Week 9 NFL previews

Today

Denver Broncos (5-3) at Baltimore Ravens (5-3), 8 a.m. HST

Ravens QB Lamar Jackson practiced Friday for the first time all week after sitting out consecutive practice sessions for the first time since 2022 with back and knee issues. Jackson said Friday his availability for Week 9 was never in doubt, and that’s great news for Baltimore as the Ravens attempt to distance themselves from a clunker that led to a surprising upset at Cleveland (2-6). Jackson and RB Derrick Henry are doing a number on opposing defenses, but the Ravens are doing more than their share to prop up opposing passers this season. Up next is rookie Bo Nix, who leads all first-year quarterbacks with 12 total touchdowns and has the Broncos thinking playoffs. The Ravens are winning by outgunning opponents. They averaged more than 450 yards per game and have scored 242 points compared to 173 for the Broncos. Denver is 1-6 all-time in the regular season at Baltimore but the Broncos are thinking big plays in this matchup. Baltimore is first in the NFL in run defense, but doesn’t want to talk much about the performance of the secondary. Last week, safety Kyle Hamilton dropped a sure interception and fellow safety Eddie Jackson dropped two. The Ravens lead the NFL in 20-plus-yard plays generated (offense) and allowed (defense).

Dallas Cowboys (3-4) at Atlanta Falcons (5-3), 8 a.m. HST

The first-place Falcons are running toward their first winning season and playoff appearance since 2017, winning four of their last five games. Atlanta is 2-3 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium with a chance to move to 6-3 for the first time since 2016 when the Falcons were NFC champions. Scoring is up and Atlanta has eclipsed the 30-point total in three games this year, a mark it failed to meet a single time in 2023. Kirk Cousins’ 2,106 passing yards rank third in the NFL and his 14 touchdowns through the air are tied for fifth, with five players catching at least 29 passes through eight games. The Cowboys have dropped two in a row and are 2 1/2 games behind the NFC East-leading Washington Commanders. The first of those two losses was a 47-9 drubbing at home to the Detroit Lions on Oct. 13. With Micah Parsons (ankle) and DeMarcus Lawrence (foot) out, the Cowboys are trending south in a hurry on defense. They’ve allowed the second-most points in the league (28.3 per game) and the most rushing yards (154.6, tied with the Carolina Panthers).

Miami Dolphins (2-5) at Buffalo Bills (6-2), 8 a.m. HST

Von Miller is back from suspension following Buffalo’s 31-10 win at Seattle as the Bills look to improve head coach Sean McDermott’s dominance of the Dolphins. McDermott is 14-2 against Miami, and Buffalo beat the Dolphins by the same 31-10 count in Week 2. Bills RB James Cook has provided a consistent running game. He scored twice last week and shredded Miami back in September, hauling in a TD pass before finding the end zone twice on the ground. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sustained a concussion in the third quarter of the home loss to Buffalo and he missed the next four games. The Dolphins lost three times during that span, averaging 10 points in those four contests. With Tagovailoa back, the Dolphins believe there’s time to crash the playoff picture. He completed 28 of 38 passes for 234 yards and a touchdown in a 28-27 setback against the Cardinals last week.

New Orleans Saints (2-6) at Carolina Panthers (1-7), 8 a.m. HST

New Orleans couldn’t be happier to see Carolina pop up on the schedule for the second time this season. Not only have the Panthers allowed 18 more touchdowns than they’ve scored this season, the Saints are trying to snap a six-game losing streak that began Week 3. In Week 1, the Saints smothered the Panthers with scores on nine consecutive drives in a 47-10 romp. Carolina’s only touchdown in the game was a late run by Bryce Young, who was benched before Week 3 but gets set to make his second start in a row due to Andy Dalton’s thumb injury. Young played well at Denver last week and connected on two TD passes. The Saints are only a game ahead of the Panthers in the NFC South standings and face their own concerns. Derek Carr’s oblique injury led to rookie QB Spencer Rattler taking over as the starting quarterback in Week 6. Carr threw for three touchdowns in the first meeting. Rattler has thrown for one TD in the past three games combined.

Las Vegas Raiders (2-6) at Cincinnati Bengals (3-5), 8 a.m. HST

Joe Burrow is putting up MVP-type statistics — 15 touchdowns, three interceptions — but the Bengals aren’t pulling in wins with a defense allowing 25.4 points per game. They were hit for 37 points by the Eagles last week in a 20-point loss during which Philadelphia was the far more physical team on both sides of the line of scrimmage. The failures aren’t entirely on the Bengals’ defense. Cincinnati is winless at home at 0-4 and failed to score 20 points for the third game in a row last week. The Raiders failed to take advantage of opportunities against the Chiefs last week, including 1-for-3 in goal-to-go situations, resulting in a 27-20 loss. Neither team has been able to generate rushing yards consistently, ranking in the bottom five in the league in yards per game on the ground. The imbalance has put the Raiders in a double-digit deficit in every game this season. QB Garder Minshew was toast against the Chiefs’ blitz last week — Kansas City notched five sacks — and the Bengals are one of the most blitz-happy teams in the NFL.

Los Angeles Chargers (4-3) at Cleveland Browns (2-6), 8 a.m. HST

Rumors swirled in Cleveland that this could be the final game for DE Myles Garrett with the Browns as the trade deadline approaches. But he’s not the former No. 1 pick creating the most buzz in The Land. Jameis Winston started his first game of the season with Ken Dorsey installed as Cleveland’s play-caller, and the combination worked magic — 2024 team highwater marks in points (29), passing yards (321), first downs (22), touchdowns (three), passing touchdowns (three), third-down percentage (53.3) and yards per pass attempt (7.5) — to beat the Ravens. The Chargers are eighth in the NFL in total defense (305.4 yards per game) and have 17 sacks, a concern for Cleveland’s beleaguered offensive line.

Washington Commanders (6-2) at New York Giants (2-6), 8 a.m. HST

The Commanders are the first team since the 2016 Dallas Cowboys to open a season 6-2 with a rookie starting quarterback, and fourth since 1950. Jayden Daniels had 326 yards and the walk-off 52-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass to beat the Bears last week. He’s completing 71.8 percent of his passes (second in the NFL) and consistently finding No. 1 WR Terry McLaurin, a Giant-killer in previous seasons (25 receptions, 362 yards) over four career games against New York. The Giants made secret of their affinity for Daniels in an offseason HBO “Hard Knocks” series, but Brian Daboll’s team is the only opponent this season to keep the Commanders out of the end zone. The Giants stopped Daniels six times in the red zone in a 21-18 Week 2 loss but they were trampled for 215 rushing yards and Washington connected on seven field goals. Quarterback is a constant talking point around the Giants, with Daniel Jones trying to prove his worth and going for his third consecutive game against Washington without an interception. The Giants’ defense remains a force with a league-best 35 sacks, but the offense averages 14. 8 points per game compared to Washington’s 29.5 ppg average.

New England Patriots (2-6) at Tennessee Titans (1-6), 8 a.m. HST

The Patriots have won six of the past seven meetings, but for the first time in 25 years there won’t be a Belichick or Vrabel involved. Tennessee openly shifted to making plans for the 2025 roster at the trade deadline, and the future of QB Will Levis remains in doubt this week and long-term. Levis has been fighting a shoulder injury since the Titans’ last win. The Patriots believe No. 3 pick Drake Maye could be the franchise quarterback, but he spent the week in concussion protocol. The Patriots ended a six-game losing streak last week with a 25-22 win over the New York Jets and experienced hand Jacoby Brissett is ready to step in should Maye miss the game. The Titans are reeling from three consecutive losses, the latest a 38-point shellacking (52-14) at Detroit. Mason Rudolph has two touchdowns and three interceptions as Levis’ replacement, but the Titans have struggled in comeback mode.

Chicago Bears (4-3) at Arizona Cardinals (4-4), 11:05 a.m. HST

Suddenly a threat in the NFC West, the Cardinals are surviving with little pass rush behind solid offensive line play and strong performances from QB Kyler Murray and the running game. James Conner is over 700 yards from scrimmage and a driving force behind Arizona’s three wins in four games. All had narrow margins — one point at San Francisco, two points over the Chargers and the 28-27 victory at Miami last week — and Arizona is still being outscored by 27 points on the season. Murray has 11 touchdown passes, three picks and averages 8.4 yards per carry with two touchdowns. The former No. 1 pick matches up with rookie top overall pick Caleb Williams this week. Williams (five interceptions) played well enough to get the Bears a fourth consecutive victory last week but then the Hail Mary in Washington happened. It was the third loss for Chicago, all in games when the Bears failed to get to 17 points. Third-down conversions remain a rub for offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. The 33 percent conversion rate and 183.6 passing yards per game on the season both rank in the bottom five of the NFL.

Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6) at Philadelphia Eagles (5-2), 11:05 a.m. HST

The Eagles have won three straight games. They picked up a second consecutive road victory last weekend, winning 37-17 at Cincinnati following a 28-3 defeat of the New York Giants in Week 7. Eagles QB Jalen Hurts accounted for four TDs (three rushing) against the Bengals and did not turn the ball over for a third straight game. Saquon Barkley ran for 108 yards, surpassing 100 scrimmage yards for the sixth time in seven games, and is No. 2 in the NFL with 766 rushing yards. The Eagles rank second in the league in rushing with 165.9 yards per game and fourth with 12 rushing touchdowns. Philadelphia meets a Jacksonville defense that ranks 29th in scoring (28.0 points per game) and total defense (382.1 yards per game). The Jaguars were unsuccessful in coach Doug Pederson’s first return to Philadelphia, where he coached from 2016-20 and led the Eagles to their only Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl LII. The Eagles welcomed him back with a 29-21 win against Jacksonville on Oct. 2, 2022.

Detroit Lions (6-1) at Green Bay Packers (6-2), 11:25 a.m. HST

Lions QB Jared Goff set the NFL record with a completion percentage of 83 percent over a five-game stretch. The just-completed run of games also slotted the Lions in rare company with a cumulative four-game record-tying 172 points (2019 Ravens). Goff has gobbled against Green Bay in his career with 12 touchdowns, three INTs and a passer rating of 98 in seven starts. The Packers are optimistic Jordan Love (groin) will be part of the fight for first place in the NFC North. He had three TD passes in the last meeting and is on a run of seven consecutive home games with multiple TD passes. If Love can’t play, Malik Willis is the next man up. He helped guide the Packers to a fourth consecutive win, 30-27 at Jacksonville last week after Love was injured. The Packers’ defense leads the NFL with 19 takeaways but Green Bay has only a plus-four turnover margin and tied with a league-worst nine broken tackles last week.

Los Angeles Rams (3-4) at Seattle Seahawks (4-4), 11:25 a.m. HST

How thrilled was Rams QB Matthew Stafford to have the band back together last Thursday? He posted his 16th career four-TD game and the Rams climbed closer to the top of the crowded NFC West to set up a significant midseason matchup with the Seahawks. Seattle lost both games to the Rams last season, but Los Angeles is 0-3 on the road in 2024. But a run defense giving up almost 150 yards per game — and an average of 163.3 in the past three games — could be ripe for the picking given the success of Rams RB Kyren Williams. He has eight rushing touchdowns and scored a pair at Seattle last season. Buffalo all but erased the ground game of the Seahawks last week. Kenneth Walker had nine carries for 12 yards and Zach Charbonnet ran three times for 4 yards.

Indianapolis Colts (4-4) at Minnesota Vikings (5-2), 3:20 p.m. HST

The Vikings are winless since a 5-0 start and welcome Indianapolis for a primetime date Sunday, the first meeting between the teams since Minnesota won in overtime and set the NFL record for the largest comeback in history (33 points) in December of 2022. Anthony Richardson was benched after going 3-1 in his last four starts because he’s on a historic track — for lowest completion percentage — as a pocket passer. Into the lineup steps Joe Flacco, who took the Browns’ passing game to the next level and pushed Cleveland to the playoffs last season with 300-yard games in five consecutive starts. Flacco, 37, continues to fire the ball from the pocket and has multiple TD passes in three of four games with the Colts, including two starts. Sam Darnold has been a strong stand-in for the Vikings in his first season with the team and has five two-TD games. Minnesota is moving forward without LT Christian Darrisaw (ACL), but acquired Cam Robinson from the Jaguars this week to take his place.

Monday

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-4) at Kansas City Chiefs (7-0) 3:15 p.m. HST

The Chiefs attempt to start 8-0 for the third time in franchise history (2003, 2013) against the franchise that delivered Kansas City its last Super Bowl loss. QB Patrick Mahomes thrives on “Monday Night Football,” where he’s 7-2 with 23 TDs (21 pass, two rush). But he’s not putting up the type of numbers Baker Mayfield has for the Buccaneers this season. Mayfield leads the NFL in TD passes (21), ranks second in passing yards (2,189) and third in completion percentage (71.1). The last quarterback to rank in the top three in each category through Week 8 of the season was former Chiefs QB Alex Smith in 2017. Kansas City’s defense has been borderline dominant, especially in slowing running backs in the red zone. Tampa deployed RBs Rachaad White and Bucky Irving in receiving roles last week and they combined for 12 receptions for 151 yards.