What we learned, winners and losers from NFL Week 9
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NFL Week 9 is (almost) in the books. Here are some of the biggest takeaways from the weekend's games:
➤ Game of the day: Buffalo Bills 30, Miami Dolphins 27 — It seemed the team that had the ball last would win, and that turned out to be the case — minus a sad attempt at a Cal-Stanford play at the very end by the Dolphins. The Bills squeaked this one out at home against a desperate division rival, and the lessons of this stressful win could do this team some good come playoff time. The Dolphins tried their best to exorcise their demons against the Bills, who now have won 13 of 14 against Miami.
➤ Catch(es) of the year? Three days after New York Jets WR Garrett Wilson made what might be the most impressive touchdown catch of the season, Philadelphia Eagles WR DeVonta Smith made the "catch of the year" debate even hotter.
➤ DeVonta Smith didn't have the only can't-miss moment in the Eagles-Jaguars game: Running back Saquon Barkley pulled off this ridiculous reverse hurdle of a Jaguars defender after collecting a screen pass from Jalen Hurts.
➤ How about the ...!
- Detroit Lions: Playing in their first game not in a dome, the Lions seemed to make themselves at home in the elements at Lambeau Field, and continue to look like the team to beat in the NFC.
- Los Angeles Chargers: The hopes in Cleveland that the Browns could turn their season around lasted all of one week. The Chargers put this team back in its place with a dominant win. The Chargers also became the sixth team since 1990 to allow 20 or fewer points in each of its first eight games of a season (joining the 1990 New York Giants, 1991 Kansas City Chiefs, 1999 Jacksonville Jaguars, 2013 Kansas City Chiefs and 2019 New England Patriots).
- Washington Commanders: The Commanders are 7-2 for the first time since 1996. This team seems like it will avoid the fate of that 1996 squad, which missed the playoffs.
➤ What's up with the ...?
- Dallas Cowboys: A third straight defeat has this team sitting three and a half games behind the division-leading Commanders and its 2024 season in a death spiral.
- Green Bay Packers: Being mistake-prone won't get it done against a quality outfit like the Lions. One has to wonder the validity of Green Bay's contender status when four of its six wins have come against the mediocre AFC South.
➤ Alt uniform of the week: Philadelphia Eagles — The Eagles busted out the "Kelly Green" throwback uniforms on Sunday. Please make this the team's primary kit!
📸: Alternate and throwback uniforms of 2024 NFL season
NFL Week 9 key storylines
➤ Winners and losers: The Colts hoped benching Anthony Richardson and turning to Joe Flacco would provide immediate returns, but the move has already backfired.
➤ 32 things we learned: Will any more teams make a leap at the trade deadline? With the annual cutoff for swaps looming on Tuesday, Sunday's games might have shaped several teams' plans.
➤ Cowboys' drama-filled season has spiraled out of control: After three straight losses, a steady diet of drama and a glance at what’s ahead for Dallas, Jarrett Bell writes that this could get a lot worse.
➤ Is Lamar Jackson trending toward an MVP repeat? If the second half of the 2024 NFL season looks anything like the first, the Ravens quarterback will win his second straight MVP award, Chris Bumbaca writes.
📸: Fans, mascots, cheerleaders and celebrities at NFL games
NFL Week 9 results
- Minnesota Vikings 21, Indianapolis Colts 13: The Vikings overcame a mistake-prone first half to fend off the Colts and snap a two-game losing streak.
- Detroit Lions 24, Green Bay Packers 14: The Lions were unfazed by the rain at Lambeau Field or the ejection of a star defender in a convincing win over a longtime rival.
- Los Angeles Rams 26, Seattle Seahawks 20 (OT): The Rams got a big walk-off win in a wild one in Seattle. The Rams have won three in a row to sit a half game behind the division-leading Cardinals. The Seahawks, meanwhile, suddenly can't win at home.
- Arizona Cardinals 29, Chicago Bears 9: The Cardinals rode their running game in a showdown of upstarts that turned into a blowout.
- Philadelphia Eagles 28, Jacksonville Jaguars 23: The Eagles were victorious in their "Kelly Green" throwbacks, but nearly blew a 22-point lead doing so. Instead, a four-game winning streak has the Eagles sitting a half game behind the division-leading Commanders.
- Atlanta Falcons 27, Dallas Cowboys 21: While Kirk Cousins threw for three touchdowns as the Falcons kept their place atop the NFC South, the Cowboys lost a third straight game and Dak Prescott left with an injury.
- Baltimore Ravens 41, Denver Broncos 10: The Ravens rebounded nicely from last week's upset in Cleveland and rolled in what was a measuring stick game for the upstart Broncos.
- Buffalo Bills 30, Miami Dolphins 27: Tyler Bass delivered a thrilling win for Buffalo, which won a back-and-forth tussle against a desperate division rival.
- Carolina Panthers 23, New Orleans Saints 22: This was the first time in 20 career NFL starts that Bryce Young – who had lost 17 of his 19 previous starts – got to line up in the victory formation.
- Cincinnati Bengals 41, Las Vegas Raiders 24: This win sets up a big opportunity for the Bengals against the Ravens on "Thursday Night Football." The Raiders, meanwhile, are lost offensively, so much so that the team fired its offensive coordinator late Sunday night.
- Los Angeles Chargers 27, Cleveland Browns 10: Jameis Winston came back down to earth with a three interception performance against a Chargers team that is very much in the thick of the AFC playoff race.
- Washington Commanders 27, New York Giants 22: The Commanders (7-2) are off to their best start in nearly three decades (1996, to be exact).
- Tennessee Titans 20, New England Patriots 17 (OT): The Titans overcame a "Sea of Hands"-like play from the Drake Maye, Rhamondre Stevenson and the Patriots to force overtime and rebounded from last week's embarrassment in Detroit.
- New York Jets 21, Houston Texans 13 (Thursday): A Jets season that had been a horror show so far turned into a treat for New York fans on Halloween night. The win halted a ghastly five-game losing streak for the Jets (3-6), who keep hope alive for a second-half playoff push. The injury-riddled Texans (6-3) now must regroup before hosting the mighty Detroit Lions on "Sunday Night Football" in Week 10.
Coming up this week
➤ Monday: Week 9 concludes with a Super Bowl 55 rematch between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium (8:15 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN; there also will be a ManningCast for this one on ESPN2/ESPN+).
➤ Tuesday: Paste BN Sports offers its power rankings for all 32 NFL teams after Week 9.
➤ Thursday: Week 10 kicks off with an AFC North showdown between the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium 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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