After a week in which only one game was competitive, almost all of them were tight on Sunday in Week 9.
The Bills controlled the marquee game against the Chiefs, winning 28–21 while Josh Allen and the offense notched 404 yards and 23 first downs. Meanwhile, Patrick Mahomes was hit 15 times and failed to complete 50% of his passes for the first time in his career.
The only blowout wins belonged to the 49ers and Steelers, who beat the Giants and Colts, respectively. The latter is notable, with Indianapolis losing only its second game due to six turnovers, including two fumbles and a trio of interceptions from Daniel Jones.
Elsewhere, the Chargers escaped against the Titans, winning 27–20 while everyone in the NFC North took their games down to the wire. In the AFC, the Texans and Broncos battled in a low-scoring affair ultimately won by Denver to improve its playoff odds.
Good: Bills looked like best versions of themselves in win over KC
In their 28–21 win over the Chiefs, the Bills not only earned a key victory, but they looked like a contender once more.
Despite being 5–2 through eight weeks, Buffalo looked vulnerable. The Bills were 31st in run defense and 29th in pass coverage, according to Pro Football Focus. But on Sunday, everything came together.
Rookie corner Maxwell Hairston had an interception of Patrick Mahomes in the second half, the first of his career. Buffalo also harassed Mahomes all game, with three sacks and 15 quarterback hits. Mahomes also completed less than half his attempts for the first time in his career, going 15-of-34 for 250 yards and an interception.
Offensively, Josh Allen was brilliant, hitting on 23-of-26 attempts for 273 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for two additional scores. James Cook and Dalton Kincaid both went over the century mark, while Khalil Shakir caught seven of his eight targets.
It all added up to a significant victory and a statement win.
Bad: Chiefs beat up badly on both sides of the line
Kansas City is 5–4 heading into its bye, sitting two games behind the Broncos for first place in the AFC West.
But the Chiefs’ biggest problem isn’t the standings. Instead, it’s their lines.
Kansas City was bullied throughout by the Bills, who entered Sunday looking vulnerable after losing two of their previous three games to the Patriots and Falcons. The Chiefs allowed a 100-yard rusher for the first time all year, James Cook, who carried 27 times for 114 yards. They also got virtually no pressure on Josh Allen, who was sacked three times and hit on six occasions, albeit with two sacks coming on consecutive plays.
Offensively, Kansas City rushed for just 79 yards on 4.0 yards per carry, with Kareem Hunt leading the way with 49 yards and a score. Without Isiah Pacheco, the Chiefs were limited in their explosiveness, with their longest run 13 yards. Kansas City was also playing with three backup offensive linemen, including left tackle Jaylon Moore, left guard Mike Caliendo and right tackle Wanya Morris. The result was Buffalo garnering an absurd 15 quarterback hits.
Kansas City will likely bounce back and be a force in January, but the Chiefs have significant questions to answer entering their bye.
Ugly: The Raiders’ long-term plan feels like a loser
Las Vegas committed to an overhaul this offseason, making Tom Brady a minority owner, hiring general manager John Spytek, a Super Bowl-winning coach in Pete Carroll and trading a third-round pick for quarterback Geno Smith.
The Raiders were expected to be vastly improved from the 4–13 debacle we saw under one-and-done coach Antonio Pierce in 2024. Instead, they look the same and older.
Las Vegas is now 2–6 after losing 30–29 to the Jaguars at Allegiant Stadium. The Raiders have just two games in which they will likely be favored the rest of the season, including home dates with the Browns and Giants.
Carroll is 74 years old. Smith has thrown a league-high 11 interceptions. Ashton Jeanty was taken with the fifth pick and has only 487 rushing yards through eight weeks. The only superstars on the roster are All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers and edge rusher Maxx Crosby. Everyone else ranges from below-average to middling.
In the summer, it felt like Las Vegas was building a new culture. In November, it feels like the Raiders are the Raiders, just a new edition.
Good: Drake Maye continues to make his MVP case
The common restraint around the Drake Maye optimism is that he’s only in his second year. Yet history says Maye might be right on time if he’s going to be an elite quarterback.
In 1984, Dan Marino burst onto the scene in his second year, winning MVP honors with 5,084 passing yards and 48 touchdowns, both league records at the time. In 2018, Patrick Mahomes went for 5,097 yards and 50 touchdowns, leading the Chiefs to the AFC title game.
While Maye might not be Marino or Mahomes, who’s to put such a limit on him? Through eight games, the 2024 first-round pick has thrown for 2,285 yards with 17 touchdowns against four interceptions. He’s also been playing lights out, amassing 10 touchdowns and two picks in New England’s prior four games, all victories.
The Patriots are 7–2 after handling the Falcons, 24–23, giving New England another week in first place of the AFC East. The Patriots have benefitted from a soft schedule, with wins over the Falcons, Panthers, Saints, Browns, Titans, Dolphins and Bills (a combined 18–32 record). Still, Maye’s status as a legitimate MVP candidate shouldn’t be minimized.
Bad: The Packers against poor opponents
One week, the Packers look like the best team in football. The following week, they may look capable of losing to anybody.
On Sunday, Green Bay went the latter route against the Panthers, who won 16–13 despite Bryce Young throwing for 102 yards and an interception on 20 attempts. The Packers primarily lost because of two turnovers and seven penalties, allowing Carolina to hang around while Rico Dowdle rushed for 130 yards and two touchdowns.
For the Packers, the losses to inferior opponents (Browns, Panthers) speak to a talented team that is not yet ready to be an elite contender. Green Bay has looked dominant at times against the Lions, Commanders and Steelers, all playoff teams from a year ago. It has also lost to Cleveland and Carolina, teams with flawed rosters and underwhelming quarterbacks, while settling for a tie against the Cowboys.
At 5-2-1, the Packers remain atop the NFC North and have a chance at the NFC’s top seed. They’re right where they need to be. The problem is consistency, something which has plagued the Packers in recent seasons. Last year, Green Bay was nearly perfect outside the NFC North, losing only to the Eagles in Week 1. But it was 1–5 in the North, turning the Packers into a seventh seed for the second consecutive campaign.
Green Bay has stars all over the roster including Jordan Love, Micah Parsons, Josh Jacobs, Rashan Gary and others. But until the Packers show up every week, it won’t matter.
Ugly: Joe Alt’s ankle injury could spell disaster for Los Angeles
The Chargers survived giving up two non-offensive touchdowns against the Titans in a 27–20 win, but that game could still create a long-term mess.
In the second quarter, Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Alt got rolled up on in the pocket and was carted off with an ankle injury. While the severity is unknown and might remain so until further testing is complete, a season-ending injury would be devastating to a Chargers team already without tackle Rashawn Slater, who sustained a torn patellar tendon during training camp.
Even with Alt, it’s been a struggle for Los Angeles up front. Going into Week 9, the Chargers had been allowing sacks on 7.1% of dropbacks, ranking 21st. They also have lived on being blitzed, with Justin Herbert posting an EPA of +19.3 on such downs, but only a +5.3 EPA on non-blitzed pass attempts. Without Alt and Slater, defenses won’t need to bring more than a four-man rush to create pressure most weeks.
On Sunday, Herbert was sacked six times and hit 11 times against a Titans team that was without its best defender in Jeffery Simmons.
Looking ahead, the Chargers face the Steelers, Jaguars, Raiders, Eagles and Chiefs. Four of those five opponents have designs on the playoffs, while the three AFC games (Pittsburgh, Jacksonville and Kansas City) could wind up with significant tiebreakers as a result.
Good: The AFC North race is starting to heat up
After some injuries and mediocre football over the first eight weeks, the AFC North might create some fun after all.
On Thursday night, Lamar Jackson made his return after missing three games with a hamstring injury and looked like a two-time MVP, throwing four touchdowns in a 28–6 rout of the host Dolphins. On Sunday, the Steelers throttled the previously one-loss Colts, winning 27–20 on the strength of six takeaways, including three interceptions of Daniel Jones.
While the Bengals and Browns are Ohio afterthoughts, Pittsburgh and Baltimore should give everyone a show over the next two months. The Steelers have a two-game lead in the division, and their schedule is daunting with the Lions, Bills, Chargers and Bears remaining, while Baltimore still has dates with the Jets, Browns and Bengals twice.
However, everything comes down to the head-to-head contests between the two teams. The first comes in Week 14 in Baltimore before the rematch in Week 18 at Acrisure Stadium.
The other question is whether two teams from the North can crack the AFC playoff picture. Given the conference’s relative weakness, the Steelers and Ravens both may make it.
Bad: Brian Daboll can’t survive this again in New York
Before the game against the 49ers, a plane flew around MetLife Stadium with a banner behind it, imploring owner John Mara to clean house.
After the game, that plane’s message only rings truer. The Giants lost to the 49ers, 34–24, dropping their record to 2–7 as New York prepares for the Bears, Packers, Lions and Patriots over the next month before a far-too-late Week 14 bye.
Some of this isn’t on Daboll. Superstar second-year receiver Malik Nabers tore his ACL in Week 4 against the Chargers. Last weekend, rookie running back Cam Skattebo dislocated his ankle, putting him out for the season. The Giants are also breaking in a first-year quarterback, Jaxson Dart, who has shown promise with 10 touchdown passes and 251 rushing yards.
Still, Daboll is in his fourth year. In his first season, the Giants made the playoffs and won a wild-card game while Daboll won Coach of the Year. Since then, Daboll is 11-32-1. Bringing him back would only signal more of the same for fans who are starved for success.
Ugly: Everything about the Bengals’ defense
Coming out of last season, the Bengals fired defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo after watching his unit allow 25.5 points and 348.3 yards per game, ranking 25th in both categories.
To fix the issue, the Bengals drafted defensive lineman Shemar Stewart in the first round and hired Al Golden to replace Anarumo. The results have been absolutely catastrophic.
Cincinnati is allowing 428.7 yards and 33.3 points per game, as the Bengals are 3–6 after home losses to the Bears and Jets, both of which put up more than 500 offensive yards, including 576 by Chicago in a 47–42 loss.
While the toe injury to Joe Burrow in Week 3 looms incredibly large, the Bengals should be more competitive than this with Joe Flacco at the controls, throwing to Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. The offense has done its job in recent weeks, scoring at least 31 points each of the past three games.
But with Cincinnati’s defense, almost any offensive explosion will fall short. Eventually, someone needs to be held accountable for the disaster, whether it’s coach Zac Taylor, Golden or general manager Duke Tobin.
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as The Good, Bad and Ugly in Week 9: Josh Allen Gets the Best of Patrick Mahomes.
