteran did not leave that contest but had his most ineffective performance of the season, completing just 18 of 34 passes for 205 yards with no touchdowns, two interceptions and a 46.8 passer rating.

"We are literally in an hour-to-hour situation here," Bills coach Sean McDermott said of Allen on Friday.

"We're just looking at how he's going to progress through the day, and as he goes through these different tests, medically, making sure he's able to check the boxes in a progression to where we can see if we can proceed through the course of the day here."

McDermott was then asked what Allen will need to show the coaching staff in order to be cleared for the clash against the 7-1 Vikings.

"That's probably getting too far down the road at this point or into the weeds."

If Allen ends up inactive, journeyman Case Keenum would direct a Bills offense that ranks second in the NFL in total yards per game.

Keenum made a pair of starts for the Cleveland Browns in 2021 and won both while compiling 375 passing yards with three touchdowns, one interception and a 95.3 rating.

Allen sat out four games with a similar issue in his elbow as a rookie in 2018 but has not missed a game since, having started Buffalo's past 69 games including the postseason.

We are somehow already at Week 10 in the NFL season, all wondering where the time actually does go.

Two of the shining lights of the campaign face off in Buffalo as the Bills host the Minnesota Vikings.

History will be made in Munich as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers face the Seattle Seahawks in the first-ever regular season NFL game played in Germany, while the San Francisco 49ers will look to continue their return to winning ways against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Stats Perform takes a closer look at the numbers behind some of Sunday's NFL clashes.

Minnesota Vikings (7-1) @ Buffalo Bills (6-2)

The Vikings have played eight games at Highmark Stadium and have held the Bills to 23 points or fewer in each one, which is the longest streak of allowing 23 points or fewer by a visiting team in the stadium's history.

Minnesota have won six straight games, all by eight points or fewer, tied for the second-longest streak of one-possession wins in NFL history, behind a seven-game streak by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020.

T.J. Hockenson boasted nine catches on his Vikings debut last week, tying the Bills' Keith McKeller (October 18, 1987) for the most receptions by a tight end on debut with a team in the Super Bowl era.

The Bills have allowed 21 points or fewer in 12 straight regular-season games, the longest streak in franchise history and the second longest by any NFL team over the last 15 seasons (Baltimore Ravens, 13 straight from 2019-20).

Buffalo are allowing just 4.6 points per game in the second half this year. No NFL team has allowed fewer than 5.0 points per game in the second half over a full season since the Carolina Panthers in 1996 (3.5).

Seattle Seahawks (6-3) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5)

It should be a great experience in Bavaria, but the Bucs are 0-3 in games played outside the United States (all in London), having been outscored 96-51 in those games. The Seahawks, meanwhile, are 2-0 outside the U.S. (one in Toronto, one in London), outscoring their opponents, 77-20.

Pete Carroll is in his 17th season as an NFL head coach and has had at least six wins in each campaign. The only other coach to have six or more wins in each of his first 17 seasons was Don Shula, who did so in all 33 seasons of his career.

Kenneth Walker III is the first NFL rookie to rush for a touchdown and have his team win in each of his first four career starts since Robert Edwards for the New England Patriots in 1998.

Tom Brady has thrown at least 40 passes with no interceptions in seven consecutive starts. No other QB in NFL history has done that in more than four straight starts.

The Bucs have rushed for 75 or fewer yards in eight straight games, the second-longest streak in the Super Bowl wera behind a nine-game streak by the Cardinals from 1991-92.

Los Angeles Chargers (5-3) @ San Francisco 49ers (4-4)

The Chargers are looking to win their sixth-straight game against the 49ers, which would make them the first team to do so since the Seahawks (nine games from 2014 to 2018).

Justin Herbert was not sacked in the Chargers' recent win against the Atlanta Falcons. The Chargers have allowed the fewest sacks in the league this season (10), and have not allowed 10 or fewer sacks through eight games since the 2008 season (also 10).

Through 40 career starts, Herbert has played a part in 90 touchdowns (82 passing, eight rushing). Only Patrick Mahomes (107), Dan Marino (95) and Kurt Warner (91) accounted for more scores in their first 40 starts.

San Francisco's last five games have all been decided by at least 14 points (3-2 record). They have not had six consecutive such games since an eight-game streak in 1999.

Christian McCaffrey threw for, rushed for and caught a touchdown in San Francisco's win over the Rams. He was the first player to do so since the Chargers' LaDainian Tomlinson completed the feat in Week 6 of the 2005 season.

Elsewhere...

The Jacksonville Jaguars (3-6) will need a plan to deal with Chiefs (6-2) QB Mahomes, who attempted 68 passes (completing 43) in last week's win over the Tennessee Titans, both of which set single-game team records. The only player to attempt more passes in a win in the NFL since 1950 was Drew Bledsoe with 70 in Week 11 of the 1994 season.

Former Chief Tyreek Hill has 1104 receiving yards this season for the Miami Dolphins (6-3), the most by any player through his team's first nine games in the Super Bowl era. Prior to this year, there had only been 11 times a Dolphins receiver recorded 1100 yards in an entire season, and Hill will look to add to those against the Cleveland Browns (3-5).

Last week was Cooper Kupp's 20th career game with at least 100 receiving yards and a touchdown, the most in the NFL since he entered the league in 2017. The only other players with more than 15 such games in that span are Davante Adams (19) and Hill (18), and the Los Angeles Rams (3-5) will need their star to step up again against the Arizona Cardinals (3-6).

Aaron Rodgers' passer rating is at 89.0 this season after posting 111.9 in 2021. The decrease of 22.9 is the largest by a Green Bay Packers quarterback (min. five games played) since Bart Starr from 1966 to 1967 (105.0 to 64.4). With a record of 3-6, the Packers will hope he can improve that against the Dallas Cowboys (6-2).

The Atlanta Falcons missed the chance to move into top spot in the NFC South as interim Carolina Panthers head coach Steve Wilks guided his side to a 25-15 victory on Thursday.

Panthers running back D'Onta Foreman starred with 31 carries for 130 yards in rainy conditions, including a third-quarter touchdown to complete a seven-play 84-yard drive at Bank of America Stadium.

The Falcons, who slipped to 4-6, were well beaten throughout, yet got within one score with 2:56 remaining in the fourth quarter when QB Marcus Mariota found a wide open KhaDarel Hodge to make it 22-15. Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo, who had made 71 consecutive extra points coming into the game, inexplicably missed the conversion, having spurned one earlier too.

Marquin Haynes sacked Mariota for the second time to end Atlanta's final drive, with Eddy Pineiro's 37-yard field goal padding out the margin.

Mariota made numerous unusual decisions throughout and was sacked five times. He completed 19 of 30 pass attempts for 186 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, linking up with rookie Drake London for a third-quarter TD after trailing 13-3 at half-time.

Laviska Shenault Jr scored the only first-half touchdown, exploding down the sideline on a 41-yard run after P.J. Walker's swing pass.

Walker, who was preferred to Baker Mayfield, completed 10 of 16 passes for 108 yards, highlighted by a 43-yarder to Terrace Marshall Jr, leading to Foreman's touchdown run in the third.

The win improved the Panthers to 3-7, with Wilks having presided over two wins from five games in interim charge.

The Atlanta Falcons missed the chance to move into top spot in the NFC South as interim Carolina Panthers head coach Steve Wilkes guided his side to a 25-15 victory on Thursday.

Panthers running back D'Onta Foreman starred with 31 carries for 130 yards in rainy conditions, including a third-quarter touchdown to complete a seven-play 84-yard drive at Bank of America Stadium.

The Falcons, who slipped to 4-6, were well beaten throughout, yet got within one score with 2:56 remaining in the fourth quarter when QB Marcus Mariota found a wide open KhaDarel Hodge to make it 22-15. Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo, who had made 71 consecutive extra points coming into the game, inexplicably missed the conversion, having spurned one earlier too.

Marquin Haynes sacked Mariota for the second time to end Atlanta's final drive, with Eddy Pineiro's 37-yard field goal padding out the margin.

Mariota made numerous unusual decisions throughout and was sacked five times. He completed 19 of 30 pass attempts for 186 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, linking up with rookie Drake London for a third-quarter TD after trailing 13-3 at half-time.

Laviska Shenault Jr scored the only first-half touchdown, exploding down the sideline on a 41-yard run after P.J. Walker's swing pass.

Walker, who was preferred to Baker Mayfield, completed 10 of 16 passes for 108 yards, highlighted by a 43-yarder to Terrace Marshall Jr, leading to Foreman's touchdown run in the third.

The win improved the Panthers to 3-7, with Wilks having presided over two wins from five games in interim charge.