The business end of the NFL season is here as the playoff picture starts to emerge.

You can tell things are getting interesting as this weekend sees three Saturday games, meaning football fans can stretch out their weekend viewing even further.

Saturday sees the Minnesota Vikings host the Indianapolis Colts, the Baltimore Ravens visit the Cleveland Browns and the Buffalo Bills taking on the Miami Dolphins.

Sunday's action includes a clash in the NFC South where no team seems to want to finish first, but the winner of the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints will leave themselves with an inexplicable chance to do so.

Stats Perform has taken a look at the numbers behind a selection of Week 15's games.

Indianapolis Colts (4-8-1) @ Minnesota Vikings (10-3)

While the Vikings have been having a far better season than the Colts, they are just 7-18-1 all-time in the series between the two (including playoffs). It is the Vikings' worst record against any single opponent.

Indianapolis entered their bye week with a 54-19 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, in which they were outscored by 33 points in the fourth quarter (33-0), the largest point differential in a single fourth quarter in NFL history.

Matt Ryan needs 125 passing yards to reach 3,000 for the 13th consecutive season, which would make him the eighth QB in NFL history to accomplish the feat, joining Philip Rivers as the only two to do so without a Super Bowl victory.

Justin Jefferson set a franchise record with 223 receiving yards on 11 catches against the Detroit Lions. Jefferson is up to 4,516 career receiving yards, the most of anyone in NFL history in a player's first three seasons (next most being Randy Moss with 4,163).

Miami Dolphins (8-5) @ Buffalo Bills (10-3)

The Bills have a five-game winning streak at home against the Dolphins, tied for their longest of all-time. This is just one game shy of matching Buffalo's longest home win streak against a divisional opponent (twice against the Colts and once against the New England Patriots).

The Dolphins lost 23-17 to the Chargers last week, posting a season-low 127 passing yards. Miami's 10 completions in the game were their fewest since Week 13 of 2015 (nine).

Tyreek Hill had a 57-yard fumble return touchdown and 60-yard receiving touchdown last week, and leads the NFL with four plays of 50 or more yards this season. Hill had four total plays of 50 or more yards in his last three seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Sean McDermott is 9-2 (.818) in his career as a head coach against the Dolphins, the best record by any head coach with at least eight games against Miami all-time. Only two coaches have 10 or more career wins against Miami (Bill Belichick, 26, and Marv Levy, 15).

Atlanta Falcons (5-8) @ New Orleans Saints (4-9)

The Falcons' three-point loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in their last game was Atlanta's 10th game this season decided by six points or fewer, tied for the most in franchise history (also in 1995, 2015 and 2017).

Cordarrelle Patterson is one of three players in NFL history to average 5.0+ yards per rush and 9.0+ yards per reception over his career (minimum 400 rushes and 200 receptions), along with Jim Brown and Bobby Mitchell.

The Saints have held their opponent to fewer than 300 net passing yards in 22 consecutive games, tied with the Bengals for the second-longest active streak in the NFL (after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with 27).

Chris Olave has had at least 40 receiving yards in all 12 games of his career thus far, the second-longest streak by any NFL player to begin his career in the Super Bowl era behind fellow Saints player Michael Thomas (19).

Elsewhere...

Panthers QB Sam Darnold has won both of his starts this season and has not thrown a pick in either. He has now won seven straight starts dating back to 2020 in games where he has not thrown an interception, tied for the third-longest active streak among QBs (Jimmy Garoppolo 16, Jalen Hurts 13, Joe Burrow 7), and will look to extend it against the Steelers.

The Dallas Cowboys will have to find a way to stop Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence. Since November 1, Lawrence has the highest completion percentage in the NFL among players with at least 100 attempts (71.8). On the season, the Jaguars are 5-2 when he completes at least 70.0 per cent of his passes compared to 0-6 when he does not.

The Las Vegas Raiders will look to bounce back against the New England Patriots after blowing a 13-point lead with fewer than four minutes remaining in their 17-16 loss to the Los Angeles Rams last week. Over the last 40 seasons, the only other time the team had lost a game it led by 13+ points with four minutes or less remaining was in Week 3 of the 1993 season to the Cleveland Browns. 

Tom Brady was 34-for-55 for 253 yards last week, the 11th time in his career he has attempted at least 55 passes. His teams are now 3-8 in such games, with wins in 2002 against Chicago, 2015 against Buffalo, and Week 9 of this season against the Rams. The Buccaneers (6-7) will hope he can guide them to a much-needed W against the Bengals.

Trevor Lawrence has described the Jacksonville Jaguars' London Series loss to the Denver Broncos as the result that "flipped a switch" to inspire his remarkable turnaround in form.

The 2021 draft's number one pick initially struggled to deliver for the Jaguars, who headed to Wembley Stadium in late October with a 2-5 record for the season.

Lawrence disappointed in London as the Broncos sealed a comeback win, but the quarterback has since guided his team to three wins from their last five games, providing some of the best displays of his career.

The ex-Clemson graduate feels that defeat triggered something in him, claiming his improvement stemmed from the frustration of coming up short across the Atlantic Ocean.

"[We] should have won that game," Lawrence said. "I remember I never forgot how I felt in that locker room, so I don't want to feel like this anymore.

"I'm going to one, start taking care of the ball, but two, I just want to be the player that I know I can be.

"I think that kind of flipped a switch in me and honestly, I think I have a little bit more of a chip on my shoulder now.

"Last year and a half, I don't really forget what's been said and what people have written. Now you see people change their minds after a couple of weeks, but I remember everything.

"I don't use that necessarily as my only fuel, but [I] definitely use that, and I think that's something this team's done.

"We remember what people were saying when we lost five in a row, and then we've won some big games now and people changed their minds quicky.

"So, we just have that same mentality that we want to prove how good we can be every week."

Some leagues may have started playoffs last week, but with the arrival of Week 15 in the NFL, the fantasy postseason is now firmly in full swing.

The playoffs are a time when you need your star players to deliver, but that is not always possible.

Injuries or bad matchups can put stars in disadvantageous situations, and often fantasy managers are left needing to rely on lesser lights to help them secure glory.

Ahead of the start of a week in which several NFL teams will look to punch their postseason ticket, Stats Perform has picked out four somewhat under-the-radar players, and a defense, who are in a position to help fantasy managers enjoy playoff success.

Quarterback: Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings vs. Indianapolis Colts

The Vikings aren't exactly a sleeper team at 10-3, but as they lost to the Detroit Lions last week, you may have missed that their quarterback had an exceptional statistical game.

Cousins completed 75.6 per cent of his passes (31 of 41) for 425 yards and two touchdowns.

Indianapolis possess a stout defense, but the Colts will provide opposing offenses with opportunities. The Colts' opponents have had 148 drives, tied for the fifth-most in the league. Cousins might have to work harder this week, but the chances for him to have a decisive impact in the fantasy playoffs will certainly come. 

Running Back: Jordan Mason, San Francisco 49ers @ Seattle Seahawks

Yes, it's very much Christian McCaffrey's backfield in San Francisco, but on a short week having already lost Deebo Samuel for much of the stretch run due to a high-ankle sprain and an MCL sprain, the 49ers are likely to share the load a little more as they seek to clinch the NFC West title.

Mason will be the man to get the lion's share of carries that are not given to McCaffrey. He had 56 yards on 11 carries in San Francisco's dominant win over Tampa Bay in Week 14 and is averaging 5.5 yards per carry over the last three games, including five rushes of at least 10 yards.

If you are in the playoffs but in a bind at running back, Mason is an intriguing option against a Seahawks defense that has allowed 677 rushing yards over its last three games.

Wide Receiver: Zay Jones, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Dallas Cowboys

The Jaguars remain in with a shot, albeit a small one, of reaching the postseason, with quarterback Trevor Lawrence showing continued signs of developing into the quarterback many have believed he could become since high school.

Eyebrows were raised in the offseason when the Jaguars handed a lucrative contract to Jones, but he has become a favourite target of Lawrence in recent weeks.

Over his last four games, Jones has 43 targets, tied for the sixth-most in the NFL since Week 10. In that span, he has two eight-catch games and an 11-reception performance. He went for 77 yards and a touchdown in last week's win over the Tennessee Titans, two weeks on from a 145-yard effort against the Baltimore Ravens. Against a Dallas defense that struggled to contain the Houston Texans last week, Jones is an extremely strong points per reception play.

Tight End: Chigoziem Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans @ Los Angeles Chargers

Finding a reliable fantasy tight end can be difficult at any point of the year, but it is key for fantasy managers hoping to prevail in the playoffs.

Okonkwo is enjoying an increasingly prominent role in the Titans' passing attack and has 10 receptions on 11 targets for 113 yards and a touchdown over his last two games.

The Chargers kept the Miami Dolphins in check last week, but they are still very susceptible to the pass, and Okonkwo is likely to be a weapon the Titans look to as they aim to exploit that vulnerability.

Defense/Special Teams: Washington Commanders vs. New York Giants

The Commanders have flown under most people's radars this season but are in position to sneak into the playoffs in part thanks to an impressive defense.

Washington's defense ranks tied third in the NFL by success rate allowed and, in a critical matchup with their NFC East rivals in primetime, faces a New York offense that over the last three weeks has averaged just 5.6 yards per pass play (sixth-worst) and 3.8 yards per rush (ninth-worst). If you have the Commanders' defense or are in a position to acquire it, do so.

The Jacksonville Jaguars produced a stunning 28-27 comeback victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, with Trevor Lawrence leading arguably the best drive of his career.

Trailing 27-20 late in the fourth quarter, the Jaguars got the ball back with two minutes and two seconds remaining on the clock, needing a touchdown.

Lawrence, the top overall pick from last year's NFL Draft, led a 10-play, 75-yard drive in 1:48 of game time, threading the needle down the sideline to find Marvin Jones Jr for a 10-yard touchdown with 14 seconds left over.

Instead of kicking the extra point to tie the game and force overtime, Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson opted to leave his offense on the field for a chance to win it with a two-point conversion.

Lawrence delivered yet again, finding Zay Jones in the flat to take the lead and seal the win.

Speaking to the media after the win, Pederson said he had supreme faith in his 23-year-old quarterback, and trusted him when he said he wanted to go for it.

"What have we got to lose?," he said. "This is something I told the staff during that last five or six minutes of the game – we’ve got to think players, not plays, and trust our guys.

"Our guys believe. They believe. Once we scored that touchdown at the end, they wanted to go for two. It wasn’t my decision. 

"The players were like 'let’s go'. I got a lot of faith and trust in them, and it was just a well-executed play.

"Trevor today was lights out, he played extremely well. That throw, that catch for the two-point was a thing of beauty. I think as a football team too, a win like this just kind of heads us in the right direction."

The Jaguars have been on the losing end of six one-score games this season, and Lawrence said he is excited for this team to be figuring out how to win.

"We’ve been on the other side, so we understand what that feels like too," he said. "I think we’re just appreciative of where we are, how far we’ve come, kind of what’s in front of us still.

"We said it’s a new season once we got back from the bye week. You can’t win seven games until you win one, and we had to start today. 

"Obviously there was some adversity and we had to battle through it, and we just found a way. It was incredible."

He went on to discuss his relationship with Pederson, and how he values the trust placed in him to win the game.

"Just that trust he has in us – we’ve been in that situation a lot and haven’t gotten it done,” he said.

"For him to keep trusting us and keep trusting me and our offense, it was big for us. But I’ve said it before, I’m the same guy. I’ve always been this guy. 

"I haven’t always played my best every week, and that’s going to happen sometimes, but I really love the direction that this offense, this team is heading, and we feel really good about who we are."

With the result, the Jaguars are now 4-7, three wins behind the Tennessee Titans for the AFC South 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.

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 Jacksonville Jaguars have added a wide receiver but will not be able to field new recruit Calvin Ridley until 2023 at the earliest.

It emerged on Tuesday the Atlanta Falcons have traded the suspended Ridley to the Jaguars in exchange for a complex draft compensation.

The Falcons will receive two draft picks that will range from a maximum compensation of a 2023 fifth-round selection and a second-rounder in 2024.

Ridley, 27, is suspended through at least the conclusion of the 2022 season for betting on NFL games during the 2021 season.

His suspension was handed down in early March, and he may not apply for reinstatement until February 15, 2023.

Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke said: "We are excited to welcome Calvin Ridley to our organisation and the Duval community.

"This is an opportunity to add a proven playmaker to our already talented wide receiver room as we continue to build our roster for 2023 and beyond. We are looking forward to finishing strong this season and integrating Calvin into our programme at the appropriate time."

The intricate nature of the trade was reported by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. If Ridley gets reinstated by a certain date, the Falcons will receive a fifth-round pick in 2023. If not, it will be a sixth-rounder.

If he makes the Jaguars in 2024, the pick becomes at least a fourth-round selection. And if he reaches a certain playing-time milestone, the pick is a third, while if he signs a long-term deal with the Jaguars, the pick is a second-rounder.

Ridley placed his bets over a five-day span in November 2021, when he was away from the team to focus on his mental health and was on the reserve/NFI list. The league opened an investigation and concluded there was no insider information on the betting activity and none of the coaches or players on the Falcons were aware or involved.

Ridley, who is slated to make $11,116,000 in 2023 on the final year of his rookie contract, appeared in just five games in 2021, catching 31 passes for 281 yards with two touchdowns.

This came after he totted up 1,374 receiving yards in 2020 to finish tied for fifth in the NFL.

A first-round pick by the Falcons in 2018, Ridley had 217 catches for 3,061 yards and 26 TD receptions over his first three seasons. His TD reception total is tied for the 20th most in NFL history by a player through his first three pro seasons.

The Denver Broncos survived a frustrating first half at Wembley Stadium to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 21-17 as Russell Wilson returned from a hamstring injury.

Wilson, who sat out last week, looked extremely rusty early on, almost throwing an interception from his first pass and then giving up a pick that presented Trevor Lawrence with a short field for the first touchdown of Sunday's game.

Having capitalised on that mishap, however, the Jaguars failed to make the most of a sloppy Broncos display thereafter.

Although Denver had an alarming 10 penalties for 71 yards at halftime, they trailed only 10-7, with a Lawrence pass picked on the goal line by Justin Simmons before Wilson led the Broncos up the field late in the second quarter for Jerry Jeudy to score.

Pressure had again been building on Wilson and coach Nathaniel Hackett up to that point, but a 98-yard drive early in the second half allowed Melvin Gordon to run in and secure the Broncos a first lead.

Lawrence, rather than Wilson, had struggled badly since his earlier interception, but Travis Etienne Jr. gave the Jaguars hope of a first win since Week 3, adding a touchdown to his 156 rushing yards.

Instead, Wilson came to the fore again with a 47-yard pass to K.J. Hamler that set up the game-winning drive, finished off by Latavius Murray before Lawrence threw a second pick to K'Waun Williams, ensuring there was no route back into the game for Jacksonville.

Russell Wilson appears likely to return from his injury layoff when the Denver Broncos face the Jacksonville Jaguars in London on Sunday.

The quarterback suffered a hamstring injury in the Broncos' 19-16 overtime defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 6, causing him to sit out Sunday's 16-9 loss to the New York Jets.

The Broncos will look to improve on their poor 2-5 start to the season at Wembley Stadium, and should be boosted by the presence of their first-choice QB.

On Wednesday, head coach Nathaniel Hackett told reporters Wilson had done "quite a bit" in practice, and the former Seattle Seahawks man later added: "I feel great, I'm ready to rock".

Wilson's trade to Denver has not worked out as intended thus far, with the nine-time Pro Bowl QB completing just 58.6 per cent of his passes since landing a five-year, $245million contract in March.

However, he remains confident in his and the Broncos' ability to turn around their fortunes. 

"As hard as it has been, and it hasn't been exactly what we wanted it to be, storms don't always last," Wilson added. 

"This one's not going to last, because we're going to work our tails off and work through it. We're going to try to be the best we can possibly be."

In the wake of a season-ending ACL injury to rookie running back Breece Hall, the New York Jets have traded a late-round draft pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for 24-year-old running back James Robinson.

Robinson, who went undrafted in 2020, burst onto the scene as a rookie with 1070 rushing yards and 49 catches for 344 receiving yards, totaling 10 touchdowns.

Despite his success, the Jaguars opted to draft running back Travis Etienne Jr in the first round of the 2021 draft, but his rookie season ended before it began after a Lisfranc injury to his foot in the preseason.

Robinson's follow-up to his terrific rookie season was less spectacular, and ended abruptly with a torn Achilles in Week 16 late in December. Through two seasons, he carried the ball 404 times at 4.54 yards per carry.

Robinson opened this season as the starter, but slowly began to cede work to the former college teammate of star quarterback Trevor Lawrence, and that culminated in Week 7 where an even split turned into the Etienne show.

Etienne took full advantage, turning 14 carries into 114 rushing yards and his first career touchdown, marking the third consecutive game he has totaled at least 100 yards from scrimmage. Robinson did not receive a single carry in their loss to the New York Giants.

Meanwhile, the Jets have been one of the most surprising teams in the NFL this season, boasting a 5-2 record despite beginning the season without starting quarterback Zach Wilson, winning four games in a row since his return in Week 4.

A big part of the Jets' success has been the breakout performances of Hall, who quickly emerged as the star of this year's rookie running back class and had a real chance of winning Offensive Rookie of the Year.

The Jets still have Michael Carter II in the backfield, who has been sharing the workload with Hall, but lack any real depth behind him, prompting a proactive move for the now out-of-favour Robinson.

It was a small price to pay, with ESPN's Adam Schefter reporting the Jets only sent the Jaguars a sixth-round draft pick, with a chance it becomes a fifth-rounder if certain benchmarks are met.

The New York Giants continue to have their doubters despite improving their record to 6-1.

But rookie pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux has a clear message for those who are still not taking the Giants seriously following their 23-17 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

"F*** 'em, f*** all the people around the league," said Thibodeaux to NJ Advance Media.

"The only people that matter are the people in this room. The only people that are going to dictate what happens on Sunday are the people in this room. Excuse my French.

"I mean, listen, I think the greatest thing we do is we fight for respect in the locker room. When you're on that battlefield, I want you to not respect me."

The Giants came from 17-13 down to see off the Jaguars, who narrowly missed out on claiming a game-winning touchdown as wide receiver Christian Kirk was stopped a yard short of the endzone in the final seconds.

The unconvincing nature of the victory will likely do little to quiet those questioning the Giants' legitimacy. New York have trailed in all seven games this year, with this victory marking their sixth comeback of a remarkable season.

But safety Xavier McKinney echoed the sentiments of team-mate Thibodeaux.

"I really don't even care for that question anymore," McKinney said. "I'm kind of tired of answering it because it's the same thing every week.

"Obviously, we know that. I really don't care. We don't care as a team. The only thing we can do is keep focusing on what we can do and keep getting better."

Heading into Week 7 of the NFL season, the picture is still delicately poised as the race for the playoffs begins to heat up.

The Philadelphia Eagles (6-0), Buffalo Bills (5-1) and Minnesota Vikings (5-1) are all on a bye this week, along with the Los Angeles Rams (3-3), which provides an opportunity for the chasing pack to close the gap.

Both New York franchises are on the road as they look to extend their winning records, the Giants in Jacksonville to face the Jaguars while the Jets tussle with the Denver Broncos, and elsewhere, the Kansas City Chiefs have a stern test in San Francisco against the 49ers.

With all that and more on the cards, Stats Perform has delved into the numbers to preview this weekend's action.

New York Giants (5-1) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (2-4)

The Giants may have season form on their side against the Jaguars but they are the only team to never win a road game in Jacksonville (0-3), who are one of two franchises the Giants have not won against away from home alongside the Baltimore Ravens.

Victory against the Ravens in Week 6, coming on home soil, saw the Giants secure a fifth win of the season and become the first NFL team this term to surpass their win total from last year (four). Their largest wins increase in the Super Bowl era was from one in 1966 to seven in 1967.

Daniel Jones' form has been key to that improvement, completing at least 70 per cent of his passes in back-to-back games for the first time in his career. He has the opportunity to become only the second Giants QB in the Super Bowl era to do so in three straight games, alongside Eli Manning in September 2018 (minimum 20 attempts each game).

The Jaguars' 2-4 record does not paint the full picture of their season, though, with a +24 point differential standing as the sixth best in the NFL and the best for a team with a losing record through six games since the 2010 Los Angelese Chargers (+31, 2-4).

In last week's defeat to the Indianapolis Colts, Trevor Lawrence completed 20 of 22 passes (90.9 per cent) to become the youngest player (23 years, 10 days) to ever record 90 per cent accuracy from at least 20 passing attempts in a game.

Kansas City Chiefs (4-2) @ San Francisco 49ers (3-3)

Kansas City face the 49ers boasting victories in four of the last five matchups, including a 31-20 triumph in Super Bowl LIV, but are 1-5 in San Francisco – with their only win there coming in the teams' first-ever clash in 1971.

The Chiefs have not been strong defensively, allowing at least 20 points in all six games to begin the season and stand as one of four teams who are yet to allow fewer than 20 in any game this season.

That bodes well for the 49ers, who are 2-0 at home this season and have allowed fewer than 10 points in both of those games, though they have never held their opponent to fewer than 10 points in the team's first three home games of any season.

The potential return of Nick Bosa will be of concern for Patrick Mahomes, after he missed last week due to a groin injury, as the 49ers are pressuring quarterbacks in 48.4 per cent of passing plays with Bosa on the field (122 plays) compared to 34.9 per cent without him (86 plays).

New York Jets (4-2) @ Denver Broncos (2-4)

The Denver Broncos are in need of a major improvement in performance and hosting the Jets will provide encouragement, having shut them out in two straight home games, including 26-0 last year.

The Jets have reason to be optimistic themselves, however, with last week's 27-10 victory against the Green Bay Packers securing their first three-game winning streak since 2019 and their first three-game road winning streak in a single season since 2010.

Meanwhile, the Broncos fell to a 19-16 overtime defeat to the Chargers in Week 6 and suffered their second straight overtime loss, with no team ever having played three straight overtime games in NFL history.

Russell Wilson found himself under scrutiny again last week, completing only 15 of his 28 pass attempts for a completion percentage of 53.6. In total this season, he has a 58.6 completion percentage, having entered the year with a lowest single-season completion percentage of 61.3 in 2017.

Elsewhere…

The Pittsburgh Steelers lost their first six road games as a franchise against the Miami Dolphins but head to Florida in Week 7 with a 6-3 record in the past nine meetings. However, they have not had a quarterback start at the Dolphins other than Ben Roethlisberger since Kordell Stewart in 1998.

Each of the last 11 games between the Seattle Seahawks and the Chargers have been decided by a single-digit margin, with the only longer streak in NFL history being a 14-game stretch between the Colts and Houston Texans from 2014 to 2020.

Aaron Rodgers stands 0-3 in road games against the Washington Commanders, with the Green Bay Packers 2-8 in their last 10 games in Washington – their victories coming in 1968 and 2004.

Tom Brady faces the Carolina Panthers with 15 completions in each of his last 39 games for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, tying Brady's career-best streak with 39 straight games for the New England Patriots from 2011 to 2013.

Kenny Pickett could not finish his second NFL start after going into concussion protocol, but the Pittsburgh Steelers ensured their quarterback could celebrate an unlikely first win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Pickett – the first QB off the board in the 2022 NFL Draft – started for the first time in last week's big defeat to the Buffalo Bills.

But the rookie bounced back in some style against Tom Brady, securing a narrow lead before exiting the game midway through the third quarter. The Steelers protected that advantage to win 20-18.

Pickett had thrown his first career touchdown pass to Najee Harris on Pittsburgh's first drive.

A sloppy end to the first half allowed the Bucs to close the gap, but they headed in at halftime without having scored a TD – a first for a Brady team against the Steelers.

Pittsburgh lifted their game again following the restart, trading field goals before a hit on Pickett saw him leave the game, and was then ruled out.

Mitch Trubisky picked up the baton, though, connecting with Chase Claypool for another TD before Brady and Leonard Fournette belatedly responded.

A successful two-point conversion would have tied the game with time left for the Bucs to win it, but Brady's attempt was batted away, and Trubisky saw out only a second Steelers win of the year.

Another New York defeat for Packers on return to Lambeau

The Green Bay Packers gave up a home game to play in London for the first time in franchise history last week, losing to the New York Giants. And a return to Lambeau Field did little to lift Aaron Rodgers and Co., who fell to 3-3 with a 27-10 home loss to the New York Jets.

In fact, the Packers crowd appeared to turn on their team when a blocked punt gifted the Jets – now 3-0 on the road to start a season for the first time since 2010 – a two-TD lead their opponents could not recover from.

The Giants built on their upset of the Packers by doing the same to the Baltimore Ravens. They had trailed Green Bay 20-10 at halftime in Week 5 and were this time down by the same score in the fourth quarter, recovering for a 24-20 win to move to 5-1.

The Atlanta Falcons lost in Week 5 but also had momentum to carry into a matchup with the San Francisco 49ers after a 15-point fourth quarter against the Bucs. Following five straight games decided by seven points or fewer, the Falcons coasted to a 28-14 success.

Ryan extends Jags' miserable road run in AFC South

The Jacksonville Jaguars have not won a road game against an AFC South rival since 2017, a losing sequence of 13 games heading into Sunday's trip to the Indianapolis Colts.

It appeared as though Trevor Lawrence was to lead the Jags to a long-awaited win when the Colts trailed by a point at the Jacksonville 33 with just 23 seconds to play.

But Matt Ryan, having earlier passed Dan Marino (61,361) to climb to seventh all-time for passing yards, completed a pivotal TD pass to Alec Pierce to prolong the Jags' misery.

Blake Bortles, the former number three overall pick, has revealed he has "quietly" retired from the NFL.

Bortles was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2014 draft, becoming the first quarterback taken that year.

Despite largely not living up to his draft stock, Bortles helped the Jags, who had a famed defense in the 2017 season, to reach the AFC Championship Game where they narrowly lost to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

Bortles signed a three-year, $54million deal to remain with the Jags beyond his rookie contract but was released a year later after a poor 2018 season.

With his starting days behind him, the 30-year-old has since spent time in backup roles with the Los Angeles Rams, Denver Broncos, New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers.

But when asked if he was still in shape to sign for an NFL team during the 2022 season, he told the Pardon My Take podcast he had decided to call time on his career.

"I quietly... I didn't tell anybody, I retired," he said, per ESPN.

"I guess you guys are kind of the first to hear it publicly."

The Buffalo Bills took advantage of a questionable fourth-quarter decision to defeat the Baltimore Ravens 23-20 on the road on Sunday.

In a game played in difficult, rainy conditions, both star quarterbacks completed one touchdown pass each.

Baltimore's Lamar Jackson dished off a shovel pass to J.K. Dobbins in the first quarter, and Dobbins' second touchdown, this time on the ground, helped build a 20-3 lead in the second period.

Buffalo's Josh Allen found Isaiah McKenzie in the seconds before half-time for what would end up being his only touchdown pass of the game, but he scored with his legs on an 11-yard rush late in the third to tie things at 20-20.

With scores even in the fourth quarter, the Ravens put together a 14-play, 93-yard drive starting from their own five-yard line, but after Dobbins' attempt at his third touchdown was stopped for a loss, the home side were forced into a tough decision.

While they could have kicked a chip-shot field goal and taken the lead, they instead opted to throw for it on fourth down, resulting in a turnover, handing the Bills the ball with four minutes remaining, needing just a field goal to win it.

A 20-yard completion to Dawson Knox and a roughing the passer call on the Ravens defense moved the ball up the field quickly, and with the ball on the one-yard line, the road team decided to play it smart and kneel to set up a game-winning field goal from Tyler Bass as time expired.

Both quarterbacks also ended up leading their teams in rushing, with Allen totalling 70 rushing yards from 11 carries, while Jackson finished with 11 carries for 73 yards.

Eagles force five turnovers to remain undefeated

The last undefeated team in the league stayed that way after the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the rising Jacksonville Jaguars 29-21.

Philadelphia's defense was the story of the game, recovering four fumbles and securing one interception, with Haason Reddick posting two sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

On offense, Miles Sanders was a workhorse in the Eagles backfield, carrying the ball 27 times for 134 yards and two touchdowns, while A.J. Brown led both teams in receiving with five catches for 95 yards.

For the Jaguars, Jamal Agnew caught both of Trevor Lawrence's touchdown passes, although the impressive young quarterback completed just 11 of his 23 passes in the rain.

Pickett debuts as Steelers fall to the Jets

After a lacklustre first half where the Pittsburgh Steelers could only score a pair of field goals, first-round draft pick Kenny Pickett was brought in for his NFL debut as his side ended up losing to the New York Jets 24-20.

Pickett, who replaced Mitchell Trubisky, enjoyed a bright start as he ran in for two short-range rushing touchdowns to turn a 10-6 deficit into a 20-10 lead. While he completed 10 of his 13 passes, those three incompletions ended up as three interceptions to allow the Jets back into the game.

In his first game this season after returning from injury, Zach Wilson manufactured a touchdown pass to Corey Davis to cut the margin to 20-17, before going six-for-six through the air on the final drive to set up a one-yard, game-winning touchdown run from rookie Breece Hall.