Week 9 takeaways: We answered big questions and sized up every single matchup
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NFL Nation, ESPN
Week 9 of the NFL season kicked off Thursday with the New York Jets defeating the Houston Texans.
On Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens blew out the Denver Broncos, and Buffalo Bills won a thriller over the Miami Dolphins.
Our NFL Nation reporters reacted to all the action, answering lingering questions coming out of each game and detailing everything else you need to know for every team. Let’s get to it.
Jump to:
HOU-NYJ | DEN-BAL | DAL-ATL
LV-CIN | NO-CAR | LAC-CLE
WSH-NYG | MIA-BUF
Bills
Can the Bills find an answer for the slow starts this season? They better hope they can. After putting together a solid start to the game last week with an opening touchdown drive against the Seahawks, the Bills trend of starting slowly came back against Miami. Buffalo trailed at halftime for the fifth time this season and Keon Coleman and James Cook had bad drops in the first half. Then, in the second half, the Bills went on three straight touchdown drives. Some bad penalties didn’t help, but finding an offensive rhythm earlier is something that has to be corrected to avoid these late-game situations in the future.
Biggest hole in the game plan: Finding ways to pressure the quarterback. The ability of this defense to generate pressure is something to continue to monitor. Tua Tagovailoa was pressured on just 17.2% of dropbacks, sacked once and the Bills defense registered two quarterback hits. They elected not to blitz often (10.3%), which allowed the Dolphins to put together long drives — five of nine or more plays.
Early prediction for next week: Continued role expansion for running back Ray Davis. Why not? Davis has continued to prove why he can be a dynamic part of this offense alongside Cook. Davis’ 63-yard receiving touchdown was the longest reception by a Bills running back since 2012 (C.J. Spiller) and he also averaged 5.0 yards on his four carries. — Alaina Getzenberg
Next game: at Colts (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Dolphins
What are realistic expectations for Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill moving forward? The NFL’s leading receiving duo over the past two seasons combined for just two targets in the first half Sunday, both of which went to Hill. Both players are on pace to finish with fewer than 1,000 receiving yards for the first time as teammates, and Miami isn’t forcing the issue with opposing defenses selling out to stop its home-run hitting receivers. The Dolphins’ remaining schedule features six teams ranked 16th or better against the pass. Until they face more favorable coverages, it may be safe to assume both players will continue on this path.
Describe the game in two words: Balanced attack. While the Bills focused on taking away Hill and Waddle, the Dolphins turned to the other playmakers to move the ball. Nine different players touched the ball, three players received at least five targets and two players recorded at least 10 carries.
Biggest hole in the game plan: Defending the flats. The Bills lived on their short passing game, particularly to the right flat area of the field. Josh Allen completed 9-of-13 passes for 120 yards and a touchdown on out-breaking routes. He completed 20-of-32 passes for 175 yards and three touchdowns on passes of 5.0 air yards or fewer, according to ESPN Research. — Marcel Louis-Jacques
Next game: at Rams (Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET)
Commanders
Is quarterback Jayden Daniels a legitimate MVP candidate? He should be, considering his importance to Washington’s offense. They’re 7-2 in large part because of him. On Sunday, Daniels was not spectacular, but he made big-time throws and managed the game at a high level. Daniels completed 15-of-22 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns. While others merit strong consideration — Buffalo’s Josh Allen and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson among them — Daniels warrants inclusion. He has nine touchdown passes, only two picks and four rushing scores as well. As tight end Zach Ertz said recently: He does not play like a rookie.
Describe the game in two words: Not pretty. Though the Commanders’ offense scored 27 points, the Giants dominated time of possession and kept close with two fourth-quarter touchdowns. Of the Giants’ 13 touchdowns this season, six have come against Washington. More importantly, the Commanders have swept the series after being 3-8-1 versus the Giants in the past six years.
Biggest hole in the game plan: The first-half run defense. New York ran for 140 yards in the first half, gashing Washington up the middle. The Commanders fared much better after halftime, allowing 24 yards on the ground, partly because of the tackle play but also because they pulled ahead. Teams will continue to test their rush defense. — John Keim
Next game: vs. Steelers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Giants
What does this loss mean for Daniel Jones’ future? The Giants have to at least be thinking about their quarterback position if they’re not willing to throw the ball. That was the case in the first half when Jones went 4-of-6 for zero yards. They can turn to backup Drew Lock next week against the league’s worst defense in Carolina. Or they can use the next two week, which includes a bye, to adjust their offense. At this point, it seems inevitable if coach Brian Daboll doesn’t have full confidence in his quarterback. Jones was better in the second half, going 16-of-20 for 174 yards. He had passing and rushing touchdowns in the second half.
Eye-popping stat: Jones had zero yards passing in the first half. That’s not a misprint. He was 4-of-6 passing for zero yards, but with a touchdown. It was his first home touchdown pass in 672 days, dating back to 2022 Week 17. According to ESPN Research, Jones became the first player since at least 1978 to have a passing touchdown and zero passing yards in a half (minimum five pass attempts). It’s hard to win that way in today’s NFL.
Biggest hole in the game plan: The Giants’ pass rush was missing in action. especially in the first half. Daniels was pressured on two of 13 dropbacks (15%) in the first half, per ESPN Research. The Giants entered Sunday pressuring opposing quarterbacks at a 35% clip. It’s generally the strength of the team. They didn’t have a sack in this contest. — Jordan Raanan
Next game: at Panthers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Chargers
Should the Chargers be concerned about their pass protection? The Browns sacked Justin Herbert six times Sunday, all of which came in the first half. It was the most Herbert had been sacked in a game in his career and the sixth straight game he was sacked multiple times. The Chargers’ offensive line was supposed to be this team’s strong suit, but they looked mediocre Sunday. The Browns’ edge rushers dominated All-Pro tackle Rashawn Slater and first-round pick Joe Alt, as well as the interior offensive line.
Most surprising performance: Wide receiver Quentin Johnston. He had the best game of his career Sunday, finishing with four catches for 118 receiving yards. Johnston’s top play came on a 66-yard receiving touchdown in the second quarter, where he sprinted by Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward for his fourth touchdown of the year.
Describe the game in two words: Defensive dominance. After scoring a season-high 29 points in a win over the Baltimore Ravens in quarterback Jameis Winston’s first start, the Chargers held the Browns to a season-low of 10 points. Cleveland’s lone touchdown came with 44 seconds left in the game and most of L.A.’s defensive starters out. The Chargers secured three interceptions, sacked Winston six times and blocked a field goal. — Kris Rhim
Next game: vs. Titans (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET)
Browns
Should the Browns be willing to trade at the deadline? Only one team in the Super Bowl era has started 2-7 and made the playoffs. Cleveland’s resurgence with Jameis Winston at quarterback was short-lived with Tuesday’s trade deadline looming. The Browns have multiple veteran players on inexpensive contracts, most notably pass rusher Za’Darius Smith. He could net the draft picks the front office needs to retool after a disappointing first half of the season.
Describe the game in two words: Offensive regression. One week after Winston helped engineer a season-best performance, the Browns’ offense struggled against a top defense in the NFL. Cleveland had just 57 total net yards at halftime. Winston has now thrown 102 interceptions, the most by any player in their first 100 career games since Matthew Stafford in 2016, according to ESPN Research.
Most surprising performance: According to NFL Next Gen Stats, cornerback Denzel Ward allowed two receptions for 94 yards and two touchdowns on five targets as the nearest defender. He had entered the day with one touchdown allowed as the nearest defender this season. Both scores came in zone coverage on apparent coverage busts. — Daniel Oyefusi
Next game: at Saints (45613, 1 p.m. ET)
Panthers
Does Bryce Young get a third straight start? Heck yeah. As many times as coach Dave Canales has said Andy Dalton gives Carolina the best chance to win, Young engineered his first game-winning touchdown drive. He showed glimpses of why he was drafted No. 1. He 100% deserves to start in Germany. He threw with confidence (16-of-26 for 171 yards). His pick should have been a big catch by Xavier Legette. Were it not for conservative playcalling, the numbers would be better.
Most surprising performance: Red zone defense. Carolina allowed red zone touchdowns 71.4% of the time coming into the day. That was trimmed to 50%, which isn’t great but is a huge improvement from the 94% in the first five games of the year. Forcing two red zone field goals early kept this one close enough to win.
Eye-popping stat: Ja’Tavion Sanders generated the most receiving yards over expected in a game by a rookie tight end this season (+50). His 87 receiving yards were more than leading wide receivers Jalen Coker and Xavier Legette had combined (69). — David Newton
Next game: vs. Giants (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Saints
Do the Saints move on from Dennis Allen? The Saints have now lost seven straight, their longest losing streak since 1999, which resulted in coach Mike Ditka getting fired at the end of the year. With a disgruntled fanbase and little hope of the playoffs at this point, the Saints probably will have to consider major changes. They also could be without their top receiver Chris Olave for an extended period of time, as he sustained his second concussion of the season in the first quarter and was taken to a local hospital.
Most surprising performance: CB Shemar-Jean Charles. The 26-year-old made his first career start after being signed to the active roster Saturday. While he gave up an early touchdown and a big play late, he had an impressive interception in the fourth quarter, knocking the ball out of the Xavier Legette’s hands and into his own for his first career pick.
Describe the game in two words: Melting down. The defense gave up a late touchdown, the offense couldn’t score consistently, and the injury list grew longer. The Saints haven’t shown any signs of improvement during their seven-game losing streak and have made mistakes on both sides of the ball. They’ve had penalties at key times, questionable playcalls and time-management issues. — Katherine Terrell
Next game: vs. Falcons (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Bengals
What does this Bengals win mean in the bigger picture? Not a ton. The Bengals did what they needed to in order to avoid a 3-6 hole. But Sunday’s win still doesn’t give Cincinnati a win over a team with a winning record. The Raiders suffered several injuries and eventually went to backup quarterback Desmond Ridder. A win is a win, sure. But matchups against the Ravens, Chargers and Steelers in the next three weeks will be better litmus tests to see where the Bengals stands.
Editor’s Picks
Describe the game in two words: Palate cleanser. A relatively dominant victory erased the taste of a deflating Week 8 loss to the Eagles. Cincinnati needed a strong performance against a bad team to start building in-season momentum, especially with a showdown against the Ravens looming on a short week.
Eye-popping stat: Quarterback Joe Burrow scrambled for a total of 66.6 yards on his five touchdown passes, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. Two of those touchdowns featured scrambles of 20 or more yards: his first score to Chase Brown and a touchdown to Drew Sample in the third quarter. — Ben Baby
Next game: at Ravens (Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET)
Raiders
Should the Raiders trade away their big-name players before the deadline? Depends on how much job security general manager Tom Telesco feels he has, plus what can he get in return for a full rebuild. The Raiders have lost five straight games for the first time since 2018 and the bye could not come at a better time. Owner Mark Davis has already said defensive end Maxx Crosby is untouchable, so what other trade chips might the Raiders have? Wide receiver Jakobi Meyers? Cornerback Nate Hobbs? Left tackle Kolton Miller? Las Vegas probably doesn’t get anything more than a fourth-round pick for any of them, so they could potentially package the picks to move up.
Describe the game in two words: Painful day. Both Hobbs and Miller left the game in the second quarter with ankle injuries. As did Miller’s replacement at left tackle, Andrus Peat, and left guard Cody Whitehair. Tight end Harrison Bryant injured an ankle in the third quarter. That doesn’t account for the painful play of quarterback Gardner Minshew, who lost another fumble and was benched in favor of Desmond Ridder late in the third quarter.
Biggest hole in the game plan: Defending the middle of the field. It’s a copycat league, so a week after the Chiefs plundered the Raiders just beyond the line of scrimmage, the Bengals did the same … a lot. Quarterback Joe Burrow sliced and diced there in the first half, completing 12 of 14 passes for 119 yards and a touchdown on throws between the numbers. It continued in the second half. — Paul Gutierrez
Next game: at Dolphins (45613, 1 p.m. ET)
Falcons
How can the Falcons get by if Drake London misses time? The receiver came into Sunday’s game tied for fourth in the league in receptions (48) and tied for third in touchdown catches (five). London caught another touchdown Sunday, but then he left the game with a hip injury and didn’t return. London is also a key blocker on running plays, which makes the loss even tougher. Atlanta was already thin at wide receiver, so maybe the Falcons will look to make a trade before Tuesday’s deadline if London is out for a bit.
Describe the game in two words: Sorely needed. The Falcons have been getting boastful in the NFC South, going 4-0 against their division with wins over the struggling Panthers and Saints. Against everyone else, Atlanta was 1-3. The Cowboys aren’t elite, but this was a necessary, definitive victory for the Falcons, who have won five of their past six games.
Most surprising performance: The Falcons’ pass rush entered the game with a league-low six sacks. On Sunday, they had three against quarterback Dak Prescott, with Arnold Ebiketie, Grady Jarrett and Kaden Elliss all getting to him. Jarrett leads the team with 2.5 sacks. For Ebiketie and Elliss, it was the first time either of them had a sack this season. — Marc Raimondi
Next game: at Saints (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Cowboys
What should the Cowboys now do at the deadline? At 3-5, the Cowboys have as many losses as they had in each of the past three seasons. And they’re not sure on the severity of Dak Prescott’s hamstring injury, which forced him out of the game late in the third quarter. The Cowboys have plenty of needs — wide receiver, defensive line, offensive line and running back — but there hasn’t been an indication that owner and general manager Jerry Jones will go “all-in,” like he said he would during the offseason. Would they trade one of their core players? Jones has consistently said he likes the roster, so that is probably a no.
Eye-popping stat: In the first half, Prescott averaged 2.2 average air yards per target, the lowest rate in the first half of a game in his career and the second-lowest in any half of his career. Without any protection, even against a poor Falcons pass rush, the Cowboys had to get the ball out of Prescott’s hands in a hurry. Not even that could prevent him from sustaining his injury.
Describe the game in two words: All wrong. The Cowboys entered the game without Ezekiel Elliott (disciplinary reasons), Micah Parsons (ankle) and DaRon Bland (foot). Then they lost Prescott. CeeDee Lamb appeared to injure his right shoulder too, though he caught a late TD after getting hurt. Perhaps Parsons and Bland play next week, but if Prescott is out for a prolonged period, this season is as doomed as 2015. That’s when Tony Romo suffered two collarbone injuries and the team finished 4-12. — Todd Archer
Next game: vs. Eagles (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)
0:20
Dak Prescott leaves game with hamstring injury
Dak Prescott is in visible pain after throwing a pass and is ruled out and replaced by Cooper Rush.
Ravens
What does the Ravens’ rout of the Broncos say about them? Baltimore is the hardest team in the NFL to predict. In winning six of their past seven games, the Ravens have beaten three teams with winning records — the Bills, Commanders and Broncos — by a combined score of 106-43. But this is the same Baltimore team that has lost to two last-place teams in the Raiders and Browns. It comes down to the much-criticized Ravens defense. When Baltimore holds teams to 25 or fewer points, the Ravens are 4-0.
Describe the game in two words: Perfect day. After missing two practices this week with back and knee injuries, Jackson recorded a perfect 158.3 passer rating by completing 16 of 19 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns. This was Jackson’s fourth career game with a perfect passer rating, which ties Ben Roethlisberger for the most by any player in NFL history (minimum 10 pass attempts), according to ESPN Research.
Most surprising performance: Wide receiver Zay Flowers. He became the first Ravens player to total 100 yards receiving and two touchdown catches in the same game since Hollywood Brown in 2019. Flowers also is the first player this year to record 100 receiving yards against a Broncos defense that was ranked No. 4 in pass defense before Sunday. Flowers has been on a tear with four 100-yard receiving games in the past five weeks. — Jamison Hensley
Next game: vs. Bengals (Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET)
Broncos
Are the Broncos really not ready to fight up in weight class? The Broncos entered Sunday’s game with a three-game stretch — at Baltimore, at Kansas City and against Atlanta — to show how ready they are to be in the playoff conversation. Consider the first test to be a robust “F.” Their early fourth-down gambles didn’t work and the Broncos had no answer for quarterback Lamar Jackson’s ability to find their weak spots. The Broncos’ offense found few big plays against a Ravens’ defense that had surrendered a long list before Sunday. They will have to threaten opposing defenses far more in the coming weeks, tackle exponentially better and shorten the list of mistakes. Otherwise, the next two weeks will look similar to this week.
Describe the game in two words: Bad memories. The Broncos defense had done the heavy lifting to get the team to 5-3, but in a sea of missed tackles, they looked a little too much like the team’s defense early in 2023. The Ravens found backup safety Devon Key in coverage over and over again, they kept Flowers away from Pat Surtain II (the Broncos wanted to match up Surtain with Flowers at least in the red zone) and Jackson was never under much duress.
Biggest hole in the game plan: The Broncos have not been a big-play offense all season, but the Ravens had surrendered 46 explosive plays coming into this game (runs of at least 10 yards or pass plays of at least 20). The Broncos had a 33-yard completion to Courtland Sutton and a 34-yard completion to Javonte Williams on a scramble. But beyond that, it was more of the same — low impact throws and missed opportunities. — Jeff Legwold
Next game: at Chiefs (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Jets
Can the offense sustain what it showed in the second half? The Jets had three consecutive touchdown drives of 70-plus yards, something they hadn’t done in a single game since 2016. QB Aaron Rodgers caught fire after a “terrible” first half (his word), with WRs Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams making big plays. Yes, they can keep it going because their next two opponents (the Cardinals and Colts) were ranked 27th and 28th in yards allowed, respectively, at the start of Week 9. The Jets cleaned up some issues in their operation and finally resembled what they were expected to be. Now they have to hope their injury-plagued offensive line can get healthy.
Eye-popping stat: 14%. That was the completion probability on Rodgers’ third-and-19 touchdown pass to Wilson from the Houston 26, per NFL Next Gen Stats. Wilson made the play of the Jets’ season, a one-handed, acrobatic catch in the back of the end zone. It could be a turning point for the Jets if they can work their way back into contention.
Most surprising performance: Edge rusher Haason Reddick. In his second game, he played a lot (and well) for someone who sat out six months of offseason workouts, training camp and games because of a holdout. He played 42 of 75 snaps, recorded eight quarterback pressures and was on the field for five of the Jets’ eight sacks. There is no doubt that he adds some juice to the pass rush. — Rich Cimini
Next game: at Cardinals (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Can the Texans snap out of their offensive funk? In the past three games, the Texans’ offense has averaged only 19 points per game, contributing to a 1-2 record during that stretch. The pass blocking is at the root of their inability to score, as quarterback C.J. Stroud has been sacked 14 times since Week 7. If Houston can’t fix this problem, a team that had Super Bowl aspirations will come up well short of that goal. Describe the game in two words: No protection. Stroud was sacked eight times, and no quarterback can survive that type of barrage. If it continues, eventually Stroud’s play will tail off, or at worst, he will suffer an injury that will sideline him. Eye-popping stat: Cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. was targeted eight times against the Jets but allowed only 22 receiving yards and registered a pass deflection. — DJ Bien-Aime Next game: vs. Lions (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET)
Texans
