Winners/losers and what we learned from NFL Week 9
Week 9 of the 2023 NFL season is (almost) in the books, and Joshua Dobbs will be spending his week learning his teammates' names.
Here are some of the most important developments from Sunday:
- Joshua Dobbs joined his third team in less than three months after an NFL trade deadline move to Minnesota, and now he gets a full week to learn his new teammates' names following Sunday's amazing win in Atlanta.
- Nine rookie quarterbacks have started a game this season, but none has been nearly as impressive as C.J. Stroud, whose late-game heroics have the Houston Texans in the thick of the AFC playoff race.
- Adding to the mayhem that was the Texans' win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was that backup running back Dare Ogunbowale had to step in as Houston's emergency kicker.
- The Miami Dolphins had to go all the way to Frankfurt, Germany, to learn they don't quite measure up yet with the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
- The Dallas Cowboys now have lost to both NFC championship game participants from last season.
- For the second time in three weeks, the Baltimore Ravens trounced an NFC division leader.
- The Washington Commanders defeated the New England Patriots for the first time in 20 years.
NFL Week 9 key storylines
- Winners and losers from Week 9: The NFL has reached the midseason point with several aspiring contenders rolling … except for the Bills.
- 32 things we learned: Twenty teams were in action Sunday afternoon. Seven of them (35%) – whether due to performance, injuries or even a trade – started different quarterbacks than they did in Week 8.
- Joshua Dobbs didn't know most of his teammates' names: Somehow, though, Dobbs was able to lead the Vikings to a thrilling win in Atlanta.
- Cowboys not panicking despite coming up short yet again vs. contender: Dak Prescott and the Cowboys couldn't complete the comeback against the Eagles, but their confidence is far from shot heading into midseason.
- Eagles QB's gutsy effort after injury sets tone for crucial win: Jalen Hurts wasn't at his absolute best, but he gave the Eagles the edge they needed against the Cowboys.
- Dolphins' loss to another contender confirms status as pretender: The Dolphins had a chance to prove they are worthy of the high expectations that have come with their high-powered offense. They failed.
- 12 NFL teams that could be on track for new starting QBs in 2024: It's never too early to look ahead – especially if you're one of these 12 NFL teams that might be mulling a quarterback change this offseason.
➤ PHOTOS: Fans, mascots, cheerleaders and celebrities at NFL games
NFL Week 9 results
- Cincinnati Bengals 24, Buffalo Bills 18: While the Bengals now have won four consecutive games following a 1-3 start to the season, the Bills have lost three of their last five games.
- Philadelphia Eagles 28, Dallas Cowboys 23: The Cowboys came up short in yet another test against one of the NFC's best teams.
- Las Vegas Raiders 30, New York Giants 6: After Antonio Pierce won his debut as the Raiders' interim head coach, several players lit victory cigars to celebrate.
- Indianapolis Colts 27, Carolina Panthers 13: While No. 2 overall draft pick C.J. Stroud had a record-breaking day, No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young threw two pick-sixes.
- Cleveland Browns 27, Arizona Cardinals 0: Deshaun Watson and a strong defensive performance combined to rout the Cardinals, who you have to wonder if they're capable of winning another game.
- Houston Texans 39, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 37: C.J. Stroud, the second overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, appears to be the real deal, the latest proof is a record-setting performance in this thriller.
- Baltimore Ravens 37, Seattle Seahawks 3: This is the second time in three weeks that the Ravens have absolutely trucked a theoretically good NFC team sitting atop its division.
- Washington Commanders 20, New England Patriots 17: This loss dropped the Patriots to 2-7 for the first time since Bill Belichick's first season as the team's coach in 2000. That win-loss record also represents the worst in the AFC.
- Green Bay Packers 20, Los Angeles Rams 3: The Packers' first-half touchdown drought finally ended, as did the team's four-game losing streak.
- New Orleans Saints 24, Chicago Bears 17: The Bears' carelessness with the ball assured that the Saints would vault into first place in the NFC South.
- Minnesota Vikings 31, Atlanta Falcons 28: Joshua Dobbs, who had been on the Vikings' roster for five days, led an unlikely victory after replacing rookie quarterback Jaren Hall.
- Kansas City Chiefs 21, Miami Dolphins 14 (in Frankfurt, Germany): In a measuring stick game for the Dolphins, the Chiefs proved that they are still the team to beat in the AFC.
- Pittsburgh Steeles 20, Tennessee Titans 16 (Thursday): Will Levis performed admirably in his second career NFL start, but his team’s play wasn’t enough on the road against a Steelers team that's in the thick of the AFC playoff race.
Coming soon in the NFL
Monday: Week 9 wraps up with the New York Jets hosting the Los Angeles Chargers on "Monday Night Football" (ABC/ESPN and ESPN2). The Jets are looking to extend their win streak to four games, but the Chargers have won the last four meetings in the series.
Tuesday: Paste BN Sports offers its power rankings for all 32 NFL teams after Week 9.
Thursday: Week 10 kicks off with the Chicago Bears hosting the Carolina Panthers on "Thursday Night Football" (8:20 p.m. ET, Prime Video). Before the game, make sure to check out our expert picks for every Week 10 game.
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