NFL Week 8 winners and losers: Lions tame Vikings, Steelers control AFC North

The first day of November is a sign that meaningful football is here.

Sunday's NFL action proved just that, with several playoff contenders making statements and plenty of stars proving themselves.

Who were the standout teams and players? And who fell flat on the field in Week 8?

Here are the winners and losers from Sunday's games:

WINNER: Lions tame Vikings

Pop the champagne, '72 Miami Dolphins -- the NFL's final unbeaten team has gone down.

The previously 6-0 Minnesota Vikings lost a tight contest 19-15 to the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Brian Flores' vaunted defense did its job with four sacks and an interception, but the Vikings' offense was stuck in the mud for most of the game. Kyler Murray's unit was 3 for 10 on third-down and ran 18 fewer plays than the Lions.

Jared Goff, meanwhile, overcame his first interception of the season by orchestrating a game-winning drive in the fourth quarter. The seven-play, four-minute possession ended with a beautiful touch pass to Jameson Williams, which put Detroit ahead for good. The Lions are now 5-2, just one game behind the Vikings in a wild NFC North fight between four potential playoff contenders.

LOSER: Ravens' quarterbacks go down

The Baltimore Ravens' injury luck has gone from bad to worse.

In Sunday's 36-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills, both Lamar Jackson (thumb) and Tyler Huntley (toe) exited with injuries. Emergency third quarterback Joe Fagnano, making his NFL debut as an undrafted rookie, didn't stand much of a chance against Josh Allen and Co. He ended up going 10 of 21 for 91 yards and an interception.

Jackson missed the last three games with an ankle sprain, and he only made it one play before the new injury occurred on his first pass attempt. Huntley went down in the second quarter and did not return. With a short week coming before a Thursday game against the Jaguars, the 4-4 Ravens are entering the danger zone.

WINNER: Steelers take control of the North

The Ravens' struggles are a welcome sight for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who now own sole possession of the AFC North lead.

Aaron Rodgers' team took down the Cleveland Browns 27-6 in a battle of 5-2 teams that was never all that close. Pittsburgh jumped out to a 10-0 and lead it 20-6 on a last-second touchdown to end the first half -- coming on a Pat Freiermuth 1-yard tush push. The Steelers finished the game with an impressive 200 rushing yards, eight sacks of Deshaun Watson and two forced fumbles recovered.

Losses by the Browns and Ravens puts the Steelers in control of the division, though the Cincinnati Bengals did survive a scare Sunday. The defending AFC North champions are now heading into their bye week before a key game against the Bengals on NBC's Sunday Night Football in Week 10.

LOSER: Weather woes in Florida

A massive rainstorm across Florida impacted the NFL.

In Tampa, the Buccaneers (3-5) made history in their 16-0 victory over the Atlanta Falcons (3-5). Baker Mayfield had no passing yards in the game, going 0 for 3 -- the first time a team has won a game without a completion since the Bills in 1974. The Bucs' defense actually had more catches than their offense, intercepting Michael Penix Jr. four times. Tampa Bay rushed for 324 yards, including 170 by Bucky Irving and 140 by Kenny Gainwell.

That won't be the only game in Florida with rain, though. The Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots played in the late window at Hard Rock Stadium, with heavy rain and winds expected throughout the scheduled time.

WINNER: Cardinals and Raiders steal road victories

Two unexpected road teams picked up unlikely wins on Sunday.

In a chaotic back-and-forth game at the Meadowlands, the Las Vegas Raiders held off the New York Jets 38-33. Geno Smith was intercepted in the end zone on the final play of the game, spoiling what was otherwise a dazzling offensive performance by the Jets. New York scored on its first six possessions, but was unable to stop Kirk Cousins (3 TDs, 247 pass yards) and Brock Bowers (2 TDs, 92 receiving yards) down the stretch.

The Dallas Cowboys' 33-30 loss to the Arizona Cardinals was the most improbable of them all. The much-maligned defense surrendered three straight touchdowns in the fourth quarter after the Cardinals benched Jacoby Brissett for Gardner Minshew. Arizona would've won in regulation if not for a missed extra point, but it sealed the deal in overtime with a defense stop and 42-yard field goal by Chad Ryland.

LOSER: Colts surrender

The Indianapolis Colts' season continued to go off the rails, this time with a 42-7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The blowout defeat came just days after Indy traded away All-Pro stars Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner. Now, you have to wonder what players could be dealt next. The Colts were uncompetitive from the jump on Sunday, allowing 21 points in the second quarter and ultimately falling behind 35-0 before finally scoring.

For the Jaguars, this matchup came at the perfect time with the Colts in teardown mode and after their bye week. Trevor Lawrence was flawless in the victory (10 for 14, 210 yards, 3 TDs), and Jacksonville hit an impressive 5.5 yards per carry to improve to 5-2.

WINNER: Joe Burrow's historic effort saves Bengals

The Tennessee Titans almost joined the list of improbable road winners, but Joe Burrow wouldn't let that happen.

The Cincinnati Bengals pulled off a 43-36 overtime victory after a wild fourth quarter. The sides traded touchdowns on four straight possessions in the final frame, and the Bengals kept the offense rolling with a Burrow rushing score to open overtime. Cam Ward and the Titans were stopped on their possession to end the game.

Burrow ended the game with a career-high five touchdown passes. He nearly lost his team the game with three interceptions (all to Amani Hooker), but his execution down the stretch and in overtime was enough to push the Bengals to 5-2. The Titans fell to 1-7 with the loss.

LOSER: Chargers drop to 0-7

The Los Angeles Chargers have now gone 27 straight possessions without a touchdown. They fell to 0-7 after an LA derby against the Rams, losing 24-9. The Rams didn't have to break too much of a sweat as Kyren Williams and Blake Corum shone in the ground game.

Justin Herbert threw two interceptions as the Chargers' running game continued to struggle, with Kimani Vidal's 23 yards leading the way. The Rams are back to .500, while the Chargers will face the Houston Texans next in their bid to win a game.

WINNER: Broncos stun Chiefs

The Denver Broncos trailed the Kansas City Chiefs 24-13 entering the fourth quarter. They came back to win 28-24 in a stunning result in the AFC West, improving to 6-2 while the Chiefs dropped to 5-2.

It came down to the very last play, where Patrick Mahomes was sacked on 4th-and-goal after leading a late drive. Denver's pass rush hit home at the perfect time, and it could be a significant result once playoff seeding becomes tighter.

Mahomes was 80-2 before this game when he entered the fourth quarter with a double-digit win. Kansas City has now dropped two straight against possible contenders.

LOSER: Dolphins can't hang on vs. Patriots

The Dolphins were on upset watch at home against the Patriots in an AFC East battle. Malik Willis led a 13-3 lead at halftime, with New England looking completely out of sorts in the first half in a game affected by weather.

But the NFL can be a tale of two halves, and New England answered back with a 14-0 third quarter to regain the momentum. Miami made it interesting late when Willis found Kevin Coleman Jr. for a touchdown, but New England ran out the clock to get to 5-3. Miami fell to 1-6.