Key events
TOUCHDOWN! Bengals 7-7 Bears 8:44, 1st quarter
They just keep on coming as Caleb Williams marches the Bears downfield and pops it to DJ Moore for a two-yard score.
TOUCHDOWN! Lions 7-7 Vikings 10:17, 1st quarter
TOUCHDOWN! Steelers 0-7 Colts 8:05, 1st quarter
Minnesota hit back immediately with a 10-yard touchdown from JJ McCarthy to Justin Jefferson while the Colts make a fast start against the Steelers. Pittsburgh’s defense come up huge on the goalline to force a fourth down but no matter for Indianapolis. They go for the QB sneak and Jones dives over. Cheeky!
PICK SIX! Titans 7-0 Chargers 11:19, 1st quarter
Oh no. Justin Herbert looks for Keenan Allen but can only find linebacker Cody Barton who returns the interception for a 24-yard touchdown.
TOUCHDOWN! Giants 7-0 49ers 10:50, 1st quarter
TOUCHDOWN! Patriots 7-0 Falcons 5:53, 1st quarter
Jaxson Dart hits Theo Johnson for a 15-yard touchdown for the Giants while Drake Maye finds Pop Douglas with a 16-yard pass and a score. Cracking start for both.
TOUCHDOWN! Lions 7-0 Vikings 12:37, 1st quarter
Detriot dig into their bag of tricks with a 40-yard touchdown pass to Sam LaPorta on fourth down. With four yards to go they risk it all for the score and the Jared Goff finds his man but the tight end has to battle tooth and nail through three defenders and only just falls into the endzone.
Steelers 0-0 Colts 12:43, 1st quarter
Disappointing start for Pittsburgh with a punt highlighted by a shocking drop from tight end Jonnu Smith.
The Colts come out on offense and Jonathan Taylor is stuffed on their first play behind the line of scrimmage. They’ll need a few more of them.
TOUCHDOWN! Bengals 7-0 Bears 14:49, 1st quarter
Are you not entertained? Are you not entertained?!
Cincinatti’s Charlie Jones rips off a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown! Only the second return for a score this season. Wow.
Preamble
Hello football fans, welcome to week nine of NFL action. After thrashageddon seven days ago the playoff contenders are emerging, however there is still enough rope left on the spool for the underdogs to plot a postseason course. So how about it Houston? What have you got Atlanta? The Ravens are flying, Pittsburgh, so can you take down the mighty Colts?
With a stup(id)endous eight games to track we want drama, nay, we DEMAND drama. So let’s, as they say, ‘ave it.
Your octet starting at 12pm CST/1pm EST/6pm (home teams listed first):
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(3-5) Cincinnati Bengals v Chicago Bears (4-3)
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(5-2) Detroit Lions v Minnesota Vikings (3-4)
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(5-1-1) Green Bay Packers v Carolina Panthers (4-4)
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(3-4) Houston Texans v Denver Broncos (6-2)
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(6-2) New England Patriots v Atlanta Falcons (3-4)
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(2-6) New York Giants v San Francisco 49ers (5-3)
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(4-3) Pittsburgh Steelers v Indianapolis Colts (7-1)
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(1-7) Tennessee Titans v Los Angeles Chargers (5-3)
There are a number of potential upsets in the offing here but Pittsburgh seeing off Indianapolis would be the most spectacular. The game plan will likely revolve around stopping Indianapolis’ Jonathan Taylor. The back is enjoying a breathtaking year so far as he sits first in total rushing yards by almost 100 with 850, second (by a whole tenth of a yard) per carry at 5.9, and first in rushing touchdowns with 12. Slow him down and you have a foothold from which to build success, as the Rams found when they slapped the brakes on Taylor to the tune of 76 yards at 4.5 per carry and zero touchdowns during their 27-20 victory in September.
Pittsburgh’s defense has been solid enough against the run. Only five touchdowns conceded shows some promise with a middle of the road EPA per rush of -0.02 meaning that on average they perform, well, very averagely. So crucially not disastrous like their passing defense. What they haven’t yet faced is an offense as abundantly brilliant as the Colts that puts quarterback Daniel Jones and his receivers are firmly in the conversation for being one of the best passing attacks. They might even be on top if Taylor wasn’t hogging so much of the limelight.
The Steelers are in a bind. Head coach Mike Tomlin has to pick his poison, Jones is the likely choice so Pittsburgh may throw bodies into the box to force the Colts to pass. It is a gamble, but the risk could be worth the reward of a vital win in the race for the AFC North.
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