The New Orleans Saints are just behind the 49ers in the NFC standings at 9-2 after they edged out the Carolina Panthers in a dramatic end to their divisional shootout with a Will Lutz field goal as time expired earning a 34-31 victory.
Panthers kicker Joey Slye missed a simple field goal just a couple of minutes before the end of the game, enabling the Saints to take advantage as Drew Brees took them down the field in a classic two-minute drill to set-up the winning kick.
The reigning Super Bowl winners had some awful weather conditions as well as the Dallas Cowboys to deal with as they edged a 13-9 victory as they rain fell in buckets in Foxborough.
Conditions asides, the Patriots’ top-ranked defence shackled the Cowboys’ top-ranked offence magnificently as the visitors failed to find the end zone, and just the one Tom Brady touchdown pass to N'Keal Harry was enough for the Pats to match the 49ers at 10-1.
The Seattle Seahawks are a team to watch as they were too strong for the Eagles in Philadelphia – Rashaad Penny doing a lot of the damage with his career-best 129 yards rushing.
The Seahawks defence is also gathering momentum and menace as they forced five turnovers in their first game back since swarming over the 49ers when inflicting their only defeat of the season.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are hanging on in there at 6-5 after a 16-10 victory over divisional foes Cincinnati, while the Washington Redskins got just their second win of the season as they beat Detroit.
Derrick Henry and the Tennessee Titans ran all over the Jacksonville Jaguars, with the running back piling up 159 yards and two touchdowns in a 42-20 rout.