Week 9 of the 2025 NFL season kicked off on Thursday with the Ravens defeating the Dolphins. Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson missed three games with a hamstring injury and threw four touchdown passes in his return.
The 49ers got back on track with an overwhelming victory over the Giants in the early window on Sunday. San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey led the way with two touchdowns. The Patriots were eliminated by the Falcons after kicker Parker Romo missed a game-tying extra point in the fourth quarter.
Our NFL Nation reporters react to all the action, answer lingering questions from each game and detail everything else you need to know about each team. Let's get started.
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LAC-TEN | ATL-NE
San Francisco-New York|Palmea
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charger
If offensive tackle Joe Alt is sidelined with an ankle injury, how much will that change expectations? The Chargers are 4-0 this season when Art plays a full game and 2-3 when he doesn't. Quarterback Justin Herbert has a QBR of 80 with Alt on the field and 56 without him. So the simple answer is that it changes expectations dramatically. Art may be the most important player on this team, not Herbert. If Art does miss a significant amount of time with an ankle injury, this team's ceiling will be significantly lower.
What to think about the QB's performance: Herbert's interceptions are becoming an issue. He threw his eighth interception of the season on the Chargers' first drive, which Titans linebacker Cody Patton returned for a touchdown. Herbert's eight interceptions were the most since 2022 (when he had 10). Sunday's interception marked his fourth against a blitz this season — a career-high in just nine games. ——Chris Ream
Next game: vs. Steelers (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET)
0:21
Cody Barton catches pass from Justin Herbert for pick-six
Cody Barton intercepted and the Titans took a 7-0 lead.
titan
Is the Titans' offense the worst in the NFL? Entering Week 9, the offense ranks last in points per game (13.8), yards per game (248.8) and rushing yards per game (80.4). The passing offense is also second to last, averaging 168.4 yards per game. Sunday's performance was even worse. Tennessee scored 14 points on Patton's interception and Chmyrdyke's punt return, the Titans' first punt return touchdown since 2012. But they only scored 20 points. Tennessee's offense converted just 10 first downs but gained 206 yards of total offense.
inflection point: The Titans forced a three-and-out on their first series of the second half and ensued on a 71-yard drive when running back Tony Pollard's attempt on fourth down to take a 24-20 lead stalled at the Chargers' 1-yard line. Los Angeles then got the ball and rushed 99 yards in nine minutes to lead by 10 points. ——Tullen Davenport
Next game: vs. Texans (Nov. 16, 1 p.m. ET)
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patriots
How concerning is quarterback Drake Maye's increasing hit count? Meyer rushed six times for 38 yards and was sacked, a week after he was sacked six times for 37 yards. Some of that was a result of blocking in front of him, but Meyer admitted he could have done more to protect himself at times (and also protected the ball by keeping both hands on it, but he didn't do that when he fumbled the ball late in the second quarter). Meyer is the third Patriots quarterback since 2000 to be sacked five or more times in back-to-back games, joining Jacoby Brissett (2024) and Drew Bledsoe (2000).
Just do some statistics and you’ll know: After holding Bijan Robinson to 45 rushing yards, the Patriots are now the only team since 1950 to hold an opposing running back under 50 yards rushing through the first nine games of the season, according to ESPN Research. No other team has accomplished this feat through the first eight games of the season.——Mike Rice
Next game: Buccaneers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
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Michael Penix Jr. and Drake London team up for second TD connect game
Michael Penix Jr. threw a touchdown pass to Drake London to extend the Patriots' lead.
falcon
What can the Falcons do to keep Robinson moving forward? The Falcons are 3-0 when their star running back has more than 75 yards on the ground. They're now 0-5 when Robinson doesn't live up to that standard, and he rushed for just 45 yards on Sunday. Atlanta's coaching staff will say they want to be a run-first team, but the Falcons have trouble committing to the ground game, especially when playing from behind. Robinson had just 12 carries Sunday. Atlanta needs to find a way to get him back into rhythm because he is a game-changing player.
What to think about the QB's performance: Despite throwing three touchdown passes to wide receiver Drake London, Michael Penix Jr. had 222 yards on 22 of 37 carries, but his performance was inconsistent. But he did lead the Falcons on what should have been a game-tying drive that was marred by kicker Parker Romo's missed extra point. Penix threw a 40-yard pass to London on that drive and threw the ball to receivers twice on fourth down, one of which was a one-handed touchdown catch of 8 yards. ——Mark Raimondi
Next game: vs. Colts in Berlin (Sunday, 9:30 a.m. ET)
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49ers
The 49ers are in a tight race, but how aggressive should they be heading into Tuesday's trade deadline? Sunday's win may not change the 49ers' caution heading into the trade deadline, but that doesn't mean they should sit on the sidelines. They would have been happy with their 6-3 start even before linebacker Fred Warner (ankle) and defensive end Nick Bosa (ACL) suffered serious injuries. So the onus is on them to make another move or two, especially after rookie defensive end Mykel Williams left Sunday's game with an apparent lower-body injury. It might not be noticeable, but as the offense gets healthier, another two quality players could help the defense stay afloat.
Just do some statistics and you’ll know: Running back Christian McCaffrey continues to do most of the heavy lifting and further etch his name in the NFL record books. McCaffrey gained 164 yards from scrimmage, 500 yards rushing and 500 yards receiving in nine games. He is only the second player in the past decade to do so (Saquon Barkley, 2018) and the second Niner to do so (Roger Craig, 1985). McCaffrey also has a whopping 16 career games with at least one rushing and one receiving touchdown, surpassing Marshall Faulk for the most in history. ——Nick Wagner
Next game: vs. Rams (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)
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giants
What's going on with the Giants' defense? All these edge rushers they can't stop anybody. Sunday marked the third straight game the Giants allowed at least 30 points. The defense was unable to stop the run (especially running to the edge), and their injury-plagued secondary offered little resistance. 49ers quarterback Mac Jones completed his first 14 passes. The pass rush isn't effective enough when opponents can easily complete passes and run at will. Christian McCaffrey rushed for over 150 yards and two touchdowns, and San Francisco finished with nearly 400 yards of total offense.
Trends to watch: Tight end Theo Johnson has dropped the ball in three straight games. Johnson currently has five fumbles this season, ranking in the top 10 in the league. To further complicate matters, three of the five were in third place. This week, Johnson's throwing error late in the second quarter ruined a potential Giants offense as the ball clanked off his hands and shoulder pads. He caught a touchdown pass earlier in the game (his fifth of the season), but the decline is becoming a serious issue. ——Jordan Lanan
Next game: at the Bears (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
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Ravens
Is Lamar Jackson back in the NFL MVP discussion? Of course, because he has emphasized his value over the past month. Jackson, who missed three games with a hamstring injury, immediately rejuvenated Baltimore, completing 78 percent of its attempts (18 of 23) and throwing four touchdown passes. He puts pressure on defenses due to his playmaking ability. Teammates said Jackson also gained confidence because they knew he would catch the ball when they were open. Jackson was the ultimate difference-maker. In the three games he missed, Baltimore averaged 14.3 points per game. Led by Jackson this season, the Ravens are averaging 31.8 points per game.
Trends to watch: The Ravens have held the team to 17 points or fewer for three straight games, tying the longest streak by any team this season. It's a big turnaround for a defense that had been criticized after allowing an NFL-worst 35.4 points per game through the first five weeks. Against the Dolphins, the Ravens had two forced fumbles and an interception, recording their most turnovers since three in 2023 when they last faced off against the Dolphins. ——Jamison Hensley
Next game: Vikings (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
dolphin
At 2-7, will the Dolphins trade players before the deadline? In the weeks leading up to Thursday's loss, Dolphins sources said there were no plans to make any sweeping changes to the roster, but there was a feeling around the league that one or more of their players might be out as the season became too overwhelming. Linebacker Jaylan Phillips said he would prefer to stay in Miami, while linebacker Bradley Chubb said the decision was out of his hands. Coach Mike McDaniel told reporters after the game that it would be “irresponsible” to comment on any potential trade and that the team's focus is “determining the terms” before the Bills game. The team will have to deal with Tuesday's trade deadline without general manager Chris Grier, who was fired on Friday.
Just do some statistics and you’ll know: On pass attempts within 2.5 seconds of interception, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa completed 18 of 25 passes for 209 yards. On pass attempts that lasted longer than 2.5 seconds, he completed 7 of 14 passes for 52 yards and one interception for a completion percentage of -16.8 above expectations. ——Marcel Louis Jacques
Next game: vs. Bills (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)