NFL UPDATE AFTER WEEK 9

And then there were three.

A week after Denver knocked Green Bay from the ranks of the unbeaten, the Colts toppled the previously undefeated Broncos for the third time in their last four meetings.

Meanwhile, the Patriots cruised to a 27-10 victory over the Redskins while the Panthers held off a late Packers charge, both squads joining the Bengals with unblemished marks. For the first time in NFL history, three teams are 8-0.

What do the three outfits have in common? Stability.

New England’s Bill Belichick and Cincinnati’s Marvin Lewis are the two longest-tenured coaches in the league, combining for 29 years with their respective franchises. Carolina’s Ron Rivera became the first coach to win back-to-back NFC South titles, rewarding the Panthers organization for sticking with him until he experienced a rare coaching epiphany early in the 2013 season.

Last-place clubs such as the Browns, Titans, Lions and Dolphins have cycled through coaches and general managers every few seasons, which in turn leads to quarterback uncertainty and players ill-suited for changing offensive and defensive schemes.

The Patriots, Bengals and Panthers have established strong identities, on the other hand, elusive feats in a copy-cat league where trends shift with the prevailing winds.

NFL INJURY REPORT