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NEW ORLEANS -- Thoughts on the New Orleans Saints’ 31-17 victory against Detroit on Sunday night at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

What it means: The Saints are 9-3 and closing in on an NFC South title (of course, the fact Atlanta lost to drop to 7-5 helped). More significantly, the Saints seem to be putting it together at the right time. Since an embarrassing loss to St. Louis on Oct. 30, the Saints have been very impressive in four straight victories. Their defense was especially good early on against the Lions. Receiver Calvin Johnson was held to two catches in the first half. The offense had pretty much put the game away by halftime. Speaking of the defense, I don’t think that it was any coincidence this performance came as middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma, the unquestioned leader of the defense, returned from a knee injury.

Weird stat of the night: Believe it or not, this was the third straight game in which the Saints, who are known for their prolific offense, did not score a touchdown in the first quarter. They scored only a field goal. Last week against the Giants, the Saints did not score in the first quarter. In a victory against Atlanta two weeks ago, the Saints only had a field goal in the first quarter.

Milestone night: In only his second year, tight end Jimmy Graham went over the 1,000 yard receiving mark. Graham is the first New Orleans tight end to have 1,000 receiving yards in a season.

Redemption time: Second-year cornerback Patrick Robinson got beat on a pass to Titus Young as the Lions were driving late in the second quarter. But Robinson bounced back to block a field-goal attempt as the second quarter ended and the Saints went into halftime with a 24-7 lead.

Three in a row: The Saints clinched their third consecutive winning season. They now have winning seasons in four of coach Sean Payton’s six seasons.

Dome Patrol: The Saints are 6-0 at home this season. The only other time the Saints started off by winning their first six home games was 2009. Yep, that's the season they won the Super Bowl.

What’s next: The Saints travel to Nashville to play the Tennessee Titans at LP Field next Sunday.

A look at a tremendous AFC West Monday night affair, one the Chiefs won 23-20 in overtime:

What it means: This wild game had it all, but most importantly, it had major ramifications on the AFC West race. The Chiefs' win means there is a three-way tie for first place in the AFC West. The Chiefs, Chargers and Raiders are all 4-3. It is the first time in the NFL that there has been a three-way tie among 4-3 teams since 1989 in the old AFC Central.

Tomorrow’s talker: The fumbled snap by San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers at the Chiefs’ 15-yard line with 48 seconds to go will go down in "Monday Night Football" history. Rivers and Chargers coach Norv Turner will forever be criticized for the play. People will wonder why Turner didn’t have Rivers kneel down twice and attempt a short game-winning field goal in the final seconds. Rivers will be haunted for muffing the snap. Rivers has been struggling this season, and he played very well from the second quarter to the fourth quarter until the fumbled snap. This one could stick with him for a while. This play might have long-term ramifications in San Diego.

Hail to the Chiefs: This game will be remembered for Rivers’ gaffe, but the Chiefs -- who were terrific on offense and defense in overtime -- deserve great credit. This team was left for dead after starting 0-3. The Chiefs have won four straight games and have a look of a team that is ready to defend its division title. Give Kansas City coach Todd Haley immense credit for keeping his team together after injuries devastated it early in the season. The Chiefs are becoming one of the top stories in the NFL.

What’s next: San Diego hosts the 7-0 world champion Packers in a huge game for the Chargers, while the Chiefs host winless Miami in Week 9.

PHILADELPHIA -- Some thoughts from the Philadelphia Eagles' 34-7 dismantling of the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night at Lincoln Financial Field:

What it means: For the Eagles, it means they're now 13-0 under Andy Reid in games immediately following bye weeks. It also means they're in position to get on the kind of roll that could get them back into contention. It might have been easy for some to dismiss their previous victory, two weeks ago against Rex Grossman and the Redskins. But they were intense and focused and mistake-free as they built an insurmountable lead Sunday night against a hated division rival, and that's a lot tougher to dismiss. For the Cowboys, it means they're 3-4 and embarrassed. I don't think it means they're cooked, however. Their losses are to the Eagles, Jets, Patriots and Lions -- teams with a combined record of 18-11 -- and three of those losses were on the road. The combined record of the teams remaining on the Cowboys' schedule is 23-33.

Run, Eagles, run: The Cowboys went into the game as the top-ranked run defense in the league, allowing an average of 69.7 rush yards per game. But the Eagles wrecked that average in the first quarter, in which they ran for 115, and kept running and running all night. Running back LeSean McCoy had 185 yards on the ground. Quarterback Michael Vick had 50 more. And the Eagles, who were killing themselves with turnovers earlier this season, look as though they might have found a safe recipe for offensive success going forward. McCoy is one of the very best backs in the league and doesn't appear to mind a heavy workload. After getting 28 carries two weeks ago in Washington, he got 30 more Sunday night.

Out-muscled in the trenches: The Eagles' offensive line has taken a lot of criticism this season, but in truth, it is a very good run-blocking line that has struggled at times in pass protection. The Eagles look to be shoring things up, and aside from DeMarcus Ware's four sacks, they won all night against the Dallas front. The same could not be said for Dallas' offensive line, which is banged up and didn't appear to have enough overall strength to handle the Eagles' defensive line. The Cowboys hardly possessed the ball during the part of the game that could reasonably be described as competitive, but when they did, they were able to do almost nothing with it.

Soft in the middle: The Eagles were able to gain big chunks of yardage all night across the middle of the field, as Vick repeatedly found Jason Avant and heretofore forgotten tight end Brent Celek in critical spots. ESPN Stats & Information says Vick was 18-for-20 for 258 yards and a touchdown when throwing between the numbers. Celek led the team with seven catches, and Avant was second with five. Vick was making smart decisions and protecting the ball better than he had earlier in the season, but he also was hitting wide-open receivers, which makes anybody look good. The Cowboys' defense clearly suffered once inside linebacker Sean Lee went out with a wrist injury, and if Lee has to miss significant time, they should continue to struggle. It was clear, once Lee left the game, how much of the Cowboys' defensive success this season has been tied to his emergence. Veteran Keith Brooking had a horrible game.

Tighter coverage: Eagles cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha was the most trumpeted free-agent signing of the offseason, but he'd been a disappointment through the team's first six games. On Sunday night, the Eagles used him in tighter coverage than they had for most of the early part of the season, and he was able to limit several of the Cowboys' offensive weapons. Whether he was on Jason Witten, Dez Bryant or Miles Austin, Asomugha was all over the field and playing the part the Eagles hired him to play.

What's next: The Cowboys limp back to Texas, where they get a cushy home game Sunday afternoon against the 2-5 Seattle Seahawks. They should be able to work out some of their issues against a team that presents far fewer athletic challenges with its offense than do the Eagles. Philadelphia gets an extra day to rest and/or practice before taking on the Chicago Bears at home on "Monday Night Football" on Nov. 7.

PITTSBURGH -- Thoughts on the Pittsburgh Steelers' 25-17 win over the New England Patriots at Heinz Field:

What it means: The Steelers ended the dominance of the Patriots and Tom Brady and made the statement that they're the team to beat in the AFC. Pittsburgh won its fourth straight game but this was its first against a legitimate playoff contender. The Steelers improved to 6-2 to maintain their slim first-place lead over the Ravens and Bengals (both 5-2).

Roethlisberger outshines Brady: Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has had success against New England in the past, but this time it was different because he was the best quarterback on the field for that day. Roethlisberger out-dueled Brady in Brady-like fashion, spreading out the Patriots and flinging the ball around out of the shotgun. He completed 36 of 50 passes for 365 yards and two touchdowns. His biggest mistake was a first-half interception, which set up the Patriots' first touchdown.

Thumbs up: Steelers wide receivers. Pittsburgh didn't need Hines Ward, who was out with an ankle sprain. Mike Wallace, Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders were quick and elusive, getting open on a consistent basis. Each had at least five catches for over 65 yards. Call it catch by committee.

Swat team: Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel secured the win by stripping Brady in the final seconds, which led to the safety. This came after Keisel had jumped up to knock down a Brady pass earlier in the game.

Woodley's streak: A year after the Steelers failed to sack Brady, LaMarr Woodley took the Patriots quarterback down twice. It's the third straight game that Woodley has recorded at least two sacks. He's really stepped up since James Harrison went down with an eye injury. But Woodley is now injured, too, leaving the game with a left hamstring injury.

What's next: After redeeming themselves against Brady and the Patriots, the Steelers look to avenge a season-opening loss to the Ravens next Sunday. Pittsburgh hosts its AFC North rival in prime time Sunday night.

DENVER -- Some thoughts on the Detroit Lions' 45-10 demolition of the Denver Broncos:

What it means: As forcefully as possible, the Lions turned the page after a two-game losing streak. They head into their bye in excellent position at 6-2.

Defensive dominance: The Lions had two defensive touchdowns for the second time this season. (The first was in Week 4 against the Dallas Cowboys.) Defensive end Cliff Avril forced a Tim Tebow fumble and returned it 24 yards for a score in the third quarter and Chris Houston had a 100-yard interception return in the fourth quarter. Houston now has a career-high four interceptions this season. Tebow had a miserable game in his own right, but the Lions' pressure (seven sacks, including two from Avril) had something to do with that.

Offensive dominance: Quarterback Matthew Stafford showed no ill effects from a right ankle injury, completing his first seven passes and throwing for 269 yards and three touchdowns over three quarters. Again, the Broncos' incompetence should at least be noted. Rookie Titus Young didn't have a Broncos defender within 20 yards of him on a 41-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter. But Stafford threw a beautiful 56-yard scoring pass down the left sideline to receiver Calvin Johnson and made a nice personal comeback after two down weeks. Stafford appeared shaken up in his final series, but with a bye week looming, he has plenty of time to heal from this game.

MegatronWatch: Johnson's touchdown, one of six receptions he made for 125 yards, was his 11th of the season. Johnson joined Randy Moss (2007) as the only player since the 1970 merger to catch 11 touchdown passes over the first eight games of the season. Frank Clarke had 12 touchdowns through eight games in 1962 for the Dallas Cowboys, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Tebowing: Two Lions players "Tebowed" after big plays, setting off at least a few NFC North blog Twitter followers who considered it a disrespectful attempt to mock Tebow. I'm not sure about that but am open to your thoughts. Linebacker Stephen Tulloch struck the pose after a sack and tight end Tony Scheffler incorporated the move into a touchdown celebration. I guess it technically mocked Tebow's prayer post, but I'm not sure if we need to launch a congressional investigation about it.

What's next: The Lions return Nov. 13 at Soldier Field against the Chicago Bears.

DENVER -- A look at a disastrous day for the home team:

What it means: The shine of the comeback win at Miami last week is gone. Tim Tebow was terrible in his second start of the season. The Broncos were completely outclassed by a much better team. The Broncos are now 2-5.

Tomorrow’s talker: Miracles don’t happen every week. Tebow, the toast of Denver after engineering an unlikely comeback in the final minutes at Miami after playing poorly for most of the game, had no magic Sunday. He was just plain bad. This is a major hit for the Broncos. Yes, Tebow is a project and there has to be some patience involved here, but he is not showing any real signs he can be an effective NFL quarterback.

It’s not just Tebow: It would be unfair to blame this lopsided loss all on Tebow. The entire Denver team was outclassed. There are major talent issues on both sides of the ball. This is looking like a team that will be drafting very high next spring.

Detroit disasters: The past two times Denver has played Detroit, it has been destroyed. The Lions smoked the Broncos 44-7 in Motown in 2007 -- meaning that in the past two meetings, the Lions have outscored Denver 89-17.

What’s next: The Broncos play at 4-3 Oakland next Sunday as the Raiders begin the Carson Palmer starting era. Palmer was terrible in the second half against Kansas City last week, but should be better after learning the Raiders’ offense during the bye week. The question for Denver, though: Can Tebow get better?

TORONTO -- Here are some initial thoughts on the Buffalo Bills' 23-0 victory over the Washington Redskins:

What it means: Buffalo picked up a key win coming off the bye week and improved to 5-2. The Bills needed to pad their record before a tough upcoming slate, which includes three consecutive road games in the month of November. It also stops a three-game losing streak for the Bills in Toronto.

Defense steps up: Buffalo's much-maligned defense had its best game of the season. The Bills took advantage of Washington's multiple injuries on offense and shut out the Redskins. The Bills also had a season-high nine sacks, which was the second most in franchise history. Rookie defensive linemen Marcell Dareus led Buffalo with 2.5 sacks.

The $59-million man: This wasn't just another game for Bills starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. Sunday was his first since officially becoming the face of the franchise. Fitzpatrick was solid in his first game since signing a $59 million contract extension with Buffalo. He completed 21 of 27 passes for 262 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Fitzpatrick had a stellar passing rating of 116.4.

Jackson comes up big again: Bills starting running back Fred Jackson recorded 120 rushing yards against Washington and has 821 rushing yards on the season. Jackson also had 74 receiving yards. With Fitzpatrick's contract done, Jackson could be one of the players next in line to get a pay raise. Buffalo has been hesitant to pay Jackson because of his age (30) and because they drafted C.J. Spiller in the first round in 2010. But Jackson is showing his value every week on the field.

What's next: Buffalo has a huge game with playoff implications next week against the division rival New York Jets (4-3). The Jets are coming off a bye and had two weeks to prepare for Buffalo. The Jets and Bills will play twice in November in what most likely will be elimination games.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Thoughts on the Titans’ 27-10 win over the Colts at LP Field.

What it means: The Titans are back over .500 at 4-3 after their first AFC South win in three division games. They got contributions from a lot of different places to beat a team everyone has beaten, but hardly got an answer for all the things that ail them right now. The Colts are now halfway though their season without a win and never posed a threat to pull an upset in this one.

What I liked, Titans: Tennessee got a giant play on special teams with Patrick Bailey blocking a punt and Jason McCourty grabbing it out of the air for an easy touchdown. The Titans turned tipped balls into takeaways, with Michael Griffin and Barrett Ruud snatching interceptions.

What I liked, Colts: The combination of Delone Carter (nine carries for 46 yards) and Donald Brown 10 for 33 and a score) ran the ball reasonably well. After a point the Titans were happy to see handoffs that ran time off the clock and kept he game moving, but still, being outrun in a game that took this shape was a bad development for the Titans and a good one for the Colts. Curtis Painter shredded the Titans’ defense late.

What I didn’t like, Titans: I don’t care how poor the blocking may have been, Chris Johnson didn’t show me sufficient effort after contact as he took 14 carries for 34 yards. On many plays he looked to give up as soon as the option for anything big was gone. He needs to worm, wiggle and work the way Javon Ringer (14 for 60) did. That’s the job. It’s not all sprints and bongo drums.

What I didn’t like, Colts: Penalties and special-teams play were both just killers. Indianapolis had 10 accepted penalties for 66 yards, consistently allowed Joe Lefeged to bring kickoffs out of the end zone and gave up a giant play with the blocked punt in the end zone that became an easy seven points for Tennessee.

What’s next: The Titans host the Cincinnati Bengals in the third game of their three-game homestand. Indianapolis plays Atlanta at Lucas Oil Stadium.