Aaron Rodgers expects to play when the Green Bay Packers face the Chicago Bears on Sunday, having received positive news after undergoing a scan on his rib injury.

Rodgers exited last Sunday's 40-33 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the third quarter after suffering from "intense pain" in his ribs, and he subsequently underwent an MRI on Monday.

The four-time NFL MVP was worried he had punctured a lung in the aftermath of the Packers' latest defeat, and head coach Matt LaFleur offered a vague response when asked about the quarterback's condition the day after their Week 12 clash.

However, Rodgers looks likely to be available against the Packers' NFC North rivals after using Tuesday's appearance on The Pat McAfee Show to offer a positive update on his fitness.

"I got good news with the scans yesterday, so I plan on playing this week," Rodgers said.

"There was an earlier shot in the game that kind of rattled the rib cage. I was trying to stretch some things out at half-time a little bit, and realised it probably wasn't some sort of muscle injury. 

"Then I got hit again in the third quarter and was just having a hard time breathing. 

"I pride myself on not coming out of games and I've played through a lot of different things over the years, some that got attention, some that haven't got attention. 

"But I was in some considerable pain and I feel like I just couldn't move out there really much at all. I wanted to go in and make sure it wasn't something really, really serious."

Rodgers has been playing with a broken thumb on his throwing arm for the last six weeks, and his latest injury setback sparked fears he could be ruled out for the remainder of 2022.

With the Packers struggling to a 4-8 record this season, Rodgers has recorded a 64.8 per cent completion rate, while his nine interceptions represent his highest total across a single campaign since 2010 (11).

Mike White's superb showings at quarterback do not appear to have changed Robert Saleh's ideas about bringing Zach Wilson back into the New York Jets fold.

The former continued his impressive season over the weekend, passing for 315 yards and three touchdowns during Sunday's 31-10 win over the Chicago Bears.

Wilson has struggled for form in recent weeks and passed for just 77 yards during a 10-3 loss to the New England Patriots, leading to his demotion in favour of White.

But, despite those setbacks, there is still a path back into the side for the 2021 number two overall pick, with Saleh unwilling to commit to one player or the other.

"It's a week-to-week deal," he stated. "The full intent is to get Zach ready to play football again. I'll make that decision when I'm ready.

"While we're going through this process, it's Mike White's opportunity to take advantage of every last play he gets. I'm going to leave it at that. We're going to figure it out as we go."

Saleh refused to suggest what White might be able to do in order to secure the starting spot on a fill-time basis, continuing to publicly back Wilson.

"Mike's got an opportunity to stack another great day up this week," he added. "When we feel like Zach is ready to roll, he's going to roll."

Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur was vague about Monday's scan results on quarterback Aaron Rodgers' rib injury, but is not considering shutting him down at this stage.

Rodgers exited Sunday's 40-33 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the third quarter with a rib injury, undergoing examination at the game, before a further MRI on Monday.

The four-time NFL MVP was bullish after the game about playing in next Sunday's game with the Chicago Bears. LaFleur was hopeful too on Monday following Rodgers' additional scan.

"Sometimes there's stuff that doesn't show up on all the scans," LaFleur told reporters. "All I can tell you is he's feeling a little bit better… we'll know more in the next couple of days."

Rodgers has been playing with a broken thumb on his throwing arm for the past six weeks, with his latest knock for a side with a 4-8 record prompting talk he could be shut down for the season.

Packers backup QB Jordan Love came on in the fourth quarter against the Eagles and threw 113 yards on six-of-nine passing including one touchdown in a bright cameo. Shutting down Rodgers would offer Green Bay a chance to give Love more experience.

However, LaFleur insisted that Rodgers would play if he is healthy and that he was not thinking beyond the next game.

"We've not even gone down that road," he said. "I don't think that's what we're arguing here.

"It's just, we've got a lot of faith, quite frankly, in both those guys. But you know, Aaron's the starting quarterback. He's battled through a lot throughout the course of his career. It's pretty well documented.

"I think he's been able to play at a pretty high level through a lot of different situations. So again, we'll take it one game at a time and make the best decision moving forward."

The Packers have the bye after the Bears game, offering the potential for a few weeks' rest for Rodgers if he does not play on Sunday.

"I think all those conversations, we'll have those conversations," LaFleur said. "If that's what we feel is best, then that's what we'll do."

Rodgers has a 64.8 per cent completion rate this season, making 254 of 392 passes for 2,682 yards with 21 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 12 starts.

The 38-year-old QB's nine interceptions are the most in his career since 2010, while he has also been sacked 24 times.

Aaron Rodgers feared he had suffered a punctured lung in Sunday's 40-33 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles but remains hopeful of playing next week.

The Green Bay Packers quarterback exited the game in the third quarter due to a ribs injury, which Rodgers said he sustained in the first half.

Rodgers said it was re-aggravated in the third quarter, leaving him in "intense pain".

"[I was] Just having a hard time breathing and rotating my upper body," Rodgers told reporters. "I was worried about a punctured lung as well, so I wanted to get that checked out. We'll get a scan tomorrow."

Rodgers jogged to the locker room in the third quarter for examination although he said initial X-rays provided little clarity on the extent of the issue.

Despite that, the 38-year-old quarterback, who has been playing with a broken thumb on his throwing hand since Week 5, remained hopeful of playing against the Chicago Bears next Sunday.

The four-time NFL MVP threw two touchdown passes and two interceptions in the first half before leaving the game. Rodgers has thrown seven interceptions this season, his most since 2016, along with 19 touchdowns across 11 starts.

Rodgers dismissed any talk of shutting him down either, as the loss left the Packers with a 4-8 record to be third in the NFC North.

"As long as I check out fine tomorrow, I'll expect to play next weekend," Rodgers said. "I might not be able to go Wednesday but as long as there's no major structural damage, I'll try to get back out there.

"Hopefully everything looks good tomorrow, then heal up for a couple of days and see if I can go back out there."

Packers head coach Matt LeFleur backed Rodgers' toughness to play through pain, in a sign he is not considering shutting him down either, despite 24-year-old backup Jordan Love throwing a TD pass for Christian Watson in a bright cameo.

"This is one of the toughest dudes I've ever been around so I don’t ever for a second question his toughness, his desire to be out there, his desire to compete," LeFleur said.

"He apologised to me. I said 'don't ever apologise to me'. I'll never question that.  This guy is the ultimate competitor.

"He's been battling through a lot of stuff all year long. It hasn’t just been this year. It's been the last few years that we've been together. He doesn’t say anything about it, he just keeps competing and being the best he can."

New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh was thrilled with the nuance and subtlety displayed by new starting quarterback Mike White as he led a dominant 31-10 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

White was making his first start of the season after the benching of last year's second overall draft pick Zach Wilson, and he looked right at home running the offense.

He completed 22 of his 28 passes for three touchdowns and no turnovers, reaching 31 points in the third quarter before putting the cue in the rack.

Two of those touchdown passes were caught by impressive rookie Garrett Wilson, with the third going to Elijah Moore, who came into the contest with just 16 scoreless receptions for the season.

Speaking to the media after the win, Saleh pointed to White's ability to run the offense smoothly and play within himself.

"He did a great job," he said. "He didn't need to be anybody but Mike White.

"We didn't need to turn into the greatest show on turf – we just needed him to play within himself and play efficient, and he did that.

"Especially in the elements, he made the easy look easy. I thought he did a really good job of… mastering the obvious. He's really good at doing his job, he gets rid of the ball, he gets it where it needs to get to.

"I thought our O-Line did a great job of protecting him, and when he needed to be aggressive, he was aggressive.

"Any time you have success there's reinforcement, but I don't think there's a guy in the locker room who didn't think he would perform today."

Saleh was also impressed with how White got his receivers involved, including Moore, whose lack of targets from Wilson prompted a trade request at the deadline.

"We have a lot of good players who are worthy of the ball," he said. "It was good to see Elijah [Moore] get some production – and it was the same with all our receivers, we have a plethora of them.

"[Moore] has always been a great kid. I know whatever happened with the trade request – that's not him.

"I feel like he's been working his tail off, being patient and trusting the process. He is focusing on the things he has control over, and it's good to see him get that production."

White, who was making the fifth start of his career, told reporters it was special to hear the New York crowd chanting his name, and that he is looking forward to getting another chance next week against the Minnesota Vikings.

"It's always cool," he said. "I'm not going to sit here and give you some quarterback cliche that I'm not focusing on [the chanting]. 

"There are times that I'm not [thinking about it] – I think it would be a lot cooler if they didn't do it while we were trying to snap the ball – but no, I'm not going to complain about that.

"I thought today was a complete team win – our defense did what they always do, they dominated. They flew around the field, made big plays, turned the ball over.

"We ran the ball well when we needed to, late in the game we could have just hung it up, but we kept the run going and guys were running hard.

"I feel good, obviously. It was a good game for the offense. I'll enjoy this one with my friends and family, and then tomorrow turns into Minnesota prep, and we turn the page."

The win improves the Jets' record to 7-4, one game behind the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins for the AFC East lead.

Trevor Lawrence produced the greatest moment of his brief NFL career to date as the Jacksonville Jaguars fought back to stun the Baltimore Ravens 28-27.

The Ravens led 19-10 early in the fourth quarter after Gus Edwards' one-yard touchdown run, and then appeared destined for victory after surviving a fourth-quarter collapse to retake a 27-20 lead on Josh Oliver's 12-yard touchdown reception and a two-point conversion throw to Mark Andrews.

That left Lawrence, last year's first overall pick, with 75 yards to go for a game-tying touchdown with just over two minutes remaining.

The ensuing drive saw him show the poise and ability that led him to be dubbed as the best quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck, Lawrence expertly leading the Jags down the field in 10 plays.

A pinpoint throw to Marvin Jones Jr. in the corner of the endzone pulled the Jaguars within a point but, rather than going for the game-tying extra point, head coach Doug Pederson elected to try to win the game with a two-point attempt.

His belief in his young quarterback was vindicated as Lawrence connected with Zay Jones to give the Jaguars the lead.

In the dying seconds, Jackson got the Ravens on the edge of game-winning field goal range for Justin Tucker, who owns the NFL record for the longest kick in league history. However, Tucker's 67-yard attempt fell just short of the crossbar as the Jags clung on in a heart-stopping finish.

Baltimore's defeat means they drop to 7-4, ahead of the Cincinnati Bengals only on the head-to-head tiebreaker after the Bengals beat the Tennessee Titans 20-16 in their playoff rematch.

Brady beaten in OT

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers missed a chance to cement their grip on the NFC South as they suffered a dramatic overtime loss to the Cleveland Browns.

David Njoku's spectacular one-handed grab drew the Browns level 17-17 with 32 seconds remaining and the Bucs failed to rediscover offensive fluency in the extra period.

A 45-yard bomb from Tom Brady's former team-mate Jacoby Brissett to Amari Cooper put the Browns deep in the red zone, before Nick Chubb's three-yard plunge sealed the win for Cleveland.

With Tampa Bay's division rivals the Atlanta Falcons losing 19-13 to the Washington Commanders, the Buccaneers let slip an opportunity to go two games up in the loss column at the top of the NFC South.

Jets win without Wilson

Having benched last year's second overall pick Zach Wilson following their dismal offensive performance in defeat to the New England Patriots last week, the Jets got back on track with Mike White under center against the Chicago Bears.

White completed 22 of his 28 passes for 315 yards and three touchdowns as the Jets routed the Justin Fields-less Bears 31-10 to improve to 7-4. They are a game behind the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins, with the latter now 8-3 following their 30-15 win over the lowly Houston Texans.

With 11 weeks down in the NFL, Week 12 presents a number of crucial matchups for sides pushing to secure their spot in the playoffs.

The Philadelphia Eagles (9-1) and Minnesota Vikings (8-2) look set to slug it out for number one spot in the NFC but the picture is far tighter in the AFC, where the 8-2 Kansas City Chiefs lead the way ahead of four sides with a 7-3 record.

Week 12's action includes a number of sides looking to boost their chances of featuring in the postseason, with the Tennessee Titans, New York Jets, Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs all having home field advantage.

Stats Perform has taken a look at some of the more interesting numbers ahead of these and other big games on Sunday.

Cincinnati Bengals (6-4) @ Tennessee Titans (7-3)

The Bengals head to Tennessee having scored 37 and 42 points in their last two games, with a total of 79 standing as their most over a two-game span since 2005, and Joe Burrow will be looking to make an impact against an opponent he went touchdown-less against last time out.

In the playoff win against the Titans last season their franchise quarterback did not throw a touchdown pass, with that still the only game which the Bengals have won without Burrow throwing a TD when he has started.

The Titans only really got going in Week 3 this season, boasting a 7-1 record since. That stands as the joint-best across the NFL, tied with Minnesota and Philadelphia – the top two in the NFC, as it stands.

Since Week 4, the Titans have held their opponents to an average of 2.8 yards per rush, the best in the NFL, while the 387 yards rushing allowed in those seven games is the lowest tally by any NFL side in such a span since the 2014 Detroit Lions.

Chicago Bears (3-8) @ New York Jets (6-4)

The Bears have won five straight in matchups against the Jets but travel to New York on the back of a three-game losing streak, each of which has been decided by three or fewer points – the first time in franchise history they have experienced such a run.

Chicago will come up against Mike White as the starting QB for the Jets, who have benched Zach Wilson after last week's horror show against the New England Patriots, where they scored just three points despite not turning the ball over in the game.

White last started in Week 10 of last season, while his four games in 2021 saw him throw an interception on 6.1 per cent of his passes, the highest mark of quarterbacks across the NFL last season with at least 100 passing attempts.

Sunday's matchup will see two vastly different teams on the ground, with the Bears rushing for 54 first downs since Week 8, 15 more than the next-closest team over that span, while the Jets have rushed for just 13 first downs in the same period – the lowest total across the NFL.

Las Vegas Raiders (3-7) @ Seattle Seahawks (6-4)

The Raiders head to Seattle having lost their last five road games against the Seahawks, tied for their longest active losing streak on the road against a single opponent – also losing five straight at Green Bay.

Las Vegas have had no more than one takeaway and no more than one giveaway in nine straight games, the longest streak by any NFL side in the Super Bowl era, but come up against a formidable force in rookie Tariq Woolen.

Woolen has five of the Seahawks' seven interceptions in this season (71.4 per cent) and is on course to shatter the NFL rookie record for the highest percentage of a team's interceptions, which is currently held by Washington's Dan Sandifer, who had 13 of 24 in 1948 (54.2 per cent).

Quarterback Geno Smith has completed at least 64 per cent of his passes in all 10 games so far this season, tying him with Steve Young (1992), Drew Brees (2011) and Kyler Murray (2021) for the longest streak to start an NFL season.

Los Angeles Rams (3-7) @ Kansas City Chiefs (8-2)

The Rams head to Kansas City on the back of a four-game losing streak, tied with the 1999 Broncos and 2002 Patriots for the third-longest losing streak by a defending Super Bowl champion – behind only the 1987 Giants and 2009 Steelers (five straight losses).

In the past eight games, the Rams have just a single takeaway, which stands as the lowest by any side over an eight-game span in the Super Bowl era.

The Chiefs have a devastating record against the Rams, having scored 246 points (41 per game) over their last six games against Los Angeles, the second most by any NFL team over a six-game span against an opponent since the 1970 merger.

Having fought back from behind to beat the Chargers last time out, the Chiefs have now won six in a row when trailing at halftime, dating back to last season, the longest streak by any NFL team (regular and postseason) since the 49ers won seven such games in a row from 1989-90.

Elsewhere…

All 10 of the Denver Broncos' games this season have been decided by single digits. If that happens again against the Carolina Panthers, they will tie the second-longest such streak to begin any NFL season, trailing only the 2015 Ravens (12 games).

Green Bay head to Philadelphia having won six of their last eight matchups against the Eagles. They had won just five of their previous 17 prior to that.

The 49ers host the Saints having recorded at least one sack in 37 straight games, the longest active streak in the NFL and the longest streak for San Francisco in the Super Bowl era.

The Falcons travel to Washington with six wins in their last seven against the Commanders. Atlanta have scored at least 24 points in nine straight games against Washington – the franchise's longest streak against any opponent in team history.

One day after his team’s offence failed to score a touchdown in a damaging loss to a division rival, New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh told reporters Monday he’s not certain quarterback Zach Wilson will remain the starter going forward.

"We’re keeping everything on the table the next couple of days," Saleh said at his weekly press conference when asked if changes could be coming ahead of the Jets' Week 12 game against the Chicago Bears.

Wilson, the second overall pick in the 2021 draft, managed a mere 77 passing yards while completing nine-of-22 attempts in directing a lifeless Jets offence in Sunday’s 10-3 loss to the New England Patriots. New York produced a meagre 103 total yards and six first downs while missing out on a chance to move into a first-place tie in the tightly bunched AFC East.

The 23-year-old ranks last of out 34 quarterbacks with at least 150 passing attempts this season in completion percentage (55.6), while his 72.6 passer rating is ahead of only Pittsburgh rookie Kenny Pickett among that group.

"I’ve got to be able to sit back, I think we’ve all got to be able to sit back and think what’s best for this organisation and this team," Saleh said. "I want to be very, very clear – it’s not all about the quarterback.

"But there is also an evaluation process to make sure we do what’s best for the organisation, and that’s every position."

Wilson also drew some backlash for his response to a reporter’s question following Sunday’s loss. When asked if he though the offence had let down the defence, the struggling quarterback simply replied, "No, no."

Saleh downplayed those remarks during Monday’s conference while acknowledging that Wilson could have handled the situation better.

"Obviously, football is an emotional game. I’m not going to shy away from the fact that I do think he’s the ultimate competitor. He wants to win about as much as anybody," Saleh said.

"Can he be a little bit better in front of you guys when he’s up here on the podium in terms of the expectation that when you are standing in front of the podium, it’s our job to take bullets and own it, especially when it’s time to own it? Of course he can.

"But I don’t think it’s indicative of how he feels about his team or teammates, and I don’t think he’s naive to the fact that our offence wasn’t playing to the best of their ability."

Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields is feeling the effects of Sunday's 27-24 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, telling reporters he hurt his left shoulder late in the contest.

Fields has broken out over the past couple of months, establishing himself as the Bears' quarterback of the future, but it is yet to translate to wins.

After only throwing a touchdown pass in one of Chicago's first four games, Fields has now thrown a touchdown pass in each of their past seven fixtures, going 1-6 in that stretch.

It is hardly Fields' fault, with the defense conceding an average of 35.5 points per game across their past four outings, while Fields has also broken the record for rushing yards from a quarterback in a single regular season game (178) and the record for most over a two-game span (325).

Attempting to come back from a late deficit against the Falcons, Fields told reporters he believes he landed on it awkwardly, forcing him to finish the game in pain.

"I don't know what happened, to be honest with you," he said. "I just landed on it, I think.

"I was hurting, but it was the last drive of the game. I tried to be there for my teammates and fight through the pain.

"The pain right now is pretty bad. I'll just take it day by day and see how it feels later in the week."

Bears head coach Matt Eberflus added they are expecting an update mid-week.

"We will have an update on Wednesday," he said. "We don't know what exactly it is, that's why we are going to take a look at it."

Marcus Jones scored the first punt return touchdown of the NFL season in the final seconds as the New England Patriots continued their hoodoo over the New York Jets.

The AFC East rivals appeared destined to take a game severely short on offensive production into overtime.

However, with the game locked in a 3-3 tie, rookie Jones took Braden Mann's punt back 84 yards to clinch a 10-3 win for New England and spark delirium at Gillette Stadium.

The dramatic ending was in stark contrast to the nature of a game that saw field goals from Nick Folk and Greg Zuerlein in the second quarter as the only scoring prior to Jones' decisive touchdown.

His return means the Patriots have won their last 14 games against the Jets, who were held to 2.1 yards per play in an offensive performance likely to spark significant questions about second-year quarterback Zach Wilson.

Had they ended their drought against New England, the Jets would have sat atop an ultra-competitive AFC East.

Instead, their defeat, combined with the Buffalo Bills' win over the Cleveland Browns, means drops them to the bottom of the division at 6-4.

Eagles survive scare

The Philadelphia Eagles lost for the first time on Monday, suffering defeat at the hands of the Washington Commanders, and they narrowly avoided a second successive loss on Sunday.

Philadelphia trailed the Indianapolis Colts, playing their second game under interim coach Jeff Saturday, 13-3 going into the fourth quarter.

But Jalen Hurts threw a 22-yard touchdown to Quez Watkins to set a comeback in motion, and eventually broke Indianapolis hearts with a seven-yard touchdown run with 80 seconds left, improving the NFC-leading Eagles to 9-1 with a 17-16 win.

Philadelphia also gained extra breathing room in the NFC East as the New York Giants dropped to 7-3 with a home loss to the Detroit Lions.

Patterson makes history in Falcons win

The Atlanta Falcons are still in the mix in the NFC playoff picture after coming through a thrilling game with the Chicago Bears 27-24.

It is a win Cordarrelle Patterson will remember forever after he took a kick return 103 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. Patterson's score marked the ninth kick return touchdown of his career and saw him claim the outright record for the most in NFL history

Atlanta's NFC South rivals, the Carolina Panthers, lost 13-3 to the Baltimore Ravens, who are now 7-3 at the top of the AFC North.

Chicago Bears running back Khalil Herbert will miss at least the next month after the hip injury he suffered in Sunday's loss to the Detroit Lions resulted in him being placed on injured reserve.

A sixth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Herbert has quickly established himself as one of the most dynamic backs in the league, tied with the Dallas Cowboys' Tony Pollard for the top yards-per-carry mark in the league (6.0).

When Bears starter David Montgomery missed time earlier this season, Herbert showed what he can do as the main man, tallying 157 yards and two touchdowns from 20 carries to star in his team's win over the Houston Texans in Week 3.

Herbert's injury came late in the fourth quarter against the Lions as he fielded the final kick return, landing awkwardly on his hip and immediately leaving the game.

After his departure, Montgomery handled 100 per cent of the running back snaps, meaning unless the Bears decide they trust another runner, Montgomery could be in for a workhorse role in Week 11 on the road against the Atlanta Falcons.

Chicago Bears emerging star Justin Fields set an NFL single-game record for rushing yards by a quarterback with a 178-yard performance in Sunday’s contest against the Miami Dolphins.

Fields eclipsed the previous high mark of 173 yards set by Atlanta’s Michael Vick in 2002. Former San Francisco 49er Colin Kaepernick still has the most rushing yards by a quarterback in any NFL game when he ran for 181 in a playoff victory over Green Bay in January 2013.

The 2021 first-round pick also set a franchise record for the longest run by a quarterback when he eluded a rush and scrambled for a 61-yard touchdown in the third quarter of Chicago’s 35-32 loss.

Fields' continued development as a passer was also on display, as he threw for a career-high three touchdowns and finished with a quarterback rating over 100 for a second straight game.

"I think I’m just growing and getting better each and every week," he said afterward. "My main goal is just to continue to do that, continue to trend up. Each and every day I practice, just keep getting better and better. That’s really all you can do."

After recording a 71.8 passer rating with a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 9-to-13 through his first 14 NFL starts, the 23-year-old has posted a 99.7 rating with eight touchdown passes and just two interceptions over his last five outings.

"Obviously, start of the season [he’s] feeling his way, and now the last three games he’s really taken off," Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said. "We are excited about that as a group and we are excited about that for the Chicago Bears and the franchise."

Sunday’s effort gave Fields 602 rushing yards in 2022, making him the fifth quarterback since 1960 with 600 or more rushing yards through nine games in a season. The former Ohio State star joined a list that includes Vick, former Bear Bobby Douglass and two active players, Lamar Jackson and Kyler Murray.

"He’s as fast as any skill position runner," Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel remarked. "He is really, really fast and he can cut and break tackles.

"There are a lot of running quarterbacks. This one in particular I think is very elite and adept at that."

Aaron Rodgers lost a fifth straight game for just the second time in his NFL career as the Green Bay Packers were upset again by NFC North rivals the Detroit Lions.

The Packers are enduring a torrid season and fell to 3-6 with this latest 15-9 defeat on Sunday.

Green Bay had not previously lost five in a row since 2008 – Rodgers' first year as a starter – but there is no sign of their misery ending any time soon.

Rodgers, previously so dominant in division matchups, threw three interceptions in a game for only the fifth time in his career and for the first time against NFC North opponents.

Two of those came with the game still scoreless, giving the lowly Lions a foothold they fought hard to protect.

Detroit had traded T.J. Hockenson within the division to the Minnesota Vikings at the deadline, but that void was filled by a pair of career-first touchdown catches from tight ends.

Shane Zylstra – elevated from the practice squad on Saturday alongside wide receiver brother Brandon – got the Lions on the board with his first catch of the year, while rookie James Mitchell's score at the start of the fourth quarter ultimately proved decisive.

Bills loss leaves AFC East in the balance

The fourth of Rodgers' five successive defeats had come against the Buffalo Bills last week, but Josh Allen was also on the end of a shock loss on Sunday as the New York Jets blew the AFC wide open. Despite two rushing TDs, Allen was every bit as hapless as Rodgers through the air as he threw two interceptions in the Jets' tense 20-17 win.

With the Bills 6-2 and the Jets 6-3, the AFC East is among the year's closest fought divisions, with the Miami Dolphins just about improving to 6-3 by fending off the Chicago Bears 35-32. Justin Fields kept the Bears in touch, throwing three TD passes and rushing for 178 yards – a Super Bowl era record among quarterbacks. His stunning 61-yard TD run was the longest of his career.

Mixon makes hay with Bengals' first five-TD game

There was no late drama in the game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Carolina Panthers, which was dominated by running back Joe Mixon. He rushed for four TDs and had five total scores – also catching a Joe Burrow pass. It was just the ninth five-plus-TD game of the Super Bowl era – and the first by a Bengal – and set up a 42-21 victory.

The 2022 trade deadline day proved a historic one for the NFL.

Teams struck 10 deals on Tuesday prior to the 16:00 EST deadline, with a total of 12 players traded, the most ever on deadline day.

None were of the level of the San Francisco 49ers' blockbuster trade for Christian McCaffrey on October 20.

However, there were still several deals that will have significant short and long-term impacts for some of the franchises involved.

So what can we glean from the hive of activity at the deadline? Stats Perform dug into the advanced data around the trades to answer that question.
 

Dolphins crank up pressure on opponents, and Tua

The Miami Dolphins made the headline move of trade deadline day, sending a package that included the 2023 first-round pick they acquired from the 49ers to the Denver Broncos for edge rusher Bradley Chubb.

It is a move aimed at improving the Dolphin defense's ability to better complement an offense that fired on all cylinders in their Week 8 win over the Detroit Lions.

Miami recovered from 14 points down to beat the lowly Lions 31-27, Tua Tagovailoa producing five passing plays of at least 20 yards in a single game for the third time this season.

Yet the Dolphins might not have needed such heroics from their quarterback had the defense been better equipped to keep the Lions at bay in the first two quarters.

The Dolphins are allowing successful plays on 47.7 per cent of passing downs, well above the league average of 41.1, and have tallied just 14 sacks for negative yardage this season, tied for 20th in the NFL.

Chubb's arrival brings the Dolphins a high-ceiling pass rusher who already has 5.5 sacks, eight quarterback hits, four tackles for loss and two forced fumbles in 2022.

His 32 pressures are more than every other Dolphins defender save for Jaelan Phillips, who has racked up 41, the fourth-most in the NFL, in a strong second season.

The hope will be that pairing Phillips and Chubb will greatly improve the defense's capacity to create negative plays and remove some of the onus from a high-powered offense.

That offense has a new name in the backfield for the second half of the season. The Dolphins traded running back Chase Edmonds to the Broncos, before sending a fifth-round pick to the 49ers for Jeff Wilson Jr, who reunites with former team-mate Raheem Mostert in Miami.

Wilson's departure was always a possibility after the 49ers struck their blockbuster trade for McCaffrey, but he should prove an excellent complement to Mostert.

He can excel at both zone and gap-scheme runs and has proven effective at picking up yards with less than ideal blocking. Among backs with at least 50 carries, Wilson is 11th with 3.37 yards per rush on runs where there is a disruption by a defender.

With a strengthened pass rush and an apparent upgrade in the backfield, Tagovailoa's support system looks to be improved following the trade deadline, but that will only heighten the scrutiny on him if he cannot turn a 5-3 start into a playoff berth.
 

Lions have long way to go

If their 1-6 record didn't already make it obvious, Detroit's decision to trade tight end T.J. Hockenson to NFC North rivals the Minnesota Vikings hammered home the point that the Lions still have a lot of rebuilding to do.

Detroit received a 2023 second-round pick and a 2024 third-rounder in exchange for Hockenson, a 2023 fourth-round pick and a conditional 2024 fourth-rounder.

It is a move that sees them part with a tight end that was a Pro Bowler as recently as 2020 and who has been an efficient receiver in 2022.

Hockenson is averaging 15.2 yards per reception, the most among tight ends, with Detroit's willingness to part with him reflective of how much they value acquiring draft capital for a team that appears further away from competing than many thought heading into the season.

While the struggles on the field may put them in position to land their quarterback of the future, the Lions are clearly in need of more resources to improve a defense that has allowed a play success rate of 46.1 per cent, the second worst in the NFL, and continues to struggle to create pressure or cover in the secondary.

The beneficiaries of the Lions' need to amass picks are the 6-1 Vikings, who can work in Hockenson as a replacement for Irv Smith Jr. after he was lost for eight to 10 weeks with an ankle injury.

It was not clear in which direction the Vikings were headed after a sea change in the front office and at head coach after missing the playoffs last season, but the Lions were thought to be on an upward trajectory following an impressive offseason.

That assessment has proven misguided, with these two teams' divergent paths enabling the Vikings to enjoy the advantages of having another offensive weapon as the Lions are left wondering how long it will take for them to be in a position to be buyers at the deadline.
 

Chicago has faith in Fields

The Chicago Bears were also a seller, sending linebacker Roquan Smith to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday having also dealt pass rusher Robert Quinn to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Unlike the Lions, however, the Bears were in the business of adding to their roster, striking a deal that serves as an illustration of their belief in second-year quarterback Justin Fields.

After receiving a second and a fifth-round pick for Smith, the Bears parted with a second to acquire wide receiver Chase Claypool from the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Claypool's worth was clearly not depreciated by a downturn in his production in terms of scoring from his rookie year. He scored 11 touchdowns (nine receiving, two rushing) in 2020 but has just three from scrimmage since.

Yet Claypool has excelled at winning his matchups with covering defenders this season, with his open percentage against man coverage of 42.42 prior well above the average for wide receivers of 36.32.

That points to the problem in recent years being the Steelers' offense, which has struggled to target him downfield amid its deficiencies at the quarterback position. Claypool's average depth of target of 9.8 yards this season is below the league average of 10.4.

But a partnership with Fields, who has been starved of receiving talent in Chicago, could be one that gets Claypool back on his previous trajectory.

Last week against the Dallas Cowboys, Fields was accurate on 90.9 per cent of his throws while averaging 9.5 air yards per attempt. His season-long average of 9.64 is fourth among quarterbacks with at least 100 passes this season.

If Fields sustains that downfield accuracy, it could see Claypool re-emerge as the deep ball-winner he was in his rookie season.

Though they have traded other assets for picks, the Bears feel Fields has shown enough to be worthy of their faith he can blossom into Chicago's franchise quarterback and are backing him to revitalise Claypool while inspiring further strides for an offense that has made definitive progress in recent games.

The Chicago Bears remained busy with the NFL trade deadline approaching on Tuesday, acquiring wide receiver Chase Claypool from the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

The move comes after Chicago traded two-time All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday and pass-rusher Robert Quinn to the Philadelphia Eagles last Wednesday. 

The Bears (3-5) are sending a 2023 second-round draft pick to Pittsburgh (2-6) in exchange for Claypool, who has 32 catches for 311 yards and a touchdown reception in eight games this season. 

The Steelers selected Claypool in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft, and he has totalled 153 catches for 2,044 yards and 12 TD grabs in 39 games. 

Claypool has run the ball 32 times for 167 yards and two touchdowns in his career, and he threw a one-yard TD pass to Pittsburgh running back Derek Watt in last week's 35-13 loss to the Eagles.