NFL Sunday Recap, Week 9: Jets, Lions spring home upsets while Joe Mixon runs wild in Cincinnati

NFL Sunday Recap – Week 9

Jaguars 27, Raiders 20

The Raiders, shut out in Week 8, stayed in the state of Florida all week in advance of their trip to Jacksonville in Week 9. Their freshness was apparent early, jumping on the board first with a touchdown pass from Derek Carr to Davante Adams.

After adding a field goal on their next drive, Las Vegas continued their early dominance with Adams’ second touchdown reception of the game – this time a 39-yard bomb to make it 17-0. Jacksonville finally put together a strong drive of their own in the second quarter, punching in a score with Travis Etienne to make it 17-7 late in the second quarter.

Daniel Carlson added another Las Vegas field goal in the final moments of the half, and the Raiders went into the break with a 20-7 advantage. Jacksonville’s offense came out red hot in the second half, quickly fighting their way back into the game with a field goal and a Christian Kirk touchdown to make it 20-17. Travis Etienne kept his big day going on Jacksonville’s next possession, scoring yet another rushing touchdown to give Jacksonville a 24-20 lead as the game moved into the final quarter.

Both defenses held strong for several minutes from there, and Jacksonville’s missed field goal with three minutes to play set up the Raiders with a chance to take a lead. Twice in the final three minutes, the Jaguars’ defense came up big with fourth down stops while making a field goal, completing a 17-point comeback for an unlikely 27-20 win at home.

The loss sends Las Vegas to dire straits at 2-6, while potentially reinvigorating Jacksonville with eight weeks still to play. 

Next Week: Las Vegas: vs. Indianapolis, Jacksonville: at Kansas City

Chargers 20, Falcons 17

The Chargers traveled to Atlanta for their Week 9 matchup with the Falcons following a Week 9 bye, but still found themselves missing several key pieces due to injury. Atlanta’s run-heavy offense got off to a strong start, punishing their way downfield for an eventual Cordarrelle Patterson touchdown on their first drive, his first action in four weeks.

After the Falcons added a field goal to make it 10-0, the Chargers finally responded in the second quarter with a long drive that ended with Austin Ekeler’s short rushing touchdown. Ekeler would find the end zone once more before halftime, catching a short pass in the flat from Justin Herbert to give Los Angeles a 14-10 lead.

Khalil Mack made a game breaking play for the Chargers’ defense early in the second half, stripping Atlanta wideout Drake London of the football to stop a red zone opportunity and give Los Angeles the football. Justin Herbert gave it right back to the Falcons with an interception though, leading to Cordarrelle Patterson’s second touchdown of the day and a 17-14 Falcons lead.

The Chargers tied the game up on Cameron Dicker’s field goal in the fourth quarter, and eventually regained possession with a chance to take a lead in the game’s final minutes. Los Angeles would drive it deep into Falcons’ territory, but a wild sequence would follow with 34 seconds to go. Austin Ekeler appeared to fumble on third down, but the recovering defender for the Falcons fumbled as well moments later out closer to midfield.

That fumble was recovered by Los Angeles – but all was cast into doubt when the play came under review moments later. The call on the field was upheld, moving the Chargers back near midfield with a new set of downs – but Justin Herbert’s downfield completion to Josh Palmer set them right back up in field goal territory with seconds to play.

The game would all come down to Cameron Dicker, Los Angeles’ newly acquired kicker in the final moments. Dicker would come through, drilling a 37-yard field goal to give the Chargers a much needed 20-17 road win. Los Angeles moves to 6-3 with the triumph, keeping them no more than a game behind the Chiefs heading into Week 10. 

Next Week: Los Angeles: at San Francisco, Atlanta: at Carolina

Dolphins 35, Bears 32

Two offenses playing well met in windy Chicago on Sunday afternoon, as the Miami Dolphins traveled to Chicago looking to keep pace in the AFC Playoff race. The Bears struck first, kicking a field goal on their opening drive to take a 3-0 lead just a few minutes into the game. Miami responded with a promising drive of their own, hitting multiple throws over the middle of the field en route to a Raheem Mostert rushing touchdown for the lead.

The Bears’ offense, suddenly improved in recent weeks, responded in kind with their own score – theirs coming on a pass from Justin Fields to Cole Kmet for a 10-7 lead. Miami continued the back and forth from there, working their way downfield for an eventual touchdown pass from Tua Tagovailoa to Tyreek HIll for a 14-10 advantage.

The Chicago offense finally blinked on their next drive, lining up to punt – and when Miami’s special teams blocked the punt and ran it in for a score, the Dolphins’ lead ballooned to 21-10 in the second quarter. The offensive onslaught continued on Chicago’s next drive though, an impressive drive that Justin Fields capped off with a touchdown pass to Darnell Mooney. Jason Sanders missed a field goal in the final seconds of the half, and Miami carried a 21-17 advantage into the break.

The back-and-forth offensive explosion continued in the second half, as Jaylen Waddle’s touchdown reception and Justin Fields’ 61-yard touchdown run made it 28-25 Dolphins in the third quarter. The Dolphins extended their lead once again in the third quarter on Tagovailoa’s third touchdown throw of the day, this one to newly acquired running back Jeff Wilson Jr. to make it 35-25.

Chicago’s offense continued to find success in the fourth quarter to stay in the game, pulling to within three once again as Justin Fields found Cole Kmet for his second touchdown of the afternoon with eleven minutes still to go. The Bears’ defense finally came up with a huge stop with just under eight minutes to go, halting Miami in the red zone on downs to give their offense a chance at taking a lead.

Miami’s defense made all the stops in the final minutes though, holding a frantic effort from Justin Fields and the Bears’ offense at bay to preserve a 35-32 road win. 

Next Week: Miami: vs. Cleveland, Chicago: vs. Detroit

Bengals 42, Panthers 21

The Cincinnati Bengals were in need of a better performance following their Monday night football dud in Cleveland and hoped that a home date with the 2-6 Panthers would provide them that opportunity. The Bengals got off to a hot start, moving downfield quickly on their opening drive for what was eventually a Joe Mixon touchdown run.

Cincinnati’s next two drives found paydirt as well: rushing touchdowns by Joe Burrow and a second of the day for Joe Mixon giving the Bengals a 21-0 second quarter advantage. Joe Mixon’s ridiculous first half continued late in the second quarter, as his third rushing touchdown of the day made it 28-0 Bengals.

Cincinnati’s unbelievable offensive showing continued with a drive right before the intermission, and they would extend the lead to 35-0 with just four seconds to play on Joe Burrow’s pass to none other than Joe Mixon, who found the end zone for a fourth time in just one half of football. Baker Mayfield took over at quarterback for Carolina in the second half, and quickly rewarded the decision with a touchdown pass to tight end Tommy Tremble in the third quarter to make it 35-7.

Joe Mixon’s insane day would continue from there though, as his fifth total touchdown – and fourth on the ground – made it 42-7 Cincinnati. Mayfield continued his audition to win back the starting job with another touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, this time finding Terrace Marshall to make it 42-14.

Another garbage time score, this one a run by Raheem Blackshear, made it 42-21 with 89 seconds to play. The blowout win moves Cincinnati to 5-4 and pushes the Panthers to 2-7 while all but halting any momentum the Panthers thought they had been building in recent weeks. 

Next Week: Carolina: vs. Atlanta, Cincinnati: Bye

Lions 15, Packers 9

The Green Bay Packers entered Sunday afternoon’s trip to Detroit having bullied the Lions for years but had not looked capable of bullying anyone over the four-game losing streak they came in on. The Lions started the day 1-6, despite averaging more than 35 points per game on their home field and were hoping to flip the script on their divisional rivals.

Neither team struggled to gain yards in the early going, but each had red zone trips come up empty in the first quarter. Aaron Rodgers, who threw an interception in the red zone on the Packers’ first opportunity, threw a second one from the Detroit one-yard line to kill yet another red zone chance early in the second quarter.

Detroit eventually found their way to the scoreboard first, taking a 6-0 lead with Jared Goff’s one-yard touchdown pass to Shane Zylstra before converting the two-point conversion to make the lead 8-0 at the break. The Packers’ offense finally broke through late in the third quarter, as Aaron Rodgers dropped in a beautiful pass to Allen Lazard in the end zone – but a failure to convert the two-point try kept Detroit ahead 8-6.

Detroit extended that lead as the fourth quarter began, as Jared Goff found rookie tight end James Mitchell in the end zone for a 15-6 lead. Green Bay added a field goal in the fourth quarter to pull back within six, and eventually got the football back in the final minutes needing a touchdown drive.

Two near fumbles almost derailed the possession, but Rodgers and the Packers pressed forward down to the Detroit 17-yard line where they would face a fourth down with the game on the line.

Detroit’s defense came up with the stop they needed though, their fourth stop of the Packers in the red zone of the afternoon. The 15-9 win moves Detroit to 2-6, leaving them only half a game behind the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North’s cellar. 

Next Week: Green Bay: vs. Dallas, Detroit: at Chicago

Patriots 26, Colts 3

The Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots each began Sunday’s matchup needing a win to stay relevant in the AFC Playoff picture, and each were relying on young, unproven quarterbacks in Sam Ehlinger and Mac Jones to get it done.

Both defenses made life difficult on those quarterbacks early, keeping the game without a score heading into the second quarter in Foxborough. New England eventually got on the board first, as the reliable Nick Folk drilled a 49-yard field goal early in the second quarter. Folk would convert another field goal to double the Patriots’ lead midway through the second quarter, and a blocked punt set up a Patriots’ touchdown moments later to extend their lead to 13.

Indianapolis finally set up a scoring opportunity before the half, but a missed field goal in the final seconds maintained New England’s 13-0 advantage. Both teams kicked field goals in the third quarter, and the game would head into the final period with the Patriots ahead 16-3.

Nick Folk added his fourth field goal of the game in the fourth quarter to make it 19-3, and the Colts’ offensive nightmare got even uglier when Jonathan Jones picked off Sam Ehlinger for a 17-yard pick six with under four minutes to play. The game would mercifully go final at 26-3, a dominant defensive effort from the New England Patriots to improve to 5-4. 

Next Week: Indianapolis: at Las Vegas, New England: Bye 

Jets 20, Bills 17

The New York Jets entered Week 9 at 5-3, hoping to prove with a win over the mighty Bills that they are legitimate contenders in the AFC. Their Sunday got off to a promising start, as they would intercept Josh Allen on the Bills’ opening drive to thwart an early red zone opportunity.

Buffalo showed up on defense though, getting a stop to set up another drive in the red zone – and this time, Josh Allen finished the job with a bruising touchdown run for a 7-0 Bills lead. New York eventually responded with a field goal, but Josh Allen’s second touchdown run of the day made it 14-3 Bills in the second quarter.

New York continued to fight late in the second quarter, marching 75 yards over 13 plays to pull within 14-10 on Michael Carter’s short touchdown run. Rookie cornerback Sauce Gardner intercepted Josh Allen in the third quarter, setting up New York to potentially take their first lead of the afternoon – and moments later, Zach Wilson’s touchdown pass to newly acquired James Robinson gave the Jets a 17-14 lead. Bills’ kicker Tyler Bass converted a 51-yard field goal to tie the game at 17 in the fourth, setting up a potentially wild finish from Metlife Stadium.

The Jets rode their run game to a huge late drive, taking a lead with less than two minutes to go with a field goal that made it 20-17 – but Josh Allen and the high-powered Bills offense had plenty of time to put together a drive of their own.

Like they had done all day though, the Jets’ secondary made huge plays to secure the win by forcing the Bills into a turnover on downs in the final seconds. Now 6-3, New York is just half a game behind the Bills atop the AFC East heading into Week 10. 

Next Week: Buffalo: vs. Minnesota, New York: Bye

Vikings 20, Commanders 17

Much was made all week about the Vikings’ trip to Washington for quarterback Kirk Cousins, who used to quarterback the Washington franchise before eventually moving on to Minnesota. He would exact revenge on the Vikings’ first drive, quickly moving downfield and finding Justin Jefferson for a touchdown and a 7-0 first quarter lead.

A mostly quiet first half developed from there, with only a Commanders field goal changing the score to 7-3 before halftime. Washington found a much-needed offensive spark on their first second-half possession, as Taylor Heinicke’s deep pass to Curtis Samuel became a miraculous touchdown after several Vikings defenders collided with one another.

The defensive struggle headed to the fourth quarter with the Commanders ahead 10-7, but the Commanders quickly extended their lead to 17-7 on Taylor Heinicke’s touchdown pass to Dax Milne with just over 14 minutes to play.

Minnesota’s offense awakened in the fourth quarter though, converting a field goal and a passing touchdown to Dalvin Cook to tie the game at 17 with eight minutes left. After several stops kept the game tied heading into the final moments, Minnesota eventually worked their way into Washington territory as the clock wound down.

With 12 seconds to play, Greg Joseph’s 28-yard field goal sealed the road win for the one-loss Vikings. Now sitting at 7-1, Minnesota is in full control of the NFC North – and the conference’s number one seed – heading into the back half of their schedule. 

Next Week: Minnesota: at Buffalo, Washington: at Philadelphia

Seahawks 31, Cardinals 21

The Cardinals and Seahawks met in Arizona Sunday afternoon, their second meeting already through the campaign’s first nine weeks. The first, a defensive battle, saw the Seahawks win 19-9 – but with DeAndre Hopkins back in the fold and the Seahawks rolling, both offenses started out hotter at State Farm Stadium.

The Seahawks’ first drive showed promise, but ultimately resulted in a 49-yard field goal by Jason Myers. Arizona took the lead moments later, as Kyler Murray found DeAndre Hopkins for a 22-yard touchdown strike at the six-minute mark of the first quarter.

Each team exchanged punts as the first quarter expired, but Seattle’s first second-quarter possession resulted in a DK Metcalf touchdown for a 10-7 lead. Both defenses held strong over the final ten minutes of the first half, but Arizona’s defense made the first huge play of the second half.

Linebacker Zaven Collins intercepted Geno Smith, taking back the return for a pick-six and a 14-10 Cardinals lead with just under ten minutes to play in the third quarter. Geno Smith battled back with a much better drive his next time out, though, moving the Seahawks downfield and eventually completing a touchdown pass to Tyler Lockett that put Seattle back on top.

After forcing Arizona’s sixth punt of the game, Seattle embarked on a fourth quarter drive deep into Cardinals territory once again. This time they would score on the ground, as Kenneth Walker II punched in a touchdown to extend Seattle’s lead to 24-14.

Arizona would finally respond, as Kyler Murray found Zach Ertz for a touchdown with three and a half minutes to play – but they were in desperate need of a stop if they wanted a chance to actually come back and win the game. Geno Smith quickly found Noah Fant for a long pass downfield, setting up Seattle deep in Arizona territory as the game approached the two-minute warning.

The Seahawks kept their foot on the gas, as Kenneth Walker II’s second rushing touchdown of the afternoon pushed their lead to an insurmountable 10 points with 2:14 to play. Seattle’s defense finished the job quietly from there, picking up yet another impressive win to move to 6-3 and maintain their division lead.

Next Week: Arizona: at LA Rams, Seattle: at Tampa Bay (in Munich)

Buccaneers 16, Rams 13

The Rams’ trip to Tampa Bay for Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers was a rematch of last season’s divisional round matchup, but certainly did not feel like it as both teams entered Week 9 with losing records. Both offenses entered the game struggling, and the Rams’ offense continued to do so when their first drive was halted quickly.

Tampa Bay’s first drive showed more promise, working down inside the Los Angeles five-yard line before settling for a field goal and a 3-0 lead. The Rams eventually struck gold early in the second quarter, when Matthew Stafford found star wide receiver Cooper Kupp for a 69-yard touchdown and a 7-3 lead.

The Buccaneers went more than 15 full minutes of gametime without gaining a first down, and when they would finally set up an opportunity for a field goal it was blocked by Bobby Wagner with just under three minutes to play before half. Bucs kicker Ryan Succop would eventually get another chance, drilling a 38-yarder to pull Tampa Bay within a point at the halftime break.

Los Angeles started to get their run game going in the third quarter, with Darrell Henderson Jr. gashing the Buccaneers’ front seven en route to a red zone opportunity. The drive would stall out though, leading to Matt Gay’s 36-yarder to extend L.A.’s lead to 10-6. Los Angeles, continuing to stifle the Bucs’ offense, found themselves deep in Tampa Bay territory again late in the third quarter after another deep ball found Cooper Kupp downfield.

Again, Los Angeles would settle for a field goal – giving them a 13-6 lead as the third quarter came to a close. Tampa Bay slowly worked their way into Rams’ territory with eight minutes to go, but also wound up settling for Ryan Succop’s third kick of the night and a 13-9 deficit with eight minutes to play. 

The Bucs’ defense forced a punt from there, giving Tom Brady yet another opportunity to overtake the Rams with plenty of time at his disposal. Using a bevy of short passes underneath the Rams’ zone defense, Brady quickly advanced the Buccaneers deep into Los Angeles territory as the two-minute warning approached.

After Scotty Miller dropped an easy touchdown, Tampa faced a fourth and goal from the seven-yard line – but Jalen Ramsey knocked down Brady’s pass in the end zone, pushing the Bucs against the ropes in the final seconds. Tampa’s defense did force an L.A. punt, giving their offense a final opportunity needing 56 yards with 44 seconds and no timeouts. Brady quickly navigated the Bucs downfield, getting the ball back inside the Rams’ 15-yard line with 19 seconds to play. Tampa Bay caught a break with 13-seconds to go with a pass interference call on Los Angeles that gave them the ball on the one-yard line.

Tom Brady found Cade Otton from there for a touchdown, putting the Bucs ahead with nine seconds to play – the most recent in an infinitely long line of game-winning drives for Tom Brady.
Next Week: Los Angeles: vs. Arizona, Tampa Bay: vs. Seattle (in Munich)

Chiefs 20, Titans 17 (OT)

For the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday night’s matchup with the Tennessee Titans was about revenge for last season’s 27-3 blowout loss in Nashville – and the excess physicality and trash talk put that intention on full display in the early going. Kansas City struck first, kicking a field goal on their first drive and punching in a Mecole Hardman touchdown to extend their lead to 9-0 by early in the second quarter.

The Titans finally responded on the ensuing possession, as Derrick Henry’s physical running led a drive downhill toward the end zone, polished off by a touchdown of his own to make it 9-7. After forcing a punt on the next Chiefs drive, Derrick Henry continued his demolition derby on another physical touchdown drive to give Tennessee a 14-9 lead.

That score would hold into halftime, a much better spot than many expected the Titans to be in heading into the third quarter. Tennessee would strike first, intercepting Patrick Mahomes in Chiefs’ territory and turning the extra possession into a Randy Bullock field goal, amounting to 17-straight unanswered points and an eight-point lead in the third quarter.

The score would hold there into the fourth quarter, as frustration clearly mounted through seven consecutive scoreless possessions for Kansas City. The Chiefs’ offense finally did respond with three minutes to play, as Patrick Mahomes’ 14-yard touchdown rush brought them within a two-point conversion of tying the game. He ran the conversion in himself moments later, tying the score at 17 heading into the final moments.

A quick three-and-out highlighted by Carlos Dunlap’s sack of Malik Willis forced a Titans’ punt at the two-minute warning, giving Mahomes and the Chiefs an opportunity to drive downfield and win the game with all three timeouts. Tennessee’s defense found a way to get the stop though, and ultimately the game advanced into overtime. Kansas City won the toss, and an unbelievable play by backup tight end Noah Gray to catch a deep pass over the middle immediately set up the Chiefs in Tennessee territory.

The Titans’ defense eventually did enough to force a Chiefs’ field goal, giving themselves a chance to respond trailing 20-17 with four minutes remaining in the overtime period. Kansas City’s defense overwhelmed the rookie quarterback for the Titans on the possession that followed, sealing a too-close-for-comfort 20-17 comeback win for Kansas City, who now ties the Buffalo Bills atop the AFC at 6-3.

Next Week: Tennessee: vs. Denver, Kansas City: vs. Jacksonville