2026 NFL season, Week 9: What We Learned from Sunday's games

Key Points:

• The Cincinnati Bengals have been dominant over the past three weeks, scoring 112 points in two-and-a-half games, led by Joe Burrow's MVP-caliber performance and Ja'Marr Chase's career-high receiving yards, contributing to a franchise-record four straight games with at least 30 points scored.
• Despite Bijan Robinson's strong individual performance with 147 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown, the Atlanta Falcons struggled with defensive lapses and costly penalties, allowing 7.1 yards per play and failing to capitalize on critical red zone opportunities.
• The Bengals' win puts them in a 6-2 tie atop the AFC North with the Steelers, setting up a crucial Week 10 matchup, while the Falcons, at 3-6, remain in contention in the NFC South but face pressure from division rivals and a challenging upcoming schedule.
• Joe Burrow was pressured on 28.1% of dropbacks but excelled when kept clean, completing 20 of 23 passes for 237 yards and two touchdowns, with a career-long time to pressure of 3.26 seconds against the Falcons.
• Burrow and Chase connected for their 19th touchdown of at least 40 yards, tying them with Joe Montana and Jerry Rice for third-most in NFL history since 1980, and their 58th overall touchdown together ranks second among QB-receiver duos before age 30.