Lamar Jackson, Ravens crash Patriots' perfection party

It had been nearly 11 months since the last time the New England Patriots experienced defeat. That loss, of course, came on a stunner: The Miami Miracle. 

On Sunday night, there was no need for last-second heroics, as the Baltimore Ravens delivered an emphatic win over the defending Super Bowl champions. And the Ravens are all in agreement on one things: Quarterback Lamar Jackson is worthy of the MVP. 

Hours earlier, the Miami Dolphins finally got their first win of the season, defeating the struggling New York Jets. That leaves the Cincinnati Bengals in the driver's seat for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

And, who would have guessed that nine weeks into the season that the San Francisco 49ers would be the last remaining undefeated team?

Quick hits: Catch up on Sunday's best

• 32 things we learned: The Raiders made noise in their long-awaited return to Oakland, and the Steelers could be gearing up to make a push in the AFC North.
• Winners and losers: Russell Wilson shows that a wide-open MVP race might now have a frontrunner. In New York, meanwhile, Adam Gase's Jets are a mess.
• After he struggled in a loss Sunday, Browns safety Jermaine Whitehead posted a string of threats on Twitter that the team called "unacceptable."
• Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry chose to ignore the NFL's uniform mandates, wearing custom cleats instead of the typical Browns team cleats.
• Mic'd up on Monday Night Football? Cowboys, Giants players sound off on practice after Jets QB Sam Darnold had comments aired a few weeks ago. 
• Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram smothered Aaron Rodgers as the Chargers stunned the Packers.
• Aaron Rodgers said something was very wrong with the Packers' preparation before their thrashing from the Chargers.
• From the pregame chants to the heavy doses of green and gold, the Chargers' home stadium looked more like "Lambeau Field West" on Sunday. Didn't matter much, though, as the real home team humbled the visitors.
• Officials didn’t see Raiders LB Tahir Whitehead delivering a karate-like chop to the neck of Lions WR Kenny Golladay, but television cameras did.
• NFL fans made the same joke about Adam Vinatieri's shanked field goal that would have given the Colts at late lead in Pittsburgh.
• There were plenty of jokes for Baker Mayfield's sad look following the Browns' loss to the Broncos.
• Tyreek Hill showed off his absurd speed during teammate Damien Williams' team-record 91-yard touchdown run.
• Gardner Minshew's magic ran out in an awful fourth quarter against the Texans in London.
• Deshaun Watson credits the healing power of Popeyes chicken sandwiches for a fast recovery after being kicked in the eye last week.
• Alex Smith used his injured leg as a prop for an epic Halloween costume.

- PHOTOS: Best of Week 9 | Cheerleaders | NFL at 100

What our experts are saying

• Bears' season hangs in balance: At 3-5, the Bears' postseason ambitions are fading fast and could soon be extinguished unless Mitchell Trubisky turns things around, writes Mike Jones.
• NFL's new worst team? The Jets were built to win this season. The Dolphins were built to lose. But that didn't matter on Sunday, and the Jets should be embarrassed, writes Andy Vasquez.
• Blame for Lions' slipping season falls on coach: Give Matt Patricia credit for hiring the man to fix the Lions' offense. But blame him for the flimsy defense. That's why they're losing, writes Shawn Windsor.

Week 9 rundown

• Ravens 37, Patriots 20: The Patriots' run toward a perfect season hit a roadblock in Baltimore.
• Broncos 24, Browns 19: Brandon Allen won his first career NFL start as the Browns' season continues to unravel.
• Chargers 26, Packers 11: The Packers' virtual home game in Carson, Calif., turned into a massive wake-up call.
• Seahawks 40, Buccaneers 34 (OT): The Seahawks bailed out their kicker by scoring on the first possession of overtime.
• Raiders 31, Lions 24: The Raiders held on with a late defensive stand to win one of the week's most exciting games. 
• Panthers 30, Titans 20: Tennessee had no answer for Christian McCaffrey.
• Bills 24, Redskins 9: Buffalo is 6-2, but is this team the most flawed 6-2 team you've ever seen?
• Dolphins 26, Jets 18: And now, there's just one winless NFL team after Miami finally collected its first victory.
• Steelers 26, Colts 24: This loss will sting if Indy eventually misses out on the AFC South crown.
• Chiefs 26, Vikings 23: KC ended its two-game losing streak in this exciting seesaw clash.
• Eagles 22, Bears 14: NFC East hopes remain alive for Philly after a slow start to the season.
• Texans 26, Jaguars 3: After getting trounced in London, Minshew Mania might be over.
• 49ers 28, Cardinals 25 (Thursday): Jimmy Garoppolo's big night pushed the Niners to a perfect 8-0.

Eyes on the (fantasy) prize

Takeaways from a fantasy perspective for Week 9:

• Thrust into the starting lineup by James Conner’s injury, Steelers RB Jaylen Samuels rushed for 10 yards on eight carries. But he showed off his worth in the passing game, catching all 13 of his targets for 73 yards. Even if Conner is ready reclaim the starting job, Samuels should continue to contribute, especially in point-per-reception formats.
• The Cardinals have a similar situation with newly acquired RB Kenyan Drake. Filling in for David Johnson on Thursday night, Drake rushed for 110 yards and a touchdown -– and caught four passes for 52 yards. Johnson’s expected back for Week 10, but Drake has earned a healthy share of the workload regardless.
• The Colts might be without top WR T.Y. Hilton for several weeks, but Zach Pascal stepped forward with five catches on six targets for 76 yards and a touchdown.
• The Dolphins got their first win and may have found a new No. 1 wideout. Preston Williams caught five passes for 72 yards and two touchdowns. He also sprained his knee, so watch for updates during the week.
• This week’s breakout tight end is Broncos rookie Noah Fant, who had four receptions for 115 yards (including a 75-yard touchdown). The Broncos have a bye in Week 10, so you might be able to wait a week to pick him up. For more immediate help, the Seahawks’ Jacob Hollister caught four passes for 37 yards and two scores.

- Fantasy football: Valuable advice to help your team dominate

Coming this week

Monday: Week 9 wraps up with the New York Giants hosting the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN). The Cowboys won the last five in the series, including a 35-17 win in the season-opener.

Tuesday: Paste BN Sports' NFL experts offer their power rankings for all 32 NFL teams after Week 9. 

Thursday: The Oakland Raiders host the Los Angeles Chargers at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum (8:25 p.m. ET, FOX and NFL Network). Before the game, make sure to check out Paste BN Sports for expert picks for every Week 10 game.

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