An epic game-winning field goal headlines a weekend in which the playoff hunt began in earnest—and the Panthers, Rams and Bengals all made big-time statements. Plus, how the Lions held it together against another great QB, Drew Brees on the brink of history, the Vikings’ bounceback, that DeAndre Hopkins play and much more as the heart of the season is upon us.

Titans’ Mike Vrabel rolled the dice on his new team and came up a big winner over the Super Bowl champs, while Indy’s risk-taking might have saved the season—for the Texans. Plus what the difference is for the 3-1 Bengals, a Bears offensive explosion, how defensive coaches weigh up the body weight rule, impact rookies for the Chargers and Patriots, Gruden gets his win and much more.

On one jaw-dropping TD play, we got a glimpse of the Patrick Mahomes that the Chiefs had been seeing all along—the Favre-like gunslinger. But even that wild, improvised score was the product of planning and practice. Plus, we look at the Bills’ improbable upset, Carson Wentz’s return, Cleveland’s Baker decision, the secret to FitzMagic, the Jimmy G injury and much more.

The Jaguars slayed their dragon (New England) by giving their quarterback the green light with the game on the line, while the Chiefs got a second straight touchdown eruption from the kid they’ve put their trust in. Plus notes and analysis on Josh Gordon’s fate, Matt Ryan’s Falcons, that Clay Matthews call, the kicking chaos and more on another frenetic Sunday in the NFL 

Seattle established the run and picked on aggressive corner Marcus Peters on Sunday, showing the kind of consistent offensive identity they’ve lacked over the years. In the past it would have been more than enough for a Seahawks win

The supporting cast struggled in Week 4 against the Seahawks, but the Cardinals seem to have found a good one in their rookie quarterback.

They could trade for a veteran, but is there even a point with the unfinished roster that would surround him? Why the Niners have little hope to salvage their 2018 season

A look at the polarizing QB’s performance in a big comeback at Lambeau Field, and examining how worried the Packers should be about their defense after giving up a big fourth-quarter lead at home

The game is being made safer—and passing numbers are through the roof, which is great for business. But defensive players, and those who revel in the old ways, wonder, How far can it go? 

A headbanging linebacker who played on the edge for 15 pro seasons and says he had more than 2,000 concussions, Gary Plummer felt his mind slipping away once he left the game. Fearful and desperate, he turned to alternative therapies—yoga, music, diet, even gardening—to counter the cognitive decline. The question for struggling former players: Is it possible to reverse dementia? Is there hope?

According to some former and current Seattle players, it was a growing locker-room rift—based largely on the special treatment some felt was afforded QB Russell Wilson—that brought down the Seahawks and precipitated this offseason’s dismantling of the team. Did it have to go down like this? 

Ever wonder about the men and women at the top of your favorite NFL franchise? The MMQB's NFL Owners Guide gives you everthing you need to know.

The college football season has yet to start, but it’s never too soon to look ahead to the 2019 NFL draft. An early takeaway: Teams that need defensive linemen are in luck.

Carve out some time each Saturday—just one game per week—to check out the top prospects for next spring’s NFL draft.

The NFL and college football are different brands of the game, but recently pro coaches are opening up to utilizing more college concepts—just look at the number of people who want to talk to Lincoln Riley. What other college trends should the NFL watch for this season?

Historically the NFL has gravitated toward a certain type of quarterback, propping up a handful of college passers before the start of the season. But this year is different—there's not a group of clear first-round draft prospects at the position, which may cause NFL teams to shift how they evaluate the position.