If you just pay attention the standings you might think the NFC North is the same. Don’t be fooled, though. The teams are still in the same place as they were at the beginning of the season. Due to Sunday’s events, the division has been turned upside down. We are in for an incredibly exciting second half. Why? The Minnesota Vikings have now cemented their place in the race. The Detroit Lions were defeated by the club at Ford Field, 27-24. J.J. McCarthy’s return was the main development that made this win more significant for the second-half. It wasn’t just a divisional victory, it was also a major factor in the game. McCarthy’s appearance was something I was unsure of before the game. Before going down with a high ankle sprain in Week 2, the 2024 first-round pick looked like a quarterback who had little experience on his résumé. McCarthy’s early offensive performances were choppy, aside from a fourth quarter comeback against Chicago during Week 1. McCarthy, however, looked more comfortable in the Week 9 game. The unit was much more fluid and efficient. The stats were not spectacular as he only completed 14 of 25 passes. This resulted in 143 yard, two touchdowns and one interception. He also ran 12 yards for a score, and was sacked nine times. Minnesota’s potential is fascinating.
McCarthy is a good quarterback who can help them compete. Minnesota’s struggles over the past two weeks were partly due to Carson Wentz’s injury. Wentz’s performance was hampered by his injury. He had three more interceptions than touchdowns and an average passer rating of 65.9. It should be no surprise that the Vikings lost both contests after their bye. McCarthy’s return to health has increased the offensive potential, and Minnesota is now a contender in the NFC North. The Vikings may be in last with a record of 4-4 but they are only one game and a quarter behind the Green Bay Packers. Minnesota has the best division record with a score of 2-0. Those two division wins came at the expense of home (at Chicago, in Week 1, and at Detroit, in Week 9) so three of Minnesota’s four remaining games will take place in U.S. Bank Stadium. Minnesota also has the NFC North’s easiest remaining schedule.
McCarthy has shown that he is capable of defeating the Bears and Lions within their own stadium. Although the jury has yet to decide if they can compete with Green Bay as well, the Packers’ loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday at home showed that they were vulnerable. The Packers may also be without their star tight end Tucker Kraft for the remainder of the season after he was carted away with a serious knee injury. Minnesota’s current odds of +1400 at FanDuel Sportsbook are a bit misleading.
Week 9 stats – 23 of 26 passes, 273 passing yards, 1 TD, 6 carries, rushing for 19 yards, 2 TDs. Allen showed off his MVP skills in a 28-21 victory over Patrick Mahomes. City Chiefs. Not only did he throw the ball well, but as a rusher he is a mismatch. Allen has now passed Cam Newton as the NFL quarterback with the most rushing touchdowns (including playoffs).
McCaffrey’s Week 9 stats are: 28 carries for 106 yards rushing and 1 TD, 5 catches for 67 yards of receiving and 1 TD. Another week, another double-threat McCaffrey. McCaffrey continues to be the engine of the Niners, leading both the team in rushing and receiving during the 34-24 victory over the Giants. McCaffrey is able to consistently produce at a high-level, regardless of who is behind the center and other weapons around him. He leads the NFL in yards gained from scrimmage, and just completed his 16th career with a receiving and rushing touchdown. Marshall Faulk now holds the record for most NFL touchdowns. McCaffrey’s receiving touchdown was perhaps the most bizarre part of his afternoon. Someone should tell the Giants that they need to cover No. 23.
Week 9 stats – 9 catches, 112 yards receiving, and 3 touchdowns. The Falcons lost, but not because of London. London’s Falcons wide-receiver turned in an impressive performance, which included three touchdowns on receiving plays. The scores were also tallied through circus catches. London scored three touchdowns while toe-tapping. It was the Falcons’ first three-touchdown receiving day since Cordarrelle Patter in 2021.
Week 9 stats. 26 carries 176 yard; 3 catches 22 yard receiving.With D’Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson, and both out, Monangai has taken on the main workload for the Bears. The 2025 seventh round pick ran with the opportunity (literally). Rutgers’ product recorded the second most rushing yards by a team rookie ever. Monangai is the first Bear to start his career with more than 100 rushing yards at halftime since Matt Forte did so in 2008.
Week 9 Stats: 25 carries; 130 yards of rushing; 2 touchdowns, 2 catches.Dowdle was given the starting position in the Panthers offensive system, with Chuba Hubbard as backup. Dowdle was the key player in Carolina’s victory over the Green Bay Packers. Dowdle had two rushing TDs in his first career game. Dowdle made a mental mistake when he was flagged by officials for excessive celebrations. This led to him missing a PAT.
Week 9 stats: 12 catches, 127 yards receiving, 3 TDsWelcome back, Brock Bowers! The tight end was out of action for the past three games because of a knee injury. He looked just like himself in Week 9! Bowers’ performance was impressive, even though it was in the context of a loss. Las Vegas nearly won the game by forcing overtime against the Jaguars. He was the first Raiders player to have 12 receptions, 125 yard and three touchdowns on receiving in one game.
Week 9 stats : 6 catches, 118 yard receiving, 2 TDsLoveland’s best day in the NFL was Week 9. He scored the game winning touchdown after ripping a 58-yard run and catching the ball.
The Bengals defense crumbles… AGAIN! Trailing 41-27 in the fourth quarter with less than three minute left, the Cincinnati offense miraculously recovered and took the lead 42-41 with less than one minute remaining in regulation. It was the defense that once again let them down. Caleb Williams scored a 58 yard touchdown with 25 seconds remaining on the clock. The Bengals were unable to hold onto the win.
Cincinnati has allowed 300 points in nine games this season. This is the highest total ever for a franchise. The Bengals are the first NFL team to have allowed at least 27 total points and 350 yards in 8 consecutive games in a single year. The Bengals’ ceiling will be low no matter how well Flacco stabilizes the offense.
Zac Taylor’s challenge leads to a Bears touchdownIt might seem that we are piling on the Bengals in Week 9, but it was not pretty. The coach of the Bengals didn’t help them either. While their defense was getting hammered, he also did not do any favors. Taylor challenged DJ Moore’s 16-yard gain with less than five minutes left in the fourth quarter. Taylor initially challenged, thinking that Moore fumbled, which would have resulted in an end zone touchback. Moore was not fumbled, and he scored on that play.
Atlanta had New England in its sights for a brief moment. Michael Penix Jr., who led an 85-yard, 12-play touchdown drive with under five minutes to go in regulation, found Drake London at fourth-and goal for the score. This cut the Patriots’ lead to 24-23. With the PAT approaching, the game was tied. The Falcons’ placekicker Parker Romo, who played for the Patriots in the summer, missed the extra point instead of tying the game.
The Falcons forced a three and out, which gave the offense the ball with 3:30 remaining. Michael Penix Jr. threw the football to the ground on that drive. He was surprised by the second-and-10 snap. The Patriots were immediately in his face and pressured him. Penix, thinking that New England had committed an illegal penalty, threw a ball into the turf in the tackle area on what he perceived as a dead play. Penix, however, was flagged as a deliberate grounder. The Patriots were then flagged for intentional grounding, which led to a third and 20 situation at their own 42-yard-line and a subsequent punt.
Two-minute drillHere’s a quick look at some of the most important takeaways/notes I made from Week 9. The Green Bay Packers might have been looking ahead to next week’s matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles, but the Carolina Panthers paid them for it. It’s the third time this season that the Packers have done so and failed to win. Matthew Stafford’s 4-touchdown game should make his MVP drum beat even louder. Rashid Shaheed’s last game with the New Orleans Saints is likely over. His trade value will only increase as the deadline for Nov. 4 approaches. Drake Maye has now recorded eight consecutive games with at least a 200 yard passing and a passer rating of 100 (tied as the second longest streak in NFL history). The Broncos have continued to be a team that can come back and are now 7-2. The Broncos are tied with the NFL for most game-winning drive (four) this season. You should raise your antenna after Daniel Jones recorded five turnovers on the Sunday. This gives them a bit of breathing room. Jacksonville may be 5-3 in the AFC playoff race, but it is not a serious threat. Kansas City Now in third place within the AFC West behind the Broncos (7-2), and Chargers (6-3) is the Chargers. Josh Allen now has a career record of 5-5 (including playoffs) against Patrick Mahomes. Allen’s 0-4 postseason record against Mahomes is the only thing that separates him from other QBs who have more than three victories over Mahomes.
2025-11-03 01:08:42
