Analysis
11/6/23
16 min read
Everything You Need to Know from NFL Week 9
After an exciting slate of Sunday action in Week 9, The 33rd Team breaks down key plays, stats and ins,ights from around the NFL.
>>READ: Biggest Winners, Losers From Week 9
Chiefs 21, Dolphins 14
Key Inactives
Dolphins: WR Robbie Chosen, QB Skylar Thompson, CB Kelvin Joseph, S Brandon Jones, OL Robert Hunt
Chiefs: RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, DE BJ Thompson, OL Mike Caliendo, DT Neil Farrell, DE Malik Herring
Chiefs Defense Silences Dolphins’ Passing Game
The Miami Dolphins' offense started the season at a historic rate, but their success was halted in Week 9 against the Kansas City Chiefs' defense. After averaging a league-high 7.3 yards per play during Weeks 1-8, the Dolphins averaged 5.0 yards per play against the Chiefs. Kansas City’s secondary limited Tyreek Hill to eight receptions for 62 yards and Jaylen Waddle to three receptions for 42 yards.
Miami Again Struggles vs. Winning Team
The Dolphins are 6-3, but that record is deceiving. Miami is 6-0 against teams with losing records but is 0-3 against teams with winning records.
Third Down … and Out
Kansas City converted 30 percent of its third downs, slightly better than Miami’s 25 percent conversion rate on third down. The Dolphins did not convert a third down in the first half, which was a major reason why the Chiefs jumped to a 21-0 halftime lead. Miami converted 41.7 percent of its third downs from Weeks 1-8. That was a top-10 rate in the league.
Mahomes Bounces Back
Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs struggled offensively in a Week 8 upset at Denver. Mahomes completed 63.2 percent of his passes, did not throw a touchdown pass, but had two interceptions against the Denver Broncos. Mahomes upped his completion percentage to 66.7 and flipped the other stats vs. the Dolphins — two TD passes and no interceptions.
Browns 27, Cardinals 0
Key Inactives
Cardinals: RB Emari Demercado, WR Michael Wilson, OT Trystan Colon
Browns: CB Greg Newsome
Cardinals Put Up a Doughnut
Quarterback Clayton Tune struggled in his first NFL start after the Arizona Cardinals traded Joshua Dobbs to the Minnesota Vikings at the trade deadline. Tune passed for just 58 yards and averaged 2.8 yards an attempt. He also struggled to take care of the football, throwing two interceptions and losing a fumble. The Cardinals’ run game didn’t help him. Tune was Arizona’s leading rusher with 28 yards, while the rest of the team averaged less than 1 yard per carry. The Cleveland Browns' defense continued to dominate this season and recorded its first shutout since 2007.
Browns QB Deshaun Watson Returns
Browns QB Deshaun Watson hadn’t played a full game since Week 3 due to a shoulder injury. In his return, Watson had a 107.5 passer rating and passed for 219 yards. Watson also was effective with his legs, rushing for 22 yards. Most importantly, Watson did not have a turnover.
Amari Cooper's Perfect Day
Browns WR Amari Cooper caught all five of his targets for 139 yards and a touchdown. His day included two explosive catches — a 59-yarder that is the longest pass play by the Browns this season and a 49-yarder. Cooper had a season-high receiving yards despite five being his fewest targets. It was his third game this season with more than 100 receiving yards.
Vikings 31, Falcons 28
Key Inactives
Vikings: DB Dean Lowry, OL Christian Darrisaw, WR Jalen Nailor
Falcons: WR Drake London, FB Keith Smith, DB DeMarcco Hellams
Dobbs Trade Pays Dividends
Jaren Hall had a solid start, going 5 of 6 for 78 yards, but he sustained a concussion in the first quarter and was replaced by Dobbs, whom the Vikings acquired at the trade deadline on Oct. 31. All Dobbs did was lead the Vikings to a compelling comeback victory.
Dobbs, who was 20 for 30 passing for 158 yards and two touchdowns and a 101.8 passer rating, rallied the Vikings in the final two minutes, driving 75 yards on 11 plays in only 1:46. He converted a fourth-and-7 with a 25-yard scramble inside the 15. A few plays later, he found Brandon Powell for a 6-yard TD with 22 seconds left to give the Vikings the victory. Dobbs ran for 66 yards and a touchdown on seven carries.
Robinson Fumble Opens Door for Vikings
Bijan Robinson’s fumble with 5:04 left in the third quarter let the Vikings back in the game. The Atlanta Falcons were up 21-13 and driving when Robinson was stripped and the Vikings recovered at Atlanta’s 40. Dobbs ran 18 yards for a touchdown then passed to Trishton Jackson for a 2-point conversion to tie the score.
Falcons’ Respond to Re-Take Lead
The Falcons showed resilience in retaking the lead on a 13-play, 79-yard drive in the fourth quarter. Tyler Allgeier capped the drive, which lasted 6:58, with a 5-yard TD run to put the Falcons up 28-24 with 2:06 to go. ESPN gave Atlanta a 83.5 percent chance of winning at that point.
Commanders 20, Patriots 17
Key Inactives
Patriots: WR Kendrick Bourne, WR DeVante Parker, QB Will Grier, OT Trent Brown, WR Kayshon Boutte, CB Alex Austin
Commanders: WR Curtis Samuel, CB Tariq Castro-Fields, OC Ricky Stromberg, OT Alex Akingbulu
QB Sam Howell More Up Than Down
Sam Howell and the Washington Commanders have had an up-and-down season, but Howell had a solid day against a good defense. Despite being the NFL’s most sacked quarterback, Howell was only dropped three times by the New England Patriots. He passed for 325 yards, the second game in a row he’s exceeded 300 yards. Howell had one touchdown and one interception against the Patriots, whom Washington had not defeated since 1996 and snapped a four-game losing streak against.
Commanders’ Defense Gets It Done
Fresh off trading their two best pass rushers — DEs Montez Sweat and Chase Young — on Oct. 31, the Commanders' defense played well. While the Patriots averaged 5.6 yards per carry on 19 rushes, QB Mac Jones was held to 24 of 44 passing and 220 yards, just five yards per attempt. Jartavius Martin intercepted him in the final two minutes to seal the outcome.
Patriots Continue to Struggle
While the Patriots' defense put them in a position to win by allowing just 20 points and forcing two turnovers, the offense let down New England again. The Patriots are 2-7 for the first time since 2000, Bill Belichick’s first season as their coach. New England also is 0-5 in non-division games, the only NFL team without a win outside of its division. Missing injured WRs Bourne and Parker, Jones again struggled. The performances of RB Rhamondre Stevenson (129 yards from scrimmage) and TE Hunter Henry (four catches, one TD) were two positives.
Ravens 37, Seahawks 3
Key Inactives
Baltimore: OT Morgan Moses, DB Marcus Williams, CB Rock Ya-Sin, CB Jalyn Armour-Davis
Seattle: LB Devin Bush, CB Kyu Blu Kelly. OT McClendon Curtis
Ravens' Defense Is Legit
The Baltimore Ravens' defense put forth another strong performance, holding the Seattle Seahawks to 151 offensive yards — just 28 rushing and 123 passing. The Ravens came into the game leading the league in sacks (35) and added four more. They also intercepted Geno Smith once. This was the fourth the Ravens held an opponent to 9 points or fewer.
Ravens Run Wild
Baltimore leaned on its running game, and for good reason. Rookie RB Keaton Mitchell led the way with a career-high 138 yards, and the Ravens totaled 298. That helped the Ravens have their seventh game of 20 or more points and their third of 30 or more. QB Lamar Jackson was an efficient 21 of 26 for 187 yards and he added 60 yards on 10 rushes. WR Odell Beckham Jr. caught his first touchdown pass as a Raven, from Tyler Huntley in the fourth quarter.
Seattle’s Offense Stumbles
The Seahawks’ offense was the complete opposite — totally ineffective. Seattle had just six first downs (one rushing) and went 1-for-12 on third down. Geno Smith was a paltry 13 of 28 for 157 yards and was sacked four times. As a result, Baltimore amassed a 40:04-19:56 edge in time of possession.
Saints 24, Bears 17
Key Inactives:
Chicago: QB Justin Fields, LB Tremaine Edmunds, HB Khalil Herbert, OG Nate Davis, DB Jaquan Brisker
New Orleans: DE Payton Turner
Chicago’s Turnover Blunders Fuel Saints' Streak
The Chicago Bears took a 7-0 lead on the opening drive, ending in a fantastic pitch-and-catch between UDFA rookie Tyson Bagent and tight end Cole Kmet for an 18-yard touchdown. The Bears halted the New Orleans Saints on their opening drive after five plays and 18 yards. With a touchdown lead and the ball back with 9:35 left in the game, the Bears gained 27 yards in a somewhat hectic sequence, ultimately ending in a Paulson Adebo interception. The Saints have forced a takeaway in all their games this season and have had a neutral or positive turnover margin in all but two contests.
This was the second game this season that New Orleans did not have a turnover. The Bears had four chances to tie it 24-24 in the fourth quarter. Three of them resulted in turnovers. The Bears outgained the Saints from scrimmage and held the ball longer. The Bears could not extend their lead to two scores after taking leads of 7-0, 14-7 and 17-14.
Versatile Taysom Hill Scores Twice
Taysom Hill scored on a 2-yard reception from Derek Carr and tossed his own in the backend of the end zone to Juwan Johnson. According to ESPN Statistics & Information, Hill is the fifth player in NFL history to collect 10 passing touchdowns, 10 receiving touchdowns and 10 rushing touchdowns.
Adebo's Record Day Best Since Woodson in 2009
Adebo had two interceptions, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and three passes defended. This is the first time since Charles Woodson that a player had two interceptions, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in the same game (Week 12, 2009).
Colts 27, Panthers 13
Key Inactives:
Colts: LB Zaire Franklin, CB Julius Brents, OT Braden Smith
Panthers: S Vonn Bell, WR Laviska Shenault Jr.
Interceptions Plague Bryce Young
Coming into the game, Bryce Young had just four interceptions on the season. Young threw three interceptions against the Indianapolis Colts’ defense, including two returned for touchdowns by Kenny Moore. Linebacker Segun Olubi had the other interception. Opposing teams have 45 points off Young's turnovers. Ball security must become a higher priority for the rookie quarterback.
Colts' Offense Relies on Defense
The Colts managed only 194 yards of offense, their lowest total all season. Gardner Minshew threw for just 127 yards, his career-low as a starter. Their two top receivers got hurt early in the game — Josh Downs left with a knee injury and Michael Pittman briefly left after taking a massive hit. The offense stalled in the second half, scoring zero points and gaining just 27 yards. Fortunately, the defense stepped up.
Panthers Off To a Rough Start
The Carolina Panthers' 1-7 start matches their worst eight-game start in franchise history. This offseason the Panthers re-modeled their coaching staff and drafted quarterback Young first overall, hoping to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017. This week, the Panthers have just four days before they play the Bears on Thursday night.
Packers 20, Rams 3
Key Inactives:
Packers: OT David Bakhtiari, DB Darnell Savage, CB Eric Stokes, LB Quay Walker
Rams: QB Matthew Stafford, QB Stetson Bennett, OT Rob Havenstein, LB Ernest Jones, RB Kyren Williams
Green Bay’s Defense Plays Lights Out
The Green Bay Packers held the Los Angeles Rams to 187 total yards and limited them to 24:44 in time of possession. After trading CB Rasul Douglas at the deadline, the Packers' defense performed well, albeit against backup quarterback Brett Rypien. Other than a 56-yard, field-goal-scoring drive, the Rams did not gain more than 28 yards on any drive. No Rams skill position player had more than 50 scrimmage yards — Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp combined for five catches and 80 yards. The Rams struggled mightily and proved it will be difficult to win games while Stafford is out.
Packers' Offense Shows Promise Despite Mistakes
Both teams committed turnovers, with the Packers losing two fumbles (one from rookie Dontayvion Wicks and another from Aaron Jones). The Rams lost one Rypien fumble in the first quarter, and Rypien threw an interception to Anthony Johnson in the fourth quarter. The main difference in this game was the Packers’ ability to score off of takeaways, which they did both times, while the Rams failed on both of their opportunities.
The Packers also gained 20 or more yards on five plays, which was the most 20-plus-yard plays in a game for them this season.
Texans 39, Buccaneers 37
Key Inactives:
Tampa Bay: OG Matt Feiler, DL Logan Hall, RB Sean Tucker, TE David Wells, QB John Wolford
Houston: OG Nick Broeker, TE Brevin Jordan, QB Case Keenum, RB Dameon Pierce, DT Sheldon Rankins, WR Robert Woods
C.J. Stroud Shines
C.J. Stroud, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, is coming into his own as his play Sunday made obvious. Stroud led the Houston Texans on a come-from-behind drive with 46 seconds left. Stroud was 30 of 42 for 470 yards and five touchdowns. He has 14 touchdowns and one interception this season. Stroud spread the ball out: Tank Dell caught two of Stroud’s five touchdowns to go along with 114 receiving yards, Noah Brown finished with 153 yards and one touchdown, and Dalton Schultz had 130 receiving yards and one touchdown.
The Texans did not need much of a run game with that performance from Stroud. Houston had 53 yards on 17 attempts. Devin Singletary led the Texans with just 26 yards on 13 carries.
Buccaneers' Slump Hits Four
After losing to the Texans, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' losing streak stretched to four games, with the past three being one-score losses. The Buccaneers have been competitive, but they need to tighten up as they are sitting at 3-5 and third in the NFC South.
>>READ: C.J. Stroud Already Is One of NFL's Best Quarterbacks
Eagles 28, Cowboys 23
Key Inactives
Eagles: CB Bradley Roby, DE Derek Barnett, RB Boston Scott, TE Grant Calcaterra
Cowboys: N/A
Hurts, Eagles Fight Until End
The Philadelphia Eagles (8-1) trailed the Dallas Cowboys (5-3) 17-14 at halftime, and Jalen Hurts (17 for 23, 207 yards, two touchdowns, one rushing touchdown) appeared to aggravate his injured knee that he has been nursing the past couple of weeks. However, Hurts came out in the second half and marched the Eagles' offense down the field on a 60-yard touchdown drive that was capped off by a beautiful touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith (three receptions, 51 yards, one touchdown). The NFC East battle ended with Dallas six yards away from a potential winning touchdown.
After a crucial 11-yard sack by Josh Sweat and a penalty that moved Dallas back to the 27-yard line, Dak Prescott found CeeDee Lamb for 22 yards but was tackled as time expired. Prescott finished with 330 yards and three touchdowns in the loss, and Lamb finished with 11 receptions for 191 yards.
CeeDee Lamb Adds Another 100-yard Game
This was Lamb’s 14th career 100-yard game, giving him the second-most 100-yard games through a Cowboys player’s first four seasons. The only Cowboys player with more 100-yard games in his first four seasons is Bob Hayes (15).
Battle in the Trenches
Arguably two of the best defensive lines in the NFL had good showings. The Eagles’ defensive line sacked Prescott five times and allowed only 3.5 yards per rush. The Cowboys’ defensive line sacked Hurts three times and held the Eagles’ rushing attack to 3.3 yards per carry.
Raiders 30, Giants 6
Key Inactives
Giants: TE Darren Waller, QB Tyrod Taylor, K Graham Gano
Raiders: LB Divine Deablo, FB Jakob Johnson, LB Luke Masterson, OT Thayer Munford Jr.
Giants QB Daniel Jones Injured in Return
QB Daniel Jones went down with what seemed like a serious knee injury against the Las Vegas Raiders. He initially injured it on the final play of the first quarter and attempted to return but crumpled to the ground on his next play. The New York Giants fear that it is a torn ACL. Jones was four of nine for 25 yards and no touchdowns or interceptions when he left. QB Tommy DeVito couldn’t provide a spark in relief, finishing with 175 yards passing and one touchdown to two interceptions.
Raiders' Defense Dominates Giants’ Makeshift Offense
The Raiders (4-5) took advantage of a depleted Giants offense once Jones went down. Without their top two quarterbacks and leading receiver, TE Darren Waller, the Giants' dismal season continued at the hands of a Raiders defense that held them to 277 yards. The Las Vegas defensive line dominated the trenches as its racked up eight sacks, with three coming from superstar Maxx Crosby. The Raiders held the Giants (2-7) to three of 12 on third down and 1 for 5 on fourth down.
Interim Coach Antonio Pierce, QB Aidan O’Connell Provide Hope
In the dawn of the post-Josh McDaniels era, the Raiders showed up for their interim coach Antonio Pierce. QB Aidan O’Connell was a steady presence in his first game starting since QB Jimmy Garoppolo was benched after a string of underwhelming performances. O’Connell finished 16 of 25 passing with 209 yards and no touchdowns or interceptions. Meanwhile, RB Josh Jacobs had his best game of the season, rushing 26 times for 98 yards and two touchdowns. Despite the 30-point performance from Las Vegas, superstar WR Davante Adams was held in check again, gaining only 34 yards on four catches.
