Pittsburgh rallied for a win at division rivals Baltimore, while Peyton Manning's struggles continued as Indianapolis lost to Dallas.
Falcons see off Bucs, Rams and Seahawks grab crucial wins
The Pittsburgh Steelers produced a late comeback to take control of the AFC North with victory at the Baltimore Ravens.
Troy Polamalu forced a turnover that led to the clinching touchdown in the fourth quarter as the Steelers escaped M&T Bank Stadium with a 13-10 success.
Elsewhere in the late games on Sunday, Atlanta held onto the NFC South lead with a come-from-behind success in Tampa Bay.
St Louis and Seattle remain locked at the top of the NFC West after respective wins, Peyton Manning had another day to forget as Indianapolis went down in overtime to Dallas, and Oakland beat San Diego for the second time this season.
St Louis Rams 19-6 Arizona Cardinals
Josh Brown kicked four field goals as the St Louis Rams maintained a share of the NFC West lead with a 19-6 triumph at the Arizona Cardinals.
Brown's efforts - from 28, 52, 20 and 43 yards respectively - were supplemented by the only touchdown of the game, a 27-yard run from Stephen Jackson in the third quarter.
The Cardinals, who have now lost seven in a row, led 6-0 early on after a pair of Jay Feely field goals but failed to score a point thereafter.
The Rams and Seattle Seahawks are tied for first place in the NFC West with 6-6 records.
Oakland Raiders 28-13 San Diego Chargers
The Oakland Raiders completed the double over division rivals the San Diego Chargers with a 28-13 win at Qualcomm Stadium.
Darren McFadden and Michael Bush ran the show for the Raiders, finishing with 97 and 95 yards respectively on the ground and a touchdown apiece.
Both teams now have 6-6 records and sit two games back of AFC West leaders Kansas City.
Dallas Cowboys 38-35 Indianapolis Colts (OT)
Peyton Manning's recent struggles continued as the reigning league MVP threw four interceptions in the Indianapolis Colts' 38-35 overtime defeat at home to the Dallas Cowboys.
Two of Manning's picks were returned for touchdowns and, despite a fourth quarter rally that saw the Colts come from 27-14 down to force overtime, they were eventually condemned to a 38-yard field goal from David Beuhler after Manning's fourth interception had given the Cowboys field position.
The Colts have now lost three in a row and, at 6-6, are a game behind AFC South frontrunners Jacksonville.
Carolina Panthers 14-31 Seattle Seahawks
Marshawn Lynch scored three touchdowns as the Seattle Seahawks crushed the Carolina Panthers at QWest Field.
Lynch, who arrived in a mid-season trade from Buffalo, went in from close range twice in the third quarter and then sealed the Seahawks' victory with a 22-yard effort with under five minutes remaining.
The running back's heroics made up for a below-par display from quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who was intercepted twice.
The Panthers, whose 1-11 record is the worst in the NFL, actually led 14-3 at half-time thanks to rushing touchdowns from Mike Goodson and Jonathan Stewart.
Atlanta Falcons 28-24 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Matt Ryan once again came up big down the stretch as the Atlanta Falcons extended their winning streak to six games with a 28-24 success at NFC South foes the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Falcons trailed by 24-14 with just over 10 minutes remaining at Raymond James Stadium but Eric Weems returned a kick-off 102 yards for a touchdown and Ryan then engineered the match-winning score with less than five minutes left on the clock.
Ryan marshalled a 10-play, 67-yard drive culminating in a nine-yard touchdown pass to Michael Jenkins to complete his side's comeback.
The Falcons are top of the NFC South at 10-2, one game ahead of the New Orleans Saints (9-3), with the 7-5 Buccaneers now likely to need a wild-card to make the play-offs.
Pittsburgh Steelers 13-10 Baltimore Ravens
The Pittsburgh Steelers moved clear at the top of the AFC North with a hard-fought success in Baltimore.
Troy Polamalu forced a fumble with a sack of Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco and the Steelers converted the turnover into a touchdown on a nine-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Isaac Redman with just under three minutes remaining to seal a 13-10 victory.
Pittsburgh trailed 10-3 entering the final quarter at M&T Bank Stadium, Flacco finding Anquan Boldin for an early touchdown before an exchange of field goals between Shaun Suisham and Billy Cundiff after half-time.
Suisham's second field goal, a chip shot from 19 yards, reduced the visitors' deficit to four points before Polamalu's late intervention set-up the winning drive.
The Steelers are now 9-3 and hold sole possession of the AFC North lead over the 8-4 Ravens.
