Some of the biggest upsets this year have come from divisional games.
Week 4: Bills were strongly favored at home, and lost a close game to the Patriots, who got blown out by the Jaguars the week before. Browns Steelers was also somewhat of a shocker.
Week 5: Bears, touted as overdogs in Lambeau since a gazillion years ago, got obliterated by a seeming struggling Packers team. The Bears also lost to the Vikings in week 2 (yes I know that games weather conditions were not conducive to a strong passive game, but not even getting a touchdown???).
Last Season:
Week 6: Eagles get steamrolled by the Giants in MetLife, one of the few wins the Giants got during that season.
Week 10: The juggernaut Bills lose convincingly to a Dolphins team in Miami. Their first meeting on TNF that year was also close.
Knowing that winning divisional games carry so much weight in standings, do coaches save their best plays for those matchups? Or do players get the jitters and falter knowing how much divisional games matter?