The Buffalo Bills have traded for Indianapolis Colts running back Nyheim Hines, striking a last-minute deal on the NFL's trade deadline day.

On Monday, it was widely reported that several teams were interested in a move for Hines, with the Colts heading into the second half of the season with a disappointing 3-4-1 record.

Buffalo then confirmed the trade in the final minutes before Tuesday's deadline, adding another offensive weapon for quarterback Josh Allen following a stellar start that has them top of the AFC with a 6-1 record.

In exchange, they have sent running back Zack Moss — a third-round pick in the 2020 draft — and a conditional 2023 sixth-round pick to the Colts.

A fourth-round pick in 2018, Hines has so far tallied 1,205 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns, as well as 235 receptions on 300 targets for 1,725 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in his career.

Last season, Hines turned 15 of his 40 receptions into a first down while averaging seven yards after the catch per reception, and it is his receiving upside that the Bills will be looking to consistently harness as they aim to atone for the playoff heartbreak of the previous two seasons and end their wait for a first Super Bowl title.

Aaron Rodgers warned "nobody feels sorry for us" and the Green Bay Packers must "take a beat" after the Buffalo Bills consigned them to a fourth consecutive defeat.

The Packers slipped to 3-5 with a 27-17 loss to the Bills at Highmark Stadium on Sunday.

Stefon Diggs took six catches for 108 yards, scoring a 26-yard touchdown as Green Bay's miserable run continued.

Rodgers had some harsh words for his team-mates on the Pat McAfee Show last week, stating: "Guys who are making too many mistakes shouldn't be playing, you know. Gotta start cutting some reps, and maybe guys who aren't playing, give them a chance."

The straight-talking quarterback says the Packers must find a way to stop the rot, with the Minnesota Vikings looking like running away with the NFC North at 6-1.

"Nobody feels sorry for us, and we've got to find a way to get one win," he said. "I feel like if we can just get one, then the whole momentum changes."

The Bills charged into a 24-7 half-time lead but were restricted to only three points in the second half. 

Rodgers says Green Bay's first-half display was not good enough, but he took heart from their play in the second half.

He added: "We felt like the Packers again. I felt like, for whatever reason, we didn't have the confidence for a few weeks and weren't playing with a lot of energy, weren't amped up before the game, so I liked the way we felt before the game.

"Maybe it's not football, maybe it was being counted out, maybe it was this environment, but that's encouraging. But the play in the first half wasn't very encouraging."

The Packers lost Christian Watson to concussion early on, while De'Vondre Campbell departed with a knee injury and Quay Walker was ejected in the first half for shoving a member of the Bills staff.

The Buffalo Bills advanced their record to 6-1 as star wide receiver Stefon Diggs ignited his side's air attack in a 27-17 victory against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.

Bills quarterback and MVP favourite Josh Allen ended up completing only 13 passes in the win, but that did not stop Diggs from enjoying a big day.

After a one-yard touchdown pass from Allen to tight end Dawson Knox gave the Bills a 7-0 lead at quarter-time, they doubled that advantage with the first play of the second quarter when Allen found Diggs streaking down the sideline with a 26-yard bullet.

Diggs helped the Bills add another three points in the final seconds of the first half when his 53-yard catch deep down the center of the field set up a field goal to make it 24-7 at the long break.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was determined to make a game of it, and he ended up completing touchdown passes to rookies Romeo Doubs and Samori Toure to trim the margin to 10 points with six minutes remaining.

But after two fourth-quarter interceptions from Allen, the Bills safely navigated the closing stages with a run-heavy, clock-chewing attack.

Allen completed 13-of-25 passes for 218 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, and nearly half of his total production went to Diggs, who collected six catches for 108 yards and a touchdown.

Both teams ran the ball well, with Devin Singletary (67 yards), James Cook (35 yards) and Allen (50 yards) combining for 152 yards for the Bills, while the Packers, led by Aaron Jones (143 yards on 20 carries), racked up 208 rushing yards.

The big boys are back in Week 8 as the NFL season edges its way closer to the playoffs.

The Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings all return after a bye week, as do the defending champion Los Angeles Rams, who will look to increase the pressure on the San Francisco 49ers.

The Eagles are aiming to maintain their 100 per cent record when the Pittsburgh Steelers come to town, while the Bills host Aaron Rodgers and his wobbling Green Bay Packers.

Stats Perform has taken a look at the numbers ahead of Sunday's games, starting in the city of brotherly love.

Pittsburgh Steelers (2-5) @ Philadelphia Eagles (6-0)

It promises to be a tricky trip for Pittsburgh, as the Eagles own a nine-game winning streak at home against them, a streak that started in 1966 (Pittsburgh's last win there was Week 6, 1965). It is the Eagles' longest home winning streak against a single opponent in franchise history.

The Steelers lost 16-10 at the Miami Dolphins last week, and are averaging just 15.3 points per game, the second fewest in the NFL (Denver Broncos, 14.3). The last time they finished in the bottom two of the NFL in scoring was 1969 (15.6 points per game, second worst).

The Eagles have held a lead of at least 14 points in each of their six games this season. The last team to do so in seven straight games to begin the season was the 2007 Patriots (eight straight).

Philadelphia have won Jalen Hurts' last nine starts, tied for the longest quarterback win streak in franchise history with Carson Wentz (2017), Donovan McNabb (2003) and Norm Van Brocklin (1960). The Eagles were 6-10 in Hurts' first 16 career starts in the NFL.

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

Including a 24-9 home win in Week 4, the 49ers have won seven straight regular-season games against Los Angeles, their second-longest streak against the Rams all-time (17 straight from December 1990 to December 1998). However, the Rams beat the 49ers in last season's NFC Championship Game at SoFi Stadium.

San Francisco lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, 44-23, at home last week. It was the first time they have lost back-to-back games by at least 14 points since Weeks 9-10 in 2020. They followed those games up with a 23-20 win against the Rams in Los Angeles.

Last week, Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 303 yards, the 11th game in his career with at least 300 yards. The 49ers won the first seven of those games but are just 1-3 in the last four. The only win in that span came on the road against the Rams in Week 18 last season.

Rams QB Matthew Stafford is 1-6 in his regular season career against the 49ers, his worst record against any NFC opponent. He has thrown four touchdown passes and five interceptions in his three games against them since joining the Rams, losing each one.

Green Bay Packers (3-4) @ Buffalo Bills (5-1)

The Packers have won their last four home games against the Bills, but are 0-6 all-time in Buffalo, most recently losing a 21-13 game there in Week 15, 2014. The Bills are the only active franchise the Packers have never beaten on the road.

Green Bay lost 23-21 to the Washington Commanders last week, and have lost three straight games for the first time since Weeks 11-13 in 2018. They have not lost four straight since Weeks 8-11 in 2016. The last time they lost four of their first seven games was in 2006 (also 3-4).

The Bills are coming off their bye week following a 24-20 win in Kansas City in Week 6. Since the Bills' last Super Bowl appearance in 1993, they have begun a season 5-1 four times – 1995, 2008, 2019, and this year.

Buffalo's offense has faced a blitz on 35.3 per cent of its passing plays this season, the fourth highest in the league. The Packers have faced a blitz just 20.2 per cent of the time, second lowest in the league (Miami, 18.2). The Bills have blitzed opponents just 12.9 per cent of the time, the lowest in the league.

Elsewhere…

Dak Prescott should face the Chicago Bears (3-4) after making his return in the Dallas Cowboys' (5-2) win over the Detroit Lions last week, moving his career record as a starter to 54-33 (.621). Since 2016. The Cowboys are 9-8 when Prescott does not start (.530) while averaging almost 60 total yards fewer per game when he is not the starter (382.3 with, 322.9 without).

The New York Jets (5-2) enter their clash with the New England Patriots (3-4) with a chance to break their current 12-game losing streak against them, which dates back to the 2016 season. With a loss, the streak would match Denver's 13-game losing streak to Kansas City as the longest active one in the NFL.

Saquon Barkley (110 rushing yards) and Daniel Jones (107) each ran for over 100 yards last week, the third time a New York Giants (6-1) duo has eclipsed that mark. Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw did so in Week 14, 2010 and Week 16, 2007. The only other team with such a duo this season was the New Orleans Saints in Week 5 against the Giants' opponents for Week 8, the Seattle Seahawks (4-3).

The Tennessee Titans (4-2) own a four-game win streak after a 19-10 win at home against the Indianapolis Colts. This is the Titans' sixth-straight season with a winning streak of at least four games, and it could go to five with a win at the Houston Texans (1-4-1).

One day after he made comments critical of his teammates, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said that nobody told him they had a problem with his assessment.

During his weekly appearance on the Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday, Rodgers had harsh words for some teammates.

"Guys are making too many mistakes shouldn’t be playing, you know," he said. "Gotta start cutting some reps, and maybe guys who aren’t playing, give them a chance."

On Wednesday, Rodgers did not back down from those comments amid criticism of the message it sent within the camp.

"I don’t understand why people have a problem with things that are truthful," Rodgers said. "I’m calling things the way I see it. People don’t think I need to air that stuff out, that's their opinion. But I’m doing what I think is in the best interest of our guys, and I've tried a lot of different things from a leadership standpoint this year, and I was just relating my personal feeling on the situation.

"I didn’t call anybody out by name. I think we all need to be on the details, and that includes me."

Rodgers said his comments should not come as a surprise since it was nothing he has not shared behind closed doors inside team headquarters at Lambeau Field.

"If one of those guys has a problem with it, I'm right here, and I'd love to have a conversation," Rodgers said. "I enjoy those conversations. I enjoy any type of conflict like that because I know the resolution on the other side is going to make us a better unit, a better friendship, a better cohesion on the field."

Rodgers has also been criticised for making the feedback public rather than keeping it internal. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur did not have an issue with Rodgers’ approach.

"Sometimes the truth hurts," LaFleur said. "I don’t think he publicly called out individuals, I don’t believe, I didn’t sit there and listen to the whole thing, so I just think that you have to get to the root of the truth."

Rodgers and the Packers are heavy underdogs heading into Sunday's road matchup against the Buffalo Bills as they try to avoid the team's first four-game losing streak since 2016.

There is no such thing as a sure thing in sport, and certainly not in fantasy football.

Every week, expected stars underperform while big-time contributors come out of nowhere.

But for this week's fantasy picks, Stats Perform has dug through the data to identify four offensive players and a defense that represent extremely strong bets for productive fantasy performances in Week 8.

If any of these selections disappoint, don't blame us!

Quarterback: Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins @ Detroit Lions

The Lions defense finally showed some fight last week against the Dallas Cowboys, but they still represent a favourable matchup for the Dolphins and Tagovailoa.

Detroit's defense is allowing 7.33 yards per pass play, the most in the NFL, and the Dolphins are coming off an efficient performance on offense against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Though they only scored 16 points in their Week 7 win, the Dolphins averaged 7.5 yards per pass play, and surely would have scored more points with better efficiency on third down, on which Miami went four of 14.

It was an encouraging return for Tagovailoa, who should find third-down joy much easier to come by against this porous Lions group. Back Tua and the Dolphins for an explosive showing in Week 8.

Running Back: Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers @ Los Angeles Rams

McCaffrey only had 10 touches in his 49er debut last week against the Kansas City Chiefs, but he averaged 6.2 yards on those touches, showing the burst and the vision that led San Francisco to trade much of their 2023 draft for the former All-Pro.

With a full week to get to grips with the playbook, McCaffrey will be an integral part of San Francisco's gameplan in a critical division matchup with the Rams.

The Rams have a top-10 run defense by yards per rush allowed (4.17), but this is less about matchup and more about opportunity. McCaffrey will get rushing opportunities and he will get targets against an opponent the 49ers have dominated in the regular season, winning the last seven meetings. Los Angeles will have designs on ending that streak, but the volume McCaffrey figures to receive makes him a must-start.

Wide Receiver: Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks vs. New York Giants

The matchup between the 6-1 Giants and the 4-3 Seahawks is one between two of the NFL's most surprising teams, and it promises to be a compelling one.

Though the Giants have given up only seven passing touchdowns this season, their defensive approach could play into the hands of the Seahawks.

In 2022, the Giants have blitzed 43.1 per cent of the time when defending the pass, according to Stats Perform data, well above the league average of 30.6 per cent.

When faced with five or more rushers or with a defensive back blitzing, Geno Smith has delivered a well-thrown ball on 85.7 per cent of attempts, the second-best among quarterbacks with at least 10 such passes.

In other words, he is excelling against the blitz and, with D.K. Metcalf out, Lockett will be a safety net who should be the beneficiary of a plethora of pass attempts.

Winning his matchup with a defender on 67.9 per cent of targets this season – the average is 61.7 for wide receivers with 25 or more targets – Lockett remains a supremely talented pass catcher who can take advantage of those opportunities and enjoy a huge fantasy day.

Tight End: Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh defense is not the force it once was, especially without T.J. Watt. 

The Steelers are giving up 6.91 yards per pass play, the fifth-most in the league, and Goedert can capitalise on their vulnerability.

He has been targeted at least six times in four of his six games this season and has a big play rate of 34.8 per cent that is fifth-best among tight ends with at least 20 targets.

Goedert clearly has the trust of Jalen Hurts, with this matchup the perfect mix of opportunity and opponent for him to flourish and put up big fantasy points.

Defense/Special Teams: Buffalo Bills vs. Green Bay Packers

Starting a defense against Aaron Rodgers?! 

That's how far the Packers have fallen, and fantasy owners should have no hesitation in starting the Bills against Green Bay's dismal passing attack.

Rodgers' average depth of target this is season is just 6.4 yards, with Green Bay lacking the ability to test defenses downfield with any kind of consistency.

Only two teams have more takeaways than the Bills (13), and the Buffalo defense – which has allowed a successful offensive play just 38 per cent of the time; the average is 39.4 – has the formula to frustrate Rodgers once again.

The Bills lead the league with a pressure rate of 45.4 per cent but blitz on just 15.1 per cent of passing downs. Simply put, they consistently get pressure with four pass rushers, giving them the resources in the back seven to rally to the ball and limit the impact of the short passing game on which Rodgers is suddenly reliant.

Buffalo can stop the Packers gaining yards and have a proclivity for taking the ball away. It promises to be a painful game for Rodgers and a productive one for the Bills' defense and those who start it in fantasy.

Last season, the Buffalo Bills looked to have cracked the code of how to topple the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Bills beat the Chiefs 38-20 in Arrowhead Stadium in Week 5 of 2021, averaging 8.1 yards per play to Kansas City's 5.0, frustrating Patrick Mahomes and intercepting him twice in a display that suggested the balance of power in the AFC was about to shift.

Yet it proved a false dawn, with the Bills unable to contain Mahomes in the Divisional Round of the playoffs and famously failing to prevent him leading the Chiefs down the field in 13 seconds for a game-tying field goal that forced overtime in arguably the finest playoff game in NFL history.

While that game confirmed Josh Allen as existing on Mahomes' level among the NFL elite at quarterback, throwing for 329 yards and four touchdowns, it also was an irritating illustration of the Bills' lack of closers on defense.

The Bills pressured Mahomes 23 times but managed to sack him just twice, a dreadful conversion rate that prompted Buffalo to hand a six-year, $133million contract to 33-year-old edge rusher Von Miller.

Though Buffalo can get out of the contract much earlier, the length of the deal handed to Miller raised eyebrows, with the Bills making a substantial bet on the veteran who played a critical role in the Los Angeles Rams' Super Bowl run following his mid-season trade from the Denver Broncos maintaining the level that helped him claim a second ring.

Few are likely to be questioning his deal in the wake of his performance on Sunday, however, as 371 days on from their win at Arrowhead last season, Miller helped the Bills repeat the feat, recording two sacks in a Buffalo performance that will substantially boost hope they have a formula to defeat Kansas City in the postseason.

On offense, the Bills leaned on one of the most devastating quarterback-wide receiver connections in the NFL. 

Allen targeted Stefon Diggs 13 times in the Bills' 24-20 win, hooking up with the former Minnesota Viking on 10 occasions as Diggs finished with 148 receiving yards and a touchdown.

Though not all of his targets resulted in a completion, Diggs delivered reinforcement, not that it was needed, of his status as one the game's top separation artists. He registered a burn, which is when a receiver wins his matchup on a play where he is targeted, on 12 of those 13 targets. Only the two receivers who posted 100 per cent burn rates, Tyler Boyd (six targets) and Juju Smith-Schuster (five) fared better than Diggs in that sense in Week 6 (min. five targets).

The volume Diggs receives as Allen's top target and the consistency he shows in creating separation makes for a frightening combination for defenses, and he proved too much for the Chiefs on the Bills' go-ahead drive, Allen finding Diggs for two first-down receptions, including one that set Buffalo up at the Kansas City 28-yard line.

With the Chiefs running a two-high safety zone coverage, Diggs displayed his route-running acumen by attacking the leverage of cornerback Jaylen Watson at the top of his downfield route to buy himself critical extra cushion as he settled in the soft spot in the zone before making a superb adjustment at the catch point.

Allen created extra time for himself by subtly shuffling to his left as Carlos Dunlap pushed the pocket, hanging in there and delivering a high-velocity ball that was further in front of Diggs than intended due to the interior rush from Chris Jones reducing his throwing platform. Diggs put his body on the line by laying out for the ball and survived the contact from Watson and safety Juan Thornhill.

Three plays later, after Allen had remarkably hurdled a defender on a 16-yard rush, he found Dawson Knox on a superbly accurate throw to the endzone to put the Bills ahead for good, the tight end deserving of great credit for the manner in which he worked his way back to the ball at the end of his corner route.

That drive came after Miller had forced the Chiefs off the field with a third-down sack of Mahomes, showcasing his still impressive physical flexibility and his motor to work his way around the corner and past right tackle Andrew Wylie to bring down the quarterback.

And Miller played a critical role in the game-clinching interception that followed on the subsequent drive.

Given Mahomes' exploits in last year's playoff matchup, 64 seconds appeared to be plenty of time for him to drive the Chiefs down the field for a game-winning touchdown following Knox's score. 

Miller, though, provided the finishing touch the Bills lacked in the postseason, winning inside with his lateral quickness to get pressure through the B gap, forcing Mahomes into a late throw to Skyy Moore on a crossing route that corner Taron Johnson read all the way, breaking down from his position in the Bills' zone coverage to intercept the pass and end the game.

While the Bills only improved their sack total from the Divisional Round shoot-out by one, Miller's ability to frequently dominate his pass rush matchups at this point in his career had a direct influence on Buffalo knocking off their biggest challenger for the one seed in the AFC and the team most expect them to meet again in the conference title game.

The rapport between Allen and Diggs and the big-play production of Gabe Davis – who followed up his stunning two touchdown-effort against the Pittsburgh Steelers with a 34-yard touchdown reception and leads the league in burn yards per target among receivers with at least 20 targets (16.98) – should ensure the Bills will continue to boast an explosive passing game few in the NFL can rival.

If Miller can supplement that by serving as the closer on a defense that has Pro Bowl talent at every level, the Bills may finally have the recipe to land the knockout blow against the Chiefs when it matters most.

The Buffalo Bills leaned on a familiar combination to help them prevail against the Kansas City Chiefs, with the enduring brilliance of Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs no surprise to their team-mates in a potentially critical win.

Buffalo gained a measure of revenge for the Bills' incredible overtime loss in the AFC Divisional Round last season with a 24-20 win at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday.

Taron Johnson's fourth-quarter interception of Patrick Mahomes sealed the win at the end of an absorbing contest between two teams that entered Week 6 at 4-1.

Prior to the pick by Johnson, Allen and Diggs linked up three times on a go-ahead drive, including for an 18-yard completion that set Buffalo up at the Kansas City 28-yard line. Allen then showed astonishing athleticism to hurdle a defender on a 16-yard run before finding tight end Dawson Knox on a pinpoint touchdown throw to the corner of the endzone.

Diggs finished the game with 148 yards and a touchdown, with Knox saying of his rapport with Allen: "We see it every single game, every quarter.

"Those two making plays where it's almost not surprising at this point. I mean, they make incredible plays every game, but we're so used to it now, it's like, 'Oh there's Josh and Stef making another incredible play.'

"You know, Josh hurdling people yet again - it scares me. It works so yeah… it's fun being team-mates with those guys."

While Knox seemingly attributed little importance to the Bills standing atop the AFC after six games, he understood the significance of the victory over the team likely to be their primary challenger for the top seed in the conference and home advantage throughout the road to the Super Bowl.

Knox added: "Obviously, it's great to be on top of the conference, but we'll enjoy this one for 24 hours and then move on to the next one.

"We do know the importance of a home playoff game. It's a testament to their fans here in Kansas City. It's a great home field advantage for them. And they're so loud that we have to go silent count.

"Communication is really hard, which is a whole extra level of difficulty, but we know that in Buffalo, it's a whole different level. So, we want to do everything we can to get home playoff games."

Johnson sealed the win as he broke downfield after dropping into zone coverage and picked off a late throw from Mahomes over the middle to rookie receiver Skyy Moore.

"We were playing zone and he read it perfectly," said safety Jordan Poyer of Johnson.

"I told him that was one of the greatest plays that I have seen on the field. The situation, the moment, that was just a hell of a play for this team.

"Taron has been a guy who's been in the system a long time, who we all trust. We all know he's going to go out there and make plays. Nobody played perfect and it was just always, 'Next play, next play, next play.' And at the end of the day, he came up with the biggest play of the game and allowed us to win the game."

Patrick Mahomes was left stunned after the Kansas City Chiefs fell to a 24-20 home loss against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

With time running out, Bills quarterback Josh Allen led his team on a brilliant 76-yard, 13-play drive, ending in a touchdown pass to tight-end Dawson Knox to give the visitors the lead with 1:04 left in the fourth quarter.

But Bills' hearts were in mouths as they feared a situation similar to January's Divisional-Round game, where Allen's touchdown pass to Gabe Davis with 13 seconds left on the clock looked to have sent Buffalo to the AFC Championship, only for Mahomes to set up a match-tying field goal before the Chiefs won in overtime.

However, Mahomes was not able to conjure up the same magic this time, throwing a crucial interception to cornerback Taron Johnson with 41 seconds remaining to seal victory for the Bills.

Mahomes was frustrated after the loss, telling reporters: "Every time I get the ball, no matter what the situation, is I expect to find a way to win.

"That's what this whole offense [and] this team expects. I always expect to win until there's literally no time so any time you lose definitely hurts. You lose a game, especially at home, it's never a good feeling.

"I thought we played some good football, we just made too many mistakes at the end of the day and when you make mistakes against another great football team you lose football games. It'll be good to learn from, but right now it stinks for sure."

Mahomes' killer pick to Johnson came as he tried to elude pressure from Bills' star edge rusher Von Miller, who signed a six-year $120million deal with Buffalo in March after winning the Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams the month prior.

Miller finished Sunday's game with two sacks, and Mahomes acknowledged his impact on the Bills' defense, saying: "Von [Miller] obviously made plays. 

"He's a Hall of Famer for a reason so he's going to make plays here and there. He's a great player so any time you add a great player like that, a Hall-of-Fame player, you have to account for him on every single play."

With the Chiefs and Bills both starting the season impressively, there is a decent chance the teams meet again in this season's AFC playoffs.

But Mahomes was keen to divert his team's focus to next weekend's clash with the San Francisco 49ers, who the Chiefs beat in the 2020 Super Bowl to give Mahomes his first Vince Lombardi trophy.

When asked whether he expects to play the Bills again in the postseason, the 27-year-old replied: "You can definitely see it because they're going to be a team that's going to be in the playoffs or competing for the playoffs.

"But you can't look ahead, and I think that's the biggest thing to me. I think I learned that last year in the AFC Championship game. Sometimes if you start looking ahead that's when you get beat and we don't want to look ahead.

"We have a great football team we're playing [the 49ers] and [then] we're going into the bye [week], and then we're going to have a schedule of a lot of division opponents coming up.

"So we want to make sure we focus on this next week - how can we get better to go out there, to go out there execute and try to find a way to win against a great football team at their home."

The Buffalo Bills claimed a statement win as John Allen threw three touchdown passes as they improved to 5-1 with a 24-20 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

Allen, who completed 27 of 40 attempts for 329 yards with no interceptions, found Dawson Knox for the game-winning touchdown with 1:04 left in the fourth quarter at Arrowhead Stadium.

The Bills sealed the win when Von Miller broke a double team to apply pressure on Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes whose pass for Skyy Moore was picked by cornerback Taron Johnson with 0:41 remaining.

It ended a seesawing contest that had four lead changes, was tied at every change and was within one score throughout, with the AFC East-leading Bills moving ahead of the AFC West-leading Chiefs who fall to 4-2.

Mahomes made 25 of 40 attempts for 338 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, with Bills rookie Kaiir Elam picking off a redzone pass in the first quarter. Chiefs wide receiver Travis Kelce made franchise history by reaching the record for consecutive games with a reception (132), finishing with eight receptions for 108 yards but no TDs.

JuJu Smith-Schuster, who had five receptions for 113 yards, spun past two defenders after receiving a Mahomes pass for the opening TD, before Allen found Gabe Davis to reply before half-time, with Harrison Butker's franchise-record 62-yard field goal tying it up at half-time.

Stefon Diggs, who had 10 receptions for 148 yards, added his sixth receiving touchdown this season when Allen found him for 17-yard score but the Chiefs responded again as Mahomes punched a pass to Mecole Hardman.

Butker put the Chiefs up 20-17 in the fourth quarter, but Allen found Knox in the endzone to flip the script.

Rams respond as Anderson thrown out by Panthers

The Los Angeles Rams ground their way to a 24-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers to snap their two-game skid and move to 3-3.

Scores were locked at 10-10 with 16 seconds remaining in the third quarter when wide receiver Ben Skowronek swept down the outside and into the endzone for his career-first TD.

Matthew Stafford shook off the Rams' offensive issues to complete 26 of 33 passes for 253 yards and one touchdown for Allen Robinson, while Darrell Henderson rushed a fourth-quarter TD to pad the win.

Amid the Panthers' own offensive struggles, interim coach Steve Wilks threw Robbie Anderson out of the game after a heated argument with position coach Joe Dailey.

The Buffalo Bills will have revenge on their mind against the Chiefs, having seen their past two seasons reach a disappointing climax in Kansas City – including a 42-36 overtime defeat in the divisional round this year.

Widely tipped as the favourites to go all the way this season, the Bills enter the Week 6 contest on the back of a 38-3 drubbing of the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. 

That was their second win by at least 34 points this season – having had multiple such wins in just two previous seasons (1992 and 2021).

Against the Steelers, Gabe Davis had two touchdown receptions of at least 60 yards and finished with 171 yards, taking his yardage for the season to 309. An in-form Davis is a frightening prospect, particularly when paired with Josh Allen – who leads the NFL for passing yards this season (1651).

The Chiefs have a devastating weapon of their own to lead the offense though, with Patrick Mahomes fresh from guiding his side to a 30-29 victory against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 5 – the 40th occasion the Chiefs have scored at least 30 points since Mahomes took over as the full-time starter in 2018.

Ranking fifth for passing yards this season (1398), Mahomes has thrown more TD passes than anyone else in 2022 (15) and has a TD with 7.9 per cent of his passes, behind only Lamar Jackson (8.1 per cent).

In Travis Kelce, the Chiefs also boast the player with the most receiving touchdowns in 2022, with four of his seven coming last week – despite totalling just 25 receiving yards over the course of the game.

With elite quarterbacks and receivers on both sides, the defenses could decide the outcome of the game and the Bills have been relentless with their ability to keep opposing offenses at bay, allowing 61 total points across five games – only the San Francisco 49ers (61) having less.

On top of that, the Bills defense has allowed only three passing TDs this season, again behind only the 49ers (two), and rank second for the least yards allowed per game on average (260.4), meaning it could be a frustrating game for Mahomes and company come Sunday.

The NFL season is well under way, with Week 6 set to mark the point where over a third of the regular season has been played.

Playoff hopes are starting to rise and crucial games are on the horizon, with the Minnesota Vikings looking to provide a further boost against a Miami Dolphins side that have lost their rhythm after a perfect start.

Elsewhere, revenge is on the cards for the Buffalo Bills against the Kansas City Chiefs, who have shattered their dreams in back-to-back seasons, while there is plenty on the line in the NFC East contest between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys.

With a wealth of entertainment on offer, Stats Perform has crunched the Opta data to preview this weekend's contests.

Minnesota Vikings (4-1) @ Miami Dolphins (3-2)

After starting the season 3-0, the Dolphins have suffered back-to-back defeats by 12 and 23 points respectively, becoming only the second team in the Super Bowl era to start a campaign 3-0 but then lose their next two games by at least a dozen points – the other being the 1994 Chiefs.

However, the Dolphins have won their last three games against NFC teams by double-digit scores, marking the first time they have had such a streak against the NFC since a five-game stint from 1978 to 1979.

With quarterback duo Tua Tagovailoa not expected to return this weekend and Terry Bridgewater out due to concussion, rookie Skylar Thompson looks set to make his first career start against the Vikings and will need help from Tyreek Hill, who is the only player in NFL history with at least 7,000 receiving yards, 7,000 rushing yards and 700 punt return yards in his career.

The Dolphins' clash with the Vikings could go down right to the wire, with Minnesota having trailed with less than five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and come back to win in each of their last three matches for the first time in their franchise history, as well as being the first time any team has done so since the Lions in 2014.

The only team in NFL history to have such a comeback in four straight games was the Denver Broncos in 2011, led by quarterback Tim Tebow.

Buffalo Bills (4-1) @ Kansas City Chiefs (4-1)

The Chiefs have ended the Bills' season in each of the last two campaigns, including a 42-36 overtime win in the divisional round in 2021. In the last eight meetings, including the post season, Kansas City are 6-2, but one of those losses came at home in Week 5 last season.

Patrick Mahomes continues to be the leading man for the Chiefs, with the 30-29 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders last week marking the 40th time the Chiefs have had a game with at least 30 points since he became full-time starter in 2018. The only other team with more than 30 such games is the New Orleans Saints (35).

A tough test against the Bills defense awaits, however, with Buffalo allowing just three broken tackles this season, only the Washington Commanders having fewer (2). In contrast, the Chiefs' defense has allowed 12 broken tackles, only Houston and Las Vegas (both 15) having more.

Offensively, the Bills head to Kansas City on the back of a 38-3 triumph against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 5, marking their second win by at least 34 points this season, having beaten the Titans 41-7 in Week 2. Only in 1992 and 2021 have they had multiple such wins in a season (twice in each).

Dallas Cowboys (4-1) @ Philadelphia Eagles (5-0)

For the first time, the NFC East rivals will face off with both teams entering the contest on the back of a single-season winning streak of at least four games, and the Cowboys have a historical edge after three consecutive wins by a margin of 20 or more points.

The Cowboys have held each of their five opponents so far this season to 20 points or under for the first time since 1972, while only two teams in the last 10 years have done so in six straight games to start a season – the 2013 Chiefs (9) and 2019 New England Patriots (8).

Keeping Jalen Hurts and the Eagles offense at bay will be a stern test though, with Hurts setting an NFL record by becoming the first QB to have a five-start span, at any point, where he passed for 250+ yards per game, rushed for 50+ yards per game, rushed for 5+ touchdowns and went undefeated.

From the first five games of the season, the Eagles have averaged 400+ yards of offense and have not lost a single fumble during that span.

Elsewhere…

The Los Angeles Rams host the Carolina Panthers on the back of a 22-10 home defeat to the Cowboys in Week 5, with all three of their losses this season seeing the Rams score 10 or fewer points and lose by at least 10 points. From 2017-2021, they only had five such games.

The Arizona Cardinals head to the Emerald City boasting a strong record against the Seattle Seahawks, sitting 6-3 in the last nine road games. That is tied for the best record by any teams with at least two games played in Seattle since 2013 (Atlanta and New Orleans both 2-1).

The Cleveland Browns face the Patriots, having led at the start of the fourth quarter in all five games so far this season. However, they sit 2-3 (.400) in comparison to the rest of the NFL, which combines for 51-15-1 (.769).

Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Tom Brady is tied with Charlie Conerly for most career passing touchdowns against the Steelers (29 each), who he faces in Week 6. With one more, the Steelers would become the fifth team Brady has thrown at least 30 TD's against – joining the Colts, Jets, Dolphins and Bills.

Josh Allen wanted to show Gabe Davis he has his implicit trust prior to the Buffalo Bills' 38-3 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, and his faith in the wide receiver will have only grown stronger after they combined in astonishing fashion in Week 5.

Davis had struggled to make much of an impact in the previous two weeks while battling an ankle injury.

But the third-year receiver, who caught four touchdowns in the Bills' incredible playoff defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs last season, was back to his best against the Steelers.

He caught two remarkable long touchdown passes, the first of which went for 98 yards after the Bills were backed up on their own two-yard line, Taiwan Jones having dropped the opening kick-off.

That score came 64 seconds into the game, making it the longest touchdown from scrimmage within the first 90 seconds of a game in NFL history.

Three drives later, they linked up for a stunning second act, Allen finding Davis for a 62-yard strike that saw the wideout make a superb one-handed catch and wrestle the ball away from safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.

"I kind of got hit right when I threw it, so I didn't see him catch it. I just kind of heard the crowd go crazy," Allen said of the opening touchdown. "Those ones are cool. It's going to be tough to beat.

"Backed up to take a shot like that, it's not too often you get a shot to do that early on in the game.

"The kick return put us at the two-yard line, put us behind the 8-ball a little bit, but guys were resilient, we didn't blink and just trusted our guys.

"I've got so much trust and faith in 13 [Davis], it was good to see him get going. He only had three catches but for 170 and two touchdowns, which is pretty crazy; it's not too often you have those type of drives.

"We had a one-play, two two-play drives and a three-play drive that ended in touchdowns. That’s crazy."

Allen added of the second touchdown, on which Davis was essentially double covered with Fitzpatrick playing over the top: "I'm just trusting my guy more than anything, he's coming off a couple weeks with an ankle and I just wanted him to know that I trust him implicitly.

"I'm gonna give him these opportunities, when you continue to make them, it makes it that much easier to trust a guy."

Asked if he saw something in Davis that made him think he was back to 100 per cent, Allen replied: "I think I saw it in our walkthrough that we do on Saturdays, just the way he was moving, bouncing around on it, I was like 'OK, this guy’s ready to go', and he was."

The Los Angeles Chargers survived a late scare to defeat the Cleveland Browns 30-28 on Sunday afternoon thanks to a massive performance from running back Austin Ekeler.

Ekeler finished with two of the Chargers' three touchdowns, rushing for 173 yards and a score from 16 carries, and adding 26 yards and a touchdown from four catches.

Both times Ekeler scored he put the Chargers back into the lead in a rollercoaster of a game, where the Browns jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter through touchdowns to focal points Amari Cooper and Nick Chubb.

Chubb's second rushing touchdown gave the Browns a 17-14 lead at half-time, and they were up 28-27 going into the fourth quarter after Kareem Hunt converted a goal-line carry for a touchdown of his own.

Taylor Bertolet's field goal put the Chargers back in front with nine minutes to play, finishing three-for-three with his kicks for the day, and the game looked to be sealed when Browns quarterback Jacoby Brissett threw an interception with under three minutes on the clock.

Needing a couple of first downs to put on the finishing touches, the Chargers were presented with a fourth-and-one at their own 46-yard line, and instead of punting and playing it safe, they went for it and failed.

A short completion gave the Browns a 54-yard field goal opportunity to win the game in the final seconds, but it drifted wide right, with kicker Cade York missing both of his attempts for the game.

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert completed 22 of his 34 passes for 228 yards and a touchdown with no turnovers, with his top receiver Mike Williams catching 10 for 134 yards.

Chubb was the offensive star for the Browns, carrying 17 times for 134 yards and two touchdowns.

Bills blow away the Steelers

The Buffalo Bills took their foot off the gas in the second half to coast to a dominant 38-3 victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Wide receiver Gabriel Davis was the star of the show along with quarterback Josh Allen, combining on a 98-yard passing touchdown just 64 seconds into the game. It was the longest touchdown in the NFL this season.

They were not finished there, linking up again to begin the second quarter with a 62-yard touchdown.

Allen added two more touchdown passes in the first half – one to Stefon Diggs and one to Khalil Shakir – to open up a 31-3 lead at the long break, and from there they were never tested.

Another Dolphins quarterback leaves with concussion

Making his first start of the season after Tua Tagovailoa was sidelined with his concussion last week, Miami Dolphins quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was pulled after the first play in a 40-17 loss to the New York Jets.

Bridgewater was evaluated for a concussion and could not return, handing rookie Skylar Thompson his first snaps as a professional. 

Neither team threw for a touchdown in the game, with the Jets rushing for five scores as exciting rookie Breece Hall finished with 18 carries for 97 yards and a touchdown, adding two catches for 100 yards, and goal-line back Michael Carter pushed his way in for two touchdowns.

Adding to the great day for Jets fans was the fourth overall pick from this year's NFL Draft, cornerback Sauce Gardner, recording his first career interception.

After no little drama so far in the NFL, the action continues in Week 5 with another Sunday crammed full of appetising games.

Following a thriller between the Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints in London last week, England's capital plays host to the latest international series matchup as the New York Giants face the Green Bay Packers at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Elsewhere, pre-season Super Bowl favourites the Buffalo Bills welcome the Pittsburgh Steelers, while the Philadelphia Eagles look to continue their winning streak on the road against the Arizona Cardinals.

With all that and more on offer, Stats Perform has delved into Opta data to preview this weekend's contests.

New York Giants (3-1) @ Green Bay Packers (3-1)

The Giants head to London on the back of a 20-12 victory against the Chicago Bears, where they did not have a single receiver with 20 or more receiving yards for the second time in six games, stretching back to last season. Prior to that, the Giants had one such instance in their previous 231 outings.

Last week, Aaron Rodgers went 21-for-35 (60.0 per cent) in the Packers' 27-24 overtime win against the New England Patriots, which tied the Tennessee Titans for the most overtime wins since 2017 (six).

In that game, Rashan Gary had two sacks and boasts at least one sack in all four games this season. No Packers player has recorded at least one sack in the team's first five matches of a campaign, since sacks became an official statistic in 1982.

Philadelphia Eagles (4-0) @ Arizona Cardinals (2-2)

The Eagles head to Arizona as the only undefeated side remaining in the 2022 season, but they have lost four straight road games against the Cardinals, coming as part of a 3-10 record since 1993 – their last win in Arizona coming in 2001.

Philadelphia maintained their winning streak against the Jaguars after fighting back from a 14-0 deficit, their first win when trailing by at least 14 points after the first quarter since 2014, also against the Jaguars, while their last such win prior to that was against the Jets in 1993.

Cardinals QB Kyler Murray threw two touchdowns and ran for another last week, tying Daunte Culpepper as the second-fastest quarterback to reach 75 passing TDs and 20 rushing career TDs, doing so in 50 games. Only Josh Allen (48 games) has been quicker to that total.

This season, the Cardinals have outscored their opponents 49-13 in the fourth quarter, boasting the best differential (+36) in that regard, while the Eagles are -20 this season in the fourth (9-29), ranking 27th in the league.

Pittsburgh Steelers (1-3) @ Buffalo Bills (3-1)

The Steelers boast a stellar overall record against the Bills, winning seven of the last nine matchups. However, they are 1-2 in games against Josh Allen, who has been responsible for at least one touchdown in his last 18 consecutive home games, tying Jim Kelly for the franchise record.

Sunday's game will mark Kenny Pickett's first career start, having thrown three interceptions in the second half against the New York Jets last week, making him the first Steelers debutant to throw three interceptions since Terry Hanratty in 1969.

He faces a challenge to get the Steelers' offense ticking, Pittsburgh having gained 1,115 total yards through the first four weeks of the season, the team's lowest tally since the 2010 season (1,078 yards).

Stefon Diggs is the man to watch for the Bills, boasting 406 receiving yards this season – 253 more than his closest teammate in the rankings (Isaiah McKenzie, 153), which is the largest such gap in an NFL team this season.

Elsewhere…

The Chicago Bears head to Minnesota to face the Vikings and rank last in the NFL for net passing yards, with 390 so far, some 168 fewer than the Giants with the second-lowest total (558). The Bears are the first team with fewer than 400 net passing yards in the first four games of a season since 2005.

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is looking to enhance his touchdown record on the road against the Cleveland Browns, having thrown at least one TD pass in 35 different games since making his debut in Week 2 of the 2020 season – tying him with Kirk Cousins for the most games with a TD pass over the last three seasons.

The Houston Texans travel to face the Jacksonville Jaguars on the back of eight straight wins against their opponents, which stands as Houston's longest streak against any opponent all-time. Houston have yet to post a win this season, however.

The Detroit Lions have set an NFL record already in this campaign, becoming the first side to score 140 or more points and concede 140 or more points across the first four games of a season. They travel to the New England Patriots.