NFL On Saturday, the Bengals made a significant step as the Vikings and Steelers faltered once more.

Even if the majority of the quarterbacks competing weren’t particularly well-known, the stakes for the uncommon Saturday NFL tripleheader made for an important football trifecta. And since the last quarter of the 2023 regular season is still in progress, the consequences might be extensive, particularly in regards to the AFC’s postseason prospects.

So while the obvious winners were the Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions and Indianapolis Colts, there were quite a few other prominent beneficiaries beyond those three clubs … and most definitely several losers aside from the troika of teams saddled with defeats.

So let’s assess the day’s fallout:

There are backup quarterbacks everywhere. and have won five straight league games dating back to Monday night. The Colts’ Gardner Minshew II and the Bengals’ Jake Browning have both added victories to their record while supporting their teams’ improbable postseason runs. In fact, Browning is emerging as a bit of a cult hero in Cincinnati after making his third straight start in place of Joe Burrow. Two of those victories came in overtime as the Stripes rallied a 24-17 deficit to defeat the Minnesota Vikings 27-24 in the last minute of regulation.

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With three straight wins, Jake Browning has put the Cincinnati Bengals back in the running for the postseason.

Buffalo Bills: Beware, AFC playoff hopefuls. The reigning (for now) AFC East champs face a tough battle Sunday with the Dallas Cowboys, but losses by the Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos continue to increase the odds Buffalo will find its way back into the postseason despite its 5-5 start. Still imposing, the Bills certainly appear to be catching fire (and some good breaks) at just the right time – and moved from 11th place to ninth place in the conference Saturday from the comfort of their hotel.

Premier pass rushers: Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt (2 sacks), Minnesota’s Danielle Hunter (2 sacks) and Cincinnati’s Trey Hendrickson (1½ sacks) all had big games. Watt now leads the NFL with 16 sacks, a half-sack ahead of Hunter, who established a new career high Saturday, and one up on Hendrickson, whose 15 sacks are also a personal

Rhythm and Bruise, anyone? That’s Detroit’s run game. It was clearly not all Goff, as first-round rookie Jahmyr Gibbs and seasoned RB David Montgomery combined for 185 yards on 28 total carries. Early in the fourth quarter, Gibbs scored a touchdown on a 12-yard rush, virtually ending the game.

Baltimore Ravens: The leaders of the AFC North had the best possible Saturday. The AFC’s predicted top seed, the Jaguars, have a win-and-in postseason scenario in Jacksonville on Sunday night after the Broncos and Steelers losses.