At the end of October, the race for the AFC South title was looking like anything but a race. The Jacksonville Jaguars were heading into their bye with a 6-2 record after five straight wins while every other team in the division had a losing record.
What a difference two weeks can make.
The Jaguars followed up their week off with an embarrassing 31-point loss to the San Francisco 49ers which raised serious questions about the team’s contender status. Meanwhile, the Houston Texans won back-to-back games with dramatic last-minute drives led by rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud.
The Texans are now 5-4, just a game behind the Jaguars, with a rematch between the teams set to be played in Houston in Week 12.
An even more unlikely story is brewing in the NFC, though. After a 1-4 start to the season, the Minnesota Vikings started to get back on track before an Achilles tear for Kirk Cousins seemingly doomed their season. But instead of it spiraling down the drain, newly acquired Joshua Dobbs has given the Vikings new life.
A week after leading Minnesota to a miraculous win against the Atlanta Falcons, Dobbs took the New Orleans Saints to school Sunday.
With Week 10 in the books, the Texans and Vikings are climbing fast in our weekly power rankings: