Welcome to the Week 9 grades!
With the NFL trade deadline coming up on Tuesday, we saw a lot of games this week that could end up having an impact on what happens over the next couple of days. For one, the Indianapolis Colts lost. The Colts have already been one of the busiest teams when it comes to trades, and there's been some speculation that they could trade Jonathan Taylor or Daniel Jones. After Sunday's loss to Dallas, the Colts are sitting at a very unimpressive 2-7, and it might make sense to just trade everyone.
The Philadelphia Eagles also lost. Howie Roseman loves to make a deal, and with the Eagles now sitting at 2-7 after losing to the NFC East's top team, the Giants, we could see him start working the phones. It could even make sense for the Jets to go into fire sale mode after dropping to 2-7 following a loss to the Chiefs.
With that in mind, let's get to this week's grades, starting with the Colts.
Cowboys (4-5) 27-23 over Colts (2-7)
| C+ |
|
| Let's start with the most surprising fact of the day: For the first time all season, the Cowboys defense held an opponent under 300 yards. A big reason that happened is that Quinnen Williams was unblockable, coming up with three tackles for a loss. If the defense can regularly play like this, the Cowboys could soon take a step forward as the offense seems to be clicking. Dak Prescott caught fire in the fourth quarter, throwing for 150 yards, and Dallas needed all of that. The Cowboys piled up more than 500 yards of offense, and Dallas probably would have won this game comfortably if not for multiple mistakes (like two turnovers and a missed field goal by Brandon Aubrey). After blowing it last week against the Cardinals, this was a game the Cowboys couldn't afford to lose. They did just enough to pull out the win |
| C- |
|
| If the Colts are actually thinking about trading Daniel Jones, they should just go ahead and do it, because it's becoming pretty clear that he's not the answer in Indianapolis. The Colts sputtered out of the gate by going three-and-out on five of their first seven possessions, and they didn't have a single drive that went for more than 30 yards until there were just two minutes left in the third quarter. It's bad enough that they struggled, but the fact that this team couldn't move the ball for most of the game against one of the worst defenses in the NFL is telling. And of course, Jones ended any chance of a comeback with an interception in the final minute. With the trade deadline coming up, it might be time for the Colts to blow things up and start over. |
Broncos (7-2) 26-21 over Panthers (3-5)
| B |
|
| The Broncos offense has struggled in the first quarter this season, but they finally seemed to have gotten things turned around. The big news here is that the Broncos came out firing with Bo Nix throwing for 63 yards and a TD during a 10-point opening quarter. That was a huge showing from an offense that had been averaging just 3.3 points in the first quarter through Denver's first eight games. The reason that's big is that the defense can dominate teams when it's playing with a healthy lead. If you need proof of that, just look at the fourth quarter: With Denver leading, the defense took over by sacking Bryce Young three times, including a strip-sack by Nik Bonitto that won the game. The Broncos should be feeling extremely confident heading into their Week 10 bye. |
| B- |
|
| Going into Week 9, only two quarterbacks had thrown for at least 275 yards against the Broncos — Patrick Mahomes and Matthew Stafford — and Bryce Young joined that group with 276 on Sunday. The Panthers offense was firing on all cylinders: Chuba Hubbard averaged nearly 5 yards per carry and five different players caught at least four passes. The problem for the Panthers is that there were just too many mistakes ranging from a soul-crushing fumble by Young in the fourth quarter to a bizarre interception to a missed field goal. The Panthers just kept shooting themselves in the foot. You can't make those mistakes if you want to beat good teams, and the Broncos are a good team. |
Saints (3-5) 23-22 over Browns (5-4)
| C+ |
|
| The Browns didn't win, but Shedeur Sanders definitely made a case to be the starting QB in Cleveland. Despite facing constant pressure, Sanders still managed to throw for 297 yards and two touchdowns. He came up clutch late in the game, with 197 yards of his passing total coming in the fourth quarter and overtime. Of course, the argument for Deshaun Watson to start is that he's been winning games like this all year, and although Sanders played well late, he didn't get the job done with the Browns failing on a two-point conversion on the final play of the game. No matter who starts, that person needs to get this team turned around, because the Browns' 5-2 start suddenly feels like a distant memory. |
| B- |
|
| The Saints beat the Browns at their own game here. Cleveland's recipe for winning this season has been a strong defense combined with clutch QB play late in the game. That's exactly what the Saints got here. The pass rush flustered Sanders at times, with the Saints sacking him five times, including two from Carl Granderson. The defense struggled late, but that's when the offense took over, and that is how you do complementary football. The Saints had offensive heroes all over the place, ranging from Chris Olave to Barion Brown to Alvin Kamara, who set up the team's TD in overtime by rushing for 28 yards. Tyler Shough completed at least one pass to eight different receivers, and that seemed to keep the Browns guessing. This was a huge win for a Saints team that's suddenly right back in the NFC South race. |
Giants (5-2-1) 19-11 over Eagles (2-7)
| C+ |
|
| The 12-year drought is finally over. The Giants picked up their first win in Philadelphia since 2014, and that mostly happened thanks to a defense that bullied the Eagles on their home turf. Arvell Reese was an absolute maniac, sacking Joe Milton III three times in a game where the Giants recorded seven sacks. Offensively, the Giants were sloppy. They couldn't really get anything going, but Jameis Winston did manage to lead a late TD drive after J.J. McCarthy briefly left the game with an injury. The Giants win ugly, but they win, and that's all that matters. |
| C- |
|
| The Eagles sent Tanner McKee to the bench, hoping Milton would spark their offense, but it didn't happen. Milton did show off his athleticism with a team-high 64 yards on the ground, but the passing game is still non-functional. The offense's inability to move the ball overshadowed a mostly impressive performance by the defense, which racked up six sacks. This is probably what every Eagles game is going to feel like for the rest of the season: The defense does its best to keep Philly in the game, but the offense just isn't good enough to take advantage of that. |
Rams (5-4) 20-13 over Commanders (2-5)
| C+ |
|
| With Aaron Donald and Myles Garrett on the field together for the first time, we finally got a taste of what the Rams defense might look like for the rest of the season. The pass rush looked better, and that was mostly thanks to Garrett, who registered three of the Rams' four sacks. The Rams also clogged up the middle and stopped the run. Offensively, this team continues to rely completely on Puka Nacua, who had 14 catches for 150 yards, but it would certainly help if someone else decided to step up, especially if Nacua's knee injury ends up being anything serious. The Rams never make anything look easy, but they keep winning, and all of a sudden, they're above .500 for the first time this season. |
| C |
|
| Every Commanders loss seems to come with some bizarre late-game coaching decision. With Washington sitting at the Rams' 32-yard line on the game's final play, Jayden Daniels could have taken a shot in the end zone, but instead, he threw the ball five yards downfield. That one play didn't cost them the game, but it epitomizes the issues with this team. From the botched clock management in the tie with the Giants, to a thrown-away pass on fourth down against the 49ers, to this play against the Rams, the Commanders' coaching seems to hold them back in key situations. |
Chiefs (6-2) 35-12 over Jets (2-7)
| D |
|
| If you've seen one Jets game, you've seen them all. This team seems to find a new way to lose every week, and this time around, they played one of their worst games of the season. The offense did show some flashes in the first half, but with no Garrett Wilson, they struggled to finish their drives, with all 12 of their points coming on field goals. Things weren't much better on defense, with the Jets getting diced up by Patrick Mahomes. The defensive struggles are more concerning because the Jets have a defensive-minded head coach who just totally revamped the personnel on that side of the ball during the offseason. Aaron Glenn was already on one of the hottest seats in the NFL, and the temperature on his seat might have just gone up a few degrees after Sunday. |
| A- |
|
| This game was a roller coaster ride for the Chiefs. At one point, it looked like Patrick Mahomes might have suffered a serious injury, but then he came right back in and led Kansas City to a blowout win. This game was a solid example of why the Chiefs have been so good this season: They're balanced on offense, and their defense wears you out. Kenneth Walker rushed for 102 yards, with 81 of that coming during a dominant second half. Mahomes and Travis Kelce were back to their old ways with the duo connecting four times for 72 yards. As for that defense, the Chiefs pitched a shutout in the second half while holding the Jets to just 58 yards of offense. This team still needs some help at receiver, though, and it will be interesting to see if Brett Veach tries to do anything before Tuesday's trade deadline. |
Lions (6-2) 19-9 over Dolphins (1-7)
| C+ |
|
| The Lions offense tends to get all the headlines when it comes to this team, but in this game, it was Detroit's defense that stole the show. In their first game since Jack Campbell's injury, the defense played inspired football. Derrick Moore came up with two of the team's three sacks on a day when the Lions' pass rush had Malik Willis on the run for most of the game. The defense has been beating up on everyone since the Lions' Week 6 bye. Detroit's opponents have averaged just 13.7 points per game over the past three weeks. The fact that the offense can have a slightly off day and Detroit can still win by double-digit points should have the Lions feeling good about the rest of the season. |
| C |
|
| If the Dolphins have proven one thing this year, it's that they don't quite have the talent to beat the best teams in the NFL. The Dolphins defense certainly deserves some credit for shutting down the Lions in the first half, holding them to just 120 yards. That mostly happened because Miami was able to bottle up Jahmyr Gibbs while getting solid pressure on Jared Goff, who was sacked three times in the first two quarters but zero times in the second half. The problem for the Dolphins is that Malik Willis struggled with his accuracy and their rushing attack was non-existent, just like Miami's playoff hopes this year. |
Bengals (6-2) 34-17 over Falcons (3-6) in Spain
| A |
|
| In the lead-up to Sunday's game in Spain, Joe Burrow predicted the Bengals offense was going to "put on a show" in Madrid, and that's exactly what happened. This team has struggled with slow starts this year, but in Madrid, the offense was shot out of a cannon to start the game. Ja'Marr Chase made several acrobatic catches while recording 142 yards in the first half alone (his career-high for a first half). Joe Burrow completed 16 of his first 18 passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns. And then there was Tee Higgins, who caught two TD passes. The most impressive part of the Bengals' performance might have been the fact that their defense basically shut down the Falcons after giving up 10 quick points in the first quarter. This was a business vacation for a Bengals team that's looking like a serious Super Bowl contender in the AFC. |
| C- |
|
| It's fitting that this game was played in Spain, because the Falcons' defense looked like it was taking an afternoon siesta against a Bengals offense basically built to exploit Atlanta's weaknesses. The Falcons had no pass rush, and their secondary couldn't keep up with the Bengals athletic receivers, which created huge problems for Atlanta. To make matters worse, the Falcons offense faded as the game went on. Bijan Robinson had 52 rushing yards in the first quarter, but then only 48 for the rest of the game. When you combine that with a passing game that wasn't effective, that's how you get this final score. This is now two straight offensive duds by the Falcons, and it might be time for Kevin Stefanski to go back to the drawing board. |
Jaguars (6-2) 33-10 over Ravens (4-5)
| A |
|
| With the Ravens down to their third-string quarterback, this would have been an easy letdown spot for the Jaguars, but there was no letdown. Instead, the Jags put this game out of reach by halftime, and it was mostly thanks to Trevor Lawrence, who managed to throw for 197 yards in the first half despite heavy rain. The Jags offense was working because Lawrence was getting everyone involved. They had three different receivers finish with at least 60 yards (Jakobi Meyers, Parker Washington and Nate Boerkircher). Lawrence is playing the most efficient football of his career, and if he keeps looking this sharp, there's no reason the Jags can't win the AFC. |
| D- |
|
| Ravens offensive coordinator Declan Doyle used every single page of his playbook to try and get Baltimore's offense going. The Ravens ran a few Wildcat plays with Derrick Henry; they ran a few reverses to Zay Flowers, but they none of that worked to spark the offense. When you have an undrafted rookie at quarterback playing in a torrential downpour, there's only so much you can do. The Ravens found that out the hard way. The Ravens will now be hoping that Jacoby Brissett can improve this offense going forward. |
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