The Jets and Lions did what? Takeaways from NFL Week 9, including two big upsets

It's Week 9 of the 2022 NFL season -- and arsenic we scope the halfway constituent of the season, we should commencement seeing whether immoderate contenders are successful it for the agelong haul.

To commencement the week off, the Philadelphia Eagles remained undefeated with a 29-17 triumph implicit the Houston Texans connected Thursday night.

Of 8 games successful the aboriginal Sunday window, six came down to the 4th quarter. The Detroit Lions held connected to a one-score pb to manus the Green Bay Packers their 5th consecutive loss, the Minnesota Vikings came backmost from 10 down to bushed the Washington Commanders, and the Los Angeles Chargers secured a triumph implicit the Atlanta Falcons with a last-minute tract goal. The New York Jets' defence stood gangly successful a captious AFC East matchup against the Buffalo Bills, handing the Bills their 2nd nonaccomplishment of the season. Tua Tagovailoa led the Miami Dolphins to a adjacent triumph implicit Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears, portion the Jacksonville Jaguars came backmost from a 17-point shortage to bushed the Las Vegas Raiders.

The New England Patriots and Cincinnati Bengals won convincingly implicit the Indianapolis Colts and Carolina Panthers, respectively.

The Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers are connected a bye and volition instrumentality to enactment successful Week 10.

Our NFL Nation reporters respond with the biggest takeaways and lingering questions disconnected this week's matchups and look up to what's next. Games are Sunday unless noted. Let's get to it.

Jump to a matchup:

PHI-HOU | BUF-NYJ | GB-DET
IND-NE | MIA-CHI | MIN-WSH
CAR-CIN | LAC-ATL | LV-JAX

Cincinnati 42, Carolina 21

Bengals

What to know: Yes, the Bengals wholly housed the Panthers successful a rout. But it didn't uncover thing caller astir a Cincinnati squad that inactive has plentifulness of enactment to bash successful bid to scope the postseason. The Bengals person looked exceptional successful 3 wins against NFC South opponents. But successful the AFC North, Cincinnati is 0-3. Finding a equilibrium betwixt some extremes volition apt determine the Bengals' postseason fate.

Is Joe Mixon backmost connected track? Potentially. Coming into the game, Mixon had minus-54 rushing yards supra expectation, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. He went plus-74 connected Sunday, which is simply a large motion for idiosyncratic who was nether scrutiny successful the week starring up to this game. -- Ben Baby

Next game: astatine Steelers (Sunday, Nov. 20, 8:20 p.m. ET)

Panthers

What to know: It volition beryllium hard for interim manager Steve Wilks to support PJ Walker arsenic the starting backmost Thursday against the Falcons. Walker had 2 interceptions and lone 9 yards passing earlier Wilks turned to Baker Mayfield for the 2nd half. The Panthers are expected to activate Sam Darnold from injured reserve Tuesday. They privation to spot what Darnold tin bash but apt won't person clip to get him acceptable connected a abbreviated week. Before today, 1 enactment aft adjacent week was to merchandise Mayfield and spell with Walker and Darnold the remainder of the season. Walker's mediocre show and the professionalism Mayfield has shown arsenic the backup puts each options backmost connected the table.

Has the defence yet reached its limit? Carolina's 1 changeless each play has been the defence that played reasonably good successful each but 1 game. That went retired the model successful the archetypal fractional erstwhile Bengals RB Joe Mixon became the archetypal subordinate to grounds 150 yards and 4 rushing touchdowns successful a fractional since Seattle's Shaun Alexander successful 2002. Carolina had fixed up lone 7 rushing touchdowns each season. So has this portion fixed up? Bad spread power is not a bully sign. On apical of the porous tally defense, determination were 4 penalties called for lining up offside. None of this is simply a bully motion for Wilks, a defence coach, who is warring for a changeable astatine the full-time job. -- David Newton

Next game: Falcons (Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET)

New England 26, Indianapolis 3

Patriots

What to know: Defense and peculiar teams pb the way. Matthew Judon and Josh Uche had 3 sacks apiece -- marking conscionable the 2nd clip successful franchise past that aggregate players totaled 3 oregon much sacks successful a crippled (Andre Tippett, Don Blackmon successful 1985) -- and a blocked punt by Jonathan Jones acceptable up a abbreviated touchdown for the offense. After totaling 9 sacks, the Patriots caput into their bye week astatine 5-4. It's hard to ideate them having the violative firepower to support up with Buffalo (and possibly adjacent Miami), but they've astatine slightest kept themselves successful the hunt.

How overmuch anticipation is determination for the Mac Jones-led passing offense? Mac Jones finished 20-of-30 for 147 yards, with 1 touchdown and nary interceptions, arsenic the discourtesy struggled to find a bushed throughout. While the Colts person fixed opposing QBs immoderate problems this year, it's besides just to wonderment wherefore Jones & Co. haven't sustained much momentum. Shaky play on the violative enactment has been hard to miss successful caller weeks, and possibly the instrumentality of starting halfway David Andrews -- who missed 2 games with a concussion -- aft the bye volition solidify immoderate things, arsenic first-round prime Cole Strange has struggled astatine near defender successful his absence. -- Mike Reiss

Next game: vs. Jets (Sunday, Nov. 20, 1 p.m. ET)

Colts

What to know: The Colts had the worst single-game violative accumulation successful manager Frank Reich's 5 seasons, finishing with 121 full yards, and are present 0-2 with backmost Sam Ehlinger nether center. The Colts made the alteration to Ehlinger entering their Week 8 crippled against Washington, but done 2 weeks, they bash not person a passing touchdown. n Sunday successful Foxborough, the bottommost fell retired of their full offense. The Colts' violative enactment was successful shambles, with the Patriots racking up 9 sacks -- the astir allowed by the Colts successful a crippled since 2017. The backmost alteration and the firing of violative coordinator Marcus Brady haven't changed a happening successful Indy.

What should we marque of the Colts' defense? The portion is playing highly well, but it doesn't adjacent matter. The Patriots had a play debased successful violative yardage Sunday, but the defence cannot relationship for the deficiency of accumulation by the Indianapolis offense. The Colts' defence entered the crippled ranking successful the apical 10 successful scoring defence and full yards, but that has been consistently overshadowed by the offense's inability to score. The Colts' violative struggles are a hard world to judge for antiaircraft veterans similar DeForest Buckner and Stephon Gilmore, who are having bully seasons but person thing to amusement for it. -- Stephen Holder

Next game: astatine Raiders (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET)

Detroit 15, Green Bay 9

Lions

What to know: The Lions traded choky extremity T.J. Hockenson connected Tuesday to divisional rival Minnesota, but successful his lack backmost Jared Goff threw 2 touchdown passes to his replacements, Shane Zylstra and James Mitchell, successful the 2nd and 4th quarters. Detroit's discourtesy had been unopen retired successful the 2nd fractional of each crippled since Week 4 vs. Seattle, but that changed successful Sunday's triumph against Green Bay.

Did antiaircraft backs manager Aubrey Pleasant's firing motivate the defense? Yes. Entering the Green Bay game, Detroit's defence was allowing the astir points per game, which led to Pleasant's dismissal earlier successful the week. Members of the secondary shouldered the blasted for the Lions' determination past responded with a beardown performance, which included 2 interceptions from rookie information Kerby Joseph. Entering the day, the Lions had 2 picks each season. They had 3 against the Packers. -- Eric Woodyard

Next game: astatine Bears (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

Packers

What to know: Aaron Rodgers looked a batch similar Brett Favre, throwing willy-nilly and getting picked disconnected 3 times arsenic a result, and the remainder of the Packers looked unrecognizable -- astatine slightest erstwhile utilizing the past 3 seasons arsenic the baseline. Two of Rodgers' interceptions came from wrong the reddish portion and a 3rd from conscionable extracurricular the 20, and it marked his archetypal crippled with 3 picks since 2017. He's had 5 vocation three-interception games successful his career, and nary of the archetypal 4 had travel against an NFC North team. This clip it came against a Lions squad that had 2 interceptions each play coming into the crippled and had been allowing 32.1 points per game. As atrocious arsenic things had been for the Packers successful their four-game losing streak, losing a 5th successful a enactment to the one-win Lions raises things to a full different level.

How galore much games tin you realistically expect the Packers to win? Their adjacent 3 opponents -- the Cowboys, Titans and Eagles -- entered Sunday with a combined grounds of 19-4. They don't play a squad presently with a losing grounds until Dec. 4 astatine Chicago, which is presently 3-5. And they inactive person games against the Rams, Dolphins and Vikings (who already bushed the Packers successful Week 1) earlier they wrapper up the regular play with the Lions astatine home. -- Rob Demovsky

Next game: vs. Cowboys (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)

Miami 35, Chicago 32

Dolphins

What to know: The Dolphins were not a pass-rusher distant from fixing their defense, astatine slightest Sunday, and Bradley Chubb, portion promising successful his archetypal commencement aft being acquired successful a trade, is not a one-man savior. Bears backmost Justin Fields did fundamentally thing helium wanted to, moving for 178 yards and scoring 4 full touchdowns. While Fields' accomplishment acceptable makes this antiaircraft show look similar an outlier, the mediocre tackling has been determination each season.

How sustainable is this shootout model? It worked against the Lions. It worked against the Ravens. But the Bears pushed the Dolphins to the brink successful a shootout fewer radical saw coming. Miami's defence has forced its discourtesy to play astir perfectly to marque up for its shortcomings, and that doesn't consciousness similar a Super Bowl-winning formula. If the Dolphins' discourtesy isn't clicking, there's small crushed to judge their defence could halt an elite team. Their defence came up with a brace of large stops precocious successful the 4th fourth Sunday (with the assistance of a questionable no-call connected Chicago's last drive), but however galore much times the Dolphins tin get distant with this? -- Marcel Louis-Jacques

Next game: vs. Browns (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

Bears

What to know: The Bears' discourtesy has evolved into a high-powered portion implicit the past 3 weeks, and a large crushed is Justin Fields' running. His 178 rushing yards Sunday, including a 61-yard touchdown scramble, were the astir by a backmost successful a regular-season crippled successful NFL history. Fields is besides the archetypal subordinate successful NFL past to propulsion 3 touchdown passes and unreserved for astatine slightest 150 yards successful the aforesaid game. Creative playcalling resulted successful Darnell Mooney's archetypal touchdown of the play and 2 TDs for Cole Kmet, who is yet processing into a reddish portion threat.

What adjustments volition the Bears marque to assistance their walk rush? Chicago's biggest occupation with its walk unreserved is not a unit issue. The Bears' antiaircraft doctrine is rooted successful getting unit with a modular walk unreserved -- they fertile 16th with a 24.3% unit complaint erstwhile rushing 4 -- and it has go predictable for opponents to attack. Chicago allowed Tua Tagovailoa to implicit 70% of his passes for 171 yards and 2 touchdowns against modular pressure. His different passing touchdown came erstwhile the Bears rushed three. The Bears inexplicably did not blitz Tagovailoa successful the archetypal fractional and sent other rushers connected lone 4 of his 30 dropbacks. -- Courtney Cronin

Next game: vs. Lions (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

Minnesota 20, Washington 17

Vikings

What to know: The Vikings mightiness person won the NFC North connected Sunday. Not literally, of course, but successful improving their grounds to 7-1 connected a time the Packers and Bears lost, the Vikings person built a five-game pb successful the nonaccomplishment file successful the division. Sunday's triumph implicit the Commanders was the 4th crippled the Vikings person flooded a fourth-quarter shortage to win. They person been walking a tightrope each season, but that tightrope is starring them consecutive to a part title.

Is determination thing much the Vikings could person asked from caller choky extremity T.J. Hockenson? Nope! After 3 days of signifier with the team, Hockenson had by acold the champion crippled for a Vikings choky extremity this season. He was targeted a game-high 9 times, catching each 9 for 70 yards. He wasn't ever elusive successful the choky extremity surface game, but his archetypal drawback -- a 19-yard walk implicit the mediate -- was the longest by a Vikings choky extremity this season. If thing else, this crippled proved however overmuch the Vikings wanted and needed a choky extremity of Hockenson's accomplishment set. -- Kevin Seifert

Next game: astatine Bills (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

Commanders

What to know: Washington's triumph streak ended due to the fact that it continued to wounded itself astatine the worst moments. Doing truthful has outgo the Commanders successful aggregate losses this season. The defense, which played good for 3 quarters, gave up important third-down conversions connected a tract extremity thrust -- a walk interference and a 47-yard summation -- and past Taylor Heinicke floated a precocious walk implicit the mediate that was intercepted and led to the tying score. There besides was an unsportsmanlike behaviour punishment by John Ridgeway connected a go-ahead tract extremity that allowed Minnesota to support the shot and tally 100 much seconds. Penalties and opponents' large plays person led to excessively galore losses, and connected Sunday they led to Washington losing a highly winnable location game.

How agelong volition they instrumentality with Heinicke? The players and coaches each accidental the aforesaid thing: There's thing astir Heinicke. He has that "it" factor. But erstwhile it goes bad, it doesn't look bully -- helium was 15-for-28 for 149 yards connected Sunday -- and leads to questions astir however agelong they tin instrumentality with him erstwhile Carson Wentz returns (in 2 weeks, astatine the earliest). Although Heinicke authors immoderate magical and amusive moments, helium besides flirts with disaster. This time, it led to a fourth-quarter interception that acceptable up tying touchdown. Still, if the Commanders triumph astatine Philadelphia adjacent week, there's a bully accidental they'd support rolling with Heinicke. -- John Keim

Next game: astatine Eagles (Monday, Nov. 14, 8:15 p.m. ET)

L.A. Chargers 20, Atlanta 17

Chargers

What to know: The Chargers needed a game-winning 37-yard tract extremity from rookie Cameron Dicker to gain a 20-17 triumph implicit the Falcons and amended to 5-3. With the win, the Bolts stay successful the hunt for their 2nd playoff berth successful 9 seasons, but their docket becomes overmuch much hard successful the 2nd fractional of the season. The Chargers' spot of docket successful games played truthful acold ranks 30th successful the NFL, according to ESPN analytics, and their spot of docket remaining ranks 10th.

When volition the Chargers' plethora of injured players return? The Chargers person continued to pin their playoff tally hopes connected the instrumentality of respective injured players, including wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, borderline rusher Joey Bosa and kicker Dustin Hopkins. However, much names were added to the database Sunday, arsenic antiaircraft lineman Austin Johnson near the crippled due to the fact that of a close genu wounded and close tackle Trey Pipkins III was sidelined due to the fact that of a near genu injury. There is nary wide timeline for their returns. -- Lindsey Thiry

Next game: astatine 49ers (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET)

Falcons

What to know: It's the obstruction the Atlanta Falcons can't look to break. Thirteen times since the commencement of the 2018 season, the Falcons person been astatine .500. Thirteen times, Atlanta has mislaid its adjacent crippled - including a 20-17 nonaccomplishment to the Los Angeles Chargers connected Sunday, continuing the longest agelong astatine .500 oregon beneath (74 games) successful the NFL. The past clip the Falcons were implicit .500 was besides their past playoff appearance: 2017. In a play successful which determination has been a batch of advancement and astonishing success, a winning grounds inactive eludes Atlanta.

Is this what to expect from the Falcons' moving crippled going forward? Cordarrelle Patterson's instrumentality to the starting relation was going to effect successful alterations to Atlanta's top-five moving game, each for the better. And that showed arsenic the Falcons erstwhile again rushed for implicit 200 yards. But the breakdown of carries -- astir a 50-50 divided for Patterson and Tyler Allgeier, with immoderate enactment for Caleb Huntley -- makes it hard to foretell however the remainder of the play volition go. The Falcons are intelligibly going to beryllium astute with Patterson and volition proceed to determination him astir the formation, which could support him from taking connected a monolithic workload akin to what helium saw earlier his genu injury. The emergence of Allgeier -- who looked precise bully Sunday with 99 yards -- and Huntley successful Patterson's lack astir apt means Patterson volition inactive get a bully magnitude of enactment successful emblematic crippled situations, with Allgeier and Huntley playing much successful four-minute scenarios, but each 3 getting immoderate carries each week. -- Michael Rothstein

Next game: astatine Panthers (Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET)

N.Y. Jets 20, Buffalo 17

Jets

What to know: The biggest triumph of the Robert Saleh epoch was highlighted by QB Zach Wilson's champion show of the season. Under aggravated unit aft past week's three-interception disaster, Wilson acceptable a vocation precocious for completion percent (72%), eliminated the careless decisions that caused truthful overmuch harm past week and orchestrated a agelong tract extremity thrust to triumph it. He had 1 turnover (strip sack) but managed the crippled nicely. This was precisely what helium and the Jets needed. It showed the Jets tin beryllium a playoff squad if they instrumentality to their look -- tally the shot (174 yards vs. Bills), play large defence and play virtually mistake-free astatine quarterback.

Do the Jets person 1 of the champion defenses successful the NFL? Absolutely. The Jets, ranked sixth successful yards allowed astatine the commencement of the day, outplayed the vaunted Buffalo defense. They intercepted Josh Allen doubly and sacked him 5 times successful a season-defining performance. They did it with a four-man rush, seldom blitzing. Their heavy sum was excellent. Receiver Stefon Diggs, who caught a 42-yard walk connected the game's archetypal play, was held without a reception successful the 2nd half. Rookie Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed were outstanding astatine cornerback. -- Rich Cimini

Next game: astatine Patriots (Sunday, Nov. 20, 1 p.m. ET)

Bills

What to know: Josh Allen played his worst crippled of the season, finishing 18-of-34 for 205 yards with 2 interceptions -- and it could person been 3 interceptions but the Jets missed an accidental successful the 4th quarter. The backmost looked retired of sync with his receivers, and the discourtesy was incapable to consistently enactment unneurotic drives oregon capitalize connected astir of the longer drives they did have. Allen's 2 rushing touchdowns established an aboriginal lead, but the discourtesy couldn't physique connected them. One motion of the Bills' violative woes? Receiver Stefon Diggs didn't person a second-half reception -- lone the 2nd clip helium has gone without a drawback successful a fractional successful the past 2 years.

Is the Bills' tally defence a large interest now? Yes. The Bills were missing cardinal players connected defence -- linebacker Matt Milano and information Jordan Poyer -- but that's not an excuse for however the tally defence has struggled for a 2nd consecutive game. Even erstwhile it was wide the Jets would tally the shot connected the last thrust of the 4th quarter, they continued to prime up important gains. The Bills person allowed the 2 highest rushing totals of the play successful the past 2 games (208 yards vs. Packers; 175 vs. Jets). -- Alaina Getzenberg

Next game: vs. Vikings (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

Jacksonville 27, Las Vegas 20

Jaguars

What to know: This come-from-behind triumph could beryllium a turning constituent for a squad that is inactive trying to fig retired however to play a implicit game. The Jaguars were either tied oregon had a pb successful the 4th fourth successful 5 of their six losses but couldn't adjacent the deal. Rallying from a 17-0 first-half shortage and yet making a antiaircraft basal successful the 4th fourth - aft missing a tract extremity that would person fixed them a seven-point pb -- volition beryllium a immense assurance boost for the Jaguars' successful their adjacent 2 games against the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens.

When is QB Trevor Lawrence going to play accordant football? Lawrence played 1 of his champion games of the play 1 week aft playing 1 of his worst, which included throwing different interception successful the extremity zone. Coach Doug Pederson has said he's going to marque Lawrence enactment done the ups and downs of his struggles. Giving Lawrence speedy throws to get him successful a bushed helps, but Pederson said Year 2 successful his strategy volition marque a large difference. -- Mike DiRocco

Next game: astatine Chiefs (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

Raiders

What to know: Good things hap for the Raiders' discourtesy erstwhile wide receiver Davante Adams is targeted aboriginal and often. Adams, who had 1 drawback for 3 yards successful a shutout nonaccomplishment astatine New Orleans past week, announced his beingness with authorization aboriginal successful Jacksonville. Adams, who was dealing with unwellness the erstwhile week, made the Jaguars secondary wage with a season-high 143 receiving yards, connected 9 catches, and 2 TDs earlier halftime. No wonderment the Raiders jumped to a 17-0 pb with 10:51 to play successful the 2nd quarter.

So wherefore didn't the Raiders thrust Adams successful the 2nd half? Between taking that 17-0 pb and trailing 27-20, Adams had 1 catch, connected 8 targets, for 3 yards. It's mystifying however accelerated the Raiders went distant from the blistery hand, nary substance what benignant of exotic defenses were thrown astatine Adams. Because if he's doubled, tripled and/or bracketed, idiosyncratic other is open. Plus, the inevitable antiaircraft illness didn't assistance arsenic it was the 3rd clip the Raiders, who fell to 2-6, blew specified a pb (20-0 to Arizona and 17-0 astatine Kansas City). Yet each six Raiders losses are by conscionable 1 possession. -- Paul Gutierrez

Next game: vs. Colts (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET)

Thursday

Philadelphia 29, Houston 17

Eagles

What to know: Jalen Hurts' instrumentality location proved to beryllium a historical night, arsenic helium helped usher the Eagles' to their first-ever 8-0 commencement with an ugly-early, good-enough precocious triumph implicit the Texans. Hurts referred to this arsenic a "business trip" but those adjacent to him knew the instrumentality to Houston held peculiar meaning. It wasn't ever beauteous but helium roseate to the moment, tossing a brace of touchdown passes -- including a go-ahead 17-yard onslaught to A.J. Brown successful the 3rd 4th -- to support the undefeated bid rolling.

How overmuch volition DT Jordan Davis' lack wounded them? The Eagles' archetypal crippled without Davis, who was conscionable placed connected injured reserve with a close precocious ankle sprain, proved problematic for the unreserved defense. Houston's Dameon Pierce went disconnected for implicit 100 yards connected 27 carries contempt being the defense's superior absorption each week. Davis has been a difference-maker. Entering the game, the Eagles allowed 3.9 yards per unreserved with him connected the tract (70 rushes) versus 6 yards per unreserved with him disconnected the tract (112 rushes). -- Tim McManus

Next game: vs. Commanders (Monday, Nov. 14, 8:15 p.m. ET)

Texans

What to know: Welcome back, Dameon Pierce. Last week the rookie moving backmost struggled against the Titans and finished with 35 yards, his second-lowest of the season. But against the undefeated Eagles, helium bounced backmost with a immense show that gave the Texans a accidental to triumph arsenic they trailed 21-17 going into the fourth. He finished with 139 yards rushing and produced a item tally of 36 yards that featured defenders bouncing disconnected of him successful the 2nd quarter. The Texans' discourtesy goes arsenic Pierce goes, if he's rolling, past the Texans' discourtesy has a chance. When he's not, the discourtesy struggles to people -- similar it did successful Week 8 erstwhile Houston posted 10 points.

What's up with WR Brandin Cooks? Cooks didn't play connected Thursday nighttime owed to idiosyncratic reasons aft not being traded astatine the deadline. Cooks was unhappy with the information that helium wasn't traded. The Texans couldn't find a woody that worked for them arsenic teams didn't privation to instrumentality connected his guaranteed $18 cardinal wage for 2023. Cooks is the Texans' starring receiver with 354 yards and 32 receptions. But he's successful the mediate of a subpar play by his standards, presently averaging 50.6 yards per game, the second-lowest per crippled mean of his career. -- DJ Bien-Aime

Next game: astatine Giants (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)