Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East conflict

Andrew Luck: Forget the title of player of the year, the quarterback of the Colts plays a leading role in the MVP's conversation after another outstanding performance in a 38-10 loss to the Titans. It was such a dominance that the Colts gave Luck more than 10 minutes to play in the fourth quarter when the match was out of control. Luck now has seven straight games with at least three touchdowns, leaving him within record range all the time. It is followed only by Peyton Manning (eight in 2004) and Tom Brady (10 in 2007). He also became just the third player – joining Dan Marino and Aaron Rodgers – in league history to have at least 160 pass scores in their first 80 career games. And for the fifth consecutive game, Indy did not allow Luck to be fired, which largely explains his resurgence.

Defense of the saints: Everyone expects New Orleans to light up the scorecard – and that's what the defending Super Bowl Eagles – 48-7 have done, but it may be the defense of the team making it a legitimate candidate for the Super Bowl. They forced three interceptions and three sacks, and limited the Eagles to only 13 first tries and to three out of 10 during third conversions. They could give up a lot of points against other high-powered offenses (like 35 in their win against the Rams in Week 9), but it's also playing against an offense that generates points and assets. It's a defense that can silence opponents.

Joe Flacco: Ravens rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson needed to knock off Joe Flacco (hip injured) as Baltimore's hardcore starter, but it was a good start. Taking his first steps in the career, Jackson leaned on his legs to help overthrow the Bengals, 24-21 years, rivals of the division. Jackson finished with 27 runs – the maximum for the quarterback since 1950 – for 117 yards and 13 shots on 19 for 150 yards with an interception. His speed and elusiveness are unique, but Jackson has shown that he is too limited as a smuggler to be able to rely on him every other week.

losers

Minnesota Vikings: A slow start and a sloppy, spin-off game put the Vikings in a hole they could not leave. And in a battle for first place in the NFC North, they slipped and let the Bears take command of the division, 25-20. The Vikings (5-4-1) slipped into last place in the playoffs of the NFC. Pass protection, lightheartedness with the ball and a running game in sleep must all be repaired. The Bears (7-3), meanwhile, now have a good cushion that puts them in command of the division. However, a rematch for the 17th week in Minnesota may finally decide the winner of NFC North, but the path that the Vikings must follow to get there is even more difficult.

Washington Redskins: That's enough when you're a first-place team in a very open NFC East and you lose 23-21 to Texans. It's a lot worse when your starting quarterback, Alex Smith, breaks his tibia and fibula and needs immediate surgery to end his season. This means that Washington – unless they add a veteran free agent – will try to reach the playoffs with substitute Colt McCoy leading the way. The next three opponents of Washington (6-4) are all opponents of the division, the next two against the Cowboys (5-5) and Eagles (4-6) arriving on the road. And if McCoy does not advance, the team's hopes in the playoffs could collapse.

Doug Pederson: It was the worst loss of Pederson's head coaching career and the biggest margin of defeat of a reigning Super Bowl champion. The Eagles' attack is in disarray and has struggled to start the matches quickly. Injuries along the offensive line and the secondary line decimated the depth chart. So, now, Pederson must – very quickly – find solutions to the various problems (inept third-to-bottom, offensive inefficiency of the red zone at the top of the list) that the team faces. Philly has lost two games in a row and is 2-3 in her last five games, and the remaining schedule is ruthless. Not to participate in the series is a very real possibility.

Jacksonville Jaguars: They held a 16-point lead at the end of the third quarter against a Steelers team they had dominated recently, but allowed Pittsburgh to score 20 without winning. And now, the Jaguars (3-7) have lost six straight games, are currently the 14th seed – out of 16 teams – in the AFC playoff race, and look promising to play in January. After the appearance of the title of the AFC last year, it is clear that the Jags are part of the most disappointing teams of the season.