Coronavirus updates: US surpasses record 200K daily cases; Colorado Gov. tests positive; NFL orders shutdown of team facilities - USA TODAY
Coronavirus updates: US surpasses record 200K daily cases; Colorado Gov. tests positive; NFL orders shutdown of team facilities - USA TODAY |
- Coronavirus updates: US surpasses record 200K daily cases; Colorado Gov. tests positive; NFL orders shutdown of team facilities - USA TODAY
- Coronavirus updates: England could begin vaccinating next week; Dr. Anthony Fauci warns of 'superimposed' US surge; NYC to reopen schools - USA TODAY
- Monday's Headlines to Start the Week – Streetsblog USA - Streetsblog Los Angeles
- NFL playoff picture after Week 12: Titans take control in AFC South - USA TODAY
| Posted: 28 Nov 2020 07:00 PM PST CLOSE  Millions of Americans are taking to the skies and highways ahead of the Thanksgiving day holiday, posing a risk of a major virus spread around the country. The CDC is asking Americans to limit travel and stay at home this holiday season. (Nov. 25) AP Domestic The U.S. reported more than 200,000 COVID-19 cases for the first time on Friday, an all-time high reached about three weeks after the nation first reported 100,000 daily cases on Nov. 4. The nation recorded 205,557 new cases Friday. That rapid doubling, as reported by Johns Hopkins University, is reminiscent of the virus' growth this spring, when exponential spread prompted widespread restrictions across the country in an effort to control the virus. But experts warn that coronavirus testing numbers are likely to be erratic over the next week or so as fewer people get tested during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and testing sites observe shorter hours. The result could be potential dips in reported infections that offer the illusion that the spread of the virus is easing when, in fact, the numbers say little about where the nation stands in fighting COVID-19. The number of Americans who have tested positive passed 13 million Friday, according to Johns Hopkins University. Here's what to know Saturday:
📈 Today's numbers: The U.S. recorded more than 13.2 million cases and over 266,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Worldwide, there have been over 62 million cases and 1.4 million deaths. 🗺️ Mapping coronavirus: Track the U.S. outbreak in your state. 📰 What we're reading: A dangerous fiction has made its way through social media and American politics – the idea that COVID-19 is really only a danger to the elderly or those with a severe, chronic illness. This file will be updated throughout the day. For updates in your inbox, subscribe to The Daily Briefing newsletter. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis tests positive for COVID-19Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and first gentleman Marlon Reis have tested positive for COVID-19. Polis had been in quarantine since Wednesday evening after finding out he was exposed to someone who tested positive. A test he took Wednesday came back negative. In a statement released Saturday night, Polis said he and Reis were asymptomatic and will isolate at home. "Marlon and I are feeling well so far, and are in good spirits," Polis said. "No person or family is immune to this virus." He urged Coloradans to limit public interactions, to wear a mask in public, stay 6 feet from others and wash hands. – Rebecca Powell, Fort Collins Coloradoan Oregon mink farm has COVID-19 outbreakAn Oregon mink farm has reported an outbreak of COVID-19 among animals and workers. Oregon Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Andrea Cantu-Schomus declined to say which county the farm is in or how many workers have tested positive, citing federal health privacy rules. The farm has about 12,000 animals, she said. Outbreaks in farmed mink have been reported in several U.S. states and countries. Earlier this month Denmark announced it would kill all 17 million of the mink raised there after confirmation that 12 people had been infected with a mutated strain of COVID-19 that had spread from mink to humans. That strain has not been found elsewhere. Oregon has the nation's fourth-largest farmed mink industry, after Wisconsin, Utah and Michigan. All three of those other states have had outbreaks on mink farms. State and national environmental groups have been raising alarm about possible infections Oregon's mink industry, the Statesman Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, previously reported. — Tracy Loew, Salem Statesman Journal All Denver Broncos quarterbacks ineligible for game following COVID exposureThe Denver Broncos will not have a quarterback on their roster Sunday when they take on the New Orleans Saints. A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to USA TODAY Sports on Saturday that all three Denver QBs — Drew Lock, Brett Rypien and Jeff Driskel — have been placed on the COVID-19/restricted list and will be ineligible to play this week. The person requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. Adam Schefter of ESPN was first to report that all three players were ineligible and were considered high-risk contacts of a person who tested positive — and none of them was wearing a mask at the time. The news comes in the wake of the NFL shutting down all team facilities on Monday and Tuesday to slow the spread of the virus. Where will the Broncos turn with no one to lead the offense? Broncos reporter Mike Klis of 9News in Denver wrote that it could be practice squad wide receiver Kendall Hinton, who played quarterback in college. — Steve Gardner and Jarrett Bell Photo shows doctor embracing 'lonely' COVID-19 patient on ThanksgivingPhotographer Go Nakamura has visited a COVID-19 intensive care unit in Houston about 20 times, but he never gets used to what he sees there. Taking photos too graphic to share; seeing patients one day who will be gone when he returns later in the week — there's no getting used to that, he told USA TODAY on Saturday. But on Thanksgiving, Nakamura captured an image of compassion that has gained national attention as the United States reels under a record number of daily COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. The photo shows Dr. Joseph Varon, clad in protective equipment, embracing a patient who has collapsed into his arms. In the moments before the photo was taken, the patient was clearly feeling "vulnerable ... lonely," Nakamura said. Read more. Vanderbilt kicker Sarah Fuller makes historyVanderbilt's Sarah Fuller kicked off to start the second half against Missouri on Saturday, becoming the first woman to play in a Power Five football game. It was a squib kick to the Missouri 35-yard line. "Honestly it's just so exciting, and the fact that I can represent like the little girls out there who wanted to do this or thought about playing football or any sport really and it encourages them to be able to step out and do something big like this," Fuller said after the game. Fuller, a senior goalkeeper for Vanderbilt's soccer team, was asked to join the football team this week after COVID-19 contact tracing depleted the roster of specialists. Last Sunday, Fuller led the Vanderbilt soccer team to an SEC tournament title. On Saturday, she suited up in her No. 32 football jersey with "Play Like a Girl" written on the back of her helmet. – Adam Sparks, Nashville Tennessean Panel of advisers to vote next week on how vaccine will be distributedA panel of U.S. advisers will meet Tuesday to vote on how scarce, initial supplies of a COVID-19 vaccine will be given out once one has been approved. Experts have proposed giving the vaccine to health workers first. High priority also may be given to workers in essential industries, people with certain medical conditions and people age 65 and older. Tuesday's meeting is for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a group established by the CDC. The panel of experts recommends who to vaccinate and when – advice the government almost always follows. – The Associated Press NFL orders shutdown of team facilities Monday and TuesdayThe NFL has ordered team facilities to be closed to in-person activities early next week in a bid to slow the spread of COVID-19 among players and staffers. A memo from commissioner Roger Goodell, tweeted Friday night by the NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, says in-person meetings are prohibited on Monday and Tuesday and must be held virtually. The NFL said it was taking the step because of the growing number of COVID-19 cases in the country and because it came to the league's attention that a "number of players and staffers celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday with out-of-town guests." – Mike Brehm European countries prepare to relax coronavirus restrictionsSeveral European countries were expected to relax coronavirus-related restrictions in the coming days.
However in Germany, restrictions are heading in the opposite direction. Federal and state leaders this week decided to extend a partial shutdown until at least Dec. 20 and tighten some restrictions. The measures so far have succeeded in halting a rise in new cases but haven't pushed them down significantly. – The Associated Press US reports 200,000 COVID-19 cases in a single dayThe U.S. on Friday reported 200,000 COVID-19 cases in a single day, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The U.S. reached 100,000 daily infections on Nov. 4. When a virus' spread becomes exponential, the human brain struggles to comprehend how quickly the growth is occurring, Columbia University's Hod Lipson told USA TODAY in the spring. Because few things in our daily experience grow so fast, the concept is "fundamentally difficult ... for the human mind to understand." The University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation projects estimated infections will reach about 450,000 daily cases by mid-December, more than double the number of current confirmed cases. Estimated cases, however, are often higher than confirmed ones. That forecast also assumes social distancing mandates will be reimposed in most U.S. states at various times. If that doesn't occur, case and death counts could be far higher. Data from Johns Hopkins University shows that total COVID-19 deaths have been steadily increasing for months, but in recent weeks confirmed cases have been spiking rapidly. Because deaths lag behind confirmed cases, sometimes for weeks, public health experts are warning the nation to brace for deaths to soon sharply increase as well amid a long-predicted seasonal uptick in COVID-19 spread. "Given the experience in Europe, we expect that the increase in deaths will soon begin to match the increase in cases," wrote the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation in a Nov. 12 briefing. Experts: Virus numbers could be erratic after ThanksgivingThe coronavirus testing numbers that have guided much of the nation's response to the pandemic are likely to be erratic over the next week or so, experts said Friday, as fewer people get tested during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and testing sites observe shorter hours. "I just hope that people don't misinterpret the numbers and think that there wasn't a major surge as a result of Thanksgiving, and then end up making Christmas and Hanukkah and other travel plans," said Dr. Leana Wen, a professor at George Washington University and an emergency physician. A similar pattern unfolds on many weekends. Because some testing centers, labs and state offices are closed on Saturdays and Sundays, COVID case numbers often drop each Sunday and Monday, only to peak on Tuesday. Dr. Mark Rupp, professor and chief of infectious diseases at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, said the effect of Thanksgiving is likely to be a magnified version of the weekend figures. The Thursday holiday will exacerbate the record-keeping discrepancies over the long weekend, artificially depressing the reported numbers for four or five days before spiking as test results catch up. Johns Hopkins University reported a high of more than 2 million tests a few days before Thanksgiving as people prepared to travel, but that number had dropped to less than 1.2 million tests on Thanksgiving Day. The latter number, as well as positive case numbers, which had dropped by about a third Friday, could be adjusted as more results are returned. – Associated Press Los Angeles County issues stay-at-home order as virus surgesLos Angeles County announced a new stay-home order Friday as coronavirus cases surge out of control in the nation's most populous county. The three-week order takes effect Monday, and comes as the county confirmed 24 new deaths and 4,544 new cases of COVID-19. The five-day average of new cases was 4,751. The order advises residents to stay home "as much as possible" and to wear a face covering when they go out. It also bans people from gathering with people who aren't in their households, whether publicly or privately. Exceptions are made for church services and protests, "which are constitutionally protected rights," the county Department of Public Health said in a statement. Businesses and outdoor trails are also allowed to remain open. Last week, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a new requirement that non-essential work, movement and gatherings stop between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. for counties in the "red tier," which most in the state are currently under. – Associated Press Ohio State cancels Illinois game after coach Ryan Day, others test positiveOhio State University football coach Ryan Day has tested positive for COVID-19, the school announced Friday afternoon. The university also canceled its Saturday game against Illinois after more positive tests came back. The positive test also puts him in jeopardy of missing the Buckeyes' next game at Michigan State on Dec. 5. Big Ten coaches who test positive for COVID-19 are required to be out for 10 days, according to the conference's protocols. In a statement, OSU athletic director Gene Smith said the 41-year-old Day is "doing well physically," but he did not say if he has experienced any symptoms since contracting the virus. Day is currently in isolation. – Joey Kaufman, Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch Colorado governor condemns 'turkey funeral' to skirt virus restrictionsRepublican Congresswomen-elect Lauren Boebert has drawn criticism from Colorado's Democratic governor for saying she rebranded her Thanksgiving gathering as an animal funeral to skirt the state's social distancing regulations. "Congresswomen-elect Boebert is calling her Thanksgiving a 'turkey funeral' and hosting over 30 people. My hope and prayer is that it doesn't turn into a real funeral for any of the attendees," Gov. Jared Polis said on Facebook. In most areas of the state, personal gatherings are restricted to 10 people, but funerals have less stringent rules. On Wednesday, Boebert tweeted that she could host about 90 people if she hosted funerals for a turkey, pig and duck. Previously she suggested calling her Thanksgiving gathering a "peaceful protest in honor of my deceased turkey." After error, AstraZeneca will conduct additional trialAstraZeneca said it plans to conduct a new global clinical trial to assess the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine's efficacy. The news comes after the company and the university acknowledged a dosing error in trials. It's not clear what effect, if any, these results will have on a separate, 30,000-person trial underway of the candidate vaccine in the United States. All 11,000 people who have participated in the U.S. trial so far have received two equal doses of the vaccine, said Moncef Slaoui, co-director of Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration program to develop, manufacture and distribute COVID-19 vaccines. AstraZeneca said an additional trial shouldn't delay regulatory approval in Britain or the European Union – but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration could take longer. Unlike the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, the Oxford-AstraZeneca shot does not need to be stored at freezer temperatures, making it easier to distribute. AstraZeneca has agreed not to profit from its vaccine during the pandemic. Don't hug your elderly relatives during the holidays, warns UK medical chiefThe United Kingdom's chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, cautioned families over the holidays not to hug their elderly relatives "if you want them to survive to be hugged again" beyond the holidays. The nation has granted its residents permission to congregate among themselves in a "Christmas bubble" of up to three households and eight people from Dec. 23 to 27. The lax holiday restrictions, however, will likely lead to an uptick in COVID-19 cases in the United Kingdom. – Joshua Bote COVID-19 resources from USA TODAYContributing: The Associated Press, Karen Weintraub Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/11/28/covid-news-los-angeles-county-stay-home-order-us-cases/6444208002/  |
| Posted: 29 Nov 2020 05:22 PM PST CLOSE  What I'm Hearing: USA TODAY Sports' Mike Jones discusses the Ravens-Steelers game being moved to Tuesday .... as long as their are no additional COVID-19 cases among the Ravens. USA TODAY The U.S. could see a "surge superimposed upon that surge we are already in" if Americans fail to wear masks in public and cut down on gatherings, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Sunday. "We're entering into what's really a precarious situation," Fauci said on "Meet the Press." England is poised to begin vaccinating health care workers as soon as Dec. 7. In the U.S. the first vaccine could receive emergency use authorization as soon as Dec. 10, and vaccinations could start just days later. But it will take months for the majority of Americans to get inoculated. The head of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, Dr. Deborah Birx, warned young people who gathered in recent weeks not go home for the holidays without wearing a mask, even indoors. In November alone, the nation has recorded in excess of 4 million new cases, more than twice the October total. On Friday, the U.S. surpassed 200,000 daily cases for the first time. Current hospitalizations have climbed to a record 91,635. Ohio physician Syed Ahmad said on Twitter that he was notified the University of Cincinnati Medical Center was full because of COVID cases, forcing cancellation of elective surgeries. "Driving home, passed a restaurant that was full," Ahmad said on Twitter. "Shaking my head. Frustrated is an understatement." Here's what to know Sunday:
📈 Today's numbers: The U.S. has recorded more than 13.3 million cases and over 266,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Worldwide, there have been over 62.5 million cases and 1.45 million deaths. 🗺️ Mapping coronavirus: Track the U.S. outbreak in your state. 📰 What we're reading: A mother in Detroit battled to get the best care for her virus-stricken, autistic son. Then her mom got sick, too. This file will be updated throughout the day. For updates in your inbox, subscribe to The Daily Briefing newsletter. First shipment of Pfizer vaccines sent to USThe first load of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccines were flown from Belgium to the U.S. starting Friday, a significant milestone in the fight against the coronavirus. There are no authorized coronavirus vaccines in the U.S. yet, but preparations for distribution are ramping up. Under Food and Drug Administration rules, a vaccine cannot be shipped to actual administration sites until it was been either licensed or authorized by the FDA. Pfizer's vaccine is expected to get the OK for distribution by mid-December. While it can't be delivered to doctors, vaccine can be prepositioned at distribution sites to allow for quicker delivery once it is authorized, which is what began on Friday. – Elizabeth Weise CLOSE Without masks and a vaccine, we could reach Herd Immunity from COVID-19, but deaths would skyrocket. We break down the science of it. USA TODAY British hospitals could get first vaccine doses next weekHospitals in England have been told they could receive the first doses of the Pfizer vaccine as early as the week of Dec. 7 if it receives approval, the Guardian and other U.K. media outlets are reporting. The U.S. vaccination program hopes to begin inoculating some Americans about one week later, subject to Food and Drug Administration approval. The British government says front-line health care workers and nursing home residents will be the first to be vaccinated in the nation of 67 million people. Next in line will be the elderly, starting with those over 80. The plan is to work down the age and risk groups until everyone 18 and over has been inoculated. Second Austrian minister gets infectedDefense Minister Klaudia Tanner has become the second member of the Austrian Cabinet to contract the coronavirus. Tanner's office said she's doing well and had already been in quarantine after coming in contact with another person who was infected. Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg tested positive for the virus in mid-October and returned to his ministry later that month after showing no symptoms. Austria on Nov. 17 deepened lockdown measures in an attempt to limit spread of the virus. They are due to run through next Sunday. Court invalidates France's 30-person limit at houses of worshipFrance's 30-person attendance limit at religious services has to be modified, the country's top administrative court ruled Sunday. The Council of State ordered Prime Minister Jean Castex to alter the restriction within three days. Critics had charged the measure, put in place this weekend to curb transmission of the coronavirus, was arbitrary and unreasonable. Even before the ruling, several bishops had said they would not enforce the restriction, and some churches were expected to defy it. A few houses of worship began reopening over the weekend as France slowly emerges from its latest virus-induced lockdown. Dr. Deborah Birx says young partiers should be testedYoung people who partied with friends or otherwise gathered in recent weeks should not go home to family without wearing a mask, even indoors, White House Coronavirus Task Force coordinator Deborah Birx said Sunday. Birx also said cities with rising infection totals should close spaces where it's impractical to wear masks, such as bars and restaurants. "If you are young and you gathered, you need to be tested about 5 to 10 days later," Birx said on "Face the Nation." "You need to assume you are infected and not go near your grandparents or aunts or others without a mask." NYC drops COVID testing benchmark, will begin reopening schoolsNew York City's public schools will start offering in-person classes on Dec. 7, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Sunday. Most preschool, 3-K programs and elementary schools are expected to start that date, followed by schools that provide special education on Dec. 10. No date was revealed for middle and high school classes. Hybrid learning was shut down Nov. 19 after the citywide rate of coronavirus tests exceeded a 3% benchmark agreed to by the mayor and the teachers' union. The mayor said the benchmark will be scrapped in favor of a focus on testing at schools. The city will also move toward providing in-person classes five days per week and phase out the hybrid model for the 1.1 million-student district, the mayor said. "We are convinced we can keep schools safe and do it in a sustainable manner," de Blasio said. "This will be the model for the duration. This will take us through until we have a vaccine." Flying back to Rhode Island after holiday? Free virus tests at airportFliers returning to Rhode Island were greeted with a new step in the travel process after landing at Warwick's T.F. Green Airport on Saturday. In a roped-off area in baggage claim, a team from the Rhode Island National Guard was offering coronavirus rapid tests to people coming back from their Thanksgiving travels. The tests are free and voluntary and are being made available at the airport through Monday. T.F. Green is the only airport in the nation offering free testing to all, said Lt. Col. Dennis Pineault, a spokesman for the National Guard. "As a state, we're really doing some good things," he said. – Alex Kuffner, The Providence Journal Court backs Kentucky ban on in-person classes at religious schoolsA federal appeals court has upheld Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear's order halting in-person classes at religious-based schools amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The ruling Sunday overturns a U.S. District judge's temporary injunction that would have allowed religious schools to continue having students meet in classrooms. The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit said Beshear's executive order halting in-person classes at K-12 schools – public and private – until early January can stand because it also applies to public schools and is a legal response to the COVID-19 emergency. – Billy Kobin and Lucas Aulbach, Louisville Courier Journal Fauci warns of deadly winter if we don't stop gathering during holiday seasonDr. Anthony Fauci issued another warning to the nation Sunday to wear masks, social distance and dismiss the urge to gather for the holidays – or face a winter of staggering infections, hospitalizations and even deaths. He blamed holiday travel and families gathering in advance of Thanksgiving for the latest round of dismal statistics. "What we expect unfortunately as we go for the next couple of weeks into December, that we might see a surge superimposed upon that surge we are already in," Fauci said on "Meet the Press." "I don't want to frighten people, except to say it is not too late at all for us to do something about this." Oregon mink farm has COVID-19 outbreakAn Oregon mink farm has reported an outbreak of COVID-19 among animals and workers. Oregon Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Andrea Cantu-Schomus declined to say which county the farm is in or how many workers have tested positive, citing federal health privacy rules. The farm has about 12,000 animals, she said. Outbreaks in farmed mink have been reported in several U.S. states and other countries. Earlier this month, Denmark announced it would kill all 17 million of the mink raised there after confirmation that 12 people had been infected with a mutated strain of COVID-19 that had spread from mink to humans. That strain has not been found elsewhere. Oregon has the nation's fourth-largest farmed mink industry, after Wisconsin, Utah and Michigan. All three of those other states have had outbreaks on mink farms. State and national environmental groups have been raising alarm about possible infections in Oregon's mink industry, the Statesman Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, previously reported. – Tracy Loew, Salem Statesman Journal COVID-19 resources from USA TODAYRead or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/11/29/covid-news-vaccine-cdc-broncos-quarterbacks-hospitalizations/6452325002/  |
| Monday's Headlines to Start the Week – Streetsblog USA - Streetsblog Los Angeles Posted: 29 Nov 2020 09:01 PM PST
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| NFL playoff picture after Week 12: Titans take control in AFC South - USA TODAY Posted: 29 Nov 2020 05:00 PM PST CLOSE SportsPulse: USA TODAY Sports' Mackenzie Salmon goes around the league and breaks down all the biggest story lines from Week 12 in the NFL. USA TODAY Here's how the NFL playoff picture looks after Week 12's Sunday games. (Note: the postseason field expands to 14 teams this season and could potentially go to 16 if the league's schedule is thrown into disarray down the stretch by COVID-19 disruptions.) NFC 1. New Orleans Saints (9-2), NFC South leaders: They rolled through a severely depleted Broncos squad 31-3 to maintain their grip on home-field advantage and the conference's lone bye. 2. Green Bay Packers (8-3), NFC North leaders: Sunday night's blowout of Chicago moved them past Seattle for the second spot, though it could revert back to the Seahawks by close of business Monday. 3. Seattle Seahawks (7-3), NFC West leaders: The Rams' loss moves the 'Hawks all the way to third. Beat Philadelphia on Monday night, and Seattle climbs a spot given its strength of victory tiebreaker on the Pack. 4. New York Giants (4-7), NFC East leaders: Winners of three in a row, they wrested division lead from Washington (4-7) due to season sweep of the Football Team. However if Eagles (3-6-1) win Monday night, Philadelphia reclaims first place. 5. Los Angeles Rams (7-4), wild card No. 1: A last-second loss to the 49ers knocks L.A. out of the division lead and staring at a tough road game at Arizona. 6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5), wild card No. 2: Losers three times in their past four contests, the Bucs need their upcoming bye to regroup before a stretch run that currently includes four games against sub-.500 opponents. 7. Arizona Cardinals (6-5), wild card No. 3: They've also dropped three of four, falling off the pace in NFC West race and suddenly in danger of missing postseason entirely. 8. Minnesota Vikings (5-6), first team out of field: With a head-to-head win against the Bears and a better conference record than San Francisco, the Vikes are sitting prettiest of the NFC's 5-6 clubs ... if the league winds up expanding the field at season's end. AFC 1. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-0), AFC North leaders: Still on track for league's second-ever 16-0 regular season as well as home-field advantage if they can hold off K.C. by beating Baltimore on Tuesday night. 2. Kansas City Chiefs (10-1), AFC West leaders: They survived in Tampa to maintain pressure on the undefeated Steelers for the top seed. 3. Tennessee Titans (8-3), AFC South leaders:Big win in Indianapolis on Sunday vaulted them back into division lead and past Buffalo, whom Titans crushed in Week 4, for No. 3 spot. 4. Buffalo Bills (8-3), AFC East leaders:Outlasted Chargers but only held serve in division as Dolphins, Patriots – both won Sunday – remain in pursuit. Bills last won AFC East in 1995. 5. Cleveland Browns (8-3), wild card No. 1: They barely escaped from Jacksonville, however the win moves Brownies closer to first playoff berth since 2002. Tough game in Nashville looms for Week 13, but franchise enjoying best start record-wise since its 1999 reboot. 6. Miami Dolphins (7-4), wild card No. 2: A 4-3 record in conference games shuffles them past Indy. Fins have only been to postseason once since 2009. 7. Indianapolis Colts (7-4), wild card No. 3: Tumbled from AFC South lead almost all the way out of the field Sunday after loss to Titans. Indy will be on outside looking in if Ravens, who won at Lucas Oil Stadium in Week 9, upset Pittsburgh on Tuesday. 8. Baltimore Ravens (6-4), first team out of field: They're dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak and a slumping offense all at once. But beating the Steelers will give Baltimore a good enough conference record at 5-4 to join Miami as second wild card among AFC's 7-4 teams. *** Follow USA TODAY Sports' Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis If you love talking football, we have the perfect spot for you. Join our Facebook Group, The Ruling Off the Field, to engage in friendly debate and conversation with fellow football fans and our NFL insiders. Do the right thing, sign up now!  |
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