We’ve crossed the halfway point of the NFL season, and the race to separate contenders from pretenders is heating up.

From Joe Burrow taking his hot streak to Spain to Josh Allen facing Minnesota’s stingy defense, here are five things to know for Week 9.

Burrow brings the fireworks to Spain

We turned the clocks back last Sunday and gained an extra hour of sleep. Wouldn’t that have been the perfect morning for an international NFL game? West Coast fans, especially, could have used the assist.

Instead, the overseas action returns this Sunday, with the Cincinnati Bengals facing the Atlanta Falcons in Madrid. The Estadio Santiago Bernabéu will host its second regular-season NFL game after the Miami Dolphins beat the Washington Commanders 16-13 in overtime there last November.

International games don’t always deliver marquee offenses, but Spanish fans should get a good look at one of the league’s hottest quarterbacks. Joe Burrow has thrown 13 touchdown passes during Cincinnati’s three-game winning streak, pushing himself into the MVP conversation.

Atlanta, meanwhile, could use a fresh start – and a dry football – after being shut out in a rain-soaked loss at Tampa Bay. The Falcons should find more opportunities against a Bengals defense that just surrendered 36 points to Tennessee.

With Burrow rolling and Cincinnati still struggling to get stops, this one has the ingredients for an entertaining morning. Kickoff is at 9:30 a.m. ET.

Can the Cowboys get out of their own way?

Being a Dallas Cowboys fan is tough. Just when Philadelphia’s injuries appeared to give Dallas an opening in the NFC East, the Cowboys found another painful way to lose. They led Arizona 24-10 with about 11 minutes remaining Sunday, only to unravel in a 33-30 overtime defeat.

Even a second chance wasn’t enough. Chad Ryland missed an extra point that would have put the Cardinals ahead with six seconds left in regulation, but Dak Prescott and the Cowboys still couldn’t turn that reprieve into a victory.

Dallas entered the game 69-0 when leading at home by at least 14 points in the fourth quarter. There goes that perfect record.

Afterward, owner Jerry Jones defended head coach Brian Schottenheimer, saying others had let the coach down. Wherever the blame lands, the Cowboys are 3-5 and running out of room for these kinds of mistakes.

The good news? The NFC East remains within reach, and Dallas’ next four games are against the Colts, 49ers, Titans and Eagles. Winning three would get the Cowboys back to .500 at 6-6.

That’s an attainable goal. With this team, though, nothing feels guaranteed.

Minshew Mania is back

Minshew Magic is back!

As Adam Rank put it on X: “Gardner Minshew is like the McRib. He exists for just a limited amount of time. But while he’s here, it’s spectacular.”

The veteran quarterback came off Arizona’s bench late in the third quarter Sunday and promptly turned a forgettable afternoon into one of the season’s wildest comebacks. Minshew threw for 188 yards and three touchdowns, rallying the Cardinals past the Cowboys in overtime.

His reward? Head coach Mike LaFleur named him the starter moving forward.

Minshew has been delivering these moments since his rookie season with Jacksonville in 2019, when he threw 21 touchdown passes against just six interceptions. The signature mustache, aviator sunglasses and occasional late-game magic have helped make him a fan favorite wherever he lands. The Cardinals will be the sixth team for which Minshew has started.

But can he turn another memorable cameo into a sustained run?

His first assignment is a tough one: A trip to Seattle, where the Seahawks will be eager to respond after giving up 34 points to Chicago on Monday night.

Baker and Bucs at the Bears

On Sunday, the Buccaneers pulled off the unthinkable: Winning an NFL game without completing a pass.

With rain pouring down in Tampa, the Bucs leaned on their running game and bulldozed Atlanta for a franchise-record 324 rushing yards in a 16-0 victory. They became the first NFL team to win without a completion since the Buffalo Bills in 1974.

Baker Mayfield finished 0-for-3 and somehow still posted a higher passer rating than Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who threw four interceptions.

Tampa Bay will almost certainly need more from its passing game Sunday night in Chicago. The Bears looked like legitimate Super Bowl contenders in their 34-17 win over Seattle on Monday, handing the Seahawks their first loss by multiple scores since 2024.

Chicago’s 6-2 record is its best eight-game start in 14 years, and Ben Johnson’s offense is thriving. In the four games Caleb Williams has started and finished this season, the Bears have scored 59, 30, 31 and 34 points.

Josh Allen vs. the Vikings’ defense

Monday night brings a clash of styles — and a fascinating test for two contenders.

Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills arrive in Minnesota averaging a league-best 33 points per game. Brian Flores and the Vikings’ defense are allowing a league-low 13.

Something has to give.

Both teams enter at 6-1, with Minnesota looking to bounce back after Detroit handed the Vikings their first loss of the season.

The matchup to watch is Allen against Flores’ pressure packages. Can the Vikings disguise their looks, get home with the blitz and force mistakes? Or will Allen escape the rush and punish Minnesota with the kind of big plays that can wreck even the best defensive game plan?

It’s a terrific chess match to close the week – with two teams hoping it’s a preview of much bigger games to come.