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1. GOOD: The Bengals’ offense is unstoppable when healthy
2. BAD: Lamar Jackson’s timeline still spells doom for Ravens
3. UGLY: The Falcons can’t feel good about the past two weeks

A full day of football starts in Madrid and ends in Chicago. Once it’s over, all eyes turn to Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, which expires at 4 p.m. ET. 

Sunday’s action is as much about the result as what it says about the teams moving forward. After watching the Bengals and Falcons go up and down the field without much defensive resistance from either side, Cincinnati and Atlanta could be thinking about adding on that side of the ball. That’s especially true for Bengals general manager Duke Tobin, who spent lavishly on Jonathan Allen, Boye Mafe and Bryan Cook this offseason while trading a first-round pick to the Giants for Dexter Lawrence II, only to see the unit still struggling.

In the early window, the Broncos visit the Panthers in a matchup between two teams hoping to make a postseason run. Denver is 6–2 and leads the AFC West after a thrilling win over the Chiefs last weekend, while Carolina is 3–4 in the middling NFC South. 

Later, the Packers will face the Patriots in Foxborough, as both teams look to firm up playoff positioning while also staying alive in their respective divisional races. The Chargers also aim for their first win, sitting 0–7 and hosting the Texans off their bye. 

But we start in Spain, where the Bengals looked like a contender ready to take off.

GOOD: The Bengals’ offense is unstoppable when healthy

If the Bengals have Joe Burrow throwing to Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins come January, no team should fear an opponent more. 

While Cincinnati might not be the most complete team in the AFC (that distinction belongs to the Jaguars), it is the most powerful. The Bills have Josh Allen and James Cook, but far weaker perimeter weapons. The Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes and Kenneth Walker III, but the receivers are routinely somewhere between a non-factor and a disaster. The Steelers have good wideouts in DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr., but Aaron Rodgers is limited, evidenced by averaging 6.5 yards per attempt.

On Sunday morning in Madrid, the Bengals put their full arsenal on display. Burrow threw for 271 yards and three touchdowns. Chase was absurd in the first half, notching 142 yards and a score. Higgins only caught five passes for 32 yards, but found the end zone twice.

At 6–2, Cincinnati not only leads the AFC North but has a soft schedule the rest of the way. The Bengals play only two teams with a winning record in Pittsburgh and Kansas City, and both are at home. 

There’s a long way to go, and Burrow has a scary injury history which includes missing 16 games over the past three seasons. But if Cincinnati is right, it’s terrifying.

BAD: Lamar Jackson’s timeline still spells doom for Ravens

On Sunday morning, it was reported that the Ravens will be without Lamar Jackson for the next six to nine weeks after undergoing surgery for his broken right thumb. While that timeline leaves Jackson room to return before the end of the season, it doesn’t help Baltimore’s playoff hopes. 

Even with the acquisition of Jacoby Brissett from the Cardinals this week, the Ravens are in a hopeless position. They’re already 4–5 and in a division where nobody else has a losing record. The AFC also has seven teams with at least 78% to reach the postseason, according to the New York Times. Baltimore sits at 5%. 

Moving forward, the Ravens will play the Chargers, Panthers and Texans before a Week 13 bye. Then they’ll host the Buccaneers before visiting the Steelers. At that point, if Jackson hits the earliest recovery point, he could return to face the Browns, Bengals and Pittsburgh to close out the season. 

Realistically, unless Brissett (who was benched last weekend by Arizona) goes at least 3–2 or better across its next five games, that’s not enough to stay afloat. Instead, it would mean another lost year for the Ravens, who will then face real offseason questions about whether to extend or trade Jackson with one year remaining on his deal.

UGLY: The Falcons can’t feel good about the past two weeks

Two weeks ago, things looked up for the Falcons. They knocked off the previously unbeaten 49ers and moved to 3–4, giving them real hope of not only winning the NFC South but hosting a playoff game. 

Then came the next two games. Last weekend, Atlanta went to water-logged Tampa Bay and lost 16–0 to the Buccaneers. On the surface, it wasn’t great, but understandable. Then you realize Michael Penix Jr. threw four interceptions … and Baker Mayfield didn’t complete a pass, making Atlanta the first team to lose without giving up a completion since 1974.

On Sunday morning, Atlanta played overseas and was blown out by Cincinnati. The Bengals scored on all of their first-half possessions, while A.J. Terrell Jr. and the rest of the Falcons’ secondary was terrorized by Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, surrendering 187 yards and three scores to the pairing.

At 3–5, Atlanta has to come home, rest and prepare to take on Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. It doesn’t get any easier for a team t