CINCINNATI — Before the last play of the game, when Joe Flacco’s 37th and final pass fell incomplete and the Cincinnati Bengals’ comeback hopes were officially put to bed, Mike Vrabel stood on the sideline in his old linebacker’s stance, away from the rest of the New England Patriots, to get the best view possible.

Perhaps to the surprise of some, the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos, who are both 6-2 and atop their respective divisions with second-year quarterbacks at the helm, enter Week 9 with the longest active winning streaks in the NFL. During New ...

After returning to the playoffs last year, the Broncos now have eight wins before December, with their latest an overtime victory over the Washington Commanders. Denver is tied for the best record in the NFL at 10-2, and currently sits in the drivers seat for the AFC West crown and a first-round bye.

A surging Chicago Bears team visits the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 12 of the NFL season. Winners of three straight, the Bears look like they're starting to gel under new head coach Ben Johnson. The Steelers, meanwhile, are in first place but may be without quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who is questionable with a wrist injury.

The bad news is that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have lost three straight games. The good news is they still have half a game lead in the NFC South. With that bein