2026 NFL Season Week 9 Review

   

As of right now, the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers are tied for having the best overall record in the league, both at 7-1. The last time that these two teams had the best record in the league together, I believe, would have been late in the 1990 season. The 49ers were the defending champions and a dynasty at that point, while the Bills were heading on their way to the first Super Bowl in franchise history. Not sure what will happen this season, but it is interesting to see those two teams sitting atop the league as of right now.

For that matter, the last time that the Buffalo Bills, specifically, started a season off 7-1 was back in 1993. And that also happened to be the last time that the Bills would go all the way to the Super Bowl. Is this a possible harbinger? Time will tell.

Otherwise, some other teams stood out with big wins. Cincy won in a big way in Madrid, and Joe Burrow is playing so well that he is making history. The Giants beat the Eagles in Philadelphia for the first time since October of 2013. The Rams beat the Commanders in Washington and now have a winning record for the first time this season. And the Bears won again, despite a sloppy performance, to improve to 7-2 and now are in sole possession of first place in the NFC North, at least for now. Also, the Packers stunned the Patriots up in New England.

Let's take a look at what proved to be a fascinating Week 9 for the 2026 NFL season:

Cincinnati 34,Atlanta 17 in Madrid, Spain - One thing that is hard not to notice, and which I have mentioned here from time to time, if that it seems like how Joe Burrow goes is how the Bengals go. As of this point this season, Burrow seems like he is a serious contender for MVP. Certainly at this point in midseason, he is in the discussion. And he showed why in Madrid, Spain, this weekend. Burrow completed 24 of 29 passes for 271 yards and four touchdowns, leading Cincy to their fourth straight win. In the process, he became just the fifth QB in NFL history to have at least 23 passing touchdowns and a 70% or higher completion rate. In three of those instances, the quarterback who managed that wound up earning NFL MVP honors. Also, the Bengals  have set a franchise record for most points scored in four consecutive games. They scored 31 against Miami, 35 against Baltimore, 43 against Tennessee, and now 34 in this one over Atlanta. That's 143 points, or any average of just under 36 points. If Burrow and the Bengals keep playing like this, they will be serious contenders in the AFC and possibly make another Super Bowl run. My pick: Accurate

NY Giants 19, Philadelphia 11 - Before I get into anything else about this game and these two teams, let me just say that I loved both of the old uniforms for these two teams. Frankly, I wish that both teams would go back to these uniforms, the Giants with the name "GIANTS" spelled out on their navy blue helmets and blue numbers with red outlining, and the Eagles with those sharp Kelly Green jerseys and silver pants. Why can't they go back to these uniforms? Anyway, let's get back to this game. For the first time since October of 2013 - well over a decade ago now - the G-Men went to Philadelphia and came back home with a win. Now admittedly, I could not remember when, specifically, had been the last time that Big Blue earned a win in Philly, but it had obviously been a while. But in 2013, the Giants were only a couple of years removed from winning the Super Bowl. Eli Manning was the quarterback and Tom Coughlin was the coach. However, the Giants were also entering a long stretch of losing. They had won the division title in 2011, and that was the last time that they won the NFC East. Since then, last place finishes for the G-Men became commonplace. Now this season, for the first time in what feels like a very long time, Big Blue is in first place. They are 1 1/2 games ahead of the Cowboys, who also won. After that, however, Washington is 2-5-1, and the Eagles are 2-7, after the Giants handed them their seventh straight loss. The Giants are an astonishing 5-2-1, and solidly in first place, at least right now. It felt good to see them beat the Eagles in Philly again, and it is soooo refreshing to see them in first place with Thanksgiving approaching. When was the last time that happened? My pick: Accurate

Kansas City 35, NY Jets 12 - Now, I am not sure whether or not the Jets are as bad as their record suggests. In some ways, they seem to be showing signs of improvement. However, going to Arrowhead in Kansas City to take on Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid, and the Chiefs is just not going to be an easy time for anyone. So this game went accordingly, to no one's real surprise. KC took care of business convincingly, even though Gang Green did manage to keep it close for a while there. The Chiefs snap a two-game skid to improve to 6-2. Meanwhile, the Jets fall to 2-7 on the season.. My pick: Accurate

New Orleans 23, Cleveland 22 - This game was dominated by the defenses until the fourth quarter, with both teams scoring only field goals in a 6-6 tie up to that point. Then the offenses came alive for the final quarter and overtime, and it became an exciting game. Ultimately, it was decided when the Browns answered an earlier overtime touchdown by the Saints with a touchdown of their own and then took a gamble, going for the two-point conversion and the win. Head coach Todd Monken explained his logic in going for it, and it mostly made sense. Still, it proved costly, as the Browns fell short and fall farther behind the Bengals and Steelers in the tough AFC North. My pick: Inaccurate

Dallas 27, Indianapolis 23 - The Cowboys finally managed to win in a back and forth affair, scoring a late touchdown to earn a comeback win on the road. This was a dangerous game for them, one that they could hardly afford to lose. But they won, allowing them to remain 1 1/2 back behind the G-Men in the NFC East, improving to 4-5. Meanwhile, the Colts dropped their fifth straight to fall to 2-7 on the season. My pick: Accurate

Denver 26, Carolina 21 - Denver jumped out to a decent sized 10-0 lead. And while the Panthers did mount a comeback, even taking a narrow 14-13 lead at one point, the Broncos answered and ultimately scored a big road win to stay hot. Denver improved to 7-2 with their fifth straight win to retain sole possession of first place in the AFC West. Meanwhile, the Panthers fall to 3-5, but remain tied for first place with the Saints in the lowly NFC South. My pick: Accurate

Detroit 19, Miami 9 - Not a beautiful win for the Lions, one which would get people to stand up and take notice. Yet the Lions keep finding ways to win, to their credit. They did enough to earn a solid win over the Fins on a day when Detroit was not playing great. But they win and improve to 6-2, while the Dolphins fall to 1-7 on the season. My pick: Accurate

LA Rams 20, Washington 13 - The Rams got off to a disastrous start almost from the first this season. For a while, it looked like they might not even contend for the playoffs. Now, however, they have pulled off three straight wins and, for the first time all season, have a winning record, improving to 5-4 on the year. This was a tough game and it looked uncertain at times. But the Rams defense came up big, showing that they are not merely a one-dimensional offensive machine. One bit of bad news: Puka Nacua suffered a serious knee injury late in the game and will be out for some time. We shall see for how long. As for Washington, this was another loss in what is turning out to be a disappointing season. Once again, their clock management received serious criticism, as it did a couple of times already earlier this season, especially against the Giants. My suspicion is that head coach Dan Quinn will not return next season. With the loss, the Commanders fall to 2-5-1 on the year. My pick: Accurate

Houston 44, LA Chargers 22 - What happened to Harbaugh's Chargers this season? Last year, they were 11-6 and reached the postseason, seemingly going on the right track under new head coach Jim Harbaugh. This season, they are now 0-8! Far and away the worst start that Harbaugh has ever had as a head coach on any level. The Texans used that tough defense to keep the Chargers from doing much, and earned a solid and decisive road win in Los Angeles against what appears to be the league's worst team. My pick: Accurate

San Francisco 38, Las Vegas 17 - Another solid win by the 49ers, who remain hot and now have the best overall record in the NFC with Minnesota losing. San Fran took control early and forced some turnovers when the Raiders threatened to make it a game. For the Raiders, it is a disappointing loss, as they fall farther behind the Chiefs and Broncos in the AFC West. As for the Niners, they are still running well ahead of the pack in the NFC West. My pick: Accurate

Seattle 17, Arizona 3 - The defending champs produced a grinding win over the Cardinals in this one. Not the prettiest win, but a solid win on a day when it felt like the 'Hawks did not play at their best. When you can win games like that, you are not doing too badly. An important win that keeps Seattle very much in the mix in the NFC. My pick: Accurate

Green Bay 45, New England 27 - The Packers stunned the Patriots by producing four turnovers, which helped Green Bay to a decisive, blowout win up in New England. It seemed like the Pats just could not get anything going in this one. Meanwhile, the Pack looked hot on defense with all of those turnovers, as well as with Jordan Love lighting up the scoreboard and showing why he is an MVP candidate. My pick: Inaccurate

Sunday Night Football: Chicago 27, Tampa Bay 24 - The good news for the Bears is that they won and now are in sole possession of first place in the tough NFC North with a 7-2 record. The bad news is that they really did not look good in this game. The Bucs forced four turnovers, although credit the Bears with winning for only the fourth time in the Super Bowl era after producing four turnovers. Plus, a win is still a win, even if this one was ugly. And make no mistake, it was really ugly for Chicago.. My pick: Accurate

Monday Night Football: Buffalo 23, Minnesota 6 - The Vikings defense came into this one with the league's top-rated defense. But it was Buffalo's defense which really shined tonight, with a spectacular performance. Minnesota simply never was able to find any rhythm or do much of anything against a stellar Bills defense, proving that they are not one dimensional, or forcing Josh Allen to carry the entire workload for the franchise. With the win, the Bills improved to 7-1 on the season, best in the AFC and tied with the 49ers for best in the NFL. Meanwhile, the Vikings dropped their second straight after a 6-0 start, and are now 6-2, officially behind Chicago and tied with the Lions for second place. They will face the Packers next weekend and then head to San Francisco after that, so they are clearly in a tough stretch.  My pick: Accurate