Jayden Daniels suffered whatâs expected to be a season-ending injury late in Washingtonâs 38-14 loss to the Seahawks last night. It was avoidable, writes David Aldridge.
Below: We start our risers and fallers in Buffalo, where an injury made the victory bittersweet.
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Yesterdayâs 28-21 victory has the Bills 5-0 against the Chiefs since 2021. Regular season, of course. They havenât beaten Kansas City in the playoffs since 1994.
Could anything from Sundayâs win help 6-2 Buffalo this time in the postseason? Yes, actually. It starts with the run.
James Cook was the first running back to top the century mark against Kansas City in nearly two calendar years (114 yards). That allowed Allen to be his usual MVP-level self, completing a franchise-record 88.5 percent of his passes for 273 yards, along with three total touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Buffalo dared Kansas City (5-4) to run the ball, dropping several defenders into coverage. The Chiefs refused, and Kareem Hunt had 11 carries while Patrick Mahomes finished with just one scramble for five yards.
That combination led to a defensive masterpiece. Joe Buscaglia, who covers the Bills for The Athletic, called it âthe most impressive defensive performance [Buffaloâs] coaching staff put together against the Chiefs since arriving.â
Why? Missing several top defenders, the Bills pressured Mahomes on 47.4 percent of his dropbacks, their best mark ever against him, and he finished with the lowest completion percentage of his career (44.1). Joey Bosa (one sack, five QB hits) and 2025 first-round pick Maxwell Hairston (interception in the second game of his career) each made plays.
All positives, except âŠÂ any postseason rematch will be without Michael Hoecht, Buffaloâs top defensive addition who tore his Achilles after recording two sacks in his first two games there. Itâs a bad omen for the Billsâ January, but an active trade deadline tomorrow could help. Our deadline primer is ready for you, Bills Mafia.
More Week 9 risers and fallers are next, before deadline-relevant updates from Dianna.
Week 9 Risers
Second-year Jacksonville kicker Cam Littleâs jersey and shoe are already in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, thanks to his 70-yard field goal this preseason. That one didnât count toward official records, but yesterdayâs 68-yarder did, setting the new NFL record.
The 5-3 Jaguars needed all three of those points in a 30-29 OT road win over the 2-6 Raiders, whose season is quickly slipping away.
đ The Steelersâ defense. They solved the Coltsâ scorching offense by âsmashing the run to make them one-dimensional,â said T.J. Watt, who helped limit Jonathan Taylor to just 45 yards on 14 carries. Daniel Jones was responsible for five of Indyâs six turnovers in a 27-20 loss to Pittsburgh. Full takeaways here.
đ Vikings. J.J. McCarthy brought energy, but his teammates led the way in Minnesotaâs 27-24 win in Detroit. Their defense pressured Jared Goff and held the Lionsâ run game to just 65 yards on 20 attempts. Aaron Jones had 78 yards on nine carries for the Vikings (4-4), who also blocked a field goal. Itâs impressive the 5-3 Lions only lost by three despite being outplayed in nearly every facet.
đ Unheralded running backs. Seventh-round rookie Kyle Monangai had 198 of Chicagoâs 576 total yards, the franchiseâs best day of offense in 45 years, as the Bears (5-3) pulled off a shocking 47-42 comeback win over the Bengals (3-6).
Elsewhere, Panthers running back Rico Dowdle ran for 130 yards, two touchdowns and one Hingle McCringleberry-inspired celebration in a gritty, 16-13 upset over the Packers, whoâd entered the game as 13.5-point favorites. The 5-4 Panthers beating their next two opponents â the division-rival Saints and Falcons â could bump their playoff odds to 40 percent, per our Simulator.
đ CMC for OPOY. Everything went through Christian McCaffrey as the 49ers beat the Giants 34-24. He has led 6-3 San Francisco in rushing yards each week, and he caught the most passes on the team in seven of those nine games. (Also as usual, the 49ers lost a talented defensive player to injury.)
đ Seattle. A defense among the leagueâs best and a Sam Darnold-led offense that isnât far behind combined to look unstoppable last night. Now 6-2 and tied with the Rams atop the NFC West, the Seahawks next play the Cardinals and those Rams.
Week 9 Fallers
đ Packers. Is this the ugliest overall play in NFL history? Maybe not, but itâs definitely the worst combination of offense, defense and jerseys.
Even the play call raises questions about Matt LaFleur, as Matt Schneidman noted. Green Bay (5-2-1) lost by three points â which they probably wouldâve gotten by kicking during that unsightly 4th-and-8.
đ Atlanta playoff chances. Bijan Robinson predictably struggled against a strong Patriots run defense (12 carries for 46 yards), as New England moved to 7-2 with the 24-23 win. Our Playoff Simulator gives Atlanta just a 10 percent shot at the postseason.
Meanwhile, the Patriots could lose their next four games and still have 48 percent odds to make the playoffs. Assuming thatâs not the plan, theyâll be tested by the Buccaneers next week, and they might need to win out to remain ahead of those Bills â the only team with an easier remaining schedule â to claim the AFC East throne.
Over to Dianna for a word on the deadline.
What Diannaâs Hearing: Deadline deals underway
The trade deadline is just over 24 hours away. Buckle up.
This morning, the 6-2 Eagles acquired OLB Jaelan Phillips in a deal with the 2-7 Dolphins. Teams like the 49ers and Patriots also showed interest, but in the end, Philadelphia GM Howie Roseman gave up a 2026 third-rounder for help on defense.
My eye is also on Los Angeles. The 6-3 Chargers, who were already exploring offensive line help, lost left tackle Joe Alt again on Sunday after the second-year standout re-injured the same ankle that sidelined him for three games earlier this season. Heâs expected to miss significant time.
Overall, it takes just one big deal to shift the playoff picture. See more of what Iâve been hearing in my weekend column.
Back to you, Jacob.
Extra Points
đ One of those plays. J.J. McCarthy completed just 14 passes in yesterdayâs win over the Lions, but his last was Mike Sandoâs top takeaway. Sandoâs Pick Six column covers that crucial play and more.
đ What a week. âThe Athletic Football Showâ recapped key takeaways from the exciting Week 9 slate, and Iâll be streaming their live trade deadline show at 3:30 p.m. ET tomorrow.
â¶ïžÂ Fridayâs most-clicked: Jaguars place WR/CB Travis Hunter on the IR.
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