Nov 09, 2026 - 16:29
By espn.com

NFL Week 9 takeaways, questions, fantasy spin on Sunday's games - ESPN

The Sunday slate for Week 9 of the 2026 NFL season kicked off in Madrid with the Bengals' offense erupting in a win over the Falcons. Cincinnati wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase finished with a season-high 155 yards and a touchdown on 10 receptions, and it finished with a near meltdown by Caleb Williams (four interceptions) and the Bears against the Bucs.

Back in the United States, Rams edge rusher Myles Garrett returned from injury, finishing with three sacks in a win over the Commanders. Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders fell to the Saints in his first start of the 2026 season. And quarterback Bo Nix led the Broncos to their fifth fourth-quarter comeback this year — tied for the most through nine games in NFL history, per the Elias Sports Bureau.

In the late window Sunday, the 49ers forced five turnovers in a dominant win over the Raiders. Quarterback Drew Lock led the Seahawks to a win over the Cardinals in place of the injured Sam Darnold. The Texans and Packers scored 40-plus points in victories over the Chargers and Patriots, respectively.

Our NFL Nation reporters react to all the action, answering lingering questions coming out of each game — including how teams will approach Tuesday's trade deadline. Fantasy football analysts Matt Bowen and Tristan Cockcroft also have fantasy takeaways from each matchup.

Let's get to it with the biggest lessons from Sunday.

Catch up on Thursday's game:
JAX-BAL

Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

What happened to the Bears after the first quarter? The Bears were primed to put the Bucs away early after building a 14-0 first-quarter lead. Then one play after